Sprouting: living foods... made easy!

Great Northern Beans: Fully
Sprouted.  3 days.

       Sprouting food is a cheap and easy way to boost the nutrient capacity of seeds, nuts and beans.   Some of the nutrients that are enhanced through sprouting is Vitamin C and specific B Vitamins.   The process of sprouting activate enzymes within the food that help us to digest and utilize the nutrients provided.  It also reduces the cooking time and brings out flavor - What's not to love?!



Almost any seeds, nuts and beans will sprout.  Some of my favorites are almonds, chickpeas, adzuki beans, and great northern beans.  You don't necessarily have to buy special products made for sprouting - usually products straight out of your normal bag or bulk bin will sprout.


Ready...set...sprout!

It's always cheaper to buy in
bulk - check out the bulk bins
of your health food store.

All you need is a mason jar, a lid with a screen, and fresh water.  You can purchase a sprouting jar at any local health food store. The most affordable place to buy one in Greenville is at Creative Health.  They sell a medium sized sprouting jar for $4.99 vs. Whole Foods small sprouting jar for $12.99.  


Directions:

Store your sprouts in a
dark spot - I usually keep
mine in the corner away
from sunlight.  

1.  Fill your mason jar 1/3 full with whatever you want to sprout.  Fill the remaining 2/3 jar with water.  Place in a dark place at room temperature to soak overnight.
2.  The next morning, strain all the liquid out.  Rinse and drain the liquid out again.  Invert the sprouting jar in a bowl so that it will continue to drain and place back in a dark spot.
3.  Rinse and drain 2-3 times per day.   Once fully sprouted (this depends on what you chose to sprout), remove from jar and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for one week.


On Eating Sprouted Nuts:  Enjoy them raw or lightly steamed.  Eat a handful with an apple, toss in a salad, over toast, throw in a smoothie - there are thousands of uses!  

Sprouting Adventures... these
white beans are ready to enjoy.

On Cooking Sprouted Beans:  Now that you've got your beans sprouted you can steam them, boil them, etc.  I wouldn't recommend throwing them in your crock-pot because they take significantly less time to cook then regular dried beans.  


*Sometimes I've found that sprouted beans shed their skin during the cooking process.  If you beans shed their outer skin you can skim it out with a small fine mesh strainer.  If you're going to be pureeing your beans don't worry about this step.  




All photos and content by Keri Rogers.

Keri is an internationally Registered Yoga Teacher, Culinary Nutritionist, and Wellness Coach.  She owns and operates BAYA Wellness, LLC offering Yoga and Nutrition Services.  Keri teachers both privately and publicly around the Greenville area offering on-going classes and special events.  Her path as a nutritionist is all about making healthy living approachable... she teaches the components of healthy cooking, eating, and thinking while also offering specialized services like menu planning.  Healthy living is about the whole pictures of wellness... find your path to living well.

BAYA... Be As You Are!


Contact me for details: www.BAYAWellness.com 

BAYAWellness@gmail.com or 864-430-1275

A Personal Truth...

Hi, my name is Keri Rogers, and I'm a recovering Food Addict and Sugar-Aholic.  At 26 years old, I can admit to you that there were 5 years of my life that I secretly battled with food addictions particularly with sugar, eating disorders (both anorexia and bulimia nervosa), and I was able to overcome that.  It was not easy... but I've been on a healthy eating and living track since August of 2006.  I personally know the struggle, the highs and the lows, the negative health consequences (mentally, physically, and emotionally), that come from addictions to food and eating disorders.   I also know, the incredible healing that comes when you let go of food addiction and eating disorders.    

Now, as a dedicated practitioner of Yoga and Nutrition, I speak from a place of experience and recovery.  And yes, I'll admit I've fallen off the wagon a few times - I get back up and keep going each time.    I'm hosting a very personal Yoga and Nutrition workshop this month through Greenville Yoga.   It's topic is "The Sugar Blues and Foods to Boost Your Moods."  Please consider attending as I will be sharing a wealth of knowledge and experience to help others understand and obtain health.

March 10: 2-4pm with Greenville Yoga on Augusta Rd

Yoga & Nutrition Workshop:  The Sugar Blues and Foods to Boost your Moods $20

For Details, Click Here!  

See below a note I wrote about my own personal truth... posted in November of 2008.  Since writing this note I've come to grips with the fact that before I was consumed with binging and purging eating disorder I experienced another eating disorder in which I starved myself for a year.  Here's to learning and healing:  

I am growing so much each day. Some days I wake up and feel that I see the world with clear eyes. I notice the good in the people around me, the health in my body and my intelligence as a human being and a student. I notice how receptive other people are to me and how much freedom I have to choose everything I experience. Other days, I wake up and my blinders are on - I am stuck in my head.

Lately I’ve come to grips with something very personal I experienced for 4 years of my life. I want to share it for two reasons: what I went through many others have or are experiencing and it may help them and because I think I need to share this truth for my own well being.

Beginning in my junior year of high school I entered into a place where I felt uncomfortable with who I was. I felt that I couldn’t control what was going on around me. I would wake up and think of an endless list of negative things about my body, my abilities, my clothes, etc.

I developed an eating disorder called Bulimia Nervosa in which I would binge on a wide range of foods and purge shortly after. In the process of falling into an eating disorder I also entered into a place of secrecy and isolation.

I felt that what I was experiencing was very unique and was ashamed and excited at the same time to be abusing myself in this way. I would binge eat in my room, hiding away for hours, and then feel guilty for days. My emotions would cycle all over the place and I allowed myself to become addicted to this behavior.

For the next four years I continued to actively participate in the disorder and hid my true nature from myself and the people closest to me. It was a vicious cycle, I ate to feel better but felt horrible afterwards. I felt guilty and ashamed and was unwilling to see that I was choosing this behavior.

A behavior I had the power to stop at any moment. I appeared to be very health conscious to all those around me, being very careful to stay in control of myself. I need to say, I ate food that did not belong to me and lied about this behavior when confronted because I was unwilling to accept that I had a serious problem. After four years of Bulimia nervosa I eventually crashed and the summer before my junior year of college I had a surgery that was unrelated to my eating disorder that took several months to recover from. I made a commitment to myself during my crash that when I returned to college, and moved into my one bedroom apartment that I had just signed the lease for - that I would let go of this disorder. When I made that commitment to myself I stuck by it, and I had made the commitment to stop bulimia many times before unsuccessfully.

I didn’t tell anyone about my disorder and let go of it on my own and have had healthy eating patterns for two years now. I am only recently realizing the seriousness of my eating disorder and all of the ways in which it affected me. I am thankful to have experienced this and have learned that I have the power to choose what is best for me and that opening myself to others was a big part of letting go of this secret life. Many close friends of mine and people I love very much may learn of this for the first time in this note… I want you to know that this behavior had nothing to do with you and because I have accepted this I can move on and open myself to you in ways that I couldn’t before.

I know that there are many of us daily with behaviors that limit us from opening ourselves to the people around us, to experiencing love, to achieving our goals and from seeing the good in each day. It seems so hard and inescapable at times but I want to say that each of us CAN grow in a positive way continuously throughout life. If something feels bad it is bad and you should consider how you can improve it. Life really is very simple, and we, as humans make it more complicated then it has to be.

The most important thing I learned from this experience is the power of believing in yourself and getting out of your own way to let healing begin.

Thank you for letting me share this with you.

Comments are welcome… 

March Yoga Schedule

Special Events

Yoga & Nutrition Workshop:  The Sugar Blues & Foods To Boost Your Moods $20 on Saturday, March 10th from 2-4pm with Greenville Yoga Studio on Augusta Rd.  



Ongoing Public Classes

Sundays
2-3:15pm Restorative Flow Yoga $10 with Greenville Yoga Studio on Augusta Rd.
3:30-4:30pm Restorative Yoga $10 with Greenville Yoga Studio on Augusta Rd.  Tuesdays
4:15-5:15pm All Levels Yoga $7 with Westside Aquatic Center.
7-8:15pm Restorative Flow Yoga $10 with Greenville Yoga Studio on Augusta Rd.  
Thursdays
5-6pm All Levels Yoga $10 with Ideal Fitness on East North St.  
7-8:15pm Restorative Flow Yoga $10 with Greenville Yoga Studio on Augusta Rd.
Saturdays
8:30-9:30am All Levels Yoga $10 with Ideal Fitness on East North St.  



 Lessons, Yoga Parties, & Corporate Yoga

Private lessons, Yoga Parties, & Corporate Yoga are available by appointment.  All of these Yoga offerings are at the destination and time of your choice.  We provide the mats, sound equipment, and music... all you have to do is show up!  

- Private Yoga lessons are great for individuals, couples, and families who want a specialized Yoga practice customized to meet their needs.

- Yoga Parties are great for small groups who want to have a special Yoga class to celebrate an event or just want to have a small private class.

- Corporate Yoga is designed for workplace wellness and is offered to businesses around the Greenville area for weekly classes or limited class series.  

Now offering a referral savings program!

About me...

Keri is an internationally Registered Yoga Teacher, Culinary Nutritionist, and Wellness Coach.  She owns and operates BAYA Wellness, LLC offering Yoga and Nutrition Services.  Keri teachers both privately and publicly around the Greenville area offering on-going classes and special events.  Her path as a nutritionist is all about making healthy living approachable... she teaches the components of healthy cooking, eating, and thinking while also offering specialized services like menu planning.  Healthy living is about the whole pictures of wellness... find your path to living well.

BAYA... Be As You Are!


Contact me for details: www.BAYAWellness.com 

BAYAWellness@gmail.com or 864-430-1275

Homemade Chicken Stock

Homemade stocks are one of the most nutritious, cheap, and easy foods to prepare on the planet.  Homemade stocks have been considered a healing food since ancient times.   Bone broths or animal stocks are a great source of minerals.  Ensuring adequate mineral intake is very important!  Adequate mineral balance helps reduce stress, regulate body functions, and support the structures of the body (cells, bones, etc).  

Finished stock - simmered for
8 hours.  The whole house
smells amazing!  

In addition, making your own stock is a great way to be green friendly.   You can use any combination of chicken parts you have on hand (bones, necks, skin, whole chickens, legs, etc).  Using leftover bones and chicken parts helps you get the most out product that you would have otherwise thrown away.  Lastly, making your own stocks help to reduce environmental impact because there is no waste from packaging.  


Use your homemade stock in your favorite soups, rice or other grains, beans & lentils, or to cook vegetables in.  It really is amazing how much you can boost the flavor of brown rice by simply cooking in fresh stock.  No salt needed :-)  

Using an ice bath, helps to remove
the skum from the mesh strainer.  

Homemade Chicken Stock


Ingredients:
2-3 lb pasture-raised chicken parts (bones, neck, & skin)***
1 tbl. raw apple cider vinegar
3 celery stalks, chopped in large 2-3 inch pieces
3 carrots, chopped in large 2-3 inch pieces
2 large onions, quartered into large pieces
1 whole bulb garlic, sliced in half with skin intact
cold filtered water
parsley & any other fresh herbs that you have on hand


Directions:  

Skum (impurities) rising to the top 
of the chicken stock.  

1.  Place all ingredients except herbs in a large stock pot.  Cover with water.  Allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2.  Turn to high heat and bring to a boil.  While stock is heating prepare an ice bath in a small bowl and retrieve a small hand held mesh strainer.  When skum (impurities) rises to the top skim it off with the mesh strainer. Dip the strainer into the ice bath each time.  
3.  Turn heat to warm-low, add parsley, and simmer for 6-10 hours adding more water as necessary so bones and vegetables stay covered.  
4.  Remove from heat and place covered into the refrigerator.  Let cool completely.

Adding fresh herbs helps to pull the
minerals out of the bones!

5.  Skim any solidified fat off of the top.  Strain the liquid and place into air tight containers.  The stock will keep in the fridge for one week. To extend shelf life bring stock to a boil every couple of days to kill any bacteria that may have formed.   Can be frozen and kept for a few months.  


***Alternatively, you could use a 2-3lb whole chicken.  Prepare the same way.  Once you strain the liquid.  Pull the chicken from the bones and reserve the meat for soups, salads, dinners, sandwiches, etc. 

Keri is an internationally Registered Yoga Teacher, Culinary Nutritionist, and Wellness Coach.  She owns and operates BAYA Wellness, LLC offering Yoga and Nutrition services and products.  Keri teachers both privately and publicly around the Greenville area offering on-going classes and special events.  Her path as a nutritionist is all about making healthy living approachable... she teaches the components of healthy cooking, eating, and thinking while also offering specialized services like menu planning.  Healthy living is about the whole pictures of wellness... find your path to living well.

BAYA... Be As You Are!

Contact me for details: www.BAYAWellness.com 

Improve Your Posture with Yoga

     Your posture is one way to practice Yoga whether you are on the mat, sitting on the couch, scrubbing the tub, or in any  of life's activities.  Posture has profound effects on our mood, digestive system,  and overall health.   Personally, through practicing Yoga  I've been able to reduce the amount of headaches I experience, strengthen my digestion, and eliminate low back pain.  Sometimes it's the little things in life that have the most profound effects. 

Consider this...we are most likely to injure ourselves whenever we are not being mindful.  When your mind is else where, it's easy to slouch your posture.  Before you know it your mind is going a million miles an hour.  Then you're sitting or standing with really poor posture - contributing to every painful spot in your body.  Take some time to think about how you sit, stand, walk and transition between those things. 


Here are some Yogic tools to utilize throughout your day:

-  Lengthen your spine.  Lift your heart center and sit up tall.  By lengthening your spine you can work to strengthen the muscles of your core to support you.  In time, finding a neutral spinal position will help to reduce back pain, improve digestion, and boost your mood.

- Hug your navel into towards your spine and lengthen your tail bone down.  Tune into your core strength all throughout the day.  Core makes up all the muscles that support the heart.  Your core muscles are on the front, back, and sides of your torso.  By using all of the core muscles we bring ourselves into a greater state of balance which can help to alleviate tension in the muscles of your back. 

Head Forward Posture

Head Aligned Over Center of Spine.

The Center of your ear aligns

with the center of your shoulder.

-  Center your head over your spine.  So many people suffer from head forward posture, in which, the head juts forward from the spine.  Head forward posture can lead to pain in the back of the neck which is associated with headaches and migraines.  Another common head misalignment is to subconsciously tilt or hold the head in an angled position which can strain the muscles of your neck.

-  Connect with your feet and stand evenly on both legs.  Ground both feet evenly into the earth so that you avoid putting weight more onto one side than the other.  Chronically putting more weight onto one side leg more than the other can lead to discomfort in the knee joint, muscular tightness, or other problems.

- Bring mindfulness into the picture.  Often times when we go through the motions of day to day life we are totally oblivious of our bodies.  We all have habit energies of leaning against counters when they are near by, slouching when we sit on the couch, and letting our backs do most of the work when the muscles of are abdomen and legs should carry some of the burden.  Practice being mindful of how you stand, sit, lean, bend-over, etc.  Be mindful of your posture throughout the day and bring yourself as close to a place of balance (as described above) as often as possible!

In Yoga, Mountain pose (Tadasana)  incorporates all of the above and even more techniques to improve your posture.  On your Yoga mat it's easy to be aware of all of these techniques but the real challenge is taking these tools off your mat and out into your day-to-day!  

Keri is an internationally Registered Yoga Teacher, Culinary Nutritionist, and Wellness Coach.  She owns and operates BAYA Wellness, LLC offering Yoga and Nutrition Services.  Keri teachers both privately and publicly around the Greenville area offering on-going classes and special events.  Her path as a nutritionist is all about making healthy living approachable... she teaches the components of healthy cooking, eating, and thinking while also offering specialized services like menu planning.  Healthy living is about the whole pictures of wellness... find your path to living well.

BAYA... Be As You Are!

Contact me for details: www.BAYAWellness.com 

February Yoga Schedule

Special Events

Yoga & Nutrition Workshop:  The Sugar Blues & Foods To Boost Your Moods $20on Saturday, February 18th from 10:15am-12:15pm with Westside Aquatic Center.  
Yoga & Nutrition Workshop:  Healthy Eating for Busy Folks & Families $20on Saturday, February 18th from 2-4pm with Greenville Yoga Studio on Augusta Rd.  


Ongoing Public Classes
Sundays
2-3:15pm Restorative Flow Yoga $10 with Greenville Yoga Studio on Augusta Rd.
Tuesdays
4:15-5:15pm All Levels Yoga $7 with Westside Aquatic Center.
7-8:15pm Restorative Flow Yoga $10 with Greenville Yoga Studio on Augusta Rd.  
Thursdays
5-6pm All Levels Yoga $10 with Elite Conditioning on East North St.  
7-8:15pm Restorative Flow Yoga $10 with Greenville Yoga Studio on Augusta Rd.
Saturdays
8:30-9:30am All Levels Yoga $10 with Elite Conditioning on East North St.  



 Lessons, Yoga Parties, & Corporate Yoga

Private lessons, Yoga Parties, & Corporate Yoga are available by appointment.  All of these Yoga offerings are at the destination and time of your choice.  We provide the mats, sound equipment, and music... all you have to do is show up!  

- Private Yoga lessons are great for individuals, couples, and families who want a specialized Yoga practice customized to meet their needs.

- Yoga Parties are great for small groups who want to have a special Yoga class to celebrate an event or just want to have a small private class.

- Corporate Yoga is designed for workplace wellness and is offered to businesses around the Greenville area for weekly classes or limited class series.  

Now offering a referral savings program!

About me...

Keri is an internationally Registered Yoga Teacher, Culinary Nutritionist, and Wellness Coach.  She owns and operates BAYA Wellness, LLC offering Yoga and Nutrition Services.  Keri teachers both privately and publicly around the Greenville area offering on-going classes and special events.  Her path as a nutritionist is all about making healthy living approachable... she teaches the components of healthy cooking, eating, and thinking while also offering specialized services like menu planning.  Healthy living is about the whole pictures of wellness... find your path to living well.

BAYA... Be As You Are!


Contact me for details: www.BAYAWellness.com 

BAYAWellness@gmail.com or 864-430-1275

Dis-ease: Tips for feeling better, naturally!

Take a little time everyday to
relax and unwind.

 At some point or another we've all found ourselves tucked under four blankets, with a temperature, congestion, and discomfort among other things. Our western mind tells us, "Take a pill and feel better." But is this always the best answer? Does popping a pill really examine what is going on in our body?

   Our bodies are inherently smart creatures which aim to heal us.Sometimes doing what is convenient and taking a pain or inflammation reliever can numb our senses and interfere with the natural process of healing.

   It's hard to step away from conventional western medicine and think about natural remedies. All of these little fears start to pop up in our heads and out the mouths of our loved ones... What if it's an infection? What if I am really sick and don't know it?

   However, if you're really paying attention and listening to that intelligent body of yours you will know whether or not you need to rush yourself to the nearest emergency room or whether or not you can utilize natural remedies.  

   In the modern world, both western and eastern medicine have a place in the healing world.  One aims to treat the symptoms and one aims to treat the cause.  For example,  Ayurveda, an old eastern system of holistic medicine, does not place importance on labeling dis-ease. Following principles of Ayurveda practitioners treat the root cause of the illness and forget about all the technical details, treating every situation, every individual as unique.

At the end of the day, achieving health is about diving a little deeper into the discomfort you feel. Bring awareness in your body, your mind, spirit, emotions, physical, etc.  You may be surprised at how helpful and inexpensive some holistic health remedies may be. 

Fresh foods are full of nutrients
and digestive enzymes.  Which
help to nourish our bodies!  

For a fever:

- If your fever is low grade skip out on the pain reliever or anti-inflammatory and cool your body down by drinking cold water or taking a cold shower. A fever is the bodies natural response to fight off dis-ease so by allowing your body to invoke this response you allow it to heal itself. If your fever is high, (102 degrees Fahrenhit +) you know what to do - see a doctor.

- Rest and allow yourself to sleep as much as needed.  Don't push it!  Fever's raise the body temperature and this is turn uses more calories, therefore, draining your energy.  

For congestion and sinus pressure:

Fresh Mint:  Mint is a natural
pain reliever

- Use a sinus cleansing system, like the Neti pot or sinucleanse. You can pick up one of these at any pharmacy or health store. They provide instant relief from sinus pressure and reduce the occurrence of sinus infections.

- Steam inhalations: Boil water and then pour into a deep glass bowl. Add 3-4 drops of Eucalyptus and/or Tea tree or Lavender oil. Sit down immediately and breathe in the steam until all of the essential oils have evaporated. Note: Essential oils keep for six months if stored in a cool, dry place.

- Splash Eucalyptus oil on your shower walls and then take a hot shower. Be careful the floor may be a little bit more slippery than usual!

- Rub a thick layer of Vic's vapor rub on your chest, lie down and let the magic happen.  Some even suggest rubbing the soles of your feet with Vic's, putting on socks, and placing feet on a heating pad.  :-)

Coconut oil is a highly digestible,
healthy fat, and can be used in a
raw or cooked form.  

For sore throat:

- Heat a small cup of water on the stove. Add a 1/2-1 teaspoon of sea salt and stir to dissolve. Gargle with the salt water several times throughout the day.

- Make a hot cup of tea with a teaspoon of honey. Such as, Peppermint (a natural pain reliever),  Chamomile, etc. Drink several times throughout the day!

For cough:

-  Drink warm water, peppermint, or chamomile tea with local honey.

-  The old classic - honey and whiskey... this stuff really works.  

For any cold and flu type illness:

- Get regular and adequate sleep so your body can protect you and have time to recover.  

- Eat small amounts throughout the day of healthy fats, lean protein, fresh fruits and vegetables.  These nutrient rich foods will help get you back on your feet!

- Drink plenty of water.... if you can't drink water drink something like coconut water! If you're opting for gatorade or powerade to replace electrolytes then dilute it with water.

- Cut out mucus forming foods, such as: dairy, fried foods, highly refined grains, and sugar.

- Apple Cider Vinegar.  Combine two tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar with filtered water and drink daily for preventative health.  May sweeten with local raw honey and sprinkle with cayenne if desired.  When you feel a cold or sickness coming on drink twice per day.  

***None of the information found in this article is meant to replace the knowledge of your inner guidance system or your health care provider.  

Keri is an internationally Registered Yoga Teacher, Culinary Nutritionist, and Wellness Coach.  She owns and operates BAYA Wellness, LLC offering Yoga and Nutrition Services.  Keri teachers both privately and publicly around the Greenville area offering on-going classes and special events.  Her path as a nutritionist is all about making healthy living approachable... she teaches the components of healthy cooking, eating, and thinking while also offering specialized services like menu planning.  Healthy living is about the whole pictures of wellness... find your path to living well.

BAYA... Be As You Are!


Contact me for details: www.BAYAWellness.com 

BAYAWellness@gmail.com or 864-430-1275