Mango Coconut Banana Bread (Vata balancing)

"Our thoughts and feelings have a chemical effect on our bodies. Stress, repressed emotions, depression, anxiety, lives being lived half-assed – all have profound effects on our wellbeing.

Even our fears, hurts and sufferings need to be digested, along with our last meal.

Being truly nourished has just as much to do with our thoughts, feelings, beliefs and experiences as it does with what we are feeding ourselves on a daily basis."

                                                                                                                   

                                                                                                                  -Corona via nurturepod.com

 

Todays quote was much longer than any other quote that I've posted so far, but I loved the way she expressed so much of what I have been feeling. Today's recipe is brought to you by my loose understanding of Ayurveda. I have read through the lists of flavors that help balance the different doshas and the thing that surprises me time and again is that when I truly listen to what my body is telling me I end up selecting foods that are part of the list to help balance my dosha. It shouldn't surprise me, but it does.

 

I thought about appearing "all knowing" and listing all of the flavors that balance the vata dosha, but that's not where I am at the moment. I am just doing my best to listen to the subtle cues that my body is sending out. You will be happy to know that I am caffeine free again (for the last 12 hours anyway, but it's a start), so that should help.

 

I've learned that winter is the prime season for vata to become imbalanced. Ayurveda says that "like increases like" and "opposites decrease". The vata dosha is characterized by the elements of air and space. Both of which increase in our natural world during the winter through qualities of cold, dry, light, mobile, rough, and subtle. It is not surprising that winters have been hard for me to endure for the last several years. During a time when the vata dosha is easily imbalanced I have also been trying to loose weight, eating light and cold foods instead of the warm and comforting foods that my body wants. The "like increases like" throwing my body into vata imbalance that spirals into depression.   

 

Beyond listening to what my body wants by way of nourishment, I am also trying to do as the quote suggests and truly digest my emotions. It is easier to push those emotions aside, especially the really ugly ones, and just hope that they go away. But scientists are finding that these emotions often have physical repercussions. I think many of us have either read an article or listened to a radio blurb talking about the physical ailments attributed to stress. It isn't hard to imagine that our other emotions create either physical harm or physical healing depending on the emotion.

 

So, today I will allow my emotions a place to express themselves. I wont push away the ugly ones. I will invite them to sit with me, no matter how scary that might be. We will get to know one another and try to come to the reason for their visit. I will love and accept them for what they are trying to teach me. I will digest their lesson and move on, knowing that I didn't try to bury them without giving them a chance to speak. Everything that I experience is for my good.

 

While I am conversing with my emotions, I think I will offer them some of the delicious Mango Coconut Banana Bread that I made yesterday. It has the perfect blend of down to earth goodness that my emotions are in need of. As the days shorten and the earth gets colder I hope you will try some as well. Curl up with a warm slice and a cup of your favorite tea with a splash of milk.

 

 

 

Mango Coconut Banana Bread

 

2 1/2 c flour

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp nutmeg

2/3 c sugar

1 c sunflower oil

4 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tsp coconut extract

2 tsp lemon juice

2 c diced ripe mango (1 large mango or 2 small)

4 extra ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 c coconut flakes

 

Preheat oven to 350 or 325 if using a convection oven. Sift together flour, baking soda and nutmeg. In a separate bowl combine sugar, sunflower oil, eggs, coconut extract, lemon juice, mango and mashed bananas.

 

Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients being careful not to over mix. Divide batter between two prepared loaf pans and sprinkle coconut on top. Bake for 50-55 minutes. Check half way through cooking time to ensure that coconut is not becoming too dark. If it is you can cover the pans with foil to prevent any further browning. Make sure that it is cooked through by inserting a clean toothpick into the center of the loaf; if it comes out clean then it is ready.

 

  

Ayurve-DUH the simple version of what Ayurveda means to me

The body, like everything else in life,

is a mirror of your inner thoughts & beliefs.

Every cell responds to every single

thought you think & every word you speak.

I listen to my bodys messages with

love & respect.

 

 

So at the moment I can't claim to be an expert in all things Ayurveda, but I wanted to take some time today to explain my understanding of Ayurveda and how I apply it in my life. As the quote above says I believe, and the ancient sages of Ayurveda knew, that every thought we have, every breath we take, every bit of nutrition we take into our body, everything we watch and everything we listen to has a direct immediate, and most times, lasting affect on our body. You can see this response when someone elicits a "fight or flight" reaction. When your body senses danger it immediately begins rallying the troops to get you out of the dangerous situation. It increases your heart rate, dilates your pupils and decreases your reaction time compared to a restful state. It releases chemicals into your blood stream that helps your body know that it is ready for whatever is coming your way. It also takes this opportunity to slow down your digestion and if you were a woman in labor it might also slow down your progression because your body knows that any time where you may need to fight or flee is no time to have a baby or use the restroom.

 

 

In David Eagleman's "Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain", he describes new research that suggests that when we view violence our body believes that it is under attack and will react in much the same way, releasing the same chemical messengers, as someone who is actually in a dangerous situation. They studied monkeys that were eating bananas and monkeys that were simply watching another monkey eat a banana. In both instances the same area of the brain "lit up" with activity. The same could be applied to watching something that brings you joy. How many times have you found yourself smiling at the TV? After an uplifting program, how often have you walked away feeling happier than when you started the program?

 

There is a quote that I have been trying to find for several days. The essence of the quote is that every bite we take sends information to your body. You consume the DNA of what you eat and within that DNA is information that will either nourish and protect your body or hurt it. I will post it here when I find it because it says it so much better than I just described, but the message is still the same.

 

Ayurveda describes three main body types or doshas, Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Knowing what doshas are present in your body will help you decide how to balance your life. The sages suggest particular routines to follow, what diseases or "dis ease" may come into your life if your dosha is not balanced and how to live life in tune with your natural body type. There are several quiz's online to discover your dosha, but the one from the Chopra Center is one of my favorite. Most people aren't just one dosha, but when you find yourself in a state of "dis ease" you should focus on your primary dosha and make sure that it is in balance. Here is the link to the dosha quiz.  http://doshaquiz.chopra.com/ At the end of the quiz you will also get additional information regarding your dosha type.

 

All dosha types benefit from routine, but the amount of sleep needed or optimal "wake up" time varies by dosha. My morning routine, when I am doing EVERYTHING that I know will make me happy, looks something like this:

 

5:00 am Wake up, wash my face, brush my teeth, use the restroom (probably a bit TMI, but Ayurveda talks a LOT about digestion).

 

5:15-5:45 Practice Yoga, salutation to the sun.

 

5:45-6:00 Preform Abhyanga. (Using warm oil, give a quick massage to your entire body. I usually do this in the shower to avoid getting oil everywhere. Vata types should use sesame oil. Pitta should use sunflower or coconut oil. This made me smile because my youngest is pitta through and through. Recently we took her to a doctor for eczema and he said that new research was showing that the use of sunflower oil is really beneficial for eczema. Kapha should use sunflower or mustard oil.) It is a head to toe massage, here is a link to how to perform the massage. http://archive.chopra.com/abhy

 

6:00-6:15 Shower. Ayurveda suggests leaving the oil on throughout the day, but that isn't something that I have been able to do yet.

 

6:15 Wake up the rest of the family and make breakfast. Vata types do well with a warm porridge type breakfasts, again there is a HUGE list of things that will balance the different dosha's, but I have found that if I listen to what my body wants I usually come away with something that is on the list, which always makes me smile.

 

7:30 After the kids are off to school I walk the dog and meditate.

 

Ayurveda suggests a slow walk after eating to aid in digestion. I've found that it also helps elevate and maintain my mood throughout the day. They also suggest a few more elements to build into your morning routine, but I haven't quite figured out how to fit them in and haven't discovered their benefits yet. I'm still learning.

 

This is just the very surface of what Ayurveda is. If you want to learn more I suggest the book "Perfect Health" by Deepak Chopra. It dives into the science behind an Ayurvedic lifestyle and the mind body connection. It also has a pretty complete list of things to bring balance back into your life.

 

I hope you enjoyed a little taste of what my life with Ayurveda looks like. I hope to expand my knowledge and practice of an Ayurvedic lifestyle within the coming months and years. I promise to share anything new that I learn or any tips that I come up with to help our western way of thinking and lifestyle fuse with this eastern way of health.

 



Namaste

My soul honors your soul.

I honor the place in you where the entire universe resides.

I honor the light, love, truth, beauty and peace within you,

because it is also within me.

In sharing these things we are united, we are the same,

we are one.

Namaste.

 

Why "No Mas Today"? I chose my blog title as a constant reminder that there will be "No More Today". No more waiting to be happy. No more listless days spent crying that things are not the way I want them to be. No more knowing what I need to do to tear the depression from the bones that it clings to and refusing to put in the effort. No more giving someone else the power to decide the level of happiness I deserve. No more playing the victim.

It took several silent moments, where a sliver of sunlight reminded me that the sun did still exist, to come to the realization that I am worth fighting for. I am a great person that has so much to offer the world. In the deepest, darkest days of depression I had forgotten that. I had forgotten what it meant to be happy. I had forgotten that even the daily mundane tasks could bring joy.

So, no mas today. Today I am turning over that incredibly heavy leaf. I am putting myself first so that I can be the best person I can be for myself, my kids and my husband. They say, "If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy". I hope that throughout the last few years I have been able to mask my unhappiness so that my children don't look back at this time with sadness. I choose happiness for me and my family. I don't want them to be unhappy because I wasn't willing to do the things that I needed to do to find happiness. I am worth it and so are they!

Within this blog, I hope to share with you my journey. I will be sharing little anecdotes of my life, love and passions. I will also be sharing ideas to simplify your life so that you too can find happy again. I will be sharing new recipes that I discover and create that mirror an Ayruvedic lifestyle. Ayurveda is an ancient Indian way of life that focuses on food being a source of healing and joy. There are many other elements of Ayurveda, but I have found that if you start with food the rest follows. If you fill your belly with the things that it needs you become more in tune to the other subtle cues that your body is trying to communicate. I believe that many everyday ailments could be alleviated by simply listening to these cues.

Recently I was asked to write as a member of the Bountiful Baskets blogging team, something that I am so honored and humbled to do. I found Bountiful Baskets at a particularly tough time in my life. It was a time where it was difficult to get out of bed let alone prepare healthy delicious meals for my family. I felt weighed down by the everyday tasks of motherhood and having to plan a menu, shop for the food, bring the food home, put it away and then take it back out again, prepare it, clean up the carnage that happens with a family of six and then do it all over again. But when I didn't nourish my family I felt like a failure, which made everything else just that much worse.

When I got my first basket I felt an enormous weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I no longer had to think about which vegetables I wanted to incorporate into our meals for the coming week. I simply had to show up with my basket and take home all of the delicious goodness. I started looking at my meal planning in a completely different way. Not only was I bringing home vegetables and fruit that I hadn't thought of trying before, but I was also planning our meals around the vegetables in my basket instead of planning an entree and then throwing a vegetable at it as an afterthought.

Here is a link to their website. I would be happy to answer any questions you might have about Bountiful Baskets and would encourage you to check them out!

http://bountifulbaskets.org/

And here is a link to their blog. Look forward to many tasty meal ideas that will nourish your mind, body and soul. Namaste.

http://blog.bountifulbaskets.org/