Winter Wellness Guide

This month I am trying something new and I hope you will like it. At the beginning of each month, I will now be sending out a newsletter filled with a recipe, beauty/health tip, yoga pose of the month, a monthly mantra and an update on something I think is fabulous in the health and wellness industry. Please let me know what you think. Feel free to email me at laurelattanasio@msn.com or send me a message on Facebook LaurelAttanasioYoga. Enjoy!
Sending you lots of strength and energy to get through the holidays!
XO
L
P.S. This weekend is the NYC Eat, Play, Love Event! Join me, Rachel DeAlto and Melissa Kathryn for a transformational afternoon! Grab your tickets!
Monthly Mantra
The holidays can be stressful for many of us and it is often the time when we get sick and feel run down. I encourage you to say “yes” with what fills you with life and energy and “no” to what brings you down and drains you. As we approach the holidays remind yourself…
I commit to my health, my happiness and my spirit.
Ultimately, when we do this, we can love and serve others more fully.
Savory Squash Soup
Soup keeps me going through the cold winters. And, this butternut squash soup will warm, heal and cleanse you. Butternut squash is filled with Vitamin A, folate, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B-6, thiamin, and pantothenic acid. It is also packed with these minerals: iron, zinc, copper, calcium, potassium, and phosphorus. So, eat up and enjoy!
Ingredients:
2 butternut squash
2 leeks chopped
2 white onions chopped
5 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
5 one-inch pieces of peeled ginger
Turmeric
Cayenne
Sea Salt
Coconut Oil
8 cups of water
Directions:
Preheat Oven to 400.
Cover a baking sheet with foil and then rub coconut oil across foil. Add just enough to lightly cover.
Place both butternut squash on the baking sheet.
Bake squash for 20 minutes. Flip squash and bake another 20 minutes. Bake until you can stick a fork through.
Add two cups of water to a large soup pot and turn to med/high.
Add leeks, onions, garlic and ginger and begin to boil. Once boiling, lower temperature to a simmer.
Once squash is done baking, allow to cool. Then, peel and seed. Place seeds in a strainer.
Chop the squash in cubes and add to soup pot.
Add additional 6 cups of water and return the temperature to medium/high. Allow to boil and then return to simmer.
Rinse seeds through strainer. Place on the baking sheet. Coat seeds with a little cayenne and sea salt. Roast on 400 for 10 minutes. Flip and then roast another 10 until they are crispy. Watch them closely because they may cook faster. Listen for them to begin to pop.
Add seasonings to soup crock to taste. I did 8 shakes of turmeric, 3 shakes of cayenne, and 4 shakes of sea salt.
Continue to simmer until all vegetables are soft.
Allow the soup to cool and then either blend with an immersion blender or add to a standard blender and then return to the soup pot.
Serve soup and sprinkle seeds on top.
Health and Beauty Tip
Bath Time
Funny, but true, I often call the bathtub my office. It is the one place I can think clearly without any distractions and one place I can limit my obsession with multi-tasking. Water has this great way of calming us and healing us at the same time. So, add a bath time routine to your winter schedule and let the healing process begin. Make sure to rinse off with cool water after your bath.
Here are some of my favorite things to add to the bath:
¼ cup of Liquid Bentonite Clay
1-2 cups of Apple Cider Vinegar
1-2 tablespoons of Fresh Grated Ginger
2 cups of Epsom or Himalayan Sea Salts
1 Tablespoon of Coconut Oil
Yoga Pose of the Month
(as seen in the picture above)
Natarajasana: Lord of the Dance Pose
I love this heart opening pose because it makes me feel strong, yet elegant. Prepare with a few sun salutations, low lunges, camel pose, reclined hero’s pose, bow pose and full wheel. Enjoy the additional space created for breath and love!