Copper Vessel Magic

An interest in yoga rarely goes very far without encountering the Ayurvedic teachings. My last blog post covered the necessity of dry brushing, an ancient technique rooted in Ayurveda. Today, I want to discuss the magic that happens when we drink water from a copper vessel – another practice found in these ancient teachings.

Here is the copper water bottle I use. It is FDA-certified and leak-proof.

As we delve more into Ayurvedic teachings here on my blog, I wanted to include a look at the etymology of the word.

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In Sanskrit, which is the also known as ‘the language of yoga’ – the word Ayurveda is literally translated to ‘life science.’ So, through these teachings, we can learn how to become more attune to the needs of our bodies.  We can view healing as something the whole body does, rather than just the ‘injured’ parts. We can learn how the systems of the body connect to function as one human organism.

Copper is considered an essential mineral for our body.  Ayurveda recommends storing water overnight in a copper jug and drinking it first thing in the morning.  The water stored this way is called ‘Tamra Jal’ and drinking this will work to balance all three doshas (Kapha, Vata and Pitta.)

Copper has an electromagnetic energy which is called Prana Shakti. Drinking water that is steeped for 3-6 hours in a copper vessel is very beneficial to the body – it helps maintain the body’s pH (acid-alkaline) balance.

Like everything else in life, the key to receiving the most benefit from this practice is balance. It is important to use this technique as a way to supplement your healthy lifestyle, but do not make this copper vessel your ONLY receptacle.

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It is advised that the best way to incorporate this extremely powerful practice is in a 3 months on/1 month off fashion.  

The following is a list of benefits you can enjoy by following the recommendation of drinking water in this way four times per week. 

  1. Anti-Aging: Say farewell to worries about fine lines and wrinkles, copper is your natural remedy.  Infused with powerful anti-oxidant and cell forming properties, copper fights off free radicals which are the main cause of oxidation in the body. Copper also aids in new cell formation. Out with the old and IN with youthful skin.
  2. Anti-Inflammatory: It is said that all sickness begins as inflammation. You can also feel inflammation in the body when you have aching joints or even arthritis. Drinking water steeped in a copper vessel can help to relieve pain in the joints caused by inflammation. In this same way, this practice can help with the relief of acne, eczema, and psoriasis (all three are evidence of inflammation).
  3. Regulates the Thyroid Gland: Experts agree that people with diseases of the thyroid have one thing in common: Low levels of copper. Copper is one of the most important trace minerals the thyroid requires to function optimally. A lack in copper will cause the deterred function of the thyroid. In this way, drinking water from a copper vessel can help to regulate the functioning of the thyroid gland.
  4. Melanin Production: Copper is the main component in the production of melanin – and melanin is the pigment that is found in our hair, skin and eyes. Say yes to brighter eyes and healthier hair! Melanin also helps to guard against sun damage and speeds up wound healing.

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Further reading from a blog partner: https://www.indianshelf.in/10-benefits-of-drinking-water-from-a-copper-vessel/

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Shower Secrets

Today I wanted to share a few of my best tips for getting the most out of your showering experience.

Dry Brushing: This actually takes place PRIOR to showering. Dry-brushing is a fantastic way to stimulate lymphatic drainage. Use a brush like this one. On dry skin, use steady and solid pressure, always brushing towards your heart. Dry brushing not only physically exfoliates the skin, but also internally stimulates the lymphatic system.  The lymphatic system is comprised of spider-web like lymphatic vessels carrying a clear liquid called ‘lymph.’ Unlike the circulatory system which has the heart, the lymphatic system does not have a self-pumping mechanism.  For optimal health, we must make an effort to stimulate the lymphatic system on a daily basis.  In addition to exercising, dry brushing is one of the ways we can accomplish this.

Exfoliating Gloves: Soft skin is healthy exfoliated skin. Putting a small amount of body wash onto the gloves and then scrubbing with a gentle yet firm pressure is a great way to remove the dead skin cells which are preventing you from being your glowy self. Here is the pair that I use.

Shower Meditation: Alter your mood in the shower! As you wash and rinse, visualize any negative energies rinsing down the drain. Focus on positive thoughts and consciously let go of negativity. Do this during every shower for 15 days and watch your world improve in mysterious ways.

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March 2017 Favorites

March is here! It’s time to shake off winter for good. Snow, sun or a combination of both: Hopefully my curated list of current favorites below will brighten your day. Brace yourselves for a comprehensive list, it has been a wonderful past month.

  1. Green Juice: I adopted my current recipe from the Moon Juice Cookbook by Amanda Chantal Bacon. It is her ‘Goodness Greens’ recipe minus the kale. I’ve been juicing this little concoction every single morning. Notice I do not include any fruit, simply the most potent greens/herbs you can find. The taste is also surprisingly mild.
    1. 2 cups of spinach
    2. 1 cup of Italian parsley
    3. 10-12 stalks of celery
    4. 1 cup of dandelion greensFullSizeRender 5
  2. Dr. Greger’s Daily Dozen App: I’ve been using this free app to keep track of my nutrient intake. Michael Greger is a doctor who turned vegan after researching the affect plants have on the body. His book, How Not To Die, is a must-read for any person either suffering from chronic illness or looking to avoid sickness altogether. This app is a user-friendly guide to making sure you are eating the proper amounts of fruit/vegetables/whole grains/etc. per day. It’s so easy. Check out his YouTube Channel here. Use the search bar to find videos answering virtually any food-related question using scientific data. 
  3. Ageless Body Timeless Mind by Deepak Chopra: Did you know that aging is a learned behavior our cells can evade? Did you know that you can rapidly decrease the rate at which you age or even halt it altogether? Chopra explains how in this book. Ross and I have been reading a few chapters every weekend.  The information presented in this book is unlike anything I’ve ever been exposed to.Screen Shot 2017-03-11 at 10.58.55 AM
  4. Rose Quartz Crystals: For those of you who don’t follow astrology, you may not know that the planet Venus is currently in retrograde (approximately March 4th – April 15th). This means that Venus will appear to spin backwards on its orbit for about 40-43 days. Unlike other planets, such as Mercury, Venus seldomly retrogrades. In fact, it only happens every 18 months. This time period will allow for deep interaction with our higher selves. Meaning, self-esteem may take a hit or we may feel unusually vulnerable to our feelings of love or attraction. Venus typically epitomizes all things love, beauty, and creative expression. During a time of retrograde, these feelings could be stifled leading to creative blocks, dips in self-love, and/or feelings of unworthiness. Fear not, because Rose Quartz will help defend you. Rose quartz is the love stone of this age. Meaning, it resonates all things that the retrograde is dampening: Love, beauty, and creativity. I keep two stones in the most trafficked areas of my home and wear one bracelet of rose quartz as often as possible. 
  5. Bubble Masks: I had never tried a bubble mask before, but I enjoyed the Oxygenating Bubble Mask by Miss Spa. This particular one is a sheet mask which bubbles up and creates a foam-like texture on your face. We are using these masks once every two weeks. Product description below:

    The Ultimate in Recovery: Delivers refreshing oxygenating effect to revitalize dull, tired looking skin with white tea and pineapple extracts Give skin a breath of fresh air with miss spa® Oxygenating Bubble Mask. Infused with antioxidant-rich white tea extract, this self-activating crème mask turns into a refreshing, bubbly foam when applied to skin to reinvigorate and reenergize. Pineapple fruit extract and vitamin B3 work to gently help exfoliate and even skin tone, revealing optimum clarity and radiance. Skin is left looking and feeling hydrated, revitalized and healthier than ever.

  6. Adore: This 2013 film starring Naomi Watts, Robin Wright and Xavier Samuel is so delicious. The subject matter is taboo, however the beautiful scenery + beautiful cast + incredible acting is reason enough to seek out this film. The fact that it is shot entirely in 35mm Cinemascope also lends to the otherworldly, no rules observed sort of feelings this film will undoubtedly evoke.Screen Shot 2017-03-11 at 10.25.57 AM
  7. Sticky Fingers Restaurant (Washington D.C.): Located in our nation’s capital, this restaurant is all things vegan goodness. Cupcakes topped with an inch of vegan buttercream frosting, mac and cheese, burgers, burritos, and doughnuts …While I am decidedly happy that this mecca is over four hours from where I live, I am also excited to be traveling back there this month. After first sampling the vegan delights in August of 2015, we’ve chosen this destination as the celebration venue for our THREE YEAR VEGAN ANNIVERSARY quickly approaching on March 19th.
  8.  Ginger Tea: Herbal tea is caffeine free. For this reason, I have been enjoying this particular brew about an hour before bedtime. Ginger is wonderful for this time of year because it warms the body, helping to transition from the cold winter to the more vibrant spring. Not to mention the incredible affects this tea has on digestion. Want to increase your odds of waking up with a flat stomach? Drink ginger tea. But make sure to wait an hour+ after eating your last meal of the day. I am currently mixing freshly grated turmeric and freshly ground black pepper into my tea for added benefits. Turmeric is the root spice which gives curry dishes their bright yellow coloring. Because of turmeric’s high levels of the antioxidant curcumin, it is also recommended by the Daily Dozen App to have 1/4 teaspoon per day. Screen Shot 2017-03-11 at 12.14.56 PM

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Baked Spinach & Artichoke Dip

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Today I bring you another gluten free, dairy free, vegan recipe. Follow the instructions below to enjoy all of the creamy, flavorful heartiness of the traditional recipe without the dairy.

For this recipe you will need:

{Fits a 26 cm dish} Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup of vegan mayo {I used Just Mayo from the Hampton Creek brand}
  • 1/2 cup vegan cream cheese {I used Tofutti brand}
  • 1 cup vegan parmesan cheese {I used Follow Your Heart brand}
  • 8.5 oz can of artichoke hearts
  • 10 oz of frozen spinach {1 bag, thawed}
  • 1/2 cup of chopped fresh spinach
  • 1 tablespoon of minced garlic {optional}

Ingredients for Topping/Garnish:

  • 1/2 cup of vegan parmesan cheese
  • Dash of paprika
  • Sprig of fresh parsley

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Instructions:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
  2. In a medium sized bowl – combine the mayo, cream cheese, and parmesan cheese.

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3.  Add the fresh spinach to the mixture.

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4. Squeeze any excess moisture from the frozen spinach; chop and add to bowl.

5. Drain the artichoke hearts; chop and add to bowl.

6. Add the garlic, to preferred taste.

7. Transfer the well-combined mixture to a lightly greased baking dish.

8. Top with additional parmesan cheese + paprika.

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9.  Bake for 30-35 minutes.

10.  Garnish with parsley + serve with pita s-done-2

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Vegan Salted Caramel Brownies

Today I wanted to share a recipe for a crowd favorite: My vegan salted caramel brownies. These vegan brownies are topped with a three-ingredient homemade (dairy-free!) caramel, what’s not to love?  This recipe is decadent. It is moist. It is rich. Please enjoy 🙂

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Ingredients For Brownies:

  • 2 cups flour (may use a gluten free option)
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar (secret ingredient!)
  • 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa or cacao powder (I used cacao)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1-2 teaspoons sea salt

Instructions:

(Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F) 

1. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and regular

2. Pour in water, vegetable oil and vanilla; mix until well blended.

3. Spread evenly in a 9×13 inch baking pan. Bake for 28-35 minutes. You will know it is done when the surface of the brownies no longer appears shiny.batter-in-dishThe brownies will look like this when finished baking:

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Ingredients For Date Caramel:

  • 8 whole dates
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • About 1.5 cups water

Instructions:

1. Pit the dates and place in a small bowl.

2. Cover the dates in boiling water. Let soak for 10-15 minutes.3. Strain the water from the dates, leaving a small amount of liquid amongst the dates. Squeeze about 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice into the bowl.

4.  Blend on high until the mixture has formed a thick paste.  Spoon this paste onto the brownies and sprinkle a small amount of sea salt on top.

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Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Today I wanted to share a recipe for homemade vegan chocolate chip cookies. These are a chewy cookie. I do appreciate a cake-like texture from time to time, but this recipe offers a more true-to-cookie feel.

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Ingredients:

  • 1 Tbsp ground flax + 3 Tbsp water (To make a ‘flax egg’)
  • 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup Earth Balance butter (I recommend the stick butter)
  • 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup white granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup non-dairy chocolate chips

Instructions:

(Pre-heat the oven to 325 F. Place a piece of parchment over a baking sheet.)

1. Combine the ground flax seed and water in a small bowl. Set aside.

2. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

3. Place the room-temperature butter in another bowl. Add the sugars and whisk continuously for about 2 minutes. It should become light and fluffy and be light beige in color.

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4. Add the flax mixture and the vanilla to the butter mix. Whisk until well incorporated.

5. Add the flour mix to the butter mixture and stir together with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon just until combined – make sure to not overmix6. Add the chocolate chips and gently fold into the dough.

6. Drop by the tablespoon onto the baking sheet. Bake for 10-13 minutes, rotating once. They should look underdone on top.

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7. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes. 

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Super Moon Spa Night

If you gaze up to the sky tonight you will see something that has not been visible since 1948. Something that will not be seen again until 2034. You will see a super-moon. Super-moons themselves are not all that uncommon; we just had one on October 16, and after the November 14 super-moon, we’ll have another one on December 14.

However, the November 14 Moon becomes full within about 2 hours of perigee, so it’s going to look the biggest it has in nearly seven decades.

I like the way Mind Body Green describes the happenings:

The full moon is a time of positive opportunity if you use it correctly.  It can increase your positive energy or conversely, it can wreak havoc on your emotions. 
 
Since the full moon pours down a tremendous amount of energy, you must be in a calm state of mind to receive a positive effect. Remember that whatever is going on in your body, mind and spirit will be amplified. 
 
If you are angry, you will feel angrier or if you are happy, you will feel happier. During the full moon, the ocean swells and emergency rooms have more patients. The energy is very powerful so it’s important to direct it with positive intention. 
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In order to harness the power of positive energy and to create the calm state of mind referenced above, I’ve put together a list of ways you can enjoy an in-home spa night to celebrate the super moon.
 
1. Have a Bath. Both the moon and water are wrought with feminine energy. A woman’s natural (versus someone on the birth control pill) monthly cycle is 28 days. The moon’s cycle of waxing/waning is also 28 days. The moon is receptive of the sun’s light, which is why we can actually see it. The moon itself does not generate light at all. It only appears to glow due to its reflecting light from the sun. The ocean tides are also directly affected by how close or far the moon is from the Earth. I will be using a classic bubble bar from Lush Cosmetics called “The Comforter.” This one in particular is a favorite of many bloggers, so I picked it up while in Chicago.
 
 
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2. Exfoliate While exfoliating, focus on physically removing negative energies from your being. Focus on watching these negative thoughts swirl around and go down the drain. Any emotional blockages which make it difficult for you to express how you truly feel, negative self-talk which holds you back from evolving into your best version, and especially thoughts of you not being the creator of your own destiny; take back your personal power. I just purchased a new sugar scrub from one of my favorite brands, Tree Hut.
 
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3. Drink Tea Non-caffiniated herbal teas are a lovely way to wind down after a long day. My favorites for this time of year are the spicier, heavier flavors such as chai or ginger.
 
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4. Bentonite Clay Masque In the spirit of removing toxic energies, I could not forget to include the application of this masque. Bentonite clay has a very strong negative electrical charge. Since many toxins have a positive charge, the clay bonds to them. When it comes in contact with a toxin, heavy metal, chemical, or other impurity, the clay will envelop the toxin and release its minerals for the body to use. In addition, Bentonite clay also pulls hydrogen from cells, allowing room for oxygen. This helps with circulation, and overall skin tone and health. I’ve been using Aztec Secret Healing Clay for years now, and it still continues to be a favorite. Following the directions on the container, simply mix with apple cider vinegar until a paste is formed.
 
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Top 3 LUSH Products

After becoming the favorite of many bloggers and vloggers, Lush gained what some would consider a cult following. Their natural products are hand crafted using the freshest ingredients; meaning their products have an actual expiration date. Body balms, shampoos, face masques and more; all so fresh they could literally expire.  It is becoming widely accepted that processed foods with a long shelf-life aren’t the best for our health; Lush is applying that concept to our hygiene products.

Lovely scents aside, I can also get on board with their stance on animal testing:

We’ve been fighting against animal testing for decades and believe in only buying ingredients from companies that do not commission tests on animals. We only test our products on human volunteers, and have turned our belief into a company-wide policy.

See below for a quick list of my top 3 favorite Lush products. 

  1. Bubblegum Lip Scrub This lip scrub smells amazing, tastes delicious and it’s vegan. Why would you ever want to scrub your lips with any else?screen-shot-2016-11-06-at-12-24-11-am
  2. Veganese Hair Conditioner This conditioner is extremely light, which means it delivers massive amounts of volume to your hair. The herbal scent is lemony with an Earthy undertone. screen-shot-2016-11-06-at-12-23-58-am
  3. Daddy-O Shampoo Blondes, thank me later. As flaxen-hair babes, we understand the struggle that is brassiness. If you find your blonde strands to be yellowing, get your hands on this shampoo. screen-shot-2016-11-06-at-12-23-36-am

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Cruelty-Free Cosmetics

For today’s post, I bring you a much anticipated topic: Cruelty Free Beauty Products. Yes! I found a way to fuse two of my interests: Veganism & Makeup.

Not until I watched the documentary “Earthlings” did I begin to understand how cruel the cosmetic industry is to animals via animal testing procedures.  What’s worse, I even saw a puppy who looked exactly like my dachshund Sundae being tested on (during a scene from Earthlings).

Let’s discuss some current favorites:

TyraBeauty: Specifically, I am loving the Light in a Stick cream highlighter. This product melts into the skin to create the ‘lit from within’ glow that we are all looking for.

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Light in a Stick Highlighter ($25)

Too Faced Cosmetics: Mascara lovers, the search is over. I can honestly say that the Better Than Sex mascara is my favorite of all time. This product provides volume and length and DOES NOT wear off during the day. I have oily eyelids, so trust me when I say: I know the struggle. Recently I’ve purchased the Milk Chocolate Soleil bronzer and will vouch for it as well. It’s matte (perfect for the winter months) and smells decadently of chocolate.

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Milk Chocolate Soleil Bronzer ($30)
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Better Than Sex Mascara ($23)

Kat VonD Beauty:  Her products are Holy Grail status. Spoil yourself with one of the eyeshadow quads. I literally CAN’T even use my Urban Decay Naked Palette anymore because the KatVonD shadows are vastly superior. Pictured below a few of my favorites.

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Shade + Light Eye Contour Quads in “Rust” ($26)

 

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Studded Kiss Lipstick in “LoveCraft” ($21)

 

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Shade + Light Refillable Face Contour Palette ($49)
 

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