Spring Cleaning

March 24, 2013Leave a comment

For a few months I obsessed (well, more like contemplated) over starting a juice cleanse. I have to admit, this probably started after watching Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. If you haven’t had an opportunity to check this documentary out, you should. It will change your life. I was full of self doubt initially. I thought, “how am I going to live without FOOD for 3-days?” I LOVE FOOD. I did a ton of research on people’s reactions to juice cleanses and then ultimately decided it was time for me to cleanse.

I started this cleanse with the intention to purify, detoxify and clean my body out of winter sludge (yes, sludge- gross). I purposely chose the Spring Equinox as the ideal date to start fresh and welcome one of my favorite seasons (basically, I love every season except winter). Everyone speaks of spring cleaning and it is much more than just putting away winter clothing, planting daffodils and brightening up your living space. It is about awakening the dormant spring and summer within. Spring cleaning is the ultimate purge. And boy, did I need to purge and release the winter.

I ended up not making my own juices (waiting to purchase my dream juicer aka Jack Lallane) and going with a phenomenal company: Love Grace Foods. For $56 a day ($168 for 3 days), I got 6 juices a day (you drink 1 every 2 hours) chock full of vitamins, minerals and pure liquid healing in a bottle. Love Grace sends you the following:

1. 16 oz Purify

2. 4 oz Ginger Bomb

3. 16 oz Super Cider or Longevity Tonic

4. 16 oz Smoothie (Chocolate Superfood, Green Protein, Probiotic)

5. 16 oz Green Sunshine

6. 16 oz Restore

Initially I was anxious but more so excited. The moment my juices arrived I was practically bouncing off the walls. Yes, I get excited about the little things. I’m just a tad weird but hey, why not?

The first day I woke up ridiculously hungry. I went to the fridge thinking about steel cut oats with blueberries and walnuts but then it hit me, I’m drinking juice FOR THE NEXT THREE DAYS. I almost panicked. I know my body freaked out slightly. But I grabbed juice numero uno and nourished my body with pure green deliciousness. Though I was turned off by the cucumber (not my fave, but I know it’s good for me), the coconut water in the first juice balanced the rest of the veggies perfectly.

The rest of the first day went well but was definitely the most challenging. I felt lethargic initially. Then the benefits hit me and I was bouncing off the walls as though I had consumed 2 cups of strong coffee. The remaining two days flew right on by but were completely worth it and necessary for my body.

It was truly mind over matter. It was and is essential to be hydrated. I sipped on herbal tea, water with chlorophyll in it and kept my intention as my focus. I had a few moments of self doubt. I thought I was going to die of hunger but I simply hushed my mind and let my body know I was nourishing it with pure love.

I have never used the ladies room so much in my entire life but I know I was flushing out (literally) whatever toxins I was clinging to internally, externally, emotionally, spiritually, mentally. I took time each day to contemplate, reflect and meditate. Being in silence with myself really brought great clarity. Not only did I do something amazing for my body, I feel an immense glow surrounding me. I really feel uplifted, like my spirits were scrubbed clean.

I am truly grateful for Love Grace Foods for helping me pre-cleanse to post-cleanse. I could not have asked for a more supportive company.

Now, I am slowly introducing solid foods back into my diet. My cleanse isn’t completely over (yay- even though I really want a bagel-eek!). I am drinking smoothies, making chia pudding (recipe will be up soon) and brothy soups.

Sometimes our bodies really need to reboot, refresh and be allowed the opportunity to detoxify. I am definitely making this a monthly practice.

Please note, I do not recommend this for everyone. It is not a crash diet or a way for you to lose weight temporarily. This is for a greater benefit, overall wellbeing. Make an intention to start eating cleaner, more organic and unprocessed or unrefined foods. Treat your body as the temple it is.

YOU are divine.

Peace, love and juice!

Guramrit Khalsa

P.S. Want a little guidance with your health, diet and lifestyle? Schedule a FREE health consultation with me by emailing: khalsa.guramrit@gmail.com

The Power of “I AM”

March 16, 2013Leave a comment

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying by Bob Proctor, “Thoughts become things. If you see it in your mind, you will hold it in your hand.” As humans, especially women (at least the ones I know), we tend to think and think and think. Our thoughts are incredibly overwhelming, it’s as though there’s another world up there. I don’t think we realize that not only are our thoughts powerful creators of reality, the words we speak ultimately shape our life experiences.

Our thoughts may be pure and positive (for the most part) but the moment we speak, we are creating. How often do you catch yourself saying, “I am so tired,” “I’m not good enough,” “I can’t lose these last few pounds,” “I am not healthy,” and so on. Every time we speak, we are essentially deciding our own fate, determining our reality. If you keep saying you’re not good enough or you’re not qualified for a certain job, guess what? The universe hands it over to someone who says, “I am worthy, I am great. I am qualified.”

Ever notice how easy speaking is? For many of us, we speak often and quickly. Many times when we speak, we don’t take a moment to process what we are about to create. Consciously speaking and consciously creating are one in the same thing but the association between the two has yet to be formed. Take a moment affirm these things out loud:

I am healthy
I am beautiful
I am happy
I am worthy of love
I am qualified for this job
I am prosperous
I am abundant
I am irresistible

Though you may not believe these things at the moment, the more you speak these things, the more you create them for yourself. I am trying my best to do the same. I am realizing how important my words are. Everyday I affirm the things I wish for my life, I am creating the life I feel deserve.

You have the power over your life. You have the power to create the life you feel you deserve. Don’t create a gloomy, dark, and dismal life. Envision and create a beautiful, glowing and spiritually uplifting life for you. You are worth it.

“Your beliefs become your thoughts,
Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values,
Your values become your destiny.”

― Mahatma Gandhi

Lentil Soup for the Soul

March 15, 2013Leave a comment

While working on a piece for Parenting Magazine on mood boosting foods for mama’s, I was able to speak with some amazing women including: Peggy Kotsopoulos, a Registered Holistic Nutritionist; Latham Thomas, founder of Mama Glow, Holistic Health Counselor and alumna of Integrative Nutrition; Mareya Ibrahim, founder and CEO of Eat Cleaner. Each of these phenomenally educated women agreed that lentils were great for mood, fatigue and giving a boost of energy. This inspired me to give lentil soup a try (this was my first time and I was super nervous).

It may be March but the chills of winter are still lurking. Moods are fluctuating as the temperatures do and feeling exhausted seems like the norm. Look no more, I have the cure for the winter blues, moody moments and unexplained exhaustion. Not only are lentils the perfect mood boosting food (because they balance the blood sugar, they stimulate your happy neurotransmitters and are full of iron), lentils are a great source of protein, full of fiber to combat hunger and lowers cholesterol. This recipe for lentil soup is an adapted version of Peggy K’s recipe. We all know I add my own spin to everything. This soup was a winner, even in my boyfriend’s eyes. My meat and potatoes man enjoyed this hearty, comforting soup, which I served with ciabatta herbed garlic bread (yum!).

What You Need:

1 bag dry lentils (12 oz)

1 or 2 leeks, sliced

2 ribs of celery, diced

2 carrots, diced (or shredded carrots, 1 cup)

6 gloves of garlic, smashed and minced

2 fresh tomatoes, chopped and crushed

2 small potatoes (red or yukon gold), cut into small cubes

1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped

1 tbsp fresh thyme, leaves removed from stem

1 tsp paprika (or a little more. I added almost 2 tsp)

1/2 tsp dry oregano

Sea salt, black pepper to taste

How You Make It:

1. Wash lentils thoroughly then cover with water (about 4-5 cups) in a small pot and bring to a boil. Once lentils are boiled, rinse once more and place in a larger (soup pot) pot filled with water (4-5 cups again).

2. In a saute pan, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and saute leeks, garlic, celery and carrots and half the rosemary and thyme until translucent. Once fragrant and slightly translucent, toss into pot with lentils. Add paprika, oregano, tomatoes, potatoes, a little bit of sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper/

3. Continue to boil until most of the liquid is absorbed and lentils become soft. This takes about 20 minutes.

4. Turn heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Toss in rest of the herbs and season with sea salt and black pepper as desired.

5. Serve with warm, fresh garlic bread or croutons for crunch (my pumpernickel croutons would be fab here.)

Enjoy this phenomenally comforting lentil soup the next time you need a boost. The best part, this lentil soup stores very well and tastes EVEN better the next day.

Peace, love and lentil soup (and of course, no beef),

Guramrit K.

From Sunday Funday Dinner to Super Leftover Meatless Monday

February 26, 2013Leave a comment

After a beautiful Sunday service at Unity of New York I began to crave something new. Yes, this is possible. I wanted to create something I haven’t created before (and add my own spin of course). After much contemplation I decided to make a veggie paella. Traditionally paella is made with seafood and poultry or other meat products but it is chock full of veggies and made with smoked paprika, short grained rice and saffron. I found a fabulous recipe on Tienda.com which I ultimately revamped and made my own to cater to the picky-ness of my household. Here is this delectable recipe:

What you need:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 large Vidalia onion, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, smashed and minced (a lot of garlic but I LOVE GARLIC)
1 large yellow bell pepper (or any other color)
2 tablespoons of smoked paprika (or regular if you can’t find smoked)
2 zucchini, cubed
4 large ripe tomatoes, chopped (I didn’t seed or peel, I love the liquid)
1 cup chopped Tuscan kale
2 cups frozen peas
3 cups of vegetable broth/stock (keep warm)
1 cup chopped cilantro
Juice of one lemon
5-10 strands of saffron
1 1/2 cups of short grained rice (you can use arborio, bomba, brown, or calaspara rice)
Salt and pepper to taste

How you make it:
1. In a large pan (if you have a rice pan, use that) heat the oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and bell pepper. Reduce heat to medium low and cook until translucent (or tender). Add smoked paprika, saffron, zucchini and tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes (raise heat to medium for this).

2. Stir in rice and stock and bring to a boil. Lower heat back to medium low and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

3. Once most of the liquid is absorbed toss in the kale, peas, half of the cilantro and stir.

4. The paella is ready when the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. If you like the crunchy rice at the bottom, turn up the heat to high for just about a minute. Once you smell the toasting of the rice, shut the heat, add the lemon juice and serve.

I ate this for dinner last night and tonight! I served it with fresh tomatoes and avocado today. Delish!

This is the perfect meal for Meatless Mondays!

That’s all for now lovers!

Peace, love and veggie paella,

Guramrit

Making Positive Investments

February 15, 2013November 13, 2014Leave a comment

“Everything we do is an investment of who we think we are.” These words strongly resonated with me as listened to the minister at Unity of New York speak this past Sunday. I got lost in this one sentence (literally got lost because I was completely absorbed into this thought provoking statement). As I thought on the things I do, what I spend money on and who I spent time with, I wondered how that reflected my vision of who I am.

As you all know I’m an advocate for organic, whole, healthy and nutritious living. Part of living a whole and healthy life is taking care of you besides those foods you put on your plate. There are multiple sources of energy and nourishment besides those which modern nutrition provides. This is what Integrative Nutrition calls: Primary Food. Each element, each part of our lives are interconnected. It truly is a great circle of life. Everything we do impacts another aspect of our life determining where and how we seek out nourishment. For example: If there is discontent in our home life or relationships we may seek to find nourishment (for that which is lacking) through food (emotional eating). I know I literally feel “sick to my stomach” if I am overcome with negative emotion. Taking a moment to focus on spirituality, relationships and the things I invest in provides a grand perspective.

After Sunday’s service I really have stopped to think about the things I devote my time and energy to. I think on those moments when I spend precious energy on being angry or negative (which is rare, since I try to be as optimistic and positive as possible). So does the energy I waste on negativity reflect a negative view of myself? I find myself to be a pretty positive person. I must admit acknowledging that where I devote my energy reflects who I think I am, made me a little upset. I wanted to avoid thinking that the vision of myself isn’t always reflected through the things I invest in. But we are all victim to succumbing to those moments of darkness. It doesn’t mean we will get stuck there. Or at least I don’t allow myself to get stuck there. I know that I value myself highly enough to remove myself from a faulty investment.

Think of your life as a stock market and you are a trader or a business woman/man. Everything in life is a stock. There are many options from who you choose to be friends with, the restaurants you go out to eat at, your hobbies, your attitudes and feelings. Whatever you invest in either brings you great benefit or can ultimately lead in a crash. Your life is a reflection of your choices. Sure, there are many things out of our control, part of the journey’s we decided to embark upon prior to being born. Yet there are SO many things within our grasp that are waiting to be chosen. I have chosen an organic, wholesome and clean lifestyle with a vegan diet. I value myself and my body so I only invest in what makes me feel the best. Why treat yourself or make investments in things that won’t uplift or empower you? I make a conscious effort to take care of myself and put the most productive and supportive investments first. In my weakest moments and my moments of shadow, I hope to choose only those things which uplift my vision of myself.

I wish you choose similarly for yourself. Choose the most productive investments. Let your life reflect a pure, wholesome, happy and healthy life.