My So-Called Yoga Life

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    • How To Make A Delicious and Healthy Vegan Eggplant Stew

      Posted at 1:01 am by Lisa K, on October 16, 2017

      Hello lovely people!! Today I would like to present my first guest blog post ever, and it is by a talented lady whose blog I have been enjoying for some time now.  Her name is Kasia and she is a savvy digital media marketer, writer and a health enthusiast. She is the owner, content creator and blogger at The Savvy Dreamer healthy lifestyle blog. On the blog she shares her unique recipes, travel stories as well as beauty and fashion tips.  Be sure to visit her blog The Savvy Dreamer to read more excellent healthy lifestyle content at:

      Home

      I have included Kasia’s social media links as well at the end of the post.

       

      Kasia does share some very delicious recipes and that is why I asked her to share with you all a fabulous Eggplant Stew recipe which is also VEGAN.  Below is Kasia’s wonderful recipe.

      Guest Post by Kasia

      How To Make Delicious and Healthy Vegan Eggplant Stew

      Last summer in an effort to reduce my intake of meat I was looking for some interesting recipe ideas. I also really wanted to add more vegetables to my diet. I remembered a wonderful dish I tried on a recent trip to Jamaica. It was a spicy eggplant stew. My boyfriend and I absolutely loved it and have been craving it ever since. I quickly started looking up recipes online to try to re-create this tasty dish. After looking at a few different recipes I realized that I wanted to put my own spin on it. So I created my own version of an eggplant, onion and tomato stew.

      What I love about this version is that it’s super easy to make and only requires a few ingredients. It’s also not that time consuming. You only need to chop a few things, add a bunch of spices and cook it all in one pot. The total time commitment including prep time, chopping veggies and cooking shouldn’t take you longer than an hour.

      Eggplant Stew ingredients sm

      Did you know that there are certain benefits to eating eggplant, tomatoes and onions? Eggplants contain lots of vitamins and minerals your body needs. They’re rich in vitamin C, K and B6 as well as thiamin, niacin, magnesium, phosphorous, and copper. In addition they give you dietary fiber, folic acid, potassium, and manganese.

      (https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/vegetable/health-benefits-of-eggplant.html)

      Just like eggplant tomatoes also contain a healthy dose of vitamin C and K as well as biotin and molybdenum. They also contain beta-carotene (vitamin A), which is amazing for your skin, mucus membranes, strengthens the immune system, and is good for your eye health and vision.

      (http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=44)

      On the other hand onions contain phytochemicals as well as vitamin C. These nutrients help to improve overall body immunity. Onions also contain chromium, which assists in regulating blood sugar. So now you don’t have to be afraid of onions because they’re really good for you. Throw them in your stews and soups and get a healthy dose of great nutrients.

      (http://foodfacts.mercola.com/onion.html)

      I’m delighted to share my healthy and homemade recipe with all of you. I hope you enjoy it as much as my boyfriend and I do.

      Bon appetite!

       

      Eggplant, Onion & Tomato Stew

      INGREDIENTS

      2 eggplants (medium, unpeeled and diced)

      2 tomatoes (small, diced)

      1 onion (small, diced)

      680 ml of strained tomatoes

      1 cup veggie stock

      2 tablespoons tomato paste

      1 tablespoon ground cumin powder

      2 pinches cayenne pepper

      1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt

      A bunch of basil for decoration (optional)

       

      DIRECTIONS

      Dice the eggplant, tomatoes and onions in small cubes. Set aside.

      Eggplant chop sm  Onions chop sm Tomatoes chop sm

      In a large saucepan add the strained tomatoes, cumin, pink Himalayan salt, cayenne pepper and stock and stir well. Add the veggies and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook for 20 – 25 minutes or until the eggplants are tender.

      Eggplant stew cook sm

      Add additional liquid if you want a thinner consistency. Serve plain alongside your favorite side dish such as rice, quinoa or pasta.

      Eggplant stew 2 sm

      This recipe will make 6 small servings or 4 larger servings.

      End of Guest Post

      Thank you Kasia for sharing your tasty and simple vegan recipe with me and my awesome readers.  What do you think about this recipe? Is it one you would like to give a try? Please let me know what you think in the comments below.  I just love to hear your thoughts😊

      You can also find Kasia on social media here:

      Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesavvydreamer/
      Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesavvydreamer
      Twitter: https://twitter.com/@KasiaMikola
      Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ca/thesavvydreamer/

      Best Wishes,

      Lisa xo

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      Posted in Recipes, Uncategorized | 31 Comments | Tagged easyrecipe, Food, health, healthyfood, lifestyle, Recipes, vegan, vegetarian, veggies
    • Diet of a Yogi

      Posted at 12:37 am by Lisa K, on August 14, 2017

      What Influences Diet Choices for The Ashtanga Yoga Practitioner?

      This question is not just a matter of nutrition for the Ashtangi.  Philisophical principles, interpretation and personal experience will influence diet as much as it does any other part of yoga. This post is not meant to say what is right or wrong, it is really just some food for thought☺️  Seriously though, I know that everyone makes food choices based on their own bodies and beliefs and I wholeheartedly respect those decisions when they are well informed.

      In Ashtanga, there are eight limbs that make up the basis of the practice. In the West, modern yoga is known best by Asana, which is the third limb and refers to the physical practice. This being only one of the eight, you can see that there are several other aspects to the practice of yoga that will deeply influence the life of any serious Ashtangi.

      The first limb is Yama. I have written an entire post on the Yamas. If you would like to learn more about all of them, please check out this post: https://mysocalledyogalifeblog.com/2017/05/29/3rd-edition-using-the-yoga-sutras-of-patanjali-to-enrich-life/

      For today, our main interest will focus on the first Yama called Ahimsa. This particular Yama means to cause no harm or pain. For many, when discussing a yogic diet, it has been interpreted as not harming animals by killing them for consumption. Killing an animal to eat it is viewed to be wrong.

      Vegetarians and Ahimsa

      What is a vegetarian? There are many forms of being vegetarian, but a true vegetarian does not consume eggs, meat or fish. Vegetarians do consume dairy products.

      In the world of yoga, it is most common to find people who are vegetarian. I have read that many yogis consume diary products, specifically in the form of ghee or clarified butter. How far one may wish to take this interpretation is individual, in my belief. What does it look like to go further with ahimsa and your diet? Well, since ahimsa also means to cause no pain, one may decide to be more strict with their diet and become vegan.

      Veganism

      Vegans do not consume meat, fish, eggs or dairy products. Basically, no animal products of any kind will be found in their diet. Generally speaking, the conventional dairy industry and their treatment of animals, is basically why vegans refuse dairy as well. Many vegans will extend their protest of animal cruelty by refraining from wearing leather or any other animal products. Some will only wear vegan make-up and use products not tested on animals.

      How Do You Be A Good Yogi?

      I think the ethical part of veganism is very noble but there are many factors that can make this lifestyle difficult for some. It isn’t really important how far you can go to respect Ahimsa in your life. If you are being mindful and making decisions that allow you to do your best, you are doing your part. Do your best. That’s it. I have, many times, beaten myself up because I made this choice or that, but at the end of the day, it has to fit into your life.

      I will give you an example to illustrate what I mean. When I became pregnant with my first child, I was vegan. With my pregnancy came several food aversions. I hated many of the foods that I relied upon for calcium and protein. There was really no messing around when I had a baby developing inside me so I began to eat some dairy and later on, eggs as well. These are not decisions that were easy for me to make but when it came down to my health, they were justified.

      It can also be difficult if you live in a family that is not supportive of your lifestyle choices. I have heard many silly things from people about being vegan, and if you are not strong and able to stick to your choices because of the opinions of those close to you, it is easy to become derailed. It is helpful to find a community of people who are also vegan and have similar views to yours so that you have some support.

      Another issue that may confront you is meeting the dietary needs of your immediate family.  My personal example of this is my son. He has several food sensitivities to soy, rice, peas, wheat, peanuts, oats and a few other foods. To meet the requirements for a growing child, I find it far too difficult to maintain a vegetarian or vegan diet for him. With just small exposures to these foods, he gets eczema rashes on his body. When he first got the eczema, it was all over his whole body and it was red, itchy and very uncomfortable. Under the advice of a naturopath and some research, I was able to clear him completely. Without these foods, his skin is clear and wonderful. He eats meat. I feel no shame that he does, but I am responsible in where I buy the meat for him to eat.

      So you see, yoga philosophy is just that- philosophy.  It does not mean that if you cannot practice it to the full extent, you are not doing yoga properly.  It is a series of suggestions or a moral code by which we strive to be mindful of and act with awareness to observe it to the best of our abilities. I absolutely love to say ‘Do Your Best.’ Because there is really little else that you can do. It gives me peace of mind to remind myself that doing my best is good enough. My family is healthy, I am healthy and I am thoughtful in the decisions and choices that I make to maintain that. I feel that I am doing my part to be a good Yogi.

      So my advice to anyone asking these questions of themselves?

      Do Your Best

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      Posted in Uncategorized | 31 Comments | Tagged diet, inspiration, knowledge, life, lifestyle, mindful, philosophy, vegan, vegetarian, Yoga
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