Wednesday, April 27, 2022

Recipes for the Spring, Kapha time!

 

Remember that in the spring, Kapha season, we want to eat more of the tastes pungent, bitter and astringent.  Spring greens are perfect foods for this time of year.  Below is a recipe for a simple way to cook them.  You can use any greens that you find fresh, in your garden or at farm markets: such as  spinach, kale, beet greens, mustard greens, collards.   Included also is a coriander chutney recipe.  Fresh coriander or cilantro is starting to be available locally, and is good for all doshas.  Ginger, in both recipes is pungent and great for Kapha.

And if you would like to try a Kitchari cleanse, please contact me, and I can provide recipes and advice.  I just completed a short cleanse a few weeks ago before Passover, and it felt rejuvenating.

 Enjoy the bounty of spring as well as all the flowers!  

Debbie Helfeld, MPH 

Certified Ayurvedic Health Counselor
Yoga Instructor, RYT-500
301-538-5811

Debbie's Simple Dark Leafy Greens

1 bunch or about ¾ lb of dark greens: like kale, collards, or turnip greens

1-2 T ghee

½ t cumin seeds

1 t ground coriander seeds

½ t turmeric

2-4 slices of fresh ginger, diced

½ t salt, to taste

Wash, slightly dry and chop the greens. Heat ghee or oil in a big frying pan, add cumin seed, and stir for about 20 seconds. Then add the remaining spices and stir for about 1 minute until fragrant. Add the greens, stir to coat, then lower heat, cover and cook until the greens are tender, about 10 minutes. Check them a couple of times, and add a few tablespoons of water if the greens are sticking.


Fresh Coriander Chutney

(adapted from The Ayurvedic Cookbook)

1 bunch fresh cilantro/coriander, leaves and most of stems

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

¼ cup water

¼ cup grated unsweetened coconut

2 T fresh ginger root, diced

1 t raw honey or raw sugar

¾ t salt

In a blender, blend coriander, lemon juice and water until coriander is chopped. Add remaining ingredients and blend until it is like a paste. Chutney can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for about a week. Good with greens and kitchari.




Monday, March 7, 2022

Reminder of March Events and Dietary Tips for Spring!

 

Reminder:  I have two workshops coming up this  weekend.  Both are perfect for keeping us healthy as we move into Spring!  Please let me know if you have any questions about either class, and consider joining at least one of them! dhelfeld@starpower.net
 

On Saturday March 12th I will be teaching Yoga for a Good Night's Sleep from 4 to 5:30.  Daylight Savings Time starts the next day so this is a good time to learn about practices that can promote restful sleep.  The class is virtual and sponsored by Circle Yoga in Chevy Chase DC.  Details and registration are through Circle Yoga.  https://circleyoga.cowtinker.com/om/events

On Sunday March 13th the class is Conscious Cooking: Spring Edition from 4 to 5:30. We will prepare a spring vegetable dish together along with a spice mix for Kapha season and talk about good and nourishing foods for the spring. You will be given a few other recipes and a sample menu.  This class is also virtual through Suzanne Martin Yoga and the fee is $36.  Registration is at https://suzannemartinyoga.podia.com/the-conscious-kitchen-spring-edition.

As we move into the spring which has  the qualities of being moist, heavy, cool, and sticky, we often get colds.  Seasonal transitions are challenging for our bodies.  Here are just a few dietary tips to help us remain healthy.   The best foods for spring are pungent, bitter and astringent. Eat light and warming foods, less dairy, more beans, and fresh early spring greens like arugula and dandelion as well as leaf lettuces.  Add more hot spices to your food like ginger, black and red pepper, cayenne, and garlic.  Other good spring vegetables to eat include asparagus, artichokes, radishes, spinach and cabbage.   Drink ginger tea or add ginger to CCF tea(cumin, coriander, fennel).  Reduce consumption of dairy and salty foods like potato chips.  If you like iced drinks, please try to cut back on them.  Ice is constricting so drinking ice water with food constricts digestion as it restricts blood flow.  The ice water also dampens your digestive fire.
 
Spring is also the best time to try a short cleanse.  When we eat a simple diet of kitchari ( mung dal and rice with spices) and vegetables for a week or even a few days it can help  our body release toxins and excess fat that have accumulated over the winter.  A Kitchari Cleanse helps us rebuild and recharge.  If you are interested in giving it a try, please contact me with questions or/and for a consultation.
 
Happy Spring!

Sunday, February 20, 2022

Upcoming March Events and a Poem!

I will be giving 2 Workshops in March, one on Conscious Cooking for Spring and the other on Yoga for a Good Night's Sleep.  You can take either from your own home.

 On Saturday March 12th I will be teaching Yoga for a Good Night's Sleep from 4 to 5:30.  Daylight Savings Time starts the next day so this is a good time to learn about practices that can promote restful sleep.  The class is hybrid at Circle Yoga in Chevy Chase DC, which means you can come in person or take it virtually.  Details and registration are through Circle Yoga.  https://circleyoga.cowtinker.com/om/events

On Sunday March 13th the class is Conscious Cooking: Spring Edition from 4 to 5:30. We will prepare a spring vegetable dish together along with a spice mix for Kapha season and talk about good and nourishing foods for the spring. You will be given a few other recipes and a sample menu.  This class is through Suzanne Martin Yoga and the fee is $36.  Registration is at https://suzannemartinyoga.podia.com/the-conscious-kitchen-spring-edition.

Please let me know if you have any questions about either class, and consider joining at least one of them!

And now for the Poem;

Joy For No Reason by Danna Faulds

I am filled with quiet

joy for no reason save

the fact that I'm alive.

The message I receive

is clear - there's no time

to lose from loving, no

place but here to offer

kindness, no day but this

to be my true, unfettered

self and pass the flame

from heart to heart.  This

 is the only moment that

exists - so simple, so

exquisite, and so real.