Apr12

YogaBabe on Red Onions

Posted By: Daphne's

Categories: benefits of red onion, California Greek Culture, cooking blog, Daphne's California Greek, EAT WELL, Jessica Mulvey, red onion health benefits, red_onion, yoga classes, yoga poses, YogaBabes, YogaBabes

What would so many of our favorite dishes be without the red onion? This versatile vegetable is used in many dishes and sauces because of it's delicious flavor and irresistible crunch, but it also contains some important health benefits. Let us get acquainted with the red onion. 

First know that it can be consumed both raw and cooked, but the flavor changes dramatically once cooked. When selecting a red onion, look for one with a dry, papery skin that has no blemishes or wet/dark spots. Onions should be stored in a cool, dry location that is away from potatoes. (Placing onions near potatoes will cause them to both spoil quickly.) Also, a fun fact about the onion in general, is that it gave the city of Chicago its name. The Chippewa Indians found these "she-gau-ga-winshe" growing at the site of the modern day city... yep sound it out, it sounds like Chi-ca-go!

On a more relevant note, red onions are very good for us because they have been found to contain anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. Nutritionally, red onions are low in calories, have no cholesterol, and contain zero fat! Red onions also provide significant amounts of vitamin C, vitamin B6, and are a good source of dietary fiber. 

Needless to say, don't fear the red onion because it makes you cry when you cut it. Rather add it to your salads, classic pita sandwiches, and flatbreads. It’s tasty, crunchy, and really good!

-Yogababe
Image source

Mar30

EAT WELL. LIVE WELL. PIN WELL.

Posted By: Daphne's

Categories: anaerobic exercise, Art, Artist of the Month, California Greek Culture, chicken wraps, climbing walls, Coconut Milk, Daphne's California Greek, EAT WELL, Exercise, Healthy Living, healthy living, liquid gold, Live Well, pinterest, pinteresting, pinterests, yoga classes, yoga poses, yoga postures, YogaBabes

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Mar22

Pose + Purpose: Virabhadrasana III

Posted By: Daphne's

Categories: California Greek Culture, Daphne's California Greek, Exercise, Fitness, fitness, fitness club, healthy living, Healthy Living, Jessica Mulvey, Live Well, Virabhadrasana, yoga classes, yoga poses, yoga postures, YogaBabes

This month's pose + purpose is a standing asana called Virabhadrasana III, or Warrior III Pose. This posture strengthens your legs, tones your core, and improves your balance.

1. Begin in crescent lunge. Your right knee is bent to a 90-degree angle and your left leg is straight and engaged behind you. Your torso is perpendicular to the ground and your arms are lifted up in line with your torso.

2. Moving into warrior III, bring your arms out in front of you, parallel to the ground. Gracefully float your left leg up, as you simultaneously straighten the right, standing leg. 

3. Your left leg and your arms should now be parallel to the ground so that from the side, your body looks as if it were making a "T". Be sure to engage your core because it will help you to find balance and will also protect your lower back. Finally, find a micro-bend in your standing leg to protect the knee joint.

4. Focus on maintaining the posture by concentrating on your breath for 10-30 seconds. When ready to come out of the posture make your way back to a crescent lunge by slowly bending your standing leg and lowering the left leg down to the floor behind you.

-YogaBabe

Feb21

YogaBabes + Blood Oranges

Posted By: YogaBabes

Categories: benefits of blood oranges, blood oranges, Daphne's California Greek, EAT WELL, healthy living, Healthy Living, Live Well, where to find blood oranges, YogaBabes, YogaBabes

Good news- blood oranges are back in season here in sunny California! A great majority of these oranges come from the Mediterranean so take advantage of the local harvest .You may already love blood oranges for their amazing flavor, but they provide some wonderful health benefits as well.

This vibrant citrus fruit contains high amounts of ascorbic acid (aka vitamin C). Vitamin C helps boost our collagen production (think great skin), supports our immune system, and may even reduce strokes.

Unlike other citrus though, blood oranges have anthocyanins, which have amazing antioxidant properties. Why do we love antioxidants? They fight those pesky free radicals (think cancer fighting abilities).

Blood Orange tips and tricks:

1. Store your blood oranges in the fridge—they can last up to two weeks.
2. They contain fiber, especially if you eat some of the white fleshy part that is found right underneath the skin.
3. When picking blood oranges, look for those that are firm and heavy for their size.

ENJOY!
-YogaBabe

Jan24

POSE + PURPOSE: Parivrtta Utkatasana

Posted By: YogaBabes

Categories: Jessica Mulvey, yoga classes, yoga poses, yoga postures, YogaBabes, YogaBabes

This month's pose + purpose is Parivrtta Utkatasana, or Chair pose with Prayer twist. This twist stimulates your abdominal organs, stretches your spine, improves balance, and strengthens your core and legs. Chair pose with Prayer twist is a beautiful posture that is accessible to yogis of all levels.

1. Begin by finding chair pose, feet are together, legs are bent deeply, arms come up overhead, and your shoulders stack over your hips. (YogaBabes tip: make sure you tuck your tailbone, it will protect your lower back! I notice that most of us stick our bums out while in this pose.) 

2. Bring your arms to 'prayer' position. Inhale and lengthen your spine, then exhale while twisting your shoulders to the right. Draw your left elbow to the outside of your right knee. 

3. Puff up your chest to maintain good posture. Glance down at your knees to makes sure the left knee is not pulling forward and your hips are squared. Gaze over your right shoulder so that your cervical spine is part of the spinal twist. Finally, press your hands together on each exhale to twist a little deeper. Remain in the pose for 5 slow breaths or more to fully experience the benefits of the prayer twist.

4. Slowly, release back to chair pose on an exhale and repeat on the other side. After you preform Parivrtta Utkatasana on the left side, gracefully surrender to a forward fold to release any lower back tension that may have been created.

-YogaBabe

Jan10

NATURE’S LIQUID GOLD

Posted By: YogaBabes

Categories: Daphne's California Greek, EAT WELL, health benefits of honey, Jessica Mulvey, liquid gold, raw honey benefits, royal jelly, YogaBabes

Let’s talk honey–that delicious, golden nectar prominent in many-a-Mediterranean-desserts and a staple in the average American’s cup of tea. You may already know that it is a healthier alternative to processed white sugar, but did you know that raw, unrefined honey provides benefits to your body besides satiating that sweet tooth? Because the honey is unprocessed, it retains all the enzymes, pollen, royal jelly, propolis, rich vitamins, minerals and carbohydrate content.

5 Fun facts about raw honey:

1.  Raw honey is 100% pure, unfiltered, never strained and never heated above 115 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Studies suggest raw honey may suppress your cough (it is not just an old wives’ tale).

3. Raw honey has both anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties.

4. Raw honey can help with the occasional sleeplessness.

5. Studies are finding that local honey may help provide some relief to seasonal allergy sufferers.

Though honey provides a multitude of health benefits, bear in mind that it does contain a large amount of fructose (about 70%), which must be consumed in moderation.

So the next time you hit your farmer’s market, pick up some local honey and enjoy nature’s liquid gold!

 -YogaBabe
  Image source

Dec29

YOGABABE POSE + PURPOSE

Posted By: YogaBabes

Categories: Daphne's California Greek, Exercise, Healthy Living, healthy living, Jessica Mulvey, Live Well, Parsva Bakasana, side crow, yoga classes, yoga poses, yoga postures, YogaBabes, YogaBabes

This month's pose + purpose is Parsva Bakasana or Side crow, which is an arm balancing posture that enhances your sense of balance while toning your core simultaneously. Please note that if you have any wrist or lower back injuries, you should avoid this pose.

1. Come to a squatting position with the knees into the chest.

2. Come up on to the balls of your feet and bring your palms flat on the floor in front of you about shoulder's distance apart.

3. Keeping the palms in place, twist so that your lower body, your knees and your hips face to the left and bend your arms to a 90-degree angle

4. Hook the outside of your right knee on your left elbow. Lift your left leg and glue it on top of your right.

5. Bring your gaze about 6-10inches in front of you and shift your weight forward so that your toe float up off the ground

6. Engage your core and lift up slightly in your chest. Smile!

7. Now try the other side.

-YogaBabe

Dec01

Jujubes

Posted By: Chris Cote

Categories: EAT WELL, Exercise, Fitness, Healthy Living, Jessica Mulvey, juju be, juju bee, jujubes, Live Well, Menu , YogaBabes

Have you ever tried a jujube? No, I am not talking about the candies, I am talking about the fruit. If not, don’t fret because I was only introduced to them this year myself! Jujubes come from small trees and resemble miniature apples. In fact, I think they taste a little bit like caramel apples. Although this fruit may not be particularly well known, it has some very unique and amazing attributes.

Surprisingly enough, some studies are showing jujubes to have medicinal qualities, such as the capability to prevent ulcers, dry skin, diarrhea, liver disease, anxiety, and insomnia. The farmer I bought my jujubes from even claimed that Jujubes have the potential to balance the nervous system and regulate hormones.

Now that we all know jujubes are great for our health, let’s talk about all the ways we can eat them. I prefer to just eat mine raw, like an apple. If you really want to bring out the flavor, boil the jujubes in water, squeeze in some lemon and add a bit of local honey to enjoy as a tea. I've also heard that you can bake with them, eat them as dried fruit snacks, or toss them in stews. Take a trip to your local farmers market, get creative in the kitchen and reap all of the amazing health benefits of jujubes!