Do you feel the need to cleanse?
This time of year I always get the urge to cleanse. I feel
like the idea of cleansing can either be really exciting for people or it can
cause anxiety and overwhelm. I encourage you to not be overwhelmed by the idea.
Simply put a cleanse is just an intentional simplification of your diet. It
gives your body a chance to rejuvenate when we simplify or lighten the load of
what we are consuming. When we give our digestion a break our body has more
energy to focus on deeper processes of cell rejuvenation, invigorating us on a
deeper level. Some people like to do juice fasts, some people like to eat raw
fruits and veggies for a week or a cleanse can be as simple as choosing one
food group, like meat for example, and excluding meat from your diet from a
week or however long you choose. Personally I am choosing to exclude meat,
dairy, wheat, sugars and alcohol from my diet for the next week. I will be
drinking green smoothies and juices and eating a whole foods meal like quinoa,
kale, veggies and beans once a day.
I always feel so much more energized and clear after I cleanse. I feel like it really helps get my creative juices flowing and helps me develop more focus. Some people choose to simply drink more water in a given day to help cleanse. I think any awareness you bring to making your diet a little healthier and a little cleaner is better than nothing.
Amazing transformations can happen when you cleanse. I’ll give you an extreme but attainable example. I saw a documentary this weekend at the Chilmark Film Festival called “May I Be Frank.” The film was about an Italian man from Brooklyn named Frank. He weighed close to 300 pounds, had hepatitis C, was on a slew of medications and was very depressed amongst many health concerns. As fate would have it he ended up at an organic, raw vegan café in San Francisco while on a trip. They have a “question of the day” at this particular restaurant and this day the waiter asked Frank “what is one thing you want to do before you die?” Frank answered that he wanted to fall in love one more time before he died but he was scared that he never would because no one would love him because he didn’t even love himself. After getting to know the staff they decided to make a film on Frank to document the change from his typical S.A.D. (standard American diet) to a clean, raw vegan diet. To make a really long story short, Frank lost about 150 pounds, cleared up his hepitatis C, mended all of his broken relationships with family by clearing up his anger, fell in love with his current, smoking hot wife, and tours the world educating people on health and reminding people that anything is possible. Sometimes all it takes is a little change in our routine to help us gain perspective on the areas of our lives that need more attention. I encourage you to bring a little more attention to eating a little cleaner and lighter this week in celebration of Spring, the perfect time for renewal. Have you ever cleansed before? If so, please share your experiences. If this is your first time please share your feelings on the topic below!
Bennett
Have you found the "perfect" diet for yourself? Does it even exist?
Is this true for you? Have you figured it all out? I dare you
to question your beliefs around food. In the food world, it seems that we
believe everything we hear before actually testing it out ourselves. We hear “eat
more protein” and we adopt this new eating behavior without even realizing the
affect it has on us or thinking twice about it. Nothing ever stays the same, our bodies are constantly
changing. A certain way of eating might have worked for you for a period
of time in your life, and then as your body changed and/or your environment
changed you may have found that your old ways of eating no longer
sustained you. This is the key to finding what works best for you…to be in tune
and aware of your body’s calls for something different (especially if you live
in a place with seasons). It doesn’t mean we have to get frustrated or beat
ourselves up, it just is the way it is, and if we can learn to go with the flow
we will find less resistance and dis-ease…in all areas of our lives. Every
single person or body on this earth is different, so one person might need to
eat more meat than another person, some people don’t need to eat any meat, some
people need more fat, some people need less fat, some people like to be
marathon runners and some people like to walk and do yoga. It’s truly about
finding what works best for you and realizing that the more rigid we become
around food, the more disconnected we become from what our body really desires.
Play around with different foods, experiment, HAVE FUN with it! Use your energy
levels, your digestion and your moods to help guide you to the perfect diet for
your body, at this point in time. Have you found that your diet has changed
over time? How does it make you feel? Are you resistant to the changes? (I know
I can be.) Please share your thoughts below!
Bennett
Does the quality of your food effect the quality of your life?
In the past, I didn’t have a true concept of what it meant
to live healthily. My idea of
being healthy was to be skinny. I think that this is a common misconception for
a lot of people, especially women. I thought the less food I ate the better.
And when I did eat, I had feelings of guilt and shame surrounding my mealtimes,
which were few and far between. During this part of my life, I was also feeling
depressed and anxious. I wasn’t fully expressing myself. I didn’t experience a
lot of joy in my life…and if I did it was in a fleeting, unsustainable fashion.
What I’ve learned since beginning my studies in holistic nutrition is that our
relationship with food is indicative of our relationship with our life. Once I
learned what foods worked for me (as it’s different for each person), I began
nourishing myself with nutrient dense whole foods. That is, food that hasn’t
been processed and stripped of all nutrients (like many canned or processed
foods that come in a package). I began spending most of my time in the grocery
store in the produce section. I
realized this is where the real food lives! These are the foods that make my
body and soul thrive. As I began to give myself permission to enjoy foods that
fueled me (eating for fuel+enjoyment is the ultimate eating experience), I
began to experience states of pure bliss in my life. I began not only seeking
the highest quality food possible but also the highest quality life experiences
possible. This is when my love affair with SUPERFOODS like raw cacao began. I
thought “Why not feed myself with the healthiest foods out there? What’s
stopping me?” The quality of foods that I choose to eat is a mirror of the
quality of experiences I have in my life now. I want nothing but the most
fulfilling, highest vibration food and life experiences because you only live
once. Why not love yourself enough to take really good care of yourself? Have
you experienced a shift in the way you eat and the quality of your life? Please
share with us below.
Featured in 7a Food's Blog!
Raw Chocolate Lovers Rejoice
Part of our mission at 7a foods is to hand select quality foodstuffs for our store. In staying true to our mission, we’d like to bring Not Your Sugar Mama’s into the spotlight and talk a little about raw chocolate and the women who make it.
Growing up, Bennett Coffey came to the Vineyard every summer. Lucky for us, Bennett made the island her permanent home three years ago. Since then she has earned a living teaching sailing and yoga, gardening, catering, and a one-night-gig working at a fine dining restaurant where she was not asked back after one too many wine glasses were broken.
From 2008-2009 Bennett attended the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City. During her time there an alumnae gave a lecture on the benefits of raw chocolate and passed out free samples. Bennett was hooked. “They were delicious,” she remembers. “And I felt different after eating it.”
It turns out, chocolate, when not mixed with dairy and sugar, is one of the most powerful antioxidants on the planet. It is also remarkably rich in magnesium, which balances brain chemistry, combats depression and builds strong bones. Eating chocolate in it’s raw form diminishes appetite, enhances relaxation and promotes better sleep. Upon learning all this, Bennett wanted to share the good news, that chocolate can be good for you!
Bennett began by making chocolate for family and friends as gifts. The positive response from those lucky taste-testers prompted Bennett to try out new recipes, experiment with different ingredients and ultimately secure a commercial kitchen space, and then, with the help of a friend, Kyleen Keenan, Not Your Sugar Mama’s was born.
Recently, Bennett and Kyleen opened a small chocolate factory in the Tisbury Marketplace (next to Rocco’s pizza). Don’t worry if you cannot get to Vineyard Haven because Not Your Sugar Mamas is currently sold in 50 locations in the New England Area, including 7a Foods.
Cheers to healthy chocolate and stay tuned to the 7a Foods blog for more profiles on our specialty products and the great people who make them.
Look for Not Your Sugar Mamas chocolate bars in our refrigerator!
A New Chocolate Factory on Martha’s Vineyard – Not Your Sugar Mamas
A New Chocolate Factory on Martha’s Vineyard – Not Your Sugar Mamas
by GUINEVERE CRAMER on JUNE 29, 2012 for Point B Reality.
in CHANGES ON THE VINEYARD, DINING & FOOD, MADE ON THE VINEYARD, ON POINT - MV LIFESTYLE
Not Your Sugar Mama’s (NYSM) has opened the doors at its new store/chocolate factory located in the Tisbury Market Place in Vineyard Haven. For those of you who may not be familiar with NYSM, it is RAW chocolate which is totally different from the chocolate in a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.
NYSM’s chocolate is gluten free, sugar free, and every ingredient used is pronounceable. They use organic ingredients like herbs, blue green algae and agave (instead of sugar). The best part is that the chocolate tastes amazing, and there’s a bonus too, it’s actually good for you. Read my earlier post on NYSM to find out more about the raw chocolate and how NYSM got started.
On the outside, NYSM looks like a interesting place to check out. Inside, the walls are a bright shade of blue, and there are bamboo floors and cool bamboo fixtures. It’s bright and airy and just plain fun.
It’s obvious the NYSM’s owners, Bennett Coffey and Kyleen(Ky) Keenan are enjoying their business. I guess you have to have fun when you’re making and selling chocolate that is good for you!
More Than Just Good (for you) Chocolate
With their store open, you are able to get the chocolate they’re known for and a whole lot more. I have to mention you can also get NYSM chocolate at Alley’s,Cronigs, Black Sheep, EdgartownMeat & Fish, and at a number of other places too. When I walked in, I was immediately greeted by a display of chocolate treats for sale.
There were Fudgy Brownies which were indeed fudgy and super tasty. The amazing thing is that there was no flour or sugar in them, instead they use Morning Glory Farm eggs and chickpeas, yes chickpeas as the base! As I ate it with enthusiasm, I felt no guilt, which is a pleasant change.
There were Superfood Mini Scones which are chock full of oats, raspberries, pecans and more – so delicious, and there were various fruits, like elderberry, and nuts, like macadamia covered in NYSM chocolate too. I can’t forget to mention the Raw Balls — soon to have the new name of Cookie Balls — because they actually taste like cookie dough, but are made with none of those naughty ingredients of typical cookie dough.
Don’t forget to grab a couple of NYSM chocolate bars while you’re in the store. The Be Freshis still my favorite out of the four flavors which also include Be Cool, Be Original, and Be Sexy. I love the hint of lemon from the lemon verbena and the vanilla in it. Look for new flavors in the Fall.
So, now that you have a serious hankering for some chocolate, there’s more to tempt you with. You also grab a cup of Chilmark Coffee Company coffee (another local favorite we recently profiled), and of course there are greataccouterments like agave and coconut palm sugar for your joe. In the mood for something else? There’s also tea, iced tea, and Superfood Hot Chocolate (made from NYSM hot chocolate mix) that you can also have iced so it’s more like super chocolate milk, yum.
There’s also the Dandy, which is made with extracts of roasted barley, rye, chicory, dandelion and beet root – their signature drink — which is a healthy alternative to coffee, which tastes amazing, even though there are some crazy ingredients in it. Not that I think coffee is unhealthy, I live on the stuff, but there are some who don’t feel the same way.
There are definitely some fun things to try at NYSM. When you go, hope you’re feeling adventurous because some people need to be opened minded about the ingredients and just try things. I myself was a little skeptical because who would ever think that beet root could taste yummy, but Bennett has developed some recipes that will make such ingredients work. I don’t know how she does it!
NYSM has brought sweet treats that are good for you to the masses, well at least to us and about 57 other places that carry NYSM. I imagine that we are going to see their chocolate in more and more places. Marrying tasty with health like they have, really shows that you can be good to yourself and good to your body.
For full article by Point B Reality, please visit their site here
Subscribe Follow Us
Recent Articles
- Happy, Healthy Earth Day + 3 Reasons Why We Support Organic
- Cacao as a mineral supplement?
- Do you feel the need to cleanse?
- Have you found the "perfect" diet for yourself? Does it even exist?
- Does the quality of your food effect the quality of your life?
Tags
- antioxidants (12)
- applegate farms (1)
- art of savouring (1)
- Be Cool (1)
- Be Fresh (1)
- Be Original (1)
- Be SExy (1)
- BE SMOOTH (1)
- bennett coffey (9)
- best (1)
- Blooming lotus yoga studio (1)
- boston (1)
- breakfast (1)
- cacao (16)
- canton (1)
- cape cod (6)
- central (2)
- chia seeds (1)
- chocolate (20)
- city feed (1)
- cleansing (1)
- coconut oil (2)
- coconut palm sugar (1)
- coconut palm sugar halloween (1)
- conscious (8)
- cravings (4)
- CT (2)
- curb your sugar intake (1)
- dairy (1)
- dairy free (3)
- danvers (1)
- David Wolfe (1)
- day (1)
- deli (1)
- dessert (2)
- detoxify (6)
- dig boston (1)
- dinner & dessert (1)
- each peach cafe (1)
- earth (1)
- energy balls (1)
- factory (2)
- falmouth (1)
- family (1)
- feel good (9)
- festival (1)
- fitness (5)
- focus (4)
- food (14)
- fulfillment (7)
- garlic (1)
- ginger (1)
- gluten (1)
- gluten free (2)
- good eats guru (1)
- green (4)
- greens (2)
- health (18)
- healthi (1)
- Healthy (10)
- healthy fats (1)
- hemp (1)
- high vibration (4)
- holiday (1)
- holistic (8)
- http://www.mvyogafestival.com/ (1)
- isador's (1)
- jamaica plain (1)
- kale (1)
- leafy (1)
- love (6)
- ma (3)
- main street wine and gourmet (1)
- Martha's Vineyard (15)
- martha's vineyard yoga festival (1)
- marthas vineyard (7)
- mental (3)
- mesquite (1)
- Movies (2)
- MV (15)
- MV film Center (1)
- MV International Film Festival (1)
- MV Times (2)
- natural (7)
- new york (1)
- no dairy (3)
- no refined sugar (7)
- Not Your Sugar Mamas (23)
- Nothing Like Chocolate (1)
- nutrition (20)
- NYC (1)
- NYMS (1)
- NYSM (17)
- organic (27)
- organic chicken (1)
- organic chocolate (1)
- organic farming (1)
- organics (3)
- orleans (1)
- oxford (1)
- physical (3)
- protein (1)
- ravenswood (1)
- raw (14)
- raw cacao (6)
- Raw chocolate (9)
- recipe (2)
- season (2)
- September (1)
- simsbury (1)
- spring (4)
- store (2)
- superfood (6)
- Superfoods (10)
- support (1)
- sweet potato (1)
- the beauty that moves (1)
- the gift that keeps on giving (1)
- theatre (1)
- treats (1)
- turmeric (1)
- vegetables (1)
- vineyard haven (2)
- well-being (11)
- whipped cream (1)
- why we chose organic (1)
- woods hole (1)
- Woods Hole Market (1)
- workout (3)
- yoga (5)
