Tag: health

Yogi Bhajan’s Pasta e Fagioli

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When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s amore! When the stars make you drool just like a pasta fazool…that’s amore! 

When I think about Pasta e Fagioli, I instantly think of that song. Then again, I start singing it when I crave pizza, pasta or anything Italian. I came across an old cookbook from my childhood, “The Golden Temple Vegetarian Cookbook” by Yogi Bhajan. I have a strong attachment to Yogi Bhajan partly because he named me. Talk about an awesome conversation starter, right? Well, long story short my mom studied Kundalini yoga with Yogi Bhajan back in the 80s and called him when I was born to give me a name. I’m really glad she did because if I wasn’t named Guramrit, I would have been a Bhupinder (sorry dad, being called Boopy for short is not cute). So back to this cookbook. My mom and I were on a hunt for a few of her yoga books since I am getting mentally prepped for Yoga Teacher Training. She came across this cookbook which really brought me back to being a kid. My mom would make some of my favorites from this cookbook (more recipes with a twist coming soon). I was searching for some inspiration and the page I happened to open up was this particular recipe for Pasta e Fagioli. Of course I always tweak, dabble, taste, sprinkle to tailor to my tastebuds. I hope you enjoy this hearty and delicious stew for lunch and dinner. I’m actually still eating this 2-3 days later. It gets better with age!

What You Need: 

  • 1 35 oz can San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes
  • 1 15 oz can kidney beans
  • 1 15 oz can navy or white beans
  • 1 tablespoon parsley
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 leek, diced
  • 1/2 cup of chopped carrots
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup of baby spinach (I have to add spinach to EVERYTHING)
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 8 oz gluten free (brown rice) pasta (macaroni elbows, ziti- whatever you like)

How You Make It: 

  1. In a large pan, sauté carrots, leek and garlic until translucent. Lightly salt and pepper and continue to stir. Toss in beans and stir.
  2. Toss in the rest of the ingredients except pasta. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 20 minutes.
  3. In a separate pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Salt generously and cook pasta according to package instructions (ideally, al dente). Drain and rinse pasta. Set aside.
  4. Remove bay leaves. Serve with beans with pasta and enjoy!

Note: By keeping the pasta and bean mixture separate, it keeps the pasta from absorbing all the liquid. Then you won’t have soggy pasta! 

Keep warm my dear friends and make yourself something comforting for dinner tonight.

Peace, love and no beef!

Guramrit

Super Green Smoothies

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I am a smoothie lover. I really enjoy making smoothies, seeing how much I can cram into the blender and trying out different flavor combinations (even though I have my goto’s). I began my smoothie journey back in 2012 when I bought a Ninja blender and vowed to make a smoothie every single day ( even in every season, winter too). It just so happened that a 30 Day Green Smoothie Challenge with Simple Green Smoothies was starting up at around the same time I began my new-found obsession. I never really thought of putting greens in smoothies (when you have a crummy blender, you understand why–think chunks). 2012 really marked the beginning of my journey to a healthier me so this was really perfect timing. The challenge asked us to replace at least one meal a day with a smoothie. My first thought, “Um, I am going to starve. Are you crazy?” Mind you this was before I did a juice cleanse so I was extremely attached to the idea of chewing and eating (boy do I love eating). The moment the mood swings, purging and attachment to chewing disappeared, I fell in love. I am super serious. I fell in love with green smoothies.

My friends over at Simple Green Smoothies offer 5 great reasons to LOVE green smoothies:

  1. Natural energy booster to keep a little pep in your step in the morning (and during those afternoon slumps).
  2. Natural weight loss can he a happy side effect of gulping these in place of a typical breakfast (just make sure to include healthy fats and protein to make it a more complete meal).
  3. Stay healthy all-year-long. Simple way to boost your immune system when you’re feeling under the weather.
  4. Packed with disease-fighting antioxidants. The phytonutrients in leafy greens boost your body’s immune system and keep it functioning properly.
  5. Hands down— The best fast food. It takes less than 5 minutes to make a green smoothie (and clean up!) and they’re super easy to take on the go– especially when you prep ahead.

I have started to crave green smoothies. If I’m not in the mood to cook, I just whip out my greens, fruit and choice of liquid and create something delicious and nutritious. After acquiring my brand new blender of the Gods, the Vitamix, making smoothies is more fun than ever.  To give my smoothies an extra boost, I include superfoods. But G, what is a superfood? Well, according to Oxford Dictionary a superfood is: a nutrient-rich food considered to be especially beneficial for health and well-being. Here are a few of my go-to superfoods that are a must in all of my smoothies (or at least most of them- depending on the flavor):

  1. Screen Shot 2014-01-22 at 1.48.32 PMMaca: an ancient Peruvian tuber is a great natural source of energy. This adaptogen helps improve and attain balance in the body. It especially balances out the hormones helping tame PMS (you know those awful mood swings), increases fertility and helps boost mood as well as immunity. How can you go wrong with a little bit of maca? For maca newbies, start off with just a tablespoon in your smoothie and slowly increase to two tablespoons. An adScreen Shot 2014-01-22 at 1.48.54 PMded perk? It spices things up in the bedroom. Read more about the benefits of maca here.
  2. Camu Camu: this superfood has a sweet and sour flavor, which I really enjoy. It is an amazing source of vitamin C 
    containing 60 times more vitamin C than an orange! Camu is also a great anti-inflammatory, less inflammation equals less sickness.
  3. Flaxseed Oil (or Udo’s Omega Oil) is a great source of Omega 3’s. Not only do your Omega 3’s keep your heart healthy and Screen Shot 2014-01-22 at 1.49.23 PMdeliver a healthy dose of good fats to your system (more good fats help burn the bad ones), it boosts your mood. Ladies, that time of the month has us all over the place and we need all the help we can get. Aside from that, your skin becomes more radiant and supple. Winning!
  4. Raw Cacao Powder: I am a chocoholic. Anything with chocolate in it, I am all over it. I only recently started adding this tomScreen Shot 2014-01-22 at 1.49.38 PMy smoothies (obviously not the ones with orange juice or tart cherry juice as a base- mostly coconut water or unsweetened nut milk). We all know that chocolate is loaded with flavonoids and increases endorphins in the body giving you a feeling of etherial bliss, right? But in its raw form you are getting much more! It is high in magnesium, zinc, protein, calcium, fiber and more. Raw cacao can also improve digestion, promote cardiovascular function & health while also lowering blood pressure. I know I have more of a reason to LOVE chocolate (raw, of course).
  5. GreeScreen Shot 2014-01-22 at 1.48.13 PMn Powder: I love my smoothies extra green. Even though in most of my smoothies I put at least 2 cups of greens, I love to add an extra scoop or two of green powder to give it more of a boost. I can instantly feel the energy and power (unlimited power said in Darth Sidious’ voice). Right now I have two favorites: Amazing Grass Green Superfood Powder and Philosophie’s Green Dream. I’m starting to favor the Green Dream powder more since it comes with hemp protein and I don’t have to add something extra to my smoothie (not that I really mind!). Green powders give you an extra boost of energy and liveliness. Say goodbye to caffeine (okay, maybe not goodbye) and hello to a rejuvenated version of you!

If you need a little help getting started with your green smoothies the infographic below really helps you put one together or you can sign up for free smoothie recipes at Simple Green Smoothies:

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(**NOTE: OMIT THE SWEETENERS YOU DO NOT NEED IT. Chopped Medjool Dates are a great alternative to sweeteners) 

I hope you start to enjoy some green smoothies and experiment. Make it your own! Add superfoods and be merry!

Peace, love and NO beef!

Guramrit

And that’s me enjoying a super delicious green smoothie after some yoga!

Mama’s Green Soup for the Soul

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Working, running errands and actually having a life is really a lot of work and boy is it exhausting. Who in the world has time to whip up a full blown meal at the end of one of those “is this day ever going to end” days? Not I! This soup is probably the EASIEST and most nourishing soup you can possibly make (thank you mom). It takes no more than 10 minutes to prepare including blending time. Without further ado, here is the recipe!

What You Need:

  • 2 zucchini, quartered
  • 1 cup of parsley
  • 5 stalks of celery (or more depending on your like/dislike of celery), chopped
  • Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, to taste
  • Garlic Powder, to taste

How You Make It: 

  1. In a deep pan bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Toss in veggies and cook until celery and zucchini are tender.
  2. Remove most of the water, still reserving at least 1/4 cup. Let veggies cool for about 2-3 minutes.
  3. Toss into a blender (please be careful, this will be hot). Blend until desired consistency is achieved.
  4. Mix in garlic powder and Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (soy sauce or tamari works wonders as well). Serve immediately.

Benefits:

  1. Zucchini is loaded with Vitamin C- say hello to sexy skin, healthy immune system, overall wellbeing and farewell to free radicals ; it keeps your eyes healthy and strong (thanks to its phytonutrients); great source of Manganese, which is a great source of collagen, keeping your skin nice and supple, giving it that much needed bounce.
  2. Parsley helps detoxify our livers, helps cut down on the development of bad bacteria (the kind that makes your breath stink), protects your blood vessels, helps fight illness and more. Bring on the parsley! We love you!
  3. Celery is a great friend to those detoxing and for fans of Ants on a Log (think nut butter and raisins on top of a celery stick, yum). Celery reduces inflammation, keeps you calm, your body alkaline (too much acid = sickness), aids digestion and is said to give your sex life a boost.

Your mind, body and soul will appreciate this simple (and super healthy) soup.  Cozy on up on the couch and slurp up this green goodness. Who knew the simplest meal could taste so good?

Peace, love and NO beef.

Guramrit

I Sold My Soul to Tough Mudder

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In 3 months and 3 days I will embark on an incredibly frightening but exhilarating journey, Tough Mudder.  On April 19, 2014, my boyfriend, myself and our team of adventurists will attempt to conquer one of the most difficult obstacle courses known to man (or woman). A few months ago we made this bold decision but only recently decided to shell out the dreaded $155 entry fee and sign a waiver indicating our awareness of these physically, emotionally and mentally demanding 10-12 mile obstacle course. As I was reading the waiver,  I started to fear for my life. I read through the entire waiver and came across the paragraph of inherent risks:

I understand and acknowledge that the inherent risks include, but are not limited to: 1) contact or collision with persons or objects (e.g., collision with spectators or course personnel), contact with other participants, contact or collision with motor vehicles or machinery, and contact with natural or man-made fixed objects or obstacles); 2) encounter with obstacles (e.g., natural and man-made water, road and surface hazards, close proximity and/or contact with thick smoke and open flames, barbed wire, pipes, and electric shocks); 3) equipment related hazards (e.g., broken, defective or inadequate competition equipment, unexpected equipment failure, imperfect course conditions); 4) weather-related hazards (e.g., extreme heat, extreme cold, humidity, ice, rain, fog); 5) inadequate first aid and/or emergency measures; 6) judgment- and/or behavior-related problems (e.g., erratic or inappropriate co-participant behavior, erratic or inappropriate behavior by the participant, errors in judgment by personnel working the event; and 7) natural hazards (e.g. uneven terrain, rock falls, lightning strikes, earthquakes, wildlife attacks, contact with poisonous plants, marine life
and/or ticks).

Um….what? Contact with open flames? Electric shocks? What in the hell am I signing up for? My boyfriend and I just looked at each other before clicking submit, really contemplating if this was a good idea. After REALLY thinking it through, we made the decision to sign up.

We printed out our workout to get us prepared for the big day which includes burpees, walking lunges, pull-ups (my favorite- not really), butt kicks, pushups, squats and more- pretty much the Insanity Workout, times 10. We have successfully completed Insanity two times when we were in college (before the hype) so we really thought it would be cake or at least a little easier. Not that we aren’t in good shape but this workout was intense. We were dripping sweat and dreaded the 2 minutes of burpees and dirty ballerinas (frog jumps-but dirty ballerina sounds more fun). I anticipate that this will get easier over time as our stamina and endurance improves. My two month hiatus from the gym really did not help either (thank you concussion, you will not be missed). Luckily, I workout everyday doing yoga, walking, Jillian Michael’s DVD’s (her Yoga Meltdown DVD is BOMB- in case you were wondering) and am slowly getting back into Zumba and running or else this would seem completely unrealistic.

Even though I am fearful for my life (I really do not want to be subjected to electric shocks or run through fire) I know that having a great team, training and eventually letting go of my fear will make this a fun experience (progress pics will be posted throughout my bootcamp training since I anticipate some sexy abs from this).

Pray for me as I embark on this ridiculously insane but amazing adventure!

As a Tough Mudder I Pledge That: 

  1. I understand Tough Mudder is not a race but a challenge
  2. I put teamwork and camaraderie before my course time
  3. I do not whine-kids whine (waaah) 
  4. I help my fellow mudders complete the course
  5. I overcome all fears! 

Peace, love and NO beef!

Guramrit

Guiltless Fettuccine Alfredo

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I’ve been on the search for a vegan version of an Alfredo sauce since…forever. I loved making Fettuccine Alfredo when I ate dairy but even then it would not play nice with my stomach. I went on a search yesterday to satisfy this craving and found a fool proof recipe for Alfredo sauce. When I say this recipe was simple, I mean simple. I popped the ingredients in my Vitamix and within a minute this sauce was ready. The longest part of this recipe was cooking the pasta, but trust me the wait is worth it!

Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo

Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo

What You Need:

1 can of unsweetened coconut milk

1/2 cup Nutritional Yeast Flakes

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 tablespoon of dried basil (you can use fresh as well)

1/2 teaspoon of sea salt and black pepper

1/4 cup of Daiya Mozzarella Vegan Cheese Shreds (optional)

How You Make It: 

1. Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender. Blend. Pour over your favorite pasta. Enjoy!

Suggestions:

Serve with brown rice fettuccine pasta and broccoli or peas. Serve with a delicious glass of white wine and bask in the glory of not feeling bloated or guilty! 

Benefits: 

1. Nutritional Yeast is jam packed with: Vitamin B-12 (us vegans need this as it is only really present in meat and dairy products for the most part), it is high in protein (2 tablespoons = 9 grams of protein!), high in fiber, it’s gluten free and is a great source of folic acid.

2. Coconut Milk has good fats to help you feel full which keeps you from overeating and helps you burn fat. How awesome is that? The creamy goodness of coconut milk is also great for your hair and skin while also boosting your immunity.

Peace, love and NO beef (more Alfredo sauce, please)

Guramrit