Join the Healthy World Cafe at the Mother Earth Fair on Saturday!

We are looking for a few volunteers to help us at the Fair - contact Colleen if you are available to help:
cdwyer25 (at) comcast.net
Thank You!

Your Personal Diet And Training Plan

Most people who want to lose weight, usually start by going to the gym or getting a personal trainer. These things can help but without controlling their diet, they will find it hard to lose weight.

The first thing that you need to do if you want to lose weight, get fit, improve your martial arts or look younger is check your life. Which of your habits are good and which are bad? Where are your weaknesses? Also, what about the weaknesses of your environment? You need to be aware of them so you can deal with them and not become a victim of them.  For example, if a person smokes or drinks and at the same time they want to lose weight and train, the first thing they need to do is stop smoking and drinking then they need to start training lightly to detoxify their body. 

Someone who eats a lot of junk food or cakes or drinks a lot of sugar drinks like Coca Cola needs to stop. A  person who has a very stressful job with a lot of responsibility, has to tell themselves worry can not change anything. They have to train themselves to be relaxed. Shaolin training helps us to relax and let go. It effortlessly shifts us into a positive frame of mind.

People are always searching for the best diet for health or to lose weight. They do the same with a training programme, how can I get maximum benefit for minimum effort? They spend hours on the internet researching but they don't realise that no one can give them an exact diet or training programme because everybody's mind and body is different.

For me, I listen to my body and follow what it says. If it tells me I need to eat apples today then I eat apples. Each person needs to try and find their own diet and their own training programme. I eat a high carbohydrate diet, this works for me, but for other people, low carbohydrate and high protein works better. Neither is right or wrong, they have found out what works for their body and I have found out what works for mine. 

The one thing I would say is that everyone should cut out sugar. This has no nutritious value and is not good for blood sugar levels.  The other rule is, always eat breakfast. People who eat breakfast tend to eat less throughout the rest of the day. Also, drink green tea. Green tea doesn't contain enough caffeine to spike cortisone levels but research has shown it helps boost metabolism.   

My advice when you embark upon a training , diet or health plan is don't be too ambitious. Start with a small step that is achievable then build on that small success. A diet and training programme is not just for eight weeks or 28 days, it is for the rest of your life so make sure it's one that is right for you and you can stick with it so it can become a part of you, enriching your life experience.  

For information on Shifu Yan Lei's training DVDs and books please visit http://www.shifuyanlei.co.uk/dvd_latest_release.html

Recipes Galore

I am a complete internet recipe junky. I admit it! And I have finally found a good way to keep track of all my finds: Pinterest. You can keep track of pretty much anything, not just recipes, but those are kind of my thing. I occasionally will post a recipe to the blog if I’ve made any sort of appreciable changes to it or added my own creativity in some way. However, I mostly just post pictures on Facebook and leave people wondering where these creations have come from. Well, no more. I love that the recipes are sorted by picture, making it pretty easy to spot the one you want. So please feel free to follow me if you are in need of some creative fun yet healthy recipes. Also, if you’re already an avid pinner let me know so I can follow you, too!

Instant Buddha: Progressions On The Path Of The Warrior

It is vitally important that we train intelligently and with awareness, always keeping our beginner's mind. 

When you walk to your training hall or go home to practice your martial arts, do walking meditation. Walk at your normal pace and be aware of  your steps and your breathing. When thoughts come up, simply let them go. This walking meditation helps to ground and prepare you for your training.

When you start to do the Qigong and Kung Fu forms, you repeat them over and over again for years and years until they become a habit.  In the beginning, you have to think: where should I breathe? What is the next movement? Is my posture correct? This is a process we all go through. Then, as you progress, you forget about your practice and move into non-thinking. 

As martial artists, we use our body to abandon our body. We let go, forget the ego and follow nothing but the wisdom of the universe. Then the thinking comes from the body and no longer comes from the mind. When you experience this you experience freedom. 

If you open your hand you can take hold of anything, if you close your hand, nothing can enter. You need to open your hand and allow the practice to enter you. 

To enable this you need to have the confidence to commit fully and get out of your comfort zone. Stop saving energy for a future time. Only when you are empty can you be re-filled. 

You must concentrate 100% on your movement and your breathing. If you do that, your practice will remain fresh and not go stale. You must practice not only in your training but in your day to day life.

This is why the meditation aids I brought back from China are every day items like tea and key rings and Buddha bags. When I was at the Shaolin Temple, the environment was a constant reminder that I was on the path of the warrior but here in London, I can easily forget and I need reminders to come back to the now. Now never returns to us, now is all we have. The Warriors appointment with life is in the present moment.

When you practice in this way, your practice becomes The Way. Only then can it penetrate the marrow of your life. 

• www.shifuyanlei.comhttp://www.shifuyanlei.co.uk/

Cheesy Squashy Cauliflower

I got the idea for this from Ellie Krieger’s Macaroni and Four Cheese recipe . I just subbed in cauliflower for the noodles and made life easy by only using two cheeses. I also made it gluten free by using almond flour instead of bread crumbs and upped the amount of the topping in general – it’s the best part! I love this dish because it can please almost everybody. Those following a lower fat approach can appreciate the reduction in cheese (and fat) and the low carbers get all the fun without blood sugar spike you’d get from pasta. It’s totally customizable – you can reduce the amount of topping and skip the butter if you’re counting calories or points and load them up if you’re not! (Couldn’t resist. Sorry!)

Ingredients

Olive oil or butter to coat the pan
1 large cauliflower or bag of frozen cauliflower, thawed
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen pureed winter squash or 1 butternut squash
2 cups milk of choice (regular, cream, coconut, almond)
8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated
1 Tablespoon butter (I use this if the milk I’m using is lower in fat)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon powdered mustard (I usually skip this)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ cup almond meal or flour
¼ cup grated Parmesan
2 Tablespoons olive oil

Directions

(If using a butternut squash, cut it in half lengthwise and roast it fleshy side up in a 400 degree oven for 30-45 minutes until it’s tender. Let cool, then scoop out the “meat” and puree in a blender with the milk you’re going to use in the recipe).

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with olive oil or butter.
Steam cauliflower a bit in the microwave in a large bowl for 10 minutes.
Drain and return it to its bowl.
Meanwhile, place the frozen squash and milk (or your homemade butternut puree) into a large saucepan and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally and breaking up the squash with a spoon until it is defrosted.
Turn the heat up to medium and cook until the mixture is almost simmering, stirring occasionally.
Remove the pan from heat and stir in the Cheddar, optional butter, salt, mustard and cayenne pepper.
Pour cheese mixture over the cauliflower and stir to combine.
Transfer the cauliflower and cheese to the baking dish.
Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and oil in a small bowl.
Sprinkle over the top of the cauliflower and cheese.
Bake for 20 minutes, then broil for 3 minutes so the top is crisp and nicely browned.

*Please note that the picture is not of my actual recipe but it looks close. Forgot to take one!

Flowering Green Tea - Instructions On How To Use

Part of traditional Chinese medicine is the drinking of green tea, modern science has discovered that green tea is rich in antioxidants, aiding our path to longevity. Green tea also balances the metabolism, boost the immune system, and has anti-ageing benefits for the skin. 
If we drink our green tea mindfully then this has even more of a beneficial effect. Click here to learn  how to have a Zen Tea Ceremony in your own home. 

How To Use Flowering Green Tea

1) Put the tea ball in a glass cup or tea pot.

2) Pour boiling water into the cup.

3) Watch the flower blossom and release its fragrance. It usually takes about five minutes.

4) Drink and enjoy.

Do not throw away. As with all high quality green teas,  the tea can be used at least four times. Simply pour water over the blossomed flower and continue to enjoy.

Click here to purchase this premium Flowering Green Tea

A Zen Tea Ceremony

At the Shaolin Temple, novice monks are taught to be present in everything they do. In our fast paced modern life this is impossible.  If  we are always fully present then our mind will overload so we need to perform some actions automatically. But if we are always mindless and our mind is always on the run we will become increasingly burnt out, stressed and unhappy.

We rest and look after our body, so why do we not take as much care with our mind as we do our body? 

Bringing our heart and mind into the present moment is the Zen Masters secret to real happiness. There are many ways we can do this. And one way is to have a simple Zen Tea Ceremony.

Zen Tea Ceremonies, alongside calligraphy and martial arts are tools that Shaolin Temple disciples use to hone, focus, and sharpen their mind.

The Art of Tea was born in the Zen Temples of China. But you don't need to be a Buddhist or go to a temple to experience this profound art, you can have a Zen Tea Ceremony in your home.

It's good to do a drinking tea meditation on a daily or weekly basis. You can do it on your own or with other people.  If you do it with other people then practice in silence.

Six Simple Steps To Having A Zen Tea Ceremony In Your Home

Put aside a set time

If you're doing it every day then let's say fifteen minutes. Switch off or silence your phone so you will have no distractions.

Set your motivation

Tell yourself: For the next fifteen minutes every time I get distracted I'm going to bring myself back to the present moment.

Boil the kettle

You can use English tea but I use Flowering Green Tea. This is the tea we use in our tea ceremonies at The Shaolin Temple and the fragrance immediately invokes a feeling of well-being and wisdom.

Watch The Lotus Flower Bloom

Pour the water over the tea ball and sit with the tea in front of you.

As I watch the tea ball unfurl, I think of the lotus flower and the inner potential we all have to be peaceful urban warriors.

It takes about five minutes for the flower to unfurl, during that time, sit and watch your breathing.

Drink Your Tea Not Your Thoughts

Once the flower has blossomed, cup both hands around the cup, and drink your tea slowly.

Inhale the tea, taste the tea, feel the sensation of  the tea and what effect it has on your mind and body.

If you drink tea while thinking about your worries then you are not drinking tea, you are drinking your worries. Live only for this moment.

Observe

Once you've finished, as with any good quality green tea, you can continue to make at least four cups.

I always feel refreshed and at peace after performing this simple tea ceremony. I feel more connected to myself , the Shaolin Temple and the great Zen masters who even though I may never have met, I take as my masters, and hope they accept me as their disciple.

Try it and let me know how you feel. 

It's great to do at the end or beginning of your Qigong session.  

To learn more about Flowering Green Tea click here or to purchase click here.

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The Wonder Bun - the "Paleo" Bread You Can Make in the Microwave

I attracted an audience today while making myself a wonder bun at work. It turned out great – I cut it in half, added butter and Havarti cheese, and melted it a bit in the micro. The picture is from when I used it with a burger the other night. These things are easy, fast, and really do the trick! I adapted this from a recipe I found online. I simplified things by just using one type of flour and skipped the sweetener all together. I like how my version comes out and it works well for my purposes. Check out the original Wonder Bun post by Kitchen Therapy for more ideas on how to customize this.

Wonder Bun
yield: one 3 ½ inch bun

ingredients

1 large egg
4 tablespoons almond meal

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon cocoa powder

a pinch of salt, optional

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

In a small bowl, beat the egg with a fork, for about a minute.
In another small bowl, add the almond meal, baking powder, and cocoa powder. Add a pinch of salt if you like. Make sure everything is thoroughly mixed so you do not see little balls of cocoa or bitter baking powder.
Add the eggs to the dry ingredients, stir until smooth.

Oil a 10 oz Pyrex custard cup and sprinkle sesame seeds on the bottom and sides.

Pour the batter into the cup. Top with more sesame seeds.

Microwave for 90 seconds.

That is it! A ready to eat, tasty bun. A wonder bun!

Finding My Own Path to Wellness

So far this year, I’ve become a registered yoga instructor, lost over 35 pounds, resolved a lifelong skin condition, and dramatically improved my mood, energy level, and outlook on life. For years, I have been searching for the magic bullet that would help me lose weight and get healthier. The answer, I finally found, was to become my own expert. There is no one in the world that cares more about my health and happiness than me. I was the only one uniquely motivated to really figure this thing out.

At the beginning of 2011, I found myself at a crossroads. I knew that I had to take action in order to improve my weight and fitness level. However, I just couldn’t fathom returning to the approaches that had failed me in the past. I was overwhelmed but determined to find a new path. I dove in head first, reading everything I could get my hands on, trying to learn more about health and nutrition. That’s about when I stumbled upon The Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson and The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf). This Primal/Paleo approach basically turned everything I thought I knew about eating right and working out on its head. Even though the advice countered many of my long held beliefs, something about it resonated with me. What I’d been doing for the past 20 years obviously wasn’t working, so why not try something new?

The most important thing I had to change was my thinking. Instead of dwelling on the things that I was taking away (the foods that were no longer serving me), I chose to focus on what I was gaining in terms of increased energy, better mood, and in time, changes in my body composition. The positive feedback was everywhere I looked, I just had to take the time to notice.

I also learned that it’s OK to struggle. It’s not always going to be easy. Finding good coping strategies (like doing yoga or taking a bath for me) helps because there are always going to be “bad” days. They don’t have to spell a complete derailment anymore. Seeking out support both online and from my close-by friends and family has made an incredible difference as well.

This change has been about so much more than diet and exercise. It’s about putting my health on the top of the list, for real. For me, that means making a concerted effort to get at least 7 hours of sleep each night, allowing time to cook meals from scratch, and spending the “extra” money on quality organic, grassfed, and whole foods.

I love the idea of helping others find their way to better health and wellness. Sometimes I just want to shout about it to the rooftops; but simply achieving my own success is the greatest billboard ever. The only advice I can give to someone looking to make a change is to take the situation in your own hands and do your own research. Find the approach that works for you and go for it with everything you’ve got!