Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Elise Cantrell is a professional yoga instructor and studio owner in Kohler, Wisconsin. She holds a master's degree in education from the University of South Carolina. She completed her yoga certification at White Lotus Institute and has received advanced teacher training at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health. Elise is also a certified Ayurvedic lifestyle counselor through the American Institute of Vedic Studies. Elise regularly teaches a six-week course called 40 Days to Enlightened Eating.

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40 Days to Enlightened Eating

BALBOA PRESS

Contents

Preface: How My Own Journey Began...............................................................................viiIntroduction....................................................................................................xiDay 1: Beginner's Mind..........................................................................................1Day 2: A Clean Slate—Putting Beginner's Mind into Action..................................................6Day 3: Setting Intentions.......................................................................................17Day 4: Tapas—The Fire of Transformation...................................................................25Phase 1: Food and the Body......................................................................................30Day 5: You Really Are What You Eat!.............................................................................38Day 6: What is Your Eating Style?...............................................................................41Day 7: Samscaras—Self-sabotaging Eating Patterns..........................................................50Day 8: Exercise "Samscaras".....................................................................................60Day 9: Can Yoga Help Me Lose Weight?............................................................................67Day 10: Enlightened Eating OUT!.................................................................................81Day 11: It's Not How Much You Eat as Much as What You're Eating.................................................90Day 12: Starting Over...........................................................................................96Day 13: The 3 Gunas of Eating...................................................................................101Day 14: What is Your Dosha? Determining Your Ayurvedic Constitutional Type......................................110Day 15: Diet by Dosha...........................................................................................122Day 16: Yoga by Dosha...........................................................................................131Day 17: The Six Tastes..........................................................................................141Day 18: Enhancing the Metabolism................................................................................148Day 19: Prana and Food..........................................................................................162Day 20: Optimizing Life-force...................................................................................170Day 21: Self-Care...............................................................................................177Day 22: Self-Sabotage...........................................................................................185Day 23: "Youthing" Instead of Aging!!! The Secrets to Youthfulness, Longevity and Vitality!.....................192Phase 2: Eating and the Mind....................................................................................198Day 24: Irrational Fear of Sweet, Salt, Fat, Carbohydrates and Dairy............................................199Day 25: Eating and Emotions, Emotions and Eating................................................................211Day 26: The Present Moment......................................................................................218Day 27: "The Middle Way"........................................................................................222Day 28: "Practice and All is Coming"............................................................................229Day 29: Pratyahara..............................................................................................233Day 30: Eating with Balance.....................................................................................238Day 31: Eating with Witness Consciousness.......................................................................245Day 32: Eating Mindfully........................................................................................251Day 33: Hara Hachi Bu...........................................................................................259Phase 3: Eating and the Spirit..................................................................................265Day 34: Alignment...............................................................................................266Day 35: Spiritual Nutrition.....................................................................................272Day 36: Eating with Love........................................................................................278Day 37: Feeding the Spirit......................................................................................285Day 38: Food as Medicine, Medicine as Food......................................................................291Day 39: Transformation..........................................................................................301Day 40: Enlightenment...........................................................................................307New Beginning...................................................................................................311Appendix 1: Suggested Grocery List..............................................................................313Appendix 2: Enlightened Eating Approved Products................................................................318Appendix 3......................................................................................................319Appendix 4: Enlightened Recipe Index............................................................................320Appendix 5: Enlightened Food Resources..........................................................................322Appendix 6: Daily Food Journal..................................................................................323Appendix 7: Frequently Asked Questions..........................................................................324Appendix 8: Greatest Insights Over the 40 Days..................................................................326Appendix 9......................................................................................................329References......................................................................................................332In Dedication and Appreciation..................................................................................335

Chapter One

"In order for us to learn something new, often we first have to unlearn." ~Elise Cantrell

Suzuki Roshi wisely summarizes the concept of beginner's mind in his statement: "In the beginner's mind, there are many possibilities, in the expert's mind, there are few." Very often we let our "knowing" get in the way of our learning. Our minds are closed by our own preconceptions, judgments, and prejudices. By allowing ourselves to experience "beginner's mind" we suddenly become open to new possibilities and new ways of looking at things. When we become a beginner, we are open for transformation to take place. We create space for grace to flow in.

Today is the start of the journey. Beginning today we will approach eating with "beginner's mind". We will come to eating with a new sense of curiosity. Today we will start over. Starting today, we will approach a new way of eating, full of wonder, investigating and observing what happens when we incorporate new dietary principles. Think of the next 40 days as an experiment. Be willing to embark on a new beginning, try new ideas, set new patterns, and create new habits. Approach the next 40 days with openness. With the curiosity of a child, try new foods, different vegetables and fruits, new recipes, and creative cuisine. If you don't cook, try it! Cooking can be fun and creative. The next 40 days is a chance for you to make a new start. It's a chance to reset your taste buds, cravings and appetite. For "If not now, when?"~Eckhart Tolle

As adults, we fall into set patterns and react out of routine or anticipation. However, life itself gives us opportunities to embrace beginner's mind. When we ourselves were children, we looked at everything with a sense of wonder and amazement. Children observe things just as they are, without expectations. Again as parents we rediscover the world through our children's eyes, recognizing the amazement inherent in discovering things for the first time. Each January 1, many of us begin again with new zest, a new perspective and a clean slate. Give yourself permission to be a beginner when it comes to eating and food. Clear your mind of preconceptions, old habits, and old ways of doing things and give yourself the gift of starting over with a "beginner's mind". This is what I'm asking you to do with eating for the next 40 days. If you can commit to trying a new way of eating for 40 days, I can guarantee transformation!

Beginning today, observe yourself when it comes to eating and food as if you are new to it. Notice what and how much you are eating and drinking, and how often. Begin to read the ingredients of the foods you eat. Closely observe how foods taste and how you feel after eating them. Is the food you are eating something you are actually craving? Is there any anxiety for you around eating and food? Do you feel energized after eating, or heavy and sluggish? How much water are you drinking? How much alcohol? For day 1, the assignment is to just observe through new eyes how you come to eating and food. This will bring about awareness. Awareness is the important first step towards making change. New awareness will emerge as you embrace beginners mind.

Excerpt from Tao Te Ching 27-Lao Tzu (interpreted by Steven Mitchell)

    A good traveler has no fixed plans,
    And is not intent upon arriving.
    A good artist lets his intuition
    Lead him wherever it wants.
    A good scientist has freed himself of concepts
    And keeps his mind open to what is.

Focus for Today: Begin these 40 days with openness. Begin as if you are learning to eat for the first time. I suggest going to the grocery store (without kids) and really take time to examine products, read labels and notice new foods. See the grocery store through new eyes. Observe your own eating through new eyes, observe your patterns, habits, preconceptions, and hang-ups. As of today, resolve to come to eating as a complete beginner. Try one new "healthy" food today that you have never before tried, and give it a chance. Cook or prepare something new, or even approach cooking as a new adventure if it is something you never enjoyed before. Open your mind to new things over the next 40 days!

Journal: Am I open to trying new things in life? What gets in my way of trying something new? What do I notice when I try new things? Note any temptations. Are you already tempted to "bolt" from the 40 day plan? How do you respond to these temptations, doubts and fears that are arising?

Notice your skin, hair, nails, your body, and the fit of your clothing as if you were meeting yourself for the first time. Record your observations in your journal. Weigh yourself and jot it down. If you have means to check your body fat percentage, then record it. Measure your waist, hips, upper arms, chest and thighs. These are areas where change will be most noticeable! Note your current state of energy and stamina in your journal as well. Note your mood and emotional tone. Note if you have a lot of ups and downs or mood swings. Also note your spiritual connection, your personal connection to God or spirit. These observations will be the baseline for your journey ahead.

Baseline Observations

You may wish to take a before and after the 40 days photo to motivate you along!

My skin is:

My hair is:

My nails are:

The fit of my clothes is:

I currently wear size:

Areas of my body I'd like to see change: (Describe what you'd like to see change.)

Body fat %:

Waist measurement: (Place measuring tape right at navel.)

Upper hip: (Measure area right over the top part of the pelvis bone.)

Lower hip: (Measure the widest area of the hip, around the hip crease in which the thighs and hip meet.)

Thighs: (Measure around the mid-thigh halfway between hip and knee.)

Upper arms: (Measure around the halfway point between shoulder and elbow.)

Chest: (Place tape around the widest part of the chest, under arms, position right at nipples.)

Energy level:

Recent mood and emotional tone:

Spiritual connection: (Prayer life, meditation, and sense of connection to the Divine, being as specific as you can.)

Sense of focus and concentration:

Recipe of the Day: Something new ...

Cilantro-Quinoa-Zucchini Corn Fritters on a Bed of Fresh Greens with a Lemon-Garlic-Cilantro Dressing

(Serves 4-Makes 8 Corn Fritters) (Use organic ingredients where possible.)

The Fritters: 1 small zucchini unpeeled, grated 1 cup organic cut corn, cooked 2 full green onions, chopped 1/3 red bell pepper, chopped into small cubes 1 stalk celery, chopped finely Hand-full of fresh cilantro leaves, chopped finely ½ cup whole wheat flour (I use whole wheat pastry flour) 2 large organic eggs, beaten ½ cup quinoa in 1 cup water—cook until all water is evaporated Sea salt and pepper to taste 5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Sautee the bell pepper, celery and zucchini in 1 Tbsp olive oil, just until soft. Remove from heat. Add in cooked quinoa, green onions, flour, eggs, cilantro, salt and pepper. Mix together thoroughly. Form into eight fritters. Place 4 Tbsp olive oil in skillet and add fritters. Cook until both sides are golden brown. Serve warm over bed of greens. Drizzle with dressing recipe below.

Dressing: 2 large cloves garlic Hand-full fresh cilantro leaves Juice of 1 small lemon ½ tsp Dijon mustard 2 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil ½ cup plain Greek yogurt Blend ingredients thoroughly in blender or food processor.

Chapter Two

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." ~the Buddha

One way to create a new beginning is start things off with a "clean slate", by detoxifying and "resetting" the body. In Ayurveda, it is considered essential to periodically cleanse the body of accumulated toxins. Just as we "spring clean" our homes, so too we should cleanse the body, our spirit's temporary home. In Ayurveda, toxic build-up in the body is referred to as "ama". Ama or toxins build up in the body due to exposure to pollutants, pesticides, chemicals, processed food, artificial colors, flavors, additives and preservatives. Ama can also accumulate in the body due to stress, poor sleep quality, heavy foods, a diet heavy in meat, consuming excess alcohol, as well as having poor digestion. The older we get, the body's natural ability to rid itself of toxins or "ama" becomes progressively less and less efficient. This causes us to age faster and faster and our metabolism to slow as the years go by. It is said that physical aging accelerates every 7 years. Periodically incorporating a cleansing regime can help to renew youthfulness and vitality, slow the hands of time and reinvigorate the metabolism. Maintaining a diet and lifestyle which reduce the accumulation of ama helps slow the acceleration of aging, while preventing the metabolism from slowing. Today we are going to press our own internal "reset" button by beginning a 3-day cleanse. Take the quiz below to determine whether you have accumulated toxins in your system weighing down your metabolism, immune system and overall energy.

Self-Quiz: 18 Signs You Have Accumulated Ama (toxins)

1. Does your tongue have a brown, yellow or thick white coating when you wake up in the morning?

2. Does your breath have a sharp smell?

3. Do you frequently find yourself drowsy after a meal?

4. Do you feel fatigued, sluggish or lethargic during the day, even after a good night's sleep?

5. Do you crave junk food, alcohol, caffeine or sweets?

6. Are you lacking motivation or enthusiasm for life, often just "going through the motions"?

7. Does your mind seem hazy or "spaced out"?

8. Have you noticed bloating, abdominal discomfort, cramping or intestinal gas after eating?

9. Do you have bouts of constipation or irregular bowel movements?

10. Does your stool sink?

11. Do you experience unexplained aches, pains or joint discomfort?

12. Do you frequently notice phlegm or congestion in the nose, throat or waste?

13. Do you have difficulty sleeping, restless sleep, or waking in the night?

14. Is your energy level inconsistent or low?

15. Is your skin clear and lustrous, or do you notice pimples, acne, or a dull complexion?

16. Are your eyes clear and bright or dull with yellowish or grayish whites?

17. Is your urine cloudy?

18. Does your perspiration have a foul odor?

If you answered "yes" to three or more of these questions, then you are experiencing the effects of an "ama" or toxin build up.

3 Day Simple Cleanse

A cleanse doesn't have to be extreme to be effective. Some extreme forms of cleansing such as water fasts, fruit juice or fruit fasts do more harm than good. They leave the body feeling sick, weak, fatigued, achy and imbalanced. Ayurveda discourages fruit fasts, or fruit juice fasts in particular, because excess sweet taste alone can actually produce toxins in the body. An excess of the sweet taste in fruit is known to dampen the digestive fire or metabolism, which is exactly the opposite of what we wish to accomplish. Fruit fasting is also inappropriate for persons with blood sugar issues such as diabetes or hypoglycemia. Eating fruit or fruit juice exclusively also creates excess acidity in the body. The body functions ideally in a more alkaline state. In Ayurveda, health is the result of balance. An Ayurvedic cleanse seeks to rebalance the body as it cleanses. Dietary extremes are unnecessary and these only create further imbalance. The following 3-day cleanse is a balancing and detoxifying cleanse. For the next 3 days we will be eliminating foods and eating habits which contain or produce "ama" or toxins.

It is important to be aware that as you begin to cleanse the body, since the brain is part of the physical body, you will notice the mind cleansing too. Thoughts, emotions, and memories may rise to the surface. If this happens, simply observe them as they arise and allow them to release. This is our first opportunity to notice the connection of body and mind. Chances are if there are toxins stored in the body, there are some mental toxins as well. There is no better time than now to release those too. When they surface, simply let them go. If tears arise, know that crying itself is a krya or cleansing process. Allow the cleanse to work at all levels without judgment. During and after the cleanse, you will begin to feel lighter in body, mind and spirit, as toxins are released physically and mentally. It is important to know that at any time during the next 40 days, if you feel you have come off track, simply repeat the 3 day cleanse. I repeat the cleanse after vacation, holidays or anytime my eating habits have become derailed. For me it is like pressing a "reset button"!

Things to Avoid:

1. Junk food

2. Fast food

3. Meat/eggs

4. Desserts

5. Processed food

6. Canned food-nutrients, quality and life-force of the food are affected

7. Frozen dinners

8. Leftovers (no more than 24 hours) (Food begins to deteriorate and form toxins after 24 hours.)

9. Soft drinks

10. Alcohol

11. Fried food

12. White sugar

13. Artificial sweeteners

14. White flour

15. Non-organic dairy

16. Candy

17. Chewing gum (Contains sugar or artificial sweeteners, also stimulates appetite)

18. Margarine and other hydrogenated fats

19. High fructose corn syrup

20. Preservatives

21. Artificial flavors and colors

22. Excessive or strenuous physical activity such as running, spinning, weight lifting, hot yoga, power yoga and "boot camp" classes should be avoided during the 3 day cleanse. This creates "ama" or toxins in the body. Any moderate physical activity such as Tai Chi, qigong, walking, gentle or moderate Yoga is encouraged. Taking a rest from strenuous activity allows your body to focus on detoxification.

Things to embrace:

1. The Ayurvedic practice of beginning each morning with an 8 oz. cup of hot lemon water. Make sure the water is filtered, or bottled to ensure purity. Make sure the lemon is organic. Squeeze and then drop a wedge of lemon into a mug of hot water. Include the rind since it contains many beneficial cleansing properties. Drink this before brushing teeth or ingesting any food. It is not necessary to wait longer than 10-20 minutes to eat afterwards. Since the stomach and small intestine are emptied overnight, the lemon juice is being absorbed right away. (Read below to discover the amazing properties of hot lemon water.)

2. Any fresh, preferably organic, fruits, berries and vegetables, some cooked and some raw. Ex. Soups, salads, and stir-fries

3. Nuts of all kinds—preferably organic. Peanuts, cashews and pistachio nuts should be organic due to the use of chemical pesticides on these plants.

4. Feel free to sweeten with agave nectar, molasses (highest in anti-oxidants), honey, maple syrup, raw sugar or stevia. (Maple syrup has been shown to contain 54 different beneficial mineral compounds!)

5. If you drink tea or coffee, opt for organic. Coffee and tea are often grown in countries with less strenuous regulations on harmful pesticides. I suggest you try a detoxifying tea. (See recipe at end of chapter.)

6. Feel free to use oils, such as olive, sesame, flaxseed, coconut, pumpkin, walnut, sunflower, grape seed or hempseed ... Organic is best.

7. Enjoy cooking with Ayurvedic spices such as fresh ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, turmeric, cayenne, or black pepper. These spices help the body detoxify.

8. Enjoy any whole grains, such as whole wheat, quinoa, brown rice, black rice (highest in antioxidants), faro, barley, whole grain oats, oatmeal, or millet. (Preferably organic when available.) Season these with oils, spices, sea salt, etc. Get creative and add vegetables, nuts and berries!

9. Before eating again after a meal, allow the meal to fully digest for 3 to 4 hours. According to Ayurveda, eating again before the previous meal has been digested creates "ama" or toxins, and taxes the digestive system. It is also said to cool the digestive fire or "agni", thus slowing the metabolism. Eating again before the meal is fully digested, places undigested food on top of partially digested food, called "chyme" in the Ayurvedic system, slowing digestion and metabolism. Personally, this principal alone made an enormous difference. It helped me to realize how much I was eating between meals when I wasn't even hungry! This principle helped me to realize what a "grazer" I was, and it helped stop me in my tracks when I found myself searching the pantry or refrigerator an hour after finishing my last meal!

10. Organic 70% cacao dark chocolate. Organic because chocolate is an imported food and is often brought from countries with less stringent pesticide regulations. Dark because milk chocolate contains high amounts of white sugar. Having chocolate on hand during the cleanse can help you make it through times of temptation. During winter I recommend hot chocolate using organic low-fat milk and organic drinking chocolate. Dark chocolate has positive effects: increased metabolism reduced appetite and is a powerful anti-oxidant.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from 40 Days to Enlightened Eatingby Elise Cantrell Copyright © 2012 by Elise Cantrell. Excerpted by permission of BALBOA PRESS. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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