Get Woke, and other thoughts from the Election of 2016

There is part of me that is angry, there is part of me that is sad but there is another quieter part that is ready. Ready for people to recognize that we we not living in a post-racial America. That women and minorities are not being "overly-sensitive" when we say we feel unsafe or marginalized.
Wake The Fuck Up.
If you are a straight white male, this may be the first time you've realized that half the population does not agree with you and does not care about the rights of those you love. A good number of us are aware of this daily. When we think about how we dress, what streets we walk down; the fact that someone could be waiting around the next corner to harm us is present in our mind.

To those of you that voted for him: I remember who you are and I will be waiting. Not to shame you, or belittle you. But to greet you with open arms when you realize that his rhetoric of hate is harming you and those you love. When your reproductive rights are diminished. When your friends can't marry the people they love. When your sisters suffer harm at those who don't view them as autonomous beings. We will be waiting, we will be fighting for you before you're ready to join us.


What can you do now?
Support us every step of the way. Subvert every homophobic joke, every misogynistic snark, every xenophobic piece of nonsense. You may not be able to enact legislature that changes a nation, but you can make changes every day so that this world is a little safer for all of us. Research has shown us that it only takes one person to change a group dynamic. One voice to encourage all others to stand up against injustice. Be that one voice, you never know who is listening.

Wanna do more? Donate below:
Planned Parenthood
NAACP
glaad

Why I Yoga

Kaitlin Van Photography, back when my hair was short.

     Yesterday I got an email notifying me that I have been at my current yoga studio for 2 years. I've been wanting to write about why I practice for a while now, and this seemed like a pretty good sign that I should.
     Practicing yoga is the one "selfish" thing I do for myself. In almost every other aspect of my life the motivation behind my actions are to help someone (or some creature). Yoga is only for me.
     During the hour I have in a class I don't have to worry about whether other people are comfortable, or if there's anything more I can be doing. I just get to breathe and do what feels good inside of my own body.

      I first began my yoga practice when my mom offered to take me to a yoga retreat with her about 5 and half years ago. It was incredible but I didn't really "get" it. I liked how I felt strong and flexible but I didn't see how this was any different than dance or any other physical activity.

      It wasn't until 2 and a half years ago, when I was working a full time job, that I realized the true benefit of yoga (at least to me).  In my job I was giving all of myself every day. Anticipating another person's needs, working to make them comfortable and happy every minute. This hour gave me the freedom to only care about myself. If I do every challenging pose, great. If i sit in child's pose for 45 minutes, great. It's all about what my mind and body need that day.
    Yoga has pushed my to find my edge, to know when to breath and most importantly, that it's okay to put myself first sometime.

Also, If you're in San Diego and looking for a studio, come practice with me at Pilgrimage of the Heart!

Summer Veggie Rice Bowl

      In case you didn't know, summers in Southern California are hot. Like "I don't wanna eat anything kuz I'm about to melt" hot. So I've gotten a bit stuck on what to make for dinner. One night I decided to pull whatever I wanted to eat out of the fridge and figure out a meal to make out of it. Voila! Cold Veggie Rice Bowl. It's colorful, it's yummy, and it'll make you say "Wow, I'm so super healthy!"

Ingredients:
1/2 c Cooked Rice
1/2 Bell Pepper
1/4 Small Jicama
Handful of Cherry Tomatoes (or 1 regular Tomato)
3 basil Leaves
4 Sprigs of Cilantro, just the leaves
2 Tbs Goat Cheese
Drizzle of Soy Sauce

Dressing:
Apple Cider Vinegar
Garlic Olive Oil
Salt Pepper

 1. Dice all the Veggies (Bell Pepper, Jicama, Tomato) and Herbs (Cilantro and Basil) and combine in bowl

 2. Add Oil, Vinegar, Salt and Pepper. Let sit. The longer you let it sit the more water the salt will pull out and the less soggy your bowl will be. Don't understand that? Ask your high school Bio teacher!

3. Prepare Rice according to instructions.

 4. Put rice in a bowl and add a drizzle of Soy (or Soja) sauce. Top with Veggie combo. Do not dump in the extra liquid in the bottom of the Veggies! Unless you want a soggy mess...
5. Crumble Goat cheese on top.
6. Dig in!!

Other Suggestions:
Things to add to the veggie mixture. MAY NOT BE LOW FODMAP
Cucumber, Beans (black, kidney, garbanzo), cold lentils, carrots, mushrooms, any veggie you want!

Cute Little Frittata

 Ingredients:
3 Eggs
2 Small Potatoes
1 Tbs Garlic Olive Oil
2 Handfuls of Spinach
2 oz Cheese of Your Coice
3 Green Onions (The spring green part for low FODMAPers)
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Dice up those Potatoes and boil them for 5-10 minutes (depending on the size of chunks)
2. Warm up oil, drop in Potatoes and brown on each side
3. Scramble up Eggs with diced Cheese and Green Onion

4. Put Spinach in pan until it wilts

5. Pour Egg mixture over Spinach and Potatoes

6.Cover and leave until Egg sets

7. Slice it up and season to taste

Happy Tummies: a Basic Guide to Getting Better

 It's the age old story: Girl has digestive condition, girl tells person about digestive condition, person asks them a thousand questions about digestive health. So here it is! My steps to a happier tummy.

Before we begin, if you're having any serious medical problems (bloody or black stool, etc.) go talk to a real medical professional, not me. That being said, there's no reason you should have to live with mild discomfort every day! So let's take some steps to getting better.

     First things first, look up the steps you need to take to go see a specialist. You may need to get a referral, so best to start this process ASAP. While you're at it, mentally prepare yourself to talk about every aspect of digestion from beginning to end. Gas, bloating, consistency of stool, color, pain, oil, cramps, where exactly, stabbing or dull.  You will be asked about them, so don't be shy.
     Second, Start a food diary.  Keep track of what you eat at general times of the day and symptoms levels.  This is the first thing that a gastroenterologist will ask you to do, so you might as well be prepared the first time you see her. Plus you may be able to discover something on your own.
     Third, go see your doctor, listen to them, do a bunch of tests and make changes to your lifestyle.

What you should be prepared for:
     What surprised me most were the social reactions to me when I said that I had a digestive condition.  Eating is a very social thing, and to have that limited seems to make people uncomfortable. So bring your own snacks and find an alternative to "grabbing lunch". It can be awkward at first, but it's cheaper and often more fun.
     The other thing that surprised me is that people, although they may not understand what is wrong with you, are very quick to offer suggestions.  "I went on a paleo raw vegan diet for a month and that was terrific!" Get used to doing a lot of smiles and nods, but don't jump on any trend until you really think about it.  A drastic change that you don't monitor well could do just as much harm as good.
     For Example, last year I tried to go gluten free for a month.  I was pretty unsuccessful and the stress just gave me even worse stomach aches. But now I'm mostly wheat free and I'm doing lots better. Just because you have a little hiccup in your plan, don't throw it in the garbage.

Most importantly: remember that eating is something we do everyday, and therefore it isn't a quick fix.  I appreciate that I've gone through this journey because it has made me more conscious about what I put in my mouth, even if it hasn't been the smoothest fastest experience.


I'll post more about the specifics of the low FODMAP diet as well as my own experiences with digestive health. But til then, take care of those tummies!