Ambition is like love, impatient both of delays and rivals. -Buddha

Image via: Flickr.com/Abhijit Tembhekar

Why does an apple a day keep the doctor away? New research supports famous health adage. A ScienceDaily article summarizes recent findings suggesting that pectin, a naturally occurring form of fiber in apples, lends to a pH in the gut which assists the development and functioning of beneficial bacteria in the intestinal tract.

Many of us have heard of the horrific, natural disaster that has struck Haiti. I feel a personal connection to Haiti. It shares the island of Hispañola with its neighboring nation, the Dominican Republic — from which my parents came. My earliest childhood friend, with whom I am still in touch, is of Haitian descent. Lastly, my venerable mentor and friend was born in Haiti. This disaster feels as though it struck as close as my neighbor and friend’s home. It is easy to become despondent in times like this. However, we can do something, and however small and indirect it may seem, it does have an effect. To help you perform the activities of a bodhisattva, I have done here what I can to direct you to a resource that you can rely upon. (I got it from “WhiteHouse.gov”.) Click on the link below to find out how you can help:

Also, Jessica, Bodhisattva Yoga‘s manager, mentioned in today’s newsletter that we are placing a box, here at Bodhisattva Yoga, in which supplies can be collected and sent within the week to Haiti.

Perhaps, while doing what you can for our fellows in Haiti, you may want to make the firm resolve espoused by the great bodhisattva, Shantideva: “As long as space remains, as long as sentient beings remain, may I too remain, and dispel the miseries of the world.”

Remember, we are but a global village on this planet. Helping a stranger, is helping family.

Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace. – Buddha

Delicious salad. Note, not to be confused with the Vivekan Salad.

As we welcome in a new year, I know many are trying to incorporate improved dietary choices into their lifestyle. Though there are many differing opinions on what is a “good diet”, most agree that a fresh salad is not only highly nutritious, but wholesome and minimally processed.

Being largely a lacto-ovo vegetarian, over the years I have experimented with my own salad, and I have arrived at a creation ready to be shared. It is a salad tasty enough for the kids, and hearty enough for the man’s man.

This is, the Vivekan Salad (and, it is a lot healthier, and lower calorie than Caesar’s or Cobb’s formulations):

Mixed greens, fresh-cut corn, fresh red, orange or yellow pepper, cherry tomatoes, fresh diced mango (small), avocado, grated carrot, feta cheese, raisins, and a hard-boiled egg (ideally all would be organic &/or as locally produced as possible). Toss this with extra-virgin olive oil and a little sea salt and pepper to taste.

This salad offers healthy fats, proteins, and only naturally occurring sugars; it is chock full of vitamins and minerals, and a whole lot of good taste.

Give it a try and post your thoughts here.

- Vivekan :)

Ps. If you use this salad, kindly give credit where due.