How to Keep Your Cool

The chaos started up again when I looked back at my original business, Traditional Healing Arts, I noticed one major flaw – it didn’t reflect who I am at all. It’s cookie cutter appearance mimcked all the other holistic type business out there with it’s natural soothing green appearance. While I managed to pull in some business, I realized I would never truly separate myself from the competition.

It wasn’t until recently that Sexy Food Therapy was born. An edgy type business that changes how woman view whole food, Sexy Food Therapy aims to make healthy living accessible. So with plans to open up an online resource for sexy therapeutic foods and services, I am nonetheless swamped with work with a self-planned launch date of January 2009.

Next came the fundraising idea for Ethiopia. “Ethiopia?” you say? Yes, Ethiopia. After years of unsuccessful attempts, my sister Cilla decided to adopt a beautiful little girl from Ethiopia. While they won’t have her until late next year, we are all very excited. So having wanted to do a fundraiser for over a year now, I finally had a cause that truly resonated. It wasn’t until Cilla had mentioned an orphange she had heard about who took in children with HIV that I became eager to help. Megan E., founder of Faya Orphanage founded the company by literally dumping her entire life savings into it. Talk about commitment and more importantly heart. I was so moved that I decided to create a major fundraising project that will go on until the spring/summer of 2009 when I will visit Ethiopia for myself. So stay tuned! Yes, once again, I have created another project for myself…

Being a Type-A personality, it is so easy to burn out. Typically everyone around you will notice the signs and symptoms before you do. During productive stress (I know it sounds like an oxymoron), our stress hormones will rise and our immune function begins to decline and many times we get sick. So what sexy food recipe can I offer you today to help combat stress? Oats!

Samuel Johson in his famous English dictionary wrote about oats when he said, “A grain in which England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people,” to which later a Scotsman replied, “England is noted for the excellence of their horses; Scotland for the excellence of their men.” I’m sure Scottish men everywhere are cheering…

Oats are warming and help to supplement Qi (or vital energy) in our body. They help to combat exhaustion, improve our resistance to stress and strengthens our nerves. Many of the times if you walk into the stress section at any local health dispensary, you’ll notice that most of the herbal tinctures and capsules for stress contain oats as one of its many ingredients. So other than simply eating a wonderful porridge in the morning which stabilizes our blood sugar and keeps us full for hours, here is another food for thought. Oat milk.

Just like other dairy alternatives available on the market such as rice, soy, almond and hemp milk, oat milk is just as tasty. Best yet, when making this simple recipe, it gives you the freedom to supplement stevia for cane sugar (which is typically found in other dairy alternatives) and even a little vanilla or cinammon for extra flavour. Not to mention, it’s just pennies a glass.

1 cup of oat groats (soaked overnight)

3-4 cups water

1/2 tsp vanilla

5 drops liquid Stevia (I like the NOW brand)

Throw in soaked oat groats into a blender (Vitamix works best, but any blender will do) with water and blend at low speed. Blending it at high speed will cause the groats to scatter and prevent them from blending properly. Blend for 5 minutes.

Strain with a strainer or cheese cloth into a large container and return oat pulp back into blender adding a bit more water blending on low for another 2-5 minutes. Strain one more time and add vanilla and stevia before storing in the fridge.

You will notice that milk will seem separated when removing from fridge, so make sure to give it a quick stir before pouring yourself a glass.

This milk will keep for a good three days in the fridge, but you’ll likely finish it before then!

I have always thrived off of being busy and felt that in some way, I function better. But without my meditation, jogging several times per week and good quality nourishing food, keeping up would be impossible. So oats is a staple for me. Now I’m sure that somewhere down the line, you’ll see oat milk in stores (if it’s not out there already) and be tempted to buy the packaged version. Sometimes it’s easier to simply buy the box given the lack of time we have in today’s world. But every now and then when you have a half hour to spare, you’ll be amazed at how far a little love and good intention can make in what we create ourselves.

Enjoy!