Ayurveda Inspired Homemade Granola

Ayurveda Inspired Homemade Granola

simple & healthy

By Amalia May

Hey. It’s me, the granola girl.

I guess now they call all the plant loving, bike riding, van living, crystal holding, mountain climbing, tea drankin', yogis “granola girls.” Whatever, I’m cool with that...only because I am a total sucker for all of those things. If you know me you know I love my nature and I also love my oats. Oats are like potatoes, they are delicious in any form ;)

I’m just here to share a little wallet saving life hack.

So, you go to the store and you see a huge bag of chocolate granola chunk goodness that is calling your name, but it’s 10 dollars. WHAT?! You are overpaying for granola, majorly. A bulk bag of rolled oats is wayyyy cheaper, and you can make your own crunchy holistic heaven in your kitchen.

This granola can be a topper for yogurt, oatmeal (yeah, oats on oats don’t judge me) smoothies, trail mix, nut milk, or just eat it right out of the jar.

When i’m not on the intermittent fasting train, I always eat oats for breakfast. But simple oatmeal can get boring after a while. So, I've been trying a BUNCH of different ways to cook with oats.

This recipe is an Ayurvedic granola that is good to have on hand in a huge mason jar in your kitchen at all times. The warming spices are very good for Vata season, going into winter.

When serving granola, I personally love to add some slow cooked fruits like peaches and apples & top with a little vanilla Greek yogurt.

(If you are trying an Ayurveda diet, don’t worry too much on making sure EVERYTHING you eat is Vata pacifying, it’s totally okay to eat small amounts in moderation.)

Nourish your mind body and soul with these herbs:

Turmeric

Cinnamon

Nutmeg

Cardamom

My favorite nuts to add for fall season:

Walnuts

Cashews

Pecans

Coconut Flakes (not shredded)

Pumpkin Seeds

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Fall Homemade Granola

for Vata Season

By Amalia May

May Moves | Come Alive Herbals

I love to serve mine with cooked fruits, honey drizzle and more cinnamon on top!

Ingredient List:

• 2 Cup Rolled Oats

• 1 Cup Nuts

• ¼ Cup Coconut Oil

• ¼ Cup Raw Maple Syrup or Honey

• ½ Tsp Cinnamon

• ½ Tsp Turmeric Powder

• ⅛ Tsp Cardamom

• ⅛ Tsp Ginger Powder

• ⅛ Tsp Nutmeg

Instructions:

Stove Top Method:

1. In a bowl, mix oats and spices

2. In another bowl, mix wet ingredients (coconut oil and maple syrup)

3. In a pan over medium heat, roast nuts for 3 minutes

4. Add oats and spices stirring frequently until oats become slightly golden brown (about 5 minutes)

5. Turn off heat & mix in wet ingredients; combine thoroughly

*Granola will be slightly soft, let cool about 10 minutes to harden

Oven Method:

1. Preheat oven to 325 F

2. In a bowl, mix oats and nuts

3. In another bowl, mix coconut oil, maple syrup, & spices

4. When oven is to the correct temperature, pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and fold until combined thoroughly.

5. Spread mixture onto a baking sheet with parchment paper. *spread to thin layer

6. Bake for 15 minutes, checking often to prevent burning

*Granola will be slightly soft, let cool for 10 minutes to harden

Serve with plant milk, coconut yogurt, or with your favorite smoothie.

If you end up making this yummy recipe, make sure you tag me on Facebook! :)

Namaste, Amalia May :)

Want to learn more about Ayurveda, Yoga Lifestyle & healthy recipes? Follow me on Pinterest.

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7 self care routines you can start right now

7 morning rituals for self love

By Amalia May

Yoga | Massage & Bodywork | Ayurvedic Medicine | Travel

I can’t stress enough how important it is to have a morning routine.

Annndd… I can't stress enough how HARD it is to stay on a routine with daily rituals.

But, having a steady routine- doing the same things in the same order everyday does something magic to our consciousness. Rituals are a way to connect with ourselves, even if it’s only for a few quiet minutes everyday. For me anyway, ritual and routine create a sense of groundedness (is that a word?) and helps me feel anchored in my day.

I can go on and on but it's best you experience it for yourself to really understand how having a morning routine will benefit your day.

Okay Molly!! I’m ready to have the best day ever and I’m willing to do what it takes, where do I start?

I have some ideas for you. These self care routines can be done within 5-10 minutes; everyone has 5 minutes in their day to cut out for themselves. TRUST ME.

1. Waking before the Sun

You know when you wake up super early in the morning, everyone's sleeping but you..the house is so quiet. It almost feels different. You have your morning warm cup of tea while listening to the first of the birds singing...and you are..for a quick sec.. completely at peace. Ahhh. There is really something special about waking up super early by yourself.

In Ayurveda, it is known that waking up an hour and half before the sun rises helps you synchronize with the rhythms of Earth, which is a time of pure consciousness. It enables you to greet the sun with honor. I remember some mornings in my van waking up at 4 am SO excited to watch the sun rise over the mountains.

2. Water & Supplements

In Ayurveda, drinking warm water with ginger & honey sparks your agni, or “inner fire.” This drink will wake up your digestion & get your body ready for movement. There's all kinds of variations to this morning mineral cocktail (as Aubrey Marcus calls it). Try adding a pinch of Himalayan salt to hydrate your thirsty muscles & tissues, lemon for a vitamin C boost, or maybe a splash of apple cider vinegar.

If you can't stand the taste of ginger or apple cider vinegar (you're not alone!) try to take some kind of vitamin, supplement, nutrient, herb that benefits your personal health needs. I love my mushroom capsules & Ashwagandha in the morning.

3. Morning Meditation

One of my yoga teachers spoke about how your brain is in a different state when you first wake up. You are in a more dreamy and creative state. Meditation can be done at any time, but it’s best during this flowy state upon waking when consciousness can be best accessed.

4. Tongue Scraping

"Jihwa Prakshalana", or better known as tongue scraping, is an ancient practice of using a copper tool to scrape your tongue clean.

There are surprisingly SO many health benefits including:

Prevent bad breath

Improve sense of taste

Clears toxins/ama, bacteria, dead cells

Gently stimulates organs

Body awareness

Promotes oral and digestive health

If you’re not familiar with this Ayurvedic ritual, check out my post about tongue scraping.

5. Oil Pulling

Oil Pulling, or in Sanskrit, “Kavala Gandusha" is essentially the Ayurvedic mouthwash. In the morning, on an empty tummy, take a spoonful of coconut oil and put into your mouth. No really, this is a powerful practice. You wouldn’t think swishing oil around in your mouth would be so dang healthy.

A few benefits:

Promotes Healthy Detoxification and Cleansing

Boost Energy Levels

Reduces occurrence of disease and illness

Alleviates Arthritis

Reduces Headaches

Benefits skin and blood disorders

6. Switch your Coffee.

(Disclaimer I need this one just as much as you.)

I’m just gonna say it. Folgers is NOT the best coffee. There. I said it. So many brands of coffee consist of more chemicals and oils than coffee itself. When coffee enters your bloodstream, it’s basically like a slap in the face. It hits you and you are CAFFEINATED. I know this because I love that artificial energize, coffee makes me go fasssttt. But, After time and time and time of drinking coffee, it stops having that effect on you. It starts to consume you, and consume your gut. The acidity makes you bloated, the caffeine come down makes you anxious, and the Starbucks bill makes you broke.

There are PLENTY of yummy replacements. Try Matcha, Cacao or Tea. Be fancy and make it a latte with spice sprinkled on top.

7. Self Massage

If you haven't discovered the magic of "Abhyanga", or self massage, go grab some oil right now and give yourself a very much needed foot rub. Okay, but really. If you put moisturizer on everyday, you probably already do this. Just take a few more moments in the morning and put intention into applying your lotion or oil. Massage in the oil working from your feet towards your heart. Coming from a Massage Therapist, I can’t stress enough how good it is for you to have daily massage. It improves circulation, lubricates joints, and a way to connect with yourself and build self love. It’s a good time to do daily affirmations too, like “I am a badass” because you are.

I encourage you to mark out some time in the day to treat yourself with more love and respect. Write in your journal a list of what you will do everyday to invite a sense of balance.

There’s hope. By daily self care rituals, the goal is to spark a period of growth, resilience, dedication. Just know that if you do take extra time for yourself every day, life WILL get better. And I can say that wholeheartedly without doubt.

Namaste, Amalia May

Ayurveda Inspired Simple Oat Bagels

Ayurveda Inspired Simple Oat Bagels

By Amalia May

My guilty pleasure- bagels. I LOVE bagels. But if I'm being honestly, I hate the way they make me feel-tired and groggy. Anyone with me? I’m about to change the bagel game for you. This is a recipe that you can add back into your breakfast regiment with zero guilt. It's so easy, cheap, and you probably have all the ingredients to make a batch right now.

This recipe calls for oats, egg, Greek yogurt, and baking powder. That is it. This is a simple way to keep your food Ayurvedic and promoting good health.

What I love about cooking with oats is how creative you can get with it. I’m so convinced you can do about anything with oat flakes and make it a meal.

If you’ve never made oat flour, it is as simple as blending a cup and a half of old fashioned oats with a blender until it turns to powder. Boom baby. Oat flour.

Like I said in an earlier post, you can always replace egg with a “flax seed egg”. To do so, mix one teaspoon of flax meal with 3 teaspoons of water. Let it sit until it has the same consistency of an egg ( about 10 minutes in the fridge).

Personally, I like plain greek yogurt. But of course, if you are going for a sweet bagel, you can play with flavored greek yogurt. If I want added flavor, I usually look first for spices and powdered herbs before I choose yogurt. If you try flavored greek yogurt. Just keep in mind it's important to use Greek. Please let me know how it turns out!

Feel free to mix any add ins you’d like.

Some of my favs are:

powdered herbs

cinnamon & raisin

blueberries

Everything Bagel seasoning

sesame seeds, poppy seeds

Make it a sandwich!

avocado & egg

almond butter & banana…

apple & goat cheese

You get the point. Get creative!

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Simple Oat Bagels

oat flour | yogurt | egg

Prep time: 10 minutes

Bake time: 15 minutes

Cool time: 5 minutes

Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredient List:

• 1 ½ cup oat flour

• 2 tsp baking powder OR quick rising activated yeast

• 3/4 tsp Himalayan salt

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (not regular yogurt)

• 1 egg

• 1 egg white OR coconut oil (to brush on the bagel before baking)

• Optional toppings: everything bagel seasoning, sesame seeds, poppy seeds etc...

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease pan with coconut oil.

• In a medium bowl, combine oat flour, baking powder and Himalayan salt.

• When it is totally combined, add Greek yogurt and egg. Mix with a fork or spatula until well combined.

• Let dough sit for at least 5 minutes.

• Lightly dust more flour on surface and turn over like you are working pizza dough. If it’s too sticky, add more flour.

• Divide into balls. Roll each ball into long ropes and join the ends to form the shape of bagels.

• Top with egg white wash or liquid coconut oil. Now’s the time you can sprinkle any seasoning you want to add. Bake on the top rack of the oven for 15-20 minutes or until tops are golden brown.

• Allow to cool and harden. Enjoy!

Namaste, Amalia May

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