Warm-Up and Beat the Chill With Vata Chai {Paleo, Vegan, Low-Carb}

Autumn. My favorite time of the year. Leaves turning, an invigorating briskness in the air.  I find myself gravitating towards steamy drinks of the most spicy kind. Enter Vegan Vata Chai. This is my standard wake-up drink pretty much every morning now. Trish, a dear friend, can attest to the wonderfully rich aroma that fills these early mornings. Not only is chai a lovely way to start the day, but it is chock full of health benefits. It's the ultimate grounding beverage with a little kick, minus the jitters of coffee. Think delightful without sugared or caffeinated guilt. 

During the times I have spent in India, chai was a staple and each region had their own signature style of the tea. I found my favorite to be leaning heavily towards the sweet spice of cinnamon and cardamom. Unfortunately, all chai in India is made with whole milk and heaps of sugar. After several months of drinking the decadent concoction, I didn't feel the most vibrant or healthy. So the quest for a convincing (and delicious) alternative began.

Vata is the wind element in Ayurveda. It tends to become unbalanced in our fast-paced, rush around lives. This element is quick, light, and cool. When vata becomes aggravated, we become worrisome, scattered, forgetful, and ungrounded. Our vata nature is nurtured into balance by warm, sweet, and earthy flavors.

For this recipe, ginger helps with circulation and warms the system. Ditto for the cloves and cinnamon. The licorice root adds a nice little kick by increasing energy and balancing blood sugar levels. If you have high-blood pressure, skip this herb. I use rooibos tea which has a rich, earthy quality. As an added bonus, rooibos is caffeine free and rich in antioxidants. 

Wishing all an abundant, spicy, and heart-centered autumn!

Vegan Vata Chai

Yield: 8 cups/four generous servings

*As always, organic ingredients are best for flavor, nutrition, and the environment.

I like to make a big pot and have it on a gentle simmer throughout the day. As the ultimate comfort beverage, Vegan Vata Chai keeps me going during these brisk, busy days. 

1 1/2 quarts of filtered water

4 tablespoons loose rooibos tea

2 tablespoons licorice root, shredded or chopped

1 tablespoon cardamom seed

2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

3 whole star anise 

1 stick of cinnamon

1/2 tablespoon whole cloves

2 cups unsweetened almond, hemp, or coconut milk

Stevia to taste

Simmer rooibos, licorice, cardamon, ginger, anise, cinnamon, and cloves in water for 15-20 minutes. Strain and return tea to pot. Add non-dairy milk of choice plus stevia to sweeten. Share joyfully with friends, family and those you love.

"May you always have walls for the winds, a roof for the rain, tea beside the fire, laughter to cheer you, those you love near you and all your heart might desire." -Irish Blessing

Maple Glazed Cabbage with Bacon {adaptable paleo, gluten-free, salicylate-free}

Cabbage. The word doesn’t exactly bring up images of high cuisine. Nor is it especially exciting. And yet, if you participate in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) like we do, cabbage is the order of the day—literally. It came into season a few weeks ago, and since then, we’ve had more cabbage than we know what to do with. I mean, really, there’s only so much coleslaw one can tolerate in a lifetime. I think we reached that limit after the first bowl. A new spin on an ordinary (somewhat tasteless) vegetable was needed. And this recipe fit the bill. 

Autumn and the Season of Sorrow: Heal Grief Naturally

Through the many different avenues of loss, everyone has experienced the effects of grief. The depression and sadness that accompany sorrow can weaken the immune system which creates an opportunity for illness. Chinese medicine considers autumn to be the season of grief and sorrow, making it especially important to nurture one's health and emotional wellness during this time of year.

Tunisian Pumpkin Soup with Spelt Irish Soda Bread

As the days turn blustery with a sharp note in the air, I couldn’t resist adding a warming recipe to our collection. There’s something about a spicy, pureed soup with fall vegetables that I find especially inspiring at this time of the year. If you need a more tame version, skip the pepper flakes—the soup is just as wonderful without the kick. I’ve also included a quick and simple spelt soda bread, which rounds out the recipe for a complete light meal—especially when accompanied with a nice smear of pasture butter. For those of you unfamiliar with spelt, it’s a wonderful, heirloom grain related to wheat, yet usually well-tolerated by those who have a sensitivity to run-of-the-mill varieties.

Persimmon Tart with Spiced Pecan Crust {Paleo, Vegan, Gluten-Free}

We are at the midnight hour for a post about Thanksgiving - almost too late, but not quite. Even though time has slipped away from me, I could not pass up an opportunity to slowdown and really contemplate the true meaning of the day.

Gratitude for all aspects of life helps to cultivate health of the body, mind, and spirit. Living from the grateful space of the heart promotes true abundance and positive outlook. Research has proven time and time again that a positive orientation to life is one of the most effective and important keys to robust health. A very inspiring website on the grace of gratefulness is found here.

Discover the abundant health benefits of a traditional Native American diet

Containing many superfoods, the traditional diet of Native Americans offers great health. A diet rich in berries, roots, and nuts traditionally kept tribal members powerful and robust. As the modern diet displaced these nutrient dense foods, the health of Native Americans began to decline.

An article by the Organic Consumers Association reports on the need to combat the epidemic of diabetes and childhood obesity among modern Native Americans with a return to the traditional diet enjoyed by their ancestors.

Bea Medicine, a Native American Anthropologist, describes the change in diet:

"Traditional food staples of Indian tribes--wild game, berries, roots, teas, and indigenous vegetables--were high in protein and low in fat. That's a switch from the modern Native American diet, which is high in fat and refined starches and sugars."