A Claritin a day keeps the tissues away. Or so you think. This transition into fall brings about many seasonal changes. You may be that student in yoga class who keeps a box of Kleenex next to your mat. Pollen and ragweed are here for the fall allergy season and you are probably praying for these…
“You seriously keep that in your purse?” I’ve heard multiple times when I pull out a metal straw. I recently found out you cannot recycle plastic straws due to their size. I keep this cute little canvas bag filled with my fork, knife, spoon, metal straw and yes, chopsticks. I don’t think I’ve used the…
The farmer’s market it one of my favorite places in the world. I just discovered they had dried beans at the Green City Market that I usually go to in Lincoln Park. The woman at Three Sisters Garden told me the beans you usually buy at the store are about 3-5 years old. Their beans are…
I’ve had this mandolin slicer for so long and haven’t figured out a way to use it. All of a sudden I had all these beets and the mandolin slicer was begging for attention. So I whipped it out with the faintest idea how to even set it up. I chopped the ends of the…
Have you ever taken a moment to just sit and observe your breath? The way the body inhales and exhales? Is the inhale longer than the exhale or vice versa? Where does the breath begin? “First, take a deep breath,” I usually say to my sisters and friends when they start to get stressed. My…
My college friends used to call me “Mama Ridge.” I’d constantly have chocolate chip cookies on deck for the Brooksiders to scavenge after a night out in Columbia, Missouri. Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are packed with fiber and protein. According to Medical News Today, chickpeas contain a mineral called selenium. This mineral helps…
Low back pain? Cancer? This might be why! My low back had been throbbing with pain for weeks. I couldn’t get a grasp on why it was so uncomfortable. I’d sit down on the floor and this sensation would run through my spine begging to be released. It was only when I’d lay on my…
When I was a kid, I begged my mom for shiitake mushrooms. I couldn’t get enough. I went through a phase where they weren’t my favorite things but now, I cannot get enough. Got shrooms? My mushroom guy, Ambrose wears a shirt with this written on the back every Saturday at the Green City Market. Mushrooms…
I was up at the lake a few weeks ago and a good friend of mine, David was truly hoping I’d teach a few yoga classes. Our cabin is quite interesting. Over 100 years ago, my great grandfather and his friends went up to this plot of land in Hayward, Wisconsin to fish. This turned…
Root Chakra (Muladhara): First Chakra Purpose: Sense of feeling grounded and secure. Location: Base of the spine. Deals with: Grounding, finances, security, food. Color: Red. Developmental stage: 2nd trimester to 12 months. Developmental tasks: Physical growth, motor skills, object permanence. In balance: Feeling grounded and supported. Full of energy, health, and vitality. Out of balance: Fears…
