Asheville | thesofiamagazine

Dukkah Recipe

by Laurie Richardone | Aug 30, 2021 | Asheville, Cooking, Recipes

Makes 2 cups

2 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

3/4 cup white sesame seeds

1 cup hazelnuts, toasted

1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper

In a dry saucepan over medium heat, toast the coriander seeds, cumin, and sesame seeds. Slightly shake the pan occasionally for 2-3 minutes, or until fragrant.

Set aside.

In the same pan, add the hazelnuts and toast for 4 minutes.

Add all the ingredients to a food processor and pulse several times. You want the nuts and seeds roughly chopped.

Can be stored in an airtight container for several weeks.

Cooks Note: You can add pistachios, or pine nuts, in addition to spices like paprika. Sprinkle on salads, hummus, grilled salmon, and vegetables…

Morning Yoga to Welcome the Day

by Natasha Kubis | Aug 30, 2021 | Acupuncture, Asheville, Women, yoga

Before we get into a simple yoga routine that can help us greet the new day and meet our challenges with grace, it’s important to remember to practice safely and with care. Back out of a stretch if it’s too intense and modify as necessary.

Focused breathing is key to being able to relax in yoga poses. A gentle and calming technique is called Ujjayi or ocean breath.

Inhale for 5 seconds through the nose.

With your mouth closed, exhale through your nose for 5 seconds while constricting the back of your throat, as if you’re
saying “ha”.

The inhalation and exhalation should sound like the tides of the ocean.

Hold each posture for 3 to 5 cycles of breath.

Mountain Pose

This is the foundation for all of the standing poses and improves posture and stability.

Stand up tall and bring your feet parallel.

Bring focus to your core and engage your abdominal muscles.

Feel a gentle lift through the thigh muscles.

Feel grounded through your feet.

Relax your shoulders.

Side Stretch

With an inhale, gently lift your arms overhead.

Grab your right wrist with your left hand.

Side bend to the left, giving your right wrist a gentle pull.

Come back through the center and do the opposite side.

Forward Fold

This is a very good pose to open the hamstrings, stretch the back muscles, and make the spine supple by allowing decompression of the vertebrae.

Fold forward over your thighs, hinging from the hips.

Keep a small bend in the knees.

Bring the hands to the floor, shins, or grab opposite elbows if the hamstrings are tight.

Relax the neck and shoulders.

Downward Dog

This pose stretches the shoulders, hamstrings, calves, and allows traction of the spine.

From a forward-fold, plant your hands firmly into the ground.

Step your feet back one foot at a time so that they are hips distance apart.

Lift your hips and engage your thighs while putting your weight into the heels.

Keep a small bend in your knees.

Peddle out your knees to open the calves and hamstrings.

Planks

From a downward dog position, push forward into a high push-up.

Keep your shoulders in a straight line with your wrists.

Engage your abdomen and thigh muscles.

Push your heels back for a calf stretch.

Keep a slight lift in your tailbone to protect your low back.

Relax your neck.

Cobra Pose

As a heart-opening pose, the cobra pose stretches the chest, lungs, shoulders, and abdomen. It also strengthens the spine, and promotes flexibility.

From a plank position, lower down to the floor onto your belly.

Place your palms beneath your shoulders.

Elbows tuck toward your sides.

Press your pubic bone into the floor.

For a mild backbend press into hands, leaving elbows slightly bent as you lift your head and chest away from the floor.

For a deeper backbend, push all the way up with a full extension of arms.

Puppy Pose

This pose stretches the spine, shoulder, and arms. It is a deeply relaxing stretch for the back, which also helps calm the nervous system.

From a tabletop position, walk your hands forward and sink the hips back toward the heels.

Lower the forehead to the mat and relax the neck.

Actively stretch arms forward while pulling hips toward heels.

Tiger Pose and Cross Arch Stretch

This pose is a balance and back strengthening pose. It also stretches the psoas and quadriceps muscles.

From a tabletop position, extend the right hand out in front of you.

Extend the left leg out behind you.

Engage your core.

When stable, lift the left leg off the ground.

Then draw the left knee to the right elbow and hold in an abdominal crunch position.

Release the crunch position and once again, extend the right hand out in front and left leg back behind you.

Bend the left knee while reaching around with the right hand to grab the left foot.

Repeat the sequence on the other side.

Cat-Cow Stretch

This pose releases tension in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine. It also improves digestion, circulation, and relaxes the mind.

Start in a tabletop position with knees under hips and wrists under shoulders.

For cat pose, press into the hands, tuck tailbone, and round back.

For cow pose, arch the back and lift the chin and tailbone to the sky.

Low Lunge and Hamstring Stretch

This stretch improves focus, balance, and stability. It stretches your arms, legs, shoulders, neck, belly, groin, and ankles while energizing the entire body.

From a tabletop position, bring your left foot forward between your hands.

Keep the left knee at a 90-degree angle so that the knee is in line with the ankle.

Slide the right knee back on the mat until there is a comfortable stretch in the right thigh and groin.

Reach arms overhead and create
a mild back arch.

Then plant your hands on either side of the mat and sit back toward your right heel for a hamstring stretch.

Repeat to the other side.

Wide Leg Standing Forward
Fold with Clasped Hands

This stretches the hamstrings, inner thighs, deltoids, and biceps.

From a wide-legged stance, with feet parallel, bring hands to hips.

Fold forward, hinging from the hips.

Clasp hands behind you and raise them away from the sacrum.

Seated Spinal Twist

This helps stretch the spine, shoulders, and hips. It massages the internal organs, improves digestion, relieves sciatica, as well as low back and neck pain.

Sit with legs stretched out in front of you.

Pull one knee towards your body and sit up tall.

Twist slowly toward your bent knee, wrapping the opposite elbow to the outside of the bent knee.

Repeat on the opposite side.

Seated Side Stretch

Sit comfortably with one leg in front of the other or cross-legged.

Place your right hand down on the ground for support.

Extend your left arm up to the sky as you reach and bend laterally to your right.

For a deeper stretch, place your right hand on your left knee and extend your left arm up as you bend laterally to the right.

Repeat on the opposite side.

Bridge Pose

Lay down onto your back.

Feet are planted hips distance apart.

Bend knees so they are pointing upward.

Fingertips should be able to graze the backs of the heels.

Press through the feet and squeeze thighs slightly inward as you lift hips and sternum off the mat.

Clasp hands together for a deeper stretch.

Natasha Kubis is a licensed acupuncturist and certified yoga teacher.
For more information, visit acuwellhealth.com

5 Toxic Personalities That You Should Avoid

by admin | Aug 30, 2021 | Asheville, Positive Change, Psychology, relationships

Toxic people are hard to steer clear of. Sometimes they are hard to spot because of how subtle and calculated their form of manipulation is. They make you feel drained, insecure, and anxious, amongst so many other negative emotions, and then they benefit from those emotions to either feel better about themselves or to make sure that you have something to blame yourself for. Whether they seek to make your life miserable on purpose or whether they are not even aware of the impact they can have on others, they still deserve to be called out on their behavior. In return, you deserve to have people in your life that you enjoy being around. So here are five types of toxic personalities that you should be on the lookout for and try your best to avoid:

Negative personalities

It goes without saying that people with a negative mindset are bound to bring only negativity into your life. But a more specific definition of a negative personality refers to the kind of person who adopts a pessimistic view on life and who finds a flaw in almost, if not every, aspect of your relationship with them. They could be a family member who always lets you know the ways in which you could apply yourself better instead of congratulating you on your accomplishments, or a romantic partner who seems to regularly find a reason to start a fight with you. Whichever category this type falls in, they are not the kind of people you want in your life. Negative feedback can work in certain situations, but people are generally found to be performing best when they are given positive reinforcement or when they are being praised instead of scolded. If you are dealing or have dealt at any point with someone who had a negative personality, it is important to remember that they are also making themselves miserable by demanding perfection, because they live in constant disappointment. What you can do to escape their negativity is to surround yourself with people who do see your flaws, but who care about your qualities more.

Positive personalities

On the other side of the spectrum is a positive personality, and perhaps this type is not as obviously toxic as the previous one. It does not sound unfortunate, because everyone needs a person that nudges them towards seeing the good side of things. But sometimes too much positivity can be just as damaging as too much negativity. The problem with believing in the power of positive thinking is that it is just not realistic. We are only human, so our failures or bad experiences do not define us, but they should be acknowledged nonetheless for the sake of personal growth. Someone who encourages you to always look on the bright side or reminds you that other people have it worse is just invalidating your difficulties and trying to take away the guilt or sadness that you are allowed to feel. It is not healthy to see the world in black and white, in negativity or positivity. What could work instead is trying to remind yourself that balance is what everyone should try to strive for.

Victim complex personalities

A person with a victim mentality is someone who refuses to take full responsibility for their actions, and perpetually finds someone else to blame for their own issues or mistakes. The dangers of having someone like this in your life stem from the way in which they are able to make you feel sorry for them. Perhaps they blame their behavior on childhood issues. Perhaps they blame their mishaps on you because they feel you caused them to act a certain way. Regardless, a person who is always quick to point fingers at others instead of owning up to their mistakes is also someone who self-sabotages their own life, and will therefore sabotage their relationship with you as well at one point or another.

Arrogant personalities

There is a big difference between someone who is confident and someone who is arrogant. A confident individual feels good in their own skin, while the arrogant type gives themselves more importance than it is due. They tend to act superior towards others and to talk down to them, and the biggest problem is that they can come across as intimidating. They seem to be in a constant, sometimes imaginary competition with someone else, and they have a strong desire to dominate others in conversations. You might feel insecure around them or you might even dread having a chat with them because of the way in which they seem to make themselves the center of attention while making you an afterthought.

Gaslighting personalities

The term “gaslighting” represents a form of manipulation in which an individual makes another question their own memory or feelings by downplaying certain situations and planting seeds of doubt in their mind. This is the most dangerous type of toxicity, especially because of the insidious way in which it presents itself. Most people who have been gaslighted in relationships have not realized it until later on. The person doing the gaslighting will often tell you that you are too sensitive, or that you take things to heart when you shouldn’t, or even that you don’t remember things correctly and that they never actually wanted to hurt you. But the truth is, no one should get to decide when you have the right to feel upset. People on the receiving end of gaslighting tend to be quick to question themselves, when instead they should recognize that once somebody wrongs you, it is their responsibility to earn your forgiveness and trust, not yours to hand it to them for free. Whether it is intentional or not, this form of manipulation should not be overlooked once it is spotted.

While dealing with someone who has a toxic personality, people don’t realize when something that should be easy becomes hard. Indeed, relationships are difficult to maintain, even healthy ones, but at the end of the day, the good that they bring into your life should outweigh the bad. If you find yourself in a position where being around a loved one brings out feelings of guilt, insecurity, or exhaustion, then it is time to question their presence in your life and to start focusing on your own self-worth.

Look On The Bright Side

by admin | Jul 27, 2021 | Asheville, Health, Lifestyle

Pessimism can hold you back in life. After all, if you always assume that the worst will happen, you will always stay on the safe side. But taking risks is what life is all about. If you didn’t take any risks at all, you would never date anyone in case things didn’t work out. You wouldn’t change jobs because you might not be able to handle the new role.

Some people believe that they are natural-born pessimists. But if that were true, you would never have enjoyed the carefree and hope-filled childhood that you likely remember. So, if you want to regain that youthful optimism, read on. Here are some tips to help you become more of an optimist.

Learn from Past Mistakes

Past experiences shape a person’s attitude to life. So, if you have experienced disappointments or hardships, then it is only natural that you might have a more negative view of your future. However, you cannot change the past, so there is no point in dwelling on past events. Instead, learn from your mistakes and failures and recognize that you did eventually come through the bad times.

See the Good as Well as the Bad

If it is past events that have made you a pessimist, then it is likely that you are only focusing on the negative aspects of events. For example, you are only thinking about the pain that a breakup caused, and you are ignoring the good times that you had with your ex-partner. So, every time a negative thought comes into your head, try replacing it with a positive image of something good that came out of that situation.

Keep Things in Perspective

People who are pessimists are incredibly good at catastrophizing. If a pessimist has a bad day at work, for example, they will start thinking about losing their job. Next, they will imagine themselves being homeless and destitute and never being able to find a job again. When you feel yourself beginning to make a mountain out of a molehill, try to get things back into perspective. Don’t think about the worst possible outcomes; try to weigh up the situation logically and think about the most likely outcome.

Remind Yourself of All the Disasters that Never Happened

If you look back at all the times you thought the worst would happen, you will likely find that the disaster you feared never materialized. Indeed, if you did lose your job, you probably got a new job reasonably quickly. And, what’s more, you likely get paid more now, and the role is more enjoyable. So, when you find yourself in a negative thinking spiral, just remind your pessimistic self about how many times you have been wrong before!

Stay in the Present

Instead of letting your negative imagination run wild, try to focus on what is happening around you right now. While you are thinking about the bad things that might occur, you are missing out on all the beautiful things that are happening right now.

Talk Yourself Out of Pessimism

If you had a friend who was going through a tough time, you would try to help them through it and give them some encouraging words of advice. You certainly wouldn’t tell a friend that their current woes are only the beginning, and it’s going to get a lot worse from here! So, try to be kind to yourself, too. Instead of talking yourself down all the time, try giving yourself the same kind of upbeat advice that you provide for a friend who was worried about something.

Think Longer Term

If pessimism has become an ingrained way of thinking for you, then you probably assume the worst of every situation. If you want to go out for a walk, you will believe that it will rain. You may think you will make a fool of yourself if you go to a party. You may be right, but five years from now, you won’t even remember that you got soaking wet, and you will laugh along with everyone else about the time that you spilled red wine down your shirt at a party. So, try to remember that, even if embarrassing or painful events do occur in your life, they won’t last forever.

Make a Daily Gratitude List

Start each day by making a list of six things that you are grateful to have. Making a gratitude list will set you up for the rest of the day with some positive thoughts. Becoming an optimistic person is not all about changing who you are; it is about changing how you look at the world. So, when you start focusing on the good things in your life, it will help you realize that positive things do happen to you.

Tell Yourself That You Are Optimistic

If you walk out of your front door every day, convinced that you are a pessimist, guess what? You will spend the rest of the day believing that you are a pessimist! No label describes who you are, because you are an individual, and, like everyone else, you will have some good fortune and some bad.

Spend Time With Optimists

People tend to gravitate toward like-minded individuals. So, if you take a negative view of life, then it is likely that you have friends who do the same. Try to widen your circle of friends to include some more update optimists, because enthusiasm and optimism are catching on! If you spend too much time with pessimists, you will all convince each other that things are even worse than you imagined!

Conclusion

Of course, the above tips are not going to transform you into an eternal optimist overnight. Hopefully, though, these ideas will give you a starting point. The most crucial decision that you must make is to decide that you want to change your perspective on life to a more positive one.

“Reality is created by the mind, we can change our reality by changing our mind.” -Plato

Common Migraine Triggers

by admin | Jul 27, 2021 | Asheville, Healing, Health

Migraines cause excruciating pain and debilitating symptoms for millions of people and can have a devastating impact on quality of life. Learning to identify and avoid triggers is the key to preventing or reducing the frequency of migraine attacks. Here are some common triggers that could be causing your migraines.

Food

Food is a major migraine trigger for many people. Certain foods, such as coffee, red wine, chocolate and citrus fruits, are well-known triggers, but almost any food has the potential to cause negative reactions, including migraine, headaches, nausea, digestive problems and skin irritations. The best way to discover which foods are triggering your migraines is to keep a food diary.

Dehydration

Dehydration is another common migraine trigger and can be caused by a number of things, including inadequate fluid intake, strenuous exercise, excess salt consumption, vomiting, diarrhea, high fever and some medications. In addition, it’s important to stay hydrated during a migraine attack, as dehydration can increase pain sensitivity and make the symptoms worse.

Stress

Mental and physical stress can cause muscle tension in the shoulders, neck and jaw that restricts the flow of blood and causes pain. This muscle tension can trigger migraine and is difficult to treat, as pain-killing medication is often ineffective. Learning to relax is usually the best way to prevent stress-related migraines. Physiotherapy and some complementary therapies, such as deep tissue massage, acupuncture or acupressure, can also be useful for some people.

Screen Flicker

Smartphones, tablets, computers and television screens can also trigger migraines. Some people are sensitive to screen flicker, which can occur on smartphones, computer monitors and some television screens. Screen flicker may not be noticeable to the naked eye, but it can usually be seen when looking at the screen through a video camera. AMOLED (active-matrix organic light-emitting diode) displays are a big problem for some people, as this type of display flickers continuously. Screen glare is another common problem that can sometimes trigger ocular migraines and affect vision.

Fragrances

Some smells and fragrances can trigger migraines or make the symptoms worse. Chemicals and artificial fragrances, such as those found in air fresheners, cleaning products and perfumes, can cause nausea, headaches and other neurological symptoms, including dizziness and digestive problems. Using unscented products can make a big difference for some people. However, if you are unable to avoid the fragrances that cause your symptoms, your doctor may be able to refer you for treatment to help desensitize you to fragrances and other triggers.

Food, dehydration, stress, screen flicker and fragrances are common migraine triggers. However, each person reacts differently to potential triggers, so it can take time to work out what is causing your migraines. It’s important to seek medical advice and to get an official diagnosis, as migraine symptoms can sometimes be caused by an underlying health problem.

Raw Blueberry Pie with Medjool Date Crust

by admin | Jul 27, 2021 | Asheville, Cooking, Recipes

This refreshing dessert is not only mouth watering, it is loaded with antioxidants that support healthy immune function.

Makes 1- 9″ springform pan, or 3 mini springform pans

Crust

2 cups almonds, raw

1 cup medjool dates

1/8 tsp. sea salt

2 tbsp. water, filtered

1 tsp. vanilla

Filling

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 cup blueberries, freeze dried

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

1/2 cup coconut milk, unsweetened

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 cup maple syrup

2 tbsp. arrowroot, mixed in 1 tsp. warm water, see cooks note

1 tsp. lemon zest

1/4 tsp. salt

Crust

Mix all ingredients in the food processor, except water. Pulse several times until fully incorporated. Add water and pulse a
few times more. Set aside. Crust done…

Filling

Add all the ingredients to the food processor and mix well.

Assembly

Line the bottom of the springform pan with parchment paper. Press crust ingredients into the bottom, making sure it is even. Should be about 1/4′ thick. You can freeze any extra crust ingredients for up to a month.

Pour blueberry mixture into the pan, or pans of choice. Cover well and place into the freezer overnight. Release the spring pan and place on a decorative plate. Add garnish of fresh flowers, blueberries, or cocoa nibs.

Cooks Note; I used the freeze dried blueberries as they soak up some of the moisture from the liquid. You can use one cup of frozen berries, just add another tsp. of arrowroot.

Buon Appetito

For scheduled Cooking Classes in Asheville, Visit:
LaurieRichardone.com

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