Essential Cuisine
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Aging Beautifully
This is the most delicious “simple” smoothie. It is refreshing, and if you use sweet ripe pears it is even better. This combination is great for a morning cleanse and afternoon refresher! Make enough to last a day or two. YUM!
Ingredients
2 ripe pears
½ of a bunch of Italian parsley
3 - 4 cups of water
Blend into a drink - add water as needed. Pour into a glass jar and keep refrigerated.
‘Imi ola: the Hawaiian word that awakened me how to express the true meaning for Aging Beautifully. I am totally in love with this word.
If you are any kind of seeker in truth, growth and a beautiful life, you may love this word as much as I do. Actually, ‘Imi ola is a value. Taking this value on as a practice is to encourage fulfilling a destiny of achieving the highest form of life - well being. What a beautiful goal.
Many of us are just trying to get by, or some of us have big goals of making a good living, being healthy and living in supportive communities. Many need a purpose, something of value and meaning to drive us. What if our innermost primary goal was to take on the value of ‘Imi ola and seek the highest form of life and well being as our destiny? Would this be enough to satisfy us? Could our purpose be first and foremost to steward ourselves continually so that we could be a vessel of well being to ourselves, families, communities, and the world?
If we took on that value as a practice with our eyes on the prize, imagine how wonderful it would be to be living in an old body having achieved the highest form of life - well being. Doesn't this just give you the coolest vision?
It did for me. This is such a better vision than one with fear and loathing over getting old. I think I am going to call it “Aging Beautifully”. There is nothing more beautiful than an older person who is healthy with a twinkle in their eye. The Dali Lama is a good example as are many of the Centenarians. When we stand on a mountain top and view the Earth in all its majesty, “beautiful”, is the word that many say. A healthy Earth, and healthy humans are all beautiful. This is what we want to achieve.
In an effort to express how much this means to me, I created a video over a year ago that I want you to watch. I believe it will give you a new perspective on aging, and perhaps awaken in you a new vision for your life’s purpose. It did mine.
I am launching an upcoming course called: ‘Imi ola - The Path to Aging Beautifully. You will be hearing a lot more about it as I adopt this theme going forward and share everything I can think of that has helped me to and others I know to Age Beautifully.
Have a question? Need some help? I am happy to offer 15 minute free consultation. Please sign up here for an appointment. It is always helpful to me as well as I hope it is for you, so please do sign up.
Also, I am opening up a few spots for private coaching again. Stay tuned for my new course coming soon called “Aging Beautifully - a Lifestyle and Dietary Makeover” . This will be a 8 week course you will not want to miss.
OK, I am going to brag - everyone says my chocolate chip cookies are the best. I have to believe it is because of the ingredients I use, which is specifically the unbleached spelt flour. They are delicious with the spelt but they are not gluten free, and some people must have gluten free. So, I set out to make a gluten free version following my same guidelines so that everyone can have this tasty treat. OMG! They are delicious, light and very flavorful and they are higher in protein because of the almond flour. Eat them as a snack or even for breakfast - and did I mention, they are so delicious!!!
Ingredients:
1 cup rice flour
1 cup almond flower
1 cup coconut oil
1 cup coconut sugar
2 tsp double acting baking powder
2 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp flax meal
½ cup water
¾ cup chopped walnuts
¾ cup shredded (dried) coconut
¾ cup dark chocolate chips
½ tsp Celtic Sea Salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Add flax meal to ½ cup water and 2 tsp of vanilla, and let it sit while you combine the other ingredients.
Combine the rice, almond flour and baking powder together in a large bowl. Mix in the coconut sugar and coconut oil. Then mix in the flax and vanilla mixture. Mix well.
Fold in the shredded coconut, walnuts and chocolate chips.
Lastly add the salt.
Assemble cookies on parchment paper and bake at 350 for about 20 to 25 minutes. I like to bag my cookies and/or put them in a ball jar and freeze after they cool slightly. This keeps them very fresh.
Note: My famous cookies that are not gluten free are made the same way except with spelt flour instead of almond and rice (not the bleached spelt flour).
Enjoy!!
There are many reasons to eat well, we all know that. It is actually vital to a healthy existence, and we know that too. But, let’s just think about the stress we put on ourselves with regards to diet. I can think of several stresses food and diet put on us that don’t even involve taking a bite of food. This is what I want to speak to in this post, because choosing a path and sticking with it has alleviated so much stress from me. And, the best part is that I have had enormous pleasure in doing just that. Yes, it takes a little more time in the kitchen, but by being nourishing and delicious it creates a stress free feeling overall. Below is a little bit about the path I chose and some of the reasons why I don’t feel a bit stressed over my diet anymore.
Most of you know by now that I am a foodie and after all, I do call myself “Chef Teton”. My foodie path all started with my advocacy work (hyperlink to book) and then I ended up using all of that knowledge in the kitchen. For a good part of my life diet and nutrition partnered with agricultural practices and policies has been the passion behind my work. I tell you this because even with all of this dedication and study, it could be that I am as confused as you might be. There have been so many diets birthed in the last 20 years that one might wonder, what’s next? The Acorn Diet?
Adding to the challenge of choice, we have the task of feeding ourselves and our families with budgetary constraints and fresh food availability. Then mental beliefs, judgements and sometimes guilt are all thrown into the body along with every bite we take, or don’t take. The whole idea can be stressful, not to mention confusing. Out of sheer desperation at the onset of my mystery illness I had to pick and path and stick with it because honestly, I had lost my way. I was cutting corners and not nourishing myself with what my body needed for the demands I was placing on it. Additional stress was happening on various levels.
Like I mentioned in my previous post, I had been to the ER four times with these short episodes of my heart pounding, shortness of breath, and dizziness. Each time the episode would come on I would become terrified. I felt silly going to the ER again, so I would sit in a few minutes of fear based confusion until I had to make a decision to call a friend, an ambulance, or ride it out. The doctors had already ruled out any life threatening situations so what should I do? I did not have a clue how to heal or reverse the situation.
A friend recommended I read the Medical Medium (MM), by Anthony William. I had heard of him and his book, but never read it because I thought it was just another ‘slant’ on the same old stuff. Desperate for anything to help my “mystery illness” I purchased it on Audible and began to listen. I was blown away. I found the MM to shed an intriguing light on autoimmune diseases - not what I had at all expected, and I felt like he was speaking directly to me. He spoke about the symptoms of autoimmune diseases attacking so many people today, and the case studies that he shared resonated like nothing else. He blasted some of the current medical myths wide open and gave me confidence that all these problems were reversible. His message landed in my like truth. I believed him, and began to practice his dietary protocol and supplementation with grateful dedication.
The MM gave me clarity and hope. Anthony William is not a doctor, nor a nutritionist. He is a man who has been gifted with the voice of “spirit” who speaks to him. His story is actually quite fascinating. Could we call this “spirit” God, or a divine angel that has come to help us with an area of life we obviously need help with? Some may laugh at this, but the path he laid out made sense to me. Adrenal Fatigue and/or Chronic Fatigue were included in his chapters, which I intuited as my problem. I was in.
I began juicing daily, eating (and I must add enjoying) fruits, dates and a wide variety of vegetables and plant foods like never before. His protocol for healing is basically an abundance of fruit, vegetables, squash, potatoes, beans, coconut oil and/or olive oil, and animal foods (if desired) once a day. He stresses more of a low fat diet, no eggs, dairy or grains. Did I have some rice or a piece of toast now and then? Absolutely. It took me awhile to adjust, particularly with regards to fats, and I also included bone broth. His recommendation to lower animal food consumption was mostly due to the high fat content. This protocol was a big shift for me for the following reasons:
I had to lower my fat consumption. I was consuming a lot of butter, especially in my morning coffee and/or Yerba Mate. It might work for some, but not for me while healing. No more stimulants, and no more massive butter contributions, yet I still enjoyed a bit of butter here and there on veggies.
Nourishing myself became the focus. It was not about what I did not eat, it was about what I did eat.
The creativity was fun. I began to make wonderful fruit salads, and soups, which I had not enjoyed for a long time. I munched on dates, dried figs and nuts for a snack often throughout the day.
Enjoying fresh fruit was so liberating. I had adopted the belief somewhere in me that too much fruit was not that great because of the sugar content, which influences candida, parasites, and more. I so enjoy fruit now and the small little problems I had with my skin are gone.
At first it was an adjustment, but once in the groove of feeding/nourishing myself, it became easier, and I began to feel lighter and more clear headed.
There were no complex recipes to follow, which is what I advocate in my teaching. Rather, you prepare the food raw, or cooked and consume it as it is with just a few condiments as needed. There is really no need for a ton of ingredients to make a dish. The method of combining raw and cooked together is actually what started my cooking/teaching career. Keep it simple and fill up with plant foods.
As for the supplements he recommended, well, there were a lot of them. I took it slow in that department and integrated them over a bit of time.
The MM dietary and healing protocol was humming along nicely for me for a few weeks when the Shingles attacked me. For this I am very grateful because the MM also had an entire chapter on Shingles, so I was somewhat prepared with a path I felt would support me. I understood it would take some time. Even though I had fallen into the mindset of immediate healing or transformation, I could feel in my body that this would not go away with a couple of good nights sleep. I rested in knowing I was on a new journey that would require layers of space and change.
Why I recommend reading MM is not only for the food and diet but to understand and/or get a new perspective on autoimmune conditions, the fatigue and stress symptoms, and the potentially misleading information we are getting. I mean, if there was true healing for Thyroid Disease, Chronic Fatigue and/or Lupus, as an example, from the medical establishment, then great. But, from my own understanding, there is not. Medicine may alleviate symptoms but it does not truly heal and reverse most conditions. The MM explains that the EPV (Epstein Barr Virus) is the root cause of many of these conditions. I am sure there is much more for us to discover, but we know that there is a problem brewing in many of us, and shedding a new light of wisdom and a protocol that brings healing is what we need.
During my 2 months of Shingles trauma friends delivered tons of fresh veggies and fruits to me. One day there were three people in my kitchen washing and prepping everything so all I had to do was juice, cut and/or cook. What a dream that was. When people offered to bring food, I had a clear idea of what to ask for. There is more I will share in the future about getting help and some of the ways my tribe here has learned to help one another in a way that is easy and organized for all.
It has taken a bit of a learning curve in how to make nourishing myself “simple”, especially now that I am up and integrating into the world again. It was easy when others were doing the shopping and my only task each day was to prepare food for myself. I continually asked myself, “How do people do this who work. How will I do it?” I will be sharing my recipes and methods on my Blog as I journey along. I am already seeing how easy it is to get back into the stressful mode of short cuts and hurry, or sheer laziness.
To tie this up, I am going to make a strong recommendation to you, and that is to do everything you can to put fresh organic plants (fruits and veggies) into your body. If you are inclined, read the Medical Medium or listen to it on Audible - if only to get inspired as to the power of these foods, some of the myths we have come to believe, and how food can bring your body and soul back into balance. You will be inspired by the case studies and I guarantee your will drop some confusion, if you have any about your diet.
Lastly if you want to lose weight, I think the MM protocol might be the best way possible because it is not a fad, and you will not go hungry. I felt like all I did was eat, and I still lost weight. This diet is a lifetime practice for nourishment and well being. In my opinion it is in alignment with “Living As a Spiritual Practice” in that it is in alignment with what the Earth provides for us at her best. Do it!
You can purchase the Medical Medium on Amazon.
Coming Up:
The wonderful world of pain meds, marijuana and CBD’s.
How to enlist your family and friends for the help.
How to identify the stress in your life, and how to get rid of it.
It seems that my life took this journey through food, health, addiction, and environmentalism for some reason, and now with a spiritual revolution taking place (so to speak), perhaps my story in Eating As A Spiritual Practice will awaken a part of the reader to see how they can combine their spiritual growth and intentions toward their own self care and the shape of a new future. My hope is that learning about Imi'ola will give you a place to plant your intentions.
To start with my favorite things, I want to start with the Gold metal of our mind and our brain. What we think, our beliefs and all the emotional turmoil we experience can often be changed by simply paying attention to our thoughts and what drives our actions - becoming more conscious. But, there is another part of our thinking and our mind that can be nourished and taken care of so we can keep on thinking, learning and communicating as we age. This comes with nourishing our brain in the same way we nourish our bodies. There is the physical brain and then there is our thinking. So often, we cannot steer our thinking more positively if we are suffering from an unhealthy brain.
Now that we are obtaining wisdom, let's not loose our smarts! Many of us make fun of and/or laugh at our new found forgetfulness in our aging mind. We will often hear comments such as, "I had a senior moment", or we laugh about not finding our keys - over and over. But, it is really no laughing matter because this forgetfulness can escalate. With the loss of adequate nutrition and oxygen to the brain, and the use of pharmaceuticals, Dementia is taking a lead in senior death rates.
Could it be that a pill will help? I wish. Our brain, just like our muscles, joints and organs needs valuable nutrition, no poisoning, and exercise (oxygen and challenging use). If we keep learning, (the reason for programs such as Luminosity), they say we can build more brains cells. Use it or loose it, as the saying goes. I have found this to be true for me. Because I still work, and was not raised in the tech age, I have had to struggle at times to keep myself current. I am grateful for this because the more I study, the smarter I get - or the less stupid I get. I have taken on learning new systems with this approach, which is a good thing, because at first I resisted it like crazy. Now, I say to myself, "I can learn this".
All this being said, I did notice that my brain was sinking a bit. My mind and brain used to work faster than most, and I had a memory like an elephant (where on Earth did that saying come from?). Anyway, I noticed I was having a hard time focusing and remembering. Maybe it was that I was just not interested, which was somewhat true at times, but I seriously noted a difference - a decline. Then a miracle came my way.
EHT, a pill. Yes, a tiny pill. The breakthrough technology of EHT has made a huge significance in my life. I have my smarts back, my quick thinking mind, and even my quick wit has returned, or so I think. Ha!
I took EHT for about 30 days, not really believing it would make that much difference. As a matter of fact, I was introduced to it a couple years ago, but poopooed it, thinking it was just a pill and it would not make that much difference. Then something happened a couple of months ago, that said, "Do this". And, I did, and I am so happy I did, because all of sudden I noticed how smart I was, how fast I was thinking and how much data I could hold. It was like a veil was lifted. Renewed inspiration was birthed. Our brains/minds are so important, and we can keep them healthy, but I think we need every bit of help we can get in this day and age. There is more info about EHT in the video below, but I must say more first.
Don't think for a moment that this little pill will take the place of good nutrition. We are learning a lot about brain heath now. Dr. Amen has been a pioneer in this search for keeping us smart. He even endorses EHT, but he also endorses excellent nutrition and staying away from the substances that dumb us down. I am going to speaking more on this in my next post.
Watch this short video about EHT.
If you want to know more, then schedule a consultation with me, email me or give me a call. I will turn you on to some specifics and then refer you to someone who knows more about the science. There is so much more to this supplement than I can tell you - improved sleep, energy, and mood. I won't be without it!
Aloha, Susan
The language around aging and disease blows me away. Think about it. How many times do you say something negative about yourself, or think fearful thoughts about getting a life threatening disease? How often do you pass the mirror and say you look terrible?
Don't worry, you are not alone. I do it too. Yet, I am becoming more and more aware of it, while also witnessing the power of being responsible for the gratitude and love that I give my body. I am also aware of how much harm we do to ourselves without even knowing it - without catching ourselves.
We have tremendous power to eradicate our patterns and it starts inside with our self talk and the feelings that correspond to them.
Every day we age, and every day we have a new opportunity to steer our vessel and life to where we want to go. How easy is it to walk in the kitchen to make a cup of jo? Easy, right? Well, creating a healthy, vibrant and beautiful life can be easy too. We just have to be on "purpose" with the process and learn new skills.
Now is the time to strengthen the skill of aging on purpose, of getting in the habit of a new self talk and self care that paves the way for aging with vitality and beauty.
Check out my FB live today on this very subject (only about 10 minutes long). There is also a gift for you to get going on this new practice. You can also watch it below on YouTube in case you don't use Facebook.
Recently a doctor on Maui contacted me after reading some of my newsletters. She thought we might work well together. Off I went to visit her, and before I knew it she was looking at me through a biofeedback machine. She then instructed me to make a 16oz fresh celery juice every morning and drink it first thing.
To be honest, my first reaction in my head was, “Get out the juicer every day, every morning, oh geez.”
Don’t get me wrong, I liked making and drinking fresh juices, which comes with so many health benefits, but the thought of doing it every morning was a bit daunting.
But of course, I was committed to my health and well-being, and I knew that this would be good for me, especially for the eczema that popped up on my skin after the parasite ordeal I had recently. So upon instructions from my doctor, I promptly started my celery juicing ritual every morning.
I’m so glad that I did! I am now juicing more, digesting more, and eliminating more. The last little bit of eczema I had on my hands has fled and I am loving the lightness I feel. I also have spread the word to some of my friends, clients, and now you. Everyone is experiencing great results.
The deal is, celery juice is full of Hydrochloric Acid, and when consumed in the morning, it will strengthen your digestion for everything you eat, and in time, the minerals and mineral salts will help to restore your own stomach's HCL.
The thing is, as we age, our ability to create Hydrochloric Acid diminishes. (Have you noticed that you digestion is not the same as it was when you were in your teens or 20’s?) So drinking fresh celery juice every morning will greatly aid in creating HCL.
Why do we need HCL? HCL is our body’s #1 defense against disease-causing viruses, pathogens, and parasites. Number 1? Wow. Without it, our bodies cannot properly absorb minerals (selenium and zinc), which are vital for our immune system! And finally, without HCL, our food can just sit there in our gut, putrefying, creating a toxic ammonia gas that floats into our bloodstream and makes us tired and/or chronically ill. Yikes.
You might be thinking like I did, it’s too much work to juice every morning. Here are a few of things I want to say:
It’s totally worth it! Your skin will be glowing and digestion flowing. (Beauty starts in the gut!)
If it’s too much to do it every day, you can use juicing as a periodic boost.
You can do it regularly but less frequently.
Since “seeing is believing” as they say, I want to challenge you to go on a 2-week celery juice cleanse, just so you can see the amazing benefits of juicing for yourself. Write back (just hit reply to this email) and tell me how it is going. Do you notice any difference in your digestion, your flow?
Here are the simple instructions for the celery juice challenge:
Get out the juicer. Wash celery and make a 16oz celery juice (14oz works too) and drink it every morning. This takes almost a whole head of celery so be ready. (I have noticed that I can get three servings out of two heads of celery.)
*A note about HCL. You might be wondering why you can’t just take the supplement for HCL instead of juicing. I noticed for myself and others that the concentrated form of HCL in a pill is often too acidic for my stomach. This means I am taking too much. Because of the sensitivity of the HCL the nutrient cannot come in a huge burst. Getting your HCL from food is much more effective and your body will figure out how much to use. When drinking the celery juice you are also getting all the minerals and natural salts. So good for you!!
Now that you have the juicer out, you might want to make a refreshing juice for the afternoon.
My favorite juice combo is: carrot, ginger, apple, beets, parsley, cucumber, and lemon. You don’t have to use all of the ingredients though. You can play around and tweak as you like. The point here is to make the juice. I mean the juicer is already out and needs cleaning. You might as well get your time, money and nutrients worth out of the procedure.
Here is what you do:
Have celery, carrots, apples, ginger, cucumber, and whatever else you are using, all cleaned and prepped.
While I am enjoying my celery juice I am cutting the veggies and juicing the next round.
When another juice is made, put it in a canning jar with a tight lid and refrigerate it for your afternoon treat. If you are going to be out for the day take it with you. You will so love having this fresh juice in the afternoon.
Wash the juicer. I really like my new Breville Juice Fountain. I love that it is fast and easy to clean. It also has this cool receptive container that has measurements on it so you can see how much you are making. It is very efficient.
Supporting my system with juicing and other wellness routines are what keep me going strong at 72, but even more is that there is so much pleasure to be had in a fresh juice!
If you want to learn more about how to support your beautiful body so that you Age Beautifully, let’s set up a time to chat. Click HERE to schedule.
Wouldn't you love to just wake up every morning and know exactly what to do to unstiff yourself and set yourself up for comfort and flexibility throughout the day?
I have met so many people who just want to head straight for the coffee pot, myself included. Or, some might pop a pill, hit the freezer for a shot of vodka, or light up the bong. You think I am kidding. I know people who do this. Some also, just dress, head out the door and sooner or later the back loosens or it does not.
Since I am one of those people who does wake up with a stiff back, and it takes at least an hour for me to wake up, there is no way I can start work, or go out for a walk or run without doing some sort of stretching. Even the idea of yoga sounds awful if I am stiff.
When complaining to a friend about how long it takes me to wake up, she offered her solution, “I wake up, pee and go straight to the yoga mat, and breathe myself awake.” OMG. A light bulb went off when I heard this. This I can do. My mind did not have to think a routine, or a lot of movement, or anything but walk to the mat. Somehow the mindset worked for me. It sounded inviting, slow and peaceful, and has been my practice ever since.
I want to share this same practice with you, because so many people have back issues, particularly upon rising. And, this practice serves so much more than the back.
So, here is what I recommend. Set up your yoga mat or a blanket in a spot in the house where it will be waiting for you first thing upon rising. Relieve yourself, grab a glass of water and go to the spot and simply do the “cat cow” stretches - slowly. If it is easy, turn on some soft morning music that feeds your soul.
Cat Cow instructions:
Be extremely gentle and keep breathing. Chances are, if you are like me, you don’t stop there and instead continue on with a few more stretches. It depends on how much time I have.
The point here is to get on the mat and unstiff your whole back and bring some fresh breath into your body - “breathe yourself awake while loosening your back.” During this time you can also begin to go in and give your body gratitude and instructions for the day.
This practice will set up your spine for a more productive day, I am sure of it.
My vision for you is to be comfortable in your body. This is important especially as you get older. Much of people’s back pain today can be alleviated. Since I have had chronic back pain for years, I have learned how to keep myself pain free, and that is with continual movement and strengthening.
Keeping our back healthy is so crucial at any age but especially as we get older. And speaking of getting older, today my interview is airing on the Menopause is a Trip Summit. Listen HERE for more valuable insight into the wonderful process we are living. You will also be able to download the “I love My Body” meditation mp3 for free.
Do you want to learn how to keep our back (and the rest of the body) healthy and more? I have got lots of tricks up my sleeve and I can’t wait to share them with you. Schedule a strategy session with me HERE.
