End of the Year Simple Ayurvedic Seasonal Transition Tips for Balance & Bliss over the Holidays!

December 2, 2024 by Lorien Waldron

Hello beautiful friends & happy December!

…Over here, where I am (home-base Byron Bay/Northern Rivers – Southern hemisphere Australia), we are enjoying the gradual change of the seasons… Spring going into Summer.

The frangipani trees in our street are sprouting their gorgeous thick leaves and white and gold blooms, the birds in the trees of a morning are singing and chattering with extra fervour and joy, and the days are feeling more humid, warm and also are getting longer… (With first light at around 5.30am now and Sunset as late as 7.30pm.) We’ve also been having lots of summery-spring rain on an off – giving the earth such a good drink (and my little flower and vegie gardens!) cooling things down and providing a cosy invitation to enjoy being at home, going more ‘inward’, getting into some baking and creative cooking/recipe exploration and more resting (in my case, with our baby on the way, currently 8-months pregnant as I write this post, ‘nesting’!)

I always find the rain to be so refreshing – cleansing, purifying and ‘resetting’… and the perfect opportunity to sit and journal, draw, do some ‘art’ or, like this morning, to open my laptop and write this fresh post – to support balance in this season!

Whether you’re in the Southern hemisphere like me, or on the other side of this magical world in the Northern hemisphere – I hope you are thoroughly enjoying and relaxing into the seasonal transition that is currently going on right now for you…

In Ayurveda seasonal ‘junctures’ hold so much potency and power to acknowledge and appreciate within ourselves and also in the way we support our bodies, minds and spirits to transition.

My number #1 Ayurvedic Seasonal Transition tip’s for you depending on which transition you’re currently in (based on where you are in the world) are:

For my Southern Hemisphere friends: Going from Winter to Summer (via Spring), we want to optimise our bodies ability to ‘melt’ excess ‘Kapha’ (Earth + Water elements) in our system that can manifest as heaviness, fluid build up, congestion, swelling and stagnation as the weather gets warmer (if not balanced).

3 Simple Ayurvedic Lifestyle Practices that can support your body in naturally and gently ‘spring cleansing’ in preparation for Summer are;

~ Start incorporating more regular physical movement/exercise into your daily routine (if not already) to support sweating of excess (water + earth elements) via your pores, circulation, oxygenation of your bodies tissues and great blood flow (therefore better natural detoxification). Think: going for a 30-45min brisk walk each morning upon rising, and if possible in the afternoon/evening also to support your bodies ability to ‘melt’ the kapha qualities and get things flowing

~ Enjoy making and sipping on some fresh Ginger tea throughout the day. Ginger is one of the most powerful yet simple ‘herbs’/wholefoods loved in Ayurveda for it’s ability to support opening and flushing the bodies channels, stimulating good circulation, clearing stagnation and supporting our Agni (digestive fire and metabolism) in Ayurveda. Simply boil a tsp of freshly grated ginger in 2 cups of water for 5-10mins on the stove, then lit cool to a comfortable warm drinking temperature, strain and enjoy (or store in a thermos to sip throughout the day!). So yummy, and such a simple way to support the body’s natural ‘spring cleansing’.

~ Focus on eating slightly ‘lighter’ in quality foods (to support your body in ‘melting’ excess ‘Kapha’ build up from winter and be mindful to have less ‘heavy + sweet’ quality foods in your diet. Think: Eating more nourishing healing and simple Soups (…my Sunshine Vegie Soup , Moong Soup or Kitchari recipes are perfect for this if you happen to have my e-book!), more lightly cooked or even juiced greens and fresh herbs (greens are so wonderful for supporting our livers cleansing process via their ‘bitter’ taste and powerful oxygenating nutrients), and minimising ‘white’ foods at this time of the year like ‘dairy, ice cream, wheat breads, heavy coconut products and cold foods as these foods have a naturally ‘building + dampening’ effect with their ‘earth and water’ predominant qualities. Instead of further ‘building’ & ‘dampening’ we want to support ‘melting’, warming and ‘lightening-up’ in spring, so that once summer fully arrives our channels are clear and able to expel the heat of summer with ease, ultimately helping us stay cooler and more balanced come that time! Think of this time of year as your ‘summer preparation’.

Northern Hemisphere friends: Going from Summer into Winter (via Autumn), we want to optimise our bodies ability to release and expel any excess ‘Pitta’ (fire + water) elements in our system that may have built up over Summer and we also want to begin nurturing and balancing ‘Vata’ (air + ether) elements that become more predominant in the environment, and therefore in our own bodies and minds during the Autumn – going into Winter months. Trapped ‘heat’ from summer may manifest as mild inflammation, skin issues/aggravation, digestive upset, feeling agitated and dehydration of the bodies tissues and ‘Vata’ out of balance in may manifest as feeling super ‘spacey’, wavering appetite, dry skin, hair and nails and dehydration also.

3 Simple Ayurvedic Lifestyle Practices that can support your body in naturally and gently ‘autumn cleansing’ in preparation for Winter (with Vata and Pitta being well nurtured and balanced) are;

~ Getting into a practice of daily self-massage with warm organic cold-pressed black sesame oil, coconut oil (if you are in a tropical part of the world) or sweet almond oil. This is one of the most fabulous simple Ayurvedic feel-good daily routines we can gift our beautiful bodies, especially during Autumn to support re-hydration of our precious skin (the largest organ of our bodies!), lymphatic circulation (one of our main detoxification pathways), good circulation (important for nutrients to nourish and oxygenate our cells) and bringing a calming and deeply nurturing quality of ‘warmth’ into our tissues and cells, supporting good ‘Agni’ (digestive fire + metabolism). After a busy ‘summer’ the practice of self-massage, known as ‘Abhyanga’ in Ayurveda is also so grounding and healing for our nervous systems and the mind. To perform self-massage you simply need to get yourself some organic good quality oil, warm it up (I have a new online class, ‘Lifestyle Love’ launching next week that will be available for you on this if you are like me and love to have clear instructions/learn the best tips to make this routine easy!) and then prior to having your morning or evening shower, lovingly massage the oil into your skin starting at your feet and working your way up to your head. After massaging the oil into your gorgeous body, have a warm shower and rinse excess oil off (no need to use soap though), as the ‘warmth’ of the shower will facilitate your pores opening up more, allowing the oil to penetrate deeper into your tissues to work it’s magic, and then dry yourself with a ‘old-towel’, (as your towel will get a bit oily!) and then you’re done. Hydrated, nourished and blissed out…. (Trust me, self-massage feels heavenly and so amazing! Once you do it a few times, you will be in love with it and hooked for life!)

~ Focus on sipping warm water and herbal teas (some of my go-to-favourite herbal teas: ginger/tulsi/dandelion/nettle/green tea) throughout the day (instead of cold/icy water or other drinks) to support your body in gently removing excess ‘Pitta’ from Summer via assisting lymphatic flow and therefore good elimination, re-hydrating your cells and tissues (warm water is known to be far more effective at ‘hydrating’ our body than cold water as with ‘warmth’ our cells open up, whereas with ‘cold’ we contract and close), and as simple as it is, warm water is deeply nervous system relaxing. Again, think of how you feel when you get into a nice warm bath or shower… there’s a sense of ‘opening’ and softening that happens. When we drink warm water we stimulate the same relaxation response and this is also fabulous for helping relieve any build up of ‘gas’ or bloating that can happen easily during Autumn (with the increase in Vata qualities around us in nature and therefore inside of us), and good bowel movements and elimination.

~ Food-wise, Soups & Dhals that are warm and light will be super nourishing and supportive during Autumn’s seasonal transition. During Autumn, our digestive fire can need some extra support (due to Vata’s higher presence making our digestion sometimes erratic). Wholesome and nourishing Soups and Dhals are a great choice, porridge for breakfast, warming stewed apples, berries yummy simple vegies dishes (like my Vegie Subji recipe with homemade chickpea besan flour pancakes and chutney, all recipes that happen to be in my new on-demand online cooking class ‘essential nourishing sides’ launching next week!) – are great simple wholesome meal options that will be super feel good and nourishing during Autumn. Think warming and grounding as your two main ‘food-quality’ focuses during this time of year.

Seasonal transitions are magical portals / opportunities for our body and mind each year…

If you look to nature you will see that most plants and trees go through many changes throughout the year, at each new season… At the start of summer the leaves are generally green, lush, juicy and so ‘fresh’ looking (like the tree’s in my street outside my window right now here), and at the end of Summer, going into Autumn, these same green juicy leaves take on a different hue of natures majestic beauty either shedding completing or turning to a warm golden tone, indicating the tree/plant starting to send it’s energy and resources back ‘inside’ more fully for Winter preparation and internal nourishment, rejuvenation and renewal… To then once again be able to ‘blossom’ in good timing.

We too are the same!

Each season holds so much beauty for us, for our minds, bodies and spirits if we can learn to harmonise and work with the season, with Mother Nature and embody for ourselves whatever it is we need to or feel called and guided to do, for our own smooth transitions and the ability to optimise each seasons magic through feeling grounded, balanced and vital – in harmony inside.

Love & seasonal blessings to you and your loved ones!

x Lorien

Wholesome & Feel-good Spring Lentil Veggie Soup Recipe!

October 24, 2021 by Lorien Waldron

Bowl of wholesome Spring lentil veggie Soup goodness! Ahhhh, it’s Spring – and such a beautiful, lush and refreshing Spring season it has been so far here in Australia right now too!

In Ayurveda, seasonal change is considered a magical and potent time of the year for giving extra love and nurturing to our beautiful bodies and from a digestion point of view – to focusing on foods that are ‘light’, ‘warm’ and ‘easy-to digest’, so that our body can devote energy to it’s natural seasonal change processes of cleansing, adjusting and aligning for the next season ahead!

So, when it comes to giving the body a little extra space, energy and warmth-filled-loving goodness to support our digestion and our immune system during seasonal change… the solution is Souper Simple! (I just had to go there! hehe) …If that pun didn’t give it away, the solution is, drumroll, yes you guessed it… Soups! Soups my friend are our Seasonal transition best-friend, and are a beautiful way to incorporate the potent, nourishing and ‘deliciousafying’ qualities of healing Ayurvedic kitchen spices and herbs into our cooking too – for literal added goodness!

In seasonal Soup fashion ~ I have personally been living off Soups in my Kitchen lately, since the seasonal change, making some of my staple go-to healing soup favourites from my E-book, as well as creating some fresh new yummy Soupy-goodness filled recipes and today I am so excited to be sharing one of my favourites at the moment, with you!

The Soupy downlo’ on this fresh new recipe…

If you have my E-book, you’ll see that this recipe is very similar to the ‘Sunshine Veggie Soup’ recipe in there that you are most likely familiar with (I think it is THE most commented upon recipe from the book! It’s popular, and for good reason!) It’s definitely one of my all time favourite go-to’s as it is not only packed with my favourite Vegies, but it literally feels like sunshine in my body when I eat it too, (hence the name!)

This new recipe I have for you today, has all the qualities I love about the ‘Sunshine Veggie Soup Recipe’, with a little extra! The two new main ingredients being; whole red lentils for added protein, fibre and oomph! And, fluffy steamed quinoa for extra protein and heartiness! Yuummm!!! (It’s so good, I’m excited for you to try it!)

The combination of healing Ayurvedic spices, vegies, lentils and quinoa (let alone garnishing with some yummy crunchy toasted seeds – also from my E-book) is…. Let me just say, simply Super (or Souper!)-duper wholesome, nourishing and feel good! It feels DIVINE in my tummy, and I hope in yours soon too!

This Soup is a ready to go meal all in one, and I feel confident that you are going to LOVE it and fall in love with making it a staple go-to wholesome feel-good Soup recipe in your Kitchen also! Yay!!!!

A few more reasons to love Soup during Seasonal transition (and in life in general!):

Soups are an amazing nourishing staple, they are simple, quick, easy to make and nutrient packed!
They are warming, light, high in fiber from Veggies and or lentils/legumes and generally speaking – are easy to digest for the body due to their warm, soft and smooth qualities!!!
They are easily customisable and adaptable and are a great meal to make when you’ve only got a few veggies left in the fridge!
You can make Soups in advance so that you have a nourishing wholesome meal for lunch or dinner ready to go on days when you’re busy and need something quick!

…Basically, what’s not to LOVE about Soups!!! …I love them SO much!

So, without further adieu, let’s get straight into the Recipe!

Wholesome & Feel-good Spring Lentil Veggie Soup Recipe!

Ingredients:

3 tbsp of Ghee, Coconut Oil or Avocado Oil
2 tsp of Cumin seeds
1 tsp of Coriander seeds
A pinch of fennel seeds
2 tbsp of fresh ginger finely chopped or grated
1 cup of finely chopped red onion (or shallots!)
½ tsp of turmeric powder
1 cup of celery finely chopped
3 cups of small – medium cubed pumpkin
2 cups of zucchini cut into quarters
2 cups of broccoli chopped into little florets (little trees!)
Approx 10-12 cracks of black pepper from your pepper grinder!
½ tsp of sea salt
1 cup of fresh coriander finely chopped
1 cup of whole red lentils (ideally soaked overnight, or at least for 1/2 a day prior to cooking!)**
1.5 cups of *cooked* whole Quinoa (white or tri-colour will work perfectly!)
Your love! (…Obviously, the *most* important ingredient, always! :)

**Note: A common question about the ‘Whole Red Lentils’, in this recipe is ‘Why do they *look* like ‘brown lentils’? The answer is that ‘Whole red lentils’ infact don’t actually look ‘red’ as their name suggests, they look ‘brown’ (like you can see in the photo’s here)! Also, if you don’t happen to have ‘Whole Red Lentils’ in the pantry as you’re reading this and are wondering what you can swap them for, you can easily use ‘French Green Puy Lentils’ instead and you’ll find they have a similar cooking time so you can follow the exact same steps!

Simple Creation process in 3 Stages:

This dish is simple, however within it’s simplicity, there are 3 key stages of preparation for it then all come together with the click of your fingers that I’m going to walk you through step by step! …There’s preparing the Lentils, preparing the Quinoa and then preparing the Soup herself! (If you already have lentils and quinoa prepared by chance, you can skip right to the bottom to making the core of the Soup straight away!)

Stage 1: Preparing your lentils… (as they require the most preparation!)

The first step and step that requires the most pre-thought and preparation is soaking and cooking the lentils. There are a couple of different ways to do this.

Lentil Cooking Option 1: If you own a pressure cooker (I recently started using an ‘Instant Pot’ pressure cooker for the sole purpose of cooking beans and lentils quickly!) then you can simply soak your lentils overnight or for at least a couple of hours, and then pop them in your pressure cooker with a bay leaf, pinch of salt and pinch of asafoetida and then cook for 10mins! After 10mins, voila, your lentils will be perfecto and ready for the soup!

Lentil Cooking Option 2: If you don’t have a pressure cooker (I didn’t for years also!) then you can cook the lentils on the stove in water for approx 50mins until they are soft, again with a bay leaf, a pinch of salt and a pinch of asafoetida. So, these are the lentil preparation options.

Stage 2: Preparing your steamed Quinoa

This step is super simple. If you’re familiar with cooking quinoa, then all you’re going to do is cook quinoa the way you know how. If you’re new to cooking beautiful fluffy quinoa then I have some instructions for you below:

How to cook beautiful fluffy Quinoa in 2 easy steps:

Step 1: Take a pot, place 1 cup of quinoa inside the pot, and fill the pot with water to rinse the quinoa and wash it, to help remove the ‘saponins’ that are naturally on the outside of quinoa and make it yummier and easy on the digestive system. Rinse your quinoa in the water a couple of times, use a fine mesh strainer when pouring the water out to prevent losing any little quinoa seeds and then place on the stove.

Step 2: Add 2 cups of filtered boiling water from the kettle (this will just save you a bunch of cooking time!) and a pinch of sea salt, place the lid on the pot and then bring to a boil! Once it comes to a boil, turn the heat down to low and let it cook with the lid still on for 15mins. After 15mins turn the heat of completely and let the quinoa sit with the lid still on (to utilise the steam) for another 5 mins before serving. The result will be beautiful gorgeous fluffy Quinoa! Yum!

Okay, now let’s get onto making the heart and soul of this soup – the warming, healing ~ liquidy Vegie goodness!!!

Stage 3: Now, to make the Soup! (this is the quickest part, your Soup will be ready within 20-25mins!)

1. Warm your Ghee or oil in your pot, then add your Cumin seeds, Coriander seeds and fennel seeds. Allow to saute for a few moments until you see the spices release little tiny ‘bubbles’ around them (a sign of them releasing their healing volatile-oil goodness into the pot) and then add your finally chopped garlic, ginger and onion. Stir and saute for a few minutes to soften the onion and allow the garlic and ginger to become yummy and then add your turmeric powder and continue to saute and stir until the onion is soft and caramelised.

2. Add your celery and stir for a few minutes, allowing the celery to soften and meld with the other ingredients already in the pot. Next, add your pumpkin, and stir for a few minutes to give it a head start before then adding the rest of the vegies. Next add the rest of the vegies; the zucchini and broccoli and stir. Add your hot water from the kettle, a generous amount of ‘black pepper’ from your pepper grinder (or approx ‘12’ cracks!), sea salt and some fresh coriander. Allow to cook for approx 20mins or until the pumpkin is soft and tender. When the pumpkin is soft, you know your soup is done!

3. Scoop your drained and cooked lentils into the Soup and stir to allow the lentils to merge with the vegies. And then optional is to add a few spoons of quinoa to your soup (this is really delicious) OR leave the quinoa as a side to enjoy adding to the soup as you eat it, like dipping bread into your soup, but it’s fluffy quinoa instead!

And your Soup is done!!!

Serve with some crunchy toasted seeds, fresh coriander, a little pinch of salt and a few more cracks of black pepper to suit your taste.

Enjoy and relax while eating… put some soft music on in the background, light a candle or two and take a moment to ‘center’ your mind and body before your first bite. When we do this before a meal we are relaxing the nervous system, which in turn relaxes the digestive system. This prepares the body to digest the divine food we are about to bring into our precious body optimally for great digestion and our ultimate Nourishment!

…Yum! Enjoy in bliss and if you make this recipe and love it please let me know on instagram, facebook or even good-old email (lorien@wholesomelovinggoodness.com) ! :) I love hearing from you and seeing your creations!

With love and joy to your home and family from mine!

Blessed and blissed nourishing!

x Lorien

P.S. If you’re feeling inspired to take your personal inner and outer nourishment and self-care to a whole-new delicious level, you might love my self-paced signature 6-Week Ayurvedic Food & Lifestyle transformation program, ‘Simple Ayurveda in Your Kitchen’!

It’s a juicy course to support you in not only becoming a creative intuitive genius in the Kitchen, with making staple wholesome Ayurvedic dishes for yourself and your family, but to also empower you to implement Ayurveda’s foundational healing wisdom and magic into your modern daily life! The wholesome doors to the program are opening for enrolment again soon, so if you’re ready to take your nourishment to a new level I highly recommend you join the ‘Waiting list’ here so I can let you know when enrollment opens for the last time this year!

Yes please, I’d love to find out more and join the Waiting list!

Wholesome vegan lentil veggie soup recipe

Vegan Savoury Buckwheat Moon Wraps Recipe!

November 18, 2018 by Lorien

The best wheat & bread alternative since… well, before sliced bread!

Organic Whole Foods, filled with innate wisdom and intelligence (for our beautiful bodies) from nature is where it’s at!!!

…One of the hardest things for many to give up and find satisfactory wholesome replacements for when switching to Whole Foods and wanting to clean up their diet is WHEAT and breads and bread-like products made from gluten and wheat.

I totally get it. We are often brought up eating it for breakfast, lunch and often dinner.

Regular (processed wheat, pesticide laden, nutrient devoid) bread has culturally become a staple in the west and sadly is heavily marketed to us by big companies as being highly nutritious, (think ‘wonder white’etc) when the plain, honest real truth is that it is the total opposite. It’s essentially like poison to the body due to the chemical pesticides these grains are grown with as well as the over-agriculturalisation of the grain in general ~ sadly making wheat today devoid of the goodness it once contained in the past that allowed our bodies to recognize and draw nutrients from it.

This literal stripping of goodness that has occurred over the last 100+ years is why so many now experience inflammation, swelling and gluten-intolerance when it comes to eating this major western staple.

So, what ‘bread’ and grain you’re eating is a big area to look into when exploring your health and wanting to heal your body and digestive system. Especially important for anyone currently experiencing high inflammation/join/skin/gut/anxiety issues.

So, this is why I for one am so over the Buckwheat Moon! to share this incredibly simple and easy recipe for making your own home-made wholesome wraps, pancakes, flat bread, roti, chapatis, naan and… whatever else that is flat and bread-like that you wish to find a wholesome alternative for!

Hello Buckwheat.

Hello Savoury Buckwheat Moon Wraps!

P.S. Even though the name, ‘Buckwheat’, has the word ‘wheat’ in it, I want to ensure you that Buckwheat is not wheat at all, and is 100% gluten-free. Another interesting fact about this amazing wholefood is that while it is used like a grain in cooking, it is actually technically a ‘seed fruit’, not a grain, making anything you make with 100% buckwheat, not only wheat-free, but also ‘grain-free’.

Vegan Savoury Buckwheat Moon Wraps Recipe:

(This recipe will make approximately 6 x large, thin wraps.)

Ingredients:

2 x cups of Organic Buckwheat flour
4 x cups of room temperature filtered/spring water
1/2 a tbsp of Organic Potato Starch
1/2 a tbsp of Organic Tapioca Flour
a pinch of sea salt
some organic coconut oil for seasoning your pan
of course, the most important ingredient, your love!

To Make Your Wrap Mix:

Place Buckwheat flour in a medium mixing bowl and make sure you smooth out any lumps with the back of a wooden spoon or through sifting, (so your mix is nice and smooth).
Next add the Potato starch, Tapioca flour and salt. Mix these into the buckwheat flour until well combined.
Slowly begin to add water, stirring slowly to gradually mix the liquid in with the flour. Mix until water and flour is well combined and forms a smooth, runny, fall of the spoon consistency!

Cooking your Wraps:

Warm a healthy non stick pan, and add a dash of coconut oil to help the cooking process.
Using a ladel, pour a spoonful of your mix into you pan and quickly lift the pan of the heat to move it around, ’spreading’ the wrap mix around the pan to ensure it is thin and a nice big circle!
Cook on one side until little air pockets show through from underneath, then using a spatula, flip to cook the other side for 2-3 minutes or until looking cooked.

That’s it. So SIMPLE!

You now have a beautiful, soft, digestive friendly, nourishing and wholesome Buckwheat moon wrap to enjoy immediately or to store in an air tight container for making lunches the next day! :)

The key to making a good wrap that you can put tasty delicious fillings into is to make it thin, flexible and supple (i.e.: unbreakable once goodies are inside)!

You’re in luck as with the recipe above, I’ve done the work of ensuring your mix is ‘unbreakable’ for you, so you can relax and simply enjoy some super versatile, wholesome, buckwheat wrap love in your life!

Making a thicker / Roti / Naan like bread from your Wrap mix:

The key to making your buckwheat moon wraps into more of a roti / naan like bread to go with soups and curries is to add slightly less water to your mix, so that the ‘wraps’ are thicker. To do this I recommend:

Experimenting with using only 3 cups of water, rather than 4
Adding slightly more coconut oil (or ghee) to your pan while cooking them, to get them more toasty and buttery
To get some ‘air’ into the wraps, giving it a flakey/more roti like consistency, press your spatula onto the already cooked face up side of your wrap (once you’ve flipped it once) while cooking to encourage air bubbles and pockes to move around, helping make it more ‘bready’ and crispy.

…I’ve been a Buckwheat lover my whole life, (forever thankful to my awesome alternate, wholesome-nutritionist Mum!) So, as you can imagine, making buckwheat pancakes has been something I’ve loved doing forever.

Lately, while doing some kitchen experimentation (…which is ALWAYS happening, as I just love exploring new ways of doing things and new wholesome tastes, flavours and solutions for good nutrition) I stumbled upon this wrap mix/concept. Needless to say (from everything you’ve now read above), I got a bit excited about this development, and in particular, about how versatile something so simple, nourishing and wholesome like this can be, esspecially for families with making school lunches etc!

During one of my morning buckwheat feasts the wrap was born, and the photo above shows you the ingredients I prepared to go inside the wrap. The filling.

You can put anything you like inside a wrap obviously, it is a blank canvas for your nourishing tasty pleasure…

Incase you want to know what I put in (which tasted great!) I will list the items here for you to give you some inspiration!

fresh avocado with lemon juice
fresh alfalfa sprouts (so yum!)
finely grated beetroot and fresh basil from the garden (herbs are excellent and add ‘wow’ factor!
fresh organic leafy green leaves
home-made sesame tahini dressing/sauce (tamari, toasted sesame oil, lemon juice, dash of maple!)
sauteed asian greens + vege (red onion, ginger, garlic, turmeric, wombok cabbage, silverbeet, red capsicum, brocolli)

I hope this recipe brings you and your family endless wholesome Buckwheat Wrap love and joy!

If you try it and love it, please let me know and help spread the word by sharing with others who may appreciate having this simple, delicious, wheat-free wrap goodness in their lives also!

With love & warmest gratitude,

x Lorien

Ayurvedic Rituals to Cultivate Self-Love!

February 2, 2018 by Lorien

Photo of Lorien Wadron, taken by Shatanu Starick

“It is through the alignment of the body that I discovered the alignment of my mind, self, and intelligence.” ~ B.K.S. Iyengar

To have love to share, we first must cultivate a juicy bank account of love inside of ourselves.

Sometimes this is easier said than done as when there are a million things to be done, children to feed, emails to respond to, appointments to fit in and a plethora of other activities surrounding your day-to-day routine, it can sometimes feel impossible to make time for self not to mention the practice of some juicy daily self-love & care.

This is where the power of setting yourself up with a few simple daily ‘Rituals’ to support you, your yoga practice and your self-love bank account – can make your life a whole lot easier and more delicious!

There is no limit to the amount of daily rituals you can seamlessly weave into your day. You most likely already have a whole bunch such as showering, brushing your teeth and making your morning cup of tea, coffee or green smoothie.

Rituals are magical as they allow us to honour what is sacred. Devoting 10-20 mins of your time morning and night to some sacred ‘you’ time is all it takes. Your body is a sacred temple. When you love your body, it will love you back ten fold.

5 Ayurvedic Rituals for cultivating more self-love on a daily basis

1. The 7 minute Morning Self-love Massage – warm a small bottle of cold pressed black sesame oil or coconut oil up in hot water and massage your whole body for 5-10 minutes before having a shower to move your lymphatic system, boost your immune system, hydrate your skin and give your beautiful body some juicy self care and love.

2. Daily Devotion – Nourish your mind and spirit daily with stillness, surrender and connection. A daily practice of your own form of prayer and meditation is nourishing for your inner self.

3. Create your day – set intentions at the start of each day to create a context for your day that inspires you. We attract what we put out. Start your day with clarity and focus for your body, mind and spirit.

4. Massage your feet – make a habit of massaging your feet with an organic non-toxic body cream, body butter or sesame oil each night before bed. The reflex points in the feet have the power to relax your whole nervous system, which leads to a deeper sleep and soft beautiful feet!

5. Journal + let go, daily! – mental digestion is just as important as physical digestion. Create a habit of writing your thoughts down, expressing your feelings and reflecting on the day before you go to bed. This practice is powerful for cultivating self-love and receiving guidance that will assist you and prevent stress from building up.

Happy nourishing and self-loving!

x Lorien

Wholefood Hazelnut Carob Dream Recipe – The best Chocolate Milk ever!

February 1, 2018 by Lorien

If you’ve been following me for a while, you may know that I have a major soft spot for Carob that goes back to childhood! It was the ‘chocolate’ of choice that my Mum would buy for me, and amazingly enough the wholefood ingredient of Carob itself is still one of my favourite creamy, sweet wholesome foods when I feel like a treat!

So, what exactly is Carob? Besides being one of the most delicious earthy flavours/foods on earth, it is a legume ~ a bean that grows on a tree and is native to the Mediteranean and The Middle East. It grows in Australia among other dry warm climates and is one of the only known trees that can withstand severe drought without dying. It is a hearty, strong and resilent tree!

Being a legume, Carob is quite high in plant based protein, making it a great ingredient for Vegans and Vegetarians to incorporate into home-cooked recipes for extra oomph. Aside from it being nutritious, Carob is naturally sweet and creamy and when the bean is roasted and made into a powder, it is the perfect subsitute to Cacao or regular Cocoa powder for making Chocolate. It can even be a great substitute for sugar, as it has such a beautiful natural sweet taste.

Do you or your kids love Chocolate Milk, but want a healthier, cleaner, more nutritious option?

Well my friends, I have just the thing for you!

Hazelnut Carob Dream ~ aka: the best Chocolate Milk ever!

It’s super simple to make, will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days after making and requires only four ingredients.

Ingredients:

2 cups of soaked hazelnuts
1/4 tsp of sea salt
2 heaped tblsp of roasted carob powder
4 cups of water (filtered water or spring water)
*a piece of cheese cloth or a nut-milk bag for straining the milk once blended. (Ask your local health food shop, most shops stock these bags.)

To make this delicious milk follow the following simple steps:

Add soaked hazelnuts to your blender
Add water
Add sea salt
Now blend on high speed for 2-3 mins
Place your cheese cloth or nut bag over a large jar or jug.
Pour the contents of the blender into the bag/cloth and strain out the fibre, so you just have the milk in the jar/jug.
Once strained, place the solids to the side (you can reuse these in another recipe or compost them.)
Next add the milk back into your blender to ‘Carob-ify’ it! :) Add your roasted carob powder and blend for 2-3 mins until blended and smooth.
Next pour into a clean glass bottle or jar and drink or store in the fridge for when you feel like a smooth creamy snack!

Voila! So simple SOOOO and easy!! Try this at home!

Nourishing, creamy, healthy and delicious.

Enjoy!!

With love and wishes of goodness to you and your family!

x Lorien

Simple Ayurvedic Split Moong Veggie Dhal!

December 23, 2017 by Lorien

Ayurvedic Dhal and Rice Picnic

Simple Ayurvedic Split Moong Veggie Dhal with handfuls of fresh coriander!

A dhhaaalicious simple, easy and oh so yummy meal to make for friends, family and loved ones for a non-traditional Christmas lunch or dinner that will nourish your belly and warm hearts!

Split moong is a staple in any Ayurvedic Kitchen and can be made into Dhal like this one here or ‘Kitchari’, by simply cooking the rice and split moong together in the 1 pot, (which is the recipe you’ll find inside my E-book.)

I’ll let you in on a little secret, …the cooking process for making Kitchari and Dhal is virtually the same, Dhal is just made without the rice!

It’s mostly steamy hot, beachy balmy summer days here in Australia for Christmas, there certainly isn’t much snow falling however whether you’re in the tropics or in a winter wonderland right now… This light and nourishing clean wholesome Dhal will likely hit the spot (and the ingredients are super affordable, which is certaintly a bonus this time of year!)

Yum! Share the dhalll love this festive season! :) Everything tastes more delicious and nutritious when shared!

Simple Ayurvedic Split Moong Veggie Dhal Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup split moong beans soaked for 1 hour and strained
5 cups boiling water from the kettle
1 tbsp of coconut oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp whole coriander seeds
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp finely chopped ginger
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp sea salt
A few cracks of black pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh coriander (or more!)
1/2 cup of diced and skinned pumpkin
1/2 cup of diced carrots
Spoons of your LOVE!

Method:

Warm coconut oil in a saucepan on medium heat then add dry spices; cumin, coriander and fennel seeds. Stir to lightly toast the spices for 2-3 minutes or until they start to sizzle.
Add fresh ginger and turmeric powder. Sauté for 2-3 minutes.
Add the split moong beans and ‘toast’ by stirring the moong into the spices before adding any water.
Next add the chopped pumpkin and carrot. Stir the vegies with the lentils for 3-4 minutes or a bit longer, you’ll know it’s time to add water when the lentils start to get sticky on the bottom of the pot.
Immediately pour your boiling water into the pot at this stage to prevent sticking and bring to the boil for approx 10 minutes.
Add sea salt and black pepper. Stir continuously to bring out the creaminess of the lentils and the veggies.
Turn heat down to medium and simmer with the lid on for approx 20 minutes or until the lentils and veggies become smooth, soft, ‘dhaly’ and creamy.
Once cooked add a generous handful of freshly chopped coriander and stir into the dhal. Serve with a side of steamed basmati or brown rice, a generous garnish of fresh coriander and a squeeze of lemon for extra digestive goodness and tang!
Voila! So easy, so creamy, so dhaaalicious and tummy nourishing!

Enjoy the recipe for this scrumptious dhal and make sure you share the

#wholesomelovinggoodness

by tagging me in your dhaaaalicious photo’s!

Merry Christmas and oodles of love and joy to you and all your loved ones for the holidays!

x Lorien

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Delicious Ayurvedic Coconut Quinoa Porridge Recipe

December 12, 2016 by Lorien

This morning I woke up to a winter wonderland outside. Fresh snow 13cm’s deep on the front lawn, backyard and basically everywhere one could look! There was snow on the roof, snow covering the footpaths and snow covering the entire road.

This morning the snow melted my heart with it’s softness and delicate beauty… It is really so so beautiful to see, touch and experience.

Breakfast is always a time of the day that I look forward to and love. It is a time for warming our digestive system, kindling our inner fire and breaking the fast that we gave our body while we slept.

Ayurvedic Porridge is my go to. I have adapted the original Ayurvedic porridge recipes that my teachers tought me over the years to suit my body, digestion and the food quality and lifestyle we have available to us today in modern day society.

Traditionally Ayurvedic porridge is often made with lots of ghee, un-homogenised organic milk, semolina and jaggery to sweeten. These are all beautiful ingredients and substances in their essence, for the qualities and nourishment they represent however in this day and age the quality of these ingredients is not always reliable and for many can create feelings of bloating, congestion and heaviness after eating.

The recipe that I made this morning is very very similar to the Ayurvedic Porridge recipes in my E-book, (which is full of recipes and lifestyle wisdom that is sugar-free, vegan-friendly & gluten-free!) For those who have my book, you can use the same recipe as in the book however adapt it slightly to add these new elements of coconut milk and pumpkin seed butter!

This porridge recipe is VEGAN. GLUTEN-FREE. WHEAT-FREE & DAIRY-FREE! :) …Yes, I really just want you to feel FREE to enjoy your day and your tummy after eating it!

So, let’s get to the recipe!!!

Delicious Coconut Quinoa Porridge Recipe

Ingredients:

1 tsp of coconut oil
1 cup of quinoa flakes
2 cups of boiling water (boil in your kettle)
1 tsp of cinnamon powder
1 tsp of cardamon powder (or 3 whole pods)
a pinch of fennel seeds
a pinch of himalayan pink salt
5-10 juicy thompson raisins
3 blanched almonds
1 tsp of pumpkin seed (or almond) butter
2 tblsp of coconut milk
your love!!!

Creation Process:

On a medium heat melt the coconut oil in the bottom of your porridge pot
Add the quinoa flakes and stir continusly, toasting the flakes in the coconut oil and bringing out their goodness and flavour! (Don’t leave the flakes or they will burn.)
Once toasted to your satisfaction, stand back and pour boiling/hot water into the pot to moisten and hydrate the flakes. Stir continusly until the water and flakes are mixed.
Add your spices; cinnamon, cardamon & fennel and stir.
Add the raisons and stir for another 5-10 mins until the quinoa flakes are cooked and the porridge is a smooth creamy consistency.
Once ready, take away from the heat and serve in your favourite breakfast bowl.
Pour coconut milk around the bowl, add a dollop of pumpkin seed butter and finish with a few blanched almonds for extra yumminess!

Voila! You did it! A delicious sugar-free and vegan wholesome nourishing brekky for Wintery mornings in the snow OR summery mornings at the beach! :)

…That’s the beauty of porridge, you can eat it any time of the year and any time of day for that matter!

With love from snowy Toronto, Canada!

Oh, and if you want to dive into more wholesome simple recipes this festive season, make sure you check out my 108 page E-book, Simple Ayurveda in the Kitchen! It is a complete guide to intuitive eating, digestion, food combining, self-love and Simple Ayurvedic Cooking to suit this modern day and age!

x Lorien

Simple Ayurveda in the Kitchen E-book is here!!

March 31, 2016 by Lorien

Special Announcement & Hooray!!!

Today’s the day I have been dreaming about, since beginning to write this e-book 3 and a half years ago.

I am beyond excited to finally be able to share the beauty of Simple Ayurveda in the Kitchen with you, no matter where in the world you are.

This book is a practical guide to living in balance and in harmony with your true nature, based on the wise and practical science & art of Ayurvedic Medicine, organic whole food nutrition & my own life experience of practically applying this way of wholesome nourished living with ease.

It’s all about being empowered, confident & creative in the Kitchen!

There are 108 pages of colour, inspiration, empowerment and support to guide you and be a wholesome friend in your kitchen!

{Click to find out more!}

These staple recipes will nourish you, inspire you, and be a foundation for your cooking legacy.

…I’m so excited, and grateful for the opportunity in life to put this bundle of love and goodness together for you – it’s a dream come true!

With love,

x Lorien

Why having a good ‘bottom’ is an attractive physical feature… my thoughts!

December 5, 2015 by Lorien

In a world of levi jeans, yoga tights, brazilian bikinis and bum-hugging cut-off denim shorts, it is a fairly well known fact (my observation & un-researched assumption) that having a tight, perky, round, well defined and nicely toned ‘but’ is deemed by the majority of the human race to be an attractive physical feature for one to behold on their be-hind! :)

Whether you like a but that is small, round or large ~ the unspoken assumption is that a nice but is a sign of something good! (On an instinctual level!)

So, it may seem totally off topic and strange that I’m writing about ‘buts’ on my wholesome – ayurveda health and lifestyle blog. You might be wondering if you clicked on the wrong link… :) even as I use the word ‘but’ while I write this I feel it’s a bit off character… there is a very poignant reason that I write about this though… this topic of attractive bottoms, behinds, bums, buts!

If you’ve been following my blog for a while now you will know that digestion and health are two things that I write about, talk about and post about a-lot! As an Ayurvedic Health & Lifestyle Coach + Yoga teacher, the topic of digestion is one of my weak spots. As in, when I start to explore an area of the body related to digestive health, nutrition, the mind or the nervous system – I get just a tad excited, curious and passionate! My eyeballs enlarge, my heart starts to skip and my neural pathways start firing in curious fascinating, interest and hunger to understand the topic deeper. So you get it. I’m nerdy-digestion forensic-passionate about how the body works, the miracle of its energy and learning to care, love and look after our precious bodies in the best ways possible. :)

Back to the buts… (no pun intended!)

As humans its fair to say, a toned healthy bum is an attractive physical feature!

We often look at our own bum, sum up its status/tone/appearance in our tight jeans and we look at other people’s bums too… without even knowing it!

In Ayurvedic medicine and most health systems it is well known that in order to have a healthy body and feel great – we must have a healthy digestive system and in turn, healthy bowels. This means that when you eat your appetite is clear and strong, your are satisfied after a meal, you know when your full, the food breaks down efficiently and provides you with energy and at the other end… you have a good poop!

Poo, passing stoole, going to the bathroom to empty your bowels. This is important for health and a sign of proper nourishment and healthy tissues.

In order to have good poo – you must have a healthy digestive system and your bowels need to be well lubricated, toned and relaxed.

Poo is essential for health and though it is often a ‘dirty’ thing to talk about in public, it is vital to understand what a good poo looks like. See my ‘good-poo’ indicators listed at the bottom.)

What you may not know is that your mouth and your bum (as in your actual anatomical bum-your anus) are connected. The digestive system starts at your mouth and with your tongue and travels all the way down your body as one open channel that ends at your bottom. The health of your mouth and the health of your bum are related due to this connection.

My hypothesis is that as humans we seek health and longevity. We are instinctually attracted to people, places, ways of living that we see will allow us to eventually find a parter and procreate. We want to procreate with a healthy mate, someone who is vital, intelligent, fit and well. We are programmed for this. On an unconscious level we are looking for someone with a healthy digestive system, someone who is fit and healthy, which means we are looking for someone who has good poop – as strange as that sounds! :)

Obviously we can’t (and wouldn’t want to) take a close look at the actual ‘anatomical-bum’ of a prospective husband, wife or partner! What nature perhaps gives us as a gage though is the outward physical appearance of the buttocks – which brings us back to the beginning of my thoughts on ‘why we as humans are attracted to good bums and how this relates to having good bowel health.

This means that there may be more reason to take interest in having healthy, toned, sexy ‘buttocks’ than just superficial outward appearance. Having a good bum generally means that you are moving your body through regular exercise, that your drinking adequate water to flush toxins from your cells, that your muscles are toned and that you have good blood flow and circulation and that you have strength in your body and are connected to your power. Louise Hay say’s that the buttocks are “the seat of your power” on a metaphysical level.

I don’t so much care about wearing tight, bum-hugging cut off short denim shorts… having a healthy, well toned, happy digestive system and bowels – I do care about though.

Sometimes a shift of perspective and the inspiration that comes from getting nerdy and creative about the link between healthy digestion and human behaviour… can offer something new to ponder next time you see a pair of tight shorts, levi jeans or brazillian bikinis on the beach.

As always, beauty starts from the inside ~ out!

These are my top 3 signs of having healthy bowels via health poo:

regular bowel movements at least once a day first thing in the morning before eating brekky. (Constipation is considered to be going longer than 1 day without a bowel movement.)
easy and comfortable to pass (no pain, pushing, discomfort, sitting on the toilet for hours…it ought to come easily and naturally.)
well formed; comes out as one piece, is not too sticky, hard, broken up or rough. We’re looking for smooth healthy toned bowels and this means smooth healthy – well formed poop!

*(If you currently experience anything other than the above or feel you need to get your bowel health into check – I advise you to consult with a health professional to see how you can work with your diet, lifestyle and even the use of herbs to get things moving again! It is so vital.)

Enjoy moving that beautiful bum of yours!

To health and fantastic elimination!

x Lorien

An Online Ayurveda Summit! So exciting!

November 8, 2015 by Lorien

Hello beautiful ones!

Ayurveda is a sacred beautiful science that looks at health from a holistic perspective – dealing with you as a whole being acknowledging your body, mind and spirit as being important equal factors that need nurturing and attention.

This science is vast, expansive, endlessly wise and deeply nourishing… deeply!

There a many great teachers of Ayurveda in the world, however sometimes it can be hard to know where to start when you want to begin learning, growing, understanding and delving into the magic (and yumminess within) that ayurvedic medicine has to offer.

I am often asked what books or teachers I recommend to study with. I feel it is a very personal, individual journey and that finding the right teacher/mentors to suit you as an individual is vital in that learning process. Trust your intuition and see who you are drawn too.

The first book on Ayurveda I ever read (and still love to open up and read to this day) is a beautiful little book by an incredible Doctor and teacher, Dr. Vasant Lad. I have admired and devoured Dr.Lad’s writing for years now… his text books are incredible and everything of his that I’ve ever read, watched or listened to has inspired me deeply.

If you want to know where to start on your Ayurvedic journey, I highly recommend his book; “Ayurveda: The Science of Life”. It’s an easy, inspiring and beautiful read.

There are many, many other great teachers and Doctors who I have sat with, listened too, watched, marvelled at and read.

Coming up this week – starting tomorrow is a super exciting and great event happening online – globally called The Ayurveda Summit.

A bunch of the most inspiring, wise and experienced Ayurvedic practitioners and Doctors are presenting over the Summit that goes for the next week and all the talks can be streamed online for free!

I just found out about this great even happening and for the love of Ayurveda – I just had to post about it to let you know incase you would love to tap into what they have on offer.

The link to register for this amazing free event is here – click below and prepare a nice cup of warm turmeric chai (recipe on my blog!) and sit back to receive the goodness on offer. :)

{Click this link to register for this amazing online event}

Dr.Vasant Lad (one of my Ayurvedic hero’s!) is presenting a talk during the summit along with one of my current teachers in Ayurvedic Digestion & Nutrition, John Immel from Joyful Belly Ayurveda, Dr.Robert Svoboda (amazing), Dr.Cladia Welch (incredible) and many many more super Ayurveda wise men and women!

Ayurveda is so magical. I personally fall in love with the wisdom and beauty present within Ayurveda more and more each day… and I started off head over heals (over 10 years ago now!) …the love is still growing, the inspiration is still dripping from my wholesome kitchen walls and …well, only God knows where this sacred, divine, nourishing and inspiring love affair with the knowledge and science of life will grow to as the love continues to grow… :) This science is endless – infinite and goes straight to the core of why we are here, what we are doing, our purpose, our health, wealth, love, relationships, food, nutrition and connection to the divine.

Perhaps we will share in some virtual sips of chai from our cosy homes during the next week of the Summit… :) Enjoy if you get to tap in and listen.

P.S. I have some juicy exciting ‘Wholesome Loving Goodness’ news for you real soon and a free webinar coming up that I will be announcing soon where we can sip chai together and talk all things digestion, ayurvedic cooking, nutrition, self-love, health, lifestyle and soul ! Keep your eye on your inbox! :)

Much love! :)

x Lorien