Month: November 2016

Headspace

On By Cultivate WellnessIn Cooking, health, Health and wellness, holiday, Kids, wellness3 Comments

meditation-cairn

It’s been quite the couple of weeks, hasn’t it? I think it’s safe to say that many of us are feeling a little bruised and battered by the contentiousness of the recent elections. Many people are frightened, worried, angry, anxious. When you add Thanksgiving travel, cooking, and spending a lot of time in close proximity to many other people to the mix, it can feel completely overwhelming for many of us.

Because like me you might be feeling overworked and short on time, I want to take just a brief moment out of your week to tell you about something that I have found very helpful for a few years now. It’s an app called Headspace. It guides you through mindfulness meditations in a way that I find really helpful and comforting. You can choose different tracks like Self Esteem, Performance, Anxiety, and even Running. There are also two minute “S.O.S.” meditations you can do if you are feeling on the brink of disaster (hint: it’s pretty easy to slip away from talking politics with your great Aunt Ida for a few minutes to hit the reset button and gather your wits).

Various studies have shown that meditation slows down the heart rate and the autonomic nervous system, decreases cortisol levels (that’s the stress hormone), improves our working memory, helps us cope with pain, helps us sleep and may even boost our immune system.

You have to pay for Headspace after finishing the 10 day free trial, but my  opinion is that it’s totally worth it. If you want to avoid paying for guided meditations, YouTube is full of them. Promise me you won’t think that meditation is only for “those other people”. Trust me, it’s for everyone. Kids who are being taught mediation in schools have exhibited fewer discipline problems and higher grades, as well as lower anxiety and depression. It really does work, if only to help you quiet your “monkey brain” for a few minutes every day.

This week might just be the best time to give yourself a little bit of a respite from all that stress and worrying. If you do, I’d  love to hear how it worked for you.

You might also like:

LET’S GET OUT OF HERE!

Magnesium: “The Relaxer”

Friday Cocktails: The Painkiller

*Disclaimer: I did not receive any compensation for mentioning Headspace in this post. I truly love this app and just wanted to share.

 

New Recipe! Roasted Salmon with Garlic and Dill

On By Cultivate WellnessIn Cooking, diet, disease, eating, health, Health and wellness, Nutrition, Recipes2 Comments

Did you know studies have shown eating fatty fish with high omega 3 content once a week can help protect your brain? It’s true! If you have a family history of Alzheimer’s Disease, have Type II diabetes (which predisposes you to Alzheimer’s) or just want to do something healthy for yourself, I highly recommend eating salmon on a regular basis. Wild caught salmon is best — farmed salmon generally has less omega 3 content and is sometimes fed a diet of corn and soy. Read below for more information on why salmon, garlic, and olive oil are healthy for your body and brain.

 

roasted-salmon-with-garlic-and-dill

 

If you like this recipe, please share it on your Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or other social media pages! Please leave a comment too, I love to hear from you!

You might also like:

Salmon with Clementine Cucumber Salsa

NEW RECIPE! Spicy Chipotle Salmon

NEW RECIPE! Grilled Salmon with Grilled Lemon Vinaigrette

Friday Cocktails: The Painkiller

On By Cultivate WellnessIn cocktails, Cooking, Recipes, wellness1 Comment

painkiller-cocktail

We went to our friends’ Halloween party recently where they served something called The Painkiller. It’s one of those cocktails that is very very easy to drink a lot of because it tastes like a beach vacation. There’s coconut. There’s rum. There’s pineapple juice. If you close your eyes and sip on the Painkiller, you might just swear you are sitting under a palapa in the tropics. Some might say that it’s too sweet, but I love a sweet cocktail (I love savory cocktails too, it’s all about the mood).

Some might argue that a cocktail called The Painkiller is the perfect antidote to this contentious election season. I’m not advocating that we drink to suppress our feelings (that would be an unhealthy behavior!) but a delicious cocktail with a fun name might just add a little bit of whimsy, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing.

This cocktail is perfect for a big party because it’s so easy to make a large amount. Luckily we are entering party season, so make a batch of this next time you need a crowdpleaser and prepare for the compliments.

The Painkiller is high in vitamin C thanks to the OJ and the pineapple juice, so maybe it’ll help you ward off those winter germs!

INGREDIENTS FOR ONE COCKTAIL:

2 oz Rum
4 oz Pineapple juice
1 oz Orange juice
1 oz Cream of coconut
Grated nutmeg if desired
Mint
NOTE: If you can’t find cream of coconut, you can substitute with 1 cup heavy whipping cream (35%) plus 1/2 cup coconut cream powder
METHOD:

Add all of the ingredients into a shaker and fill with ice.

Shake vigorously and strain into a hurricane glass or snifter filled with crushed ice.

Garnish with freshly a sprig of mint and grated nutmeg.

(If making a large batch, pour all ingredients into a pitcher and use a spoon to combine)

 

Bottom’s up!