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The Vegetarian Professional Jet-Setter Strikes again…

I’m here!!! I’m here!!! I have not fallen off the face of the Earth!!!

The first part of 2013 has been incredible to me… I had the chance to visit so many places – India, Panama, Peru, Miami… those you already knew about. But I just got back from a trip to Spain doing the Camino de Santiago and a week in Paris. Collectively, I think in the first 8 months of 2013, I’ve only been in Puerto Rico for about 3 months total. I told ya once… be careful what you wish for, because just like the Daughtry song says, “you just might get it all… and then some you don’t want”.

I have been craving some normalcy… some time at home, by myself to write and share with you all the wonderful experiences I’ve had. But doing 3 spiritual trips in less than 6 months takes a toll on you. My mind has not been in the writing mode. That’s why I’ve been kinda quiet lately. If you follow me on Facebook, at least you’ve gotten a chance to check out some of KarmaFree’s recipes from our archives… But my spiritual guru told me it would be like this for a little while. Trying to get a grasp of normalcy while all the experiences and blessings of all these spiritual trips actually sink in. Please bear with me…

I’ve already shared with you some things about Peru – what to buy when you visit and my experience drinking Coca Tea in Cusco. I’ve also shared some of the experiences in India – about sugar-coated fennel seeds or the many ways Indians eat their lentils. But I have not had the chance to tell you about the awesome natural treatments we did in Panama, some of the great vegetarian restaurants we went in Peru or some of the delicious recipes I learned while in India. Let me tell you… I got sweets you will looooooooove!!!! You’ll hear about the experience and the recipes in the weeks to come.

You’ll also learn about my experience of walking the Camino de Santiago or St. James Way… If you’ve seen the movie The Way with Emilio Estevez and Martin Sheen, you know what I am talking about. This was my 3rd trip to Spain and I keep learning so much and discovering this country’s gastronomy has to offer. I will also try to show you how I handled walking 114kms in 5 days on a vegetarian diet!!!

And Paris!!!! My lovely, lovely Paris!! If I was in Spain, how could I not hop over to visit my beloved Paris?? This time around I went by myself and got to eat and experience some of my old favorites, but also got a taste of some new things I have been meaning to try… like those lovely falafels at L’As du Falafel that everyone raves so much about.

Thanks for sticking around… thanks for being patient with me. I promise I had all you guys on my mind wherever I was… India, Paris, Spain, Miami, Panama, Peru and even here in my lovely kitchen in Puerto Rico. I will try to make you all feel like you were all there with me…

Bon virtual voyage!!!! Bon Appetit!!!

Tags: blessings, Camino de Santiago, food, france, india, jet-setter, karma, Kumbha Mela, Panama, paris, Peru, pilgrimage, Spain, travel, vegetarian, Way of St. James

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Categories MY EDITORIAL

Who will you make peace with today??

20 Sep

On September 21 we celebrate International Peace Day… a movement that started way back in 1981 when the United Nations General Assembly adopted unanimously a day to “devote a specific time to concentrate efforts… to promoting the ideals of peace and to giving positive evidence of their commitment to peace in all viable ways.”

With the efforts of Jeremy Gilley, an actor turned filmmaker, a non-profit organization was formed in 1999 – Peace One Day, establishing an annual day of cease-fire and non-violence. And with their help, September 21 was officially declared as THE annual date to celebrate and encourage peace.

Enough with the history lessons… I am drawn to this effort because in my yoga practice we are taught that world peace is achieved when you can find peace inside yourself. That’s the main teaching of my Guru, Swami Guru Devanand. We are the architects of our life, our circumstances and environment. When we work individually with ourselves, we are acknowledging our responsibility towards the peace that surrounds us… or not.

I wish there was more press and awareness towards this movement… so I am using this platform to encourage you all to promote peace and seek to make peace with something or someone.

There is a world movement with many celebrities joining in the effort… Jude Law, Michael Caine, Natasha Bedingfield, Gael García Bernal, Miguel Bosé, among many others are raising awareness of the importance of living in a more peaceful world.

Below you’ll find a link to a YouTube live broadcast of events celebrated around the world…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLgr8mA9OkY

If you live in Puerto Rico, there will be a Mediation for Peace at El Morro starting at 5PM, Saturday 21.

I fully support all efforts to promote peace in our communities and around the world. Many feel discouraged on a daily basis, thinking there is nothing for them to do to make things better. I invite you all to discover the power of mediation and the power of positive thinking. I firmly believe that when we make a conscious effort to start concentrating on the positive that surrounds us and to focus on possibilities instead of limitations, the world around us will start to improve.

Peace is within your grasp!!! You can make a change!!!

Please join in the Peace Day movement and help us spread the word… let’s promote what we want instead of bashing what we don’t.

Tags: gael garcia bernal, inner peace, international peace day, Jude Law, law of attraction, Michael Caine, Miguel Bose, Natasha Bedingfield, peace, peace day one, positive thinking, Swami Guru Devanand, United Nations, world peace, Yoga

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Categories MY EDITORIAL

Portion Control… also key to good health

14 Aug

Sometimes we eat more with our eyes than with our stomachs… we miseducate our bodies into believing more food equals more health and that is an erroneous notion. it is not the quantity of food, but its quality, that creates a positive equation for our long-term health.

Eating more than we should brings a slew of issues – obesity or being over weight, digestive issues like reflux disease, which might bring forth other issues like insomnia, lack of restful sleep, lethargy, lack of energy, indigestion, etc.

Let’s re-educate ourselves into eating more healthful portions:

Serve yourself in a smaller plate… the plate will be full with less food and you will train your brain into thinking this amount of food IS ENOUGH for you.
Learn to fill yourself up with fresh salads. If you still feel a small plate is too little to start your transition, complement your small plate with fresh veggies which carry lots of phytonutrients. Also, add fresh fruits to your breakfast or even as snacks…
When eating out, order a 1/2 portion – many restaurants offer 1/2 portions. Ask for them… And if even that is too much share a meal with someone or only eat half of it now and save the rest for later.
Take a walk after a meal. This will increase your physical activity, help your digestive system do its job faster and increase your overall health. When people eat large meals and immediately stay at rest or even take a nap it prevents the digestive system to do its job promptly because you’ve ordered your whole system to rest,,, so all that food stays in your stomach to ferment… not fun!
Do not eat a full meal too late at night – for the same reason as above.

Let’s take control of what we eat and the quantities we eat and over time you’ll see it in your health and possibly even your waistline…

Tags: food, half portions, healthy weight, portion control, restaurants, tips, vegetable, vegetarian

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Categories healthy thoughts, MY EDITORIAL

Food… your most powerful medicine

7 Aug

Sometimes, we give so little thought to what we eat… most people just think of the taste and the immediate gratification, with very little consideration of the impact of what they put in their mouth has on their immediate, mid and long-term health.

It is not a right of passage to be sickly when we get older!! To grow older should be a sign of accumulated wisdom, experiences, freedom… instead people become a repository of ailments, sickness and limited mobility. We’re so lucky our physical bodies are so resilient despite the poor fuel we give it.

People have come to believe that arthritis, inflammation, gout, heart diseases, diabetes… all are diseases you acquire due to age. Older people get these ailments because it’s the way it is. But people don’t stop and consider how all the “gustitos” or “little sins” – all the white bread, candy, refined sugars, meat, fatty foods, fast foods, artificial colorants, etc. – played a role in their current state of health.

Make a conscious decision to put more thought and be more mindful of what you eat every day. Consider how your food will either contribute to your health or your lack of it in years to come. Start choosing everyday to eat and fuel your body as if you will last 120 years. I am one that wants to last 120 years… but I want to be an active, productive and independent 120 year old some day. It can be done… that’s what our physical bodies are designed to endure. It all depends on how well we take care of ourselves…

Tags: ailments, ann wigmore, conscious, food, medicine, mindful eating, mindfulness, poison, sickness, vegetarian

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Categories healthy thoughts, MY EDITORIAL, Veggie Bites of Wisdom

What to buy when traveling to Peru…

31 Jul

As you know, to me the best kind of souvenirs are edible souvenirs… something to eat and reminisce about the place I am traveling in.

In Peru, these are my recommendations on what to bring home to remember your trip by:

Lay’s Perurísimas Potato Chips – Peru prides itself for having 1,000+ potato varieties. We had the chance to taste some of them during our dinners. But for munchies, the best potato chips I’ve had in a while are Lay’s Perurísimas. These are similar to a Terra chip, but made with several varieties of Peruvian potatoes. With a very light sea salt touch. De-li-cious!!! I wanted to bring back several bags of these… I will be campaigning for Lay’s to distribute these in the US and Puerto Rico.

Maras Salt, the Peruvian Pink Salt – Near Cusco there’s a place called Salineras, where Sal de Maras is harvested. Sal de Maras is a pink, very flavorful salt only available in Peru. You can buy it in any supermarket in the area. And I suggest you do so, because if you decide at the airport, you’ll be paying a hefty premium for forgetting it while you were buying your Perurísimas chips.

Maca – Lately, I’ve been hearing about all these add-ons you can add to your morning smoothies to make them more nutritious. Among these add-ons is maca powder. Maca is a Peruvian root, similar to a radish, which has been cultivated for many, many years. It is many times eaten as a cooked vegetable but for us outside of Peru, is more convenient to have it as a powder. Maca is said to help with anemia, boost energy, improve athletic performance and memory and even help with the symptoms of menopause. It’s also used for weak bones, depression, boost the immune system, erectile dysfunction and even to arouse sexual desire.

When I went to buy this at Whole Foods and saw it was a Peruvian thing… I waited to purchase it during our trip. I was lucky enough to find organic maca. I tried it first in a blended juice drink where they added maca to it. The taste is a tad bitter, but that may be a factor of the amount of maca they added to the drink. I only plan to add a tablespoon to my morning smoothie. Will report about the effects of it later on… OK??

Selva Brand Orange Juice – I have told you about my love for Orangina… so imagine this Selva Orange Juice is like Orangina, but without the fizz. It’s sweet and tart at the same time. It’s light and delicious. We bought a few bottles along the trip to have in our room to snack or to have for breakfast. I wish I could’ve brought a few bottles home with me. I would have if I had brought with me the super large Ziploc bags to make sure there wasn’t any spillage in my suitcase.

Oatmeal Cookies from La Gran Fruta – I’ve told you about La Gran Fruta… and these cookies make the best gifts for friends at home. Have them taste a little piece of Lima thru these cookies. They might crack into pieces, but no-one will care after they taste their deliciousness.

Ají Amarillo – My friend Mara is from Peru… and she urged me to bring home some ají amarillo, the one used to make salsa huancaína to serve with potatoes or sweet potatoes. I did not get a lot of time at the supermarket right before returning home, so I bought a packet of Ají Mirasol. I hope I bought the right thing. But in the near future I will ask my other Peruvian friend, Lucy, to share with me her papas a la huancaína recipe. We had a chance to have it at her Lima home and it was THE BEST papas a la huancaína we had the whole trip.

And in a completely unrelated to food topic… I also bought myself a nice little knitted hat made from alpaca wool. It’s the Peruvian wool of choice. I bought it in a little town called Chincheros from the nicest and funniest Peruvian lady ever. She should have her own stand-up comedy show… so I do sometimes buy stuff that is not edible. Just so you know… 😉