It occurred to me that a Zen experience can be created through appreciating and enjoying a nice bottle of wine. Designing all of the parts that come together (time, environment, wine, company (or not)) to savor wine and fully embody the time and space.

*Zen emphasizes experiential Wisdom in the attainment of enlightenment.*

How to get into the Zen of Tasting Wine… Even if you are not a wine connoisseur; let your intuition lead you in choosing wines. First, choose a bottle: mostly based on the overall vibe, including: label, grape, region, bottle shape, year and price. Then, look at the back & read the summary. I know it is silly; but if you “feel it“ or “get into” there is a better chance you should buy it. Try to envision the wine and its experience before you even taste it! Imagine a wine expert evaluating this statement, no don’t. Also, look to see if it is has Sulfates =not good (headache). Be a little adventuresome and travel to different parts of the world & get to know them through tasting the qualities of their wine.

The terms and knowledge are useful to deepen the experience of drinking it but not a requirement. How would some one find the Zen in Tasting WINE?

It is like anything you savor, recognize and bring your awareness to in the moment. Completely appreciating all it has to offer you.

Once you have the “right” bottle, take it to the “right” place and put it in the “right” glass. Open it in a mindful way. You can straighten your spine, open your chest, put your hand on the base of the glass swirling it around to “open the bouquet”, lift the glass, take a few deep breaths absorbing all the wonderful aromas, then sip enough that you can still swish it around your mouth. Think about what is happening to your taste buds. Finally, swallow and enjoy!! If the bottle is good and to your liking; you are in Heaven and should Repeat Responsibly!

Whatever works for you and your company, menu & atmosphere is the “right” bottle. There are so many different types of wines that you can become overwhelmed. Read, ask or simply go with your educated guess until you have “mastered” buying the “right wine” and it becomes a simple and satisfying process.

*As such, it de-emphasizes theoretical knowledge in favor of direct realization through meditation and dharma practice. *

If you want a little direction on how some of the wine experts base their experience use these four stages to wine tasting:

The appearance of the wine ? How it looks in color. After you swirl a major change means the wine is more complex wine. No changes mean it is a simpler wine.

How does it smell in the glass? Detect hints of familiar smells. You want to note the things you smell for the next step.

What sensations does it produce when held in your mouth? Try to note the full flavor of the wine and see if you pick up the hints of flavor that you smelled!

What finish – or aftertaste – does it have? Was it light, medium, or full-bodied? What is the flavor impression – fruit, butter, oak? How long did the taste last?

These four things combine to establish the properties of a wine, such as the complexity, character and suitability for drinking.

* The more wines you taste, the better you will become with this entire sensory process. The Ahhhhhhh moments are what it’s all about in the end! Not being an expert can add mystery and suspense to the art of buying and tasting wine. Remember it is all an opportunity for growth. If you have any wine wisdom and care to share it would be wickedly intoxicating to hear your take on the Zen of wine tasting!!

*Zen*

One of the main stops you would want to make if you ventured over to Peru in the Amazon Rainforest is the Belen Market and their floating city. (Next week we discover the Belen floating city.)

The Belen Market is a place where all the farmer’s, fishermen, local vendors, crafts people and anyone with anything to eat, drink, cook with, wear are trying to get you to spend your soles (money) on their goods. Why not? There you should be able to find the freshest, most indigenous products in the area. With 150 local communities traveling to be a part of this bustling and loud market scene. Most people there are living day to day. Although the conditions of the people are meager there is a lot of joy and contentment. Everyone is working in harmony with others to create a massive offering that will envelop all of your senses and make you want to try everything you come across along the way!

As you walk through the aisles you notice an abundance of natural goodness. The sun works its magic on the fruits and vegetables making the taste and sight of them so pungent. There are a lot of root vegetables; yucca is a main staple of the Peruvian diet. Bananas, bananas and platanos (sweet bananas) everywhere and are delicious! The palm trees offers these huge leaves that are used for cooking over the fire or baking dishes, the strands of dried leaves are used to tie the dishes up as they cook or steam the ingredients within and the flavor of the palm tree is released into the food. Common dishes prepared this way are fish, vegetables and cornmeal tamales. This cooking process makes the food so tender. Their pastries are delicious, as you walk through the market and the streets of Iquitos you notice vendors selling these bread /cookie type things about five common varieties. They are a perfect treat, not too sweet and so fresh! Fresh chickens, fish, pig parts are available. They have delicious curries, olives, beans, spices and much more.

They have a whole section of the market dedicated to plant medicines made there by loretanas. Jungle people who mix plant medicine as their profession. They make medicinal mixtures using plants, roots, flowers, herbs and alcohol, honey and who knows what else. Maybe even dosing the medicine with a blessing or shake of the chacruna leaves to give it special healing powers. Local people rely on these tinctures and remedies to treat their illnesses. They even use, make and sell flower water to purify the outer self and make you more beautiful.                                                    

Everywhere you look there is something to behold. Music seeps into the background as do the call of the vendors drawing attention to their wares or the local activist telling you what is on his mind. Generations of families working hard together to help present their trade or craft to the market and earn a living. Where many of the people who sell and buy most everything they need at the market live together as a community.

The energy there is wild, even a bit chaotic. You get the sense as a traveler of how far away from home you are and how the market is a place where you can learn about what the jungle provides for its people and anyone who might want to get lost and spend some time there at the Belen Market.

PS. The earlier you go, 5am start time, the fresher and more abundant the offerings.

]]> http://www.totallyzen.com/the-belen-market-in-iquitos-peru-part-ii.html/feed 0 http://www.totallyzen.com/exploring-peru-the-amazon-rainforest-part-iof-iii.html http://www.totallyzen.com/exploring-peru-the-amazon-rainforest-part-iof-iii.html#comments Fri, 26 Feb 2010 05:12:09 +0000 Stephanie http://www.totallyzen.com/?p=562 Continue reading →]]>

Recently I had the privilege of traveling abroad to Peru. We flew from Philadelphia to Lima, the capital. From Lima we went on to Iquitos, the largest city in the Peruvian rainforest. It is the capital of the Loreta region and is the largest city in the world that cannot be reached by road. You can only get there by boat or plane. It is a major port to the Amazon River because three rivers surround it: the Nanay, Itaya and the Amazon. There are twenty-four regions in Peru. Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough time to get to know any other region than the jungle but this was an adventure and experience to be explored for anyone who likes to be one with nature, learn about plants, trees, jungle animals and Peruvian people.

Iquitos is a launching point for a lot of jungle tours and excursions. It is only about 2,000 miles from the Amazon mouth and is downstream to the Ucayali and Maranon Rivers. They have a wet season, which is hot and humid. It was about 80-100* with about 85-90% humidity. The wet season is between November to May. The water level raises and falls about 30 ft throughout the course of the year. In fact, the biggest market place in Iquitos , Belen, had a floating city and part of the year the houses float & the other time it is held up by stilts. (Next week I will explore the Belen market & floating village)

The rubber industry in the early 20th century was the only real industry to develop and provide wealth and resources for this region. Once the merchants smuggled rubber seeds and cultivated crops in Brazil for easier transportation the region was left to wither away. In the recent past gas and oil has been discovered in this region, government is allowing corporations to build a pipeline and hopefully the Peruvian rainforest will not go by way of other precious resources and be destroyed in the pursuit of making money.          

That being said, it is definitely a tourist destination even for those that are living in the Loreta or Jungle region. Each weekend vendors of all sorts, entertainers, music, adults, children all coming together to enjoy life and have some fun. It was wonderful to soak up their culture in the main square where they had military parole demonstrations, popcorn vendors and handmade jewelry.

The local people use these motocars/rickshaws, motorcycles that have a buggy on the back, to get around. The streets are buzzing with people street vending on all the major corners, people on the back of motorcycles (nursing babies) and transporting all kinds of things (a refrigerator) on the back of the motocars. Some people lounge, nap, eat in their moto cars. It was very endearing to see the strength and resourcefulness of the Peruvian people!

We met a group of American doctors who are working on mosquito research to help find vaccinations for strains of malaria. We also bonded with some of the local restaurateurs who were really hardworking and talented. The jewelry salesmen/vendors who were fun and sometimes a laugh yet relentless!

The food was fresh, satisfying and usually really cheap. They eat a lot of fish, plantains and fruit. The indigenous fish is pacau and dorado. We ate the Peruvian fruit, camu camu, mangoes, coconuts, papayas, macambo and some others I can’t remember their names. Fresh juice is a daily staple there. All I can say is yes for fried platanos!

Daily I was hot, mosquitos followed me everywhere, challenged to speak Spanish and find our way in a foreign land. Stretching myself out of my normal routine and image of a vacation- I was in the jungle and loved it!

Sorry to all the vegetarians!

http://www.greentracks.com/Peacock-Bass-Fish.html

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lronchef/sets/72157614846234743/Accomodations

http://www.southamerica.cl/peru/food/guide.html

The sensation of taste… AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! An ABSOLUTE FAVORITE of most people! How gratifying is it to taste GOOD FOOD?? Personally, I learned how to LOVE GOOD FOOD by traveling in Europe and then from a family friend who took us out and explained the sensation of taste. I have never looked back.

To truly appreciate and enjoy the sensation of taste is a HUGE BLESSING! I can’t imagine not understanding the true pleasure of biting into a decadent dessert or a fresh, seasonal dish made to perfection. An apple a day is a treat in itself and so satisfying it can change your mood!

How is it that our body receives the taste sensation? When we eat the saliva in the mouth breaks down the food so that your taste receptor cells can tell your brain what you are experiencing. Taste receptor cells are in a cluster and they are called taste buds; there are thousands of them on your tongue and in your mouth. Each taste bud has about 50-100 taste cells that represent the five taste sensations. The tongue has pores that connect to each taste bud so when the different substances are taken into the mouth they can reach the receptor cells below the surface. Once converted, the sensation of taste is found in the brain and this is true for all five senses. The tongues taste receptor cells connect through a synapse because the neuron releases a hormone to the receiving cell.

We have five primary sensations of taste:

Sour                        Sweet                             Salty                                Bitter                                      Umani

Perception of a sense is an awareness. In yoga we build awareness. I would venture to say that many people who begin to practice yoga then become increasingly more aware of their different senses. It is desirable to enhance your cognizance of the five senses that enrich and enhance your life every second of every day. Food is an experience that can leave you satiated, happy and energized.

Eating for nutrition, enjoyment and socially are all different experiences. Find one example of each setting, try and connect to the sense of taste and see if you notice a difference in the taste of your food. If you are alone and it is quiet the taste is easier to focus on. When you eat for nutritional purposes you may forget to even taste your food. The presence or absence of a good atmosphere and people can either take your food experience off the charts or leave you unsatisfied.

To cultivate a stronger sense of taste you can begin to become mindful of the breath, relax, clear, focus on the food you are about to receive, be grateful for this nourishment and begin to eat slowly, chew your food well and close your eyes and feel the experience of eating food moving through your body.

Each day is more fulfilling when you find you can simply just enjoy your food!    

Cooking with herbs can be so rewarding! The taste of fresh herbs in your food adds another dimension to your food palate thereby increasing the amount of flavor in each mouthful of food. Making your own tea from drying leaves or infusing jam, honey or whatever is a great option. Herbs are an additive with healing benefits. Fresh herbs still taste like a plant when you get them from your own garden.

Why Would You Grow Herbs:

• The essence of the plants is stronger, fresher

• No pesticides to worry about

• Low cost

• Gratifying to make and watch something grow.

I like the whole experience of growing the herbs at home, then taking them straight out of my garden (or potted plants) to incorporate them into my cooking. Everything tastes better with herbs!

I have a lemon verdana plant for lemon tea. Asian cuisine is better with lemon grass. The thyme, chives, oregano are great for salads & more traditional dishes. Mint is good for cleaning your breath or eating for digestion. Rosemary is necessary when you cook Italian. There are so many options when you think about it!

Here are the Herbs I planted this year:

Rosemary looks like thorn or pine leaves and is in the mint family. The plant is native in the Mediterranean and is produced in produced in Spain, France and Portugal.
It is said to improve memory and brain power. It is a good elixir and clarifier of energy in the air.

Oregano originates in Greece and Italy since the beginning of civilization. Using it with fish or poultry enhances the flavor of the meat. Vegetables and potatoes pop with some oregano and rosemary. You should crush the oregano to release the flavor by hand or mortar.

Thyme is a low growing bush. The leaves are small & you remove them from the stalk as you use them. The aroma is refined and should be chopped finely. Use them in stews, sauces and cooked dishes. It is said to cure hangovers and assists digestion. Thyme is    said to be part of the Virgin Mary’s straw bed for Christ’s child.

Chives are green, hollow, long and thin. They are in the onion family. Chives are good because they won’t be too strong. They are grown in since the Middle Ages but have been around in the wild since ancient times.

Mint has a cool aftertaste but the beginning is poignant and stimulating. There are many types of mint in the mint family: spearmint, peppermint and flavored mints. I am growing orange and chocolate mint each have a strong essence of the flavor.

Lemon is a powerful tonic for the body. It is an aid to the liver and helps reestablish the Ph balance of the body. It enhances or uplifts mood and calms anxieties. Lemon is helps strengthen the bodies’ immune system from the Vitamin C. Tastes clean, crisp and citrusy in and out of food.

******   Now it is your turn to plant some herbs.

Two weeks ago I went up to New York City and attended the Yoga and Raw Food Expo by New Life. It was a good opportunity for me to further my knowledge of why we should eat raw foods and living foods. Also, I got to take a few yoga classes. I do have to say once in a while, it is nice to practice and learn yoga without having to teach.

Anyway, I do my best at eating healthy all the time. It is no doubt different for each person how natural and how much raw or organic food they eat on the path of healthy eating in their own lives. For me it has been a process of getting healthier and making better choices gradually. I did not notice the changes at first; but, after you adopt these choices as a constant and they become part of your life style the benefits of eating this way are undeniably received by each person.

The Benefits of Eating Raw/ Organic/Live Foods can be:

• Feel Lighter
• Having More Energy
• Feel Better
• Heal the Body
• Boost the Immune System
• More in sync with the Environment
• Create a Connection to the body so that it speaks to you about what type of foods it needs.

It is hard to eat organic or even fresh food for a lot of people. It is another task to fulfill in your weekly chores. To eat fresh food weekly might send you to the store 1-3 times a week. Some people can’t find the time, the resources of money or choices to get to the “right” food choices. I often find eating organic hard and expensive. I would like to increase the percentage of organic food I eat daily. I probably eat 30-50% organic on a weekly basis. I do better when I visit local farmer’s markets. Although there are a lot of them around Philadelphia I still can’t seem to make a lot of them regularly. So, I sympathize with everyone’s hardship on the path of organic, raw, healthy food eating and realize there is no other solution other than to “just do it.”

Raw foodies tend to eat 75-100% of their food uncooked, un-processed and organic. Most are total vegans and others are raw vegetarians (meaning they can eat a portion of fish, eggs and dairy).

Eating food in their original, un-heated state means the food is raw and alive. Live foods contain a wide range of vital life foce nutrients in them. Live foods provide: live enzymes, vitamins, minerals, oxygen and amino acids. All of these properties are ones that the body needs for the proper maintenance of human bodily functions.

It is definitely recommended you research the foods you would like to consume for nutritional content and food sensitivities. It is NOT recommended to completely “go raw” at one time and it IS recommended to go see a nutritionist or teacher that will help you transition safely and healthily.

While I was at the Expo I went to a lecture with Brenda Cobbs of the Living Foods Institute. In 1999 Brenda was diagnosed with breast and cervical cancer. She healed herself without radiation, chemotherapy or surgery and now dedicates her life to helping others. She spoke about how right mental thinking, emotional healing and to nourish the body at a deep cellular level, reverse aging and detoxify the body through organic, raw foods.

Hopefully, you will encourage and challenge yourself to incorporate more live, organic foods in your daily diet and feel the many benefits of a rich, diverse, fresh plant- based diet. I am with you though; it takes effort!

Here is a Juicing Recipe:

1 Large Mango
1 Ripe Banana
4 Strawberries
2 Tbspn Flaxseed
2 Tbspn Coconot Shavings or Coconut Milk
6 Ice Cubes
1 Cup of Milk or Water

Serves 2

]]> http://www.totallyzen.com/live-raw-foods-yoga-in-nyc-everyday.html/feed 1 http://www.totallyzen.com/celebrate-st-pattys-by-going-green.html http://www.totallyzen.com/celebrate-st-pattys-by-going-green.html#comments Wed, 18 Mar 2009 02:39:30 +0000 Maura Manzo http://www.totallyzen.com/?p=375 Continue reading →]]>

AHh, so it is, another year, another St. Patty’s Day. More green beer, more “Kiss Me I’m Irish” shirts, more Irish potatoes. What’s interesting , though, is that you would think we have been celebrating St Patty’s the entire last year as we have seen more “Go Green!” advertisements and products than ever.

With all this talking of going green, though, I think its time to approach the situation from a different angle. While I agree it is very important that we all start considering the impact our lifestyles, products and wastes are having on the environment, I will acknowledge that it can be a daunting task to undertake. Eco-friendly cleaning products and other household items can be expensive, especially during these financial times when there’s not a lot of green ($) to go around.

But rest assured because there is something a little easier to do. And that is to go green within our own personal environments, our own internal rainforests – our bodies! As the number one food missing in the modern diet, greens can clean and detoxify our systems like no other foods. This powerhouse food group is essential to health and liveliness – just think about it. The color green represents health, vitality and wealth. When viewed from space, one of our planet’s main colors is green. And as we approach spring, green landscapes will soon surround us.

So why go green? Well, there is enough information about the health benefits of greens to fill entire bookshelves, so I will just highlight a few items:

•       Detoxify your system Greens work to strengthen and tonify your liver – an essential organ for filtering and removing wastes and toxins from the body. Not only will you clean out your system, but you will also boost your immune system and purify your blood.  The best season for greens is the spring, when all the vegetation comes back to life and weeds grow like, well, weeds. Leafy greens work with your body’s natural cycles to help remove the excess fat and heaviness from the foods we ate all winter that keep us warm and grounded.
•       Strong bones Certain greens like dandelion, beet greens, kale and watercress contain amounts of calcium comparable to dairy products – without the added calories and fat. Greens also supply the body with significant amounts of magnesium, a mineral we are increasingly deficient in. Furthermore, your body can not absorb calcium without magnesium, making greens essential for healthy bones and the prevention of osteoporosis.
•       Cancer Prevention Green vegetables, especially dark leafy greens, are nutritionally dense and full of antioxidants.  Free radicals (aka the bad guys) are unstable, cancer-promoting molecules. Antioxidants like vitamins A, C and E are found in high amounts in leafy greens and help to rid the body of free radicals. Greens are also very high in iron, potassium, phosphorous, zinc, folic acid, fiber and chlorophyll. Just talking about them makes you feel better already, right?
•       Environmental Impact More water and waste management goes into growing a pound of beef than you can imagine. Eating fruits and vegetables produces much less waste, helps conserve energy

So, find your pot of gold and lucky four-leaf clover in the produce section of your grocery store or, even better, visit a local farm for local greens to spring you into the warmer months. Now is the time of year when greens are in season, so that means they will also taste the best! Experiment with greens you never heard of, use fresh herbs in soups and sauces and find ways to add more green to your life. You’ll feel better and look better. And, no, you won’t turn green.

Maura Manzo is a holistic health counselor and manager of RYAH Yoga and Health. She sees clients individually, teaches nutrition classes and presents workshops on a variety of topics. For more information or if you need help with incorporating a healthy diet into your lifestyle, visit www.mauramanzo.com or www.ryahyoga.com

When we change what we eat, everything changes. Everything. Food literally becomes our blood, cells, tissues, organs and muscles. But it also becomes our thoughts and emotions. That’s simply the science of food. It affects every process in our body, physically, mentally and emotionally. Is that crazy? Or does it seem to make perfect sense? Stay with me then. Follow this…

If the food we eat literally becomes a part of us, wouldn’t that make the idea of “you are what you eat” quite real? When we begin to grasp this notion and put conscious effort and thought into the process of choosing our foods, we start to realize that we really are what we eat! So what does this mean?

It can be broken down into simple concepts like: buying local and organic products to avoid putting harmful toxins into our bodies, to support not only the environment as a whole but also our personal environments (our bodies!), and to fuel our bodies with the highest quality of food possible. Given half the chance, our bodies will take care of themselves. But we need to give it that chance, starting with the very thing we do at least three times a day – eating! Most of us would not knowingly ingest the chemicals that are now abundant in our food chain – things like methanol, a well-know neurotoxin. But we do, everyday. Reading labels and buying organic can help to start the process of “cleaning up” your diet.

Maybe you can begin to explore more complex ideas like the cross-species transference which hypothesizes that cruelty to animals, during the course of their lifetime or at time of their death, can be transferred over to whichever species chooses to (or unbeknownst to them) eat them – a simple transfer of negative energy. Crazy? I think not. We all certainly have experienced this transfer of energy before – from someone that gave you a “bad vibe” or someone that is so visually broken down and depressed that your own mood begins to change when you are around them (they bring you down).

You can start with a simple idea that works for me – when you eat better, you will begin to feel better. When you feel better, you begin to live better. This makes sense, right? So take a step back (or should we say forward) next time you are at the grocery store or out to dinner and think about what food is going to make you feel better, on all different types of levels: think about where your food came from, how it has been processed, how close is it to its natural state and even think about how it has been treated. This is not a revolutionary idea, but it is evolutionary. It will help decide how we move forward in our existence. Think of where we have come in the last 75 years alone – cancer, obesity, diabetes and diseases of all types are reaching epidemic proportions. I believe it is no coincidence at all that our diets have evolved more drastically in those last 75 years than they have in our entire existence! Can you see a connection? I can.

So just think about it – food, that is. I guarantee you it will change your life. Guarantee.

More Alive Health & Wellness Consulting Eat Better, Feel Better, Live Better…Today! 215-834-5618 www.mauramanzo.com

The Greenfest Philly will revolve around the theme of water. As an upcoming exhibitor for the event I was challenged to find the correlation between water and what Totally Zen could offer to the subject.

I had heard water was a healing tool some time ago. Sometimes you here things in passing and don’t put much attention to them and other things in life we take for granted, like our health. When I had the opportunity to delve into the meaning between health and water I jumped on it.

I found a book called, You’re Not Sick, You’re Thirsty! , by Dr. F. Batmanghelidj. This scientist has some very interesting research, findings and explanations as to the connection between human health and hydration levels.

For two and a half years, in the late 70′s, this doctor was being held in an Iranian prison as a political prisoner of the Islamic revolution. While there, he began to treat prisoners for stress induced peptic ulcer disease by drinking two glasses of water. He effectively treated over three thousand such cases and wrote a scientific explanation that would be published in the Iranian Medical Association Journal while still in prison and later restructured for the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology in June of 1983.

The doctor presents a need for an entire paradigm shift to the way modern medicine looks at health and disease. He claims that chronic dehydration can change molecular and electrical structure of cells, which affect the chemical balance in the body thereby altering their effectiveness in the body. Once your cells are not acting, responding and receiving information in the body correctly or efficiently there begins imbalances in the organs and internal systems. Once this happens pathology, disease, sets in to the body.

Dr. F. Batmanghelidj claims, “the current commerce directed, health- maintenance system”, does not want to educate people as to this finding because the pharmaceutical industry would suffer at the knowledge that most chronic disease could be cured by hydrating or preventatively keeping the body hydrated from the start.

He states that modern medicine has made four mistakes that confound to cost society dearly. Here are the four premises:

1. “The whole structure of modern medicine is built on the pitifully flawed premise that dry mouth is the only sign of dehydration.” They have confused the symptoms of internal, localized droughts and has identified them as different disease. Dry mouth is the last indicator of dehydration of the body.

2. Water has primary functions in the body; water is life- sustaining and life- giving. This is why dehydration can cause life-threatening processes. Understanding this can save your life and health- naturally.

3. Another serious error is that, “the human body can regulate efficiently its water intake throughout the lifespan of the person. As we age our perception of thirst diminishes and we fail to drink adequate amounts of water.” The cells become plum-like in vital organs and we cannot sustain life. We need to recognize the onset of dehydration and its manifestations to prevent the irreversible damage.

4. He says, ” the fourth nail in the coffin of present-day medicine is the thought that any fluid can replace the water needs of the body.” This is a major problem because of the use of manufactured beverages. He notes, “Caffeine, soda, alcohol and tea actually dehydrate the body. Most of the beverages today contain the dehydrating substance of caffeine.” Therefore, you need more water after you drink them than before because you excrete water when you use them.

There is so much interesting information about the different effects dehydration has on the body. In fact, come out to Greenfest on Sunday, September 7th, 11-6pm. The event takes at Headhouse Square, 2nd & South Street. Find the Totally Zen booth to read the to learn about the Forty-Six Reasons Why Your Body Needs Water Every Day and to say Hello! If you are not local or do not make it out I will post the list or summary of the educational information after the event.

Dr. F. Batmanghelidj suggestions for water usage:

• In the meantime remember to drink water 30 minutes before a meal to prepare the digestive tract.

• Water should be taken any time you are thirsty- even during meals.

• Water should be taken 2 1/2 hours after a meal to complete the process of digestion and correct dehydration caused by food breakdown.

• Water should be taken first thing in the morning to correct dehydration produced during long sleep.

• Water should be taken before exercising to have it available for creating sweat.

• Water should be taken by people who are constipated and don’t eat sufficient fruits and vegetables. 2-3 glasses in the morning acts as the most effective laxative.

The body uses up to 6-8 glasses of its body water for essential functions. It needs on average upwards of half its weight in ounces of water per day – a minimum of 8-10 glasses. Water should be taken in 8-16 oz portions throughout the day. Just like you don’t want your car to run out of gas; don’t let your body become dehydrated before you drink!

Drink, drink, drink – WATER!!!!!                                                        

*********All of this educational information was provided by the book,You’re Not Sick, You’re Thirsty! , by Dr. F. Batmanghelidj.

A link to buy his books:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Dr.+Batmanghelidj&x=10&y=24

Find out more about the Greenfest:

http://www.greenfestphilly.org/

“You are what you eat” is more than just a familiar saying – it’s another way we can all strive to be totally zen. Being mindful of what we eat nourishes our bodies and connects us with the earth.

In our busy lives, we often don’t have time to cook or be thoughtful about what we’re eating. Sometimes we need to be reminded that you don’t have to cook for hours to enjoy a healthy and delicious meal. Even the simplest foods like blanched vegetables and steamed fish with lemon and pepper can be extremely satisfying. Open yourself up to the possibilities in simplicity.

Another way to make your diet totally zen is to buy local and seasonal foods. By eating these we become more aware of the seasons and cycles of life and learn to appreciate the finite moments for each vegetable and fruit. Eating local and seasonal is not only great for you, it has echoing effects like supporting family farms, protecting open space, reducing emissions spent on transporting food long distances, and building your community.

The farmers’ market is one of my favorite places to shop and browse because it’s so full of possibilities. There’s something about meeting the person who grows your vegetables that solidifies a connection with the land and makes cooking an experience rather than a chore. The vegetables are always more tasty and fresh than at a supermarket too.

Farmers’ markets are also great for opening up creativity in the kitchen. Try buying something you haven’t tried before like mustard greens or lima beans, and then ask the farmer for suggestions or look up a recipe when you get home. The only thing that trumps shopping at a farmers market is growing vegetables in your own garden. Nothing is more satisfying!

Buy Fresh Buy Local Week in Philadelphia is this July 12th to July 20th with plenty of events: from farm tours, to medicinal plant walks, to cooking demonstrations, to samples of local beer and ice cream. There’s no better introduction to local food – check it out! For more info visit the Farm to Philly Blog.

Some of my favorite places to buy local food are:                              

Fair Food Farmstand in Reading Terminal Market
12th and Arch Sts
Tuesday – Saturday 8am – 6pm
Sunday 9am – 4pm

Jefferson Farmers’ Market
10th and Chestnut Sts
Thursdays 12pm – 5:30pm

Headhouse Farmers’ Market
2nd and Lombard Sts
Saturdays and Sundays 10am – 2pm

Some of the local foods available in July are:                                                          

Beans
Beets
Blueberries
Cucumbers
Corn
Eggplants
Peppers
Sweet Potatoes
Yellow squash
Zucchini
Lettuces
Herbs
Radishes

Later in the month look for:

Tomatoes
Peaches
Watermelons
Cantaloupe
Potatoes