Himalayan Bootcamp Diaries

If you are in the New Delhi area of India and would like to participate in an unusual experience – you may want to take an inner city walk with the Salaam Baalak Trust.

This organization works with street children in Delhi, providing them with a caring, secure environment which includes five 24-hour full care shelters for children, while providing them with a means to an education, and ultimately the opportunity to live full, enriched, meaningful lives.

Some of these children such as Shamsul, due to poverty and family problems, boarded a train from his home state at the age of 11 to New Delhi where he spent one a and half years picking rags in and around the railway station before being picked up by one of the trust staff. Shamsul received an education and is now a young man earning a good salary at a media company.

This is not a slum tour, this is a walk through the backstreets of New Delhi led by your young, fully trained guide who was once living and working on the streets, where you will view the world through their eyes as they share with you their life journeys. This tour is also one of the services that we offer as part of our Himalayan Boot Camp vacations.

You can read more on the lives of these children at the Salaam Baalak Trust website and if you are interested in helping the center does have volunteer opportunities.

The Goji berry is another fruit rich in antioxidants, specifically carotenoids such as beta carotene and zeaxanthin. It is found in China and the Himalayas and is a dark red fruit related to the cranberry and blueberry. Goji berries have a tangy sweet taste and are considered nutrient dense, rich in phytonutrients and containing essential vitamins and minerals.

I grew up eating Goji berries in the Himalayan foothills. My aunt had huge bushes on her property that grew these little berries abundantly by the hundreds. I would gather the large, ripe soft ones and eat them by the dozens.  They were juicy and delicious!

And guess what! I found a website that actually sells seeds so I will be ordering some and growing my own. They are known to be very hardy plants so I am hoping to enjoy some fresh fruit in a couple of seasons. Can’t wait.

Do you have any experience with Goji Berries? I would love to hear about them.

The second fruit I would like to discuss is the deep purple Acai (pronounced A-sah-yee) berry found in Central and South America and is related to the blueberry, cranberry and other dark purple fruits.

The Acai berry also contains anthocyanins and flavonoids, powerful in helping the body fight oxidative stress and disease. According to experts, these substances play a significant role in the body’s cell protection system and a diet rich in antioxidants help counteract the aging process by neutralizing the free radicals in our bodies that destroy our cells.

Anthocyanins create the red, purple and deep blue tone in many fruits, flowers and vegetables such as red grapes, blueberries, blackberries and the acai fruit pulp according to some studies, indicate higher antioxidant properties than cranberries, strawberries or even blueberries.

Acai oil is also an antioxidant powerhouse as an ingredient in cosmetics as the processed oil appears to have a longer shelf life and the antioxidant levels continue to remain high.

So why am I writing these posts about these superfruits? Because I am exploring a “vitamin stick” product high in anti-oxidants from these superfruits, including the means to absorb them into our cells effectively so the body can function at its optimum for a longer, healthier life. I certainly don’t believe these superfruits are the cure all for everything and there are a lot of scams out there, however if they contribute to a healthier mind and body then I am definitely interested in finding out the best way to utilize them. After all, research has indicated that living past 100, in fact up to 120 years of age is not pie in the sky any longer, and although some of it can be attributed to out genes, how we live contributes significantly to this longevity. Therefore I am of the opinion that if we take care of ourselves holistically, coupled with advances in technology and medicine, we can become vibrant, active, and healthy super-centenarians.

And why not? What do you think?

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For the next few days I will be focusing on seven different super fruits that are high in antioxidants.

The first super fruit I am starting with is the Maqui Berry. Did you know that the Maqui berry is one of the most powerful known botanical antioxidants?

Antioxidants are critical in fighting free radicals that contribute to our aging process. Fro example, they help protect our blood vessels from the oxidative damage of these free radicals, they provide anti-inflammatory benefits, help our nervous system and generally help us stay healthy. Although we cannot stop our bodies from growing older we can definitely take steps to improve our health as we age by paying attention to the nutrients we put into our bodies.

There has been some significant research on this purple fruit known as the Maqui berry found in the Patagonian region of South America, with findings that indicate its potential to improve our immune system and protect our bodies from a variety of health conditions.

The maqui berry is packed with anthocyanins and polyphenols, which have the ability to neutralize free radicals and help fight disease in our bodies, according to scientific studies. It also has the highest ORAC value per serving. So what is an orac value? Well, it stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbsion Capacity and it is the scale which measures the amount of antioxidants that food contains and its ability to absorb free radicals.

Keep in mind though that just because a food product has a high amount of antioxidants does not necessarily mean your body will actually use them all as the ORAC ratings do not calculate the actual absorption rates of the body. So you still need a mechanism to ensure that your body maximizes the benefits of these high antioxidant rich foods. I will talk more about this in future posts.

In my next post later this week, I will discuss the Acai berry and how it compares to the Maqui berry.

Golden Gate Produce Terminal

On March 11, I had the pleasure of meeting Pete Carcione, president of the Golden Gate Produce Terminal and owner of Carcione’s Fresh Produce, and experienced a wonderful visit and glimpse into the busy activities of the wholesale produce warehouses at the Golden Gate Produce Terminal.

Pete’s family has been in the produce business for over 90 years, starting with his grandfather who came to America as a teenager and opened a small produce store in San Francisco.  You may also remember Pete’s father Joe Carcione, who hosted snippets of advice and tips for fruits and vegetables on television in the 1980’s. Joe also wrote a newspaper column, published two books, and was syndicated on about 80 television stations nationwide for his television and radio spots.

The family legacy continues through Pete Carcione, whose wholesale produce business has been supplying fresh, high quality fruits and vegetables for 35 years to over 400 stores and restaurants throughout northern California.

Pete is currently in the process of re-publishing one of his father’s books,  The Greengrocer Cookbook which is currently out of print but appears to still be in popular demand,  and I am so honored that some of the recipes from my book The Deity Diet are going to be featured in the upcoming release of The Greengrocer Cookbook.

As I drove through the gates of the Golden Gate Produce Terminal, I was absolutely amazed at the size of it – multiple wholesale produce distributors in huge warehouses spread out over 17 acres and 200,000 square feet – filled with farm fresh produce of fruits and vegetables, literally from floor to ceiling, spread out into the street – boxes and boxes of delicious, colorful oranges, apples, Swiss chard, rhubarb, crates of beans, avocados, pineapples, and mangoes from local farms and countries as far away as France and Chile.

It was an art just dodging the forklifts beeping and moving about while they load the shipments on trucks destined for local grocery stores and restaurants. By 9:30 AM most of the activity had slowed down as trucks took off for their deliveries.

I tasted succulent, crunchy baby cucumbers, and sampled fragrant, juicy Mandarin oranges that were dripping with sweetness. I learned about the Name,  (pronounced “Nami”) a tuber which looks like an oversized potato but filled with antioxidants and vitamins, and how to pick the best mangoes (but that is another blog post).

I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the produce terminal is not just for business customers but is open to the general public as well. It is located near the San Francisco International airport at  131 Terminal Ct, South San Francisco, CA.

So the next time you are out and about you may want to drop in – maybe you will be lucky enough to pick up a fresh box of sweet, juicy Mandarin oranges for a lot less than what you will pay at your local grocery chain.

Until next time, here’s to your abundant living!

Connie Umbenhower

The following salad is delicious and filled with amazing health benefits and a rainbow of colors.

In addition to wholesome carrots, apples and nuts, one serving of this salad contains nutrient rich Kale and Swiss Chard loaded with minerals and Vitamins A, C and K (one cup of Kale provides over 300% of Vitamin A and 80% of your Vitamin C daily needs, while Swiss Chard provides 374% of your Vitamin K daily needs).

Red, Yellow and Green Bell Peppers are high in antioxidants, phytochemicals and lycopene, and known to fight heart disease, stroke and cancer; while Cilantro is powerful cleansing agent, good for the digestion and full of antibacterial qualities.

Ingredients

• 2 cups Red Swiss Chard, chopped
• 2 cups Kale, chopped
• 2 cups Romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 1 cup red apple, chopped
• 1 cup red pepper, chopped
• 1 cup yellow pepper, chopped
• ½ cup shredded carrots
• ½ cup finely chopped cilantro
• ¼ cup slivered almonds (sprinkle over finished salad)

Directions

1. Wash vegetables and apples thoroughly, prepare and drain using a salad spinner so salad is nice and dry. Mix thoroughly in a large bowl.
2. Sprinkle slivered almonds over the top of the salad and serve with your favourite dressing.

Serves 6-8

(My apologies for this long blog post, but I did not want to break it up into more than two parts. Perhaps it is more of a short story, but I so wanted to share with you the beautiful story and history behind the Taj Mahal, and if you should one day see this amazing monument, understand and imagine in your mind the lives of the two people who were the reason for its existence)

Part II (For part 1, please refer to my Jan 7^th blog post)

Painting of Mumtaz Mahal

Though only fourteen years of age, Arjumand was stunning, and it was clear she could not lack for suitors.  Arjumand’s thick hair was the color of the midnight sky and reached down to her waist.  Her charcoal-colored eyes mesmerized him with unimagined and unspoken promises in their depths.  Her golden skin was smooth and her lips red and full.  She moved with such grace that she seemed to float about.  And when she met his eyes ever so briefly, the prince was sure that her small smile that followed was meant for him alone.  He was right.  Arjumand herself was captivated by the attractive young prince and knew in her heart that they were destined for each other.

Though Prince Khurram was temporarily rendered speechless with Arjumand’s beauty and grace, upon his recovery he inquired as to Arjumand’s name and family.  He learned that Arjumand was born to one of the noble houses of his court, and to his amazement, was not yet engaged to any man.

As the days and weeks passed, Prince Khurram could not stop thinking about Arjumand.  At this time, he was already betrothed to two other princesses in arranged marriages by his father the Emperor, but the prince did not love or even know either of these princesses.  On the other hand, he was completely besotted with Arjumand.

Upon much reflection, he requested permission from his father, Emperor Jehangir, to marry Arjumand.  His father agreed, and with the proper review and recommendations of the astrologers and the correct alignment of the stars, Prince Khurram was betrothed to Arjumand in 1607 and their wedding date was set.

Finally, the happy day approached, and on March 27, 1612, five years later, handsome Prince Khurram, at the age of twenty, married the beautiful nineteen-year old Arjumand.

Prince Khurram favored Arjumand above all others, including his two other wives, and he showered her with love and affection.  To the great delight of their subjects, Arjumand was just as in love with him as he was with her.  The prince broke all tradition by being with her as much as possible, and the two were inseparable.  The prince loved to bestow upon his bride unusual and beautiful gifts from all over the kingdom, but one gift he gave her was more than a mere object, more than even just a symbol of his love for her.  Rather, it represented not only the special place she held in his heart, but also her place in their kingdom, and the love of the Court and its subjects for her – a new name.  From now on she would be known as Mumtaz Mahal, which meant “Chosen One of the Palace.”

The years passed and eventually Emperor Jehangir died. Prince Khurram became the new emperor on February 4, 1628 and from that time became known as Shah Jehan.

Shah Jehan ruled with Mumtaz Mahal by his side.  Mumtaz was renowned for the major role she played in her husband’s monarchy. Her wisdom was legendary and she became his counselor, companion and partner and it was said, a critical advisor as he ruled his kingdom. Their combined intelligence and astute judgment created a monarchy at this time that was comparable to no other.

Mumtaz Mahal was the only one of Shah Jehan’s wives to bear him children.  During their nineteen-year marriage, she bore him fourteen children.  However, only seven of their children survived infancy.

In 1631, Shah Jehan readied himself for battle against the warlord of a neighboring kingdom; a battle that he guessed would last for many months as the enemy was a fierce one. Normally, Mumtaz accompanied the emperor to his battles, staying at a nearby palace, but she was pregnant with her fourteenth child at the time and the palace physicians did not recommend travelling in her condition. Despite the circumstances however, Mumtaz, who was strong in body and in mind, insisted on going along as she normally would and Shah Jehan was unable to deny her request.

While Shah Jehan led his army into battle, his wife Mumtaz stayed at a royal harem a few hours away. When her time came, she went into labor and gave birth to a baby girl at the harem. A messenger brought word to the emperor that he had a healthy daughter and that the queen was tired but doing well. Since the news was good, the shah decided he would wait until morning, when he would leave his troops and set out for the harem to visit Mumtaz and their new daughter.

After an exhausting but triumphant day on the battlefield, the emperor was readying himself for a few hours sleep before his journey to see his queen, when he received some disturbing news. It looked like Mumtaz had taken a turn for the worse and was in very serious condition.  The harem physicians recommended that he get there as quickly as possible to see his wife.

Immediately, Shah Jehan left the camp with his bodyguards, riding as fast as they could into the early hours of the morning. When he arrived at Mumtaz’s bedside, he was shocked and terrified to see her so weak and pale, and deep in his heart he feared that she would not make it past morning. This fear was worse than anything he ever encountered, even during his most fierce battles. How would he make it without her by his side?

For the next few hours, Shah Jehan held his beloved Mumtaz in his arms until, in the early hour of dawn, she breathed her last faint breath.  As he lay by her side, his heart heavy and breaking, his world turned dark with sorrow and pain, only the gods knew that Shah Jehan would never be the same man again.  His spirit and love of life had died along with Mumtaz. She was all of 38 years old.

It was said that following his wife’s death, Shah Jehan was so heartbroken, that he locked himself in his private chambers where all the people in the palace heard were cries of anguish.  When he finally emerged days later, he declared a mourning period throughout the kingdom.

After his first year of sorrow and pain, Shah Jehan commissioned the building of the mausoleum – the Taj Mahal – for his beloved bride and wife. The building of Mumtaz’s tomb started in 1632, one year after her death.  It took twenty-two years to build and twenty thousand laborers. It is spread over forty-two acres on the banks of the River Yamuna near the city of Agra and was designed in such a way that no further addition or alteration to it would be possible.

The Taj Mahal was built on a raised square platform of 186 feet by 186 feet. The central dome was fifty-eight feet in diameter and 213 feet in height. There are four minarets, one at each corner of the Taj at a height of 162.5 feet each.

Deep inside the mausoleum are the actual crypts containing the bodies of the emperor and the queen, while the two marble tombs above them are the two false tombs viewable to the general public.

Enormous quantities of white marble and sandstone were brought in from different areas of the Munhall empire. Precious stones from different parts of the emperor’s kingdom and beyond were brought in to adorn the walls and ceilings – pearls, diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, jade and more.

According to art historian Shobita Punja, “as you walk closer to [the Taj Mahal], its magnificence just takes over. Reflected in a long pool is the mausoleum in all its majesty. The dome floats two hundred and fifty feet into the sky, its simplicity and proportions perfect, subtle variations in the veined marble creating changes in color with every mood of the heavens. Four minarets frame the space like the setting of a jewel”
“The sky forms a curtain to the Taj,” Shobita further adds. “It’s the backdrop. At night, when the sky is black, this little marble jewel box stands glistening in the moonlight; in the early morning, when the sky is pink and orange, the white marble reflects those colors; and at sunset it has a completely different look. So the sky is as important as any other physical detail around the Taj. And the way it’s set on that platform, standing up against the huge expanse of sky, it seems as though they were evoking a sort of heavenly curtain to play a part in the scheme of things…. That’s why it’s so perfect. It’s a symbol of perfect love and of great beauty.”

The years went by and Shah Jehan never took on another wife but continued to rule his kingdom in peace for another 26 years until he became seriously ill in the year 1657. At that time, he had five sons, the youngest of which was Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb wanted the throne and for almost two years he fought his four brothers until he had eliminated all of them. In 1658, Aurangzeb declared himself emperor and imprisoned his father at the Jasmine tower of the Red Fort in Agra.  Aurangzeb imprisoned Shah Jehan for eight years at that tower.

From the shah’s chambers there, he would gaze daily at Mumtaz’s beautiful tomb across the river Yamuna.  He would remember the love they shared, the love which he knew even death could not contain.

After he died in 1666, he was buried in the inner crypt of the Taj Mahal, next to his beloved Mumtaz, the two lovers together at last for all eternity.

.

• 1 lb black lentils
• 1 can garbanzo beans
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can vegetable broth
• 2 cups chopped celery
• 2 cups chopped carrots
• 2 medium tomatoes chopped
• 1 bunch cilantro, finely diced
• 1/2 large red onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 4 slices fresh ginger
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• Salt 1 tsp (or to taste)

Directions

1. Add lentils and broth to 8 cups of cold water and bring to a boil.
2. Lower heat to medium and continue to cook lentils for another 10-12 minutes
3. While lentils are cooking, chop tomatoes, celery and carrots. Add to lentils.
4. Add garbanzo, black beans and all the spices, salt and pepper.
5. In saucepan, saute onions, garlic and ginger in oil. Add to cooking mixture, add chopped cilantro and cook for another 10 minutes.

Serve with Pita bread or whole grain rolls.

Part 1:

The year was 1631 and the queen was dead.

Emperor Shah Jahan was devastated and promptly retired to his private rooms in distress.  Now and again one would hear a heart-wrenching, anguished cry coming from his chambers.

Shah Jahan had lost his constant companion, confidante, and advisor, a loving partner who was so close to him that she had even acc ompanied him during his military operations. She had rejoiced with him in his achievements, and she alone had known how to console him after a great loss on the battlefield. But now, his beloved Mumtaz Mahal, his queen and inseparable soul mate, had flown to the next life.

With the exception of the emperor’s intermittent cries of sorrow, a quiet stillness permeated throughout the palace halls and grounds. Cou rt attendants, guards, princesses and politicians talked in whispers for fear of disturbing him.

After a number of days, the emperor finally came out of his rooms where, it was said, his appearance stunned all the members of his court and his people. Was this, could this be the same man who just a few days ago had fought and won a raging battle against a neighboring enemy? His beautiful thick locks of black hair had turned a silvery white, sorrow had diminished his proud stature, and where once a light shone in his eyes, they now held only a look of mournful emptiness.

With an air of gravity, Shah Jahan declared that the entire kingdom would go into mourning, which would last for a year’s time.  For that year, the sounds of laughter and music ceased, the people abstained from wearing brightly colored clothes, and overall solemnity descended on the Mughal Empire.

The emperor himself immediately discarded his beautifully embroidered and colorful royal garments and clothed himself in white robes as a symbol of his grief and his public display of mourning whi ch was to last for many years.

Not a day would go by where Shah Jahan would not feel the loneliness and loss of Mumtaz Mahal’s presence in his life. His world had turned dark with unhappiness and grief. This was not just loneliness for a wife who had gone away for a few days; she would never return from this last journey! She was gone forever from his presence and never again would he be able to visit her apartments and hear her laughter, touch her beautiful skin, or enjoy that special love that existed with her alone.

For six months after her death, the queen’s body lay in a tomb in Burhanpur. Thereafter, her body was brought to the city of Agra, then the capital of Shah Jahan’s empire and his permanent home from where he ruled his kingdom.  At the emperor’s orders, his builders constructed a crypt in the gardens near the palace, to hold Mumtaz Mahal’s body temporarily.

Finally, in the year 1632, the emperor was ready to start on the project that would be his obsession for the next twenty-two years of his life. He brought in architects, builders and planners from all over his empire and beyond.  The finest of jewels, the most luxurious marble… he would spare no expense.  Shah Jahan was ready to build a tomb that befitted his love for his adored Mumtaz, a burial place that would preserve her memory and their love story forever.

But let us step back and look at how this amazing love story came about. According to historians it started twenty-four years ago in 1607 at a royal bazaar in Agra…    (to be continued)

My dear readers, I need your help and feedback!

I would like to provide my guests the opportunity to interact and give back to the local communities in India they visit during their Himalayan Boot Camp journeys. I truly believe that it can be a rewarding experience if one has brightened the life of someone less fortunate in the community one left behind after the vacation is over.

I am thinking of providing this interaction at a couple of the local schools that cater to the more impoverished children. Here are just a couple of my ideas for my guests:

1. Take 3-4 books and have a storybook session with the children. The local children will love this!
2. An afternoon of crafts with the children using supplies we take from here that those children have never seen and can take home with them (paper dolls, painting etc – the possibilities are endless)
3. Distribute some clothes (T-Shirts?) and have some afternoon refreshments and snacks.

These are just small things but they are a start. I grew up in this area of Meghalaya, India and know exactly how much brightness this will bring to the children. I am not sure where this idea will take me but I just have this gut feeling that both the givers and receivers of this kindness will be so blessed and the memories will be amazing.

Please provide feedback – tell me what you think. I also welcome any additional ideas you may have.

Here’s to a brighter world for children!

Connie