by Caroline | Nov 6, 2016 | Lifestyle
Because essential oils have antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory benefits, it helps to add them to a bath when you want to rid your body of impurities.
The benefits of a detox bath are two fold: first your body sweats out toxins. Remember, sweating is one of the best ways to get toxins out of our bodies, so a hot bath is not only relaxing for tired muscles, but it helps the process of detoxification through sweating it out.
Not only are baths totally practical (that is if you’re someone who values good body hygiene) but they are also an easy and affordable luxury that’s available to anyone with a tub.
The best way to start simple is with your base ingredients.(These are rough measurements, we’re not baking a cake here.)
- 1 cup epsom salt
- 1/4 cup baking soda
From there you can add any assortment of essential oils, herbs or spices. I like to call it ACCESSORIZING BATH TIME!
Here are some of my favorite combinations:
When you have a cold: Peppermint and Eucalyptus essential oils 1-3 drops of each
When your skin is dry: 1 tbsp Coconut oil, 1/2 c oatmeal, 1/2 c coconut milk, 4-5 lavender essential oil
When you have tired muscles: peppermint, lavender essential oils 1-4 drops of each
When you’re stressed: Lavender and chamomile
by Caroline | Oct 24, 2016 | Lifestyle
I love talking about how to use Ayurvedic techniques, especially when it comes to the seasons. So I am super pumped to share about Ayurveda for autumn. If you’re like most of us around here this may be the first time you’ve heard of the term “Ayurveda.” So if you are not familiar with the Ayurvedic philosophy and traditions go check out my post Ayurveda 101.
Knowing Ayurvedic techniques for autumn is key in maintaining your health this time of year. Everywhere you look, transition is occurring. In nature, trees are letting go of their leaves, in preparation for winter. There’s a gentle slowing down of growth and a cooling of temperatures. Even our daily routines slow down. More time is spent indoors and under blankets; craving warmth and protection from the elements. The windy and dry qualities of this season are a hallmark of fall. We innately savor the time where we can experience the simplicity and quiet essence of the season.
What is “Vata Season?”
Late fall and winter are known in ayurveda as “vata season” because they are marked by some of the same qualities that characterize vata dosha: cold, dry, light, clear, and moving. Fall is dominated by the element air. The qualities of nature are windy, dry and cool. Since there is an abundance of vata energy this time of year, it’s beneficial to take steps to balance the excess vata this fall so we can maintain our wellbeing.
Signs of excess vata:
- Increased anxiety/unsettledness
- Bothered by cold and wind
- Poor sleep
- Excess stimulation is bothersome–i.e. crowds and loud noises
- Bloating and gas
- Dry skin and hair
- Feeling disorganized and overwhelmed
- Inability to sit still
Why adopt a seasonal routine?
As the external environment changes, it also increases the vata energy in our internal environment. Noticing the qualities of the season can empower you to seek balance from the fluctuations in climate.
We already do this without knowing it. In the winter we like to cuddle up by a fire and eat warming, hearty foods to counter the cold, raw qualities in nature. In the summer we love salads, watermelon and more cooling foods. Spring and Fall are times of change; either a slowing down or a revving up in growth.
So, it’s innate to offset seasonal imbalances with our routines. Practitioners of ayurveda have been studying the season’s affect on our bodies for thousands of years. It’s our way to protect our own wellbeing in the different environmental extremes.
When we have these qualities in balance we are healthy, vibrant and energetic. In Ayurveda, having a seasonal routine helps you gain some equilibrium and enhance your wellbeing all year long. It’s also important to know your personal constitution (pita, vata, kapha) when designing your seasonal routines. Always keeping balance in mind.
In Ayurveda, like enhances like, therefore balance is the key when the climate changes. In the cold winter months we don’t want to eat cold, airy foods like salads because it would increase the “vata” energy. Therefore, we balance these qualities with it’s opposite. If fall is vata season (characterized by dry, cool, air, and movement) we balance that with routines that help us find more warmth and grounding.
It actually makes a lot of sense and you’ve probably done some of this already just purely instinctively
Top Ayurveda Tips for Autumn:
Food:
- Your diet is the best way to counter vata imbalances this fall. Eat foods that are substantial, cooked, warming, and soothing. Meals high in protein, fat and oil are recommended this time of year.
- Spices that are warming, savory and grounding are best added to these meals.
- Warm foods seem obvious, therefore roasted or sautéed seasonal vegetables are ideal.
- Breakfasts like oatmeal and other cooked grains are great.
- Enjoy more sweet, sour, and salty tastes, while avoiding bitter, astringent, and pungent tastes.
- Lunch and dinner may include seasonal vegetables that are seamed, roasted or sautéed, paired with hearty grains and stews which can be grounding and moisturizing.
- Overall try to reduce foods that are raw, cold, light, and dry this season such as raw vegetables, dry cereal, cold sandwiches, crackers, chips, popcorn, and dried fruit.
- Drink lots of warming liquids like tea to balance the cool and dry qualities of vata season.
Exercise:
- Keep your yoga and fitness routines grounding and warming.
- Weightlifting naturally feels grounding to our bodies.
- A yoga sequence focused on poses that ground the body are essential.
- Cardio to build strength and heat will help balance cool energy.
- Whatever you do, movement is key in keeping the body warm, however too much movement can aggravate vata so be mindful of vata aggravating workouts like outdoor cycling or running.
Daily Routines:
- Make sure you are warm and hydrated to balance the cool and dry nature of the season. Extra layers, warm baths, and a humidifier are your best friend.
- Vata is aggravated my moving air, so avoiding drafty rooms or fans is helpful.
- Massage oil into your skin after the shower.
- A grounding meditation practice can help pacify excess vata that increases anxiety and ceaseless thoughts.
- Check out a whole post I created on self care for the fall
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by Caroline | Oct 17, 2016 | Recipes
Ah, Brussels sprouts, another one of my favorite vegetables to cook with this time of year!
First of all, I think you’re going to absolutely love this easy fall dish and how simple it is! I’ve been really into fall cooking lately! Like, give me all of the apple and pumpkin flavored things right now. Yet, when I come across recipes on Pinterest I’m often turned off because they involve just too much work. No matter how good it looks, I know I won’t realistically make it.
My whole philosophy when it comes to recipe creation is to make it as simple as possible in addition to being healthy and delicious. While there is a time and a place for the show stopper recipes, you don’t have drive yourself insane over dinner every night. You don’t need to buy a ton of ingredients you will never use again. Furthermore, you don’t need to spend an hour making dinner. #thelazychef
I’m giving you permission to ease up on yourself. You don’t have to impress everyone all the time.
As a result of years attempting wild and unrealistic recipes, I began to develop some skills for simplifying complex recipes. I like to come up with two or three main ingredients that go well together and play around with different combinations. Starting from there, it’s much easier to become an expert improvisor because it’s not as intimidating as working with dozens of ingredients.
When I came up with this apple Brussels sprout dish I knew I wasn’t going to stop the earth’s rotation with any groundbreaking innovation. No, I wanted something I could make for dinner in under 15 minutes. I also wanted a dish that could either be a side, or a light main dish. And of course it had to be irresistibly tasty.
The flavors this season are so fun to work with, I want to embrace all that is fall. Most of all, I want you to come away from reading this with a really delicious “do-able” dinner.
Sautéed Brussels sprouts with apple
- 1 apple
- 1 small bag or bunch of Brussels sprouts
- Optional: craisins, chicken, pork, or bacon.
Directions:
- Chop or shred the Brussels sprouts and sauté in a pan on medium heat with some coconut oil for about 5-8 minutes (i’m assuming you have some kind of oil in your house, which is why it’s not listed in the ingredients).
- Peel and dice the apple into small cubes and add it to the Brussels sprouts and sauté for about another 5 min with a lid until soft and lightly browned, stirring occasionally.
- Lightly season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Optional: Add in chopped up bacon, it will offset the sweetness of the apple, and add a nice crunch…and I just like to add bacon to things.
- Optional: Garnish with craisins to make it look pretty.
- Finally, serve alone or as a side with roasted chicken or pork.
That’s it!!!! So freakin’ easy! It should take about 15 minutes start to finish. Perfect for a weeknight dinner when you don’t have the time to be Martha.
xo,
by Caroline | Oct 12, 2016 | Recipes
Acorn squash is just one of many amazing foods in season during the fall. Every year I get giddy with excitement to see all the lovely colors and shapes of the season’s quash harvest. Since I spend less time at the beach *tear* and more time in the kitchen, I’m a cooking machine this time of year.
I used to research recipes every week when, scouring Pinterest for hours looking for the perfect healthy yet easy recipes. I came to the realization that not only was I wasting time researching, but I would take up to an hour after I got home from work prepping, chopping, sautéing, and then the meal would last 15 minutes. It was also waste money getting ingredients that were not necessary for a delicious, healthy meal.
So I began taking a simpler approach. As a result, my dinners now mainly consist of a meat and a vegetable or two, and generally don’t take more than 15-20 minutes start to finish. I go food shopping once a week and buy staple foods and a variety of produce. However, that doesn’t mean I have to eat boring dinners every night.
This simple stuffed acorn squash recipe incorporates foods seasonal to the fall season. In addition, it also goes along with my main philosophy when it comes to cooking and that is: keep it simple, keep it healthy, keep it flexible. There is minimal measuring involved, and minimal ingredients. You get to decide (based on what you have and what you like) what goes into this recipe.
Swiss Chard-Acorn Squash
Ingredients:
- 3-4 leaves of Swiss Chard
- 1 Acorn squash
- Optional add ins: bacon, quinoa, pumpkin seeds, sautéed mushrooms, craisins, brown rice, lentils, shredded carrots, or get creative with whatever you have on hand.
Directions:
- Cut the acorn squash in half bake on 375 degrees for 1 hour. Then go to the gym, or watch Netflix or do something else for an hour. (if you don’t have the time to do this on a weeknight, like me, you can make it ahead of time and save it in the refrigerator).
- Once acorn squash is soft, scoop out the insides and set aside.
- Roughly chop and sauté swiss chard in a pan with garlic (optional) and some coconut oil for about 3-5 minutes on medium heat.
- Mix the swiss chard with the squash.
- Add in anything to the mixture that you want! This is where it gets fun. Check your cabinets and pantry. If you want some protein add in some roasted chicken, pork, or sausage. If you have a favorite spice, go for it. Some of my favorite add ins to this recipe are bacon, quinoa, pumpkin seeds, craisins, brown rice, or lentils (not all at the same time of course!).
- Place mixture back into the hollowed out acorn squash.
Enjoy the sweet flavors of fall!!
xo,
by Caroline | Sep 27, 2016 | Lifestyle
If your skin becomes extremely dry as soon as the weather turns cold, you’re going to love this DIY activated charcoal and coffee scrub!
This scrub is not meant to be used as a full body or facial exfoliate. A basic coffee scrub is a more suitable option if that is what you plan on using it for. However if you suffer from dry skin, activated charcoal is worth it’s weight in gold.
Activated Charcoal is often used in poultices for bee stings, mosquito bites and other bug bites. It helps to soothe the itchiness, as it adsorbs many chemicals, gases and toxins.
Coconut oil also helps to soothe dry irritated skin. In addition to helping to soothe the irritated skin, it’s also absorbed into the skin helping to moisturize dry areas.
The charcoal and coffee act as a natural exfoliate helping to remove dead, dry skin cells. While some coffee scrubs may make the problem worse by drying your skin out, the coconut oil helps to lock in moisture.
The caffeine found in coffee is a powerful antioxidant, which penetrates the skin barrier. It also helps to improve circulation.
If you have dry patches of skin that never seem to go away you need to try this DIY.
I recommend sourcing a high quality organic coffee and grind it up extremely fine.
I use coconut activated charcoal powder because it’s extremely fine, meaning it has more surface area to work with. If you already have hardwood or bamboo charcoal those will work too, as will capsules of charcoal.
Finally, organic coconut oil can be found everywhere these days, chances are you already have some in your fridge or cupboard.
Ingredients
- ½ tbsp. finely ground coffee
- ½ tbsp. activated charcoal
- 1 tbsp. coconut oil
Directions
- Mix the charcoal and coffee together and add 1 tbsp. of coconut oil. Remember when it drops to room temperature coconut oil solidifies so your mixture is going to also solidify making it difficult to work with. It’s best when the coconut oil is liquid.
- Note: It’s best to apply it in the shower because this mixture is messy!
- Place a pea-sized amount on your dry skin and gently rub it in. Let it sit for 3 to 4 minutes, before washing it off. Apply daily until the dry skin has healed.
It will be difficult to wash off, the charcoal may leave a grey-ish tinge on your skin but it’ll wash away. The mixture comes off completely with soap but I’d recommend using it sparingly because soap can actually strip your skin of moisture. I recommend that you use Castile soap because it’s extremely gentle, free of chemicals and it won’t strip dearly needed moisture.
Enjoy!
xo,
This DIY recipe was graciously submitted to Bloom & Spark by Megan Thompson of goldmountainbeauty.com. Megan is a DIY health & beauty addict. She’s committed to making her itsy-bitsy apartment chemical free and her diet as unprocessed as possible. You can find her work at Gold Mountain Beauty where she is responsible for the blog, Instagram and Pinterest.
