Reporting in from InSpiral Lounge- London, England

I’m writing this review as I sit in this lively raw organic vegetarian restaurant (and Vegan) in Camden Town, London. I’m sitting at a small wooden table with uneven chairs, by the glowing Himalayan sea salt figure light source, while the energetic African music smiles in my ears.

I just finished eating a raw nut burger, what they call their “Sunfood Burger”. It was a little dry, but overall very tasty and I basically swallowed it whole.With every dish you purchase, you get 3 sides included, so I chose 3 raw salads with bright, vibrant colors and distinct familiar tastes. It’s been 3 days since I’ve had this food I love so dearly, so I practically licked the plate.

My husband and I drove back to London today from Belgium in order for me to work for this restaurant, InSprial. This is our “honeymoon”, or at least our version of it. It’s not that we aren’t enjoying each other, or totally infatuated with each other: it’s just that we love our jobs that much. We are in Europe and by day we walk around on the bustling streets and go have European cappuccinos (mine with soy obviously) and for a few hours each day we bring our computers and tap into our clients, blog readers and the jobs we love so dearly.

Which brings me to this moment:

At first I thought it was oxymoronic to say “healthy food in London” BOY WAS I WRONG!

I emailed InSprial before leaving for England, after finding them on the internet, explaining I was coming to London for two weeks and would love to do a workshop for them on raw food or help in the kitchen. A week later, I received an enthusiastic reply, indicating they would put me in touch with their head chef. A few days later Enzo, their vegetarian cook, wrote asking if I could help the restaurant recreate their raw menu for the New Year. I obviously said Yes… with zero attempt at hiding my zealous vigor.

I met with Enzo last week and we discussed his ideas and what he needs from me. In the quickest hour of my life, I told him what I thought of the dishes they already have, he told me what he thought, and within 60 minutes we had a plan. He needed 7 new raw salads with superfoods in the dressings or in the salad & 2 new entree’s-one raw sushi dish and one random dish using my incredible imagination

We decided on my hours for this week (so that Adi and I could go to Paris and Belgium for a few days) and voila! Here we are! I showed him all my work–the 7 new recipes and 2 entrees–and he loved all of them.

Here’s a sneak preview on my ideas:

• Sprouted Mung Bean Salad with Sesame Seeds and a Raw Tahini Lime Dressing

• Edible Flower Mixed Greens Salad with Fresh Raspberries, Agave Soaked Goji Berries and a Creamy Lemon-Maca Dressing

• Raw Caesar Salad with Baby Jam Lettuce, Raw Parmesan and Capers with A Cacao-Balsamic Dressing

for my “creative” entree I decided on a Mock Loaf with a Raw Mushroom Gravy…

PICTURES TO COME!!!!! Things may change a bit once I get into the kitchen, but that’s when the fun & gratification really begins!

Stay tuned.

Reporting in from InSpiral Lounge- London, England

I’m writing this review as I sit in this lively raw organic vegetarian restaurant (and Vegan) in Camden Town, London. I’m sitting at a small wooden table with uneven chairs, by the glowing Himalayan sea salt figure light source, while the energetic African music smiles in my ears.

I just finished eating a raw nut burger, what they call their “Sunfood Burger”. It was a little dry, but overall very tasty and I basically swallowed it whole.With every dish you purchase, you get 3 sides included, so I chose 3 raw salads with bright, vibrant colors and distinct familiar tastes. It’s been 3 days since I’ve had this food I love so dearly, so I practically licked the plate.

My husband and I drove back to London today from Belgium in order for me to work for this restaurant, InSprial. This is our “honeymoon”, or at least our version of it. It’s not that we aren’t enjoying each other, or totally infatuated with each other: it’s just that we love our jobs that much. We are in Europe and by day we walk around on the bustling streets and go have European cappuccinos (mine with soy obviously) and for a few hours each day we bring our computers and tap into our clients, blog readers and the jobs we love so dearly.

Which brings me to this moment:

At first I thought it was oxymoronic to say “healthy food in London” BOY WAS I WRONG!

I emailed InSprial before leaving for England, after finding them on the internet, explaining I was coming to London for two weeks and would love to do a workshop for them on raw food or help in the kitchen. A week later, I received an enthusiastic reply, indicating they would put me in touch with their head chef. A few days later Enzo, their vegetarian cook, wrote asking if I could help the restaurant recreate their raw menu for the New Year. I obviously said Yes… with zero attempt at hiding my zealous vigor.

I met with Enzo last week and we discussed his ideas and what he needs from me. In the quickest hour of my life, I told him what I thought of the dishes they already have, he told me what he thought, and within 60 minutes we had a plan. He needed 7 new raw salads with superfoods in the dressings or in the salad & 2 new entree’s-one raw sushi dish and one random dish using my incredible imagination

We decided on my hours for this week (so that Adi and I could go to Paris and Belgium for a few days) and voila! Here we are! I showed him all my work–the 7 new recipes and 2 entrees–and he loved all of them.

Here’s a sneak preview on my ideas:

• Sprouted Mung Bean Salad with Sesame Seeds and a Raw Tahini Lime Dressing

• Edible Flower Mixed Greens Salad with Fresh Raspberries, Agave Soaked Goji Berries and a Creamy Lemon-Maca Dressing

• Raw Caesar Salad with Baby Jam Lettuce, Raw Parmesan and Capers with A Cacao-Balsamic Dressing

for my “creative” entree I decided on a Mock Loaf with a Raw Mushroom Gravy…

PICTURES TO COME!!!!! Things may change a bit once I get into the kitchen, but that’s when the fun & gratification really begins!

Stay tuned.

Regular yoga practice is associated with mindful eating, and people who eat mindfully are less likely to be obese, according to a recent study led by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

First of all, what is “mindful eating”?

The Center For Mindful Eating says that mindful eating has several components, including:

*learning to make choices in beginning or ending a meal based on awareness of hunger and satiety cues;

*learning to identify personal triggers for mindless eating, such as emotions, social pressures, or certain foods;

*valuing quality over quantity of what you’re eating;

*appreciating the sensual, as well as the nourishing, capacity of food;

*feeling deep gratitude that may come from appreciating and experiencing food

The study, which was a follow-up on an earlier study that revealed middle-age gained less weight when practicing yoga over a 10-year period than those who did not, confirms that the increased awareness that yoga practitioners often experience may play a bigger role in weight management than the yoga asanas themselves.

“The researchers found that people who ate mindfully – those were aware of why they ate and stopped eating when full – weighed less than those who ate mindlessly, who ate when not hungry or in response to anxiety or depression,” states a press release from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center released August 3. “The researchers also found a strong association between yoga practice and mindful eating but found no association between other types of physical activity, such as walking or running, and mindful eating.” Click here to read the whole report.

Yoga helps people be more aware of their actions, which helps them better gauge how much food they need and control weight. That sounds about right to me. Anyone else?

Reporting in from Maya Tulum, Mexico

As Baron Baptiste, the great yoga teacher and guide would say, life is about two things: expanding and contracting. We are either opening up, or closing down. We are becoming larger, growing, evolving, transforming. Or, we are becoming smaller, hiding, lessening ourselves.

The key to living your life in a truthful, open, expansive way is to live authentically.
What do I mean when I say authentic? In existential terms, authenticity is relating to an emotionally significant, purposive, and responsible mode of human living. But how does one live an authentic life? This quote always seems to do the trick for me:

“Be as you are, not as you should be.”

There are no “shoulds” in life.  There is no universal right or wrong for how you should be, except to do your very best in every possible situation. You don’t need to be a certain color or flavor or change a single thing, unless you want to. Unless it’s a part of your own growth and expansion. Authenticity is genuine. It doesn’t require force, and in fact, if you attempt to force it, you will fail. Forcing anything just makes it more difficult on you and anyone or anything else involved. Try to drop your expectations of others and eventually you will drop your expectations of yourself: with the “shoulds” right along with it.

Another really wonderful part about being authentic in your life is that you give others permission to be their most true self as well. You open the door to expansion in the most powerful way. So not only are you improving your own well-being and truth, you allow others to do the same.

Don’t expect this to happen over night, because it probably won’t. Begin taking steps towards this way of living. Be patient and compassionate with yourself, this is a lifelong process that will actually get easier with time. Take off your mask, letting it reveal the true you. I find being in nature and/or on the yoga mat is a great way to start this process.

Try and drop your judgments of others, again, to attempt to drop the judgments of yourself. Open your heart to accepting that: You are perfect exactly as you are.

Here are my Specials for the month of December. (Dec 3-25)

1. Yoga Challenge: How much yoga can you do in 22 days??

• feel more flexible within 3 sessions, more balanced & less stress within 1 session
• everyone can benefit from yoga-whether you are healing from an injury, trying to lose weight, gain strength, if you are new to the practice or feel intimidated by yoga: these private , one on one sessions will give you confidence and eliminate these blocks to a successful practice
• I come to your house with everything we need for the class.
  

*The first session is regular price of $60. Each session within the same week gets cut by $5. (HUGE SAVINGS!!!!!!!)

2. Philosophie Customized Cleanse: find a friend, roommate or co-worker to experience it together… Save $30!

• feel more energetic, more mental clarity, focus
• lose 3-5 lbs-while eating instead of fasting or drinking lemonade all day
• improve digestive health, clearer skin and eyes, balance hormones
• includes personal consultation and delivery
• see what other cleansers have said about their experience: http://www.thephilosophie.com/philosophie/philosophie-testimonials/
  

*$30 off 2 purchased 3-day cleanses (3-day cleanse: $300; must have same start and ending date)

3. Health Consulting: don’t live in Los Angeles? (or even if you do!)

• Trying to take gluten or dairy out of your life and need some help?
• transitioning to a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle and looking for alternatives?
• curious about macrobiotic, body ecology or the raw diet?
• want a cleanse or workout plan designed especially for you??
• trying to lose weight and want support to ultimately feel your best? I’M YOUR GIRL!
  

*$29 off a package of 4 phone/skype/email sessions (regularly $249) or $49 off a package of 6 (regularly $349)

email: Sophie@thephilosophie.com to BOOK YOUR CLEANSE OR YOGA SESSIONS TODAY!!!

The best way to burn calories and morph your body is to move quickly and with intention. I like to combine powerful yoga poses with strength moves for my personal training clients.

Here’s an example of a routine- you can do these exercises at home or at the gym, combining yoga and strength, with or without added weight!

*this is a great strength and toning work out… If you haven’t gotten cardio yet, I would suggest this as a starting point before a jog or right after wards to cool down.

1. Push Ups with Core Work: Stand with your feet together, arms at your sides. Bend over (it’s okay for knees to be slightly bent) and place your hands or fingertips on the floor in front of you. Walk your hands forward into plank position and do 3-5 push ups. Crawl your hands back to your feet, using your core every inch of the way. That’s one rep. Continue moving until you’ve done 6 to 8 reps.

2. Walking Lunges: find a long hallway or big room. begin doing walking lunges lengthwise across the floor. Go slowly at first, paying careful attention to your front leg. Make sure it is around 90 degrees, with your knee over your ankle. then again, slowly, step the back leg up to meet the front. If you have weights you can do a bicep curl while lunging and step up with your arms by your sides. Continue for 50 on each side, back and forth across the floor until your legs are burning. (*you may not feel this burn today but you certainly will tomorrow!!)

3. Downward Facing Dog: Come into a plank pose (upward push up position). push your butt up in the air until you form downward dog position. Arms are long, strong and straight. Hands are parallel in front of you, arms shoulder with apart. Focus on the L shape of your thumb and pointer finger, pressing into the floor. Now bring your attention to your legs and feet. Try and ground your feet, focusing on all 4 corners of each foot. Try and get your heels as close to the floor as possible. (this is a great stretch for your back and legs. hold this for 1-2 minutes)

4. Mountain Climbers: From downward dog, get into plank position with your hands directly below your shoulders and your feet together. Bend your left knee and draw it toward your nose. Extend back to plank. Repeat with your right leg. That’s one rep. Do 20 to 30, moving quickly. *Be sure to keep your back flat and tuck the belly!

Drop down, flat on your belly and rest your head to one side for 30 seconds. then switch to the other cheek for another 30 seconds, taking deep and long breaths in and out.

5. Airplane: From the laying down position, put your arms out to the sides as if you are an airplane or making a T with your body. take a deep inhale through the nose, and lift everything up-your arms, legs, feet, chest and head. Hold for 10 seconds, then come down and rest for 10 seconds, closing your eyes.

6. Swimming: Stay on your belly, this time kicking your legs behind you vigorously and move your arms in front of you, moving them up and down, opposite leg to opposite arm. Do this for 30 seconds-1 minute.

7. Child’s Pose. Stretch the lower back by resting in child’s pose. 

Kneel on the floor. Touch your big toes together and sit on your heels, then separate your knees about as wide as your hips.

Exhale and lay your torso down between your thighs. Broaden your lower back across the bottom of your pelvis and narrow your hip points toward the navel, so that they nestle down onto the inner thighs. Lengthen your tailbone away from the back of the pelvis while you lift the base of your skull away from the back of your neck.

Lay your hands on the floor alongside your torso, palms up, to release the fronts of your shoulders toward the floor. Feel how the weight of the front shoulders pulls the shoulder blades wide across your back.

*If you have the time, do the entire routine one more time!! You’ll find each exercise is easier since you’ve already been there before and your muscles are prepared for the positions.

If you don’t have the time or feel ready to end, take a few minutes on your back to close your eyes and bring your knees into your chest, releasing the tension in your lower back. Slowly release the legs onto the floor, and take a few minutes to just be quiet, letting go, sinking into nothingness. Savasana.

This weekend I went to a music and yoga festival in Tahoe called Wanderlust. 

One theme kept recurring in my head: Spirituality. 

I use this word a lot: “I’m very spiritual”, “I wish he were more spiritual”, “let’s be one and connect with our spiritual self.”

But, in all actuality, how do I define spirituality? And how do others? The interesting thing about this weekend is that I learned this word means different things to each individual person. In all actuality, although some use the terms religion and spirituality interchangeably, they are very different to me and not synonymous. 

I believe I look at spirituality as a way to tap into my true self. To connect to the internal spirit, and disconnect from material, external world. Spirituality is a very personal and subjective concept. I get very in-tune with my emotions and feelings when I have a spiritual experience. 

I realized after this weekend that everyones experience is unique to them. Yoga is my gateway to spirituality. I’ve been saying for years that “Yoga is my religion, yoga class is my church.” Yoga elicits the breath, which takes me inward. It takes me out of the physical body and into my internal self. Meditation and taking time focus on nothing is powerful. And finally, seeing people in the community is also a huge part. Humanity

Music is a way for many to reach a spiritual place within themselves. After listening to Andrew Bird yesterday at Wanderlust, laying on a grassy hill on the top of an 8,000 high mountain top, the sun shining on my warm skin: i tapped into my spirit. I closed my eyes, and felt the music take me inward. 

Many things took me to this moment. Hiking up the mountain (seeing 2 natural water falls and gathering water from them to drink), attending two yoga classes (one kundalini one flow) and being in nature. Eating food from the land (raw, organic), being with loving souls around me (my best friend from childhood)…etc etc etc. I guess my point is this: spirituality means different things to different people. 

Find your personal way to venture into your own spirituality. Go out in nature on a hike, or out at night during a full moon. Try a new yoga class-Kundalini is incredibly powerful. Listen to live music, preferably someone that has a great, healthy message. Volunteer with those less fortunate than you-homeless, the hungry, the sick. Travel alone, some of my most intense spiritual experiences happen when I’m alone, especially in a new environment. And share your own personal journey’s with spirituality here! 

When we travel, near or far, bus, car, plane or camel, there is no doubt our body is affected. Sitting for long periods of time makes hip flexors tight, you piriformis ache, and your mind foggy.

While sitting in the airport waiting for my friend to pick me up to go to **WANDERLUST!!!!!! I was thinking about what I do when I travel and thought I would share it with you.

We are most certainly spoiled by beautiful hour or 90 minute yoga sessions, but when on the road, you probably don’t have time for this. 

Do what you can! Even ONE downward doggie (adho mukha svanasana) can make such a difference on your legs and body. Being upside down is cleansing, allowing the entire body to benefit from the blood flowing opposite its normal pathway. Stretching the legs and arms will wake up the whole system. Focusing on the breath and going inward, even for a few moments, and calm and energize the body and mind. It’s powerful. One or two poses can make all the difference.

When in an airport, I like to take a few minutes while waiting in between flights by stretching in the gate terminal. Yeah, occasionally people stare, and maybe think I’m a little strange, but the jokes on them because I’m the one that will feel good when landing in my destination instead of tight and tired.

Here are a few suggestions:

1. sit on the carpet, take your shoes off and put your legs straight out in front of you. If you want to bend your knees a little, thats fine, you’re not warm yet. Begin breathing deeply in through the nose, out through the nose. Raise your arms towards the sky, and fold forward into Rag Doll pose, releasing your head towards your knees and letting your whole body go limp. Let gravity do the work here, no tension in the neck. Close your eyes and focus on your breath.

2. Separate the legs and stretch them individually: flexing and pointing the toes and leaning forward into the stretch.

3. lay backwards, putting your jacket or sweatshirt under your head (germy in airports!) and go into a figure four pose on your back. This is a great strech for opening hips and to stretch the piriformis. It will energize through your hips into the spine. cross your right ankle above your left knee  and engage your leg by flexing your right foot. On the exhalation, draw your right knee away from your face as you bring your leg slightly closer to your body. AFter 5 deep breaths, switch legs and repeat on the other side. 

4. Then find a piece of wall you can put your hands against. Facing the wall, you will do half downward facing dog pose or Arda Adho Mukha Svanasana) Legs are hip width apart. Inhale, bringing your palms together at the heart. Exhale, reaching your arms overhead and then extending your arms in front of you to grasp the wall, hands parallel to each other against the wall. (walk your feet back as needed to keep torso parallel to the floor) Press your hips up and back, and firm your shoulder blades down your back as you bring you chest toward your thighs. Look towards your belly button and stay for 10 breaths. 

Remember, even doing 1 of these can really help your body and mind! A little goes a long way. Look for opportunities to practice poses like these throughout your day.

soak and sprout 'em!

Boost the Protein when Seeds and Nuts are Sprouted, drop the Carbs!

You probably already know that nuts are good for you.  If you don’t, let me tell you why they are! They are an excellent protein alternative for those who are trying to eat less meat and they are packed full of nutrients and heart healthy monounsaturated fats that our bodies need. One of nature’s power foods, certain varieties of raw nuts are high in vitamin E, folic acid, calcium, copper, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and zinc, to name just a few.

Nuts are also packed with protein and easy to carry around. They are a staple energy food that humans have relied on for thousands of years. So the next time you are looking to increase the nutrient content of your breakfast, snack food, salad, health drink or even dinner, raw nuts should be one of the first things you think of. But how can you know if you are getting all of the incredible benefits of raw seeds and nuts? Did you know that it’s possible to make this natural super food even better?

Sadly most of the “raw” nuts sold in North American stores are far from fresh, and far from raw. A standard practice in the shelling of Brazil nuts for example is to soak them in water for 1-2 days and then boil them for 5 minutes to soften the shell which makes machine or hand cracking easier. The heat from the boiling kills the nut and by the time it has reached grocery store shelves it is not only no longer alive and no longer raw, it can be full of rancid oils as well, which are toxic for your body.

Raw nuts are as much a living food as salad greens or sprouts. Nuts are seeds. The whole food goodness that makes them such a wonderful addition to your diet is because of their properties as viable seed. For a seed, or nut, to be viable it must, given the proper conditions, be able to sprout and grow into another plant. To find nuts that are fresh and alive, search for nuts that are advertised for sprouting, or purchase local varieties, the kind sold in small batches at farmer’s markets. That way you can ask how the nuts are processed.

Sprouting is practically magic when it comes to boosting the health benefits of seeds, nuts and grain. When a seed is soaked and begins to sprout, it releases the nutrients that are locked inside. Dormant seeds have in them something called enzyme inhibitors, which stop enzyme reactions. This keeps them from going bad longer, or sprouting in unfavorable conditions, but it also makes them difficult to digest. Once a seed is sprouted the enzyme inhibitors are gone and the nutrients are readily available as well as the beneficial enzymes. Sprouted seeds also increase in protein while decreasing in carbohydrates as the seed uses the carbohydrate energy stored inside to grow. Soaking also breaks down the glutens and hard to digest proteins into smaller and easier to digest components. Sprouted nuts become even more delicious and good for you than raw nuts.

Sprouting is a very simple process and has such great health benefits that it is worth trying! (and it’s fun! like doing an experiment in 7th grade science class all over again)

Here is a simple sprouting method that can be done with readily available items from your own kitchen:

Equipment: Begin with a glass jar and a clean tea towel or cheesecloth. It’s a good idea to sterilize these first in boiling water with a bit of food safe hydrogen peroxide, or grape fruit seed extract.

Step 1) Rinse and Soak Place nuts in the jar and fill it with water. Only use enough nuts to fill about 1/3 of the jar. Sprouts need room to grow. Rinse the nuts two or three times and drain with a colander. Once the nuts are rinsed fill the remainder of the jar with cool clean water. Tie the tea towel or cheesecloth over the top of the jar with an elastic band, or piece of string, or a canning jar ring. Keep the jar out of direct sunlight and allow the nuts to soak. Most nuts should soak for 4-12 hours before draining. Do not soak them for too long or they will rot instead of sprout

Step 2) Drain After 12 hours drain the water. You can prop the jar at an angle upside down to allow all of the water to drain completely. The towel or cheesecloth will hold your sprouts inside. Once the nuts have soaked they are already awake and free of enzyme inhibitors. You can eat them now, or you can allow them to sprout longer. You should taste your sprouts every time you rinse them so you know what way you like them.

Step 3) Rinse If you choose to let them sprout longer, rinse and drain every 8 hours or so. Unlike some types of seeds, sprouted nuts will not develop a long shoot. They swell rather than sprout and only produce a little bulge at one end rather than a root.

Sprouted nuts can be eaten all by themselves as a snack food, or they can be added to salads, stir fried, and included in many other recipes. The nutrients and convenience are perfect for an active lifestyle…yogis and athletes alike! 

Hopefully this post helped answer the question how to sprout seeds and nuts, any further questions, let me know!!

Specific information on sprouting nuts from Sprout People

Information on Brazil nut processing is from Thomas E. Billings’ excellent article entitled WHAT A RAW-FOODER SHOULD KNOW ABOUT NUTS 

Celebrate the Union of Sita and Ram!

Sita Ramm Sita Ram 

Jay Jay Sita Ram

O sita O Ram! Hail, hail Sita, Ram!

This mantra is the Hindi language sung ecstatically all over India by the devotees of God in the form of Lord Rama. Rama and his wife, Sita, embody the aspect of the Divine called dharma, or our capacity for “right action,” which simply means choosing the course that is most uplifting for oneself and others in any given situation. The stories of Rama exemplify dharma for others to follow. On an even deeper level, Ram and Sita are names for two fundamental aspects of the Divine. Signing these names celebrates the beauty and power of God and Goddess expressed through human form.

INTERPRETED BY CHRISTOPHER D. WALLIS, A SANSKRIT SCHOLAR AT UC BERKELEY (yogastana.org)

What is a Mantra?

Mantras are energy based sounds. Just like any word, when you say something it produces an energetic physical vibration. When we repeat these energetic sounds, they create an energetic thought wave. The human consciousness is a collection of separate states of consciousness. These separate states exist throughout the physical and subtle bodies. Each organ has a primitive consciousness of its own.

Mantras start a powerful vibration which corresponds to both a specific spiritual energy frequency and a state of consciousness in seed form. Over time, the mantra process begins to override all of the other smaller vibrations, which eventually become absorbed by the mantra. After a length of time which varies from individual to individual, the great wave of the mantra stills all other vibrations. Ultimately, the mantra produces a state where the organism vibrates at the rate completely in tune with the energy and spiritual state represented by and contained within the mantra.

At this point, a change of state occurs in the organism. The energetic being becomes subtly different. there is a direct relationship between the mantra sound, either vocalized or subvocalized, and the chakras located throughout the body.For more in-depth reading on mantras, check out wikipedia. 

Having a small mantra you repeat to yourself can really help you quiet the mind and give you energy (prana). 

**Share your favorite mantras and mantra stories on here!**