Blog
Live your life with Intention
(Image: siraphat / FreeDigitalPhotos.net)
As the seasons change and we look back to reminisce over the year, we realize how quickly time can pass by and leave us wondering how we spent our days and what we accomplished. This is precisely why it is so important to have intentions to help us keep on track of our life goals.
When you live with intention, daily happenings take on special meaning. Thinking positive thoughts and living in the present moment allow clear focus and create awareness within yourself. You can truly savor the moment. Becoming conscious about your thoughts will shift your thinking and create understanding in your heart. Always remember to enjoy the moment, as all these moments add up to the happiness in your life.
When you act with good intentions, you are building good karma. There’s a radiant glow in your being and any dream is possible! It is so important to realize that your thoughts and words CAN change the way you feel and how you lead your life. When you focus your mind with a specific intent, you can achieve so much more. People notice your clarity and are so attracted to being around your positive aura and energy.
So I challenge you to set your intention today and give it your full attention. Write it down and return to it throughout the day and see what happens. It will only take a minute to set your intention. Staying aware of it will take a little more effort!
For example: My intention today is to enjoy the beauty surrounding me… I will do this by taking a walk in the park, gazing out of the window at work, watching the leaves fall from the trees, allowing the sun’s rays or rain drops to kiss my skin while outside.
Go ahead, try it! MY INTENTION TODAY IS……………
Notice if you feel a change in your awareness and thoughts. The more conscious we are in our interactions, starting with our thoughts, the more we can make change in our lives, however big or small. Being mindful and attentive is the best way to live your life’s full intent.
By Dr. Anita Rajan
What are people saying about intention and mindfulness?
We’ve Moved!
Our move is complete!
We are pleased to welcome you to our spacious new centre at 326 Adelaide Street West, Suite 202. We are right around the corner from our former location at Peter Street. Our phone number and email address remain the same. We look forward to being able to serve you better in our new location. See you soon!
View 326 Adelaide St W in a larger map
Raw Zucchini Marinara Pasta
(Image: Jean Scheijen / sxc.hu)
Besides being passionate about Network Spinal Analysis, I’m an avid raw foodist. I’ll save the full personal story for another post, but I’ve been raw vegan for the past 4 years and during that time was even 100% vegan for over 1 year. Before that, I had been steadily cutting out animal products from my diet. My health, my morals and the future of planet earth demanded it. Even the research literature supports a plant-based diet (again to be covered in another post).
In keeping with my interest in raw and vegan nutrition, I have been conducting raw food talks at Source Centre and the response has been very positive so far! I’ve also been sharing my raw food creations at recent potlucks and have been asked to share my recipes.
The sharing starts now with a simple and quick recipe for Raw Zucchini Marinara Pasta. Enjoy the flavours, the freshness and the health benefits!
Recipe: Low-Fat Raw Zucchini Marinara Pasta
Serves 4
Pasta
- 4 medium zucchini
Marinara Sauce
- 100g Sundried tomatoes (not in oil), soaked overnight in water, drained and squeezed
- 250g Fresh tomatoes, chopped: ideally roma, campari, cherry or grape
- 3 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
- ½ medium onion
- 1 clove garlic
- Oregano or other herb of your choice
Garnish
- Fresh basil (if available)
Preparation
- Using a spiral slicer, mandolin, or vegetable peeler, make “noodles” from the zucchini. Set aside.
- To keep spiralized noodles manageable to eat and handle with a fork, you may find it useful to cut in half each individual noodle pile that comes out of the spiralizer.
- Place sundried and fresh tomatoes with all other ingredients in a blender and blend on high.
- Plate the noodles and top with ample amounts of marinara.
- Garnish with basil and enjoy!
Did you know?
Both tomatoes and zucchinis are super dense with vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, and low in calories? According to http://nutritiondata.com, my go-to for detailed nutrition info, 300 grams of zucchini (a hypothetical serving size of noodles) contains: 142.5 mg omega 3 fatty acids, 5.1 g of well-balanced protein, 4.8 g fibre, 52.5 mg Vitamin C, 285 mL water, 48 calories, and more.
200 grams of fresh tomatoes can provide you with: 1666 IU Vitamin A, 25.4 g Vitamin C, 15.8 mcg Vitamin K, 474 mg Potassium, 189 mL water, you get my drift? We’re talking serious nutrition here.
Persimmon Pleasures
One of the things I love about working at Source Centre ~ sharing fruit with friends. Since attending Dr. Leo’s Discover Raw Food workshop, I’ve been reading more on the raw food way of eating and incorporating a lot more of it in my diet, especially fruit.
November and December is a great time for persimmons which, up until a few weeks ago, I had never tried. Now, I can’t get enough…
Because it can be intimidating trying new things, I thought I would share some of my experiences with persimmons. There tend to be 2 different persimmons commonly found in the markets. One is the Hachiya variety which is long and rather heart-shaped (right in the picture). The other is the squat, tomato-resembling Fuyu variety(left).
I first purchased a couple of Hachiyas and waited a few days until one was rather soft, thinking it was ready to go. I peeled and ate it. Rookie mistake! If you unknowingly do the same thing I did, you may end up thinking this furry tongued experience is all there is to a persimmon. Not true – this variety is particularly astringent and takes a good deal of time to ripen. In fact, I’m told I may be able to enjoy this remaining beauty come the New Year. (It’s going to be a happy 2012!)
Our squat friend, the Fuyu variety, is not nearly as astringent and can be enjoyed even while quite firm. Fortunately, I didn’t give up on persimmons and have been enjoying this variety tremendously. I find them to be a bit of a cross between a peach and a mango, with a beautiful orange flesh speckled with brown dots – as though there is cinnamon or some other wonderful fragrant spice laced throughout. I highly encourage you to try persimmons this year on their own or in the smoothie below as recommended by Dr. Sue.
Persimmon Smoothie
3 persimmons
1 young thai coconut
Take the seeds out of the persimmons and combine with the flesh and the milk of the young coconut- blend on high for 3 minutes.
This is a great staple full of healthy natural fats, sugars and startches.
Source Centre Book Club
I love books. I always have. Books have always been a sort of lifeline for me. As a child, they allowed me an escape into different worlds and experiences; at times, they articulated how I felt but couldn’t express; and they taught me much about people and the world around me.
Over the years, my relationship with books has ebbed and flowed but has remained strong. Now, books are less an escape and more a solace, and a source of wisdom and inspiration. They are a bridge that connects me to people and stories from centuries past and far off places. They are both treasure and comfort.
And, in my mind, a lasting investment whatever the circumstance!
No matter how broke I’ve been over the years, I would treat myself to a treasure hunt at the local Goodwill and strike gold for a dollar or two. I’m also that person who loves stumbling upon a box at the end of a front lawn where some thoughtful resident has left books for a bibliophile like myself to rustle through. As a result, I have grown a massive library and a guarantee of wisdom and inspiration for years to come. I garner a sense of peace from this in the same way that my parents feel about their stacks of flour and canned goods!
Do you love books too? Then I invite you to join us for our inaugural Source Centre Book Club gathering on Tuesday November 29th at 6:30pm. We will be discussing Elizabeth Lesser’s marvelous book Broken Open: How difficult times can help us grow.
Writing in short, episodic chapters opening with inspiring and thoughtful quotes to ponder, Lesser takes personal stories, both her own and others, and guides us through the dark, difficult parts of life. While pain in our lives is inevitable and inescapable, do we have to suffer? And if not, how do we eliminate the suffering? Can we take the difficult, most painful experiences to rise up renewed and healed? And grateful for those painful times?
I look forward to a lively, thoughtful discussion with good company and some light refreshments. All are welcome but please call 416-923-4325 or email us to register as space is limited
P.S. Don’t think you can finish the book in time? Give it a try ~ it’s a great read you’ll not want to put down! Find out more about Broken Open.
What are people saying about Broken Open?
Gluten Free Potato Crust Pizza
(Image: anankkml / FreeDigitalPhotos.net)
Wheat Free, Gluten Free Vegan Pizza
Serves 3-4
Potato Crust
- 4 medium yellow fleshed potates, cleaned, unpeeled
Cheesy Topping
- 1 cup cooked lentils (only 15 minutes cook from dried for easy salt control)
- Save lentil water to add back to lentils to achieve spreadable consistency
- 6 tablespoons Red Star Nutritional Yeast
- Salt to taste (optional)
Or use Daiya or soy cheeses
Pizza Sauce
- 1/2 can of tomato paste
- 1 fresh tomato, diced
- 1 clove garlic crushed and minced
- 1/2 medium onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- Salt to taste (optional)
Or simply use pizza or pasta sauce
Toppings
Pick your favourite combinations! Suggested toppings are:
- Basil
- Spinach
- Bell Peppers
- Tomatoes
- Rapini
- Arugula
- Mushrooms
- Eggplant
- Zucchini
- Olives
- Veggie Ground Round / Sausage
- Crumbled / blended tofu
- Onions
- Broccoli
Preparation
- Crust: Using a Spiral Slicer, a mandolin, or simply a vegetable peeler, make “noodles” from the potatoes.
- Into a large oiled skillet or non-stick frying pan, spread out noodles. Fry potatoes on med-high heat. Begin preparing cheesy sauce and tomato sauce.
- Stir potatoes occasionally until they soften, then flatten down and continue frying until edges are golden brown and potato is sticking to itself. Decrease heat to low.
- Cheesy Sauce: In a food processor or blender, combine lentils with yeast. Slowly add small amounts of water until you reach a dry but spreadable consistency. Set aside.
- Tomato Sauce: In a pot, combine ingredients. Simmer and season to taste.
- With potato crust still in the pan, spread cheesy topping / cheese, then spread on tomato sauce.
- Add desired toppings, and continue frying in the pan now covered with a lid or dish until toppings have softened.
- Transfer to a cutting board, slice like any other pizza, serve and enjoy!
Patient Appreciation Day – Thurs, Nov 3
In a previous Thanksgiving blog post, I wrote about the things and people for which I was thankful: friends and family, and fresh food, air and water. Giving thanks feels good and so does receiving it – the research supports this belief. This week, I’m even more grateful and I’m joined by the Source Centre team as we all show gratitude to you, our loyal patients, for entrusting us to your care.
This Thursday at 1:30pm and 6pm, we are celebrating your commitment to your health and well-being at our office. Come to enjoy healthy snacks and refreshments with fellow patients and members of the Source Centre team. Come to chat with us and with each other your health and well-being and how far you’ve come. We look forward to seeing you all!
Relaxing Lavender
(image by Simon Howden freedigitalphotos.net)
The holiday season is fast approaching and while it can be filled with a lot of joy and festivity, we also know it can be filled with lots of stresses. For some of us our workloads actually increase so as we attempt to keep up our day-to-day responsibilities, we may also feel the additional stress of finding the perfect gift for all the special people in our lives.
De-stress this holiday season with Lavender Essential Oil.
Lavender is widely known for its calming properties. Here are a few simple ways you can use Lavender:
- Place a few drops in the wax of a burning candle and enjoy the subtle scent in the room
- Dribble a few drops onto your pillow cases for peaceful sleep
- Add a few drops to your bath water
- Dab a drop on the back of your neck
- Place a few drops on a tissue and carry in your pocket. Throughout the day, remember to pull it out and inhale the soothing scent
But lavender isn’t just great at promoting relaxation. Did you know that it’s great for burns and insect bites too? And that’s not all.
I work with essential oils all the time and I love them. I put them in my products and utilize them in a myriad of ways every day. At Source Centre, I hold periodic workshops discussing the health benefits and practical applications of some common Essential Oils. Sign up for our electronic newsletter or find us on Facebook and Twitter to keep informed on the next workshops.
Zoomer Show 2011
The October 29-30 Zoomer Show 2011 is fast approaching. Source Centre along with the Ontario Network Chiropractors will be there to help you learn more about Network Spinal Analysis and to fundraise for Nellie’s Shelter. Source Centre is still giving away free passes for 2. All you need to do is visit our promotions page and sign up! There’s 4 options for signing up to receive a free pass.
See you at Zoomer Show 2011!
The Power of Micro-Stresses
The annoying beep of your alarm clock didn’t wake you up this morning, now you are late and your boss is not going to be pleased with your week long streaks of tardiness. It’s raining but of course you left your umbrella by the door. That’s not a problem right? You can catch the bus if you run – but it just left a trail of smoke in your face. You finally get to work, but completely forgot today the office is closed for the general manager’s meeting. With your head down, a deep sigh murmurs the empty hallway as the drops of water from your jacket leave a trace of how your life is in shambles.
Sound familiar? These events are micro-stresses that affect our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual being. It’s not necessarily one big stressful event that triggers an unbalance within us, it’s actually a series of events which we perceive as stressful.
Everyday we face “stressors” and the majority of us bury our thoughts and feelings deep inside of us, hoping that they cease to exist. This is where the problem begins because this is a form of suffering. This is commonly seen in our clinic with patients participating in the SRI breathing exercises in Stage 1, in which they acknowledge that there is some form of feeling or thought which is causing a negative reaction within them. But there is hope because if there is a will there is a way. This is where I am happy to assure you that with SRI breathing exercises in Stage 2 – Polarities and Rhythms - we allow ourselves to dig deeper and find the different reactions that exist within us. Could you imagine, penting up all the stresses and ordeals we experience and never having an outlet to express them? It would be silly to believe that our feelings of sadness, negativity or hurt go unnoticed – I guess nobody likes to press the hot topic button, so to speak, so you continue with your day, burying negative feelings which could be transformed into something positive, something beautiful.
When we are “stressed” our brains process our reaction and produce physical signs such as aches and pains, bladder and bowel issues, sore throat, inability to sleep and uncontrollable emotional outbursts when we least expect it. You may go running to your Doctor complaining of these symptoms, hoping for the quick fix he can offer you. But that same feeling of disappointment returns when he sends you on your merry way because all his tests were negative. What do you do then? Personally, what I found to help was taking the power over my stress. Finally, saying “No!” Network Spinal Analysis showed me a way to re-organize my negative and burdening thoughts into a positive and more welcoming structure. My body seems to adapt to my everyday stress in a much more positive way and this has really helped me to finally make the changes that should’ve been made months ago!
A useful tool I learnt was to train my brain to not perceive an possible stressful event as “stressful.” This is something I want to share with you.
Find something comfortable to wear, take your shoes off and sit up right without having your back leaning against something. Take however long to allow your body to find a place of relaxation. When you have found it close your eyes.
Pick a colour that you believe would represent the word “relax”. It could be anything. Imagine the shape the colour would take if it was moving throughout your body. If you are left handed, you will be starting from the left foot and if you are right handed you will begin with the right foot.
This colour will take a liquid shape and begin its journey in this route (the example below is for right handed people):
Right big toe –> right foot–>right calf –>right thigh (imagine it moving from the front to the back) –> right buttock –>right hip –> right side of the stomach —> right chest –>right side of the neck –> right ear —>top of the head –>left ear –>left side of the neck –> left chest –>left side of the stomach –>left hip –> left buttock –>left thigh (imagine it moving from the front to the back) –>left calf –>left foot –>left big toe
If you have fear of some pain or suffering, you should examine whether there is anything you can do about it. If you can, there is no need to worry about it; if you cannot do anything, then there is also no need to worry.
-Dalai Lama-
Follow Us!