DB Meets Bella, Yoga, and Chicken Soup

by daileeblossom

Here I am on Day 2 of blogging on DB, which means I’m already one day late in introducing someone to you! Meet my dog, Bella:

ImageBella, my Lhasa Apso

She’s definitely part of the “touch of sunshine” in my life! She would sleep next to me during my late nights in high school, was always my desktop picture when I was away at college, and is just as loyal of a companion now that I’m back home. Just because she’s so sweet, here’s another (gratuitous) photo!

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Yes, she’s trying to drink soy milk. (Don’t worry, we don’t let her!)

And another introduction to something important in my life: yoga! As I mention on my About Me page, my yoga practice has been a gateway to seeing the body for all that it’s worth. These days, because I sprained my ankle in Peru about a month ago (and it’s still tweaky when I jump/run or point my toes too much) I shy away from high intensity training. More time for yoga! Last night I did a nice 45-minute vinyasa in my living room.

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Extended side angle (utthita parsvakonasana) (and our TV)

Here’s the sequence I did:

ImageIf you have any questions about the poses, feel free to ask! I tried to make it as clear as possible. :)

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Shifting gears a little bit, I wanted to share this morning’s breakfast with you!

According to my understanding, (i.e. knowledge passed down from my mom) Chinese medicine emphasizes starting the day with something warm to heat up the body. Lately, I’ve been feeling chicken soup! My mom’s version of Chinese chicken soup is really simple: put a Cornish hen in a crock pot with dried red dates (I’ll elaborate in another Asian Foods post!), shittake mushrooms, three pieces of ginger, and some salt. Heat on “high” for 2 hours, then switch to “low” for 8-9 hours (overnight is really convenient!). In the morning, it’s ready to eat! I usually add some spinach to the hot soup, resulting in perfectly wilted greens!

ImageBeautiful organic spinach, washed and ready to be wilted

What’s lovely about this crock pot set-up is that you can make a bunch of soup at once, stick it in the fridge, then reheat it on the stove (or microwave) each morning. If you want, you can skim the solidified fat off the top of the cold soup.
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Reheating chicken soup on the stove – spinach is wilting!

You can season the soup with some ground white pepper if you’d like. Pair the soup with some grapes, and you’ve got a great breakfast!

ImageChicken soup and organic black seedless grapes - YUM!

And after breakfast, I had a steaming cup of Dandy Blend, which I learned about from Tina, whose blog is one of the first healthy living blogs I ever read!

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Dandy Blend, purchased from iHerb

I’ve been drinking Dandy Blend for about a week now, since I decided to limit how much coffee I have (if you’re interested, I can explain in a future post!). It doesn’t taste exactly like coffee, but it’s very tasty and seems to sit well with my stomach. All you have to do is add some of the powder to water (hot or cold) and enjoy!

ImageI usually add 1 tsp or so, which is the recommended amount for a “tea-like” beverage. Add more to make it more like coffee!

Now I’m off to read The Happiness Project for a bit!

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What’s your go-to chicken soup recipe?

Have you ever tried Dandy Blend?

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