Keep calm and carry on

I'm so happy and somewhat relieved that the Labour Day long weekend is upon us. With the heavy humidity in the air and depleted motivation at work, I felt tired, uncomplacent, and blah (for a lack of a better word). Come Thursday afternoon my instincts told me to shut my office door (love having my own office), call my Dad and have a little cry. Yes, I called my Daddy and cried. And it felt great.

In Ayurveda, crying is healing. Releasing tears not only stimulates the energy powerhouse in your third chakra, but helps to balance your stress hormones and release toxic emotions from your body. I'm an incredibly sensitive person, I feel and embrace so much, sometimes it hurts. That's just how I am and how I've always been. When I was a kid - not yet built for thick skin - my lips would tremble and I'd turn red if tried to hold back my tears. And of course, I never could.

Now, more than a decade later, I've grown stronger and am able to let certain things slide without even flinching. However, when I feel a negative ball of energy in the pit of my stomach, or if something swipes me sideways, all I can do is cry and release it. I realize now that it's healthy and so refreshing to let the tears drop from time to time. So, that's exactly what I did when I phoned my Dad. He is often my go-to when I'm overwhelmed and have many decisions ahead of me. If it's something more personal, or boy related, I wil call Nadine.

Once I dabbed my tears and finished up at the office, I went straight to the market for some fresh produce. Crying takes a lot of energy out of me so I was hungry for something mouth watering. I made a batch of guacamole and decided to try something new...with barbecued beets!

I saw cabbage wraps on a blog somewhere, so I decided it would be fun to experiment a little!

Veggie-sprout bbqed-beets cabbage wraps! It's a mouth full, literally.

...waiting for the bbq beets

Ingredients:

• 1 green organic cabbage (I think butter lettuce would work perfectly too)
• 1/2 avocado 
• 1 small tomato 
• Brussel, pea, or broccoli sprouts (I used brussel) 
• 3-5 inches of a cucumber
• Beets! (1-2 beets, cubed, and cooked to your fancy)
• Pepper to taste
• Lemon to squeeze
  

Simple, fresh, and beetalicious. 

Can you feel the beet? 

Barbecued Beets! They turned out wonderfully, and they were incredibly easy too.

All you need is a little balsamic vinegar, pepper, and an herb of your choice. I used rosemary and personally think thats best, especially for the bbq. If you're barbecuing, toss the beets in all the ingredients, wrap in tinfoil (love the tinfoil trick), and bbq for approx 18-25 minutes (depending how small your beets are). Voila! 

Red beets are high in carbohydrates, low in fat, and are an excellent source of folic acid. They're also a great source of iron and vitamin A. With that perfect health record, who wouldn't love fresh beets?

***

I woke up this morning feeling rested and rejuvenated. Thankfully, my eyes weren't puffy from yesterdays cry. 

I went to work feeling calm and recharged. Due the long weekend, I left the office at 1 p.m. and treated myself to an eyebrow wax and hydrating facial at Pure + Simple. I love the team at Pure + Simple, Eglinton. Because I am there so often, some of them have become friends. They're all so supportive, fun, and full of positive energy, especially the store manager. Even if I am walking by, I'll ensure poke my head in to say hello...which usually results in me buying a new lip balm or face mask. But I mean, who doesn't need an extra lip balm or face mask?! My boyfriend always knows when I've made a trip to P+S. I can try and hide the evidence, but he always finds out.

I'm blessed to have such an amazing group of people committed to my health, happiness, and wellbeing. From my naturopath to the friendly faces at P+S, my journey wouldn't be the same without them. 

And now, time to enjoy the looong weekend. I have some fun things planned :)

Keep calm and carry on *

It’s nice when the heart
The heart is beating faster
Feeling alive when there is wanting
Always the same
I jump too quickly
Be still my soul