Baker's chocolate and coconut flour cookies.

I am obsessed with Baker's 100% chocolate bar (no, I am not affiliated in any way with this company nor have I been paid to promote or comment on this product). Who knew it was so easy to whip up a delectable chocolate treat, without any 'bad' sugar, by just melting a square in the microwave for 50 seconds and then mixing the smooth chocolate cream with raw honey, before slathering it on a homemade coconut flour cookie? It's seriously my favorite chocolate of all time, with the raw honey added for sweetness. It hits the spot and satisfies the need for chocolate without any additives. My new love! Where have you been?

Happenings & H Pylori.

So it's been almost two weeks (tomorrow will mark 2 wks to the day) since I began the GAPS diet, in a slightly modified form. The first week I was recovering from a cold so I was eating a lot of chicken broth but now I'm just sticking to the basic principles. A few days I had some grains, but these caused stomach upset so I backed off and am back to eliminating grains and eating only those foods on the full GAPS diet list. Had it not been for H Pylori I would not have committed to eating only those foods allowed on full GAPS, because it is a bit restrictive and takes some time to adapt, but I'm at the point where I don't crave sugar (save honey) and that is a major accomplishment for me. Occasionally, I'll crave bread or gluten in some form, but I have figured out a way to move past these cravings, while satiating my appetite. My staples are definitely meat, fruit, vegetables, coconut flour cookies/bread, and coconut oil. I've been taking coconut oil at 3 tsp in warm/hot water each evening as apparently this is supposed to help fight the bacteria, and I'm hoping it does the trick. I'm optimistic. I tried probiotics for about three days a week ago and quit taking those as they weren't sitting too well with me. I may try again in the future, but for now I'm sticking with GAPS and the coconut oil to try to combat the infection.

Inner peace struggles.

Sometimes it's difficult to attain inner peace, when your thoughts are muddied by that looming to-do list during the work week. When I find myself overwhelmed by all of the items calling my attention at work, I tend to just push forward, without giving consideration to how this affects me, on a deep level, in terms of my emotional well being. I try to slow down but it seems forced and it's like my mind is bent on moving forward at the fastest pace possible, at any cost. It's strange because today I felt much more worked up and anxious compared to yesterday. Yesterday, even though I was playing catch-up after a day off, since I've been sick, I felt a bit more balanced and composed. I'm thinking maybe it was the yoga I did the day before, or the positive affirmations I was saying to myself throughout the work day yesterday, that lifted my spirits and made me feel much more at ease. Today, on the other hand, I was wound up like jack in the box. I even stepped out to get a breath of fresh air, stopping by Saladworks for lunch, and yet this wasn't enough to change my mood. I tried the positive affirmations to change my mindset a bit, and I wasn't feelin' it and fell off that bandwagon really quickly. In an effort to get myself back on track in feeling more peaceful during the hectic work day, I need to really start keeping a notebook of those ideas that sit well with me to motivate me  and make me feel more positive and confident and in effect, more peacefully productive when I'm at work. As I've been sick, since last Friday (I caught a pesky bug from a coworker), I've had some time to contemplate how to improve certain aspects of my life that need a little much fixing, by just taking a break from all the noise.

My mind tends to race throughout the work week, and I've realized that thinking itself can be a problem. It seems necessary to analyze everything when you're analytical by nature but this can be of detriment sometimes when you're trying to solve a problem. It's kind of like driving on the same highway each day to work and not noticing the beautiful trees that line the one side. Some of the best moments arise when we turn off our thoughts and act more spontaneously. For once, the beautiful tall greenery to the left of the highway comes into view and it's like seeing with a new pair of eyes. I have some of the best conversations and articulate myself more clearly when I'm not putting so much pressure on how I craft my sentences or how I'm speaking, and rather just allow the message to formulate itself freely without any preparation. It's a nice feeling to free oneself from restraint and be truly present. It really is about being present. Not dwelling on past grievances. Not worrying about the future. Just being and letting be. I find at work, I tend to rehearse what I'm going to say before I say it, many times, and the words don't flow naturally and come out the way I hope. In fact they come out worse than they would had I not been so self-conscious and analytical about it. I need to remind myself that it's not that complicated and it's best to just let go and let whatever needs to happen, happen. Sometimes it's hard because there's the fear of screwing up, but the truth is, perfectionism is a bitch and does more harm than good. Nothing is perfect anyway so there's no sense in striving to attain the unattainable. That's the crux of it. So being present is important. That's all we have, isn't it? I can't remember who said that but it's stuck with me. It makes sense. Where else would great memories come from?

Ridding myself of fake reality that is reality television

I used to watch tv every night, almost. My shows of choice included The Bachelor, and any reality show I could get my greedy little eyes on. Now I feel empty and as though I’m wasting time when watching.  I feel as though there are far better uses for time than staring blankly at a black box, letting it do all the work for me. I made the choice, a few weeks back, to not watch as often. I would say that for the past month or so I’ve been watching a maximum of 2-3 hours per week, if that. That’s not being conservative.  My reasons are rather ethical in nature. To appreciate life, my rule is that you must be present and not distracted by any drama which is not truthful.

Many reality shows are not as real as one many think (you will discover this in conducting research online or by word-of-mouth). I used to delude myself for instance, into thinking that most of what went on in The Hills truly happened. Kristen really did get together with Justin and this in effect caused Audrina a significant amount of emotional pain, given that she and he were the ones with the authentic connection. Even though I read an article wherein Lauren Conrad indicated she was forced to dress in all solid colors and to paint her walls specific colors, I still believed that despite this, most of what went on in the show was true. Then she revealed more details, including the fact that the producers would text her and other cast members, suggesting that they say this or that, to create controversy in the storyline. I concluded then that the show was fake, but continued watching. I’m a masochist like that. 

When a Hills marathon was on several months back, I plugged in as per my usual giddy self, and like the other Hills addicts, was glued to my screen for the weekend. I watched each scene and dissected the real from the obvious improvisations and felt annoyed at the ending of the final episode. It belied the viewer, making one believe as though the meaning of the show was in its entirety so symbolic. It’s all a pile of nonsense. My point is that I’ve made the choice to stop deluding myself. I am no longer living vicariously through the characters, no longer envying them, longing for life to be as exciting as it is for them, given the constant drama with which they all must contend. Now that I have dipped my toes into the pool of reality, and reduced the extent of which reality tv plays a role in my life, I have begun to feel an overpowering sense of liberation. 

For the first time in quite some time, I feel competent, capable, and creative. That reminds me of a Chinese fortune cookie message I received many years ago, which read: “You’re competent, creative, and capable. Prove it.” As a matter of fact, I still have that little strip of paper sitting around somewhere. So, there you have it fortune cookie master. I’m proving it. I’m behind on the eight ball on that one, but better late than never, right? Now that I’ve relinquished my tv obsession, I have the time to take walks in the park, play the bass, write, and engage in other creative pursuits, and am not scheduling my life around the blank black box.

Do I feel somewhat aggravated that for the past few years, I have allowed others to live their live joyously at my expense, because I bought into the bullshit? Uh, yeah. Yet, there’s a saying that goes something to the effect of: If I knew then what I know now, I wouldn’t have done it. But I did and it’s done. Going forward, I do not plan to cheat myself like that, out of the true beauty that is life aside from television. So I bid adieu to reality tv in large part. You aren’t worth my precious time.

Chocolate

Oh how I love thee. You encompass my mind in the week before my period. Hence, why I’m craving you so intensely as of late. I wonder if it’s the fact that my body is in need of magnesium, or some other mineral or vitamin or whatever. I read an article today that stated that the body needs fat, hence the chocolate craving. I didn’t realize that chocolate equates to fat. I am pretty thin however, so the author of that article may be on to something. Perhaps it’s the melee I feel after satiating myself with dozens upon dozens of chocolate chips; the emotional high it yields in the aftermath. Quite possibly it’s the sugar itself contained within the delectable chocolate pieces that trigger the craving. It seems when I eat a little bit of sugar one day, I’ll inevitably crave it the next day, and the cycle continues. However, I don’t like depriving myself of life’s luxuries and sugar is a luxury of which I have access, so why avoid it?

Regulating your cycle the natural way.

Scratch my earlier post about how drinking dairy helped to regulate my period. Sure, that worked, but it wasn't full-proof. I needed to drink it consistently, and having to consume dairy on a regular basis was not sitting well with me, in part because it was too regimented. I wanted to eat/drink dairy when I felt so inclined, not out of need. You feel me? Furthermore, I just wasn't buying the fact that my body needed milk every day for my period to arrive on schedule. Thinking that I needed the same thing (milk) each day for "x" amount of years was a bit daunting and just didn't feel right.

In seeking a more balanced approach, I conducted what I refer to as "research" online (ie. through all random sorts of googling) and in the process, uncovered two items of importance: that I am a vata person (in ayurvedic terms) and that I have a cold uterus in need of warming (in traditional chinese medicine terms). You're probably thinking this sounds crazy but trust me, it led me to an "aha" type moment.

You see, I was eating cold foods in the winter (ie. cold salads/fruits/water, you name it) and not thinking twice about how this could have a potential impact on my cycle. There I was sitting in my car during my lunch break in the fall, shivering while eating a huge bowl of salad. As I'm a thin person with cold hands (characteristics of a "vata" type person) with an erratic menstrual cycle (characteristics of a "cold uterus"), these are the principles I followed to warm the uterus, and (crosses fingers), my period has been like clockwork ever since (sept, oct, nov, dec, jan):

1) Consume warming foods/drinks (as per traditional chinese medicine and also, temperature-wise).
    e.g. Drink warm water with cinnamon, eat dried fruit such as dates.

2) Avoid cold/raw foods.

3) Ensure the abdominal area and feet are warm at all times. (Wear enough layers in the winter to ensure the stomach area is not exposed to cold drafts, and do not go without socks, ever.)

4) Use a heating pad on your feet and lower back.

5) Practice yoga (the most beneficial poses for menstruation in my opinion are: cat, cow, corpse, downward dog, and reclining bound angle).
   Tip: You can do reclining bound angle for a few minutes in your bed, before sleep.

6) Take walks or do some form of exercise. (ie. get off your buns and move)
    This is especially important to keep in mind if you're an office worker like me and tend to lose track of time while sitting at your desk.... no excuses; make the time, for your health.

7) Get outdoors, in the sun preferably. (Don't be afraid to take walks in the fresh air even in cold weather, being sure to bundle up. Even though it is sometimes difficult to get motivated in the cold months to take a stroll outdoors, it feels good once you get going.)

Disclaimer: Everybody is different and what works for one person may very well be ineffective for another. Also, I am not a doctor, so take what I write with a grain of salt and don't hold me to any particular outcome. My opinions and experiences should not be misconstrued as medical advice and no action should be taken based solely on the contents of this website. Consult with a medical professional for advice on any matters pertaining to your health and well being.

DIY Recipe: Shampoo + Condish

If you are looking for a simple, truly organic way to cleanse and condition your scalp, then I have the solution for you. All you need are two ingredients. That's right, you read correctly, it takes just TWO. I never thought it could be so easy to clarify and condition the scalp without having to worry about the toxicity of the product(s) being used.

Ingredients:
- 2 Egg Yolks
- 1 tsp of ACV

How to use:
- Apply to hair, making sure to coat the scalp and hair
- Let sit for 1-3 minutes
- Rinse scalp/hair with lukewarm or cold water (or if you prefer, you can first rinse with lukewarm water and then follow up with a final cooling rinse)

Feel free to modify the recipe as you see fit. (E.g. Use 1 egg yolk instead of two, use 2 tsp of ACV instead of one, just use egg yolks, just use ACV, etc.). Do what works for you and don't feel confined to following the recipe to the letter.