Many clients express the same concern: "I don't have time to cook, I'm too busy." It's understandable. Life is getting busier by the day. However, taking the time to nourish ourselves with good quality food is essential to maintain the energy required to keep up with our busy lives. Neglecting to nourish ourselves can lead to poor health in the future, which is not where we want to be.

A quick and easy solution is a stir fry. It's one of the fastest ways to get a big dose of culinary medicine into your body with the least amount of time spent in the kitchen. Believe it or not, a delicious stir-fry can be made in less than 15 minutes. First, marinate your protein of choice (beef, chicken, shrimp, or tofu) for 10 minutes. While the protein is marinating, chop an onion into thin crescents, de-stem and slice 4-5 shiitake mushrooms, separate half a head of broccoli into small florets, seed and thinly slice a red pepper, and chop 1/4 cup of cilantro or parsley. Once the ingredients are ready, it takes less than 5 minutes to throw everything into a hot wok or frying pan and toss it around.

Steel cut oats, also known as Irish oats, are a type of whole grain oatmeal that has been minimally processed. Unlike other types of oats, steel cut oats are made by cutting the whole oat groat into small pieces using steel blades. This unique processing method gives steel cut oats a distinct, chewy texture that many people find appealing. But did you know that steel cut oats also have a number of health benefits that make them an excellent choice for breakfast?

One of the main benefits of steel cut oats is their high fiber content. Fiber is an essential nutrient that helps keep our digestive system running smoothly. In particular, fiber helps to promote healthy bowel movements and can prevent constipation. Steel cut oats are also a good source of protein, with one cup of cooked steel cut oats containing about 5 grams of protein. Protein is important for building and repairing tissues, and it can also help to keep us feeling full and satisfied for longer.

Another benefit of steel cut oats is that they have a low glycemic index. The glycemic index is a measure of how quickly a food raises blood sugar levels. Foods with a high glycemic index can cause blood sugar levels to spike and then crash, which can lead to feelings of hunger and fatigue. Steel cut oats have a low glycemic index, which means that they release sugar into the bloodstream more slowly and steadily. This can help to prevent spikes and crashes in blood sugar levels, which is particularly important for people with diabetes.

To incorporate steel cut oats into your diet, try making a warm and hearty bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. Here's a simple recipe to get you started:

Before you begin... A Blessing For Yourself

Before you begin your practice bless yourself.

Bless all of your past, your mistakes your triumphs, all the decisions you have made to get to this point.

Bless the times that you fell to your knees and the times you rose above yourself.

Bless all of your present.

Bless this moment pregnant with possibility, hope and openness.

Bless yourself for showing up here to practice, to learn, to grow and evolve.

Bless yourself for trying no matter what the circumstances are - you are doing your best.

Bless your courage, your strength.

Bless all of your future. The lands & experiences that lay before you, the relationships that you are yet to have.

Bless all the outcomes of all the choices you make today, knowing that you are being guided and looked after.

Bless all parts of yourself, all the sweetness, all the struggles.

Bless yourself for being you!

Source: The Language of Yin, by Gabrielle Harris

PUMPKIN SEEDS RECIPE INGREDIENTS

• 1 ½ cups raw whole pumpkin seeds

• 2 teaspoons olive oil or coconut oil

• 1 pinch sea salt

  PUMPKIN SEEDS RECIPE DIRECTIONS

• Step 1

  Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).

• Step 2

  Toss seeds in a bowl with the melted butter and salt. Spread the seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown; stir occasionally.

I was greeted by the sweet aroma of incense and freshly brewed tea when I arrived for my Fire Cider class. Dee immediately made me feel relaxed and comfortable as we settled into her backyard patio. She had everything lined up and beautiful displayed as she explained how each herb and fruit was healing to my body.

As I packed my mason jar with the various ingredients, I could not help but feel positive and empowered. The music of Bob Marley played in the background bringing good vibes  and energy. This experience was perfect for me and my journey. I recommend it to anyone that wants to enjoy the natural way to take care of your body with the guidance of a health educator. 

Kitchen work is alchemy work. It is the sacred place in your home where you can program your food to nourish and work for you. If we are not aware, the same can also happen in reverse; the kitchen can be a place that feeds us sickness and disease. Here is my kitchen alchemy process on how I create my food medicine andAQ charge my herbs and food to work for me and my family. Everybody has a different version of Fire Cider, mine has an alchemy element to it, a magical process that I want to share with you!

Turmeric makes a great beverage!

I promise you once you have this warm, delicious, and healthy beverage called Golden Milk, you will become hooked like me.

Curcumin (Curcuma longa - Haldi) is the key healing compound found in turmeric that makes the spice so healthy for us. It is a very powerful antioxidant, and holds a high place in Ayurvedic medicine as being a “cleanser of the body”.

Now more than ever, is the time to boost your immune system and give your body its best chance to fight off any disease that may try to enter your system. Many chronic diseases today can be attributed to systemic inflammation. Inflammation, a localized physical condition in which part of the body becomes red, swollen, hot, and painful, is a reaction to injury or infection. To help resist COVID-19, the flu, a cold, and any other virus, here’s what you need to know about Turmeric:

1. Turmeric is both spiritual AND medicinal. Turmeric is used in Indian rites and rituals. In the Ayurvedic tradition, which comes from the culture in India and some parts of the Middle East, people eat turmeric at every single meal and mix it with red pepper to magnify its properties. It is a spice that has been around for 5,000 years, native to India, and cultivated throughout the tropics. Turmeric is a sterile plant that does not produce any seeds, and grows from 3 to 5 feet tall with dull but pretty yellow flowers. 

First I want to say this…..Tinctures are surprisingly easy to make! All you need is:

• Herb or Herbs of choice

• Mason jar

• Soaking agent: Alcohol, Vegetable Glycerin or Vinegar (Glycerin is my goto since it’s more user-friendly for children and has a sweeter taste making it more desirable for all, but alcohol has a benefit of making the tincture last forever.)

• Masking tape for labeling

• Cheesecloth used for straining

• Doppler for application use

Tinctures are a key component of traditional herbal medicine. I decided to make my own tincture when I realized the tincture I bought had all natural ingredients in it. I thought, Hey! I can make this! I wanted to save money, and tap into my inner herbalist. Using plants for medicine is something our ancestors did for healing. Tinctures usually take longer to make, anywhere from a couple of weeks to a couple of months to fully saturate the liquid with the plant medicine. The wait period is the most challenging part of the process because the longer you allow the plants to soak, the more benefits can be yielded from the plant. Increased potency is best when making your own healing medicine.