Thai Seasoned Pork Patties

I was feeling a little inspired last night for dinner!
Sorry I really never measure out my ingredients, but i used about 6-8 oz of pork, one egg, 2 sprigs of onion, and dashes of all the seasonings. Just do what looks good to you!
ground pork
egg (beaten)
green onion (chopped)
garlic
grated ginger
turmeric
coriander
chili powder
cayenne powder
shredded coconut
coconut oil
1. Mix pork, egg, all spices, garlic, coconut and some of the onion together
2. Heat up coconut oil on large skillet
3. Form mixture into golf ball sized patties (it's okay if they aren't sticking together that well, the egg will bind it once cooked)
3. Cook on medium-high heat until brown and crispy on either side
4. Sprinkle leftover green onion on top!

Presence.

7:15 am.

My first time stepping into the 90 degree room in three days and immediately the overwhelming warmth enveloped my cold, stiff body.

We begin with the usual sequence of cat-cows and got into a vinyasa flow. Although I hadn't done yoga in three days it might as well have been my first time. I spent almost the entire class desperately trying to open my chakras and get more down in my dogs. I was getting frustrated because I just couldn't twist or open or bend the way I was used to being able to, and getting further frustrated because I was only focusing on what I couldn't do when I know better than to think like that.

It was only during one of the last few poses that I decided to focus on nothing else but my breath. And during Shavasana my angry, frustrated thoughts began festering up again but I pushed them out with my breath. I didn't matter that I fell out of my Bakasana or that I had not exercised the entire weekend. I lead my body into this room and I was here, right now and that was it. And I was grateful.

Now I've never been particularly good at meditation, and it is one part of my practice that I really need to work on. But from my experience, one of the main principles of yoga is realizing that you are whole as you are and your entire being is whole from birth to death. There is nothing to be attained.

Yoga is not just about the act, the flexibility, being able to put your leg behind your head. It is the realization that doing yoga connects you with yourself, so to speak. (Basically I see it as the journey, not the destination). Being in that room, linking your breath to the poses and holding that pose is an exercise for the body as well as the mind because both are forced to be present and active in that one action. I remembered the days where at the end of a yoga class I would walk out and think "Wow, I didn't think about my {insert current life crisis here} once that whole time!" And for my ADD brain that is an accomplishment. A greater feeling of accomplishment than any headstand had ever given me.

Sometimes I find yoga comes naturally to me and sometimes I feel like I did today. But I still crave yoga and have a insane desire to improve my practice and learn everything I can about it. Somehow I am able to hop out of bed every morning at six a.m. when it's still dark outside and be happy. And excited! Excited to get my yoga on.
And I can't really ask for much more than that.

images : pinterest

images : pinterest

Another nobody blogging about health!?

Yes that's exactly what I am doing. I am not a yoga teacher or nutritionist or doctor. I have never run a triathlon or a marathon or even a 5k. I have no formal education in science or biology or nutrition. But before you go running for the hills, let me just clarify my reasoning for starting up this little blog. Commence flashblack...

I grew up in a very health-conscious family. We ate a Mediterranean diet, bought organic and exercised daily. But I never really thought about the importance of what I was putting into/on my body. I had played competitive tennis almost my entire life, up until I started college.

I became enthralled with yoga a few years ago, which I would say is the beginning of my health journey. It opened up my eyes to a lot of new ideas and philosophies. After experiencing first hand the benefits of meditation I began looking into Eastern philosophies and eventually holistic health. I was fascinated by ayurvedic medicine, essential oils and the idea of preventive care.

As I started developing a deeper love of yoga and eventually running, (then hiking, strength training, SUPing, and Cross Fit) I began really focusing on what nutritional benefits food was giving me, where it came from, and its effects on me, and the environment. It became important to me to maximize my health and at the same time reduce my impact on the Earth. Health and fitness blogs eventually lead me to paleo, which just made so much sense to me. So I took an ancestral, natural approach to my life.

I used to look at fashion blogs, magazines, and do a lot of online shopping. Now I find myself gravitating towards health and fitness blogs. (The online shopping hasn't gone away though, I just look at work out clothes more often!) I really love learning about this stuff and evolving and changing for the better every day. If this is nothing more than a record for me to keep track of all the information I learn, new recipes I try and love or spiritual realizations then that's okay with me. But I would love to expand my knowledge of health through other bloggers and readers, be a part of this community, and hopefully give some knowledge to you guys. So that's why this uneducated, unqualified, over-ambitious nobody is going to blog about health!

Suga, Suga,...

So as I started Paleoing my eating habits a few weeks ago and overall it wasn't too bad. Like I said I had done a lot of research on it and felt prepared. I decided the best strategy would be to phase out foods one at a time over several weeks so I didn't freak out too much. I had a plan of attack that to me made sense, based on what I had been already used to eating and not eating.

Phase 1: Dairy

Easy enough. I haven't had milk in years, and have never been a big fan of dairy. Except for a really nice cheese...

Phase 2: Grains, Beans, Legumes, Soy

Again not a huge deal, the most I had was oatmeal, and occasionally quinoa or cous-cous. Hummus however, was another story.

Phase 3: Sugar

No more desserts. Okay. But then came the time to cut down on fruits. Lord Almighty, I didn't realize what a fruitaholic I am. I became so accustomed to noshing on fruit throughout the day, all day, it wasn't until now that I really realized how much I was eating. Fruit with breakfast, during the day as a snack, and then after dinner and late into the night. We're talking about 5-6 servings a day! Madness! And dried fruit, oh my goodness that was my ultimate weakness. I seriously could finish a whole pack of figs or dates. I'm starting to think it was my "healthy eating" that has kept me from losing weight all this time. Anyway as I started phasing fruit out I noticed that during the day it wasn't too bad, as I would have a few berries in the morning, but holy bananas, after dinner that sweet craving killed me! It was like a needed sugar in my mouth after dinner or I wouldn't be able to function. I even reintroduced dairy back into my diet to help with sweet cravings. Let me tell you though, a glass of milk is genuinely sweet. And not in a gross, sugary way. It really hits the spot late at night. If I really need a snack now, I'll have a few spoons of full-fat greek yogurt with cinnamon sprinkled on top. I know this is not ideal, but it works, and eventually I'll be able to phase this out as well as my body adjusts to not eating sugar.

About the whole not eating sugar thing. This illustrates perfectly what our bodies do with processed carbohydrates and sugar. Basically the body was designed to gorge itself on sugar anytime it was available (in the form of fruit or raw honey) because it was a scarcity. Sugar is in turn stored as fat. Not to mention, the processed sugar found in most foods has been shown to mess with sleep patterns, mood swings, and digestive habits in general. I highly recommend reading Sarah Wilson's journey of quitting sugar for a detailed explanation of what sugar does, it's effects and tons and tons of advice and ideas to cut out sugar.

Fruit, of course is still a healthy food and should be consumed in the place of regular desserts. But sugar is sugar and for weight loss, it is best to cut down on fruit as much as possible, and stick to berries instead. Most paleo sources recommend eating about 4-5 servings of fruit a week.


images : pinterest

Post-Workout Protein?

Women and men obviously have different goals when working out. I have always seen my dad, cousin and guy friends devoutly drinking protein post-workout in order to replenish their muscles and fuel up. The thought of drinking protein shakes was off-putting at first because I feared gaining any muscle mass and looking too "toned".

However, from a biological stand point, it is actually very difficult for women to bulk up to the point of looking really muscular. In order for that to happen there has to be an addition of extra supplements. After working out your muscles have tiny tears and breaks in them and need amino acids to repair and replenish the muscles for growth and recovery. As muscles grow they become leaner and more dense, this is the key to prime physical health. The best way to do this is through a source of complete protein that contains essential amino-acids. Of course, most have heard of the difference between complete and non-complete proteins. Our bodies require complete proteins as we do not produce essential amino acids.

I personally drink whey protein, which is a byproduct of dairy. It contains lactose (the good kind of sugar) and in isolate form, meaning it is easily digested by the body. Also I add l-glutamine to my shakes as this helps with protein synthesis, cell hydration and is overall great for intestinal health.

Protein shakes weren't around in cavemen days so no, they are not paleo. And whey is a dairy product so it's not vegan. But regardless, I feel it's important to feed the muscles post-workout so I consider this an integral part of my day. I don't know why, but after an intense work out I always crave something sweet and fruity and a protein shake is a really good way to wind down and relax. Plus cooking some chicken while I am soaked in sweat and exhausted is the last thing I want to do!

images : Pinterest, GNC

images : mindbodygreen