Stretch to the sky

I did an hour of pilates this evening and let me just say, I have never felt better. A gentle yet detoxifying combination of strengthening and stretching was exactly what my body needed. Both my trainer and naturopath agree that I need to stretch, relax, and bring my body to "centre" on a consistent basis.

I've been reading a lot about ayurveda lately and have diagnosed myself as a Pitta/Vata. Pitta is linked to fire - hot, sharp and light while Vata is linked to air - mobile, dry and light.

This beautiful combination requires me to combat my restlessness, channel my energy, and eliminate excess heat and inflammation. During an acupuncture session last week, my naturopath told me I was producing a lot of heat, and needed to mediate more often. But because I am on a religious strengthening program, thanks to my trainer, I am prone to hit the gym for weights.

So, really, my hour of pilates gave my body the best of both worlds..strength and stretching! It was glorious.

In case you're scratching your head, Ayurveda is described as the science or study of life. Its conception dates back 5,000 years to the Himalayans in Nothern India. Best described in one of the books I am reading called "Beauty: Pure + Simple", by Kristin Ma, it is through Ayurveda that we learn to become self-aware by listening to ourselves, our intuition and our bodies.

"Western medicine (allopathic) often focuses on alleviating symptoms, treating pain, inflammation, tumors, or depression with painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs, anti-depressents and surgeries. This approach ignores the sources of the dysfunction. Ayurveda, in contrast, always searches for the root of the cause, and treats ailments from this perspective"

- Kristin Ma

After pilates I made a green monster then had a really long and relaxing shower. I then moisturized my body like crazy (one of my favourite rituals) and made a Organic Sweet Dreams tea from Davids Tea.

Off to read and listen to some of Sarah McLachlan's new tunes, which I love!

Here is one for ya:

Sweet dreams xo

Kale Chips & Girl Guides

Kale chips and girl guides you ask? Well, yes. After a late-night workout, I decided to make a fresh batch of delicious kale chips.

For the record, kale chips rock. They are a healthy alternative to a salty and/or chip craving; plus, they're super easy to make.

Simple kale chips

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of fresh green kale
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt & pepper to taste

Steps:

• Pre heat oven about 375-400*
• Rinse off kale
• Toss kale in olive oil, salt, and pepper
• Lay on oven tray and "bake" for approx 15-20 minutes, with a quick flip half way through

So, just as I was about to give my precious kale a quick toss, my doorbell rang. Spatula in hand, I ran to the door..."Hello, would you like to buy a box of girl guide cookies today?" says two cute girls, decked from head to toe in uniform. Well, how could I resist? I was a girl guide when I was little..and for $4 a box..not to mention the cookies tastiness..it was a done deal.

I promptly scrambled for my wallet to fork up $4 in change. Once I congratulated the girl guides and received my box of cookies, I literally ran over to the oven...fear not, my kale chips were NOT burned. A few were "extra crispy" but overall damage was minimal :)

Kale chips can be flavoured in a number of ways. I especially enjoy the kale chips from Live Food Bar. They use various spices and even ground walnuts. Because this recipe is so simple, it's easy to experiment!

Nom nom nom, so delicious and nutritious.

I topped my night off with a cup of Organic Sweet Dreams from David Tea.

Green for Green Monsters

I'm greeeen for green monsters. After power yoga I came home to make a post-workout snack. And what's better than a vitamin rich green smoothie!

Don't let the green fool you. Spinach is actually quite sweet.

Virgin green monster:

• 2 cups organic spinach
• 1 - 1.25 cups of almond milk (or any milk of your choice)
• 1 tablespoon flax
• 1 banana
• Ice

Try adding a scoop of Amazing Grass chocolate superfood. It blends really well with banana.

As you can see, I drank mine all up.

I also had a small bowl of chocolate puffed quinoa cereal with unsweetened almond milk.

It was the perfect snack after a late night power yoga class.

To learn more about green monsters, join the green monster movement. There's tons of other great recipes including refreshers like this one

Ice Pineapple Green Monster:

• 3 cups spinach
• 1 cup frozen or fresh pineapple chunks
• 1 cup cold water
• 1/2 protein (I recommend medi-clear or Vega)
• Ice

I promise you that spinach is the next best thing for you and your blender.

I topped off my evening with a hot cup of Dulce & Banana loose leaf tea from Davids Tea. It's one of my favourites.

Sweet dreams.