Detox Your          Body and  Mind Now that the weather is warming up, it is a great time to lift your body's spirits- a time of rejuvenation and rebirth. Free yourself from the burdens of a long winter and emerge revitalized.  Winter often steers us away from our usual intake of fresh produce and whole foods. This can happen, and if poor food choices persist, the body rebels. Detox diets have been a Hollywood fad for years. However, they aren't just for young starlets or leading men. Detoxifying one's body is a promising way of getting back on that wagon and flushing bodily toxins acquired through dietary and lifestyle contaminants. And, spring is the perfect time to  turn over a new, freshly blossoming leaf. A detox, short for detoxification, removes possibly harmful substances from the body. As we are exposed to environmental and dietary toxins on a daily basis, it's very easy for the body's systems of detox to become overwhelmed, unable to completely clear the system, and therefore get blocked up. In addition to physical burdens, lifestyle stresses contribute to this toxicity. Overeating, eating the wrong foods,dissatisfaction in your relationships, job, or finances can adversely affect how your body processes toxins. We are all in need of some form of detox! Purging your body of physical and mental stresses are important aspects of holistic health.  The five main systems of detox are the colon, liver, kidneys, skin, and lungs. Since we are all exposed to environmental and dietary toxins, many of which we have no control over, these systems need and deserve a break. We owe it to our selves to provide our bodies with a "spring cleaning" detoxification. Fasting, herbal supplements, and foods provide different avenues to cleanse the body of toxins. Depending on your own body, some ways are better, and safer, than others. Fasting, popular in spiritual practices and all major religions, provides a powerful opportunity for the body to cleanse and the mind to open. Fasting can come in various forms; ranging from a  juice fast to a water fast, and can last anywhere between one day to two weeks. In combination with fasting or foods, herbal supplements help to strengthen the cleansing qualities of a detox. Licorice, milk thistle, and psyllium seed are popular and beneficial supplements. It's essential that you consult a qualified health practitioner before embarking on any detoxifying journey. Be sure to discuss supplements, diet, and fasting if applicable. For additional reading, look for books written by Elson Haas, who is an authority on detox. Once a detox has run its course and cleansed the vital systems, developing daily habits that encourage health is important. The medicinal powers of whole foods keep your newly replenished body free of toxins. A nutritious, varied diet is important for any healthy lifestyle.  Be sure to stick to: Whole foods that are high in fiber: grains (avoid wheat), nuts (raw), beans, seeds, etc. Organic food and drink because they contain no pesticides FRESH vegetables and fruits in high quantities Lots of water Check our an example of a kitchadi recipe for a detox Avoid: Alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, drugs, carbonated beverages Processed foods and refined flours/sugars, yeast Dairy or excessive amounts of soy Meat A detox diet can provide you with a clean slate, both physically and mentally. It's also a great way to rid the pantry of some less than wholesome winter guests. Get back on track quickly, and your body will thank you for clearing it of harmful toxins. All of this just in time for the warm weather!        Garbage Patch 2.0 As a follow up to last month's issue, a new plastic island has been found in a remote area of the Atlantic Ocean. However, unlike its enormous Pacific counterpart, this patch is not as dense or vast.  The Atlantic currents are picking up debris and, as they circulate, depositing the waste into one general area. The gyre has congregated the garbage between Bermuda and Portugal's mid-Atlantic Azores islands. This is just another wake-up call telling us that plastic, especially the kind that is just tossed away, is harming our planet in ways that we cannot overlook. Climate change and over fishing are already causing marine wildlife notable grief. We need to strive to alleviate a habit that is not sustainable in the long run. Lead by example. The Green Movement is one bandwagon that you should not be ashamed to jump on. And with mothering Mother here to give you a boost, it will be a painless and worthwhile, feat.         Solar Grand Prix Get 'em while they're hot! Recently, the community of Contra Costa, CA hosted the first annual Long Beach Solar Grand Prix. Hosted by the 5th District Solar and Sustainability Task Force, the race featured homemade solar-powered cars made from everything from wood to Styrofoam, plastic to aluminum.  No matter what the material, every car had to be powered by the sun. There were 86 cars entered, and they competed in multiple races until an all-girl team from Bethany Lutheran College in Minnesota took first place. Their winning vehicle was made from a two-liter soda bottle, bottle caps, peanut butter lids, and Velcro. Not only was it fun for participants and spectators alike, but it was also a great opportunity to teach teens about solar energy, physics, and the mechanics behind cars. So, if you and your family want to participate in round 2 of the Solar Grand Prix next year, start making those blue prints and rummaging through the recycling bin. You never know what you will need to be the first to cross the finish line.

Namaste, Sydney

During the cleanse I am taking care to assist the 5 organs of detox (discussed in the May newsletter).

The five organs of detox are the liver, skin, lungs, kidneys and colon.The skin is the largest organ in the body, or should I say on the body! Each morning, before washing, I am brushing the entire body. As time progresses the skin is less sensitive and I actually enjoy the tingley feeling that follows. By brushing the skin the most outer layers fall off easily, creating good dust for the home! Bathing in baths with epsom salts are also helpful, although I have not been doing that during this detox. I just haven't felt the need.


The liver is getting assistance from the Milk Thistle tincture that I am taking. The lungs are assisted by the garlic in the chelation pesto and the breathing practices. The kidneys and colons are enjoying the large volumes of liquid. And together all of the systems are enjoying the simple eating, high volume of vegetables and regular pace to the day.


Thoughts around food choices that I will make when the cleanse is completed are beginning to arise. I will see what thoughts remain. It feels good to be free of cravings and needs. The mind is able to focus more clearly and for greater lengths of time.


Happy Cleansing! Share with us when you decide to journey into this experience.

Namaste,

Sydney 

I am into day 4 of the spring detox. For me this year it is a change from the usual vegetable juice fasting. 

This season I am following a kitchadi cleanse, intended to last for a week. It is very different to actually be chewing during detox time. I am eating Kitchadi (see Recipes on the website or search online) for each meal. The first couple of days I had the rice/mung dal dish 3 times a day. Yesterday that went down to twice, and I had steamed vegetables for dinner. I am going to follow that again today.


During this detox I am taking Milk Thistle tincture 3 times a day, as well as Chelation Pesto twice a day. Add to this a digestive seed mixture after meals, and for snacking, and I am feeling plenty satisfied. Drinking lots of water (about 10 glasses), and drinking warm water with a little maple syrup and half a squeezed lemon, has kept me busy as well.


It is nice to know what I am going to eat. The loss of sugary foods and any sign of caffeine, along with regular eating patterns, has given me a sense of inner calm. I feel grounded, wholesome, clear. All of the other foods can wait a week, or so, or maybe they can wait forever.


A detox calls eating habits and eating choices into the forefront, and provides an opportunity to clear the slate. I was having the laptop fixed and the "Geek" asked if I had taken it back to factory level, had I cleared it out and then started to reprogram again. That is what a spring detox is like. It is an opportunity to take yourself back to your "factory settings", maybe not as clear as you were at birth, but at least a chance to reprogram eating habits and food choices and how it makes you feel, on every level.


So I invite you to join me on this journey, share with us your experience. More to come on Spring Detox. Keep an eye on the newsletter for May, sign up if you have not already, and invite the newness of spring into your body and your life. Move a little closer to Mother Nature by eating food straight from the Earth for a week! 


Namaste,
Sydney

If a vegetarian showed up at your home, could you handle it? For a meal, for a weekend?

Take a moment to think about your answer. Could you hack it? How about a vegan? Yikes!!!

Eating next to nature is natural for us, isn't it?! We come from the earth, we are a unique distillation of the elements of our world, and whatever route we choose at the end, we shall return to the earth. Food, along with air and water, allows us to play out roles in our lives. So why the disconnect?

No more questions. The disconnect is there because of the world and times in which we have been born. As a vegetarian in North America I do feel out of place. I do feel so comfortable and welcome when I am in India. With no present plans to move to India, the daily reality exists that my path is different but necessary. We need to be  accountable for the way in which we nourish ourselves, for the resources that are expended to feed us.

Reconnect, or maybe for you it is to just connect, with the "Nature" within you. Eat earth food, share your journey with others, enjoy the results on every level. And please, share your experiences with us at mothering Mother. We need nourishing too and your earth story has the power to do that!

Namaste,

Sydney

Split Pea Soup

3 T brown rice, any variety is fine

1 cup dried split peas, yellow only, or a mix of yellow and green

3 1/2 cups water

2 bay leaves

2 T ghee butter or olive oil

2 cups chopped onions

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or crushed

1 t freshly ground cumin

1/2 t cinnamon

1/8 t cayenne

1/2 t freshly ground coriander

2 cups vegetable stock

2 t fresh lemon juice

salt, pepper to taste

t = teaspoon

T = Tablespoon

Rinse the rice on its own first. Roast it in the saucepan until it is dry, on a medium low heat. This means to stir it continually with the heat underneath until it is dry. Dry roasting grains like the rice helps to make them more alkaline for the body. When cooked without roasting rice is acidic for the system.

Rinse the split peas, add to the saucepan with the water and bay leaves. Bring to the boil, simmer on the lowest heat possible for an hour. If you have a heat disperser this is a great situation in which to use it. The gentler the heat the more that the peas spread apart and give a soupier texture, as opposed to a chunky texture.

While the soup is cooking warm the ghee or oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, cook until soft. Add the spices and cook longer, allowing the onions to become slightly browned. Scoop the onion and spice mixture in with the cooked peas, rinse the frying pan with the stock and add this to the pea pot. Bring to a gentle boil, add salt and pepper, turn off the heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Add the lemon juice just before serving.

Serves 4 for dinner.

This soup has a surprising flavor. The onions give a sweetness, the cayenne gives a spice and the peas give a much needed winter warmth!

Namaste,

Sydney

Plastic Island

Far From Paradise Plastic lasts essentially forever, so if it's not recycled it ends up in a landfill or in the ocean. Plastic bags are particularly susceptible to being swept up by the wind and deposited into the Pacific Ocean. Twelve years ago, Captain Charles Moore was returning from a sailing regatta in Hawaii. In hopes of avoiding windy conditions and turbulent seas, he led his crew to the North Pacific Gyre. What he found just happened to be the Moby Dick of marine pollution - hundreds of miles of floating garbage. This "trash soup" contains countless tons of plastic waste floating atop a region of the Pacific. Plastic bags, fishing nets and lines, cigarette butts, and Styrofoam are just some of the members of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, as it's been dubbed. Approximately 80% of this rubbish has been transported from land into the ocean via sewage and river runoff. The remaining 20% comes from accidental and illegal dumping from ships. Plastic bags, a main ingredient in this soup, are easily picked up by the winds and carried to the oceans. Then, over time, the ocean currents circulate the bags and other articles of waste to this "island" of trash until it reaches the center of the gyre. Here, due to lack of wind and ocean motion, the soup sits and is continuing to grow in size. It has been estimated that there are currently 46,000 pieces of plastic per square mile in this trashy wilderness. At an individual level, you can do your part by limiting your consumption of plastic. Mothering Mother produce bags ensure that you, as an Earth-conscious consumer, don't further contribute to this daunting reality. The cotton bags will reduce, or better yet eliminate, your use of unnecessary plastic bags. Moreover, stick to products that don't use excessive amounts of packaging. For instance, instead of buying vegetables that come pre-portioned into individual servings, like baby carrots, buy large fresh carrots and cut them at home. Store the cut carrots in the refrigerator in a bowl of water.

Green By the Book

If you live in New York City, your books are going to get a whole lot greener. Recently, the newest branch of New York Public Library opened up near Battery Park. Eleven years in the making, the Battery Park Library hosts wood floors made from scraps of window frames, old tires used as carpet, and a staircase made of recycled glass and mirrors. The recycled building materials, high-tech computer technology and, of course books, make this library energy efficient and educational! Upon entering the library, a large touch screen computer tells visitors about how much energy and water is consumed in the building.  Combining the talents of 1100 architects, Battery Park Library may only be open 3-4 days a week in order to adhere to the energy budget projected for this haven of books. Looks to be like the Big Apple is improving its green credentials by the books.

Fun Ways to Celebrate Earth Day with Your Family

Earth day is upon us once again (April 22nd). We don't need an excuse to celebrate the Earth, but there are some fun ways to teach your family about the importance of our planet. Crafts using recyclables are easy and enjoyable. Try cutting a square out of an empty milk carton and filling the carton with birdseed to attract birds to your yard. Or, start a vegetable garden in your backyard. It's a great way for your family to bond and the results are more sustainable than a trip to the grocery store. Simple crops include lettuce and cherry tomatoes. Teach your loved ones about composting by decorating a compost bin with nontoxic paint. Compost allows you to dispose of organic waste that will come in handy when it is time to fertilize your new vegetable garden. Make every day Earth Living Day! Namaste, Sydney

Pinto Bean Dip

1 cup cooked pinto beans, drained, not rinsed

1/3 cup pumpkin seeds, lightly roasted

1/2t cumin seeds, lightly roasted, OR 1/2t ground cumin

1/2t red pepper flakes, roasted

pinch cayenne pepper

1/2 a lime, freshly squeezed

1t salt

1T olive oil

Paprika to decorate

Optional: Using a mortar and pestle, crush the cumin seeds and red pepper flakes. Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender. Process until smooth. Add additional water if the dip is too thick.

Chopped fresh cilantro would be a wonderful garnish, if you have it on hand. Even dried thyme sprinkled decoratively is nice. This dip is good to serve with chopped vegetables. It is also delicious with a salad. If you are mindful of fat consumption, use the dip as the dressing for the salad. The salad can be topped with pumpkin seeds for extra texture.

Namaste,

Sydney