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During the last few months I was brought to my knees by an acute episode of insomnia. It is interesting how our systems are so fragile that all kinds of things can come along and destabilize us, sometimes permanently.

We can't escape the lessons to be learned from physical suffering just because we may eat well, exercise regularly, and chant OM.

Anita Krizzan said, "When it hurts - observe. Life is trying to teach you something." This period of pain has been teaching me about humility and about readjusting my values back to selfless service, deepening my knowledge about yoga, exploring creativity, and trusting God to take care of me.

Forward bending is often associated with humility. Swami Satyananda Saraswati said, "An inability to bend forward may indicate a stiff, proud, or stubborn personality."  In my yoga classes, the month of May will be dedicated to forwarding bending asanas and the virtue of humility.

I wrote my first yoga poem, and I want to share with you.

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Have you had a chance to watch the new documentary on Netflix called Seaspiracy? It is an absolutely shocking look at what is happening to our fish populations and our oceans.

When I finished it, I felt truly gutted. Scientists are saying that by the year 2050 our oceans will have run out of fish. The biggest reason is that industrialized fishing is destroying our seas. 

We now have these giant, trawling fishing nets that not only capture the fish that people eat, they also capture tons and tons of bycatch. Bycatch are animals such as marine sea mammals, sea turtles, sea birds, dolphins, and sharks. These fish are usually thrown back into the sea dead or dying. According to some estimates, global bycatch may amount to 40 percent of the world's catch, totaling 63 billions pounds per year

Even tinned fish brands with "Dolphin Safe" labels are actually not safe or sustainable at all for dolphins, or other animals. It turns out there is no real way to stop the bycatch practice...

I hope you are having a good beginning of Spring 2021. 

I wanted to share with you one of my favorite vegan pasta dishes which is the One-Pot Creamy Rose Pasta from the Pick Up Limes site. It is made with penne pasta, tomato sauce, hummus, nutritional yeast, plant milk, red pepper flakes (yes, this is a spicy dish!), roasted red bell pepper, artichoke hearts, and other veggies. This dish takes about 30 minutes from start to finish, and it is delicious. We have made this for non-vegan friends who loooooved it. Give it a try, and let us know if it was a hit.

Speaking of cooking, our Cooking Session #2 is coming on April 24th. Join our fun group for some delicious and healthy live online vegan cooking. 

Vegan Japanese food on April 24th: ramen with homemade shitake mushroom broth, miso braised carrots, tofu seaweed salad, and matcha panna cotta dessert

Vegan Middle Eastern food on May 22nd: baked falafel shawarma (sandwich) with tahini sauce,...

I have been extremely blessed to come across the yoga path in my life. The different aspects of the yoga system have fortified me and healed me in so many ways. Some of the pillars of yoga are: proper exercise, proper breathing, proper relaxation, a vegetarian diet, positive thinking, and meditation.

Meditation practice was my entry to the path of yoga in 1996. I have been practicing consistently for 25 years. Meditation helps me to quiet my mind and live more from the space of my heart. Meditators notice that with a balanced mind, we can stay more in control of our thoughts and emotions.

Positive thinking was my second step into yoga when I became a certified life-coach in 2006. In my training, we learned about how we create and attract the various aspects of our life with our thoughts. Training ourselves in positive thinking allows us to experience more wisdom and inner peace over time.

In 2007, I completed my yoga teacher training in which I learned about proper...

I coach people on moving towards a lifestyle that includes: a whole food plant-based vegan diet, yoga, and mindfulness. One of my clients just had her yearly bloodwork done. Blew me away!!! Cholesterol down from 289 to 126, triglycerides down from 191 to 100, glucose down from 213 to 102. Weight down by 53 pounds. She called me to say that I have changed her life and helped to save her life. She said her doctors clapped for her. Wow! Such a confirmation and validation that a plant-based diet works.

Here were some of the things that helped her get these dramatic results:

1. Don't buy the vegan junk food (like chips or beyond burgers). Walk on by....

2. Have only fruits (mainly fruit) or veggies as snacks. Portion them out.

3. Stop pouring oil on food. Vegetables taste delicious by themselves without all the extra calories.

4. Practice mindful eating by sitting down and eating quietly and consciously.

5. Be willing to go all in.

Our next nutrition workshop starts next week....

One really big difference between a vegan diet and a whole food plant-based (wfpb) diet revolves around fats. 

On a wfpb diet, foods with healthy fats such as olives, nuts, nut butters, flax seeds, tahini, avocadoes, and coconut milk can absolutely be a part of our everyday meals. Of course, fats are high in calories, so they should be eaten in moderation when people want to maintain or lose weight. However, eating added oils which are processed and pressed from these original plant foods are highly discouraged on a wfpb diet.

How is it that we have allowed ourselves to be convinced that processed sugars are not healthy but not processed oils? Oil is processed in the same way that sugar is processed. They are both pressed from plants. Oil has more calories per gram than any other food and is 100% fat. All the nutrients, protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and fiber have been thrown away. So many calories for something that holds no nutrients other than fat....

A diet high in animal-based and highly processed foods make people sick and overweight. However, many if these sicknesses can be prevented or reversed by eating a whole food plant-based diet. There is abundant medical proof of this claim spanning the last one hundred years. There is also abundant living proof of this. 

As for me, after transitioning to a fully plant-based vegan diet in the fall of 2019, my bloodwork, weight fluctuations, and overall well-being have never been better. I feel like I finally found the secret to harmony with my body and with food.

Some benefits of a WFPB (whole food plant-based) diet are:

• prevents and reverses chronic ailments
• helps people to reach their ideal weight
• improves mental clarity
• helps people to experience positive effects rather than side-effects of medicines
• increases our sense of well-being and empowerment
• saves time and money now and later

One misconception about a WFPB diet is that it is based on eating a ton of vegetables...

Dear Friend,

I had to realize that it is ok to be fit, healthy, radiant, and beautiful. Just as a small green plant grows into a flower to fulfill its destiny, so too can I be the beautiful flower that I was created to be.

Having a radiant body is like having money; both can seem unattainable. Sometimes we feel sinful for even wanting them.

We have a brief time on earth. The more we stay small, scared, sad, or in denial, the more we have to clean up later. Let’s not be so afraid to live fully in a strong, radiant body that we put off feeling great.

The Yogic Diet is about staying mindful with our eating habits, getting enough physical movement, and eating a healthy, sustainable, plant-based diet.

After many years, I finally got the food part mostly right. Changing to a plant-based diet helped me to become more stabilized with weight, emotions, energy levels, blood chemistry, iron levels, and emotional eating. 

However, I still found that being sedentary-ish and not being...

We made this dish today from Just One Cookbook. Tasty! We did added sriracha to add a bit more heat and flavor. Here is the full recipe: https://whi.sk/WqS0y

This recipe uses unsweetened soy milk. Next time, we will try it with coconut milk.

We are now in the full swing of the holidays. I hope you are taking time to find moments of peace and solace amid the busyness of life. Happy holidays to YOU and yours. May you find joy in simplicity and sweetness in your everyday life.

Eating

Update on the flaxseeds!!! If the words “regular” and “smooth” ring a bell, then you will understand that the flax does wonders for the digestive system. A happy digestive system makes for a good tummy, lighter body, and fog-free brain. I am adding one tablespoon of flaxseeds to my breakfast everyday. According to a Canadian study involving more than 6,000 women, those who eat flax seeds daily are 18% less likely to develop breast cancer. Wondering if you have added them in?  Also, I thought I would share some plant-based tips from my workshop participants. The first tip I want to share comes from Denise. Denise is working on mindful eating. Her rushed meals and snacks used to be taken between phone calls...