Have you even been arrived at your destination and upon arrival realized you can't remember the drive? You can literally get so engrossed in your repetitive thoughts that you aren't fully aware of what is happening right in front of you. You can simply go into auto-pilot mode and mentally check out. This isn't isolated to your daily work commute. We tend to check-out during many of our daily activities, especially during meal time! Being present when you are eating offers many benefits. Let's break them down:

1. More Enjoyment
   You can enjoy your food more when you are present and paying attention. The pleasure associated with eating is right up there with loving and sleeping. Don't deprive yourself of that natural pleasure! Next time you are eating a meal, close that laptop and enjoy every single taste bud stimulation available to you! 
   
   
2. Improved Nutrient Absorption
   When you aren't paying attention, you are more likely to just barely chew up your food, swallowing chunks of unchewed morsels. Remember that chewing is actually part of the digestion process. Your saliva contains some digestive enzymes, even if it isn't as much as your stomach and intestines produce. Another thing to consider though is that the chewing crushes the cell walls. So what, you ask? Well, many of the beneficial compounds of plants aren't realized unless you crush the cell wall.  For example, the super strong anti-cancer fighting  properties of cruciferous vegetables are only activated when the cell wall is crushed. That's right! Those isothiocyanates (ITCs)  aren't released until the cell wall is crushed. Additionally, crushing the cell walls of cells in onion and garlic results in anti-cancer benefits! Lastly, the more you break down your food and chew it up, the more breakdown can occur inside the stomach, allowing for maximum nutrient absorption in the small intestine. If you are eating those healthy veggies, you may as well chew them up well to maximize their effectiveness!
   
   
3. Avoid Overeating
   Lastly, being present during your meal helps you actually notice when you are satiated. When you are mentally checked-in, you tend to eat slower, which allows you to better receive those signals of satiation. If you are looking at your facebook feed, watching television AND eating dinner, it is much more likely you will eat so fast and fail to notice that your body has reached satiation. There are several factors associated with feeling satiated (calories, nutrient density, and food addiction to name a few).  Staying present and taking your time offers an environment which allows your stomach and your mind to communicate effectively when you have met your intake needs to alleviate hunger.  This means you will be less likely to eat more than your body requires.

So hopefully I've sold you on the concept of a mindful meal. It would also be my hope that your implementation of mindfulness can expand to other facets of your life. While it can improve your mealtime, that isn't where the benefits end. If you can be more mindful and present in the following situations, it is likely you would also benefit:

• working
• dating
• interacting with kids, friends, and basically all humans
• bathing 
• relaxing
• driving
• cleaning
• okay - I'll stop here because basically mindfulness can improve EVERY aspect of your life. 

Remember, this moment matters. Even if you are not doing anything that is super exciting or fun right now,  hopefully you can accept the moment, and maybe even enjoy it. Be here now.

Sincerely,
Monica
​

We are excited to offer Numerology Readings with Itshanapa Dail Chambers, on Saturday, April 21, 2018.  We encourage you to reserve your appointment online. If there are any times that are unbooked, she will offer walk-in sessions during that time. ​

Itshanapa Dail Chambers is an artist, creative consultant and reiki master teacher. She is a life long mystic who works with visualization, manifestations and direct study of mind. Her favorite tools are the farmers almanac, a paintbrush and water. She works with reiki, astrology, and numerology to support the best of humanity.

We are excited to offer Astrology Readings with Linda Sherwin, on Saturday, March 31, 2018.  We encourage you to reserve your appointment online. If there are any times that are unbooked, she will offer walk-in sessions during that time. ​Linda has studied astrology for over 40 years, bringing a practical, therapeutic approach.

“Yoga allows you to find an inner peace that is not ruffled or riled by the endless stresses and struggles of everyday life.” B.K.S Iyengar

Thanks to the conveniences of modern technology many of us now wake up and look at our phones first thing in the morning. We check emails, make phone calls, catch up on the whirlwind of world events online, and get on with our busy days often feeling frazzled and drained. Life can feel overwhelming at times with everything seemingly happening at once. At other times, especially in the last grey days of winter, life can just feel boring or dull and we may find ourselves feeling unfocused, uninspired and disconnected. 
Yoga can give us the opportunity to connect with a sense of inner peace, stillness and even joy despite the chaos. How? The practice itself connects us to our breath and through movement it brings us out of our busy minds and back into our bodies. Ideally this carries over to the rest of our day leaving us feeling better mentally, physically and emotionally than we felt before we got on the mat. So often being human means we live in endless pursuit of comfort, relaxation, stimulation, and happiness in general outside of ourselves. Through the practice of yoga it’s possible to step off of the merry-go-round of life each day, to reconnect with and even make friends with our bodies (in whatever shape they may be in) and to calm our monkey minds. When we allow ourselves to get quiet & and for that brief time to go within to that place of inner stillness and peace that lives inside of all of us, it can feel as if the world stands still. 

My name is Tara and I currently teach Basic Yoga on Friday’s at 9:30am at Puravegan. I encourage and invite anyone who is interested in yoga (*and able to get up and down from the floor) to join us! Staring Wednesday March 15 I'll be adding a 10am class to the schedule. Check the Puravegan website for details.

Detoxing is a buzz word that you read about all the time, but many feel intimidated of the process.  There are many different ways you can detoxify your body, and while it can often not feel like a fun process, we believe it can and should be enjoyable.  Taking three days to break food addictions, establish healthy relationships with food, identify cravings and overeating habits, all while enjoying delicious nutritious drinks and foods.

Our program offers you a three day break from cooking, grocery shopping, meal planning, as well as a break from processed and addictive foods. While there are certainly some more rigorous and aggressive forms of detoxification that would involve depriving yourself, we find that making the process more enjoyable results in longer lasting changes for your lifestyle. You don't have to starve or go hungry to get the benefits of detoxification.

In 2012 PuraVegan Chef and Owner, Monica Stoutenborough, designed each day of our detox provide to ensure an enjoyable and comfortable experience. She had experimented over the years with different combinations of food, juicing, and cooking, and found that she felt her most vibrant and energetic when she included fresh juices, smoothies and plant based meals. In fact, many clients that complete our 3-Day Detox find that they continue the lifestyle for long after their 3-day commitment is up.  Detoxification occurs via removing toxic substances from your diet (junk food), freeing up your energy by reducing daily time spent digesting, all while flooding your cells with anti-oxidants and nutrients. Additionally, we coach you during your pick-up consultation about other factors to increase detoxification including sleep, mindfulness, digestion, and hydration.

Decide what day you want to detox, then schedule your pick-up the day before. When you wake up the day of your detox you will have everything ready to begin. When you pick up your package from our cafe, conveniently located near Forest Park, one of our staff will sit down with you to go over all the details. We want you to leave feeling excited and well-informed about how to get the maximum benefit and tailor the package to your needs.

If you're stressed out, there are so many ways that yoga can help. Typically when you are stressed out your breathing becomes shallow and you hold tension in your body. Yoga can help you release tension and breathe deeper, not just in class, but with time outside of class when you feel stress creeping in. You don't have to be flexible or able to touch your toes. Yoga teachers know how to help you get the most benefit out of your time on the yoga mat, offering you modifications when necessary, which also helps to avoid injuries. We hope to see you in a class soon!

This recipe is nothing fancy, yet it is worth bragging about? What is there to brag about? Here are the list of bragging rights:

• it's delicious
• it's easy
• it's affordable
• it dirties minimal dishes
• it's versatile 
• it's nutritious 
• no expensive equipment required (whisk and bowl)
  
  

I am a big believer that if I am going to prepare a sauce, I need to be able to use it multiple ways. Almost every salad dressing that I make is versatile enough that it can be enjoyed in a wrap, as a dip, on top of cooked vegetables, drizzled on a baked potato, I think you get the picture. Tahini is one of my favorite ingredients because it is nutritious, affordable and easy to whisk by hand without using a blender or food processor.

What goes in it?

1/2 cup tahini
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup water
1/4 tsp garlic powder or 1/2 clove finely minced
1 TBSP liquid aminos (soy or coconut), soy sauce, tamari, or nama shoyu

Blend or whisk - add any other spices that you enjoy. I personally put pepper in just about everything. You may like citrus juice, coriander, mustard or anything. Don't be scared to experiment. If you want it thicker use less liquid. Should store for five days in an air tight container.

1. NUTRITIOUS FOOD
   Fuel yourself with food in its natural state, unprocessed, and a wide variety. Plant food that is rich in fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals helps your body do the job it was intended to do - to heal and prevent disease. Food that was designed by companies to have a long shelf life, create addicts (lifelong customers), and maximize profit are NOT designed to help your body do its job. Sure, they may provide calories which give us energy, but most processed foods have excess calories and are deficient in nutrients. Keep it simple - a variety of colors, raw and cooked, fruits, vegetables, legumes, seeds, and nuts!
   
   
2. STRESS MANAGEMENT
   Chronic stress can make you sick. Stress is our bodies natural response to change or triggers in environment. Stress triggers our sympathetic nervous system "fight or flight" response, to protect us from perceived dangers. Let's face it, most of us are not in danger most of the time, but live perpetually in "fight or flight" mode based upon our thoughts and worries. It is imperative that you find ways to activate your parasympathetic nervous system "rest and digest" response. Meditation, yoga and breathing exercises are a great way to undo the physiological damage from chronic stress. I tell clients every day that if you are eating healthy and exercising, but chronically stressed out, your immune system is compromised leaving you prone to disease.  Come to one of our donation based weekly meditation classes if you are new to this!
   
   
3. QUALITY SLEEP
   Never underestimate the power of a good nights sleep. Sleep deprivation can affect your health and happiness on a deep level. Much cellular repair that our bodies require take place during sleep, as energy can be allocated to other functions when we aren't walking around, talking, and doing our waking tasks.  Inadequate sleep is associated with accelerated aging of the brain, impaired cognitive function, elevated cholesterol, increased blood cholesterol levels, and obesity according to studies. So, don't feel guilty about sleeping - consider it a gift to yourself contributing your overall health. And when you are healthier that benefits all your loved ones as well!
   
   
4. LOVE & FRIENDSHIPS
   Us human beings are social creatures, even if you don't consider yourself to be social. Meaning we get feelings of pleasure including a dopamine response in our brain's pleasure center when we have satisfying interactions with others. You don't have to have a million friends, maybe you even enjoy interactions with companion animals, such as cats and dogs.  "We are creatures of community. Those individuals, societies, and cultures who learned to take care of each other, to love each other, and to nurture relationships with each other during the past several hundred thousand years were more likely to survive than those who did not. Those people who did not learn to take care of each other often did not make it." -Dean Ornish
   
   
5. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY & SUNSHINE
   Physical activity is vital to keep your body operating at its best! There are all sorts of physiological functions that occur when you exercise including cancer prevention! Not only does exercise help you maintain a healthy body, but it also provides a pleasure endorphin response in the brain, helping ward off depression.  Better yet, physical activity combined with some sunshine can make you feel high on life! Our skin converts sun exposure (specifically UVB rays) to Vitamin D (actually a hormone), which is proven to prevent all sorts of  chronic diseases. During the summer months get outside a few minutes every day and let your skin do its magic job of taking in some rays and making them do their job!
   
   Back to exercise now: physical activity is NOT optional, but if you don't like going to the gym that is A-OKAY! You can do anything that you enjoy. If you have been very sedentary and are just starting to get up and moving, it may feel uncomfortable in the beginning. You may wonder how anyone could ever enjoy it! I promise that once your muscles, lungs and heart get stronger you will then wonder why you waited so long to start. If you aren't sure how to begin, just put on some of your favorite music, get up off the sofa and start dancing! Sound silly to you? I think staying sedentary is much sillier, so lets get that body moving!

As I mentioned above, there is a synergistic relationship to all of these five behaviors. If you start eating healthy and hydrating, managing stress, sleeping well, exercising AND spending some time with friends you will feel like a superstar! I think you should get started right NOW!

~ Monica

WHEN:   Mondays, 5:30 - 7:30pm,    Feb 29, March 7, 14, 21, & 28
WHERE:   PuraVegan Cafe!
WHO:     Taught by Monica
$ 195 for all five sessions   (includes meal, handouts, recipes, discussion & new friends!!! )

Discover which foods are optimal for weight management, learn about various health topics including blood pressure and digestion, and get empowered with the practical cooking skills needed to help you on your journey to better health. In our classes, attendees do all of this while enjoying a cooking demonstration and tasting delicious, healthful dishes in a supportive group setting.
Featured Class Topics

• Power of Your Plate
• Let’s Go!
• Getting in Gear
• Breaking the Food Seduction
• Keys for Natural Appetite Control

Praise for the Program
“I enjoyed tasting healthy foods I would never have cooked! I hope to lower my cholesterol, blood sugars, and weight by eating more fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes!”
—Bonnie W., Kennewick Community Education, Kennewick, Wash.

“The instructor’s enthusiasm and knowledge made the class one of the best classes I've sat in. The food was delicious! I know the changes I've made will be permanent. I've lost weight, gained energy, and feel the best I've felt in years!”
—Leah M., Southlake Library, Southlake, Texas

“This class is helping me change my life. And I am so very grateful for being able to take it. Thank you for making that needed change possible. I will worry a lot less about my diabetes and expect the weight to drop.”
—Barbara B., Dayspring Enrichment Center, Wasilla, Ark.

In 2011, PCRM delivered our lifesaving message through 1,300 classes, to more than 9,000 people, in more than 150 cities.