Natural Remedies for Insomnia

To my night owls:

Along with actually following some of these tips for natural insomnia remedies, I don't wake up during the wee hours of the morning (ahem, 6am) and instead devote enough time to getting enough sleep! Here are some of the things I do to help me get the sleep I need every night:

• Drink Herbal Tea: Caffeine free teas heavy in either chamomile or lavender will help relax the body before bed. My chamomile and lavender tea collection is below.                           
• Aromatherapy: Inhale lavender oil to further relax the muscles. 

• Yoga: Stretching and deep breathing will make the body feel good and relaxed anytime anywhere. Simply tightening all of the muscles and then entering shavasana can work wonders!
• Imagine a serene scene. I imagine a white expanse with no sound, only the feeling of peace.

For herbal remedies, click here.

Happy sleeping everyone!

Unique Ingredients in my Kitchen

I LOVE to cook with fresh ingredients. Some of the unique ingredients in my kitchen:

• yucca root - a bit gritty in texture, cook like a baked potato
• jicama - sweet and crispy, eat raw in salads
• daikon - radish, eat raw in salads
• mushrooms - great when marinated
• eggplant - great with tomato(ish) sauces

Why eat out when you can eat at home? There are so many great recipes on the internet. All you need is to take a short drive to the grocery store and inspiration to make the tastiest of treats!

The following are ways I like to use the ingredients listed above.


Red leaf lettuce, spinach, jicama, tomatoes, avocado, balsamic vinegarette
Dill pickles
Lavender fennel herbal tea




Yucca root, chives, garlicsalt, splash of skim milk, butter, lemon
Pan-fried rainbow chard, tomatoes, onions, garlic, spiced with tumeric, cumin, coriander





Pan-fried marinated mushrooms, spinach, garlic




I'll post a picture and my recipe of Eggplant Curry in a later post focusing on some of my Indian style cooking.

 Happy eating everyone!