Week One- Foods for building the foundation!

Oh root vegetables, I love you so. You provide countless benefits to the body. And in season, you are simply divine!
 
The amazing benefits of root vegetables are, -wait for it- they are grounding.  Many vegetables of the root variety are packed with fiber, vitamins C, B and A plus antioxidants.  (Please always consider buying local and organic!)  These vitamins are known to reduce inflammation in the body that may be created from long term, high stress lifestyles.
Food’s role in your life is a journey. What better way to begin this journey then starting it right with paying attention to what you feed your body. I am not talking about the act of going on a diet, but about diet. There is a monumental difference. Dieting is a temporary fix, and in my mind a continuation of the war on ourselves. Diet is a lifestyle.  We can make decisions on how we want our lifestyle to be reflected, then shop accordingly.
 
Many years ago, me and my firstborn son embarked on a food journey. He had terrible eczema, especially on the backs of his knees.  It was so bad that he would bleed when he walked. So I began investigating the correlation between food and his skin condition.  I learned so very much.
I learned about the value of intention with food.  (And every year I feel like I learn more)  I learned about factory farming. As a result, I have not eaten beef or pork for over 30 years.  I learned that farmers aren’t hugely subsidized, so I decided to shop at Farmer’s Markets as often as possible. As I have learned these things, I have discovered that the intention and love behind the food; from it’s growth to it’s harvest, creates a remarkable difference in the way my body processes it.  I was hooked.  (I would love to tell you that I have been a puritan through this process and I haven’t.  Yet every little decision has made a big difference.  Even in the way I cook.  I cook with prayer of thanksgiving for the life given so I could eat, the hands that brought the food to my table and for the people who are about to eat it.)   My every purchase is made with intention and I vote with my dollars. Some people say that my dollars alone won’t count, yet I believe I am making a small dent in an unsustainable system by teaching my family and telling you about the impact of food , dollars and intention.
But, back to root vegetables.  Allow for the weeks that you may be working on foundational issues (for those in a 12 step program….maybe when you are on your fourth step!).  The proper nutrition, the intention behind the desire to heal will all play a part in the intention design of your life.

---

Here is a fun recipe for beets.  Let me know what you think!
 
Beets Béchamel
1 pound of Beets ( I like using beets of various colors, it’s just so pretty!)
Steam the beets over boiling salted water, until a fork comes out easily but they aren’t mushy
Create a basic Rue
2 tbsp butter ( I always either use real butter or coconut oil, both work well.)
Allow the butter to melt in your pan.
While the butter is melting, heat 2 cups of milk to just warm . ( Again, you can substitute here)
Add ½ cup of flour slowly to your butter, stirring to make a paste .  Slowly add in the heated milk.  Allow the sauce to thicken , keep stirring.

( Now here is where you can get creative, you can add any spices here you like. I add nutritional yeast, black pepper, a little nutmeg.  Add what you think your family would love.  This sauce lends itself nicely to all kinds of cheese too- just stir the cheese in about one minute before you take it off the heat!)

Take the sauce once it is spiced to your liking off of the heat.

Turn the oven onto 350

Take the now cooled beets and slice them ( slice with intention, thinking about the people you are making the food for, thanking the people who grew the food and brought it to you.  In macrobotics, it is said that the energy that you put into the food goes into your loved ones.  Make all of your cuts as uniformly as possible, increasing order and discipline in your meal!) in about one inch slices, layering them in a baking pan. 

Cover the beets with the ooey goodness of the sauce.

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes.
​
The smell is heavenly, the color is the prettiest pink that you have ever seen and the taste…out of this world!
(And guess what, now that you have the basics, you can make any root vegetable a special dinner!!)
Doing healing work, eating lovely food made with heart and intention.  Does it get any better than that???

---

---

Building Blocks of Recovery store

I AM sunglasses
Have fun balancing and looking "fly" in these sunglasses that are over the top!

Vinyl Yoga sticker for your car or home!

Natural wood grain wrap

---

Thank you for clicking on the links and supporting this site and my woman-owned business.  I will be compensated a small amount when you use the links, though you are not charged for that click to our advertisers. You are helping me to bring the message of hope to those who are hurting and to move closer to my opening a therapeutic yoga center!  Thank you!