True Nature Travels Blog

Costa Rican Food: An Authentic Experience

Costa Rican food

Thinking of Costa Rica?

(so are we 🙂 )

Costa Rican beach

There are many amazing things I could say about Costa Rica. We can sit together to talk for hours about the incredible places to explore only 51,100 kms away, but from my experience, as a Costa Rican lady who loves her roots, I recommend you to try its food first. Afterward, dive into the beautiful nature, from the blue ocean to the green hills; from the pasture lands to the exciting experience of staying in a luxury resort or just living with a host family who also represents a beautiful way to experience the luxury! 

The magic starts when you first taste the typical food.

The experience increases if you help to prepare it in a house, with a local family that will invite you to get immersed into the culture.

Costa Rican FoodYour trip will never be complete without having tried the Gallo Pinto, it is a traditional dish  of black beans and rice with onions, pepper, garlic and cilantro. That is the way we start our day, we invite the family members to help us preparing the breakfast, and Gallo Pinto is served with fried eggs or scrambled eggs, tortillas and sour cream. 

Life in Costa Rica is not fast. The rooster is our alarm to know when we need to wake up and the first one who goes to the kitchen is the one who will prepare coffee (in my case, I pretend not to listen the rooster, which is why my husband is the one who makes coffee every morning! Maybe this comment helps just in case you need a tip).

(photo credit: The Striped Spatula)

Once we are all together, we start helping each other in order to be ready on time and of course, to have the time enough to enjoy breakfast in calm.

We also eat some fruit or bread sometimes instead of the Gallo Pinto, but the legend says that when you eat Gallo Pinto you will have a lucky day and yes, we are lucky!

Today we are celebrating my dad’s birthday and I am baking a cake for him!

It is possible to buy a cake at the supermarket, but we normally bake instead of buying a cake. When you prepare it with love, the taste is unique and a birthday celebration is unique! That is the perfect opportunity to give a piece of love, handmade love.

Dad loves chocolate cake and I am sure you can find a recipe on the web or in cook books you have at home. Today I am going to share this moment with you and feel that you guys are going to join us in my Dad’s celebration. So here is the Arroz Guacho Recipe (Sticky Rice Recipe). It will be our main dish tonight, and it is prepared at mom’s home, on her wood stove.

*   *  *

Arroz Guacho

Cooking time: 1 hour.

Ingredients:

1 lb meat, cut into 1- inch cubes

1 lb uncooked long grain rice, rinsed and dried

3 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 roll chopped cilantro

1 crushed clove garlic

1/2 cup red and green chopped pepper

1/2 cup chopped onion

Salt and turmeric to taste

 

Directions:

Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium high heat.

Add the meat and stir for five minutes.

Add water just to cover the meat.

Bring it to a boil until the meat is tender.

Add all the chopped veggies and stir.

Add uncooked rice and more water so that there is one inch above meat level.

Stir occasionally to avoid scorching until rice is cooked.

Serve with a home made tortilla and enjoy!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The secret to food that tastes so fresh and delicious in Costa Rica is because it is prepared with love and most of the ingredients are from the garden, planted by the family and completely chemical free. Greenhouses and agriculture are part of our culture. We always find a site to start planting vegetables and believe me, the taste is better when you have worked hard to enjoy the harvest.

I encourage you to prepare this delicious recipe and to find ways to plant seeds and watch how they grow. The process is medicine for the soul. Nature is the best doctor and the best medicine!

 

About the Author

Lindsay Padilla

Costa Rican mom of 2 boys. Spanish instructor and Program Coordinator in the village of San Rafael, Peñas Blancas, CR.
Lindsay has been a part of the True Nature team for many years, supporting our Costa Rican retreats.

True Nature Travels Blog

Apple Crisp: Staying balanced during the holiday season

apple-crisp-blog

apple-crisp-blog

As the trees around us start to shed, and things become barer, it is natural for us to fall into the same pattern. Fall is the season to shed the parts of ourselves that no longer serve us and use the space
that is created to build something new. This can leave us feeling a little exposed and raw as we strip down to a quieter essence of being and savor the moments of connection and simplicity. In Ayurveda, the science of life, it guides us to live our lives in the same rhythm as nature does since we are a reflection of nature and the universe. We are moved by the energies around us and with that comes finding balance through food and lifestyle.

Some ways to feel more balanced in the fall is by filling the house with what nature gives us, the colors, the plants, the smells. Slowing down and filling that extra time we now have with grounding techniques such as self-love practices, yoga, and meditation, Lastly, eating what food is naturally given to us at this time, filling our bodies with pure nourishment. These are simple and beautiful ways that can help us not only feel nourished but find a guilt free time to enjoying the holidays, especially Thanksgiving, and not feel overwhelmed by interactions with friends and family. The more we take time to honor the natural rhythm inside of us, the more we feel a sense of ease and with that, we let the body relax, the mind relax, and limit stress in our lives. How amazing does that sound? Feeling balanced, not stressed, and fully enjoying Thanksgiving and all that it brings?

I remember as a little girl living in Ohio, my mother would take us to the apple fields to go and pick all the apples we could fit into our little baskets. The joy I got from this was something I will live with forever. The abundance of apples during this time would give us the inspiration to do many things with them in the kitchen, one being Apple cobblers. It would fill the house with a smell that could make anyone melt. It was the perfect dish to support nature and gather smiling people for. After eating a meal of such abundance like thanksgiving, a nice simple, light, and nourishing dessert is something that can really help with digestion and energy. Making us feel revived instead of depleted. This apple crisp will leave the house smelling divine and will leave everyone in a state of joy and harmony. It’s spiced with warming spices that will keep you cozy, it’s gluten free, vegan, light in sugar, it’ll keep that “guilt free” mentality low, and will give thanks to nature and all that it truly supplies. We become so connected with everything and swim with the flow of life instead of upstream.

Thanksgiving is the time to share, to gather, and to give, so enjoy this time of the year and share the gift of longevity, overall health and of course some deliciousness. Also, if you get the chance and live near a place to pick your own apples or support a local farmer, it makes the food even more rewarding and will certainly make someone’s day brighter. I hope you have a safe and joyful holiday.

Most of love,
Chelsea

4 medium sized organic apples chopped
juice of one lemon
1 tbl cinnamon
½ inch fresh grated ginger
2 tsp fresh cardamom
½ tsp salt
2 tbl raisins
2 tbl cranberries dried
4 Tbl coconut oil melted
3 tbl maple syrup
2/4 cup almond meal
¾ cup gf oats

In a large mixing bowl mix the chopped apples, lemon, spices, and dried fruits then set aside.
Mix the coconut oil, flours, and syrup in a separate bowl and set aside.
Toss the apple mixture into a glass round pie dish, spread out and then evenly distribute the topping.
Pat down gently and if desired drizzle a little more maple on top.
Bake with foil on top for about 4 minutes then remove the foil and bake uncovered for 10-13 more minutes.
*note that if you want to have a cobbler style, double the topping so it can spread over the entire pie
in a more thick style

 

About the Author

Chelsea Shapouri is a Lifestyle Consultant for woman and an Elemental Yoga Instructor based in Santa Cruz, CA. In her work, she offers Ayurvedic lifestyle modalities, Yoga, Breath work, Meditations, and Ayurvedic Recipes. Every client and student is rare and special to her. Chelsea’s mission is to find their unique rhythm, their primal-natural state, and from there support them with techniques and recipes that are meant for their bio-individuality. Harmony for the emotional body, physical body, and mental state is the embodiment she lives by and wishes to offer. Bringing people back home to themselves with techniques they can simply do themselves is what she lives for. The art of service is the art of love and she shares what has helped her heal for the hope to help others heal. Stay connected to Chelsea and read her story through social media or her website: https://primal-harmony.com/

True Nature Travels Blog

Herbal Remedies Becoming a Daily Ritual


From my own healing journey as well as knowledge from my studies, I have learned that disease stems from disharmony in the body. If you dissect the word itself you’ll notice that it is “dis- ease,” in other words, there is a lack of ease somewhere and it could be stemming from the mental or the physical body which could be stemming from the mental or the physical. I bring this up because of the current state of affairs, which I want to say respectfully now, I am sending my love and ultimate respect to anyone who reads this that has lost a loved one or is suffering themselves currently from the virus. Below are my personal rituals for health that keep my immune system strong and my mind clear during times of increased stress.

Currently, I am an Ayurvedic practitioner in training past studies/certifications on primal methods of healthy & holistic living for the past 7 years: YTT, CMT,  western herbalism, aromatherapy, culinary, the subtle and energy body (chakra system) and a dedication to my own health journey with nutrition and various gut health methods dealing with immune triggers and parasitic infections. I am here to share with you my personal rituals and suggestions during these chaotic times that I have found to be a major help with our current realities. Health has become more than a passion, it is now a lifestyle that I hold my own power with. In the times of losing my focus, I choose to return to my empowerment and re-making my health my mission, my focus, and my life path. I hold my own hand right back into vitality with full compassion and least resistance, and find that love is more supportive in this journey than being driven by fear. 

A virus can be terrifying when it threatens to take our precious lives, especially since we have steered so far away from ritual with death in our culture. This thought itself can cause tension and stress in the body and without notice, we carry it every day, lowering our chance to fight disease because we stay in that state of a lack of ease. Anxiety and fear are branches from basic stress and are things that people deal with on a daily basis. When we stay in our stress, our body experiences the “fight or flight” effect, leaving us in our sympathetic nervous system. Our body is literally trying to fight what it thinks is life threatening which then releases hormones called adrenaline and cortisol throughout our body. Those hormones can cause an excess in our heart rate, shortness of breath, tightness in our bowels, etc. This is meant to only truly operate when there is an emergency situation and is not meant to feel (even a softly) every single day. Once this sensation is over, we re-enter our parasympathetic nervous system which has the opposing effect from SNS. Too much of this back and forth has a powerful hold on our immune system which over time will drain our bodies. If you are a person that is very sensitive to the effects of caffeine or stimulants, then you can think of this as the crashing effect. 

Fear and stress start to steal moments of our precious lives, becoming all we breath, eat, sleep, and talk about. Can you feel the current fluttering of energy around in the world? The desire to fight it is there, the awareness is there. We have the power to change the focus from fear based decisions to decisions made from hope and love. I believe that now is all we have we and we can use this as an opportunity to make changes, not just for the world but really for ourselves as individuals. If we start with ourselves and truly become our own master and teacher, the way that we can positively impact one another will become limitless. The habits we can start to introduce will slowly become who we are, connecting us back to ritual, the old ways of life that our ancestors lived. Just as the earth knows how to heal itself, our bodies can do the same. With the proper dedication and tools, we can fight back and make a change.

Where do moments that cause SNS and PNS present themselves to you? Is it overworking, social media, over-socializing with non-nourishing interactions? Are you eating the right whole and nourishing foods, taking herbs when needed, giving your body proper somatic exercises, limiting stimulants and caffeine intake, etc.? Life is all about balance and at first, a change in the lifestyle can feel like a complete shock but in the end, it will become so effective that it’ll become who you are. Trust me, I still fall back into old patterns of excess with my vices, especially with coffee and chocolate which almost immediately trigger an immune response in my body when I over consume. However, as irritating it can be having to deal with health issues, I am committed and determined to stay happy and healthy. So, what do I do? I continue to push on forward with my breath and focus my mind on the goals, the sensations I feel when I feel good and then I just continue to let go and enjoy my life. I’m riding this train with you and truly believe this is an amazing opportunity for a lot of us to regain the motivation to make changes in our lives and come back together in our truth.

skullcap - rituals for healthI don’t want to lie and say that this is the easiest of processes, but I can say the ultimate result of being more present within ourselves becomes the most rewarding gift. There is something special and mysteriously juicy about being in love with life again, even with destruction around. In Ayurvedic medicine and its sister science, yoga, I’ve learned a number of beautiful stories of archetypes which each hold shadows and light within themselves, yet there is always a solution and intertwining on the struggles becoming the greatest teachers. Everything results back to loving ourselves and life again, looking at all the new-found treasures. Both Ayurveda and yoga teach us devotion to something beyond our self but always remembering that it starts with self. We must fall in love with our own self, spiritually and physically.

I find when I start to give myself these times of solitude where I engage in the presence of my day with focus on happiness and feeling good, I get to truly be myself and be happy. I feel connected to spirit, hope and a love for what is still beautiful in this world. I live again like no one is watching. I almost feel like I was swept into a tornado of paranoia in the last year or two (longer than I expected), feeling I must document everything, know everything, and be everything and if I wanted to rest and do nothing with one of my days, I’d be punished for it. I’m finding that it is much more enjoyable when I give myself this discipline to just be with myself, understanding my body and how I can have a tremendous impact on the way it functions internally and externally. It definitely takes consistent self-motivation, and the deepest amount of trust and compassion to continue coming back to being with your body and its rhythm, but at the end of the day, there is no other motivation than that which keeps you coming to the practices these sister sciences have to offer. 

 Are you getting enough sleep? Are you eating whole organic foods? Do you keep your main extremities warm during this time of year? Are you washing your hands and keeping up with basic hygiene principles? Are you washing your vegetables especially if they come from anywhere but your own garden? These are basic questions that help me personally come back to why. With all this being said, here are some rituals I include in my life daily that I have found to be most effective in strengthening the immune and happy muscles.

Rituals for Health

With all this being said, here are some rituals for health I include in my life daily that I have found to be most effective in strengthening the immune and happy muscles:

• Yoga, picking a kind that you resonate with and let yourself evolve with it.  If you’re inspired to try a few different kinds, go for it. Just try and really pay attention to which ones you can be the most present in.
• Dancing of any kind, especially in an energized, respectful space (like ecstatic dance for instance), is an amazing way to raise overall positive vibration in the body. Finding different archetypes of ourselves that we can play with that start to lead to the mysteries of our muscles and skin. Unraveling stories that were stuck and bringing our energy body back into balance
• Gardening
• Hiking (nature walks)
• Cutting down social media time!… I can’t stress this one enough. Social media can do a lot to our basic psychology that we are not even aware of. How can living in a world of feeling we always need to share what we are doing to everyone else make us feel calm? It comes back to that feeling of someone always watching, anxiety at its fullest. I do believe it can be a great tool to share and be inspired, so limiting to a small amount a day can help show the positives in all ways.
• Walking
• Journaling
• Alone time (more important than we think. How else are we going to be able to really see where we are stressing ourselves out if we keep filling our days to the point of not even knowing who we are anymore?)
• Cooking
• Singing
• Self-care rituals like baths, self-body massage, etc.
• Cranial Sacral! I’ve completely fallen in love with this
• Exercise
• Good sleep
• Reading
• Music lessons
• Time with animals

To keep the immune system healthy, another important thing to remember is to take time and clear your bowels. Yes, pooping is a very important thing that for some reason has become “shameful” or “embarrassing” to talk about with one another. An herb to help with this is: 2 tsp of licorice powder daily if you are having trouble with consistent moments 2-3 times a day. Enemas 1 week on and 1 week off is another method if you are in need to cleanse or just got through with being sick. Enemas at least twice a month is suggested for optimal health. 

________________________________________

Spring is what we in Ayurveda call Kapha season, with Kapha as the ruler of the immune system and vitality within us. Wet, damp, heavy, and sluggish. Very similar to the sensations we feel when sick. 

Eating foods that mimic the dosha will cause an imbalance in our immune system’s response to fight off invaders and can keep us sick if we are already sick.

Warming, nourishing, and pungent are ways to evacuate the mucus that Kapha can bring. Spices + cooking herbs like coriander, cilantro, sage, thyme, rosemary, ginger, turmeric, and asafetida. All are brilliant, effective, and delicious ways to add some nourishment into our food’s warming and nourishing modalities. Some are digestic and some are going to help expel any excess mucoid plaque still lingering around. For all my fermenting friends, switching kraut with kimchi is more effective during this time due to kraut being cooling and alkalizing and kimchi is warming. Bring in soups, broths, limit carbs but add in carb-y proteins like legumes, and never forget your leafy greens that present themselves around this time. Limit avocados, cold drinks, chocolate, sugars, bananas, and airy like chips, etc. We want simplicity for our digestive tract. I suggest start to really pay attention to how something starts to make you feel and if it adds mucous or sluggishness, remove it from your diet temporarily. 

Adaptogens/Herbs

Some of my favorite adaptogens, diaphoretics, warming, and nervine herbs I’d like to share with you are:

• Tulsi
• Elderberry syrup
• Echinacea tincture or tea
• Reishi
• Astragalus
• Licorice
• Cinnamon
• Catnip
• Yarrow
• Skullcap
• Orange peel
• Rose
• Motherwort
• California poppy
• Nettle

An important reminder is that to be effective, herbs need to be taken daily and not just once a week. It takes a minute to get into the routine but once you are in it, it becomes as easy as making your morning coffee. I suggest looking at the ones that pop out to you and reach out to me or another herbalist friend who can help you learn how these will affect your body’s current state. With this information, have a ritual drink or tincture daily, and start to feel the magic of our plant allies. 

Essential oils

(If pregnant, please consult with a practitioner near you to make sure they are safe for your pregnancy)  

• Ravansara
• Elemi*
• Grapefruit
• Blood Orange
• Cardamon (on belly for digestive support)
• Tulsi (lung support)
• Frankincense*
• Palo Santo*
• Myrtl*
• Naoli*
• Clary sage
• Marjoram
• Eucalyptus
• Rosemary 

*The essential oils that have a star next to them can be made into a blend and put on a handkerchief in a jar. Take it with you on a plane and breath it in throughout the flight. Feel free to email me for further detail on that one. Also, during this season I use either Ravansara or Elemi daily. I take four drops, rub together and rub over my lymph where my jaw is and also, I rub it on my chest. Tulsi is another to use on the chest for respiration. 

So, what’s the key to health? Health is always evolving, so learning to flow with it is the key.

  • Limit fear
  • Make lifestyle changes that bring in more vitality
  • Incorporate ancient ways of being and living into your daily life to connect us truly back to the mother (our earth)
  • Be with the seasons
  • Trust your plant allies
  • Trust each other,
  • Still try and live life to the fullest even amongst the chaos that’s being presented
  • Spend time with loved ones
  • Do things that bring you joy
  • Meditate
  • Somatic breath
  • and connect deeply back to yourself.

These are our roots and trusted companions which help us through our lives. For some added support, stay hydrated, start taking vitamins C + D, and make sure you get good rest. Another thing, I highly suggest getting outside everyday for even fifteen minutes in nature along with cutting down your caffeine intake.

Please feel free to email me for any support or extra rituals for health that I didn’t list here at primalharmony@gmail.com. If you are nervous about any of these suggestions, please consult your health care provider before trying. 

My information has come from many teachers throughout the years and I am currently studying at the Dhyana Center in Sebastopol California. Blessed be to you all.

________________________________________

Chelsea Shapouri is a Lifestyle Consultant for women and an Elemental Yoga Instructor based in Santa Cruz, CA. In her work, she offers Ayurvedic lifestyle modalities, Yoga, Breath work, Meditations, and Ayurvedic Recipes. Every client and student is rare and special to her. Chelsea’s mission is to find their unique rhythm, their primal-natural state, and from there support them with techniques and recipes that are meant for their bio-individuality. Harmony for the emotional body, physical body, and mental state is the embodiment she lives by and wishes to offer. Bringing people back home to themselves with techniques they can simply do themselves is what she lives for. The art of service is the art of love and she shares what has helped her heal for the hope to help others heal. Stay connected to Chelsea and read her story through social media or her website: Primal Harmony

True Nature Travels Blog

Chocolate Truffles with a little spice


Maybe it’s the joy of eating decedent chocolate truffles while cozying up near a fire on a cool and cozy night or it’s the influence of Valentine’s day around the corner; either way something has me feeling romantic and inspired to get experimental with some chocolate in the kitchen. I love exploring different ways of bringing pleasure through our pallets while at the same time bringing a sense of sensuality throughout the body. Personally, I find life very romantic in more avenues than maybe the social norm.

In the program I’m studying in currently, we are learning about all types of spices and the healing properties they bring to our bodies. Something so small yet so powerful can bring a type of healing or awakening with just a single bite of food, magic in pure form. 

Magic from spices, magic from moist and rich chocolate truffles; combine them and we have a journey of the senses. To me, that’s what food is all about, an exploration of senses that bring us to a state of euphoria. It is another chance to love everything that is happening to us and find that area of romance in our lives.

 


The community we get to share the food with, the process of making the food, and then the pleasure of tasting the masterpiece that was curated is all a ritual that gets to bring us as people back to life’s richness. I feel what a day like valentine’s day can be a reminder for is all forms of love, intimacy, devotion, and connection. Do they not all have the same meaning in a form? There is definitely an avenue of marketing that gets brought around this time of the year that is fixated on couples, nice dinners, gifts, etc. but underneath that, there is just a gentle sweet reminder to come back to that feeling of mystery and excitement that everyday life can bring and to feed ourselves and others in a way that will enkindle and revive every cell of our being. 

We can be in love with our self without another’s love to justify the amount we feel and we can also make food that brings pleasure into our being for just ourselves and no other reason than that, because we deserve to enjoy the romance of life even if we are quote on quote single and alone. This time, Valentine’s day, it’s a time to take care of ourselves and enjoy a nice time on our own with treats and whatever sparks our fancy, or gather with the ones we love and share these forms of offerings and devotions to one another that is so ancient, it goes beyond modern times.

 


This recipe is simple, a little messy, and something that all ages and sexes will in my opinion truly enjoy. Chocolate will bring energy and pleasure while the spice factors will bring warmth and excitement. 

Nutmeg is a spice that is an aphrodisiac, slight sedative, and helps aid digestion and brain function. Paprika is heating so it can help warm your body temperature as well as start to move any excess mucus that is in your gut lining, causing a nice detox effect and a support to your digestive health. All Spice is known as a slight sedative and even anti-inflammatory aid. Then, we have the sweetness of Orange zest which’s flavor will bring such an unusual taste into your mouth that it’ll bring the, “mmmmmmm.. what is that” question into the mind as you take bite after bite. Why not have a relationship with our food in a way of fascination and charm? Why not have a great relationship with ourselves, others, and everything this beautiful life has to offer? 

These modalities are just other ways to spice up our lives a little bit more and bring in a little more play while exploring edges. Flavoring can be intimidating but so rewarding in the end, so I hope you enjoy the process of sharing this gift of food with yourself, the ones you love and truly enjoy the sense awakening that may just happen when you bite into these decedent little chocolate truffle treats. I hope you enjoy your time of making some of this delicious medicine and blessed be. Xoxox

 


Chocolate Truffle Recipe:

 8 oz of bitter sweet chocolate
¼ cup of butter or coconut oil (they will be softer with oil so make sure you refrigerate at all times unless eating)
1 cup almond butter (creamy)
1 ½ tsp of flakey sea salt
1 tsp of freshly grated orange zest
2 tsp of vanilla
1 fresh nutmeg grated about ¼ of the way or a little more (test first)
3/4 tsp of plain paprika
2/4 tsp of All Spice
Cacao powder for rolling 

Take the chocolate and butter and place it in a heat safe bowl. Then take the bowl and put it on a sauce pan filled with a little bit of water. Bring the water to boil then reduce the heat to low and stir the chocolate and butter until mixed. This is a double broiler type of action. 

Take the bowl off the sauce pan and wipe the bottom down to get all the water off so none of that moisture enters the chocolate. Once done, place the remaining ingredients into the bowl and stir with a spatula until incorporated. This is the fun part now of folk method cooking. YOU get to control the level of spice to your liking. Use mine as an outline then try it and see if you want more spice, add more paprika. If you want a little more sweetness, add a little more of the all spice & nutmeg. Have some fun with it.

Then refrigerate for about two hours. Pull out when done and then take a little cookie scoop or smaller spoon and start to spoon out some balls. Roll the balls in the palm and then place them in a bowl with the Cacao powder. Toss around a little and then place the truffle on a plate. Continue the process. Hands may fill up with some chocolate so I like to place them back into the fridge while I wash my hands and then start once again. 

Refrigerate for a couple more minutes and then serve when you are ready. Can hold up to one week in the fridge.

 

 

Chelsea Shapouri is a Lifestyle Consultant for women and an Elemental Yoga Instructor based in Santa Cruz, CA. In her work, she offers Ayurvedic lifestyle modalities, Yoga, Breath work, Meditations, and Ayurvedic Recipes. Every client and student is rare and special to her. Chelsea’s mission is to find their unique rhythm, their primal-natural state, and from there support them with techniques and recipes that are meant for their bio-individuality. Harmony for the emotional body, physical body, and mental state is the embodiment she lives by and wishes to offer. Bringing people back home to themselves with techniques they can simply do themselves is what she lives for. The art of service is the art of love and she shares what has helped her heal for the hope to help others heal. Stay connected to Chelsea and read her story through social media or her website: https://primal-harmony.com/

True Nature Travels Blog

Herbal Sun Tea

Herbal-Sun-Tea

When there is a lack of ease in the body, it starts to create disharmony amongst us as a whole, leading us into a spiral of a loss of connection to the pleasures of life. Stress is a feeling of emotional or physical tension that can lead to us feeling forgetful, have headaches, a lack of energy or focus, tiredness, upset stomach, substance abuse, diarrhea or constipation, even weight loss and weight gain. It can be sneaky, so sneaky that sometimes we don’t even notice that these symptoms are being caused by it because we are mostly looking out for the big reactions such as: high blood pressure, skin problems like acne or eczema, menstrual problems, anxiety, and depression. Now there are many factors that can cause us to be stressed especially with rates of living and the environmental problems that we are facing in our days. Let’s remember though, with every problem there is a solution, and when it comes to helping the body there are MANY.

One of my favorites as some of you may know is food & herbs. Food is medicine, and it is a way that can help us integrate back into our environment. Food is a reflection of nature and nature is pleasurable. She’s sensual and inviting filled with life and even death but in a way that brings even more life. She is the perfect example of ourselves. Showing us how we too can find regrowth from the things we shed and how we can be resilient, vibrant, and nourishing. I’ve decided to share with you all something that I absolutely love and find extremely affective. When I feel stressed, overwhelmed, and uninspired, the one thing I mostly crave is something floral and refreshing. I want something to bring me back to the feeling I get after laying in the sun next to a cooling river stream, jumping back and forth from the water to the warm rocks, letting the sun kiss my skin as I lay in fresh air that is surrounded by trees. Feeling so alive again, so inspired, and charged.

Two words, Sun Tea. Yes, you heard me right. You can leave herbs in a jar, close the lid and place it in the sun for hours and it will pull out the medicine from the plants and create a thirst-quenching, restoring tea, purely for your enjoyment. Magic in a jar I like to think. Radiating, nourishing, sun magic.
The herbs I picked for this are especially good for Stress. Lemon Grass, Rose, and Lavender. Three simple but POWERFUL herbs.

Rose, my absolute favorite, is a flower of beauty first native and discovered by the ancient civilizations of China and then spread and cultivated by the Middle East. This is a large staple in the culinary world for Middle Easters but for the Westerners, we love to use it in other ways such as teas and tinctures. It is cooling, an anti-inflammatory, helps open the heart, aids depression, grief, and is used often in times of transitions.

Lemon Grass, another wonderful herb. Native to Sri Lanka and South India but now grows in many countries around the world. The stalks are very common in Asian cooking, but to brew the lemongrass to make tea is another potent method. Studies have shown that it helps relieve anxiety, lower cholesterol, relieves bloating and can help boost red blood cell levels. Lastly, good old Lavender. Since ancient times, lavender has been used to treat many different ailments, mental and physical. Mental health issues, anxiety, depression, headaches, nausea, and even acne. Other possible benefits for the heath are: sleep improvement, reduction in blood pressure, helps combat fungus growth, and can help lessen menopausal hot flashes. All these herbs have medicine that is so large and beneficial to all that we are dealing with as a collective. Even just the simple smells of them can help sooth our minds. Together, let’s start a new trend that can be so simple but yet so effective. Coming back to natures gift to help heal our minds, bodies, and sooth our spirits.

Recipe:

16 0z. mason jar with lid

2 tbl. dried Rose

Full pinch of Lemon Grass (enough to fill the palm of the hand)

1 tbl. Lavender

16 oz. of filtered water

Herbal Sun Tea

 

Place herbs in the jar and fill  with water. Tighten lid on then place in the sun for at least 4 hours. Longer is best! Then strain into another jar and enjoy <3

Together we can heal. I hope this brings you joy.  -Chelsea

 

 

About the Author

Chelsea Shapouri is a Lifestyle Consultant for women and an Elemental Yoga Instructor based in Santa Cruz, CA. In her work, she offers Ayurvedic lifestyle modalities, Yoga, Breath work, Meditations, and Ayurvedic Recipes. Every client and student is rare and special to her. Chelsea’s mission is to find their unique rhythm, their primal-natural state, and from there support them with techniques and recipes that are meant for their bio-individuality. Harmony for the emotional body, physical body, and mental state is the embodiment she lives by and wishes to offer. Bringing people back home to themselves with techniques they can simply do themselves is what she lives for. The art of service is the art of love and she shares what has helped her heal for the hope to help others heal. Stay connected to Chelsea and read her story through social media or her website: https://primal-harmony.com/

True Nature Travels Blog

Goji Pound Cake- A Summer Treat

Goji Cake

Goji Cake

 

The transition of Spring to Summer will never get old for me. There is a richness in it due to the abundance of colorful flowers and fruits that start to bloom. It’s one of those simplicities that fuel the most creative seeds inside, even in the moments where I feel dull or overwhelmed. I can just go for a walk in the shining sun and smell the freshness of the growth around me as I look at the fresh blackberries growing on their vines natively, then I am reignited with passion.

Nothing makes me more excited than to play with colors and flavors. Contrast in everything! I am talking boldness with artisan ways of cooking and kitchen herbalism. I have been loving on oranges and reds lately, something about them in contrast with some type of green and cream color just excites my eyes like nothing else. I wanted to make something new that I haven’t made before that would inspire this same feeling but with flavor along with the color. So, as I walked around the farmers market one day I noticed all of the oranges and kumquats that were being sold… duh, there is my orange color flavor for the cake. Grabbed some then went home to look in my herb cabinet where I looked at the most beautiful out of all in my case, rose hips. Rose to me is one
of the most pleasurable, feminine, heart opening smell and taste that can be added to anything. There is something about it that makes me feel right back at home. Right as I grabbed for it I noticed the goji berries that have been hiding behind it. Ahh, my bread was complete.

I hope this pound cake gives you gratification in every bite as the aromas and tastes bring you a state of bliss and comfort. This is a great cake to bring to summer festivities and gathering, sharing the sweetness with your community. Happy Summer lovely humans.

 

Goji Cake

 

*you will want to make the decoction of the dried orange peel and rose first while
making the cake

  • 1 Tablespoon dried orange peel
  • 2 Teaspoons of dried rose hips
  • Place in a small pot with filtered water, bring to a boil then turn on low and cover
    until the cake is half way done. Then turn it off heat, let it cool then strain into a
    jar.

Cake Method
Oven at 325 degrees

 

  • 1 cup goji berries
  • 1 1/2 cups gluten free all-purpose (grab one with xanthan gum)
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 cup butter (softened)
  • 1 1/4 cup coconut sugar
  • 3 eggs at room temp (this is important)
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp orange extract (if you don’t want to buy it use double vanilla or all together use maple extract)
  • 1 orange
  • 1/2 cup fatty coconut milk (buy one in a can it has no added ingredients)

 

  • Ground goji berries with the flour in a bullet, ninja, or Vitamix then add the baking powder and some salt (a pinch) then mix again. Don’t over mix, not all of the berries need to be chopped. Set aside when done
  • In a bowl of stand-up mixer with paddle attachment or a large bowl with electric hand mixer, beat the butter on medium to high speed until smooth
  • Then while mixer is running slowly, stream in the sugar
  • Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (about five mins)
  • Add the eggs one at a time letting them mix after each addition, about thirty seconds
  • Occasionally scrape down the sides of the bowl to promote even mixing
  • Add the extracts
  • On low speed starting with the flour, alternate the flour then the milk until all is gone, at least three segments
  • Let it mix until just combined and then mix the rest by hand
  • Add in the zest of one orange by using a small cheese grater and the juice
  • Transfer into a lined bread loaf pan or Bundt cake pan that is sprayed with oil or lined with parchment and oil
  • Place in the oven and check on it in about 42 minutes
  • When golden brown in color, center is stable and fork comes out clean from the center, take out immediately and let cool

 

 

Sauce Boss

      • 9 Tablespoons of powdered sugar
      • 2 Tablespoons of the decoction (orange rose)
      • 2 Tablespoons of crème fraiche (leave it out to room temp)
      • 1 Teaspoon of Vanilla

 

In the mixing bowl, start beating the crème fraiche and sugar then add the vanilla and decoction. Beat until desired consistency. If you want it harder, add more powdered sugar. If you want it looser, add more liquid.

Pour when about to serve and then enjoy!

 

About the Author

Chelsea Shapouri is a Lifestyle Consultant for women and an Elemental Yoga Instructor based in Santa Cruz, CA. In her work, she offers Ayurvedic lifestyle modalities, Yoga, Breath work, Meditations, and Ayurvedic Recipes. Every client and student is rare and special to her. Chelsea’s mission is to find their unique rhythm, their primal-natural state, and from there support them with techniques and recipes that are meant for their bio-individuality. Harmony for the emotional body, physical body, and mental state is the embodiment she lives by and wishes to offer. Bringing people back home to themselves with techniques they can simply do themselves is what she lives for. The art of service is the art of love and she shares what has helped her heal for the hope to help others heal. Stay connected to Chelsea and read her story through social media or her website: https://primal-harmony.com/

True Nature Travels Blog

Spring Detox Tea

Spring Detox Tea

Spring Detox Tea

 

“The rivers are swollen with snowmelt, and the sap is starting to run in the trees. All the moisture that was bound by freezing temperatures is now moving to clear winter stagnation.”
-Cara Barstrom.

Just as nature is starting to unfold from its slumber, our bodies start to crave a sense of lightning and clearing. As the river runs more deep and clear, the body starts to break down all of the
stagnation which was created in winter, carving new pathways for vitality and a healthy abundant of Ojas. This is an important time to really learn from natures rhythms, study her evolution and
spend more time outside basking in her greatness. Start to feed the digestive fires and encourage the body’s natural cleansing this time of the year with bitter, astringent, and pungent foods and adding in seasonal greens, bright berries, spicy soups (my favorite), fresh ginger, and fresh turmeric.

 

Spring Detox Tea

 

Everything takes time to grow, it takes patience, purification, and never-ending devotion with the deepest sense of compassion. The lessons that spring can bring are endless as we transition to seeing beauty and growth in every corner we see. Can we learn from our mother and be in cycle with her, so our bodies heal in the most potent way? Be gentle here and start to really stoke your
fire. Exercise daily, especially outdoors and feel yourself cleanse with the sweat. Massage the body with almond oil or grapeseed, rejuvenate the moisture that the skin craves and also dry brush the body weekly before bathing. Wake up with the sun and wind down with the moon, fill your days with life so you only eat when hungry. Most importantly, to stay balanced and supported through spring, drink tulsi, ginger, or the Spring Detox tea daily.

 

Spring Detox Tea

 

I’m going to share with you all the detox tea. To me, keeping myself hydrated and my digestive fires supported is what gets me out of this heavy energy that can linger from the winter. It’s time to shed and bloom, move past this slow, sticky, and even lethargic state and start to put all of my effort into my days. Planting seeds of intention so they grow with the nature around me. This tea will help with any feeling of sluggishness and really get your digestive system into gear. We are only as healthy mentally as our gut, right? So, for this season, stay light, warmed, and stay with what’s in season to eat. I hope you all enjoy this beautiful transition.

Let’s get growing

 

Spring Detox Tea

 

Spring Detox Tea

2 cups filtered water
1-2 inches of fresh gingerroot
1-2 anise stars (depending on your liking to licorice)
3 cloves
3 peppercorns
1 tsp cinnamon powder

 

Start by putting the crushed or not crushed spices (except cinnamon) in a small saucepan, medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes to dry roast. Then add the water and cinnamon and bring to boil. Simmer 10-20 mins. Strain and enjoy! This season is a time to cut back on the sweets. If you absolutely need something in the tea, put 1-2 tsp of honey.

 

About the Author

grains of lifeChelsea Shapouri is a Lifestyle Consultant for women and an Elemental Yoga Instructor based in Santa Cruz, CA. In her work, she offers Ayurvedic lifestyle modalities, Yoga, Breath work, Meditations, and Ayurvedic Recipes. Every client and student is rare and special to her. Chelsea’s mission is to find their unique rhythm, their primal-natural state, and from there support them with techniques and recipes that are meant for their bio-individuality. Harmony for the emotional body, physical body, and mental state is the embodiment she lives by and wishes to offer. Bringing people back home to themselves with techniques they can simply do themselves is what she lives for. The art of service is the art of love and she shares what has helped her heal for the hope to help others heal. Stay connected to Chelsea and read her story through social media or her website: https://primal-harmony.com/

True Nature Travels Blog

Healing the Gut Sustainably in 2019

Healing the gut sustainably in 2019-2

I always think the beginning of a new year is always exciting and fresh.

I tend to look at what the year has brought me; the gain and losses, the lessons learned, the growth that presented itself and then just be so grateful for it all. There comes a moment of self-realization and expansion and then there is this new chance to put all the new learning to work! Every year, I start to feel more and more myself with all of the ways I continue to sustainably transform with nature around me.

Now, in the past I have been a person to say my new year’s resolution is to lose a certain amount of weight or to change my eating routine, get successful in my business, etc. None of these things are bad things to want, if it is what will make anyone happy then I vote yes! For myself, I started to just see a pattern of a wanting and succeeding in a quick accomplishment but not really finding a lifestyle change. It would disconnect me from nature because it would cause me to be so physically focused. Throughout those years, I would somehow change my mind in my business, change my workouts because life happened, and would fall out of my eating routine. Then, there I would say either ill start it the next year or next week. See, patterns that literally would waste my energy throughout my days and leave me chasing my tail. This year I am committing to something new that will sustainably give me a deeper connection and a way to give back to what matters most to me.

 

Healing the gut sustainably in 2019-2

 

My new year’s resolution this year is to give back to mother nature as best as I can and to live as sustainably and recycled as I can. There are many ways to do this and I have been doing my part the past few years but I know I can do better. One way, obviously has to do with food. Sustainably composting and limiting on buying process foods that come in “trash” items,” and saving my food scraps that I can use to make stocks!

 

Healing the gut sustainably in 2019-2

 

Stocks, my new favorite thing since last year. The moment I started to make them more often and indulge, it dramatically helped my vitality and health. Did I mention its sustainable as well? Taking our scraps, saving them and not letting them go to waste, what is better than that? Now if you are vegan, that is awesome because I have an option for you too! Vegetable stock is just as nutritious and delicious, it just skips some of the nutrients that bones will give. Here are some benefits that stock brings into your life:

  • helps alleviate joint pain- healthy lubricated bones and joints
  • helps heal leaky gut
  • boosts the immune system
  • encourages healthy skin and hair (mostly the bone broth)
  • fights inflammation
  • helps fight common colds
  • promotes weight lost
  • improves hydration
  • increased the mood
  • cell-protecting
  • helps regulate the menstrual cycle

Convinced yet? Improving our health, connecting more with our mother who lets us live and eat from her, and living in more vitality and connection. What could be better than this?
Now for this you will need either a very tall, large pot or my favorite way is a slow cooker. Happy new year all and enjoy getting brothy!

 

Healing the gut sustainably in 2019-3

 

Bone Broth (Vegetable broth option)
1-1/2 pound frozen or fresh beef/chicken bones
3 stalks celery
1 onion
2 carrots
(whatever else you have left over in freezer)
½ cup apple cider vinegar
filtered water
(one stalk rosemary- optional)

First, start by baking the bones in the oven 415 degrees for 15 mins
Then add them into the crockpot
Add the remaining ingredients
Fill with water till the brim
Cover and let cook on low for 2-3 days
Add water daily as needed with 1-2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
*If cooking in a pot. Same steps but keep the stove on low only while you are home
* Veggie stock only- Add herbs like rosemary or sage- double veggies and that is all! Only needs 1-2 days to cook
Strain and enjoy
Can eat the broth on its own or with noodles, veggies, rice, hard-boiled egg…. Endless possibilities!

 

About the Author

Chelsea Shapouri, The Grains of LifeChelsea Shapouri is a Lifestyle Consultant for women and an Elemental Yoga Instructor based in Santa Cruz, CA. In her work, she offers Ayurvedic lifestyle modalities, Yoga, Breath work, Meditations, and Ayurvedic Recipes. Every client and student is rare and special to her. Chelsea’s mission is to find their unique rhythm, their primal-natural state, and from there support them with techniques and recipes that are meant for their bio-individuality. Harmony for the emotional body, physical body, and mental state is the embodiment she lives by and wishes to offer. Bringing people back home to themselves with techniques they can simply do themselves is what she lives for. The art of service is the art of love and she shares what has helped her heal for the hope to help others heal. Stay connected to Chelsea and read her story through social media or her website: https://primal-harmony.com/

True Nature Travels Blog

Winter Treat: Baked Cashew Cheese with Rosemary and Persimmons

 

I am such a fan of the months that are included in Autumn and Winter. There is a certain crisp in the air and smell that brings me back home to the simplicities of life and something about snuggling up near a fire with some hot cocoa, well it’s unbeatable. Not to mention the foods and treats that come along for comfort in these times.

 

 

This year has brought so much travel that I am really enjoying the chance to turn inwards, hibernate, nest and enjoy all the things that the colder months have to offer. It really is a time to
reflect on what we want, what we want to offer, and how to nourish ourselves and the others that are in our lives. I’m excited to get back to the routine, the simplicity of staying inside getting
cozy as the rain taps on my windows, drinking spiced drinks next to a roaring fire and staying in spending time with friends and family.

I remember as a young girl during the holiday my mom would go all out. The décor, the gatherings, all the food; our house was nonstop winter festivities and even just thinking about it brings a smile to my face. The enjoyment that friends and family would get from gathering around a table with a beautiful feast was priceless and of course, I can’t let the tradition die. There are so many ways to throw a dinner party and on how to curate the meal and to my best experience it has been something that uses the seasonal vegetation. A cheese dip was always the biggest hit at our dinners but as the years went on, people’s tastes and dietary needs changed. With wanting to keep the tradition roaring, I decided to play around with a cheese that was made out of cashews.

 

 

 

 

 

So here we have it. A delicious and flavorful “cheese” to serve at a gathering either as a side dish (double or triple the size) or use as an appetizer paired with maybe a deep red cranberry sauce. Turn up the conversation, get the candles lit, your favorite table settings out and you have yourself a fantastic time. Happy Holidays and Happy Seasonal Living! Thanks for growing with me.

Baked Cashew Cheese with Persimmons and Rosemary

Appetizer, side-dish Gluten-Free, Vegan

1 ½ cups cashews, soaked for at least 1 hour
½ cup filtered water
½ cup olive oil
3 cloves of garlic (optional) peeled and cut
Juice of one lemon
½ tsp salt

4-5 Tbl nutritional yeast
2 stems of Rosemary chopped
1 Persimmon (save 1/3 chopped and not blending to mix into
batter)
. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
. Drain cashes and add them to a high-speed blender or food
processor with enough water to just cover the cashews
. Blend until mostly smooth and then add the rest of the
water and ingredients except for half of the persimmons and
the rosemary
. Once blended pour the mixture into a sprayed or oiled oven
safe dish and then mix in the rosemary and persimmons
. Bake for about 40- 47 minutes and then let it sit in the
fridge for an hour before slicing or serving.

 

About the Author

chelsea-grains-of-lifeChelsea Shapouri is a Lifestyle Consultant for woman and an Elemental Yoga Instructor based in Santa Cruz, CA. In her work, she offers Ayurvedic lifestyle modalities, Yoga, Breath work, Meditations, and Ayurvedic Recipes. Every client and student is rare and special to her. Chelsea’s mission is to find their unique rhythm, their primal-natural state, and from there support them with techniques and recipes that are meant for their bio-individuality. Harmony for the emotional body, physical body, and mental state is the embodiment she lives by and wishes to offer. Bringing people back home to themselves with techniques they can simply do themselves is what she lives for. The art of service is the art of love and she shares what has helped her heal for the hope to help others heal. Stay connected to Chelsea and read her story through social media or her website: https://primal-harmony.com/

True Nature Travels Blog

Transitioning into the season of Air and Either: An Ayurvedic approach to the Fall season

Ayurveda

Ayurveda

 

Ayurveda can simply mean “The Science of Life,” and it continues to be one of the world‘s most sophisticated mind–body health systems. It offers deep wisdom, guiding human beings in a vibrant and healthy way to notice how their body works as a whole. Ayurveda seeks to bring balance and harmony to the three wellness domains of our mental state, physical body, and emotional constitution while being aware of the interplay and ripple effects between the three. A way to bring this state of harmony to the body is by doing a cleanse with the “chicken soup” of Ayurveda, Kichari.

Kichari is known to bring balance back to all three states of our being, leaving us feeling nourished and full of vital energy. It is neutral, light, and soft food that both cleanses and nourishes the bod, without supporting an imbalance of any kind. Kichari is known to remove toxins from the body and as it cleanses the gut, it starts to restore a sense of balance in the mind, leaving you feeling more grounded, present, and light. This is a one-pot meal that contains soaked basmati rice, split yellow peas or hulled mung beans, and an array of spices and seasonal vegetables.

Why is a cleanse with this dish a staple for the fall? As we enter fall, we are entering a time of transition and letting go so its beneficial to our entire being if we find the time to remove toxins, remove excess heat that was brought on by the summer, get the GI tract ready for the fall vegetation, and helping the mind feel at ease during a crispy, cold, breezy time of the year. Fall can bring a lot of change and that can leave us feeling ungrounded and under the weather. To restore ourselves we must simply nourish ourselves.

Below I will list the recipe for Kichari and will also leave a link that will direct you to my site where you can find more information on the Kichari Cleanse that I will be hosting Virtually October 15. I hope you will jump on board with me and others for this cleanse, it is a perfect way to start this season.

https://primal-harmony.com/kichari-cleanse/ – Join Me for the Fall Kichari Cleanse!

 

Ayurveda

 

Kichari

Ingredients:

1 Cup white basmati rice
3/4 cup split yellow mung beans (mung dhal)
6 cups filtered water
1 T. Ghee
3 t. cumin seeds

2 t. brown (looks black) mustard seeds
1 inch fresh grated ginger
3 t. ground coriander
1 t. salt
1 inch turmeric (fresh grated)
1/2 t. black pepper
1” piece of kombu seaweed – optional but highly recommended Up to 2 c. chopped veggies

 

Soak the mung dhal for 1 – 2 hours. Thoroughly rinse the rice and mung dhal twice. Use a large pot and heat ghee and add cumin seeds & mustard seeds, after 1 – 2 minutes add ginger, mung dual and rice and cook for another couple minutes. Add water to pot and bring to a boil for 5 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low, add kombu (if using), rest of the spices
& salt and cover, leaving the lid slightly ajar. Cook until tender, about 25 – 30 minutes. Add chopped vegetables (if using) at the last 10 minutes.

Vegetable Suggestions: asparagus, sweet potato, spinach, fall/winter squash.

 

About the author:

AyurvedaChelsea Shapouri is a Lifestyle Consultant for woman and an Elemental Yoga Instructor based in Santa Cruz, CA. In her work, she offers Ayurvedic lifestyle modalities, Yoga, Breath work, Meditations, and Ayurvedic Recipes. Every client and student is rare and special to her. Chelsea’s mission is to find their unique rhythm, their primal-natural state, and from there support them with techniques and recipes that are meant for their bio-individuality. Harmony for the emotional body, physical body, and mental state is the embodiment she lives by and wishes to offer. Bringing people back home to themselves with techniques they can simply do themselves is what she lives for. The art of service is the art of love and she shares what has helped her heal for the hope to help others heal. Stay connected to Chelsea and read her story through social media or her website. Primal-harmony.com

 

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