Why you want to eat organic food and drink purified water.

The saying goes: the fish is as healthy as the water it swims in. We have difficulty transferring the essence of this fundamental wisdom of nature to our experience of life.

I can share with you that in my own life, over the years, I have been often referred to as granola, overly sensitive, paranoid…  by people that I know or even by my own family members for my choice to eat organic vegetarian food and for purifying my water before drinking it. To tell the truth at times I felt lonely in my pursuit and during my visits with family both in Poland and in Canada I felt pressured (by well meaning people) to step off the path and join the party. There were times when I gave in and there were times when I stood strong.

Today, as a mature human I no longer succumb to outside pressures and I just do my thing. A good water filter stands in my kitchen and I use only filtered water for both drinking and cooking and I shop for my food at the health food store and from local organic farmers in season.

Yes, it is expensive if I compare my grocery bill to a potential grocery bill from Walmart or Costco but when we look at it closely it may be not so.

Let’s go back to the fish and its health depending on the health of the water it swims in. No person in their right mind would argue this! So why are we so bent on defending pesticide and herbicide sprayed food and why are we willing to ingest it and feed it to our children? Seriously, why?

Corporate agriculture has removed the human and human health from nature’s web of support which it readily provides. 

Monoculture and fields of soy, corn… are not the natural way life grows in the soil of this planet that we call home. This in itself creates major problems for our health and future food supply. 

Diversity is key in creating a healthy environment. Naturally a multitude of plant varieties choose to live close together for mutual support and vitality and at the same they attract other creatures of nature to commune with them. This is when life flourishes!

Lack of diversity spells trouble from the get go. Monoculture introduced by corporate agriculture is destroying our world. Literally! Because growing the same individual plant on the same piece of land year after year is completely unnatural. Problems with pests and unwanted weeds follow. As a remedy toxic pesticides and herbicides are used on crops which then permeate the soil and enter and poison our water systems. And of course genetically modified seeds are created in the lab so they can resist and survive all the poison that is sprayed on them.

Genetically modifying seed is so prevalent today that even some organic foods come from the GMO seed.

The assault of corporate agriculture (and it is an assault) on our soil and food results in a completely depleted soil, void of vital micro-elements and micro-nutrients, nutrient-void food and general destruction of life supporting ecosystems. Our soil, water and air have been poisoned to the degree where we can no longer escape from it and our bodies and minds are feeling it. We have now become like that fish that lives in a very unhealthy water. 

This is a very sad state of affairs for humanity and for those of us who honour the sanctity of nature’s creation and design and believe in human life as an integral part of nature. 

I can tell you that at times I feel a complete lack of hope. But then I look at all the young people: I look at my daughter and her baby and I get energized to act and to know that I can never give up.

So what can we do to transform this mess into a thriving, health-supporting, loving planet again?

First things first, STOP SUPPORTING THE SYSTEM WHICH IS DESTROYING YOUR LIFE! 

• Stop shopping for convenience and instead shop for a better future.

• Buy food from organic growers. Because it offers high nutritional value, you will need less. Organic growers work hard, understand and support biodiversity. They are the true keepers of healthy soil, healthy plants and healthy humans.

• Shop local as much as you can. Small organic growers in your area need your support. The more we buy, the more they grow and hopefully organic food one day can become accessible to everyone.

• Never waste food. Compost what you can and feed your garden soil or your potted plants with it.

• Filter your water before you drink or cook with it.

• If possible put a filtration system on your home water (I am still working on it)

• Don’t waste water. Use a cup of water to brush your teeth… don’t let the tap run like crazy while you do it.

• Don’t spray your lawn for God’s sake! It makes your grass ‘perfect’ but it’s poison.

• Read, educate yourself and find likeminded people. Always stronger together:)

• Talk to plants:) Hug trees:)

• Always remember that how you choose to live actually makes a difference.

• IF YOU CAN GROW YOUR OWN FOOD!

Look, these are simple suggestions and I know that my explanations are also simplistic but I trust that you’ll get it.

If you are interested to deepen your knowledge on this subject you can find tons of info online.

I believe that this is a very urgent matter. As we are seeing government and corporate consolidation taking place right in front of our eyes, one thing becomes clear - we are on our own! People in power are looking out for other people in power. Corporate greed rules and the well-being of humanity is at the bottom of the list. If you think that what I’m saying is nonsense please take a moment and explain to me why our governing bodies support the use of glyphosate in our food growing practices and forestry? Even though Monsanto (now Bayer) have been ordered by courts to pay out billions for causing cancer, Health Canada still says that it is ok to use it. 

If this doesn’t speak to you, then I wish you good luck. You are a free being after all.

For those of us who see what’s taking place, we’ve got lots of work to do people. Don’t just sit and watch. Do whatever you can!  You are more powerful than you know!

Few Resources For Ottawa Area

Certified Organic Farms in Ottawa

Bryson Farms

Funny Duck Farms

Ferme Chapeau Melon

Ferme Lève-tôt

Juniper Farm

Roots and Shoots Farm

Ferme Aux Pleines Saveurs

Our Little Farm

Bluegrass Farm

Fair Sun Farm

Pleine Lune Farm

Roam Flora

Roam Flora grows beautiful flowers without harmful chemicals.

People who inspire me

Dr. Vandana Shiva - an Indian scholar, environmental activist, food sovereignty advocate.

Dr. Zach Bush - a physician specializing in internal medicine, endocrinology and hospice care. He is an internationally recognized educator and thought leader on the microbiome as it relates to health, disease, and food systems.

Water Filter

Berkey Water

Love and Light,

Magdalena

Visit to the farm.

Summer is my absolutely favourite time for Woman Divine.

This is the time of bounty, when local healing plants are harvested for our formulations and for our treatments.

Every year, I impatiently wait for the days when I can visits our friend and partner grower, Anne Janssen of Creek’n Tree Farm.

It’s truly a blessing to visit Anne and her land, to get a peak into her day and to be part of the harvest. Even if for a few hours.

I make the point to do this every year simply so I can be close to the growing plants but also so I can always remember how much work goes into growing medicine and food. I find that this keeps me humble and fills me with gratitude both to the earth and to the people who work so hard to feed us and to feed our skin. 

We were chatting with Anne while harvesting her beautiful plants and it is obvious that Anne does what she does simply because it’s her passion. It is a labour of love which is physically demanding and somewhat unpredictable as we never know what weather conditions we will be presented with during a given year. 

Generally, organic growers are not in it for the money. Most find prosperity through providing a valuable service, through doing work which supports healthy life on the planet and they absolutely treasure their connection to the land and to the plant life. 

when I say that local growers feed us well, I really mean it:) all grown with Anne’s hands and on her land.

Anne tends to the soil and grows plants with her hands. She doesn’t use any machines so the process is slow and as she says herself, it’s not efficient. 

For Woman Divine, Anne picks flower by flower with her loving hands. She carefully plans how to group plants so they can support each other as they grow together. There is science and incredible devotion to everything Anne does. 

I am honoured to know Anne. Woman Divine products wouldn’t be what they are without Anne’s love for the land and her hard work.

Nothing that we do, we do alone. Prosperity and success mean different things to different people. My hope for the world is that we will value that which brings wellbeing and sustains life over that which brings profits alone. I see it as the only way to move forward if we are to continue as part of life on Mother Earth. There is no time to waste. We each need to do our part. Voting with your $$$ is a good place to start.

Magdalena xo

Time to juice! Meet the Maker!

I don’t know about you but after a long winter I really crave green juice. Not just any green juice but a fresh pressed, organic and as green as it gets juice. My body literally calls for it! And this year it has been calling extra loud. I normally wait for my spring juicing until the snow is gone but since this winter has been extra long I’m already juicing:).

Photo by Ellina Rabbit.

 It always amazes me what a green, nutrient packed drink can do not only for my energy levels but also for my mind. Every single time it gives me a noticeable boost  (and way better than coffee ever did), it makes me feel lighter and clearer and it simply feels good. 

Juicing has been with me since I was little and I will never forget the carrot + apple juice that my mom made. I  didn’t really like it at the time but mom was very determined to keep us healthy so she made it and we drank it. Today, I love her for it because let’s be honest pressing your own juice is not much fun and a rather messy affair. It is a commitment!

Since juicing is so amazingly beneficial to our health and we are approaching the optimal time of the year to do a juice cleanse, I want to encourage you to do this for yourself. Do it for your health, do it for that extra glow to your skin and do it to smoothly transition from winter to spring. Fresh veggie juice contains loads of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, proteins, carbohydrates, chlorophyll (green veggies) and vital water beautifully distilled by nature in the plants. No question, freshly pressed organic juice is health building!

 I know that most will never commit to pressing their own fresh juice, but hey luckily making your own is not your only option. I’d like you to meet Julien THE juice guy.  Julien runs the juicing show for Pure Kitchen Ottawa. Since he is the person with all the juicing knowledge let’s get to it.

Julien with Hydrate - his every morning drink.

Hi Julien, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

My name is Julien Boyce, juice production manager at Pure Kitchen Ottawa. I started with the company from day one in February 2015, with the intention of working specifically in the juice department. A typical day includes taking inventory and organizing juice shipments, putting together juice cleanses, blending, mixing, and chopping a ton of fruits and vegetables! I’m fortunate to have the best staff and co-workers that make coming into work fun and exciting. 

How does one become the manager of the juice lab at the hottest vegetarian restaurant in town?

I became the juice lab manager pretty early on after landing the job at PK. Only me and one other person even mentioned in our interviews that we were interested in juicing. I had spent a few years working in kitchens, but I wanted something different. At the time, juicing was something very new to me, and my knowledge came from what I was juicing at home. We were all pretty inexperienced with juicing, however we learned very quickly and found our groove within the first few months. So much has changed since, new machinery, a larger space, and it’s only gotten better with time. 

Are PK juices organic? How freshly are they made?

All of the juices are made with organic produce and sourced locally whenever possible. We press around 1000L of juice per week, so we are constantly pressing every day. It can be difficult to keep up with the demand sometimes! Any juices we make have to be made with juice that is as fresh as possible, that means within 1-2 days of pressing. Some juices, such as lemon, have natural properties that allow it to have much longer shelf life than something like kale.

How do new recipes come about? What inspires you while you create?

I’m lucky to have such a creative team. We are constantly bouncing ideas around for new juices. One of the most challenging aspects of coming up with new recipes is getting the right colour. Sometimes flavours will work well together, but they won’t have an appealing colour. I love finding new products to use with our juices that make them original. 

Rowan (team PK) pouring the Lush

Do you offer juice cleanses? Can you tell us a little bit about them? 

We offer a standard juice cleanse of five juices per day and one nut mylk, which amounts to 3L of juice. They can range from a one-day cleanse, up to as many days as you and a trusted health professional can agree upon (we had one woman do 21 days). We can always accommodate specific preferences and allergies with different juices. 

How does a juice cleanse differ from other types of cleanses?

Juice cleanses give your body a chance to recover by reducing the amount of energy it usually uses just digesting food all day. The benefit of a juice cleanse is that you can still ensure your body is getting nutrients and minerals it needs to function at its best. 

Any tips to follow a successful juice cleanse?

Ease into the cleanse and ease out of it. You should taper off how much you’re eating 24 hours before you start the cleanse and ease back into eating regular whole foods 24-48 hours afterwards. That’s for most cleanses from 1-5 days. You don’t want to start binge eating the day you finish your cleanse, that can lead to digestive issues.

I really crave green juices at this time of the year. Any favourite recipes for a great Spring green juice? 

I prefer green juices to be very strong with no sugars to mask the flavour of the greens. My favourite green juice is on our menu, called Lush. It is just kale, cucumber, spirulina, and a splash of lemon.

If you had to drink the same juice everyday what would it be?

I actually do drink the same juice every day! I start every morning with a glass of Hydrate. I get to work early and before I eat or do anything, I make sure I have some Hydrate with extra sea salt. This keeps me hydrated. I think that staying properly hydrated is the key to so many health problems and it’s something people tend to ignore. 

Any plans for writing a juice book?

I personally don’t have any plans to write a juice book. There are so many juice books available already, but I don’t think it’s that complicated of a process to need a book. I would be more interested in writing a book about healthy lifestyles/personal development that would certainly include juices and the role they can play in a healthy lifestyle. 

Squeezing lemons:) This used to be done by hand.

If there was something you wanted everyone to know about juicing, what would it be?

One thing about juice I always hear as a warning is that they aren’t good for you because you don’t get any fibre. It is true that most insoluble dietary fibre is removed during the juicing process; however, the soluble fibre is still present. Soluble fibre aids in good bacterial growth in the gut which helps the body in so many different ways!

Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us Julien!  And thank you for all the great tips and info. I am always grateful to know the people who make my food, grow my food or juice my veggies . Thank you for what you do!

Ok Ottawa, I was really impressed to hear about the 1000L of fresh juice a week being pressed at Pure Kitchen. That’s a lot of juice! We are definitely on the right path. This makes me super happy:)

I am very lucky to have Pure Kitchen right around the corner from Woman Divine Studio. You can often see  me  running down Richmond Road in between my clients to grab a bottle of pure green energy that keeps me going and going. Pure Celery and Lush are my favourite :)

Pure Kitchen Ottawa, is run by the nicest people you can find and they offered us a 1 day juice cleanse as a GIVEAWAY. Head out to  Woman Divine Instagram to find out how to participate . I hope you’ll win. Make sure to take a look at their Juice Cleanse options HERE and start juicing asap. Now is a great time!

Remember what I always say? What you do to your skin you do to the rest of your body and what you do to your body, you do to your skin. Your skin will absolutely love it!

Pure Kitchen has four locations in Ottawa:

ELGIN

340 Elgin Street, Ottawa ON
+1 613 233 7873

WESTBORO

357 Richmond Rd, Ottawa ON
+1 613 680 5500

KANATA

499 Terry Fox Dr #55, Ottawa ON
+1 613 435 8492

PRESTON

345A Preston Street, Ottawa ON
+1 613 422 0115

Pure Kitchen also offers customized cleanses. So if you have special wishes and/or want to organize your cleanse, you can e-mail: juice@purekitchenottawa.com

Happy juicing,

Magdalena xo

I thought you might like this

Hi there :-) I know, it has been a while... moving, renovations... to put it shortly there was no time or energy left for writing blog posts. I know you'll understand. Since Spring is here and I'm feeling human again, I thought I will say hello and share with you some good resources to help you with Spring cleansing if you wish to go ahead with it this season. Always a good idea.
Ok, so there are many great people offering great services and sometimes it is difficult to decide. I will give you my favourites.

NUTRITION

Amy Longard Registered Holistic Nutritionist. You can find her here. Amy is a great, kind and caring person and very knowledgeable in the nutrition department. She does one on one consultations and offers all kinds of nutrition related workshops all around the city. If you want to take a good look at your diet and/or a Spring cleanse she is your person to book with.

Donna Davis is an avid athlete, yogi and nutrition coach. She is a very generous spirit, fun and down to earth. She periodically offers online programs geared at cleansing and nutrition. She runs a private Facebook group where people can ask questions, share recipes and such. If online is your thing you can find Donna here.

JUICING

Urban Juice Press is a very cool place founded by Justin Gauthier. Their fresh pressed juices are organic, delicious and come in glass bottles:)  You can get a single juice or choose from various package options. You can buy their juices in shop at 340 Parkdale or online here. My personal humble opinion is that juicing is a great way to clean your system up, particularly in Spring and Fall.

SIMPLE AYURVEDIC KITCHARI CLEANSE is always nice to do.  The recipe is in the previous post I have written many moons ago:) you will find it here. I would add sprouts and bitters to my kitchari cleanse in the Spring.

NATUROPATHIC DOCTORS

If you feel that you want to have a serious check up and guidance from a naturopath here two great Ottawa doctors.

Dr. Kristy Lewis at Sage Wellness specializes in women's health.

Dr. Jan Dorrell at Keenan Health Centre.

Both doctors are wonderful, down to earth and a pleasure to work with.

RESTAURANT

Pure Kitchen is my absolutely favourite in town. Vegetarian with many vegan option and their fresh pressed juices are delicious. 'Healed' is my #1

SKIN CARE

When seasons change, it is a great time to get a face treatment and to take a look at your home routine. You know where to find me:)

So there you have it. I hope you find this helpful.

All best,
Magdalena

Ps. If you have not been to my new studio yet, I must tell you I really love it. It is bright and sunny and... I just love it!!!

It's that time of the year again!

I am just back from my trip to Poland and this is my first weekend at home. Since I was eager for a visit  (my very first this season) to the Ottawa Farmers' Market and the weather was lovely, Tony and I headed out this morning to the Brewer Park location. As anticipated it is great, filled with awesome people and amazing local produce. 

If you have not done so yet check out the Ottawa Farmers' Market website for info on vendors and hours and for some great recipes.

I hope the farmers' market movement keeps growing and we will get to experience more and more of wonderful locally and organically grown food.  

Make sure to eat lots of fresh veggies and fruit this season, support your local growers and keep healthy. 

...and remember HEALTHY BODY= HEALTHY SKIN

Here are few of today's pics.