Quarantine Food Diaries, Day 6, Immunity Building Blocks

“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few.”

-Suzuki

I’ve been asked by a few of you, to share my alkalizing diet. I often do this in the form of smoothies and juices early in my day. I find I can get the majority of my antioxidants and adaptogens in a smoothie or juice.
The weather has turned cold again and though I am making smoothies I am drinking them fireside. Feeling warmth be it a fire, warm bath or physical movement it always makes me feel filled, nothing like a chill to make you feel alone. So whatever you have available, use it, create heat. Self- care Sunday, right?
I like to make juices with my veggies and smoothies with my fruits, generally speaking.
Here are my two favorite recipes for immunity building of both.

Sunshine juice:

Serves 2

3 Carrots ( ocular function)

2 Celery stalks ( anti inflammatory)

An apple or orange ( vitamin c in the orange and pectin from the apple which is a prebiotic )

A knob of turmeric root ( anti inflammatory )

A good knob of ginger root ( adaptogen, immunity booster)

If you have a lemon add half a lemon too ( I didn’t and added cranberries for their anti oxidant properties)

Use a decent juicer ! Add a dash of pepper on top to activate the turmeric. If you have an MCT oil or cold pressed coconut oil add 1/2 tsp. too.

Chocolate Cherry Chaga

serves 2

handful Frozen cherries (anti oxidant, blood building)

2 tbsp raw cacao ( anti oxidant, blood building, anti inflammatory)

2 opened capsules mushroom elixir, or a chaga powder if you have, if not get it, Om makes one sold at Whole Foods and Four Sigmatic makes a good blend as well.

1 tsp Ashwaganda ( anti anxiety adaptogen)

1 1/2 cup milk alternative ( I prefer oat)

You may want to add a little maple syrup and or Almond butter if it is a meal replacement, to add protein.

blend and sprinkle a little cayenne on top

If you like that, I do!

I was thinking a lot about discipline and habit. As an empath I can easily and , especially now, get wrapped into the feelings of others and my only way out of this cycle is my own discipline a structure to each day. There is a form of meditation called Zazen meditation, a

Buddhist form of zen meditation whose goal is only that of itself, the discipline of keeping an empty mind, a beginner’s mind.
To do this in the easiest description possible is with practice. Everyday start with an empty mind, hah try and see if you can I dare you. Imagine what it is like to be a beginner at something, not knowing, without judgement and with no goal other than the sheer openness and discipline of learning, now do that in every aspect of your day, in every thought you encounter, in every conversation.
Let me know how that goes for you and how often you catch yourself as I do throughout a day relying on habitual behaviors and thought patterns. The key is to notice it. The next thing to do is ask if these patterns are serving you, are adding to joy in your life, or if they are destructive.
Once you have noticed, you have become the observer, it’s called witness consciousness. Hang out there for as long as you can, noticing and noticing. You will soon, after taking all the time you need noticing, start asking yourself what is serving you and what can be released as not useful. When that happens, get back to your mat, meditate on nothing. Just sit in stillness and empty your mind. The discipline is this, over and over and over again.

I’ve included another offering of movement link here as well, stoke the fire!

Movement and Asana

With Justin Marx 

43°F Cloudy
 Marlton, New Jersey, United States