Don’t let your emotions get the best of you

“When you give in to aversion and anger, it’s as though, having decided to kill someone by throwing him into a river, you wrap your arms around his neck, jump into the water with him, and you both drown. In destroying your enemy, you destroy yourself as well.”

- Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche, “Putting Down the Arrow”

Dealing with anger is tough. Actually, let’s be honest, dealing with any negative emotion presents challenges. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the negative swell of anger, frustration, or whatever seems to be bogging you down. It’s important to be able to separate the actual cause of the negative emotions from the emotions themselves and to realize that you have total control over your reaction to any situation. So for example, if you’re angry with your friend, instead of letting your anger get the best of you by fighting back and/or arguing, focus on the root of the problem and work to resolve the situation. In my own practice (which is an EVERYday-kind-of-thing), I have found that even when I separate my emotions from the actual event at the root of the situation the other person involved may not have developed this practice. When I get worked up, I do three things:

1. Take a deep breath. – This helps me refocus on my reactions and calms the fire inside that wants to lash out or defend my position. (I tend to be a very defensive person…it’s something I’m working on!)

2. Have compassion. – After I have calmed myself, I take a moment to think about the other person involved in the “tiff” I’ve found myself in. You could say that I “put myself in their shoes.” They have a whole host of reasons why they react emotionally in a certain way that is completely different than mine. Or, maybe he/she hasn’t yet developed the practice yet to not give into their emotions. Whatever the case may be, I try to be compassionate and understanding to the other side. (This is VERY hard in certain situations, but be patient with yourself in your practice.)

3. Take ownership. – You are in control of your emotions, but so is the other person you may be “bickering” with. In my practice, I only take ownership of my OWN emotions. I can’t help how others react to situations. Now, that being said, I don’t run around doing things I know will upset others. I just know myself to be the type of person that typically worries not only about my own emotional state, but also the state of the other person. I need to remind myself that, I cannot change how other people feel, only they can change that.

These are just a few things that I do, but I’m positive there are a host of other great tips to keep in mind when dealing with emotional situations. Moral of the story? Don’t let your emotions get the best of you!

Love.Trust.Hope.Peace.

Daily Sign Post: At the end of the day, everyone truly is doing the best they can.

“Among all the different forms of life and creatures great and small, we were born as human beings. As such, we are innately endowed with goodness and the consciousness to use it for others. It’s in our very nature as human beings to want to use that goodness for the sake of others, to be of help and service.”

- Shinso Ito, “Unconditional Service”

Call me crazy, but I really do believe that, deep down, all people have a heart. I once read somewhere that no matter what, people are doing the best they can. Their best is different than your best, obviously, so it’s a practice of patience to accept the “flaws” you may see in others. We’re all presented with situations in our lives and it’s our response and reaction to those situations that differentiate us all.

I like this quote because I hope that in trying to see the best in others their very best will shine. This isn’t exactly easy, but it can’t hurt to try – right? Maybe if everyone made a conscious effort to see the best in people, and treat them as such, the world might be just a little bit brighter.

You’ll never know until you try.

Love.Trust.Hope.Peace.

Rice & Tofu Stuffed Roasted Red Pepper – YUM!

Rice & Tofu Stuffed Roasted Red Pepper

quinoa_stuffed_red_peppers

Peppers are DELICIOUS and red peppers taste especially yummy when they’re roasted. This recipe is easy and very tasty. You can stuff the pepper with whatever your stomach is craving. What was my stomach yearing for? Well, these peppers are stuffed with rice, tofu, onions, garlic, and arugula with a nice hint of coconut. Very satisfying!

Ingredients

rice

tofu, cut into small pieces

onions, diced

garlic, minced

arugula

red pepper

coconut oil (Check out some of the benefits and other uses here.)

Steps to Success

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare you red pepper for roasting/stuffing by slicing off the top only and gutting the seeds.

2. Rub some coconut oil along the inside and outside – not too much though! You don’t want a super oily dinner.

3. In an oven safe dish, roast the peppers for about 20-25 minutes or until soft.

4. While the peppers are roasting, cook your rice according to the directions. I used a yellow rice from Whole Foods, but any rice will do really.

5. In a separate pan with coconut oil, sauté the onions and garlic with the cut tofu over medium heat. Remember, tofu plain has no taste, but absorbs the taste of whatever it’s cooked with. So make sure you give it plenty of time to soak up the delicious goodness of onions and garlic, mmm. The tofu will start to brown, which is what you want. Keep flipping the tofu until you’ve reached the crispiness you’re looking for, but don’t let your onions and garlic burn!

6. Once your sautéing is almost done, add the arugula in and stir in with the mix. Then, add the cooked rice to the pan and mix together.

7. When your peppers are nice and roasted, take them out of the oven and stuff with the rice & sauté mix. Place the peppers back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes. Then, ENJOY!

_____

Ok, so it looks complicated – don’t freak out! It’s not as bad as it seems. If you can boil water and mix together some veggies, then you’re in great shape! I hope you enjoy.

Love.Trust.Hope.Peace.

 

Free screening of “Hungry for Change” – a MUST see!!

This documentary is hands down one of my favorites. Before you dismiss this video keep in mind that it’s not another pro-vegan film slewed with gory clips about animal cruelty on the “farm”. Instead you’ll hear personal testaments  professional insight, and scientific studies about what a “natural” diet really is and why, in  a country with an abundance of food, we’re still deprived of nutrients.

Usually you have to pay to view the video, but until March 31 you can watch for FREE online (all you have to do is enter your email address)!!

Trying to start a new diet?

Want to feel healthier and look healthier too?

Questioning what effects sugar, processed foods, and dieting have on your health?

Your questions will be answered! Just watch…

Hungry For Change

http://www.hungryforchange.tv/screening-event-log-in

“Mindful eating is being used as a tool to improve eating behaviors..” – I approve!

Read this article about mindful eating! During my juice cleanses, this is something that I walked away with as the biggest outcome – having more awareness and consciousness for what I was eating and why I chose to eat.

Mindful Eating — Studies Show This Concept Can Help Clients Lose Weight and Better Manage Chronic Disease
By Cheryl Harris, MPH, RD
Today’s Dietitian
Vol. 15 No. 3 P. 42

S’mores Cookie Bars :: SO DELISH! #nomnom #vegan

photo (1)

Yes, as delicious as it’s sounds – s’mores cookie bars. And, better yet, make ‘em vegan! These were a big hit, naturally, at this year’s 2014 Vegan Valentine’s Day dinner party. I know mostly from having to clean the crumbs off the floor after the dessert was savagely enjoyed (and I mean that in the best of ways, of course).

Ingredients

1 package of vegan chocolate chips (I use the Whole Foods brand – in the green bag.)

1 bag of mini marshmallows

1 batch of cookie dough (I used oatmeal chocolate chip cookie dough, nom nom.)

graham crackers

Steps to Success

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Layer the bottom of a glass baking pan with graham crackers.

3. With a spoon, cover the graham crackers with little mounds of cookie dough. You’ll want to flatten the cookie dough out a bit, but try not to crack the graham crackers too much.

4. Cook for 5-7 minutes, then take out of the oven and layer on the chocolate chips. How many, you ask? Well that’s all epending on how chocolatey you want your bars. Go for the less-is-more mantra this time, though.

5. Cover the chocolate chip layer with the mini marshmallows and bake for another 7-10 minutes or until the cookie dough is cooked through and/or the marshmallows are a nice toasty brown.

6. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting into squares and eating.

Enjoy! YUM!

P.s. This recipe was inspired by Joe. Well, the original recipe was stumbled upon by Joe, but then I veganized it – booya.

FDA Petitioning to Add Aspartame to Dairy Products

Do you like Aspartame? Well, if you’re a milk drinker, yogurt eater, or dairy consumer, you might soon be consuming it WITHOUT YOUR KNOWLEDGE. Yup, that’s right. The FDA is petitioning to “amend the standard of identity for milk and 17 other dairy products to provide for the use of any safe and suitable sweetener as an optional ingredient”.

This is supposed to “help reduce child obesity”?! That’s the best the government could come up with? This is one of the major reasons that I no long consume dairy products! Being a vegetarian is one thing, but continuing to support and consume products from an industry that’s willing to denature the food that I’m eating without my knowing isn’t something I’m willing to take part in.

Now, I haven’t quite figured out where “organic” milks stand in this arena, but that’s beyond the point. This is about a Federal agency that’s supposed to be working for the people not secretly tampering with our food!

I originally read an article on Natural News here, but you can read the whole petition FROM THE FDA here.

There’s a spot on the petition to send in your comments – TAKE ACTION! Don’t let this happen!! Don’t let our food industry hide ingredients. We deserve to know what we’re eating. We deserve to have the choice whether or not we want to drink artificial sweeteners. So, stand up for what you think you deserve!