This is just a quick follow-up to the last post because some of you were asking me “what the heck is a nut-milk bag?”. Well, it costs about $8 and I found an amazing one here from Diane Stobo’s store on Amazon. There are several other brands, but I gave this one a try and love it.

Here is what it looks like in use. I am pouring directly from my blender into the ball jar.  The process takes  bit of time, and you’ll have to squeeze out the meal left over by hand. Then you can even use the meal in cookie recipes. I’m making GF muffins with my left over pulp.

And here is the bag cover:

Please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy blending!

The Almond Milk Recipe:

There are many almond milk recipes out there and they vary slightly based on equipment and taste preference. I use the recipe from Whole Life Nutrition and find it simple and delicious.

The Ingredients:
3/4 Cup Raw almonds (soaked overnight or at least a few hours)
3 Cups Filtered Water
2 Tbsp Maple Syrup (optional)
2 Medjool Dates (Optional)
1 tsp Vanilla Extract (optional to taste)

What To Do
Blend the almonds, dates and water (and vanilla if you choose) on med/high speed for about 2-3 minutes until it is smooth and white
You can stop at this point if you don’t mind a bit of pulp in the milk.

I have tried it this way and prefer the filtered version. I purchased by nut-milk bag on Amazon from @Diana Stobo and LOVE IT.

Once the milk is blended I simply position the nut-milk bag over a large open ball jar and slowly pour the milk straight from the blender into the jar. You’ll have to pour in stages as it takes a few seconds for the liquid to get through. You’ll end up with a smooth creamy almond milk that tastes NOTHING like the store bought version.

Here’s a picture of the smoothie that I made using the almond milk, my guys LOVED it.

That Bloated Feeling
I’ve always believed that beauty starts from the inside and radiates out into the world through your skin, hair, nails and energy in relating to the world and people around you. I know how I have felt in the past after eating foods that were not good for me or my body. I’ve felt sluggish, oily (skin), heavy, bloated, constipated (yes I know that’s a bit personal, but it’s true). I spent years eating foods that were simply not doing anything good for me. As I mentioned in a previous post, I have learned so much about food over the last ten years and today eat a diet that is gluten free, dairy free, soy free and mostly vegan.

The Question
Whenever anyone asks me about eating in a more healthy way, the question tends to be asked with a look in their eyes of “ok, tell me ALL the things you’ve cut out to be healthy UGGHH!!” The truth is that people really love their food. Food can be an emotional support, a comforting friend, a delicious companion  filled with all kinds of connections and memories. I could go on for days and write a book about this topic alone. And I know many already have written that book so I’ll spare you by NOT writing that book.

Adding The Good Stuff
The truth is, I don’t think getting healthy in a holistic way has to be about getting rid of everything and throwing a BAD FOOD label on things. Getting healthy can be about adding some amazing things to each day that will begin making big difference in how you look and feel. And it will begin to inch out some of those things that you may want to remove from your diet. YOU know what is best for you, not me, and not some expert in a magazine. But we can all tell the difference between someone who is sharing something amazing that they have found versus someone trying to sell something.

Here are some things I’ve added over the years to each day that have made the most difference:

• Exercise - My choice is Yoga
• Daily Green Smoothies (Check out my daily recipes here – in case your wondering I use a BlendTec because it is an absolute work-horse that makes ALL my smoothies smooth as silk)
• Daily Juicing – Carrots, beats, greens, ginger etc. (in case your wondering I use the Hurom Slow Juicer because it has this amazing technology where it slowly presses the juice out of the veggies and leaves dry little piles of pulp. The juice is  AMAZING and the machine is super easy to use and clean)
• Lots of plant based vegan meals – take it one meal at a time. And find some great recipes to inspire you. Here’s a fave of mine: Blissful Bites
• Sleep – this is a big one that I don’t always remember to do. But when I get enough sleep the world is a better place and it truly IS a gift to my kiddo.

These are just a few of the things I’ve added. I’ll share more as we move forward.

Namaste – Light, Love & Gratitude

Elena

I really really really love the title of this post. It’s my reminder to keep on the path of following my heart and bringing my mind back to a point of stillness. That way I can make decisions from a place of passion and wellness instead of re-activity and fear. Nearly five months ago when I embarked on my yoga teacher training journey, I really didn’t know what to expect. Anytime someone asked me why I was taking the program and would I be a yoga teacher, I cringed on the inside because I truly didn’t want to have an answer.

I wanted to let things flow and unfold. The other reason I cringed was because consciously choosing to NOT having a goal was scary for me. I’m the queen of to-do lists, goal setting, vision boards (which I still love and will talk  more about in a near-future post). So not having a specific goal felt a bit like going on a long trip without packing my bag. I even went as far as kind of creating a response; I would say, “I have this business idea and I’m hoping to really get centered and work on the idea within the class process.” That was partially true, but the actual goal was to not have a goal and just be present for the process.

So far, the process has been everything I expected in some ways and completely unexpected in other ways. I’ve done things like write my own eulogy, study anatomy from head to toe, and explore the relationship I have with my own body.

Everything I am doing, with each yoga pose, with each blog post and each moment I choose to be present, I am doing what I love and staying tuned into the miracles and incredible opportunities to connect that are all around me.

Gratitude & Abundance

~Elena

Happy New Year and welcome back to my blog. Over the last four years I have been so grateful for the opportunity to create work for myself that meshes so well with what I believe in. Essentially, I created this blog to share all the amazing information that I was discovering in the realm of organic beauty and wellness. You can read all about my personal journey to organic living here. Now, almost five years later I am so thrilled to look around and see how many other amazing organic beauty blogs and products are available.

Those Pesky Questions

Over the last year I began to ask myself the following question, “how can I best serve my community and at the same time honor my passions for inner-peace,  healthy-yummy food, wellness and beauty (in all it’s forms)?”. I have to say that the answers were slow to roll in, but the seeds were planted. I also knew that wherever my journey was going to lead me it would have to honor my roles as a mother to a young child,  as a wife and to my personal path.

The Uphill Journey Begins

I wasn’t sure where I would find the answer but I knew that in order to be able to listen to my inner guidance, which I’ve always relied on, I would need to find a peaceful silent place and get healthy on all levels. This included diet, physical health, spiritual growth, challenged intellectually, strong community (and a few other things I will discuss along the way).

I was off to a pretty good start with diet. When my son was 2 years old we embarked on the elimination diet journey to figure out what was happening with some food allergies. To make things simple I decided that I would go on this elimination diet as well. Basically, we would be eliminating many types of food from our diet which are known to trigger reactions from minor skin rashes to full blown gut issues. Today, my diet is gluten-free, dairy free, soy free and almost vegan.

I won’t go into the entire process of food elimination in this post, but I will share the details over time. Mostly because I know that so many people are in the same boat of the confusing process of figuring out the whole “food thing” and restore health.

Physically, I was doing OK. By ok I mean that I was feeling good consistent energy throughout the day, sleeping a decent amount and I was at a good weight for my body. I can’t say that I was feeling strong and vibrant, but I was generally happy about the way I looked. However, there were the seeds of some symptoms and pain in my gut that would prove to become linked to my spiritual journey. I had a feeling that a yoga studio was where I needed to be. And one morning as I sat crying in my car because of the pain in my gut and sadness in my heart, I found my way to a local yoga studio where my life would shift in some amazing ways over the course of a year.

Spiritual Growth, I would say that there was a gaping hole in my spiritual growth. I became pretty good at being busy with this blog, reviewing TONS of products, answering e-mails, figuring out ways to monetize, monetize, monetize, because that was supposed to be the next step in a bloggers life. And I had lots to do as the mama of a kindergarten kiddo, a wife, a mama, friend, sister, daughter etc. There is always stuff to do. But time to do the things that recharge my spirit (art, yoga, silence, meditation, time with friends and writing just because) had ground to a slow and steady halt.

Intellectually, I could say that there was a challenge intellectually in creating and running this blog. And I was pretty good at keeping things running and growing. Ads, reviews, posts, guest bloggers, all these things took creative brainpower to make happen. I even had another job as an editor for another great green social site that kept me pretty busy. But as I began to admit to myself over the last year, I was moving quickly in a direction that was not helping me to grow. I had become a reflection of something and someone that was not truly me. I have a feeling that you are either thinking, YES I know just what you mean!! or the alternative…just buck up and do your job, who cares if you’re healthy in ALL these areas. And you know what, that was also part of the problem. I was spending WAY too much time thinking about what everyone else was thinking. So poo poo on that in any meaningful way. It’s my life and life is way too short to spend any more energy on trying to guess what you’re thinking. Ahh…that feels better already.

Strong Community, friends and community have always been a very important piece of my life puzzle. But I won’t get too much into this facet right now. Just know that this EcoDiva community has been absolutely amazing. And even though I’ve put it on hold for now, the support has been incredible. That’s why I’ve decided to share this behind the scenes journey. And in hope that we can begin a conversation about your journey as well, and what it means to be strong, healthy, vibrant and beautiful NOW.

Where I Am Now

I am in my last month of a five month yoga intensive teacher training course. The entire process has been exhausting, exhilarating, beautiful and tearful. I want to share my journey with you (the good and the bad). This is my plan, to share share share and to listen. Truly listen to you and to myself. I can’t wait to see where we end up.

Thank you for listening.

Gratitude, light and love

xo

Elena

As you may have noticed, I’ve been quiet over the past month. There are some exciting changes in my life that I will be sharing over the coming months. These changes have been culminating over the last several years and include a holistic approach to beauty, yoga, health & creating a tribe of strong, smart group of divas to support us in our lives.

As my path unfolds, I will be sharing my journey with you. I will still include the occasional product review…only if there is a product I really LOVE and simply must share!!! I will also include vegan/gluten free recipes that I am trying at home (including my regular green smoothie recipes).

If you are interested in sharing content on TheEcoDiva.com, as always please feel free to send an e-mail and we can talk about your passion and how it can fit in with the new mission and journey to holistic wellness, natural beauty and supporting each other as we move through changes.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.  I look forward to this new path and sharing it with you.

Cheers,

Elena

Apple Cider Vinegar has been used throughout the world for centuries for maintaining good health.  But,  did you know it also has many uses for maintaining your youth, beauty and healthy skin?  According to Apple Cider Vinegar: Miracle Health System by Paul C. Bragg & Patricia Bragghere are just some of the conditions ACV can help:

• Cold Sores
• Genitle Sores
• Shingles & Chicken Pox
• Poison Ivy & Poison Oak
• Minor Cuts & Abrasions
• Vericose Veins
• Dry, Itchy Skin
• Hives
• Regulating Oily Skin
• Preventing Windburn, Sunburn  & Chapping
• Bug Bites
• Head Lice
• Jelly Fish Stings
• Hemmorrhoids & Rectal Itching
• Yeast & Fungus Infections (Including thrush, in the genitle area, diaper rash, jock itch, athlete’s foot, etc)
• Psoriasis & Eczema
• Acne
• Dandruff

See the rest of the benefits HERE at Greenwala.com

The Brand – Eco Ditty
Win a NEW Back to School Starter Set from Eco Ditty!

Make sure to check out eco•ditty in their new marketplace!

What I Love

• They use ONLY GOTS-certified, fair-trade 100% Organic Cotton, inside and out

• No BPA

• No PVC
  

The Giveaway – ENTER HERE

The Brand In Their Own Words:

bkr was founded in San Francisco by Tal Soltz and Kate Cutler and has just launched with select boutique retailers, chic modern art retail spaces like MAD (Museum of Modern Art and Design) at 2 Columbus Circle in NYC and at Base in the Delano Hotel in Miami, and in luxe, eco-friendly spas. It’s the perfect marriage of form, function and beauty and is fabulous for the eco-chic trendsetter who wants to ditch their dirty plastic water bottle habit for something sustainable yet still stylish, instead.

The founders created bkr with the inspiration of everything they love in life — modern art, sky-high boots, designs they saw in Tokyo, Italian furniture, Parisian street chic, the bright, the MoMA, soft white sheets, room service and everything translucent and clean. But most of all, because they believe green products should be creative, beautiful and inspirational. They made it from glass because glass is the ultimate green and clean material, it doesn’t smell of every drink you ever put in it or leach chemicals, and it isn’t a metal camping accessory.

What I Love About The bkr Bottle

I’ve been using my ‘pop’ shade of bkr for nearly 2 weeks now and really love it. I get to try many different bottles and like most of them for different reasons. Once in a while I find one un-usable in certain situations like hiking or traveling. This one has been great in the car, in my bag and even carrying around because of the cool little handle on the cap. It’s not a standard cup holder size so it’s not one I would use on a bike or stroller. But I love the fact that it’s glass and can easily be cleaned with soap and water. Here are some of the facts:

• BPA Free
• All glass – so NO leaching
• And – glass is fully recyclable
• Beautiful silicone cap & sleeve – protects the glass from breaking AND is ALSO 100% recyclable; bkr will even recycle it for you if you can’t find a center on near you.
• The cap is made of food-grade, recyclable polypropylene
• AND – if you break it, bkr will replace your bottle for free within the first 90 days!!!

The Giveaway – ENTER HERE

I was so excited to try one of these cool bottles from Bamboo Bottle Company for two reason. First, I am a huge fan of reusable bottles that kick the plastic bottles off of this planet. And two, I love bamboo and the amazing durable, sustainable  and beautiful features of bamboo. When the bottle arrived I was thrilled to give it a trial run for the day. Here are my observations:

• Heavy duty construction: This is not a lightweight bottle, but in a good way. Though this is not a bottle I would throw into my bag, I would keep it in the car or or in a picnic basket.
• Go go glass: I am a big fan of drinking from glass but hesitate to bring it with me to a park with kids. The glass on the Bamboo Bottle is covered in a durable smooth bamboo that will keep the water insulated as well as protected from shattering.
• Super easy cleaning: I love that the bottle comes out of the bamboo to clean inside and out.
• Spin the top: The top is very easy for small and big fingers to open and close.
• Drink it up: I also love the wide mouth glass bottle.

Here are some great features about the wonderful bamboo:

• Bamboo replenishes the environment and the air we breathe. Bamboo releases 35% more oxygen than equivalent strands of trees. And it can sequester up to 12 tons of carbon dioxide from the air per hectare. (Bamboo really does help fight global warming!)
• Harvesting bamboo does not destroy its root system, meaning there is no topsoil erosion or run-off.
• Harvesting of bamboo minimally impacts the wildlife, compared to hardwood “logging,” where big machinery tears the land apart.
• Our bamboo is harvested from areas designated and supported by the Chinese government for the sustainability of the species

Learn all about the brand and WIN IT … HERE at Greenwala.com.