Seaweed of the Month Club - Part II

Nori is probably the most widely eaten and recognizable sea vegetables in North America because of our love affair with sushi. “That black, paper-y stuff” my friend affectionately calls it, can be consumed in other ways besides rolling it around steamed rice and raw fish. Nori is also referred to as Sea Lettuce or Green Laver, and has a very mild, nutty, salty-sweet thing going on, so it is a versatile veg that doesn’t overpower the flavour of soups, salads, grains or even popcorn! You can find nori in its pre-toasted form in sheets, often called “sushi nori”, but it also comes toasted, which I find best for other dishes. Sea lettuce, “green nori” that resembles lettuce, is excellent in soups, salads, and in rice and noodle dishes.

Nori has the highest protein content of the sea vegetable family, a whopping 28% (that’s even more than sunflower seeds, lentils or wheat germ)! It contains very high amounts of calcium, iron, manganese, zinc and copper. Compared to other seaweeds, it also tops the list when it comes to vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B12 as well as vitamins A, C and E.

You can now find sushi nori at many grocery stores, but the price tends to be rather inflated. Head down to china town if you want the cheap stuff, or the health food store for the high quality, organically grown variety.

Here's a recipe for sushi sandwiches that is a nice change of pace for picnics or stuffy tea parties. It is very easy to make since it avoids that whole, fiddly rolling situation entirely, and makes you look very "creative".

Sushi Sandwiches (for those who can’t roll)
Ingredients:
1 package sushi nori
1 cup short-grain brown rice
1 ripe avocado
1/2 cucumber
2 carrots
1 red bell pepper
3 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
1 Tbsp. grated ginger
2 Tbsp. tamari or soy sauce
Wasabi to taste (optional)
--> Smoked salmon or sushi grade fish if you are not a vegetarian
Other ingredients…use your imagination!

Directions:
1. Cook rice according to the instructions.
2. In a dry skillet over medium-high heat, toast sesame seeds just until they begin to pop. Remove from pan immediately and let cool.
3. Combine rice with toasted sesame seeds, ginger, tamari, and wasabi.
4. Slice vegetables into flat strips.
5. Place 1 nori sheet on a clean surface and cover with a thin layer of rice. Press firmly so that the grains stick together.
6. Layer vegetables on top of rice and top with another layer of rice (kind of like building a lasagna). Lastly, cover with one more sheet of nori.
7. Using a very sharp, wet knife, cut across the large “sushi square”, making 4 triangles. Try to be very quick and precise when cutting, otherwise you will only smash the sushi and make a big mess.
Serve with extra tamari, fresh ginger, and wasabi on the side.


If it turns out that you can’t roll and you can’t make a sandwich, just fake the whole thing by throwing all of these ingredients into a giant bowl and call it “sushi salad.” No one will ever taste the difference!

My New Roots Profile: Sigrid Natural Skin Care

Isn’t it always the way that when you finally decide to go somewhere, you meet the most amazing people right before you leave? Well, this time was no exception. A few weeks before I came to Copenhagen, I met Sigrid Geddes. She is a beautiful, inspiring and accomplished young woman who created her own natural skin care line, appropriately called, Sigrid Natural Skin Care.

Hailing from rural Ontario, Sigrid is inspired by her natural surroundings, creating all natural products made with high quality ingredients from botanical sources. Sigrid even goes so far to wildcraft many of her herbal ingredients. Wildcrafting is the method of collecting plant materials in their natural or “wild” habitat for food, medicinal, or other purposes. This practice shows Sigrid’s respect and care for environment, and her desire to be involved in every step during the creation of her products. The other ingredients, such as beeswax, honey, and hemp oil are also sourced locally from friends and farmers. Incredible!

Sigrid Natural Skin Care began in the summer of 2004, shortly after Sigrid’s personal experience with a homemade herbal salve. A wound in her hand wouldn’t heal with conventional drugstore creams. Frustrated, she decided to try her friend’s homemade comfrey salve. Within a day the swelling went down and the infection ceased. Excited about the efficacy of this homemade product Sigrid asked her friend to teach her how to make it. She immediately fell in love with the experience of crafting natural herbal body products, and thus Sigrid Natural Skin Care was born.

The extensive natural skin care line includes body butters, face creams, healing salves, ointments, lip balm, massage oil, a face mask, an eye elixir, even diaper rash cream for your little one, and a healing balm for your man's hands!

Sigrid constantly strives to keep the health of our earth at the core of product production and decisions relating to the direction of the skin care line. Her goal is to provide quality products with a minimal environmental footprint, holding the belief that less is more and that any consumption of resources has an impact on our planet. She even delivers her products by bicycle or on foot, giving new meaning to the term “personal touch”.

I admire Sigrid’s dedication to using natural, local and organic ingredients, and I identify with her passion for creating products that honor the earth as much as the body. As we all know, cosmetics and personal care products can be loaded with harmful chemicals, dyes and perfumes. Not to mention, they are made by faceless people who put the bottom line before your health. Sigrid employs completely natural processes and uses the most effective, carefully selected ingredients. I have been lucky enough to indulge in Sigrid’s goodies for the past month and absolutely love the results! The body butter and face creams, my personal favorites, are incredibly luxurious. Even though I am away from home, I still feel a little part of me travels back across the pond when I’m using a homegrown creation, made by a friend.

If you are interested in learning more about Sigrid’s Natural Skin Care, and for purchasing information, please visit her website, http://sigridnaturals.com/.

I am Moving to Copenhagen

Gulp. Okay, time to spill the beans…I am moving to Denmark on Tuesday.

And the real reason I have not posted anything this week, is due to the fact that I am completely preoccupied with packing, errand-running and too many goodbye parties to count (thank you, dear friends).

The big question is, will I continue with My New Roots from my new post overseas? Absolutely. This project is my favorite hobby, and I cannot imagine giving it up. There will be plenty more to come, once I get settled into my new home. (And of course the yoga challenge will continue – even in the airport!!!)

So with that, I bid you all farewell. Happy autumn, Happy Thanksgiving, and good health to each and every one of you. Now here I go…

And So it Begins

Here we go ya’ll…30 days of yoga! Are you ready for it? I have really been looking forward to this challenge and I promise to keep you posted on my own record (which may or not be perfect, but I’m hopeful).

The following sequence should be done everyday for the next 30 days. If you already practice yoga and have a favorite position or series that you want to add, please feel free to do so. Of course your routine over the next month will depend on how much time you have and how you are feeling. The reason I have kept things simple is so that I have a goal that I know I am capable of accomplishing. Once I begin, I usually have a hard time stopping – it’s getting started that’s always the obstacle.

Listen to your body over the 30-day practice. If you feel pain or discomfort, stop.

A note on Yoga Breathing
Throughout this practice, you can try practicing Ojai Breath.
Ojai Breathing, or "Mirror Fogging Breath", opens up your breathing passages, helps your breathing relax and it helps circulate energy in your Energy Body. It's one of the easiest breathing strategies.

Let's explore the sensation we'll be looking for with Ojai Breathing. Open your mouth and breathe outward, as if you are trying to fog up a mirror. Or as if you are softly saying 'hah'. Notice how that opens up the back of your throat? Notice how it makes a rasping sound?

With Ojai Breathing we're looking for those same feelings, only you'll be trying to feel them when you're breathing in. Try it with your mouth open. Then see how relaxed you can make it.

To get the full benefits of this breathing technique, put the tip of your tongue up on the roof of your mouth just behind your upper, front teeth. Let your tongue rest there lightly. This further opens up your throat and closes off your Energy Body so that you can better circulate Energy. This breath will sound much louder than regular breathing. It is full and deep. As you inhale, fill the abdomen and then continue inhaling as you expand and fill the chest. Then exhale first from the chest as it empties and falls and then continue exhaling from the abdomen as it draws inwards completely. This is one round of the full yogic breath.

If for any reason during the posture portion of the series you feel you cannot continue, simply sit in a comfortable position and continue breathing. Remember, yoga stops when you lose consciousness of the breath. If you are not breathing fully, you are only stretching.

Here is the Sun Salutation posture series. Take note of the breath in each position. Click on the pictures to enlarge, if desired.

Begin by standing in Mountain pose, feet about hip width apart, hands either by your sides or in prayer position. Take several deep breaths.






On your next inhale, in one sweeping movement, raise your arms up overhead and gently arch back as far as feels comfortable and safe.






As you exhale, bend forward, bending the knees if necessary, and bring your hands to rest beside your feet.






Inhale and jump, or step the right leg back.








Exhale and step the left leg back into plank position (if you did not jump back). Hold the position and inhale.






Exhale and lower yourself as if coming down from a pushup. Only your hands and feet should touch the floor.






Inhale and stretch forward and up, bending at the waist. Use your arms to lift your torso, but only bend back as far as feels comfortable and safe. Lift your legs up so that only the tops of your feet and your hands touch the floor. It's okay to keep your arms bent at the elbow.



Exhale, lift from the hips and push back and up into "downward dog". Spread your fingers wide and ensure that the weight from the top half of your body is on the palms of your hands, not your wrists. Do not worry if your heels do not touch the ground (mine don't!). Take five deep breaths here.



Inhale and jump, or step the right foot
forward.







Exhale, bring the left foot forward (if you did not jump) and step into head-to-knee position.







Inhale and rise slowly while keeping arms extended.








Exhale, and in a slow, sweeping motion, lower your arms to the sides. End by bringing your hands up into prayer position.

Repeat the sequence five times.




During the 30-Day Yoga Challenge, you may want to consider the following things:
- Get 6-8 hours of sleep every night.
- Wake up and drink warm water with a lemon.
- Tell 10 positive people about your 30-Day Yoga Challenge so you have lots of support.
- Monitor your inner dialogue. You are what you think.
- Be kind. Treat yourself and others with kindness when you eat, exercise,
play, work, love and everything else.

Please feel free to email me with any questions you have over the next month. I am here for answers and support! Good luck and Namaste.

The following people have signed up for the Yoga Challenge. Good for you!
Mikkel, Sheila, Trevor, Geoff, Nigel, Shay, Kelli, Jim, Janet, Julie, Suzanne, Chicky, Paula, Sandy, Kate, Sienna, Rowan, Emily, Laura, Candice


sources: http://audioyoga.com/AY4/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=465&Itemid=140
http://www.yogasite.com/sunsalute.htm
http://www.healthandyoga.com/html/yoga/Benefits.html
http://myogapractice.com/30_day_yoga_challenge