Yoga & Yogurt

Did I mention I like yoga? It's something I've been doing about once a week for a few years now, and have been really meaning to get more into it (kind of like baking). I've been taking a "yoga in the park" class this spring/summer and every time I go, I come out of it feeling so at peace and at ease. Even if that feeling only lasts for a half hour after class, I think it is worth it for the sense of calm it instills in me. It just occurred to me that I originally started baking as a sort of stress reliever a few years ago, about the same time that I started taking yoga. This got me thinking about the links between food and the body. 

There is something to be said for creating good, wholesome, homemade food (I'm not talking about my peanut butter cookies here), that kind of makes you feel "one with the earth". A few months ago, I started researching holistic nutrition programs and I can really see the similarities between the healing properties of yoga and those provided by fueling your body with a balanced, nutritious diet  - something I've yet to fully experience as a grad student. However, one of my goals is to delve further into the realms of both yoga and nutrition, and try to incorporate them more into my daily life. I've learned that exercise and food have considerable effects on  my mental state, and I think it would be interesting to see how my overall sense of well being was influenced by incorporating a daily yoga practice into my life. My prediction is that not only would this act as a stress-reliever and improve my flexibility, but that practicing yoga more often would also motivate me to treat my body better in terms of nutrition. After all, "you are what you eat!".

I'm still quite interested in learning more about holistic nutrition, so if anyone has any thoughts/experience on this subject, I would value your feedback.

Ok...time to stop blogging and start acting like a grad student (cue hunching of shoulders and consumption of far too much caffeine).

Namaste.

P.S. for a clue about the origin of this post's title, check out this video. It's pretty amusing (and completely unrelated).

P.P.S. No, that's not me in the photo. When I perform that pose, I generally begin to fall forwards and inevitably topple to one side in an effort not to fall on my face.

P.P.P.S. On the topic of yogurt...if each probiotic yogurt contains "over 1 billion active live bacteria"...is an average consumption of 3 yogurts per day too many??

Cinnamon Flavour Combinations

I haven't experimented with cinnamon as much as I have with peanut butter, however here are a few ideas to start you off.

Cinnamon Flavour Combinations

1) Cinnamon with peanut butter! (Surprise, surprise). Seriously though, mix some into natural peanut butter and you'll be surprised at what a delicious combination it makes.

2) Cinnamon toast or cinnamon-raisin toast or bagels are delicious toasted with butter/margarine, cream cheese or peanut butter.

3)  Cinnamon added to coffee/lattes. I like to sprinkle some cinnamon onto the top of a plain latte, or add some to my coffee grounds before putting through the coffee maker or French press. It just adds a hint of flavour, and eliminates the need to add artificial flavour shots.

4) Cinnamon (or cinnamon-sugar) sprinkled on apple slices. My mom used to make this for me as a kid, and I still have it as a late night snack sometimes (minus the sugar). Yum!

5) Soft cinnamon-sugar pretzels. I have yet to make pretzels from scratch so this recommendation is based on the ones they sell at pretzel stands. However, this is on my list of things to bake!

6) Cinnamon-swirl coffee cake.

7) Cinnamon rolls. What could beat warm, gooey cinnamon buns on a Sunday morning? (Cinnamon buns with peanut butter, obviously). 

8) Cinnamon-sugar rugelach (a Jewish dessert best described as mini crescent rolls with various sweet fillings). I've made these from scratch and they were delicious.

9) Apple cinnamon crepes.

10) Did you know that cinnamon sticks are the secret ingredient to homemade sangria? I decided to share this with you since sangria really isn't the same without it. Try my sangria recipe and see for yourself.

Peanut Butter Flavour Combinations

Over the years, I have tried peanut butter on just about everything (ok, not on a hamburger, but I heard on the radio that it makes a great combination. Since I currently don't eat red meat, I expect someone to try this for me and write in with the results.) Below are some particularly good combinations that you should try.

10 Delicious Peanut Butter Flavour Combinations (besides PB & Cinnamon!)

1) Peanut butter and banana (on its own, in a sandwich, on toast, on a panini, in a wrap...)

2) Peanut butter and honey (especially on toast, but also in dessert squares, etc.) Honey also makes an excellent addition to a peanut butter and banana sandwich.

3) Natural peanut butter mixed into vanilla ice cream/frozen yogurt. This is literally THE best thing ever (especially when peanut butter and ice cream are two of your all-time favourite foods). Peanuts and peanut butter sauce also make a great addition to sundaes, banana splits, homemade smoothies or milkshakes. Peanut butter ice cream pie fits in this category of brilliancy as well.

4) Peanut butter spread on almost any type of bread-like substance: toast, bagels, muffins (especially bran muffins), English muffins, wraps/pitas/tortillas

5) Pretzels dipped in peanut butter (Snyder's of Hanover makes peanut butter pretzel sandwiches which inspired me to make my own).

6) Peanut butter and crackers. I especially like peanut butter on Triscuits, Premium Plus/Saltines, and Ritz crackers. If anyone remembers those orange cheese-flavoured peanut butter sandwiches that used to come in packages (I saw them in the States in a vending machine last year so I guess they still exist), Cheese Nips and peanut butter evokes a similar taste sensation, not to mention a bit of nostalgia.

5) Dry cereal dipped in peanut butter. Literally every cereal I have tried tastes good with pb, but some of my personal favourites are: Honey Nut Cheerios, Shreddies, Bran Flakes, Life Cinnamon (Cinnamon Toast Crunch would probably work too), and any type of granola mixed with peanut butter (the more clusters, the better).

6)  Peanut butter and apple slices. I also tried this in a wrap for lunch one day and it was surprisingly good.

7) Peanut butter and chocolate. Did I even need to list that?? Reese's Peanut Butter Cups exist for a reason.


8) Pancakes or waffles: skip the syrup, slather on some pb. I often do this because it adds some protein to an already sweet breakfast. Peanut butter chip pancakes are also delicious - thanks go out to EggCetera restaurant in Guelph for this wonderful idea!

9) Peanut butter in any type of square or cookie (e.g. peanut butter Rice Krispie squares, peanut butter trail mix cookies, chocolate peanut butter bars, etc.) You can't really go wrong here.

10)  Chocolate peanut butter cheesecake. Enough said.

...Alright, that's ten so I'll stop. Feel free to email/comment with your own pb-inspired ideas!

Health Benefits of Peanut Butter & Cinnamon

Aside from being delicious (together or separately), peanut butter and cinnamon are both good for you. Here is a short list of some of the health benefits provided by the 2 foods that inspired me to write this blog in the first place.

Peanut Butter
-high in monounsaturated fat (oleic acid) and resveratrol, which help prevent cardiovascular disease
-high in polyphenols, which act as antioxidants in the body
-good source of Vitamin E, niacin, folate, maganese and protein
-natural peanut butter is free of added salt and sugar (and much more delicious once you get used to it!)
-peanuts may protect against stroke, cancer, gallstones and alzheimers
-frequent nut/peanut butter consumption is associated with a REDUCED risk of weight gain!

Cinnamon
-the cinnaldehyde in cinnamon helps protect against unwanted blood clotting
-the essential oils in cinnamon classify it as an antimicrobial food (meaning it may be able to stop the growth of bacteria and fungi)
-helps regulate blood sugar
-great source of maganese, fibre, iron and calcium
-the smell of cinnamon may boost brain activity


Other Reasons to Consume Peanut Butter & Cinnamon:
-they taste great together
-they taste great on their own
-they both add pizazz to other dishes or foods (See Peanut Butter Flavour Combinations and Cinnamon Flavour Combinations for ideas)