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

5 magical black superfoods that will enchant you

Stunning on any plate, black foods are an ideal choice during the winter months. Chock full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and anthocyanin, these striking superfoods promote health with an interesting twist.

Think squid pasta, forbidden rice, blackberries, ebony sesame and chia seeds.

Both Ayurvedic (Indian) and Chinese medicine hail the benefits of black foods — and now science has too.

Food Fit for an Emperor

In eastern healing philosophies, black foods have long been used to encourage wellness. Black rice was so valued and rare in days past that emperors even declared it ‘forbidden’ to the common people.

Chinese medicine believes that black foods correspond with the water element and nourish the kidneys — helping the body to stay energetic and warm, and the mind harmonious. Black beans, rice and sesame are the traditional foods eaten during cold winter months.

Black Sesame

Black sesame is said to:

• Prevent constipation
• Improve the complexion and inhibit aging
• Normalize blood pressure
• Strengthen memory
• Avert anemia
• Maintain lustrous hair
• Fortify the liver

Black sesame is also revered in Ayurveda. This dark seed is remarkable in fortifying the skeletal system since it’s an extraordinary source of calcium and magnesium.

Additionally, black sesame oil is used to soothe mental distress by boosting serotonin levels and calming the nerves.

Black Beans and Rice

Black beans contain cancer fighting antioxidants and anthocyanin along with butyric acid. Remember that anthocyanin destroys cancer cells and blocks the creation of blood vessels that feed tumors. High in fiber, black beans also help reduce colon cancer risk by as much as 75 percent.

Another food with abundant anthocyanin is black rice. An extract of the rice has been shown to effectively reduce breast cancer cells. It’s rich in vitamins B and E, calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc as well.

Black is the New Green

Green superfoods have been all the rage for years now, and rightly so. But many are discovering a unique and alluring way to add more variety to the diet with black foods. Popular among gourmet trend setters, black foods stand apart from the crowd by adding contrast to a meal.

Squid ink pasta from Spain, locally grown blackberries and South American chia are just a few stylish foods that offer distinctive health benefits.

Squid Ink Pasta

Not well known in America, black pasta is popular in Italy and Spain. These provocative noodles are not only exquisite with their squid ink pigment, but also help to prevent cancer. Bioactive elements in the ink have been found to halt breast cancer and the growth of new tumors.

Blackberries

As one of the most antioxidant-rich foods, blackberries are a sweet addition to any diet. Overflowing in nutrients like vitamins C and K, folic acid, manganese, polyphenols, minerals and fiber — blackberries are an outstanding superfood. Polyphenols found in the berry make you smarter too. By reducing brain cell inflammation, these compounds enhance communication between the neurons, thereby improving memory and information processing.

Chia

Once used by the ancient Aztec’s for stamina in battle, chia seeds are a terrific superfood for modern day warriors. Full of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, chia keeps energy levels up, inflammation and disease down. Omega-3 fats also foster a sharp mind.

Next time you are looking for nourishing inspiration, consider black foods. Offering a profusion of nutrient dense options, these gorgeous edibles will add drama to your plate and enliven the senses. Sexy black foods are hip and healthy — a winning combination for the discriminating palate.

Learn more:
Wake Up World

Photo Credit: FotoosVanRobin

Sources:

www.ecobites.com/forum/31-product-reviews/5253-whats-all-the-fuss-about-black-foods

www.tcm.chinese.cn/en/article/2009-08/24/content_11434

www.chinadecoded.com/2011/01/08/chinese-eating-traditions-on-winter-solstice

www.grocery.com/six-black-foods-found-to-give-tremendous-benefits-to-health

www.suite101.com/article/black-foods

www.thelistlady.hubpages.com/hub/The-Black-Super-Foods

Paleo Coconut Crepes with Seasonal Berries

Berry season has arrived in our neighborhood with a profusion of gorgeous strawberries and dark-as-night blackberries. I wait in anticipation every year for local berries to appear at our market stands. These are the real deal -- bright, sassy and full of flavor. Not those tasteless varieties that have traveled, say, thousands of miles and were most likely picked unripe.

Low in calories yet high in fiber, vitamins and minerals, berries are one of the best foods you can eat in terms of nutritional value. Bursting with phytochemicals and flavonoids, berries help prevent certain forms of cancer, protect eye health and slow the aging process. Many are low-glycemic to boot, adding another sweet benefit. And berries just happen to be a terrific complement for crepes.

Big Pharma and Organized Crime — They are More Similar Than You May Think

“It is scary how many similarities there are between this [pharmaceutical] industry and the mob. The mob makes obscene amounts of money, as does this industry. The side effects of organized crime are killings and deaths, and the side effects are the same in this industry. The mob bribes politicians and others, and so does the drug industry …”¹ ~ former vice-president of Pfizer pharmaceuticals

If you believe pharmaceutical corporations hold the health of the general public in high regard, it’s time to reconsider. The industry is filled with examples of wrongful death, extortion, fraud, corruption, obstruction of justice, embezzlement, fake journals, harassment and hit lists that would make even the most hardened Mafia godfather blush. Big Pharma has been fined billions by the U.S. Department of Justice, but these enormous fines don’t curb the corruption, it’s just looked upon as “the cost of doing business,” similar to paying the utilities.

As a physician and researcher, Peter C Gøtzsche has firsthand experience with the criminality behind the pharmaceutical industry — and subsequently exposed the massive fraud in “Deadly Medicines and Organized Crime: How Big Pharma Has Corrupted Healthcare.”

Ready For A Good Spring Cleaning? Spruce Up The Liver With These Tips

It may be hard to believe, but we are already into springtime. According to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), each season coordinates with a specific organ and spring just so happens to be the time of the liver. If this organ becomes imbalanced, anger, rage, irritation and depression can set in. While new plants are blooming, sprouting and thrusting upward, the liver deserves much needed tender, loving care to shake off the heaviness of winter. Natural remedies and lifestyle adaptations are the perfect complement to this process. Keep in mind, when the liver is untroubled, we can launch into vibrant beginnings with renewed zest and balanced pleasure.