Habitat Habits for Health and Happiness

With less than a week to go until 2018 -and with not procrastinating as a key Habitat Habit for the year- here is the first edition of Habitat Habits a few days ahead of time. Habitat Habits will be regular posts sharing actions you can take to be happy and healthy. Subscribe to the blog or follow us @findhabitat on social media for information and inspiration that will help you thrive. 

The Pain of Painter’s/ Blogger’s Elbow VS The Power of Curcumin

This first post is inspired by my goal to overcome some chronic pain from tendonitis and inflammation I have been dealing with over the last few months. Starting the makeover at Habitat with a sprained wrist must not have been a good idea but it had to happen. Dozens of hours of painting, sanding and tiling coupled with typing away at the keyboard and scratching for a few waves in the ocean has culminated with some nagging aches in my wrists, elbows and shoulders. It will be worth it when everything is done though!

Do you have chronic pain from repetitive sports or work actions? Is inflammation in your joints or back affecting your ability to create and recreate? Rather than take ibuprofen and other synthetic anti-inflammatories, I am starting a one month experiment to treat my inflammation with turmeric and turmeric supplements. I will let you know how it goes.Some quick research has shown that while curcumin (the active component in turmeric) can reduce inflammation it is not easily absorbed by the body, and needs to be consumed in far larger amongst that can be ingested strictly from food. Side effects are said to include improved mood and energy so sign me up! I chose a supplement and will be taking it with black pepper because…

Habitat Hack – #26 Ebony and Ivory, Hall and Oates, Turmeric and… Black Pepper

Black pepper contains piperine. By inhibiting the water solubility of curcumin (and other nutrients and drugs), piperine increases the bioavailability of curcumin up to 2000%! Add black pepper to any food you are looking get more vitamins and nutrients out of (warning you do need about a tablespoon worth to have any effect). Don’t want the peppery sting in your turmeric mango smoothy? Swallow a few whole peppercorns.

Get on the Turmeric Train With Me

Use the Crunchy Turmeric Curry Chickpea recipe below to make a healthy snack for your New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day party. Turmeric is considered a superfood and includes Curcumin, a natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. This recipe includes a healthy dose of black pepper which contains piperine to boost the absorption of curcumin.

Crunchy Turmeric Curry Chickpeas

Recipe via http://cleaneatinggoddess.ca/

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cans or 3 cups chickpeas (rinsed well, pat dry with paper towel)
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp sea or himalayan salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp turmeric
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• pinch of cayenne (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place chickpeas in a medium sized bowl and pat dry with paper towel.
2. Season with salt, pepper, turmeric, nutritional yeast, cayenne and olive oil. Toss well until chickpeas are well coated.
3. Spread chickpeas on a cookie sheet. Bake for about an hour, tossing every 15 minutes until chickpeas are crunchy! (Note: Depending on your oven, you may need to reduce heat to 350 degrees F halfway through because spices will start to burn before the chickpeas have a chance to completely dehydrate. I also keep the fan on during baking. If you don’t have a fan, bake on conventional or you may need to keep the chickpeas in for longer. I find that the crunch factor really depends on the oven. Keep an eye out when you go to toss!)

4. Remove from sheet pan and put in a bowl for serving!

Find Habitat

Habitat is a work/stay/play/thrive retreat in Ucluelet near Tofino, BC. Ucluelet means “people with safe harbour” and has long been an environment that generously provides the protection, nourishment and beauty for people and animals to thrive.

Designed specifically to support your ability to create and recreate, Habitat is a healthy and inspiring environment crafted for periods of optimal productivity, fun and rest. Book your change-cation to write that business plan, study for an exam, or achieve balance between productive output and restorative hiking, surfing and foraging.

Follow us @findhabitat on social media for information and inspiration that will help you thrive.