Ayurveda: A New Approach to Eating Right

One of the coolest features of the Red Rocks Fitness Challenge  is the opportunity to take online nutrition classes.   I attended my first class tonight and was very pleasantly surprised at how interesting and applicable the topic of discussion was.     Before signing on, the instructor, Tracey Stevens, emailed me a survey entitled “Ayurvedic Questionnaire”.    The questions fell into five categories:  mental, behavioral, emotional, physical and fitness with 3 choices each.     The scores fell into three areas:   winter/vata, summer/pitta and spring/kapha.   My scores ended up pretty evenly balanced between these three areas with my personality most aligned to vata or winter.

I learned that Ayurveda is an ancient Indian system known as the “science of life” .   The three aforementioned categories, vata, pitta and kapha or “dosha’s” refer to elemental substances that roughly describe a person’s personality, propensity to certain illnesses and preferences.  According to the survey,  I am primarily vata or winter, for example, since I tend to me more quick, imaginative, speedy, energetic, etc.   But with these qualities, I also have a propensity toward certain physical ailments related to skin disorders, fatigue, insomnia, headaches, etc.     So, using the information about my personality type, I can work on balancing myself out with a better diet, exercise and lifestyle plan.

In summary, our instructor gave us some homework to assist us in our weight loss/maintenance goals.   I think her suggestions could be helpful to everyone so I am sharing them here:

• Rise with the sun.
• Morning time between 6 and 10 am is the best time for physical activity.
• Eat a decent breakfast with protein when you are hungry.   9 am is OK.
• Eat a large midday meal as close to 1:30 or 2 pm as possible.   Eat until you feel full.
• Eat a snack for dinner or nothing at all.
• No snacking between meals.
• Go to sleep by 10 pm or when tiredness comes.
• Eat foods that are in season.
• Participate in physical activity that helps balance you out.   I should do yoga, for example, because it might slow me down.
• Moisturize inside and out.

I am looking forward to learning more about Ayurveda and how it might enhance my life.   What about you?

Working for Free Heirloom Seedlings? Sign Me Up!

The Heirloom Gardens booth is at the Cherry Farmer’s Market for the next six weeks.

When I posted on Facebook that I was psyched to get a volunteer shift at the Heirloom Gardens booth at the Cherry Creek Farmer’s Market, my friend said I was easy.   Really?   The currency for working is two heirloom plants for every hour worked.    With very ambitious garden plans and a limited budget, this gig seemed worth it to me and even better when one of my gardening partners also got a shift.    After four hours of pretty hard work on a very comfortable, sunny Saturday, Natalie and I took home 16 plants, mostly tomatoes and peppers,  for our community garden.    Score!!!

This adventure started about a month ago when I received an email from Heirloom Gardens looking for volunteers to staff their plant booth at the Farmer’s Market.   I figured that I must have gotten on the list when I joined their meet up group.   The free plants offered for work hours sounded great so I emailed them back right away.   But, not soon enough.    The shifts had filled up immediately and I was wait listed.   A volunteer wait list?   Who knew?    When an opening popped up this week, I jumped right in and motivated Natalie to join in.

Carving out four plus hours in the middle of a Spring Saturday required some negotiation.    Two of my children had back to back sports events straddling mid-day and my husband had to agree to release me from my family obligations.    Check.   And the first work day of the season was happening at my community garden with an added bonus:   free homegrown tomato plants were being shared by a gardener in the morning.    I knew I didn’t have to do the work day but I swung by early to say “hello” and snag a tomato on my way to the farmer’s market.   Check.

I love farmer’s markets so it was cool to check out a new one.   The market at Cherry Creek seemed to have much more variety than my local one at Aspen Grove.   More upscale food booths, fun products and lots of bakery.    When I was released for a 15 minute lunch break, I sought out the food vendors and was excited to find a Filipino food stand.   The booth featured  foods I’d grown up with — adobo, pansit, lumpia — and having lost my Filipino father, a gourmet cook, years ago — I haven’t often had the chance to eat these dishes.    With tears in my eyes, I ordered some tasty eggs rolls and pansit.   For a mere $5, the tastes of my youth flooded back as I wolfed the tasty noodles and crispy rolls down.

The steady stream of customers at the booth included a few of my friends and  my eldest daughter who stopped by to say hello.    The variety of plants was astonishing — over 100? — and quite a challenge to keep the tables stocked.    It was exciting to work the other side of plant sales and see it from the selling perspective.    I enjoyed talking to Sundari, the owner, grower and author of “The Idiots Guide to Urban Homesteading” and tap into her knowledge of heirloom vegetables and producing plants for sale.   By the time  we loaded hundreds of left over seedlings in labeled crates, broke down the tables and tents, the sun was hot and I was ready for a cold drink and a rest.    I am happy with my load of plants and looking forward to one more shift.    Until then,   I’ll be thinking about the plants I’ll select next time.

My daughter, Madelaine, came by the booth for a visit.

Natalie, my gardening partner, worked the booth with me.

Triathlon pal Deb Norris showed up with her doggie to buy plants.

So many tomato varieties to choose from!

So many tomato varieties to choose from!

The owner of the booth authored the book.

My triathlon pal, Karen Hall and her husband, came by to get their tomato plants.

Filipino food for sale!

Pansit and lumpia. $5.

Boot Camp with A View: Red Rocks Fitness Challenge

Red Rocks Amphitheather in Morrison is not only a fabulous concert venue but also a beautiful place to get a great workout.

When my friend Cindy invited me to join the Red Rocks Fitness Challenge, I was immediately interested in participating.   Of course, the challenge of working out on the steps and benches was a bit daunting, not to mention the steep climb up from the parking lot.    But the opportunity to spend time working out in this beautiful natural amphitheater was undeniably compelling.    The series is sponsored by Health One and taught by trainers from Denver Park and Recreation.  One of the unique aspects of the challenge is that your fitness level, measurements and weight are measured at the beginning and end of the series.   Prizes are given for the most progress in several categories.   The other aspect that attracted me was the availability of weekday and Saturday workouts.    I am now signed up, measured and ready to start.    Tuesday and Thursday mornings will be my days with Saturday mornings if I can make it.   Yesterday morning, I met up with Cindy to attend my first 7 am  workout.   And, I was quite surprised to find that the 50 minute session very doable.    Not easy but not a killer either.   I credit my weekly attendance at Janet’s Ken Caryl boot camps and the recent running and swimming clinics I’ve attended for preparing me for this new challenge.     I am hoping to see some results and will enjoy the view along the way.

Clay Pot Irrigation: A Workshop on Water Conservation

Here are some examples of authentic ollas produced in Albuquerque.

Water conservation is always an issue in dry, sunny Denver.    As a leader in the community garden, I have worked with the committee for years to encourage gardeners to incorporate water conservation methods in their gardens — mulch, soaker hoses, drip irrigation, watering earlier and later in the day, hand watering, etc.     I am always looking for new ways to reduce water usage so when a fellow gardener introduced the idea of using clay pots to irrigate, my interest was peaked.    Here are some photos from the Clay Pot Irrigation Workshop given by Rosedale Gardener, Syd Uphoff, at our garden several weeks ago.   I am definitely planning to test drive some ollas in my garden this year.

Syd is talking about how to use the olla’s to save water in your garden.

The cost of making your own ollas is significantly less than purchasing the authentic pots. The cost to make your own is under $7 each.

Here are some examples of authentic ollas produced in Albaqueque.

The order form for ollas in New Mexico.

Syd demonstrates how to seal the two terracotta pots with silicon caulk.

A larger ollas made to hold a gallon and a half of water.

Here are the olla’s buried up to the white paint which seals the top from water evaporation.

The smaller olla hold a gallon of water.

Ollas need to be filled 2-3 times a week. You plant within 12-15 inches of the olla and the roots will grow close. Seeds should be hand watered until they have roots.

The rocks on top keep water from evaporating.

Coffee, Homemade Jam and Water Conservation

One my favorite aspects of gardening are the conversations I have with my gardening friends.   Today, I made plans to meet master classmate, Teri, for coffee at Stella’s, a favorite hang out spot on Pearl Street.    We met at 9 am, sandwiched between my Red Rocks boot camp and her client meeting in Cherry Creek.    I was interested to hear how she’s parlayed her love of gardening and organizing into a thriving business helping clients organize, pack and move valuables, design, plant and maintain home gardens and design decorate pots.     Teri’s passion for  her work really shines and I can see why she is so successful.      This is her busy time of year so I felt honored to have an hour of her attention to talk about her work and discuss our master gardening “give-back” classes.     She asked me for some tips on her upcoming water conversation class; a subject I know intimately from my work at Rosedale and in my own garden.   Beyond talking about the irrigation options (overhead watering, dip, soaker hoses, clay pot irrigation and hand watering), I thought a discussion of mulching, using water wise plants, moisture retention and timing of watering would be relevant.    She invited me to join her at tomorrow’s workshop — which I hope to do it I can arrange my family obligations.    Aside from our delightful gardening discussion, the highlights of our coffee hour was a beautiful quilt hanging on the wall near our table and most definitely, the two homemade jams she brought me from her pantry.   Thank you Teri!!!

The Old Seeds are Sprouting!!!!

 

I have always been a glutton for seeds and over the years, I’ve collected boxes full.   More often than not, I’ve used only a fraction of the packets while the rest remained unopened.   I have always known that  the rate of seed germination decreased over time.   But still,  I could not dispose of the old seeds.   This year I learned from a sage gardener in my master gardening class that she’d had success with seeds over 14 years old!    Her comment was challenge I could not deny.   I decided to pull out the old seeds, some a decade old, and plant them.   To my great joy, many of them are sprouting.    The photos I took this morning are of the seedlings I’ve had to transplant.    Its awesome!!!   So my advice to you is to try those old seeds before you toss them.   

The First 6 Weeks in the Garden

Even when winter seems to be at its zenith, St. Patrick’s Day is the time I start thinking about planting my peas and other cold crops.    On the warm days, I drive up to my plots at Rosedale Community garden to access, clean up the fall clutter and start planning for the season to come.    Since I am also involved on the leadership team at Rosedale, I am often in the city attending steering meetings,workshops or helping with events so I frequently stop in the garden for short periods of time during the early days of spring.   This is the first time I’ve kept track of my spring gardening schedule and it amazes me how much I am there.

After months away from the community garden, I am always so happy to start gardening again.   Its wonderful to see my gardening friends again, meet new gardeners and talk about our plans for the season.    When I started gardening at Rosedale 15 years ago, I lived in the mountains and was busy with my growing family so this process didn’t happen until mid-May.    But more recently, I’ve committed myself to starting earlier, despite the spring snows, so I can maximize my harvest and experience the joy of harvesting spring crops in June.   So, here is what spring looks like at my community garden.

Tuesday, March 12

Visit garden plot for first time since November; lots to clean up with large piles of dry plants, leaves, torn up paths, tomato cages, hoses, stakes and stuff cluttering the picketed area

Thursday, March 14

Rosedale Steering Meeting

Sunday, March 23

Meet garden partners, Susan and Natalie at Panera for garden planning; draw map, discuss plant wish list; changes and updates

Wednesday, March 27

Wash pots and trays in bleach water for seedlings, set up table by window and fill with planter’s mix,  sort through seeds and make selections, Rosedale Garden Spring Meeting at Daz Bog Coffee

Friday, April  5  

Put wheel barrel full of compost from Rosedale pile along fence post and salad bed, plant peas; till salad garden and plant spinach, radish, leeks with Susan, bags up large dried plant material — sunflowers, broccoli, brussel sprouts, tomato vines; take home metal trellis for repair

Saturday, April 6             

Plant seeds at home:  pumpkins, squash, zinneas, marigolds, basil, parsley, gourds, etc.

Thursday, April 11 

Rosedale Steering Meeting, Lunch meeting with new gardener Terry and Susan at Park Burger; visit plot

Saturday, April 13 

With Natalie, clean up  garden in the afternoon; 2 hours; Natalie plant onions, etc.

Monday, April 15            

Fill up 5 black bags with dried tomato plants, garbage, large compost, and sunflowers, put in dumpster, dig up corn stalk roots. Take up ripped fabric; 2 hours

Thursday, April 18          

Clean up paths, pick up burlap, hang up, put down compost and newspapers, water peas with jugs of water, 2 hours; purchase horihori at Birdsall’s

Tuesday, April 23

Assist with  Rosedale garden workshop on Basic Organic Gardening at Daz Bog

Wednesday, April 24

Attend Master Gardening Session at Denver Botanic Gardens, teach mini class on Putting Your Garden to Rest

Thursday, April 25

Rosedale Steering Meeting

Friday, April 26

Measure Garden and Map online, 2 hours; plant carrot seeds in salad garden

Saturday, April 27           

With Natalie, dig up rhubarb and place in wheel barrel to share, plant more seeds in salad garden, clean up compost veggie debris, clean up compost trench, work on paths with old compost, check irrigation, attend olla workshop

Sunday, April 29

Dig in rabbit fence, plant more peas, learn how to use broad fork with Syd, plant more seeds at home, Susan Y. brings compost from freezer down to bury in garden

Tuesday, May 1

With Susan, plant more salad garden, weed grass out of compost, bring up fabric from pumpkin patch, put 3 buckets compost on mounds, pull up raised beds by playground

Wednesday,May 2

Go plant shopping with Terry, snowing, obtain seed donation from Jareds for Project Angel Heart Meeting at garden, purchase seeds and broccoli, cabbage; visit Home Depot too

Friday, May 3

Pick up 10 ollas at Amy’s house, plant broccoli and cabbage, water

Saturday, May 4

Terry – bury 3 ollas by east hose bib, plant purple onions, transplant some iris, transfer some compost from trench to paths in pumpkin patch, turn compost heap

Sunday, May 5

Plant more seeds at home; start to repot some seedlings