3 Ingredient Protein Pancakes

 

Panclogs, anyone? 

3 Ingredient Protein Pancakes.

 

So easy, SO delicious. Protein powerhouse, no added sugar, rich in super foods, free of fat (fat is super important with brekkie but mine will come in the form of an avo smoothie pre-yoga!). Topped with a dollop of my own special made vanilla bean cinnamon yogurt and some sliced naners.

 

Yummmmmmzah!

 

 

So easy to make you could do it in your sleep…practically

I made the batter last night before bed and just added a smidge more almond milk to wake it up this morning, but it can be made right before cooking too.

Batter

• 1/2 cup oatbran
• 1/2 cup egg whites (organic, cage free, vegetarian fed if you can)
• 1 Scoop protein powder (I use Sun Warrior vanilla flavor)
• A few TBSP of almond milk (unsweetened)

Whip this all together until it’s the proper “batter” consistency and use coconut oil to cook them up in a pan over medium heat.

Sara’s Vanilla Bean Yogurt

• 1/2-3/4 C natural, plain, fat free greek yogurt (I use FAGE Total 0%)
• 1 t raw, organic vanilla bean powder
• Healthy sprinkling of cinnamon
• Sprinkle of stevia

Whip this yogurt concoction together and boom, you’ve got yourself a sweet, indulgent topper for your healthy panclogs. Store bought vanilla yogurt is loaded with sugar and yucky stuff, typically, and I prefer my greek yogurt tangy, plain and all by itself usually. This frees me up to experiment with a smidgen of it when I wish to top a dessert or fancy brekkie! Plus, raw vanilla bean powder is known to prevent sugar cravings and is a nutrient rich superfood. 

This brekkie is high in fiber, crazy rich in protein, free of sugar (save for the banana), laced with superfoods and totally delicious. This recipe is fat free but, as fat is a huge component of a filling breakfast, I would recommend adding a nut butter or sprinkling of nuts, what-have-you. I simply am making an avocado green smoothie before yoga so I will get my fat then. But protein + fat = satiation, so definitely give a smear of almond butter or something to your short stack.

I was never a big fan of pancakes because of the “gut bomb” feeling one gets after eating them, but these have revolutionized the breakfast dish for me. Light and filling and scrumptious! 

Garnish with ripe, delicious banana slices and you’re all set! Just don’t spill a bite all over your jammie pants like I did

Happy Saturday my loves!

My Holistically Nutritious Creations – Part Deux

Feast your eyes on this green smoothie that’s hearty enough to not only be called breakfast, but PRE-CARDIO-YOGA-FLOW breakfast!

Kept me full long enough to get my hot and sweaty floga on, peruse the studio and chat with yogis afterwards, pop into Whole Foods, come home and whip up my protein pancakes. Smoothies don’t always keep you full, but here’s one that has all of the elements!

 

In this “oh my gosh I can’t believe it’s not a milkshake” GSOTD, I threw this plethora of nutritious ingredients:

• 2 large leaves of raw organic kale
• Big ‘ol handful of organic spinach
• 1 C frozen organic wild blueberries
• 2 small deglet noor dates
• Some walnuts (probably 5)
• 1 scoop Sun Warrior vanilla protein powder
• 1 T unsweetened cocoa (you can sub cacao, I have both)
• 1 t maca powder
• 1.5 T hemp seeds
• 1 C almond milk
• 1 C filtered water
• 4-5 ice cubes
• Topped with bee pollen

Happy blending!

Rebirth

I am saying yes to embodying tranquility, serenity, calm. I am saying yes to living as a holistically well being of light. I am saying yes to the manifestation of my dreams.

It’s quite a journey, coming to terms with one’s dreams. I’m unendingly grateful for the light that’s been shed on my path by the Universe. I spent a long time lost. A long time in the throes of the “who am I,” trekking through the mud that stuck fast around my ankles. I spent a long time trapped in my past.

The light is so warm, healing and vibrant when you’ve lived in darkness.

It doesn’t matter in which stage you find yourself now; you yourself may be in the throes, floundering around in the dark, or perhaps the light has become visible up ahead…maybe you’re even dancing in a warm pool of golden light. Wherever you are, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you believe this is a journey. That you grasp with all of your consciousness that this life is a journey. It’s not meant to be well lit the whole way through. It’s not meant to make sense every step of the way. It’s not meant to be rosy and delightful with every breath.

If it were, we would never grow.

Think of a plant. It grows in fertile soil. What can be used as fertilizer? Decomposed plants, animal manure, compost of coffee grounds, peels, cores, the like…it’s all waste! It’s a cyclical process, plants decompose and their waste grows new plants…it’s a process of life, growth, death, rebirth.  It’s meant to be this way.

We must rot for a spell in our own waste in order to shed the layers and be reborn. Rebirthing of dreams, relationships, ideas. It’s all in our hands. All we have to do is believe, know in the depths of our core, that it’s all happening in a cycle. It’s a process. We’re operating in the rhythms of nature. Things are unveiled to us – opportunities, lessons, realizations – in due time. With purpose. Trust the process. 

It’s the trust in this growth that makes the light so much lighter when we find it. It’s the trust in this growth that gets us through the future spells of darkness. We may never traipse through the pitch black again, but the light will go dim, inevitably. The cycle will spin, there will be fears, doubts and moments of complete despair. But, if we carry the light within us, we can see our way through any eclipse.

It’s through this trust in growth that we harbor the light. 

So be. Be unabashedly here, feet planted in moist, fertile soil. Dig your toes in. Be unafraid of the missteps because it’s through bold, faithful trust of this earthly process that we harness our true potential. It’s through this process that we are reborn. 

My Holistically Nutritious Creations

Recipe time is past due…so here we go!

 

Spinach Protein Pancakes 

I adapted this recipe from a multitude of sources…my friend Josie, the incredible Jessica Sepel and my own creativity. Needless to say, I will continue to evolve this brilliant foodie concept for years to come, incorporating superfoods and nutrients galore. For now, this was go number one.

I used:

• 1/3 C organic rolled oats (next time I will use oatbran so that it’s already a powder)
• 1/2 C organic, cage free, vegetarian fed egg whites 
• 1 C frozen spinach
• 1 T sacha inchi powder (protein rich superfood)
• Almond milk (I was experimenting so I don’t have an exact measurement, likely 1/2 C)

Blend it all in the vitamix (or blender, or food processor, etc.) and take it to a hot pan.
I use organic, coconut oil cooking spray. Spray the pan, and the rest is self-explanatory. Decide what size pancakes you want and watch ‘em bubble, give ‘em a flip, easy peasy lemon squeezy!

 

 

 

My finished product was delightful, the sacha inchi powder gave them a very nutty, hearty flavor. I would use protein powder, stevia and spices for a sweeter flavor. Those will be coming soon

I topped my pancakes with my own special greek yogurt blend:

• 1 C nonfat, plain FAGE greek yogurt (or plain, natural yogurt of your choice)
• 1 t cacao powder
• 1 t raw vanilla bean powder
• Cinnamon 
• Nutmeg
• Stevia or honey

Whip all of that together with a spoon and you’ve got yourself a lovely little creation to dollop away with.

I encircled this creation with a banana and called it a day. Can’t wait to give it a second go!

 

I’m Not Afraid of the Dark Anymore

Last night I dreamt a lot of the dark. The unknown. The fearful.

I dreamt I was in my childhood home, housesitting I believe. It’s the house my dad still occupies. I was in the house, trying to close it up. Anxiously moving from floor to floor, door to door, closing curtains, turning locks. It was growing dark. I felt fearful of the dark, I wanted to hole up in the light, safe house. I felt strangely alone. Alone with the impending dark.

Later I dreamt I was getting into an elevator. I could go up and meet someone who was waiting for me, but I had a vision of what up would look like and decided to go down. The elevator was dark. It was night outside. The elevator began churning downwards and I was filled with trepidation. Why was I alone? What was on the top floor, was there really someone waiting for me? What, even more pressing a question, was on the bottom floor, to where I was headed? The elevator suddenly stopped. I could hear footsteps outside the elevator and I was bubbling over with fright. Whose footsteps were they? They sounded daunting. The elevator doors weren’t opening, either. It was so dark in there. The buttons wouldn’t work to take me back up. I was going down and there was no going back. Suddenly the elevator began to pressurize, I was nearly floating. I couldn’t get the elevator to move, I could hear the footsteps, and the pressurization was causing me to fall to the very edge of consciousness, fighting to stay awake…

And then, boom, the dream ended. That was it.

What the heck, right?

I’m very intune with my dreams, I always have been. I’m very in touch with my own subtle energy. I have dream books but, in this rare case, I’ve chosen not to use them as resources. I’m going, instead, strictly on intuition. I believe I’m dreaming of the dark as a sign for just that: my intuition. I’ve been in the driver seat of some serious decision making, lately. Decisions about the future, my future…my life. I’ve never been comfortable with  solo decision making. Deciding has always been a process in which I recruit as many aides as I’m able. Particularly my mom. I do need her support. My dad’s also. But I’ve been known to yammer on to strangers about the vague details of my ensuing decisions. Searching hungrily through their eyes for a hint at what it is I might be “meant” to do.

I always know what I’m meant to do. Deep down. My intuition is strong. It’s a current running through me, it always has been, but for some reason the stronger it is the more worried I am about listening to it. I need agreement, concurrence, support from the outside. Why is that, I wonder? I feel the pulsing current within me, guiding me in the right direction, so why don’t I just follow?

I’ve always been starving for approval. Overly concerned with disappointing others. I’m a self-professed, chronic “people pleaser.” Always have been. It’s simply in my nature. But, as I always say, our nature is changing. I was a very confident little kid and, while I always craved the approval and support of my parents, I believed in myself. Somewhere along the line, though, I grew insecure in my own decision making process. I lost sight of my energy’s ability to light the way.

I learned something this weekend, again from my beautiful teacher Melanie Salvatore-August. She calls it, “moving my prana.” POWERFUL. Mel led our Tribe through an incredible Chakra meditation with an affirmation per chakra on Saturday. Mynx Inatsugu, my other stunning teacher, led us through a stirring pranayama practice on Sunday. The combination of these two practices have had a profound impact on me. I now understand what it is to “move one’s prana.” Move one’s life force, one’s energy.

First thing this morning I practiced asana, followed by pranayama, finished with meditation. The day that followed was powerful. I felt more connected to my life force, my prana, than I ever had before. I realized it’s something I truly can harness.

These dreams of darkness are a sign for me, to trust my inner light. The light is who I truly am, it’s my True Self. The subtle reminder to trust my own divine intuition comes to me gently, in my slumber, a nudge to not fear the darkness. To not fear the unknown. To not fear the pressure. Because no one else, not anyone in the world, can tap into this intuition.

No one can sense what direction is best for me but myself. The compass is my inner light, and it is always with me, its current strong and resonating. I’m not afraid of the dark anymore.

A Taste of the Magic of Pranayama and Ayurveda

Would you believe me if I told you I developed (yet another) passion today?

Teacher training today was another incredible experience. A beautiful pranayama practice, led by my brilliant teacher Mynx Inatsugu, left me intensely moved. I literally had an out of body experience. Breath work has a very powerful effect on me, personally. Due in large part I’m sure to my busy, go-go-go, Pitta constitution. I’m a busy body, busy mind, often brewing anxious chatter and nervous energy. That is not my nature, but it’s the nature I’ve developed over my lifespan. Our nature is changeable, malleable, I’ve written about this before. We are adaptable. We change, constantly. Both pranayama and Ayurveda have the capacity to change our constitution for the better, to leave us healthier, brighter, more balanced, harmonious.

Pranayama is broken up into two words: Prana and Ayama.

Prana: life force

Ayama: to extend/expand/increase

Pranayama is the practicing of building or extending life force by regulating the breath. Words taken directly from my teacher, Mynx.

The practice of pranayama is known to have potent effects on the body, and this differs from person to person. Pranayama is especially known to reduce tamas. Tamas, in essence, is inertia, dullness, heaviness…the gunas are a whole other essay completely, so I digress…

I am only a student, so I will stick to writing about my personal experience with pranayama. My teacher has told me it’s a time release practice, and I have experienced this first hand. I’ve left viniyoga and had an incredible evolution of energy over the ensuing 48 hours. Even today, in a short viniyoga-esque asana practice followed by a pranayama practice, I was left in a sincerely profound energetic state. I literally felt the most separate from my body, in that savasana, than I’ve ever felt in my entire life. Out of all my meditation, pranayama and asana practices, today’s left me feeling the most affected. I suppose the change is that I’ve just undergone five months of yoga teacher training and my energy channel is completely alive.

So, with my prana strong and flowing after this experience, we moved into Ayurveda. Abbie Rockwell, a brilliant certified Ayurvedic practitioner from Marin County, came and introduced us to the exquisite life science of Ayurveda.

Ayurveda is defined as the science of life.

Ayurveda is broken up into two words: Ayur and Veda.

Ayur: Life

Veda: Wisdom/Knowledge

In a grand nutshell, and in Abbie’s words, Ayurveda’s purpose is to attain balance in daily life whilst living and existing in nature.

Our bodies are in tune with mother earth, they always have been, and the shroud that dulls this truth is the modern world (essentially). We’re operating on completely different wavelengths than beings were 5,000 years ago when Ayurveda was originally developed by “The Seers” (the Richis) in India.

The benefits of Ayurveda, I learned today, are to maximize one’s potential as a human being, to live healthfully and be well, to live in balance and harmony and, for some, to follow the path to Enlightenment.

There is something Abbie presented to us today called the “Five Element Theory.” The five element theory deals with the five elements, ether, air, fire, water and earth. These elements relate directly to the Doshas, defined as “imbalances.” Abbie explained that we are all born with our own distinct blend of the three doshas, unique to our DNA. As we age, we develop imbalances based directly on our natural environment, very detailed and specific experiences. There’s a wealth of information out there in terms of discovering one’s constitution, and I highly recommend looking into it.

I’ve studied a fair amount of Ayurveda over the past few years, on my own, but knew only a tiny amount until today. Today my eyes were opened to the incredible, healing world of Ayurveda.

The three doshas are Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Again, there’s tons of literature and wisdom out there to to further educate you on your own personal dosha, and I will write more in depth in the future about all three constitutions.

I personally am Pitta, through and through. With some potential Vata imbalances. The science of Ayurveda provides us with exact recommendations for living, and an Ayurvedic lifestyle is one that can prove incredibly healing, balancing and healthful. I’m looking so forward to attending some workshops and seminars on Ayurveda so I can further dive into this brilliant science. I hope to study it one day, and possibly even become a certified practitioner, as I feel it would work perfectly in conjunction with my YogaWorks Certification and my upcoming studies at Bauman College of Holistic Nutrition.

This, my loves, is just a taster…I will be writing so much more about this. I just wanted to get some of the magic out there, the magic of pranayama and Ayurveda…

So much more to come. Can you feel the magic?

image via http://positiveayurvedic.blogspot.com

The Lifesaving Practice of Yoga

“You are a being of  light  in physical body.”

You. Are a being. Of divine light. Living in a physical body.

Whether it’s too much for you to grasp, wrap your mind around or see yourself as, it’s true. You are not your physical body. You are not your mind. You are not your clothes, your car, your job, your relationship, your accomplishments, your setbacks.

Heavy concept, right?

It’s the blindingly beautiful Truth that my incredible YogaWorks Teacher Trainers, and mentors, Melanie Salvatore-August and Mynx Inatsugu are instilling in me. For this lifesaving knowledge I will be forever grateful. The evolution of my writing on this blog is also highly impacted by this new wisdom that’s being passed on to me. What I’m about to convey is directly passed on from my recent learnings in yoga teacher training. I attribute all of this incredible information to Melanie Salvatore-August and Mynx Inatsugu.

When I say I’m being given “lifesaving” knowledge, I mean that to my very core. I am a sensitive spirit who has been tormented by the belief that I am my physical body. That I am my mind. Learning otherwise has been revolutionary for me. For my awareness.

I am not my body. I am not my mind. I am a being of divine light. I simply live in a physical body. I simply perceive the world of Prakriti through the lens of my mind, through the experience of my body.

Remember the world of Prakriti is that of changeability. Things that change. Think about that…that’s most of what’s important to us, right?

My mind and body are simply tools through which to experience the world of Prakriti, the changing world. Life, physicality, jobs, relationships, possessions, experiences of the senses…

When the mind and body are seen as tools, as instruments through which Purusha (that divine light that is your True Self) sees and is experienced…things just feel lighter. I just feel a weight lifted off of my shoulders.

Granted, twenty minutes later, I’m fidgeting with my hair pining after the girl next to me’s bracelet.

Practice. This takes constant attention, dedication. It will take a lifetime of practice.

I honestly don’t know at this point, in my novice stage, if I will ever fully stop caring what my body looks like. I hope so. I am passionate about health and wellness, so a healthy physical body is a manifestation of that passion (Universe willing). But will it ever just be healthy and well without my being attached to it? Will I ever let stop gaining satisfaction from or feeling torment over my physical form? I hope so. I am dedicated to this practice of yoga. I trust that I will always remain at least aware that this is my cross to bear, in this life, the work of not identifying with my body. I may always care, it may always be work, but at least I know it’s not who I am.

Think of how liberating that is! Our physical bodies can be damaged, broken; we die. We are more than just a body. We are light, there is light in our eyes, a divine being inside the body.

The subtle body is our energy system. Hatha Yoga is the yoking of the sun and the moon. The moon being represented by Ida, the creative more feminine energy. The sun being represented by Pingala, the analytical more masculine energy. The balance of Ida and Pingala are what create clear, clean, flowing Prana. Prana is our power, our divine energy, our life force.

The practice of yoga is the bringing of Siva and Shakti to balance.

We are governed by a sophisticated energy system. This energy system can be seen in traditional Western Medicine models, Chinese Medicine, acupuncture points, and the like. The energy centers throughout the body are known as chakras.

Chakras are where our emotions and thoughts meet our physical body energetically. What we think and feel creates our physical body.

There are seven chakras in the body:

So what causes one to identify with one’s body or mind? Or both? It’s different for all of us. Today my teacher explained to us that we harbor energy from experiences that happened to us sometimes longer ago than we can comprehend. At age 2, perhaps, even as an infant. From the moment we are born, the energy in our physical body is active. Our chakras are there. The energy systems are in place.

Imbalances in certain chakras manifest as disease. These imbalances can evolve from past experiences, some beyond our conscious recollection. These blockages can manifest as attachment to either the body or the mind.

I wonder what exactly happened in my past to manifest my body image issues. The experience I had as a teen, my eating disorder, was me identifying with my mind and body. It was disease manifested in my physical body by an imbalance in my line of energy.

This is heavy stuff for some, I know. But, for me, it’s the lightest of light that there has ever been. I have always identified with an inner energy, a deeper sense of being, and this is it. I’ve been introduced to the world of subtle body, and my life will never be the same.

My life will never be the same now that I have this knowledge.

Subtle body is just one kosha. Koshas are the layers of our beings. “Sheaths,” if you will. Such an incredible world of study that I am only just delving into…

How can I possibly know all this and still believe I am my body? How could I still believe I am my mind? I don’t. I simply don’t. It doesn’t mean I won’t still be overcome with grief at times, it doesn’t mean I won’t still suffer from attachment to my physical body, to the world of Prakriti. But that is where the practice of yoga comes in.

The lifesaving practice of yoga.

 

 

 

Images via http://www.swamij.com/koshas.htm and http://www.layogamagazine.com/issue21/feature/energy.htm