Yes, my brain does like to jump around sometimes. Not in a frenetic ADD way, but more in a way where I get really excited about a lot of different thoughts all at the same time that I want to share! While they don’t all really seem interrelated- well, I think everything really is related.
Here are some random thoughts- to give you an idea of that is playing on in my head:
1 – I know it is cold and winter because my coconut oil has turned white and solid. What should I do? In a word- nothing. We love our coconut oil because it is a wonderful and commonly used ingredient in raw deserts, and because when we apply it topically it penetrates and makes our skin smooth and hydrated.
It doesn’t matter whether it is a liquid oil or a solid butter– it will still work the same. I actually like it when the jar I keep near my bed to put on my skin gets a bit thicker and more milky. It is a little easier to scoop out how much I put on. When it is liquid it is a bit more unwieldy, and yes I have definitely oiled my sheets up more than once!
You don’t have to worry about refrigerating coconut oil in any form. If you are mixing a recipe by hand (like my Raw Cacao Truffles recipe) and you are worried that your coconut oil is too chunky to mix well, I would just sit your jar on your stove, which is always slightly warm anyway, and it should liquefy quite nicely.
2 – I know it is winter because my body is craving warm food and cooked food sometimes. Great! It is important to transition with the seasons. No one said you have to eat 100% raw to get amazing, fantastic results. Some cooked food can be very beneficial in fact, as long as it is placed correctly and is easily digestible food.
I do NOT believe in the die-hard 100% raw food philosophy people that promotes if you eat anything cooked you are doing something really “bad.” Please! Who wants to live a life of restriction?? To me, that is sort of like the calorie-counting people, which are also restricted and have to know how many calories are going into their mouth at all times. I reject both of those schools.
Non-cream soups like Miso soup and vegetable soup are fine. If you feel like something heavier, like a grain for dinner, I recommend quinoa, millet or amaranth after you’ve eaten a salad, and along with some lightly steamed vegetables. You can spice it up and make a whole meal out of it. Delicious!
Days when you eat some cooked food I do recommend being sure to pull out your blender and have your Green Smoothie that morning, and also be sure to have a nice green salad beforehand.
Remember that if we eat very well most of the time, and follow certain rules, such as the ones I just said, you are not being “bad” for eating some cooked food sometimes!
3 – I know it is winter because I can intuitively feel that my yoga practice needs more fire. Of course, this could apply to other forms of movement. In winter, it is easy to want to close ourselves off, burrow ourselves in our homes and apartments, and withdraw. We are wrapped up in layers and layers of clothes, hustling to get from place to place and spending much less time in the fresh air and the outdoors.
With all this happening, we need to be conscious that we are not closing our heart chakras. We need to find ways to stay open and passionate, engaged with what excites us and makes us feel alive and energized and joyous.
We have to put out a bit more effort in the winter to ensure we are still living our life to the fullest and not getting sucked into a familiar routine that just rolls along. Where is the fire??
One way I am actively seeking and bringing more fire into my own life is with my yoga practice and the way I teach yoga. After warming up I am bringing a much more a fiery routine with sun salutations, faster and more modern music than I might usually play in my classes, and series where I have my students move one breath per pose.
It is really helping me feel the fire right now. I love it! We much naturally adjust to the seasons and the cycles of nature. How can you bring in more fire into your own life right now?
4 – Along those lines, it is a good time to be reminded to remain unattached. With the closing off of the heart chakra and feeling more withdrawn, we tend to get a bit more attached to our routines and the minute components of our life because it makes us feel safe and so we have something to cling to.
Have you gotten more upset lately over something that usually wouldn’t bother you? Of course, the upcoming holidays can also add more stress…
When situations challenge me, instead of dwelling on the negative, I focus on letting it go.
Things are never such a big deal when we step back and become unattached to a specific outcome (even if we have to force ourselves to do so sometimes), and realize that in the big scope, 99% of the stuff we are attached to can shift, and it is okay.
Being unattached in a very important practice, with our food and our lives. We just have to do our best and go with the flow. Everything does happen for a reason!
Love,
Kimberly
What great ideas! But why are peanuts so bad? I know airplane peanuts are (gross and oily) but what about natural peanut butters and raw peanuts?
Hi Tera!
ALL peanuts have levels of the carcinogenic compound aflatoxin in them. In The China Study, Dr. Campbell talks about how ALL peanut butters, organic or not, did contain it in varying levels. Aflatoxin destroys the liver and has been shown to cause liver cancer in rats. Peanut butter is actually the worst, as whole and the least moldy peanuts are picked off the conveyor belts for bagging as whole nuts. The moldiest nuts go into the peanut butters. This mold is inherent to the peanut itself- organic or not it is present. I do NOT recommend consuming peanuts in any form. Switch to almond butter!
xx Kimberly
Hey Kim
I am interested in trying Yoga but I have never done it before. I’m a little nervous about what to expect. What’s the whole process like? And what should I expect during my first couple of classes? What all do I have to take to class with me?
Hey samantha! I’m posting some yoga tutorials for you…. Yes there are beginner yoga classes you should be able to find, where the teachers will watch your alignment!
xx Kimberly
Saw you on that morning show…liked your energy and what you say. Your (thoughts) keep me positive….Thank you
Hey Kim!
I recently stumbled upon your blog and I love it! A few weeks ago, I cut meat and dairy out of my diet and started incorporating more raw foods, along with green smoothies. WOW. I LOVE what it has done for my skin and my energy levels have increased dramatically in such a short amount of time! I don’t crave sugar anymore and I am much more aware of what I am feeding my body. Thank you for shedding some light on a variety of topics, many of which I had been confused about.
All the best,
Vanessa in Australia
Great Vanessa, thank you and visit me again!
Love this post about being flexible with what you eat, letting go when things don’t go as planned, and keeping the fire going in the winter… wonderful tips! Happy Holidays ~
I enjoyed your perspective about letting go of certain things. I would to know if you have any pointers about letting go of attachments. Thanks.
HI Annie- I think to let go of things for the long-term, we have to be still and relaxed and really in touch with our center. Meditation, or simply finding time to breathe and be still and work to quiet the mind really help me. Otherwise the same story can play over and over again!
xx Kimberly
Yay for green smoothies! 🙂
I agree that you can feel great with a diet that is not always 100% Raw. I usually follow a high raw diet, with some days that are all raw. Love the flexibility. I’m always vegan, though, and pretty much all organic (except for when I go to some restaurants where organic isn’t available).
Cheers,
Kristen
Lovely post Kim. Soooo agree about sometimes forcing ourselves to let go, be unattached and go with the flow.
Love,
Nina
Fab post and such lovely portraits. You are a beauty!
Well, winter arrived with a whirlwind this week – quite literally! The wind was unbelievable. Howling! Temps plummeted and I, too, found myself adding some cooked vegan food into my otherwise raw day. Also, been upping the fire in my yoga practice. LOVE that image/metaphor.
Hi Earth Mother! Great name by the way. 🙂
Thank you for your kind words. And yes, a little cooked food is okay for sure!
Come visit me again. xx Kimberly
Hi Kim,
Hope everything is going OK for you in L.A. Here missing my yoga class with you! Any way I have a quick question, is it ok to eat something sweet right after lunch. I love dates or raw truffles and I always like to eat them after my lunch. My lunch usually is either a salad, or ezequiel bread with avocado or soup and salad.
Thank you,
Hey Claudia!
Yes, the more elaborate deserts should be saved for after dinner. And it is good you are not having any fruit deserts. But a few dates or truffles are okay after the salad, etc.- see how you feel, and if you notice if you are getting bloated after eating them with the ezekial bread, etc. that is a sign to let more time pass before eating them.
Miss you too but see you soon! xx Kimberly
Perfect, perfect, perfect.I struggle with the ‘unattachment’ points sometimes…where I like to be calm and centered always, but sometimes old habits creep up. You put it eloquently when you said “is it worth getting upset and secreting a large amount of harmful stress hormones?” That is a great point to always remember. The other day I was having a great day and then the lawn guy mowed down my decorative Hibiscus bushes and I felt the anger creeping up.I had a decision to make; I could let go or hold onto it, and let it completely affect my world. It took a lot of will power, but I let it go. It was not about letting it go for him, but letting it go for me. All the other points were well stated, too.
God i looove your lashes Kimmy!! 🙂
Thanks love! Makeup artists never have to use fake eyelashes on me. 🙂
Hi Kimberly,
Can you please tell me what type of blender you use?
Thanks
Theresa
Hi Kim! Thanks for this uplifting post. Your combination of healthy food and Yoga sounds interesting! Especially in the winter this is a great combi to stay flexible and energetic.
Hi Kimberly!! Could you tell me where in the Himalayas you learnt yoga? I am Indian and live in Germany right now but would like to go back and do a full month or two of yoga in a place that talks about food, yoga and meditation. Thank you!
Needed this today. Sigh. Thank you Kimberly!
I live in a very small town in Indiana that teaches only basic yoga classes. Do you recommend any good home videos.