Prescribed Burn – Three Easy Steps to revitalize your mind and body. Recipe Included

Are you due for a prescribed burn?

Slow your roll, I’m not talking about the famously mind altering, medicinally legal in 29 states, roll it up, spark it, rip hits from the bong kind of burn, I’m talking about one of nature’s most natural agents of change, fire.  A controlled burn.

Today I ran through a beautiful coastal and wetland habitats preserve near my house where they are conducting a prescribed burn.  And I got to thinking… can we as humans benefit from this same type of intentional revitalization? After all, controlled burns are meant to encourage new growth and maintain a healthy ecosystem.  Fire manages weeds and the build up of hazardous fuels, makes room for more desirable plant growth, it recycles nutrients back into the soil and promotes the natural diversity of beneficial native plant life.    

Aren’t our bodies delicate and precious ecosystems?  Shouldn’t we too tend to, nurture and properly maintain a healthy environment? Don’t we need to stimulate and create space for new growth, replenish much-needed nutrients, fight disease, remove harmful toxins so that we can thrive?  

And just like a tree will become stressed by overcrowding, doesn’t your mind deserve some space, some peace and quiet, some much-needed free time?  Without “fire,” we can’t get rid of the flammable fuels that build up and become hazardous in our heads. I don’t know about you but I think we all know someone, if not ourselves, who’s on the brink of combustion.  

Without fire, highly valuable species will disappear.  When is the last time you felt awe,  wonder, or were truly inspired? When is the last time you took the time to nurture your own ideas and dream your big dreams, or did something just for you?  Has it been far too long since you’ve experienced your good friend joy?  

These aren’t really rhetorical questions anymore, friends.  And while I don’t recommend setting your self on fire, in fact I implore you not to, I do recommend improving your own internal habitat, clearing out the excess, replenishing nutrients into your soil… executing a prescribed burn.  

Today I want to share three easy pease steps to execute a personal prescribed burn.

1. Go for a walk, outside. Leave everything behind… what happened before the walk, what might happen after… take a mental break from it.  Be intentional about it, really take in nature, the sun, birds, the wind, the sound of the woods, water, park, where ever you may be. LEAVE THE REST.  It can just be for 15 minutes or so, so I know you’ve got this. This is your time, enjoy it.  Mentally remove yourself from your daily to-do list.  If you feel yourself slipping back into your normal mental gymnastics routine, stop yourself, stand in place and take deep  breath or two, remind yourself you are taking a break, intentionally creating space for yourself, you’re here to be present, and find joy in the moment.  Trust me, works every time.  Then proceed. Do this as many times as necessary throughout your walk.

**Don’t want to walk? Do something else you like. Like to cook? Get your tush in the kitchen. Like to build shit?  Get your ass in the garage.  Like to make things, bust out that craft table Martha… you get it… now go do it!

2. Reduce some clutter in your living space. Even if it’s just clearing the counter in your kitchen, or putting away all the products that sit on your bathroom counter. Clean some space. You’ll feel better.  Hall closet been burdening your thoughts because it’ needs to be cleaned out? Do it! Need to clean donate some clothing, do it! Don’t have any clutter? Good for you, go sit outside for a few minutes and enjoy the day, and the extra moment for yourself.

3. Tend to your own soil, replenish those nutrients. Feed yourself something amazing,  something that will truly nourish you and give your body what it needs to thrive.  Eat like you’re worth it.    

To help you do that, I’m giving you my go to easy vegan recipe for a meal that checks all the boxes. It’s good, good for you, and deeply satisfying.

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Buddha Bowl

When people find out I’m vegan they tend to ask what my go to meal is, what I like to make myself for a dinner. (I really like this question because it means they have a genuine interest and might like to try. Go health! Go Animals! Go Planet!) A typical go to dinner for me looks like something like this: 

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 1

Author The Green Olive

Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup Uncooked Brown Rice
• 1 -2 Cups Broccoli Florets
• 1/2 Cup Chick Peas Drained and rinsed
• 1/2 Medium Sweet Potato Diced
• 1 Clove Garlic Minced
• 1 Cup Vegetable Broth
• 1/4 t Cumin
• 1/4 t chili powder
• 1/2 t Your favorite Herb and Spice Mix Such as Braggs or Italian Seasoning
• 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive oil

Tahini Sauce

• 1/4 Cup Tahini
• 1/4 Cup Water or more as necessary
• 3 T Lemon Juice
• 1 Clove Garlic

Instructions

For the Bowl

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. 

   
   

2. Cook rice according to package instructions.

3. While the rice cooks and the oven is preheating, prepare your garlic, broccoli, chick peas and sweet potato. 

4. In a bowl, mix the broccoli florets, 1 teaspoon of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste and toss to coat. Remove from bowl and place on baking sheet.

5. Next, add the diced sweet potato, 1 teaspoon of olive oil, cumin and chili pepper to the same bowl and toss to coat. Add to baking sheet next to Broccoli.

6. Finally, to the same bowl, add the chick peas, 1 t of olive oil, seasoning, a pinch of salt and toss to coat. 

7. Add the chick peas to the baking sheet, making sure all ingredients are in a single layer and have room.  Roast in the oven for 20 minutes or until veggies are tender and browning, and chick peas are toasty.  

8. Place 1 cup of rice into your bowl, add to that the broccoli, sweet potato and chick peas.  Top with 2 tablespoons of Tahini sauce, shake on your favorite hot sauce and dig in.  

For the Tahini Sauce

1. Place all ingredients in a high speed blender, blend until smooth.  Keep leftovers in fridge for up to a week.  

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