NUTRITION

YOGIC NUTRITION is a regular feature written by Anna Ranprem Kaur, a Kundalini Yoga teacher now also in her final year of a diploma in Nutrition Therapy and Naturopathy. In this monthly blog, Anna shares knowledge and explorations as she moves forward on her journey in nutrition. www.annakundaliniyoga.co.uk

Mood Boosters and Happy Hormones!

Mood Boosters and Happy Hormones!

If I’ve learnt one thing during my studies in nutrition and naturopathy, it’s that everything really is connected to everything else. Which is of course a concept that is at the very heart of a yoga practice. There is nothing that we think, feel, say or do that does not have a direct effect on our physical wellbeing and mental health.

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The Stay-at-Home Munchies!

The Stay-at-Home Munchies!

I don’t know about you but I have definitely observed myself opening my fridge more often recently and reaching for food as comfort or distraction during these strange times. Maybe it’s something to do with routine leaving by the back door and uncertainty entering through the front door? Of course, primarily, we need to eat to stay alive, but food can serve many other purposes: to ground us, to connect us to others, to occupy or distract a troubled mind, offer feelings of reward and comfort...

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Immune Boosting Heroes

Immune Boosting Heroes

With the current focus on a particular virus, it’s a good moment to consider whether we are offering our immune systems enough support. The strength of our immune system is dependent on our diets, environment and lifestyle, including our levels of stress. The bottom line is that pathogenic microbes can cause disease, but only if our immune system is compromised. Or another way of putting it is: To prevent disease, we have to create health.

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Love Your Legumes!

Love Your Legumes!

Legumes such as lentils, beans and peas are practically a yogic way of life! Occupying a central role in a nutritious and sustaining diet, we would benefit from eating them in some form several times a week and are encouraged to do so by Yogi Bhajan. In terms of nutritional therapy, legumes are considered a superfood and with good reason! High quality protein: Legumes are a complete source of protein when eaten in combination with grains or seeds. A perfect example is our own delicious mung...

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Cheers! Let’s Drink To Your Health!

Cheers! Let’s Drink To Your Health!

Tea and Christmas foliage photo with credit to  Photo by Carolyn V on Unsplash Here’s my list of winter warmers to keep us healthy and alternative tipples to see us through the festive season:   Yogi Tea With its spicy, aromatic warmth, Yogi Tea has to take the number one slot. With the warming and stimulating spices of cinnamon and ginger, the digestive powers of green cardamom and cloves and the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory quality of black pepper Yogi tea is the perfect winter...

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Delicious, Golden, Caramelised, Nutty Ghee!

Delicious, Golden, Caramelised, Nutty Ghee!

The first thing I want to tell you about ghee is that it is way easier to make than you might imagine. The seemingly mysterious alchemy of turning butter into this versatile, delicious fat with it’s distinctly nutty/toffee-like aroma and taste, put me off making ghee for a long time. But no! I am here to tell you that it is quick and easy to make and once you start, you will wonder how you ever managed without ghee in your life! Ghee is simply butter that has been cooked gently until the water...

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FOCUS ON FRUIT

FOCUS ON FRUIT

Yogi Bhajan advised us that if wanted to elevate our consciousness, we should eat etheric foods grown on trees and vines more than three feet above the ground. Referred to as sun foods due to the fact that they have absorbed energy from the sun rather than the earth, many fruits fall into this category and are naturally perfect summer food being light and hydrating. Melons are from the ground foods group that grow within three feet of the ground and are considered cleansing food. High in fibre...

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Yogi Bhajan’s Nut Curry Supreme

Yogi Bhajan’s Nut Curry Supreme

This is an almost perfect food for women. It contains almonds for the eyes, watermelon seeds for anaemia, walnuts for the brain and chillies for the intestinal tract. It can be served plain, with rice, chapattis or with pakoras. Ingredients: 1 large onion chopped4 garlic cloves finely chopped1.5 inch fresh peeled root ginger finely chopped1-2 green chillies¼ cup ghee3 rounded tbsp. chickpea flour¼ cup lemon juice2 tsps. turmeric1.5 tsps. cumin1.5 tsps. coriander1.5 tsps. garam masala4 cups...

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SPOTLIGHT ON SUPERFOODS

SPOTLIGHT ON SUPERFOODS

There are certain foods that crop up time and time again in Yogi Bhajan’s recipes and with good reason too, as you could call them superfoods. Let’s have a closer look at the fab four: ONIONS & GARLIC Onions and garlic have been used throughout history and has even been found in the Egyptian pyramids! Both of them are fantastic for our immunity as they are antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal and anti-parasitic. They have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties and can lower blood...

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Roar for Raw

Roar for Raw

Summer keeps promising to arrive, and if you’ve ever been tempted to try a raw food diet, then your moment may be when the sun finally comes out. What’s it all about? This is food in its most nutritious state, with the vital elements of nature still within it – sun energy, water and nutrients from the earth, so it’s no surprise to find that it must consist of unprocessed and uncooked foods. To be truly following a raw food diet, 75% of your total food intake has to be raw. More commonly, it is...

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HUNKERING DOWN WITH ONE-POT DINNERS

HUNKERING DOWN WITH ONE-POT DINNERS

There is nothing quite like sitting down to a steaming pot of soup or stew on a chilly winter’s day for instilling in us a sense of wellbeing and contentment. We might find ourselves letting out a little sigh of anticipation for the warmth and satisfaction that we know this dish will bring.THE MAGIC OF ONE-POT DINNERS Yogi Bhajan talks about the benefit of eating both nutritious and sustaining foods for optimal health and wellbeing. Nutritious foods supply us with all the macronutrients...

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Spring Cleansing Part 1: From The Inside Out

Spring Cleansing Part 1: From The Inside Out

Spring is in the air and everything that meets my gaze from the budding crocuses to the flowering blossom makes my heart sing with optimism. The promise of new growth, a fresh start and a little more warmth in the air stirs us out of hibernation and into action. It’s the perfect time for turning our attention to spring-cleaning within, so the next three blogs will all be around the subject of detoxification, a corner stone of naturopathic practice.

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Breakfast Re-set

Breakfast Re-set

I used to have trouble with a Western breakfast. I can’t abide porridge, muesli leaves me cold, toast leaves me heavy and fruit is somehow not enough. Then a couple of years ago I went to Japan with my sister and my Japanese brother-in-law and found myself in breakfast heaven! Pickles, omelette, miso soup, fish and all sorts of other…

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Recipe – Bircher Muesli

Recipe – Bircher Muesli

From Breakfast Re-set blog by Anna Browne Ingredients 2 cups/150g rolled oats1 ¾ cups/420ml milk of your choice¼ cup/60ml unsweetened apple juice3 tbls lemon juice1 unpeeled apple cored and grated1 tbls honey1 ½ cups/375g plain yogurt of your choicedash of cinnamonToppings e.g. fresh and/or dried fruit, nuts, toasted coconut, berries etc Method Combine oats, milk, apple juice & lemon juice and refridgerate overnight.In the morning add…

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Recipe – Banana and Apple Surprise

Recipe – Banana and Apple Surprise

From Breakfast Re-set blog by Anna Browne Ingredients 1 ripe banana1 med cooking apple or large eating appleI tbsp. tahini (preferably organic raw dark) or nut butter of your choice e.g. almond, cashew Heaped tsp. macaHeaped tsp. cacao nibs1 tbsp. goji berries1 tbsp. raisinsHalf tsp. cinnamonSprinkle nutmegHalf tsp. allspice Everything other than the banana, tahini/nut butter and apple are optional and can be omitted or…

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Hunkering Down With One-Pot Dinners

Hunkering Down With One-Pot Dinners

There is nothing quite like sitting down to a steaming pot of soup or stew on a chilly winter’s day for instilling in us a sense of wellbeing and contentment. We might find ourselves letting out a little sigh of anticipation for the warmth and satisfaction that we know this dish will bring. The Magic Of One-Pot Dinners Yogi Bhajan talks about…

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Wishing you a very merry healthy season!

Wishing you a very merry healthy season!

Our relationship with food can be complex and Christmas is likely to be a time when the deep-rooted entanglement between food and emotions rears its head. Stress, complicated family dynamics and overwhelming gastronomic stimuli can cause us to fall into unconscious ways of eating.

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The Egg and the Orange ~ The Natural Wisdom of the Body

The Egg and the Orange ~ The Natural Wisdom of the Body

When we begin to explore the relationship between our whole health and what eat and the manner in which we eat it, we may discover a new response to our needs around food that is more intuitive and individualised and therefore more nutritious and nourishing on all levels. It’s a journey well worth embarking on.

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Yogic Nutrition – We Are What We Eat – Right?

Yogic Nutrition – We Are What We Eat – Right?

The quality of the food we put into our bodies is extremely important, but let’s not underestimate the other factors that contribute to good digestion. The aim is to maximise the nutrients and energy we get from food while putting the least stress on our bodies. This is what keeps us feeling well and comfortable.

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