Celebration!!!!

We made it!!!!  Celebrate!  You deserve to be so proud of yourself and of each other.  I am proud of you and everyone who did this cleanse -- so proud.  Now, remember, feeling good can be your lifestyle.  You can live like there is no finish line.  This is your choice, your life, your mind, body and spirit.  

Keep reminding yourself what worked and what didn't for you during the cleanse, and try to incorporate the knowledge and connection to your body you gained during the cleanse.  Become some of these positive changes your have made.

You can always ask us questions and come to us for support, know that.  

Here are some pictures from our beautiful yoga party.

I would love it if you could post recipes to the blog because everything was ridiculously good.  Melissa emailed me the recipe for her amazing soup which I will post soon to share, but please share if you can.  I need to recreate those spring rolls and that sauce, the peanut butter balls, grape leaves and quinoa salsa!  Everything was so good!  I enjoyed the asian tofu salad too.  For some reason I never go to try the raisin cookies, but I hear they were good and I think Lindsay posted the recipe already.  I also didn't try the guacamole but I am sure it tasted great.  I hope Lindsay posted the cupcake recipe too because those were a real treat.  Maggie couldn't make the last class but she had prepared a roasted root vegetable dish that I'm sure was out of this world.  Really great food, beans and all!  I will share my mango quinoa recipe too soon, I promise.

They can because they think they can.
Virgil

 

Congratulations!!!

"If you set a goal for yourself and are able to achieve it, you have won your race. Your goal can be to come in first, to improve your performance, or just to finish the race - it's up to you."  -Dave Scott

Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude

 from achieving his goal ... 

Thomas Jefferson

If you have any interest in this amazing program, now or for the future, let me know.  You would all be great teachers!!!

Keep reading for more recipes and posts.  I am so proud of you all!!!

Love,

elizabeth camp

Pot Luck

What a feast!!!  It was so good to see those of you who were able to brave the weather and make it to the club tonight.  Already I've broken yoga meal rule #6.  With a tummy full of food, I ate my take-home spring roll and stuffed grape leaves.  At least I sat down to do it!  Everything was so delicious.  I look forward to trying to recreate some of your dishes.  As promised, here is the recipe for the vegan, gluten free no sugar carrot cupcakes.

Carrot Cupcakes

3 c Bob's gluten free all purpose flour
1 Tbs baking powder
1 Tbs baking soda
1 tsp xanthan gum
1.5 tsp salt
1 Tbs cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger (I used fresh grated)
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Mix dry ingredients together.

2/3 c coconut oil
1 c agave nectar
1 c unsweetened rice milk (I used soy)
1 Tbs vanilla

Add to dry ingredients to form a thick batter.

1/2 c hot water

Add to make the batter smooth.

3 c shredded carrots.  

Fold in.

Preheat oven 325 degrees.  Line muffin tins.  Pour 1/3 c batter into each cup.  Bake on center rack for 25 minutes.
 
Vanilla Frosting

1.5 c unsweetened soy milk
3/4 c dry soy milk powder
1 Tbs coconut flour
1/4 c agave nectar
1 Tbs vanilla
1.5 c coconut oil
2 Tbs lemon juice

In a blender/food processor: Combine milk, powder, flour, agave and vanilla.  Blend for two minutes.  With machine running, slowly add oil and lemon juice, alternating between the two.

Bon apetit!  Lindsay

2/9/13 - Day 20

 Hello,  just a little more blogging before we are through this lovely journey.

I was reminded of this product I have and rarely use because it has gotten to be at the back of my cupboard probably because it is kind of pricey, but it is a great addition to a vegan diet, or any diet for that matter.  It is called Emerald Energy.  I hear of it because of a smoothie they have at The Wedge called Emerald Pineapple.  I made my own vegan version of an Emerald Pineapple today for an afternoon snack.

 It is a blend of green superfoods and it is a superior tasting formula.  Some ocean mineral superfood blends can be really disgusting.  Emerald Energy helped me make my smoothie today.  For those of you who are worried about not getting enough protein or whatever your concerns are for "leaving out" certain foods can have an amazing opportunity to incorporate some new foods that you may never have tried before.  That film Food Matters I recommended a few posts back, speaks a lot about the truth about superfoods.  If  you want to learn more about the health and vitality boosting benefits watch Food Matters.  You can order your own Emerald Energy at http://www.emeraldproducts.com/  

My vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free dinner.  Thai rice noodles with spicy Thai peanut sauce.  I posted the recipe a few posts back.  :)

We will see you tomorrow at 2:30 in studio 1.  Please bring a plate, utensil and a dish to share.  

Love,

elizabeth

2/8/13 - Day 19 Leaning into the finish line

Good morning!  You are so close to the finish line now!!!!!!

We are so close to the end, finish strong!  I believe some of you will finish today and some tomorrow and some on Sunday, etc.  

It is ¡muy importante! when you start reintroducing foods that you reintroduce gluten first!!!!!

Your systems are so clean right now, free of ama or toxins.  Upon reintroduction of foods your body will be able to notice the tiniest of sensitivities, so be wise about this.  This is no time for a Smörgåsbord, rather reintruduce with care and caution.  You didn't do all this hard self-work and self- study, svadhyaya for nothin'.  

If you have a feeling that you know gluten doesn't work for you for sure, and you are leaving out gluten as a permanent change, great, then test dairy products first.  Dairy can also be a trigger so it is best tested when the system is very clean, like yours so proudly is right now.

 

You have run this hard race with yourself as your hardest competition, be so proud of yourself.  My family reminded me of this book last night, it used to be one of my favorites.  Maybe some of you remember it.  You should all feel as good as Albert right about now.  Albert put aside his old hang ups, junk food and made a better life for himself as a marathon runner.  You are all so close to finishing this yoga marathon -- evolve!  

Stick to your goals, finish strong, meditate everyday for 20 minutes, have a daily yoga meal, and if you have fudged a little (no pun intended) get back on these last few days and finish even stronger.  You have it in you, go for it!!!!!!

I am so excited for our vegan potluck on Sunday and fun yoga class we have in store for you.  I am brining one of my all time favorite dishes to share, I am really looking forward to this celebration!

Much love,

elizabeth camp

Snowga at yoga camp

2/7/13 - Day 18

We are meditating 20 minutes every day now.  

If you are religious and you are uncomfortable meditating let me know.  I like to say a quick prayer before I meditate and a longer prayer after.  The power of prayer can be unparalleled.  

After my 6am yoga class I invited the class, there were about 60 people this morning to meditate with me for 20 minutes.  There were a bunch of you in evolve this morning and I thought you could get your 20 minutes on.  There were seven people that ended up joining in the group meditation and it felt so good.  I would like to try to do that after my 6am classes from now on.  

This is one of my favorite books.  You can read it if you are interested in mindfulness.  

Remember your daily yoga meal.

Love,

elizabeth

Home Stretch

Happy Tuesday!  It was great to practice with you this past Sunday.  I've seen a handful of you since our 20-minute meditation session and am so happy to hear that you have been keeping up with your practice.  Here's a light-hearted post with 100 benefits of having a meditation practice.  Remember, you can meditate in any position (sitting, standing, even moving).  It only requires that you are aware of your respiration and your sensations.  Keep it simple...either you're breathing in or breathing out, it doesn't have to be any more complicated than that.

http://www.ineedmotivation.com/blog/2008/05/100-benefits-of-meditation/

In case you're not already sold on the veggie diet, here is a link to vegetarian times sharing the countless benefits of eliminating animals from your diet.

http://www.vegetariantimes.com/article/why-go-veg-learn-about-becoming-a-vegetarian/

Lastly, for those of you not sure what to do with tofu, here are 30 amazing recipes (complete with pictures!), most of which are cleanse-friendly.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/23/tofu-recipes_n_2001621.html?utm_hp_ref=cooking-healthy#slide=1667818

I am looking forward to our pot luck party this weekend.  I can hardly wait to see what kinds of treats each of you will bring to the table.  Good luck with these final days!

Lindsay

2/4/13 - Day 16: Plant Based Diet/ Book and Film Recommendations

I know yesterday's section of The Quantum Wellness Cleanse spoke more about plant based diets than today's read which is "The Sugar Slump."  Let's talk about sugar tomorrow, I feel like talking about plant based diets today.

I've been thinking of giving you some extra credit through the whole cleanse and haven't done it yet.  I would like to share with you some of my favorite books that I have read over the past few years.  I would also like to offer up some films you can check out if you are interested in food.

In my journey of yoga I have become more and more interested in the well being of all living things.  This of course has to deal with our food system.  Our current food system in the United States is one of the most crucial topics there is to discuss.  We need to take action immediately, and we count.  Sometimes we can feel a little or a lot helpless and hopeless, but just like I teach yoga "Empowering one yogi at a time,"  I feel like we can make a difference, "One yogi at a time!"

Here are some of my favorite reads that will most likely help you along your way on this path that we are all on.  It helps so much to get informed and to see the big picture before you can take a stance on something.

  Michael Pollan's book, The Omnivore's Dilemma,  has been one of my favorites since I first read it four or five years ago.  It is a great introductory book to introduce yourself to the world's state of being and agribusiness, and it takes a very anthropological perspective on telling the story of our world throughout history and our food historically and today.

Some of these books and films I am going to recommend are going to get a little rough, so if you have never thought about "the slow food movement," or agribusiness or a plant based diet as a way of life, start here with Pollan's book, The Omnivore's Dilemma.

      Food, INC. Is a great film but it is really hard to watch.  It always makes me cry but it is really beneficial because it shows the world as it is and we have been very much shielded from the horrors of the slaughterhouses and agribusiness for years and years.  It is a great introduction and it will be sure to stir up some controversy in your home and life.   Everyone on the planet should see it so that we can all be informed on the way in which our choices we make affect all living beings and the planet as a whole.




If you are too squeamish about watching Food, INC.  Try starting with King Corn.  This film is enormously informative without too much violent imagery.  It would be beneficial for everyone to watch this film because it is really geared towards agribusiness in America and how it effects the world.

       Food Matters is a good film to watch if you are interested in health.  It is neither violent nor too controversial.  It is mostly about vitamins, prescription medication and our current healthcare systems and how nutrition can play a major role in our health.  There is also a lot of interesting information on superfoods and organic foods versus conventional farming.  I laughed a lot at this film because the people that are interviewed are really funny.  

      Now for some more serious reads, I recommend the World Peace Diet by Will Tuttle, Ph.D.  This has been one of my favorite books I've read in the last ten years.    Some people prefer Melanie Joy, Ph.D's book Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs and Wear Cows.   I really was blown away by Tuttle's book but found both very informative and empathic.    If you are reading The World Peace Diet  you need  to read through the first couple of chapters because at first he sounds like a crazy new age hippy. If you can get past the first little bit you are in for a good read.  Both of these books are very visceral and jarring.  It is good to be informed on the ramifications of what the choices we make are and how they affect the world and the being in it.

This is the last things I will recommend for today.  Earthlings is the most violent and most awful of these films to watch.  I just recently watched it for the first time a few months ago and it changed me.  It is a great film that we should all watch.  I would recommend building up to this film.  

Books and films like these are hard to watch, at lease I have found they are hard to watch because they make my heart hurt.  In our culture today we are so far removed from where our food comes from and how it has gotten to our plates it is easy for us to forget to think about our choices.  We need to know what we are doing and make choices to make the world a better place.  

Much love,

elizabeth camp

2/3/13- Day 15 Super Bowl Sunday

Hello again!  

I am totally inspired by you all again.  

Thank you for your honesty today, 

thank yourself for showing up and doing this work. 

Like Lindsay said today in meditation, "No one else can do this work for you."

This is a picture of my last night, it was Devin, my husband's birthday.  I feel like my arms look more toned while on the cleanse.  :)

Here we are at The W at the Foshay Tower.  We had a really great night.

We went to dinner with his parents at Manny's.  Actually a fine restaurant to eat at while cleansing.  I like to order the chop salad and have them chop everything really small, I order it without meat, no cheese, no salad dressing and everything is done so well at Manny's, even without salad dressing, it tastes phenomenal.  I also enjoy eating their hash browns.  I ordered sunchokes too and there was plenty to eat.  I have been on and off vegetarian for the last twelve years and honestly, I tried ordering steak a few times over the last couple years and I have decided I just don't even like it anymore.  At this point when I go there I don't even tussle with the idea of ordering a steak because I don't like them anymore.  This may or may not happen for you.  I may or may not have had a few bites of Devin's hypothetical banana cream pie.  Wow!

I had a gathering of people to my itty bitty house after dinner and it was so fun.  Most of the guests were yogis and I knew a lot of us were cleansing so I had all cleanse friendly food.  I served Kombucha and La Croix sparkling water.  I had hummus and carrots, chips and salsa, wasabi peas, seaweed snacks and everyone had a blast.  Lindsay brought grapes for something sweet.  My friend JoAnna brought a surprise chocolate cake that I may or may not have had a bite of too and it was also good.  She had it written on "Happy Birthday Devin".   My intentions for the party were pure and healthy and she brought the cake out of love.   It was the first time I have had people over to our new place and it was so much fun.  

Here is a picture of the shelf above my kitchen sink.  I have a little dish (I think it is for creamer) full of Cumin, Coriander and Fennel seeds all mixed up for CCF Tea ease.  

   Remember the Yoga Meal:  

*Eat One Yoga Meal everyday!!!!!!

-Sit down and enjoy your meal.

-Take two handfuls of food to start out with.

Wait 3-5 minutes before taking seconds.

-Enjoy your food, give importance to it.  Don't talk with your mouth full and put your fork down between bites.

-Eat only when you are hungry, wait 2-6 hours before eating again.

Let's finish strong ladies!!!  Stick to your goals.

The Super Bowl party I went to was fun too.  There were a lot of gluten free options to choose from and I brought a vegan walnut pate with Flaxers.  Yay Super Bowl!

Love you all, you are such an inspirational group of women and I am proud to be your leader.  

So much love.  Let's talk tomorrow.

Best,

elizabeth camp

1/31/13 - Day 11

Here is the Buddha drinking CCF Tea. :)

Cumin, Coriander and Fennel seeds to make CCF Tea.  Another great tea to try in the afternoon is straight up ginger tea.  Either grate or chop up (I prefer chopped bc it is milder) some fresh ginger root and steep it in water and enjoy.  Both of these teas are digestive aids and both will give you a little natural pick me up.  I'm going to make some right now.  Usually I would sweeten it with honey but during the cleanse I am not indulging in honey.  I don't really care for agave nectar, but if you dig it, enjoy you tea with sweetener.  Right now I am making CCF tea with ginger in it.  

I have to say, I am doing well on the cleanse!  :)  I have kept steady with my goals and I got everything done that I set out to do on Tuesday and stayed strong through Wednesday and Thursday.  

(Goals from Monday night)

~Goals for tomorrow~

1) To be kind to myself.  

2) Stick to the cleanse

3) One yoga meal

4) Take Strike with Katie H at 10am in SLP

I met all my goals on Tuesday, I was kind to myself, I stuck to the cleanse, I had a yoga meal, and here is a picture of Katie and I after her Strike class Tuesday morning!  I love Katie, she is a great motivator and teacher!  Later that day I could hardly lift my hands above my head because I was so sore. Urgh. 

After a full day of teaching a practicing, Lindsay invited me over to her house to meet her new puppy, Lydia.

Lydia is about three months old, very sweet and smart.  She is a total puppy -- leaping and bounding to and fro, she is adorable.  I am happy to know her!  Hopefully soon she can meet Maxime and then I will post pics of Maxime and Lydia together.  

Lydia and I at Lindsay's house.

So cute!!!!!

Doesn't Lindsay look pretty with her new puppy?

Lindsay has been dog sitting, so the adorable dog in the back is Cole, he is a friends' dog and he is also super rad.  So cute!!!!

Yesterday was a busy day too.  I showed up to team weight loss at SLP and apparently there was no TWL and so I did some zone training by myself and then went to that new Barre class everyone is talking about.  It was intense.  If you get a change, try it.  It is good to mix things up.

Wednesday afternoon I went to the wedge and found this amazing muffin.  Oh my goodness, to die for!  It was so good.  The wedge is my favorite coop in town.

I have been enjoying my yoga meals each day.  I hope you are enjoying yours too.  I have been working on getting the hang of the yoga meals for over a year now and they are finally growing on me.  Either I am just a slow learner, or the process of the yoga meal takes a lot of time.  I swear, I still have a hard time staying seated while eating.  Just do your best and keep working at it and it gets better.

This was my intended yoga meal for today, my lunch.  A vegan, gluten free, sugar free dish that has lots of protein!  It all starts with the sauce.  You can put anything with the sauce.  You could even bathe in the sauce it is so good.  I usually just put it over green beens, but I felt noodley today and tofuey too.  I made up the recipe and it goes something like this.  (When I cook it is how I teach yoga, I have a basic idea and then it is all based on feeling and intuition, so I don't really measure.)

Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce

Unsweetened coconut milk 1/2c

freshly squeezed juice of a lime

teaspoon freshly grated ginger

2 cloves fresh garlic pressed

peanut butter 1/3c

siracha 1/8c or to taste  (can omit while cleansing bc of sugar or you can just fudge a little)

vegetarian fish sauce to taste

Mung Bean Vermicelli noodles 

Green beens

tofu

I have teacher training tonight so wish me luck!  I still need to get my yoga meal in today because my lunch became a blog project and it wasn't really a yoga meal.  

xoxo

elizabeth