an afternoon of yoga & chocolate! yes, you heard that right……

 An Afternoon of Yoga and Chocolate, Oh My!

Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011

1 pm – 4 pm

Who doesn’t like chocolate??!!

Rich in antioxidants, chocolate not only tastes great, it is good for you.

Learn how to make raw, vegan, healthy chocolate with Registered Holistic Nutritionist and raw food teacher/enthusiast, Grace Van Berkum.

In this hands-on class, we will learn how to make several different kinds of delicious chocolate truffles together with nutritious, healing ingredients.  Before enjoying the fruits of our labour, we’ll break for a relaxing, yet energizing yoga class. Recipes and chocolate to take home!

Cost: $35 (cash, cheque)

For more information or to register, contact: info@spiritloftyoga.com

Space is limited.

Grace Van Berkum is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, Sivananda Yoga Teacher  and Certified Personal Trainer. She leads wonderful retreats worldwide designed to relax, renew and recharge the body, mind and spirit. For Graces’ full bio and information about her upcoming events and retreats, visit: www.gracevanberkum.com

refreshing ginger iced tea

the hot, summer months are here and it’s really important to stay hydrated for increased energy and to help keep weight down. one of my favourite things to make is ginger iced tea.

ginger is high in antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, and anti-microbial (helps kill bacteria). it also  stimulates circulation which means it helps to cleanse and detoxify the blood, helps to lower cholesterol, may help to prevent heart attacks, relieves indigestion, excellent for nausea, vomiting and motion sickness, helps with constipation, helps with hot flashes, relieves headaches, reduces arthritic pain, and supports kidney health. ginger is also high in potassium which makes it alkalinizing, helping to reset the metabolism.

here are some refreshing ways that i use ginger for it’s beneficial properties, and also as a great way to increase my hydration levels.

Ginger  Iced Tea

get a chunk of ginger, wash and peel it. ( i use a big chunk because i really enjoy the spiciness of it). then cut into 5 or 6 pieces.

fill a pot with clean water. add ginger to the pot. bring the water to a boil, then turn off the heat and cover. i like to let it sit on the stove with the heat off all day so it becomes really strong. (i will do it in the morning before i leave the house)

a few hours later, when the water has cooled down, strain the ginger water into a pitcher. add a few drops of stevia if you wish for natural sweetness, and then squeeze some fresh lemon into the mixture (half to 1 whole lemon depending on your preference.) make sure you use FRESH lemons and not from a bottle as it has chemicals added to it.

store in fridge if you would like it nice and cold.  also good as a hot tea.

sometimes i like to add SPARKLING WATER  and lime instead of lemon, and i call it ginger beer!!

REFRESHING, HYDRATING, HEALTHY…..of course! enjoy!

www.gracevanberkum.com