Bodhimed

I never thought I'd see my kids fight over kale.  Everytime I make these kale chips, however, I wish I had made a whole bunch more.  There's a million ways you can make them, and when I look around the Internet, I discover more combinations I'd never thought of.  If you're not already on this kale bandwagon that's sweeping the nation, get on board right now and go make some!

Nutritional Benefits of Kale

Kale is one of the most nutritious foods you can eat.  In only one cup of kale, you get 192% of your daily allowance of Vitamin A, and 88% of your daily Vitamin C.  It contains 10% of your daily requirement of fiber and calcium as well.  The phytonutrients in kale, along with the antioxidant properties of Vitamins A and C, make it a very effective defense against free radical damage, aka cancer.  Kale actually helps to detoxify the body of harmful chemicals.  With all of these benefits and low caloric value, the more you can eat of this stuff, the better.  So make way more of these kale chips than you'd planned!

Basic Kale Chips Recipe

Wash and dry at least one bunch of curly kale.  Cut the leaves off of the stalk and into small-ish pieces. Think chip-size!

Toss the kale pieces in extra-virgin olive oil and some Celtic or Himalayan salt.

Arrange on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes at 250 degrees.  Enjoy until they're gobbled up by everyone else.

Kale Chips Variations

I've tried several variations on the recipe that were also great.  Get creative, and share your recipes in the comments below!

Always use olive oil, and try adding:

Parmesan, garlic and lemon juice.

Tamari and nutritional yeast.

Crushed almonds, balsamic vinegar, and bread crumbs.

These days just about everyone I know in Santa Fe is either suffering or just recovering from a nasty stomach flu.  It seems these little buggers have become stronger and more obnoxious because hardly any adult or child seems to be immune to it.  When this type of virus strikes, what can you do to shorten its duration?  Here's some natural health tips from various traditions to ease the suffering and an excellent Ayurvedic recipe for your first meal when you're ready to start thinking about food.

Probiotics To The Rescue

One of the most important things you need to do when you come down with a stomach virus is to take a high quality probiotic supplement.  We are exposed to harmful bacteria and viruses all the time, but they only "win" when either they are super-strength bugs, or when our own intestinal immunity is low.

I think it was Gilda Radner on Saturday Night Live who once said "It's always something."  Now it's hexane in my veggie burgers.  Remember hexane? It's an air pollutant and neurotoxin that is a byproduct of gas refining.  Before you start to feel overwhelmed and pessimistic, read on.  There are a few ethical companies who make chemical-free veggie burgers that you can be happy to buy from, or you can take the bigger leap and make your own with this easy, awesome, protein-packed recipe below.

Hexane and Soy

A recent article in Mother Jones magazine publicized an investigation by the Cornucopia Institute into the use of the chemical hexane to produce non-organic soy protein isolate, texturized vegetable protein, and soy protein concentrate.  Hexane became famous as an air pollutant associated with oil refineries and is also a neurotoxin. 

What if I told you that there was a way to satisfy your sweet tooth without actually eating anything sweet?  By changing what you think of as sweet, you can really accomplish this.  Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese medicine both emphasize the need to include all six tastes in your daily diet, so we still want to acknowledge the importance of the sweet flavor, just not sugar itself.  Here's a revolutionary way for you honor your sweet cravings without feeding the desire for sugar.

Empty Sweets vs. Full Sweets

Traditional Chinese Medicine makes a beautiful and radical distinction between empty sweets and full sweets.  Empty sweets are treats containing any sweetener.  I'm talking raw sugar, honey, maply syrup, agave, brown rice syrup, barley malt syrup.  You get the picture.  While some sweeteners are certainly healthier than others, the point is that they are still empty sweets.  They are called "empty" because while they momentarily satisfy a sweet craving, they do nothing to nourish our digestion, so we are left wanting it more and more.

Do you believe that everything happens for a reason?  If we choose to have this faith, then even an accident is no longer just an accident.  It can be seen as a warning sign that we're not paying attention to something important.  I never thought I'd be thankful for an injury.  But surprisingly, having a sprained ankle the size of a grapefruit has helped me to appreciate the power of slowing down. 

Running on Adrenaline

According to Ayurveda, my own genetic constitution is predominantly Vata, otherwise known as Wind.  By nature I tend to be active, verging on hyper if I don't take care to stay grounded.  As I discussed in "The Yoga of (Un) Multi-Tasking", I usually operate by doing several things at once, especially with my kids.  Like many people in our fast-paced society, I can thrive on an energy level that is akin to an adrenaline rush.  There's an illusion in this way of life that we need to be super busy and fast in order to be productive.  This can be described in Ayurvedic terms as a systemic Vata imbalance in Western society.  Everyone is rushing around like the wind, doing too many things at the same time and often missing the joyful subtleties that only stillness can reveal.  Especially in the dry, high-altitude climate here in Santa Fe, it's easy for the wind element to become aggravated.

Are you attracted to people who are exactly like you or exactly the opposite?  Do you and your partner's different ways complement one another or are you like two peas in a pod? My husband and I have totally opposite Ayurvedic constitutions and astrological signs.  But we also balance each other in a way that makes us glad we're not too much alike.  Exploring your relationship dynamic through the lens of Ayurveda can help you appreciate your partner's similarities and differences in the context of the five natural elements.  With a little honest introspection, you might just find that the biggest difference between you and your special someone is actually a healing force for both of you.

Have you ever had a stubborn cough after a cold that just won't go away?  You've probably tried every herbal cough remedy, and maybe even resorted to Robitussin, in an attempt to get some relief.  I feel like I have A LOT of natural tricks up my sleeve that should treat a cough, but sometimes the darn thing won't go away.  I hear this story a lot, and my own children experience this from time to time. Thank goodness there are onions, because they are the magical natural cough remedy you've been looking for. Both Ayurveda and herbal folk wisdom have suggested this onion solution for centuries. Here's a video of how to prepare the onion poultice for deep-seated coughs.

This is a super easy remedy to put together. And I'm not kidding when I say I've had 100% success with this for stubborn coughs!

• Simply chop an onion (or 2 or 3, depending on your size). For increased antibiotic effect, you can throw in a few chopped garlic cloves.
• Steam the onion (and garlic) for about 5 minutes.
• Mix hot onions (and garlic) in a bowl with a few tablespoons of corn starch and one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. Let cool for just a minute.
• Place whole mixture in a natural fiber cloth and fold several times to form the poultice.
• Place cloth on your chest with a heating pad or hot water bottle on top of the poultice. Keep it on for 30 minutes.
• If desired, you may then repeat with the poultice on your mid to upper back for another 30 minutes.

Effective and Safe

This natural remedy is safe for everyone, including little kids and even babies. Just be careful that the onions are not so hot that they might burn the skin!  Sometimes if the cough is just a dry one, the onion poultice is not the best choice. It is better for the phlegmy, wet cough that doesn't respond to any other treatment. You can repeat the treatment several days in a row, if necessary, but I've never needed to do it more than twice!

Leave a comment below to share your story with the onion poultice for deep-seated coughs!