Paleo Chicken Soup Cure-All

Whelp, it's that time of year.  Runny noses, sore throats, congestion, and belly aches abound.  The change in seasons and the continuously dropping temps have brought the onslaught of cold and flu season.  My family has already survived its first and hopefully last fight with the Cold and  Flu.  Most colds are caused by viruses which cannot be treated with antibiotics.  You just have to let them "run their course".  In lieu of this accurate, but not very helpful medical advice I suggest making homemade chicken soup for your family.

There's nothing more nurturing then a nice hot bowl of fresh chicken soup.  I love the feel of the warmth of the bowl in my hands, the steam saturated with yummy healing smells as I breathe it in and out,the super delicious taste, and the nostalgia. It just makes you feel GOOD.  Chicken soup reminds me of being  a kid.  When I was feeling yucky either my mom or  Na-Na would take the time to make this soup for me. The memory of my mom and grandma comforting me when I was sick  begins to heal me immediately, on some level.  There's definitely something to be said for putting time, effort, and love in to the food you prepare for your family. 

I am an at home chef, and don't usually follow any recipes, I put it all together and everything usually tastes ridiculously good.  I attribute this to genetics, and having a family full of outrageously good cooks.    So, my recipes are always a guideline.  Follow it, but if you don't like an ingredient, leave it out or add something if your belly is requesting it. 


To make really kick-ass chicken soup ( no noodles here) you MUST make a homemade stock, or broth.  It is time consuming work but not very labor intensive.  From there you begin to make your healing potion.

Kim's Chicken Soup Cure-All

serves 10-12 (I always make extra soup, everybody loves it, I give it to my neighbors, my mom, it always seems to get eaten)

INGREDIENTS-STOCK (broth)
4 medium carrots (roughly  chopped)
1 medium onion (roughly chopped)
3 stalks of celery (roughly chopped)
1parsnip (roughly chopped)
1 bay leaf
4-5 peppercorns
4-5 twigs of thyme
1 handful of parsley
1 whole chicken approx. 4-5 lbs with bones, remove innards, save the neck
1-2 gallons of water
salt(optional)

In a large pot combine carrots, onion, celery and parsnip.  Sautee over medium heat for about five minutes.  Add the chicken and the neck.  Cover with water.  There should be enough water to completely cover all of the ingredients and then some.  Add bay leaf, peppercorns, thyme, and parsley. Bring to a boil.  Allow the stock to maitain a rolling boil for twenty minutes, then turn the heat down to low for about two hours.  Occasionally skim the scum from the top of your broth using a spoon.  This will look like a fatty layer on the top of the broth, close to the edge of the pan.

After two hours drain your stock.  It should have reduced by about an inch or two.  You may have to do this in batches.  Save your chicken, but  throw away the rest of the ingredients.  Pour stock back in to large pot.  It's time to start the soup!!

INGREDIENTS-SOUP!
1 small bag baby carrots
1 large rutabega (peeled and cubed)
3 stalks celery (1 inch chop)
1 parsnip (peeled and chopped)
1 generous palmful of fresh thyme (off the twig)
1 bayleaf
2 peppercorns
2-3lbs of chicken
fresh stock

Let's get started. While my stock is cooking, I usually prep my veggies for the soup.  You can use a vegetable peeler for your rutabega and parsnip.  The rutabega is very dense and difficult to chop.  Just show it who's boss and get the job done.  Your knife skills don't have to be perfect here.  I try to get everything around the size it would take to create a perfect spoonful of soup everytime with everything included.  The perfect bite.

Add all of your veggies and herbs to the stock.  Bring to a rolling boil for 20 minutes.  While the veggies are cooking it's time to tackle the bird.  This is a messy job, but hey, that chicken's not gonna clean itself, right?  Place the chicken on a cutting board.  Cut it in half directly down the middle, this makes handling the bird easier.  First remove the breast, then the legs and thighs.  Be sure to clean all skin or sinewy parts of the bird from the meat.  Gently pull the meat apart and set aside.

After twenty minutes at a rolling boil, reduce heat to simmer, add chicken.  Simmer for twenty minutes.  Serve hot with some fresh parsley and enjoy!  This soup is sure to kick that cold or flu right in the arse!!

Chicken soup is just one remedy that I use at home to stay healthy and fight off sickness.  When I get sick I always up my Vitamin C intake, from the daily 1000 mg, to 4000 mg.  I also use a vaporizer at night all winter long.  I think this extra moisture helps keep my lungs and sinuses in check.  My grandma and mom used to put a cool cloth on my head, and give me a ginger-ale to sip on and to this day, both of these very attainable at home remedies make me feel better when ill. Lastly, rest.  You must rest to heal.  Give your body the time it needs to fight off whatever is ailing you. 

Enjoy the soup, be well, stay healthy!!

with love, k

The Challenge is the POINT

The past four weeks have been trying for me physically, mentally, and emotionally.  Detoxing from coffee, sugar, and eventually nicotine all really turned me into a crazy lady.  You think that what you are doing is just physical, but you can really begin to learn just how deeply these dependencies are imbedded into your WHOLE self, when you let them go.  Not only was I physically detoxing, but there was a ton of emotional (for lack of a better word) CRAP coming out as well.  Fits of anger, irrationality,(Kimmy-Kra-Kra)  and sadness, (I'm talking the UGLY cries here people).  Accompany this with the universe  presenting me with opportunities to grow (read, really super shitty things happening), I am surprised and amazed at my own fortitude. For example, my car broke down after a beautiful morning hike and I was stranded at the bottom of the mountain with my one year old for two hours as it started to heat up to 95 degrees in AZ, I got into a whopper of a fight with my sister, and came down with the worst case of food poisoning I tihnk any person has ever had on the face of the planet , EVER.  All of this while trying to be supermom, and superwife, and practice, AND not cheat on my challenge.  Sounds impossibe, but, I did it.  

 Why?  Why did I do this challenge? .  First of all, because I wanted to see if I could.  I wanted to see if I was strong enough to resist temptation to achieve a goal I had set  for myself.  I WAS srong enough, I AM strong enough, I did it, and am continuing til its done.

I also wanted to see how differently I would feel if I cut coffee, alcohol, grains, and sugar from my diet.  ( A reminder here, I was allready almost completely Paleo, no grains, ever, except at cheat meals.)  Truth be told, I felt pretty crappy at first.  But now that its been almost four weeks for coffee, sugar, and alcohol, and two for nicotine, I am feeling more energized, alert, and focused. The quality of my sleep has improved, allowing me to get a better night's rest.  This makes me a much happier and productive person everyday.  My skin got pretty icky the first two weeks, but has cleared up and feels great now.  My hair is thicker and has more body.   I have lost about six pounds and my body is leaner and stronger.  

Also, I wanted to see what I could learn from this experience.  Which of my vices has the strongest hold, what do I miss the most and why?  The obvious and very easy answer to this question is alcohol.  I used to be a "party girl" and drink quite a bit, all of the time.  Now I am almost 31, a mom, and committed to living the most fulfilling life possble.  My life doesn't have the time or space in it for wild nights out or the shitty hangovers that come the next day.   But I do enjoy a glass of wine after the kids have gone to sleep, or sangria with my lova on his night off, or drinks with the girls from time to time.   Because of this challenge, I have really let go of the some of the stories I was telling myself about alcohol and the role it played in my ability to have fun and unwind.  Its just not necessary.  Also, drinking has always been a huge bitchslap to the face of my quest to be cigarette free.  I used to say I would only smoke when I drank, and then go get a bottle of wine just so I could smoke.  Ridiculous!!    My perspective has totally shifted.  I know if I have more than two glasses of wine, I will smoke.  Being a non-smoker is so much more important than catching an alcohol buzz to me.  So, I have to be very moderate and careful in the future, around alcohol.  One or two drink limit, that's what I've got.  Lesson learned.

I wanted to see if this challenge would change my diet for good and how?  To begin, my salads are getting a makeover, they will be lightly dressed, no more salad soup.
I am giving up dairy on the daily.  When I go back to 90/10 I may include dairy in a cheat meal if I am really aching for something cheesy or creamy.
Also, I will not be drinking coffee daily.  I am going have a one cup a week standard for myself.  I really flipping love coffee, and think it is worth the crazy caffeine buzz to enjoy a delicious brew once a week.

Last but certainly not least, I am officially a non-smoker!!  Cigarettes are my bitch!!  They used to own me.  Now I have no room for them in my life. Goodbye, cravings.  Adios, stinkiness.  Au revoir, feelings of shame and guilt.  Hello, money being saved!!  Ola, leading by example for my children!  Bonjour, walking the freakin walk!!  Two weeks and counting!! 

A friend of mine asked me this weekend, "But what's the point of doing this challenge?  Isn't it supposed to change something about your life, or do you just go back to the old ways when you're done?" This challenge enabled me to shed some pretty  unhealthy habits and also create some positive new ways of existing, which in my opinion is bad ass.  The Challenge is stepping outside of your comfort zone into unfamiliar territory.  The Challenge is making a promise to yourself and loving yourself enough to remain honest and consistent with that promise.  The Challenge is choosing to do something you've never done before, and never thought you could do before.  Why?  Why not?   THE CHALLENGE IS THE POINT.

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. "  Martin Luther King Jr.

 

Don't Be Lazy With Your Happiness

I like to say to my students, " You have all ready completed the perfect practice just by showing up, just by walking through those doors, your practice is complete.  The rest is just about letting go and settling in."    That's really half the battle right?  Showing up?  But just imagine what your life would be like if you chose to "show up"  for yourself, everyday in a positive and meaningful way.  Leave the self-doubt at home.  Forget your fear.  Allow yourself to be accepting and forgiving instead of feeling ashamed or guilty.  Replace expectation and control with interest and curiosity.

For me, the most important part of choosing to show up is maintaining a steady yoga practice. Here are some of the reasons I love yoga.

The physical, or asana practice of yoga, moves energy in the body.  When negative things happen in our life, that negative energy builds up in the body.  It may manifest itself physically, such as chronic low back pain, tightness in the neck, or insomnia  This negative energy may manifest itself emotionally, such as irritability, paranoia, fear, anger, or depression. When you practice yoga, you are giving yourself the opportunity to release these shadows that are hiding in your physical, mental, and emotional body.  This movement accompanied by breath creates a literal shift in the body.

Beginning in May of  2012, I  added meditation to my practice.    The style of meditation that works for me is called jappa. Jappa involves the repetition of mantra using a mala of 108 beads.   A mantra can be compared to a prayer, but it can be as simple as one word, for example, peace, or compassion.  Meditation with mantra helps us to release and break through our samskaras.  Samskaras are conscious or subconscious patterns or habits that we are holding onto. I love B.K.S. Iyengar's defintion, "mental impressions of the past".   By meditating  using mantra I am cleaning out my psyche, and am working through stuff that I may not even be able to define with words.  We all carry this baggage around, its shadows and cobwebs clinging to the deepest recesses of ourselves.  This junk skulks and hides out, affecting our choices, our relationships, and the quality of our lives.  Meditating with mantra is one way to process and let go of this rubbish.  Since I began meditating, I can truly say my life is much richer.  I also believe that my meditation practice has helped me to reconnect to my voice, giving me the courage to write, and put myself out there.

In essence, the asana practice allows us to create space and connect in our bodies, the meditation practice allows us to create space and connect to the essence of our true potential.  Either moving connected to breath in asana, or sitting still connected to mantra in meditation,  a gentle unfolding begins to take place and at the center of that unfolding is a supreme connection to spirit and awareness.

Yoga is about choosing to know yourself in the most intimate and personal way you can.  Yoga is about choosing to be present, even when things get ugly, ESPECIALLY when things get ugly.  When you really allow yourself to become immersed in this practice, you can't just skip over the unpleasantries of life.  You begin to ask yourself, why am I reacting this way?  What's the real issue here?  How does this serve me positively?  You have to allow yourself to completely unravel, to willingly go into the darkest parts of yourself, and stay there, and then be okay with letting go of the parts that don't serve you.   When you begin to let go, you create space.  This new space is yours for the taking.  No past experiences, behaviors, or habits, fill it up.  It can be filled with what you choose, compassion, kindness, gratitude, LIGHT.

When I step on my mat, and connect to my breath I instantly feel calmer and more at peace.  I feel like I am coming home, to myself, back to a place of simplicity, steadiness, and ease.  Every movement, every breath, represents and re-establishes the supreme connection.  My practice helps me to remember and to reconnect to the intrinsic essence of grace and knowing that exists in me and in all of us.   This daily reconnection creates more balance, stability, and joy in my life.

What does it mean to show up?  Well, I guess the specifics are different for the individual, but I think the general message is the same.  Spend time doing things that serve you positively and increase the quality of your life.  DO THE WORK.  Happiness takes effort and commitment.  Happiness takes a certain kind of discipline even.  It is not owed to us, it is not guaranteed.  It is a blessing and a gift that we need to individually and collectively strive for every day with every breath.  Don't be lazy with your happiness.  Take five minutes a day to do something you love, or to simply sit with your breath.  Create opportunities to dance, sing, move, laugh, hug and kiss.  Be present.  CHOOSE to be fully engaged in your life, choose to show up, whatever that means to you.

with love, k

My Love Affair with Cigarettes

 In the essence of honesty I will say that I am addicted to cigarettes.  I have been feeling kind of stuck mentally, and un-inspired to blog because of this addiction.  I am a super healthy woman, I do yoga, meditate, and eat like a cave-woman (paleo).  There's just this one tiny thing, a habit, if you will, that I can't seem to shake.  I smoke.  As I was thinking about this blog, and what I am putting out there as a general message, I can't help but feel like a liar and a hypocrite every time I light up.

Since I started my challenge (which I am owning!!!)  I have definitely cut back on my smoking, but still sneak in one here and there.  I actually quit for the entire first week of the challenge, then like a dummy had a cigarette last Monday and now am back to the disgusting, super unhealthy habit of smoking. 

I used to love smoking.  The entire act, lighting up, inhaling, exhaling, the five minute break from whatever insanity I was taking a break from.  Now, I don't even enjoy it.  I think to my self every day, I am not going to smoke today.  Then after I have a cigarette, there is a whole internal monologue about smoking.  "That was disgusting, and pointless.  How did smoking that cigarette positively affect my life?  I smell disgusting.  What a waste of my life." etc. etc.  So I know, I really want to stop.

I do not want to set an example for my children that smoking is acceptable.  I want my "oms" to be long, sweet, and satiating.  I want to have nice skin in twenty years.  Heck, I want to be healthy in twenty years.  I have survived cancer once, what kind of game am I playing with God, and with my life.

  I have never talked about smoking on here before because I was ashamed and disgusted with myself for having this addiction.  How can I be the PaleoYogaMom, while taking the occasional cigarette break.  It all seems very counter-intuitive.  I mean, if you're gonna talk the talk, you better walk the walk.  We all have our vices, and I am truly ready to let this one go. I quit drinking coffee.  I quit blue cheese dressing and cheese danish!!  I gave birth to two babies!!!  I can QUIT SMOKING!!! (This is my pep-talk to self)

Writing my blog about the Paleo challenge motivated me to quit wine, coffee, sugar, and dairy(I was allready following the other guidelines to Paleo very strictly).  So I am now applying the same will power and fortitude towards being cigarette free that I have with the Paleo challenge. 

 Life is about growth.  Life is about choice.  It is about learning to choose between what adds to joy in our lives, and what takes away from joy in our lives. If something in your life isn't feeding your light, it is TAKING away from that light.  Either our actions, habits and relationships encourage us to be bright, shining beings or they encourage us to exist in the darkness, the grey, murky areas, of disconnect, and malcontent.  From now on, when I light up, it will be an inner spark.  I choose health.  I choose my family.  I choose honesty.  I choose joy.