01 Jun

Vegan Foods Reigning 2022

Much more than a fad, diet, or trend, veganism is a way of life for thousands of people around the world. According to statistics in 2022, the number of vegans at present is 79 million – making up only 1% of the world population. In fact, Vancouver is ranked amongst the top five most popular cities for vegans. Vegan food and vegan products in Vancouver are universally a must-try! Surveys have also shown the growth of vegan food is “rapid” and there will be a 40% increase in the coming years. 

Whether the cause is based on environment, ethics, or health, the rising demand for plant-based and organic foods concludes it to be the need of the hour, as is the conservation of our planet. Planet and palette-friendly, here are some vegan food products that have been and will be seen reigning 2022:

1. Legumes

Searching for a nutritious alternative to meat? Legumes will be your best friend. Peas, pulses, and lentils make the holy trinity for all vegans. Rich in minerals and iron, legumes are also diverse ingredients you can mix and match in many ways to fulfill your diet needs. 

2. Nuts and Seeds

Whether you are craving something binge-worthy or need a quick office snack to accompany you for the day. Nuts and seeds are of high nutritional value and satisfying. Hemp, flax, and chia seeds make for great additions to salads while nuts like almonds, cashews, and avocados will almost always find their way into a vegan diet.

3. Mushrooms

One of the only non-animal sources of Vitamin D, mushrooms are today a staple for vegans. They are rich in fiber and protein and can be cooked in a multitude of delicious ways. It’s no surprise they are called earth-meat and can be easily consumed as alternatives to your preferred meat. 

4. Fruits

While many might be concerned about the “fruits are high in sugar” debate, researchers conclude that their nutritional value outweighs their sugar counterparts. So, feel free to include a bountiful of fruits in your vegan diet. Apples, pears, guavas, berries, grapes, plums, apricots, and such are on the rise. 

5. Plant-based meats

You don’t have to go cold turkey on meat, as the market is now brimming with healthy vegan alternatives. Some of the most popular ones are plant-based chicken, bacon, tofu, seitan, jackfruit, and soy. In fact, the global plant-based meat market is estimated to reach USD 24.8 billion in revenue from today’s 6.023 billion. 

6. Milk Alternatives

Offering a variety of flavors and nutritional elements, milk alternatives are often marked as the beginning of the vegan revolution. Almond, oat, and soy milk are already a huge demand in the world, whereas rice, coconut, cashew, and even hemp are beginning to establish themselves in the market today. Saying no to dairy and dairy products is considered ideal for lactose intolerant vegans. 

7. Chocolates

For the longest time vegans have been questioned about their love for chocolates. Can vegans eat them, or can they not? The answer is yes, and no! While the majority of the brands contain dairy in their products, dozens of indulgent vegan options have now surfaced in the market. Some of the most common vegan chocolates as suggested by PETA include Hershey’s, Alter Eco, Theo Chocolate, VGAN, and CASSE-COU. 

8. Seafood

Following the Netflix documentary Seaspiracy, The Growth of vegan food is significant in the seafood market, we appear to be entering a new age of fishless fish. And the trend could very well revolutionize the food industry. Vegans can now enjoy fish filets and sauces, shrimp, lobsters, crab cakes, tuna, and even caviar which are made with vegan ingredients.

Brands like Beyondmeat, Amy’s Kitchen, Gardein, BeLeaf, Jinka, and Sophie’s Kitchen are spearheading the vegan seafood wave. The future of vegan food will be seen growing exponentially in the sphere of seafood.

Plant-based fish has been gaining traction as a tasty and readily available option, for example. Consumers prefer plant-based fish products due to the fact they’re typically allergen-free, 100% vegan, and highly nutritional.

The best part about vegan food? Everything can be paired with anything! The vegan world is your oyster – quite literally.

14 May

Yoga & Holistic Wellbeing: Road To A Healthy And Happy Lifestyle

In our ever-bustling never-resting state of mind, the International Yoga Festival & Health Expo aims to bring focus on healthy eating and bring oneself closer to the pursuit of positivity in one’s body and mind. Here’s how we at Yoga & Health Expo believe in bridging the gap between health and happiness, holistically.

Established in Vancouver, Canada, the Yoga & Health Expo is a one-day festival celebrating the joys of good wellbeing while enhancing health, happiness, knowledge, and peace in life through a holistic approach to the Yogic way of life including Yoga, Veganism, and Vegetarianism in our lifestyle. Hosted both physically and virtually since 2015, the celebration welcomes famous yoga instructors, a platform for health-conscious brands and retailers, and stalwarts from the walks of wellness, health, veganism, vegetarianism, and organic living.

Following a successful streak of seven expos since 2015, we are all set and excited to make our comeback with the 8th Yoga Festival & Health Expo this 19th of June 2022. Aiming for an environment-friendly, clean, and healthy lifestyle through food, the Expo shall witness yet another gathering in celebration of good health and good food.

Our Founder and President – Aditya Tawatia

With his belief in the essence of a community and giving back to it earnestly, Aditya Tawatia is the man behind Yoga & Health Expo. One of the most accomplished businessmen in recent times, he hopes to enhance health, happiness, knowledge, and peace in daily life through a holistic approach following the four cores of the brand.

An avid advocate for ‘Oneness’ which he grew up admiring in his Indian household, he believes in bringing those same values of peace and harmony of Indian culture to the rest of the world through healthy and organic eating. Hence was borne Yoga & Health Expo.

OUR FOUR CORES: Yoga, Meditation, Veganism, and Vocal For Local

Yoga: The oldest form of attaining wellbeing through the amalgamation of mental, physical, and spiritual disciplines. We at Yoga & Health Expo honor its ancient wisdom with interesting yoga sessions, conversations with instructors, and a healthy dose of motivation to practice it on daily basis for good wellbeing.

Meditation: Meditation has been long proven to combat many physical and mental health issues, and we encompass this exercise in all our activities to increase focus, reduce anxiety, and ground our minds to the present.

Veganism: Healthy, do-able, and well within everyone’s reach, going vegan is not just for trends and can be opted as a definite lifestyle option – this is what we hope to bring to the table for clean eating.

Vocal for Local: Supporting small businesses pertaining to fresh local produce makes a difference, and we at Yoga & Health Expo believe in harnessing the power of the right nutrition to make everyone’s journey to wellness happier.

OUR PAST VENTURES

Celebrating the power of good health and wellbeing every year, our previous excursions have witnessed the health industry’s most coveted participation in our interactive yoga sessions, mindfulness activities, and sparked interesting conversations on holistic and eco-friendly wellbeing. Our Expo highlights the sanctity of leading a clean and green organic eating and the natural way of life.

Emerging strong against the pandemic, our 7th Virtual Yoga Festival & Health Expo 2021 was a resounding success with speakers Rachel Beau – Creator & CEO (PARTY STAR) of Rock’n’Beau Entertainment; Marlene Watson-Tara – long-time vegan, activist and human ecology enthusiast; Bill Tara – co-founder of Sunwheel Natural Foods in London, England; Dr. Matthew Nagra – Naturopathic Doctor, and many more experts guiding our guests on living in accordance with nature’s laws.

For more information on our upcoming International Yoga Festival & Health Expo, please visit: https://yogahealthfoundation.com/.

#yogahealthfoundation2022 #YogateacherVancouver #YogaclassesVancouver #VeganproductsVancouver #VeganfoodVancouver #adityatawatia #yogahealthfoundation

09 Jun

Mindfulness: a Tool for Increasing Happiness and Reducing Stress in Recovery

Mindfulness is the practice of fully immersing yourself in the present moment, without thoughts about the future or the past. It encourages you to direct your attention inwards, and consciously experience the feelings, thoughts and sensations that are happening right now. This is how mindfulness can promote stress relief and acceptance, and pull you away from the destructive thought patterns that may tempt you to use a behaviour or substance to numb discomfort.

Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of practicing mindfulness in recovery, and how being mindful in each moment can translate to more fulfillment, peace and enjoyment in your everyday life.

How Mindfulness Can Soften the Hardships of Recovery

  1. Mindfulness Reduces Emotional Cravings

Addictive behaviours are used as coping mechanisms to numb painful or uncomfortable thoughts and feelings. When faced with these thoughts, cravings can manifest as a protective mechanism— an emotional and mental escape.

Mindfulness encourages you to stay attuned with your present state of being, instead of running, covering or trying to escape these feelings. In essence, mindfulness is the opposite state of addiction. Through the process of awareness, you learn to accept and potentially transform these feelings and allow them to pass, which is the only way to heal and move on from them.

  1. Mindfulness Encourages You to Pause Before You React

You cannot always control what happens to you, but you can learn to control how you respond to life’s circumstances. When you ground yourself in the present moment by being mindful, it’s easier to pause and process a certain situation or feeling in a healthy way. Over time, this can actually change how your brain responds to emotional stress, which results in less anxiety and negative emotion over time.

For example, let’s say that when thoughts arise about the relationship you have with your mother, they instantly trigger you to crave a drink. But when you practice having awareness in the present moment, you’ll notice that you learn to pause before reacting to a specific thought pattern— and instead, become aware of the emotion you’re feeling.

When you allow yourself to feel , sit with, and recognize this emotion— rather than avoid it— the craving has a chance to pass and you can move on with your day. The more you practice this form of mindfulness, the less strong and intense your cravings will become, until they eventually disappear.

  1. Mindfulness Can Help Transcend Pain and Suffering

The desire to retreat from negativity is normal. Nobody wants to remain in a suspended state of suffering. And according to Buddhist views, pain and suffering are an essential part of life.

We have the opportunity to transcend our pain by accepting this truth, and recognizing that our suffering is determined by how we respond to it. Mindfulness brings awareness to the present moment, where we can realize and accept that everything is exactly as it should be: our pain can be used to fulfill our highest potential.

Putting Mindfulness into Action

The wonderful thing about mindfulness is that no specialized equipment or training is required. You can practice it right now. All you need to do is take a quiet moment to connect with your breath. Inhale and exhale to observe all that is going on in your mind and body. Focusing on your breathe anchors you to the present moment, and helps eliminate distractions of the past and future.

What Does Mindfulness Look and Feel Like?

When enjoying your next morning cup of tea, practice wrapping your hands around your mug. Feel the sensation of the hot mug against your fingertips, smell the fragrant leaves and observe the steam rising from your cup. Feel the calming sensations that ripple throughout your body when you take a long sip of your tea.

Where are you in this moment? How do you feel right now? What thoughts are arising in you? Be present and stay with this moment, and simply observe how you feel. Remember that you are exactly where you need to be, and nowhere else.

Mindfulness Meditation

You can also practice mindfulness through meditation, which may allow it to become second nature easier in your everyday life. By closing your eyes and focusing your attention on your breath, feel the air flow through you as you inhale and exhale. Allow your mind to slow down, and avoid judging or responding to thoughts as they arise, simply observe them and allow them to pass, imagining they’re like floating clouds in the sky.

This conscious practice, when done for just a few minutes per day, can increase the acceptance and satisfaction in your everyday life.

As you can see, mindfulness is a powerful tool to harness your thoughts and emotions (and how you respond to them) during recovery and any time through your life. By practicing mindfulness and remaining in the present moment as often as possible, you’ll be able to manage your stress levels easier, and heal any emotional trauma that’s been holding you back from living a fulfilling life, and may have been too uncomfortable to face and overcome in the past.

04 Feb

IMPORTANCE OF YOGA

Yoga embraces all

To hear of Yoga is a blessing. To absorb and align with it,  even more so. The Yogic and Indian ethos springs from its meaning which means union or yoking of body, emotion and mind with the universe. This expansive thinking beyond race , age or net worth towards refinement of the human being , Self discovery and realisation is what Yoga is about. It is about building humane compassionate beings who can with their very presence bring in fairness, vision and bliss to the endeavours they are involved in and uplift everyone. From such individuals spring conscious communities, organisations and countries.

What one of the Yogic texts speaks of

The Bagwat Gita , an ancient Indian text on conscious living, describes yoga as Excellence in action. This excellence is defined not only as skillfully doing ones job, but having ones heart in it, without getting attached to the fruits.  This does not mean that one does not get something in exchange. However the sole motivation is not the exchange alone. Excellence comes from believing in what one does and knowing it needs to be done for the greater good of all and for cosmic order to fall into place. This extra mile ,one will go to if one has a Yogic attitude. The text also speaks of moderation and not overeating, not having too much recreation, overworking or oversleeping as well. Like this many attitudes are impressed upon on the yogic practitioner and it focuses on healing and harmonising the body, emotions and mind with the infinite.

Wealth of other Yogic Texts and importance of having a life guide who re-parents ones inner child

Just like the Bagvat Gita there are many other texts like the yoga sutras, yoga vashishta, vedas, upanishads, viveka chudamani agamas, puranas, tantras  that speak of these beautiful life principles for uplifting oneself as well as humanity. However the most important aspect in the Yogic culture is studying with a guide, acharya /guru dedicated to these principles rather than getting stuck to just information or bookish knowledge as much as they can point in the right direction. Then one starts imbibing it and living it and it becomes real rather than just remaining on the intellectual level. That is why in the Indian tradition the guru becomes like a spiritual parent, not just a public speaker. Then on becoming a spiritual adult (not related to ones age) the student or one being re-parented is ready to tune into one’s own inner guru and the realisation happens. The practitioner becomes strong in re-parenting and guiding himself towards a more evolved state.  In yoga it is not just an intellectualisation or memorising and speaking about principles but an internalisation and embodiment of it that is the focus.  Guru = dispeller of darkness , Yoga Acharya, fem: Acharini – One who acts in alignment with the Yogic ethos. One who has a grander vision of life

India is unique in having an uninterrupted stream of spiritual researchers

The sages, rishis, maha gurus or ancient researchers as I would like to refer to them have refined themselves and tuned into these principles from the universal vibrations. There is an uninterrupted stream of these Indian life scientists and artists who researched life for over 20,000 years. Each yuga or time period in Indian history has had great teachers, philosophers, researchers of life and texts to explain righteous living. These teachings infiltrated many other countries.

Yoga impacts all and enhances all

Yoga is this marvellous life science that works on individual, family, group ,organisation as well as societal levels. We will see the effect trickle into every area of our life as well as those around us. As we become more conscious through the Yogic practices and principles we cannot but let go of those things that harm us, others or society. We cannot but embrace all of life and enhance it.

Yoga, a path of conscious choices for a kinder world with less violence

That is why those on the yoga path will start making conscious choices about everything they do , feel or think. To start with they are aware of the food they eat , how it is procured and what impact it has on their consciousness. Has the animal been tormented?, is it good for the environment and other pertinent questions will be asked. One will not mindlessly eat what is dished out to them. Similarly one questions one’s lifestyle and other emotional and thought habits. We fathom we are part of a collective whole and therefore healthy and uplifting choices come naturally to those on a yoga path.  Similarly in relationships emotions are acknowledged and channelized. Organisations also benefit from this Emotional intelligence as they have individuals who think out of the box and believe in win win win situations, building a solid foundation for their teams and organisation.

Building not just IQ but EQ, SQ and BQ

I have trained many working for corporations in Self Mastery and stress management and see that they benefit tremendously by learning tools to reprogram the sub-conscious mind and tap into the intelligent design. The benefits start with conscious bodies that can self correct postural imbalances to building Emotional Quotient , Spiritual Quotient and most importantly tuning into the Bliss quotient (coined by Maitreyi to indicate not just happiness but the capacity to tune into a universal vibration of bliss). Then more conscious organisations are built who can contribute to society and heal the environment as they are tuned into this more expansive perspective of life rather than just a limited view of profits.

Yoga clears away the debris to allow the persons divinity to shine through

Yoga is not an exercise regime but a great art and science of dancing your highest potential into being.

Let us build humans who are humane, who build organisations and societies with the same ethos.

So we invite individuals as well as organisations to join us in this event to rise to your most magnificent selves. Be part of the third World Yoga Day on the 17th June 2017 and grow in Abundance and Grace.

Yogacharini Maitreyi is a practical mystic who trains Arkaya yoga teachers& healers and creates conscious community around the world.  She also runs a foundation for children living in slums in Chennai. She is in Vancouver in the summer to train Arkaya Yoga teachers and guide them on a path of self awareness , classical yogic principles, sattvic tantra and multidimentional healing. Next TT starts in July 2017.

E-mail: maitreyi9@hotmail.com; www.arkaya.net

© 2017, All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.