While submersed in the peace and solitude of the ashram in India, disconnected from everything, I came to a few profound realizations. Firstly, that I am far too accessible. Much of my existence is, in one way or another, connected to the Internet. The slew of superfluous e-mails and notifications that constantly bombard my phone and inbox needed to go! Instant messaging, such as Blackberry messenger and Facebook chat, opened up lines of communication with people that I didn’t necessarily speak to otherwise. It was consuming my energy and slowing me down! Each time something new came in, it entered my mind space, distracting me and diluting my power from things of greater priority. Right then, in that moment, I vowed to take action and cut the ties with these relentless distractions that made their way into my precious headspace.

With all that goes on in the mind at any given time, it is hard to find moments of stillness and clarity. This excessive mindset impedes creativity and becomes a block in the way of you and your true self. How can you listen to your heart if you cannot hear or see beyond the overwhelming buzz of these mindless stimuli?

Now, with a little less clutter, my mind is free to let the thoughts flow, uninterrupted. I am free to contemplate, daydream and visualize all that I want to bring into fruition.

Secondly, knowing my own tendency to multitask and take on more at once than I can handle effectively, I set the intention to slow down and to bring all of my awareness into a singular focus. Whether it is watching my breath, writing this article or spending time with a loved one, I know that it deserves my full attention. After all, your energy flows where your attention goes. Bringing more of the practice of mindfulness into my every day has taken some self-discipline, let me tell you!

Being present in every moment allows us to get the most out of life, tune into our own creativity and experience the world with a free mind and open heart. We only live once, so don’t waste your time and energy on recounting the past or planning too far into the future. The present is our greatest gift and is something that you cannot ever get back.

Detachment: Steps for a Happy and Healthy Headspace

Cleanse. Unsubscribe from useless e-mails you delete before reading. For example: newsletters, deal site promos, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn notifications.

Detach. Delete some social media applications that alert you about every little thing. These are way too frequent and on a scale of things from 1 to 10, they are not a high priority. You can always tune into these things when you have the time. Reclaim your energy!

Make the most of it. Give the people in your presence more attention than whatever is going on in the cyber world.

Practice mindfulness. Pay attention to what is going in the present moment, soak it all in. Notice beauty in detail where you hadn’t before. For instance, strike up a conversation with the check out lady or pay a stranger a compliment. You never know what can come of these new social interactions.

Schedule it. Set a time every day in the evening when you completely unplug and spend quality time with your family, friends and yourself.

Listen closely. Once you find some time to yourself, clear your mind and open your heart. Listen very carefully to your internal reactions to your thoughts about certain ideas and plans.

Reflect. Try journaling, I find it really helps to get out the important thoughts before they are tucked away and forgotten about.

What is Celiac Disease?

Celiac disease is a life-long medical condition in which the absorptive surface of the small intestine is damaged by gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. Celiac disease is also known as gluten-sensitive enteropathy (GSE) or celiac sprue.

How does it affect the body?

If you have celiac disease and you want to feel your best, then it is essential that you steer clear of the prolamin fraction of wheat, barley and rye (commonly thought to just be wheat). When people with celiac disease, consumable products containing gluten, their immune systems react against the enemy – gluten.

Those with celiac disease may have difficulties absorbing nutrients because there is damage to the villi of the small intestine, thereby reducing the surface area, where most micronutrients are absorbed. I like to think of the villi as a plant that needs watering, they fall flat when damaged but are able to pop back up if given some tender love and care.  Following a very strict diet, the mucosa can restructure itself within 2-3 months, but full villi recovery can take several months to years. But each time you are exposed to gluten, the immune system reacts and its right back to square one with the healing process.

The Rise of Gluten-Related Disorders

There are a few theories out there regarding this spike in prevalence of gluten-related disorders. One of the most dominant ideologies includes the hybridization and genetic modification of the grains to boost gluten content. Even a century ago, grains like wheat contained far less gluten than it does today. Changing the DNA of nature to produce more desirable outcomes like texture and chewiness can have negative consequences. Most of which are yet to be known. GMO foods have not been around on the market long enough to fully understand the detrimental health effects. The human body does not easily digest gluten, and the food industry is putting it in just about everything. The body’s enzymes can’t break it down completely and the remaining particles left behind might be causing the immune system to react to this foreign substance. Genetic modification is changing the world at a rapid pace; the evolution of the human body simply cannot keep up.

Diagnosis.

This can often be a long, drawn out and frustrating process for those suffering with chronic digestive problems. Don’t give up hope! Doctors usually diagnose celiac disease with a biopsy of the small intestine, which reveals the damaged villi.

On diagnosis it is commonly recommended that you start on a low-residue (low fibre), low-fat, lactose-free and gluten-free diet. With time, fibre, fat and lactose can be added back into the diet as tolerated but gluten is a lifelong restriction. At this point, education is your greatest tool for success with a gluten-free lifestyle. You will need to familiarize yourself with common sources of gluten and implement mindfulness into your every day. This awareness of your dietary limitations will save you a lot of fear, discomfort and also the risk of running your body into malnourished state. Do your research, empty the cabinets of old products and make your loved ones aware so they don’t give you something by mistake. Next, go to specialty health food stores and stock up on gluten free snacks and goodies.

Related Food Intolerances and Nutrient Deficiencies

Unfortunately, while you are having trouble with gluten, you may also find a new intolerance to dairy. This may be due to the flattening of the villi, lactase (enzyme responsible for digesting lactose) is secreted in the villi and if they are damaged then you will have troubles with lactose! All related!

Iron deficiency anemia is common in 40% – 80% of celiac patients. This is something that should be tended to before it gets any more serious. I read that in severe, untreated cases, malabsorption of fat, calcium, magnesium, fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K). folate, iron and vitamin B 12 can occur. Be sure to have you vitamin D and calcium monitored closely because this may cause bone density issues in the future. If your current diet doesn’t support this I would suggest supplementing. Good news is that once you have “healed” your mucosa and villi by adhering to a gluten-free diet all of the deficiency that I mentioned above can usually be resolved, all of them can be obtained from a well-balanced diet.

DID YOU KNOW ??

Rates of celiac disease have nearly doubled in the last 25 years in western countries

More than 330,000 Canadians have been diagnosed with celiac disease. More than 73,000 are children

Nearly 30% of Canadian children with celiac disease are initially misdiagnosed

The risk for developing celiac disease is increased 20 times for those who have a 1st degree relative with the disease

 It is common for there to be as long as 15 years between the onset of symptoms and diagnosis.

Gluten-free products are 2.5 times more expensive than regular items making the overall cost of the disease for individuals and their families enormous

If you collect all you receipts from purchasing gluten-free products you are eligible for tax breaks.

Even toothpaste can have traces of wheat!

Try these yummy gluten-free foods:
Quinoa
All legumes
Wild rice or brown rice
Corn
Nuts and seeds
Potatoes
Amaranth
Millet, finger millet
Indian rice grass
Arrowroot
Buckwheat
Flax
Tapioca

Carrot Cake (vegan without icing)

1 cup quinoa flour

1 cup buckwheat flour

2/3 cup flax/chia meal blend (or half and half separate if you can’t find it)

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp nutmeg

3/4 cup agave

1 cup agave (to replace sugar and brown sugar)

3/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce (instead of oil)

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups grated carrots

1 cup drained crushed pineapple

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup chopped pecans (for the top)

Now as for the icing… I was never a really big fan of cream cheese icing… so I had mine served with plain greek yogurt (healthier choice). But for those who prefer the traditional icing (and don’t mind the calories).. go for it!

1 pkg  cream cheese, softened (250g)

1/4 cup butter or butter substitute ( I use Earth Balance Spread)

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup icing sugar (you probably won’t find this organic)

Directions:

Mix all the wet ingredients into one bowl and the dry into another then gently fold them together and place in a square pan (greased with Coconut Oil (instead of butter)) and bake at 350 for 45 mins or until a tester comes out clean.

Top with whatever your heart desires!! I love berries, nuts and apple butter, but there really is no limit here 

Ingredients:

1 organic cauliflower

 1-2 tbsp coconut oil

salt & pepper

 1 tsp curry powder (or more if you LOVE curry like me)

Chili flakes if you like it hot

How to make it:

 -Pick up an organic cauliflower, wash and cut it into little tiny pieces

-Heat up about a tablespoon of coconut oil in a big frying pan or wok

-Saute the cauliflower, coating it evenly with the oil

-Season with lots of ground pepper, a pinch of salt and curry powder then pop the entire pan into the oven for 8-10 mins on 350.

-Et voila!

-This is wonderful as a side dish or just add a protein source like some chickpeas or lentils and you have something a little more substantial.

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Mindful eats

As previously mentioned, during the week, have been filling up on my delicious Green Zebra delivery meals, but come the weekend I am left to fend or myself.

On Friday I had a wonderful dinner with Hayleigh at Fresh. This is the perfect place to venture for someone who has a lot of dietary specifics. They even have a secondary gluten free menu and lots of ways to customize your meals in order to meet your dietary needs, whatever they may be. I wasn’t able to order many of my regular items from their menu, but of course like everything at Fresh it was amazing and it was good to try new things! Being Friday, Hayl and I decided to indulge a little and ordered some sweet potato fries (cooked in the same fryer as gluten, which may be problematic for those who are severely sensitive,) this was fine until I went to go for the ketchup and had to stop myself to really think about what is in ketchup. I could recall all of the major ingredients like tomatoes, liquid sugar etc, but I wasn’t certain it was gluten free. Condiments are one of the major things you have to look out for, gluten, makes its way into a lot of sauces, marinades and the like, so always read your labels! We were very curious so we pulled out our phones and pulled it up on Google, turns out Heinz ketchup is gluten free, which I was happy about because the sweet potatoes just wouldn’t have been the same without.

Hayl mentioned that there is a gluten free app for iphones which would be a great resource for those just starting off.

Saturday I ventured out of the city for a little escape with some friends, I had tried my best to plan ahead by packing snacks and gluten free choices, because I knew my choices would be pretty limited. Since there wasn’t too much in the fridge when we arrived, we decided to head into town to get lunch and groceries for the rest of the weekend. Being with a group of guys, they decided to go to Montana’s because there weren’t too many other options. Knowing my fate before even setting foot in the door, I went in to peruse their menu a little. Reading between the lines it read: GLUTEN, MEAT and more GLUTEN ha! I had a good laugh and ended up ordering a rather bland iceberg lettuce (nutritionally void) salad. Oh well, I guess I cannot expect a steak house chain to even begin to cater to gluten free, vegetarians… it is kind of a oxymoron. I went home and made myself a little quinoa salad to make up for what my Montana’s experience was lacking.

Broiled Bananas

We really stepped our game up with dinner however… it was pretty impressive. Josh and Christine who had been following my posts and blog, were kind enough to bring up some gluten free appetizers- Beanitos and dip- delicious, I must say! Busy in the kitchen, we cooked up lots of goodies such as fiddleheads, asparagus, broccoli, tomato, avocado, quinoa and scallops (for those who chose to eat them). For dessert they also brought bananas so that we could make my Broiled Banana recipe- This made me so very happy! It was SO delicious and SO nutritious and… oh yeah, gluten free!

Overall, I am really enjoying this experiment so far and I am learning lots even about my own diet patterns. When eating out of the house, I have noticed that I eat bread when I don’t really need it, but simply eat it because it is there.  In the future, I will be more mindful of this habit and I will try to replace it with a healthier choice. Eating gluten free is great because it really limits the amount of processed foods that you eat. While there are delicious gluten free goodies available at select restaurants and health food outlets, they come around a lot less often depending on where you dine. Having a restricted diet also makes you really appreciate the healthy alternatives to conventional snacks and treats even more. I was so pleasantly surprised by the thoughtfulness of my friends, they were very encouraging and respected my gluten free commitment. It sure did make it easier.

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Today, I will be featuring Gate Pose or Parighasana. What a wonderful pose this is, multi-tasking at its finest!  It stretches hips, groin, strengthens and tones the legs and provides a wonderful for opening for side body!

Parighasana

If you have knee, hip or shoulder injury then you might want to be careful with this one. There are many modifications that can be made to make it work for you, but listen to your body very closely!

Pull out a mat and fold it twice so that there is double padding under your knees for a little extra cushion!

Here is how to do it, safely!

Begin in Table pose (hands and knees), and rise to kneeling, bring your right leg out in front of you. Next, open it out like a door to the right and line your right heel up with your left knee. The toes of your right foot point to the right, make sure you have the four corners of your right foot planted down, allowing your to feel a very rare stretch in the top of the foot. If you find this to be too much then flex your foot, toes pointing up to the sky. Straighten the right leg out as much as is comfortable and  keep the hips facing forward. Inhale and bring your arms up to shoulder height. Exhale and side bend to the right, sliding your right hand down your right leg and your left arm up and over beside your left ear with your palm facing down. Ensure your left shoulder doesn’t drop forward or back. Use a slight tuck of the tailbone to help you push your hips forward. Exhales can ease you deeper into the pose sliding your hand another knotch down your leg. Gaze upward at your top arm (if your neck will comfortably allow) and feel a great stretch in the ribs. Hold here for several breaths as long as your breaths remain long slow and steady. To rise up, engage mula bandha (root lock) with your abs inward toward your spine, inhale up with control. Take a breath in Childs Pose and repeat on the other side.

-Namaste!

I have been eating gluten free now for the past few days as a part of my gluten free experiment. But I will attribute most of my ease to  my food delivery from my new favourite, Green Zebra Kitchen. Dan and Gregg the owners of Green Zebra in Toronto provide super tasty, organic,  gluten free, vegan and locally sourced meals, weekly. This is my second week trying their delivery system and I LOVE IT! It is by far the healthiest, most sustainable and wholesome option for me at this stage in my life. Before Green Zebra, I was going out to all the restaurants around my work everyday for lunch and spending at least 15$ on one of the very few nutritious and vegetarian options (which got very monotonous after a while). Not only is it some of the healthiest food that is available with delivery, it is SO affordable! I would much rather spend my money on the food, knowing it is simply the best! Work and yoga keep me super busy so it is hard to find the time to cook every night, so it is very nice to not have to worry about cooking or sourcing out the foods my body deserves!

I love that it gets delivered every Monday evening in cute little dishes for the week ahead. Before work everyday I just portion some out in a glass tupperware and I am out the door. Makes it so easy to eat properly with such a busy schedule, in fact, I don’t know what I did without it! They deliver everywhere in the downtown area so it is super handy.

All of their meals are wholesome, nutritious and delicious! You can pick and choose which meal choices you want, the quantity and they also have a wide variety of sides and treats. Make sure you try the Red Pepper, Pomegranate & Walnut Dip, it is to die for! The menu changes every week and I am already looking forward to seeing whats up for next week…

Check out their website and menu for next week… be sure to get your order in my Friday nights at 5pm! www.greenzebrakitchen.com

Green Zebra Kitchen Delivery