She Essential Blog

Did you ever wonder why we tend to get colds at the beginning of the fall? Both Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda are in agreement that the seasonal change that happens this time of year is a vulnerable time for the body. This is known as the time of Earth according to Chinese medicine which is related to our digestion, intentional energy and cultivation of physical energy. In Ayurveda, this transition correlates to a time when the Vata begins to rise in the body. The Vata is responsible for proper functioning of the respiratory, circulatory and digestive systems. So when fall approaches and we are not mindful of the need to change the diet and slow down, we tend to be more vulnerable to catching colds.

The best way to counter this vulnerability is to slow down for a few weeks, open up some space for extra self care like massage, acupuncture, yoga and make things consistent where you can (i.e. eating regularly, sleeping regularly). From a dietary stand point it is a good idea to counter the light, cold foods of summer with moist, heavy and warm foods. What does this all mean? Look at your diet and let go of the raw food, make it your side dish. Add in soups and stews which are grounding and moistening and consider warming everything up, either by cooking or by adding some warming spices like curry, ginger, cumin, cardamom, etc. Flavors that balance the body through the fall are listed below. Try incorporating these foods into your meals and see your digestion strengthen and your energy transform.

SWEET: Grains, root vegetables, yellow and orange vegetables, nuts, seeds, meat, butter, ghee, beans and lentils.
SOUR: Citrus, vinegar, pickled foods, yogurt
SALTY: Sea salt, seaweed

Curried Pilaf with Cilantro, Basil and Pine Nuts

2 cups of basmati rice
1 small onion, diced
1 teaspoons curry powder
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
¼ cup basil or parsley, chopped
Juice from 1 lime
1teaspoon sea salt
¾ cups raisins
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups hot water
¼ cup pine nuts or almonds, dry roasted

In a medium pot, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion for about 10 minutes to allow it to sweeten in flavor. While the onion is cooking, prepare your basil and cilantro, dry roast your nuts, and turn on your teapot to heat up some water. Once the onions are ready, add in the curry powder, raisins and rice, stirring until everything is coated. Add in 3 cups of hot water, cover the pot and let simmer until the rice is nice and flaky, about 20 minutes. At this point you may add in the cilantro, basil, limejuice and pine nuts. Enjoy this dish on its own or serve it with tofu and vegetables for a well-rounded and delicious meal.

Check back next week for Fall Tea Recipes to get you grounded for the season!

Laura and Beth

Laura Kauffmann and Beth Hooper are Chinese medicine specialists and founders of She Essential Beauty. For more information, visit us on the Home Page.

The transition into spring is one of our favorites. You can actually feel the energy in your body welling up, ready for the next big thing. While we find ourselves smiling as we lift our faces to the sun, it is important to remember that the spring juncture is the best time to nourish and cleanse the liver. A few tips to live by during this transition include the following.

Eat liver cleansing vegetables like dark green leafies, asparagus, ginger and daikon. Pair these with pungent herbs like garlic, chives, leeks and green onions. The liver is most stimulated by astringent flavors, so add lemon and lime into your diet and you will have helped the liver and digestion awaken from its deep winter rest. You will benefit greatly from the lightness that follows as the body and mind WAKE UP.

Green Vegetable Stir Fry

2 leeks, chopped
1 handful of asparagus, chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons minced ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 head bok choy, chopped
2 cups snow peas
1 bunch Chinese broccoli, chopped
1- 2 teaspoons Braggs’ amino acids or soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Lime juice from ½ of a lime
4-5 Thai basil leaves finely chopped (regular basil is a good substitute)
A pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

Heat a large skillet on medium high heat for about 2-3 minutes. Add 1-2 tablespoons of canola oil, minced garlic, ginger and leeks. Sauté for about 1 minute. Add chopped, rinsed green vegetables, stir and cover for 2 minutes. Uncover and toss veggies with Bragg’s amino acids or soy sauce and limejuice. Toss with Thai basil. This can be eaten as a side or to make it an entrée, add jasmine rice, a scrambled egg and tofu, now you have beautiful, healthy basil fried rice.

Enjoy!

February 3, 2011-January 22, 2012

The metal rabbit can provide us with a unique set of tools to improve our way of life while we cruise through this lucky year.

According to the Chinese zodiac, the rabbit represents a year in which you can catch your breath and calm your nerves. Rabbits are calm and cool, yet ready for sudden and quick changes. They have the ability to think and act fast without being frazzled. The rabbit encourages us to focus on taking advantage of our resources, creating a peaceful environment, learning new things and building strong relationships. It is a good time to negotiate, rather than force issues. But don’t expect things to just start happening, let the zodiac be a guide to create all things positive. Focus on the mantras of the rabbit and bring balance and happiness back into your life.

Strengthen Relationships

Relationships gain strength through communication, negotiation and good listening. I am a fond believer that what you don’t communicate ends up running your life. Communicate clearly with confidence, in a way that empowers others and leaves you feeling empowered too. Listen to your partner, child, sibling, friend: It is one of the greatest gifts you can give and get.

Create a Peaceful Home

Rabbits always have a “secure” and trusted route to their “rabbit hole”. Setting up your home to look and feel calm can give you a sense of security that opens the door to the peace we all strive to create in our living spaces. Your home is related to your yin and the more secure and grounded you feel in it, the more healthy and grounded you will be. You can take this a step further by looking at your body as the vessel (home) to your soul. Let this be a year that you attend to your physical ailments, strengthening your body and mending old injuries will leave you feeling happier and healthier for sure.

Learn Something New

Learning new things is a rabbit quality and taking on a new endeavor in a rabbit year usually comes with ease. The rewards of studying something new this year has the potential to grow a business, create new projects, gain more experience and increase monetary growth. Feeling uninspired? Take a class and create the changes you need in your life to move forward.

Be Resourceful

Rabbits are known to be very clever and resourceful. Take on this rabbit trait and tackle difficult situations with a different mindset. Use your inner resources, be imaginative, be more efficient with your time and money. All of these things are traits of the rabbit character and can be useful tools to practice successfully during this metal rabbit year.

Happy New Year!

Laura Kauffmann and Beth Hooper are co-founders of She Essential Beauty, entrepreneurs and share a philosophy that beauty comes from within.

This holiday season we thought it would be nice to give you the chance to win a She Essential Beauty Gift Box, filled to the brim with lots of goodies and worth $180! To enter our contest, all you have to do is leave your name and email in the comments section below, and tell us which product of ours you like the most or are most interested in trying.

The winner will be announced in a week and will receive the following products in their gift set:

Herbal Bath Salts
Organic Facial Serum
Calm Room Spray
Sweet Lemongrass Body Butter
Organic Herbal Lip Balm

This is a great opportunity to try our natural and organic skin care from head to toe.

Happy holidays and enjoy!

Laura and Beth

By entering our contest you are in agreement with the terms and conditions stated below. A winner will be chosen at random and notified on 12/6/2010 and will be announced in the She Essential Beauty Newsletter, Omala Newsletter and Yada Yada Yoga Newsletter on 12/7/2010. She Essential Beauty has 15 days to fulfill gift box to winner once they provide a mailing address. Gift box will be sent via UPS ground or USPS priority mail. Open only to residents in North America. If an item in the gift box is not available it will be replaced by an item of equal or greater value.

With the onset of the fall weather, this warming soup has various medicinal qualities that pump up the immune system, prepping our lungs and defensive Qi for the cold and flu season ahead. The yellow/orange squashes are loaded with the anti-oxidative power of vitamin A, and spices like curry, ginger, garlic and cilantro warm the body thoroughly, offering an anti-bacterial armor that will keep you well prepared for those early coughs and sneezes.

This is one of our favorite fall recipes, so enjoy!

Curried Squash Soup

INGREDIENTS:

3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup yellow onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 cups peeled, seeded pumpkin, or butternut squash
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup rice or soy milk
1 pound extra-firm tofu, cut into 1-inch
cubes
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime
juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

DIRECTIONS
1. In large, heavy pot over medium-high heat, heat oil.
Saute onion, garlic and ginger for about 1 minute. Add curry powder and pumpkin/butternut squash. Cook and
stir for 1 minute.

2. Stir in coconut milk and rice milk; bring to a boil. Lower
to a simmer; cover and cook for 12-15 minutes. Add more milk
or water if needed.

3. Add tofu and red bell pepper. Simmer for another 5 to
10 minutes, uncovered, or until pumpkin is tender. Season
with lime juice, salt, and pepper. Garnish with chopped
cilantro leaves. Serve hot.

Laura Kauffmann and Beth Hooper are co-founders of She Essential Beauty, a natural and organic skin care company. visit our online store at www.sheessentialbeauty.com

The Year of the tiger is upon us and the festivities in Chinatown, NYC were loud, colorful and bright! Now that everything has calmed down, it is time to ask ourselves what it all means. The Chinese new year not only marks the cyclical calendar change, it has significant symbolism. The metal tiger year promises drama, intensity, and action to those born under this animal, but it also gives the rest of us a medium from which to project our energy.

Those born in tiger years are said to be very courageous risk takers, innovative leaders, extremely ambitious, constantly striving to succeed, and masters of their destinies. For the rest of us, it requires digging a little deeper and using that energy to move us closer to achieving our goals.

Symbols like this are great for helping us create the energy we want to build from, and act as a wonderful reminder of what pushes us when times get tough. So those of us born under the other 11 animal signs can use the energy of the tiger year to create success.

Our motto for this year is balance through action. After all, the Chinese philosophy on living well is all about creating a balance between the internal and external environment. So get out your resolution list, make your action plan, get things done, and don’t forget to relax and do some yoga. Being proactive works best when we can reward ourselves with something that balances out the hard work.

In the spirit of the new year, we hope you will take the symbolism to heart and create your own ritual around the metal tiger. Whether your resolutions are health related, money related, or purely selfish, attain them by taking action, creating drama, and practicing intense focus, and you will see good things begin to happen.

Laura and Beth