John Douillard, DC
Are you doing enough to protect your arteries from the leading cause of death in most civilized societies?
Atherosclerosis—or “hardening of the arteries”—usually isn’t diagnosed until after the age of 50, but the cause is a lifetime of stress and the wrong dietary choices. If we want to protect our cardiovascular health, the key is to take action long before we qualify for the diagnosis.
While it is not news that eating fresh vegetables plays a major role in cardiovascular health, what may surprise you is that certain nutrients in eggs yolks, dairy products and organ meats may not only protect the arteries from hardening, but may reverse arterial calcification as well (1). But we know that eating these foods in excess can create other health problems. So what do we do?
Join me as we dive into the causes of atherosclerosis, and explore new and exciting strategies to address them.
How Arteries Harden
There are many factors involved in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis including diet, stress, lack of exercise and genetic susceptibility. These factors seem to lead to the production of free radicals and a degenerative inflammatory process.
Currently there are two blood tests more commonly used to screen for arterial damage: cholesterol and homocysteine. Homocysteine, which is a sulfur containing amino acid, is a more accurate predictor of cardiovascular risk than cholesterol, but still not as well known. While the exact mechanism is unclear, excess homocysteine is possibly due to a high protein, high saturated fat diet and/or a deficiency in B12. High homocysteine levels build up in the blood and create damage to the arterial wall - the first step in atherosclerosis.
Cholesterol’s Famous Role
Cholesterol is very important for many bodily processes like building cell membranes and hormones. Notoriously, it is also intimately connected with cardiovascular health. But knowing your cholesterol levels alone is not enough—we need to look at the levels of lipoproteins.
Lipoproteins are the transporter molecules that carry cholesterol through the blood stream, and come in two forms: HDL (high-density lipoproteins) which carry cholesterol away from the cells and LDL (low-density lipoproteins) which carry cholesterol to the cells, potentially causing toxic build-up.
Thousands of studies have shown that high levels of LDL cholesterol are damaging to the arterial lining and a leading cause of atherosclerosis.
How Your Body Copes
Once the arterial wall is damaged, the body lays down a collagen fiber cap over the injury. The artery is designed to handle such damage by burying the collagen deep into the arterial or capillary wall. In fact, the arteries and capillaries can actually increase their size by ten-fold in an attempt to cope with arterial injury and damage. This process begins in the small capillaries, causing annoying issues like varicose veins, cold hands and feet, and other circulatory issues including cellulite, before it starts causing a life-threatening damage to the coronary arteries.
The collagen cap attracts circulating calcium, platelets and other plaque-forming agents, narrowing the arterial wall. After many years of such damage, the plaque formations begin to calcify, which is why atherosclerosis is commonly called “hardening of the arteries".
In addition to hardening the arteries, another danger of this plaque is that it can break loose, creating a potentially deadly thrombus, the leading cause of heart attack and stroke (3).
As you can see, damage to the arterial wall can have widespread—and surprising—consequences.
Arterial Defense, and Damage Reversal
Of course, in nature there is a vitamin that provides arterial plaque protecting benefits as well as the ability to reverse calcium plaque (4). That is the vitamin K. There are two types of Vitamin K: K-1 and K-2.
It is the vitamin K-2, found only in organ meats, eggs yolks and dairy products like cheese and curd, that has been shown to protect the arteries from plaque formation and, even more amazing, reverse arterial calcium plaque (6).
Vitamin K-1, found in leafy green vegetables, has some very important functions in the body, most notably coagulating the blood. When we have sufficient amounts of it, some of it begins to convert into the K-2, but this process appears to be slow and very inefficient (5).
According to the Rotterdam Study, folks who had the highest amount of Vitamin K-2 in their blood had a 57% reduction in death from heart disease. Those with high levels of K-1 did not have a significant reduction in heart disease related death (7).
In another study, high levels of Vitamin K in the blood reduced arterial calcification by 50%. The same study found that rats who were put at risk for arterial plaque were supplemented with Vitamin K-1 and K-2. Those taking vitamin K-2 had zero arterial plaque formation compared to those taking only K-1. 100% of the rats taking only Vitamin K-1 had the development of calcium plaque in the carotid arteries (8).
How Vitamin K-2 Protects the Arteries
Vitamin K-2 maintains normal coagulation of the blood, preserves bone and prevents calcification of the arteries and muscle in the body. It does this by activating the body's major calcification inhibitor, Matrix GLA Protein, through a process called carboxylation (9).
In one study, Vitamin K-2 supplementation was shown to protect the cardiovascular system from damage, act as a natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, as well as reduce the build up of calcium plaque on the walls of the arteries (10, 11).
Can I Get Enough K-2 from Green Veggies?
Perhaps if we imitated the eating patterns of Gorillas—who have an identical digestive system as humans—and ate close to half our body weight in veggies a day, we might have enough K-1 to then convert into enough K-2 to reverse arterial damage.
However, if you have reason to be concerned about your arteries (the foods you’ve been eating, your age, a history of high stress levels), K-1 conversion may not be enough. There are also obvious problems with including high quantities of K-2-rich foods—such as eggs, dairy, and organ meats—in the diet.
So in addition to making a huge effort to eat more greens, consider supplementing with vitamin K-2.
Supplementing with K-2
There are two major types of Vitamin K-2, Mk-4 and Mk-7. Both have shown to be beneficial in protecting the arteries from calcification, but MK-7 seems to be the type researchers are most fond of. MK-7 has greater bio-availability than MK-4 and K-1, and lasts up to seven-eight times longer in the bloodstream, delivering a more stable and lasting benefit (12).
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Saturday, March 31, 2012
Come escape the rain on a Yoga Retreat!
Tired of the cold rain? Come escape with a wonderful group of yogis to Tulum, Mexico May 17-23rd. Come recharge and relax and come back to the rain with a new perspective!
Details are below:
Come to the healing waters and sunshine of Tulum, Mexico at Amansala for 6 nights/7 days of yoga bliss. Located about 90 miles south of Cancun between the lush jungles and the calming, crystal blue sea, this quiet, eco friendly resort provides a peaceful haven. Beautiful white sandy beaches to walk and medita
te on, an open, ocean front yoga studio for classes, and healthy delicious food will be just part of your experience. If you want a vacation to unwind, recharge and heal your spirit…this retreat will exceed every expectation.
Retreat Includes:
*6 nights/7 days at Amansala Resort * 3 locally sourced, healthy delicious meals (vegetarian options) *3 Yoga classes per day (2 Vinyasa and 1 restorative) * Daily meditation on the beach * Mayan massage * A group healing Mayan, clay treatment beachfront * Activities such as a trip to the Cenotes, Salsa lessons, tribal drumming,and full use of the facilities
Pricing:
Triple Occupancy: $1499 Double Occupancy: $1699 Single Occupancy: $2199
*Single Efficiency rooms are sold out
* I can try to match you with a room mate if you would like one.
-Bring a friend and you will each receive a discount of $150.
-Price does not include airfare or transport to the resort although this will be arranged for you.
Please email or call me with questions!
Details are below:
Come to the healing waters and sunshine of Tulum, Mexico at Amansala for 6 nights/7 days of yoga bliss. Located about 90 miles south of Cancun between the lush jungles and the calming, crystal blue sea, this quiet, eco friendly resort provides a peaceful haven. Beautiful white sandy beaches to walk and medita
te on, an open, ocean front yoga studio for classes, and healthy delicious food will be just part of your experience. If you want a vacation to unwind, recharge and heal your spirit…this retreat will exceed every expectation.
Retreat Includes:
*6 nights/7 days at Amansala Resort * 3 locally sourced, healthy delicious meals (vegetarian options) *3 Yoga classes per day (2 Vinyasa and 1 restorative) * Daily meditation on the beach * Mayan massage * A group healing Mayan, clay treatment beachfront * Activities such as a trip to the Cenotes, Salsa lessons, tribal drumming,and full use of the facilities
Pricing:
Triple Occupancy: $1499 Double Occupancy: $1699 Single Occupancy: $2199
*Single Efficiency rooms are sold out
* I can try to match you with a room mate if you would like one.
-Bring a friend and you will each receive a discount of $150.
-Price does not include airfare or transport to the resort although this will be arranged for you.
Please email or call me with questions!
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Coconut Oil: One Saturated Fat You Should Eat
John Douillard, DC
The local people of Kerala, on the southwestern coast of India, claim that the earth's very first coconut tree came from their soil. They called it the "tree of life" because every part of the tree—the root, the fruit, the leaves, the trunk—is utilized in a multitude of ways to support the health and survival of Kerala’s indigenous people.
Today, I want to discuss the health benefits of coconut oil, which has been prized as an Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years. Though ostracized in recent decades due to its “bad-for-you” saturated fat, science is finally convincing skeptical researchers that this ancient oil has unique and essential properties for optimal health.
Do the tremendous benefits of coconut oil have to come at the price of significant risks to heart health? Read on as I explore the science behind this question.
A Functional Food
In Ayurveda, the coconut is considered a "functional food," meaning that beyond its many useful vitamins and nutrients, the coconut also functions as a medicine. Namely, the oil of the coconut was revered, by many Asian cultures, as a “cure-all”.
But in the west, with the discovery of cholesterol and its link to heart disease, all saturated fats (solid at room temperature) were deemed bad. Thus, coconut oil received a bad reputation, even though it has unique health giving properties that rival the Omega 3's.
So, how can something with such high saturated fat content be good for you?
Saturated Fats 101
All fats are made up of fatty acids. The size of each fatty acid depends on how many carbon atoms with attached hydrogen atoms are linked together. Some are made up of a short chain of fatty acids (SCFA), others of a medium chain of fatty acids (MCFA) and others still are long chain fatty acids (LCFA).
The vast majority of fats and oils, whether they are saturated or unsaturated (liquid at room temperature), whether they are from a plant or animal source, are LCFA.
In fact, 98 to 100% of all fatty acids consumed are of the long chain fatty acid variety.
And as it turns out, it is the saturated LCFAs that present the health risks associated with "bad fats", not the MCFA or SCFA saturated fats. In other words, not all saturated fats are bad!
What Makes Saturated LCFA’s so Toxic?
LCFA's contained in oils such as corn, soy, sunflower, safflower and canola are difficult for the body to digest because of their size and the need for certain enzymes to break them down. As a result, they are easily stored as fat and not utilized or converted into energy.
Additionally, heating or cooking with LCFA's damages the natural antioxidants inherent in these oils and makes them toxic to the body and a threat to the cardio-vascular system, most notably by raising blood pressure and damaging arterial walls.
How is Coconut Oil Different?
You guessed it: coconut oil is composed predominately of the very rare medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA), also known as medium-chain triglycerides (MCT).
Virgin coconut oil has the highest concentration of MCFA outside human breast milk.
Because of its saturated structure and smaller size compared to LCFA’s, it is extremely stable and resistant to oxidation with at least a 2 year shelf life. In fact, many experts agree that coconut is the "only" oil that should be used for cooking, as it is the most heat stable.
Eat Up—These Saturated Fats Are Good for You
The medium chain fatty acids in coconut oil are smaller and much more easily digested than LCFA’s. They are quickly broken down by the liver into energy so they don’t have to be stored as fat.
MCFA's are readily available sources of energy that do not spike blood sugar or insulin levels. Studies show that coconut oil boosts metabolism, helps support weight loss, and balances thyroid function.
Consider this: farmers in the 1940's tried adding coconut oil to their feed hoping to fatten up the cows. Instead, they became healthy and lean and resisted gaining any extra weight, so naturally they discontinued its use.
Though the oil of the coconut is the most medicinal form according to the studies cited in this article, check out these different ways of reaping some everyday benefits.
Hope for Alzheimer’s Disease
Some of the most exciting research on coconut oil was done by Kieran Clarke of Oxford University, on the benefits of coconut oil on Alzheimer's disease.
Coconut oil, being a MCFA, is broken down into the liver and delivers energy into the bloodstream as ketones—an energy supply derived from fats. In Alzheimer's, the brain becomes somewhat insulin resistant in that it cannot get its energy from sugar. Ketones provide an alternate source of fuel for the brain to use. More information is available in a new book, Alzheimer's Disease: What If There Was A Cure?
Dr. Beverly Teter, a lipid biochemist and researcher, says that the benefits they are seeing with coconut oil on Alzheimer's could potentially be applied to conditions such as Parkinson's disease, ALS , epilepsy, dementia, even schizophrenia and autism.
Antimicrobial Properties
Nearly 50% of the fatty acid in natural coconut oil is in the form of lauric acid, which is a rare and very potent fatty acid. The lauric acid in coconut oil converts to the fatty acid monolaurin in the body. Monolaurin fights microorganisms including bacteria, yeast, fungi, and viruses. It also destroys the lipid membrane of such enveloped viruses as HIV, measles, Herpes simplex virus (HSV-1), influenza and cytomegalovirus (CMV).
Lauric acid is a main component of human breast milk and helps protect children from illness during infancy.
Capric and Caprylic acid, which make up another 7% of coconut oil fat content, also stimulate anti-bacterial and anti-viral activity.
Still Worried about Cholesterol?
Dr. Beverly Teter (above), also points out that while for years coconut oil was criticized for raising cholesterol, scientists have now learned that coconut oil actually lowers the LDL's, or bad cholesterol, and raises the HDL's, or good cholesterol.
The Research Is In
It is not surprising that a nut from the tree of life would deliver such incredible health benefits. Still, some experts say they need to see more research before they can condone saturated fats as heart healthy. Well, the research is in. There are literally now over 10,000 studies done on coconut oil, making it outdated now to hold on to the myth of coconut oil as an “evil” saturated fat.
Below, I have listed some of the researched health benefits as listed on the Coconut Research Center web site. Reading down the list, we can see why some cultures consider coconut milk a “cure-all”! Please read this list of amazing health benefits and see which ones may apply to you, and use the url below to find pages of associated references.
Anti-Microbial Benefits -
Kills viruses that cause influenza, herpes, measles, hepatitis C, SARS, AIDS, and other illnesses.
Kills bacteria that cause ulcers, throat infections, urinary tract infections, gum disease and cavities, pneumonia, and gonorrhea, and other diseases.
Kills fungi and yeasts that cause candidiasis, ringworm, athlete's foot, thrush, diaper rash, and other infections.
Expels or kills tapeworms, lice, giardia, and other parasites.
Applied topically helps to form a chemical barrier on the skin to ward of infection.
Clean Energy and Nutrition -
Provides a nutritional source of quick energy.
Boosts energy and endurance, enhancing physical and athletic performance.
Improves digestion and absorption of other nutrients including vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.
Is lower in calories than all other fats.
Promotes loss of excess weight by increasing metabolic rate.
Is utilized by the body to produce energy in preference to being stored as body fat like other dietary fats.
Blood-Sugar Support -
Improves insulin secretion and utilization of blood glucose.
Relieves stress on pancreas and enzyme systems of the body.
Reduces symptoms associated with pancreatitis.
Helps relieve symptoms and reduce health risks associated with diabetes.
Digestion and Absorption -
Reduces problems associated with malabsorption syndrome and cystic fibrosis.
Relieves symptoms associated with Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and stomach ulcers.
Improves digestion and bowel function.
Improves utilization of essential fatty acids and protects them from oxidation.
Resilient Skin, Hair, Bones and Teeth -
Improves calcium and magnesium absorption and supports the development of strong bones and teeth.
Helps protect against osteoporosis.
Helps prevent periodontal disease and tooth decay.
Reduces symptoms associated the psoriasis, eczema, and dermatitis.
Supports the natural chemical balance of the skin.
Softens skin and helps relieve dryness and flaking.
Prevents wrinkles, sagging skin, and age spots.
Promotes healthy looking hair and complexion.
Provides protection from damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
Helps control dandruff.
Heart Healthy! -
Is heart healthy; improves cholesterol ratio reducing risk of heart disease.
Protects arteries from injury that causes atherosclerosis and thus protects against heart disease.
Anti-Oxidant Power -
Functions as a protective antioxidant.
Helps to protect the body from harmful free radicals that promote premature aging and degenerative disease.
Does not deplete the body's antioxidant reserves like other oils do.
Does not form harmful by-products when heated to normal cooking temperature like other vegetable oils do.
Generally Healing -
Helps relieve symptoms associated with gallbladder disease.
Relieves pain and irritation caused by hemorrhoids.
Reduces inflammation.
Supports tissue healing and repair.
Supports and aids immune system function.
Helps protect the body from breast, colon, and other cancers.
Helps relieve symptoms associated with chronic fatigue syndrome.
Relieves symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (prostate enlargement).
Reduces epileptic seizures.
Helps protect against kidney disease and bladder infections.
Dissolves kidney stones.
Helps prevent liver disease.
Supports thyroid function.
Helps prevent obesity and overweight problems.
Has no harmful or discomforting side effects.
Is completely non-toxic to humans.
All References for this article can be found at:
http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/Coconut%20Research-Coconut%20Research%20Center.pdf
The local people of Kerala, on the southwestern coast of India, claim that the earth's very first coconut tree came from their soil. They called it the "tree of life" because every part of the tree—the root, the fruit, the leaves, the trunk—is utilized in a multitude of ways to support the health and survival of Kerala’s indigenous people.
Today, I want to discuss the health benefits of coconut oil, which has been prized as an Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years. Though ostracized in recent decades due to its “bad-for-you” saturated fat, science is finally convincing skeptical researchers that this ancient oil has unique and essential properties for optimal health.
Do the tremendous benefits of coconut oil have to come at the price of significant risks to heart health? Read on as I explore the science behind this question.
A Functional Food
In Ayurveda, the coconut is considered a "functional food," meaning that beyond its many useful vitamins and nutrients, the coconut also functions as a medicine. Namely, the oil of the coconut was revered, by many Asian cultures, as a “cure-all”.
But in the west, with the discovery of cholesterol and its link to heart disease, all saturated fats (solid at room temperature) were deemed bad. Thus, coconut oil received a bad reputation, even though it has unique health giving properties that rival the Omega 3's.
So, how can something with such high saturated fat content be good for you?
Saturated Fats 101
All fats are made up of fatty acids. The size of each fatty acid depends on how many carbon atoms with attached hydrogen atoms are linked together. Some are made up of a short chain of fatty acids (SCFA), others of a medium chain of fatty acids (MCFA) and others still are long chain fatty acids (LCFA).
The vast majority of fats and oils, whether they are saturated or unsaturated (liquid at room temperature), whether they are from a plant or animal source, are LCFA.
In fact, 98 to 100% of all fatty acids consumed are of the long chain fatty acid variety.
And as it turns out, it is the saturated LCFAs that present the health risks associated with "bad fats", not the MCFA or SCFA saturated fats. In other words, not all saturated fats are bad!
What Makes Saturated LCFA’s so Toxic?
LCFA's contained in oils such as corn, soy, sunflower, safflower and canola are difficult for the body to digest because of their size and the need for certain enzymes to break them down. As a result, they are easily stored as fat and not utilized or converted into energy.
Additionally, heating or cooking with LCFA's damages the natural antioxidants inherent in these oils and makes them toxic to the body and a threat to the cardio-vascular system, most notably by raising blood pressure and damaging arterial walls.
How is Coconut Oil Different?
You guessed it: coconut oil is composed predominately of the very rare medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA), also known as medium-chain triglycerides (MCT).
Virgin coconut oil has the highest concentration of MCFA outside human breast milk.
Because of its saturated structure and smaller size compared to LCFA’s, it is extremely stable and resistant to oxidation with at least a 2 year shelf life. In fact, many experts agree that coconut is the "only" oil that should be used for cooking, as it is the most heat stable.
Eat Up—These Saturated Fats Are Good for You
The medium chain fatty acids in coconut oil are smaller and much more easily digested than LCFA’s. They are quickly broken down by the liver into energy so they don’t have to be stored as fat.
MCFA's are readily available sources of energy that do not spike blood sugar or insulin levels. Studies show that coconut oil boosts metabolism, helps support weight loss, and balances thyroid function.
Consider this: farmers in the 1940's tried adding coconut oil to their feed hoping to fatten up the cows. Instead, they became healthy and lean and resisted gaining any extra weight, so naturally they discontinued its use.
Though the oil of the coconut is the most medicinal form according to the studies cited in this article, check out these different ways of reaping some everyday benefits.
Hope for Alzheimer’s Disease
Some of the most exciting research on coconut oil was done by Kieran Clarke of Oxford University, on the benefits of coconut oil on Alzheimer's disease.
Coconut oil, being a MCFA, is broken down into the liver and delivers energy into the bloodstream as ketones—an energy supply derived from fats. In Alzheimer's, the brain becomes somewhat insulin resistant in that it cannot get its energy from sugar. Ketones provide an alternate source of fuel for the brain to use. More information is available in a new book, Alzheimer's Disease: What If There Was A Cure?
Dr. Beverly Teter, a lipid biochemist and researcher, says that the benefits they are seeing with coconut oil on Alzheimer's could potentially be applied to conditions such as Parkinson's disease, ALS , epilepsy, dementia, even schizophrenia and autism.
Antimicrobial Properties
Nearly 50% of the fatty acid in natural coconut oil is in the form of lauric acid, which is a rare and very potent fatty acid. The lauric acid in coconut oil converts to the fatty acid monolaurin in the body. Monolaurin fights microorganisms including bacteria, yeast, fungi, and viruses. It also destroys the lipid membrane of such enveloped viruses as HIV, measles, Herpes simplex virus (HSV-1), influenza and cytomegalovirus (CMV).
Lauric acid is a main component of human breast milk and helps protect children from illness during infancy.
Capric and Caprylic acid, which make up another 7% of coconut oil fat content, also stimulate anti-bacterial and anti-viral activity.
Still Worried about Cholesterol?
Dr. Beverly Teter (above), also points out that while for years coconut oil was criticized for raising cholesterol, scientists have now learned that coconut oil actually lowers the LDL's, or bad cholesterol, and raises the HDL's, or good cholesterol.
The Research Is In
It is not surprising that a nut from the tree of life would deliver such incredible health benefits. Still, some experts say they need to see more research before they can condone saturated fats as heart healthy. Well, the research is in. There are literally now over 10,000 studies done on coconut oil, making it outdated now to hold on to the myth of coconut oil as an “evil” saturated fat.
Below, I have listed some of the researched health benefits as listed on the Coconut Research Center web site. Reading down the list, we can see why some cultures consider coconut milk a “cure-all”! Please read this list of amazing health benefits and see which ones may apply to you, and use the url below to find pages of associated references.
Anti-Microbial Benefits -
Kills viruses that cause influenza, herpes, measles, hepatitis C, SARS, AIDS, and other illnesses.
Kills bacteria that cause ulcers, throat infections, urinary tract infections, gum disease and cavities, pneumonia, and gonorrhea, and other diseases.
Kills fungi and yeasts that cause candidiasis, ringworm, athlete's foot, thrush, diaper rash, and other infections.
Expels or kills tapeworms, lice, giardia, and other parasites.
Applied topically helps to form a chemical barrier on the skin to ward of infection.
Clean Energy and Nutrition -
Provides a nutritional source of quick energy.
Boosts energy and endurance, enhancing physical and athletic performance.
Improves digestion and absorption of other nutrients including vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.
Is lower in calories than all other fats.
Promotes loss of excess weight by increasing metabolic rate.
Is utilized by the body to produce energy in preference to being stored as body fat like other dietary fats.
Blood-Sugar Support -
Improves insulin secretion and utilization of blood glucose.
Relieves stress on pancreas and enzyme systems of the body.
Reduces symptoms associated with pancreatitis.
Helps relieve symptoms and reduce health risks associated with diabetes.
Digestion and Absorption -
Reduces problems associated with malabsorption syndrome and cystic fibrosis.
Relieves symptoms associated with Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and stomach ulcers.
Improves digestion and bowel function.
Improves utilization of essential fatty acids and protects them from oxidation.
Resilient Skin, Hair, Bones and Teeth -
Improves calcium and magnesium absorption and supports the development of strong bones and teeth.
Helps protect against osteoporosis.
Helps prevent periodontal disease and tooth decay.
Reduces symptoms associated the psoriasis, eczema, and dermatitis.
Supports the natural chemical balance of the skin.
Softens skin and helps relieve dryness and flaking.
Prevents wrinkles, sagging skin, and age spots.
Promotes healthy looking hair and complexion.
Provides protection from damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
Helps control dandruff.
Heart Healthy! -
Is heart healthy; improves cholesterol ratio reducing risk of heart disease.
Protects arteries from injury that causes atherosclerosis and thus protects against heart disease.
Anti-Oxidant Power -
Functions as a protective antioxidant.
Helps to protect the body from harmful free radicals that promote premature aging and degenerative disease.
Does not deplete the body's antioxidant reserves like other oils do.
Does not form harmful by-products when heated to normal cooking temperature like other vegetable oils do.
Generally Healing -
Helps relieve symptoms associated with gallbladder disease.
Relieves pain and irritation caused by hemorrhoids.
Reduces inflammation.
Supports tissue healing and repair.
Supports and aids immune system function.
Helps protect the body from breast, colon, and other cancers.
Helps relieve symptoms associated with chronic fatigue syndrome.
Relieves symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (prostate enlargement).
Reduces epileptic seizures.
Helps protect against kidney disease and bladder infections.
Dissolves kidney stones.
Helps prevent liver disease.
Supports thyroid function.
Helps prevent obesity and overweight problems.
Has no harmful or discomforting side effects.
Is completely non-toxic to humans.
All References for this article can be found at:
http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/Coconut%20Research-Coconut%20Research%20Center.pdf
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
15 Best Herbal Tea Ingredients for Healing
By Jackie Leavitt
Staring at a grocery store's wall of teas can be intimidating. There are so many options to scan before picking the one you will eventually ring through at the register. And every one has a different purpose, from soothing your throat to helping you lose weight to just tasting pretty darn good. Having recently been sick with a combination of allergies (due to the move cross country - there are so many new plants out here!) and what I assume is the common cold, instead of going out to buy a few teas for all my ailments, I concocted my own (ginger, garlic, rosemary, tumeric, oregano, plus a little local honey).
Making your own tea is surprisingly simple - it’s like making a soup, really. You just take a whole bunch of ingredients, chop them up, throw it all into a boiling pot of water for five to ten minutes, then strain the flavored water into your favorite mug.
The only thing you need to figure out is what ingredients you need. So based on my research, here are some of the most helpful tea ingredients (all found in your local health food store) to combat any ailments you might experience.
1. Ginger - Anti-viral. Containing nearly a dozen antiviral compounds, it is also pain-relieving, antiseptic, and antioxidant. Helps prevent and treats colds, sore throats, and inflamation of mucus membranes. It also reduces pain and fever and has a mild sedative effect that encourages rest.
2. Echinacea (leaves and flower petals) - Anti-bacterial. Increases levels of properdin, a chemical that activates part of the immune system responsible for increasing defence mechanisms against viral and bacterial attacks.
3. Garlic - Anti-bacterial, anti-fungal. Contains several helpful immune-boosting compounds, including allicin, a potent, natural antibiotic. Best used raw.
4. Goldenseal - Anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal. It is both antiseptic and immune stimulating, increasing blood supply to the spleen. The chemical berberine in goldenseal activates white blood cells that destruct bacteria, fungi, viruses, and tumour cells.
5. Sage - Antiseptic, anti-bacterial. Sooths sore throats, promotes good digestion, and helps ease menstrual cramps.
6. Peppermint - It is not only a painkiller for headaches and reduces fevers by inducing sweating and cooling of the body, but it helps bring up mucus and other material from the lungs, bronchi, and trachea during bronchitis, colds, and the flu.
7. Blackberry (leaves or fruit) - The fruit is very rich in vitamin C, and the leaves can be used in teas.
8. Cinnamon - Anti-bacterial, antiviral, antifungal. Helps stop vomiting and relieve nausea, and increases restricted blood flow.
9. Clove - Antiviral, antifungal, antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory. Helps fight infection and ease pain.
10. Lemon - Another rich source of vitamin C, squeeze some into your tea.
11. Chamomile - Anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory. Natural sedative.
12. Lemongrass - Antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-parasitic, antifungal. Relieves digestive ailments and fluid retention, improves blood circulation, and dilates blood vessels.
13. Oregano - A general tonic and immune booster.
14. Rosemary - Antibacterial, antiseptic, antiparasitic, antifungal. Good for the nerves and has a stimulating effect.
15. Tumeric - Antioxident, anti-imflammatory, antifungal, and anticancer. It is a blood purifier, and helps lower blood sugar levels.
About Jackie Leavitt
Jackie Leavitt is a traveler with a passion for writing. Or a writer with a passion for travel. She currently lives in San Francisco, pursuing both loves and dabbling in other interests, including yoga, cooking, rock climbing, running, latte art, photography, and painting. She graduated from the University of New Hampshire with B.A.s in Journalism and European Culture Studies, and after working behind a desk as an editor for 16 months, she moved to the West Coast to involve herself more in her life passions.
Staring at a grocery store's wall of teas can be intimidating. There are so many options to scan before picking the one you will eventually ring through at the register. And every one has a different purpose, from soothing your throat to helping you lose weight to just tasting pretty darn good. Having recently been sick with a combination of allergies (due to the move cross country - there are so many new plants out here!) and what I assume is the common cold, instead of going out to buy a few teas for all my ailments, I concocted my own (ginger, garlic, rosemary, tumeric, oregano, plus a little local honey).
Making your own tea is surprisingly simple - it’s like making a soup, really. You just take a whole bunch of ingredients, chop them up, throw it all into a boiling pot of water for five to ten minutes, then strain the flavored water into your favorite mug.
The only thing you need to figure out is what ingredients you need. So based on my research, here are some of the most helpful tea ingredients (all found in your local health food store) to combat any ailments you might experience.
1. Ginger - Anti-viral. Containing nearly a dozen antiviral compounds, it is also pain-relieving, antiseptic, and antioxidant. Helps prevent and treats colds, sore throats, and inflamation of mucus membranes. It also reduces pain and fever and has a mild sedative effect that encourages rest.
2. Echinacea (leaves and flower petals) - Anti-bacterial. Increases levels of properdin, a chemical that activates part of the immune system responsible for increasing defence mechanisms against viral and bacterial attacks.
3. Garlic - Anti-bacterial, anti-fungal. Contains several helpful immune-boosting compounds, including allicin, a potent, natural antibiotic. Best used raw.
4. Goldenseal - Anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal. It is both antiseptic and immune stimulating, increasing blood supply to the spleen. The chemical berberine in goldenseal activates white blood cells that destruct bacteria, fungi, viruses, and tumour cells.
5. Sage - Antiseptic, anti-bacterial. Sooths sore throats, promotes good digestion, and helps ease menstrual cramps.
6. Peppermint - It is not only a painkiller for headaches and reduces fevers by inducing sweating and cooling of the body, but it helps bring up mucus and other material from the lungs, bronchi, and trachea during bronchitis, colds, and the flu.
7. Blackberry (leaves or fruit) - The fruit is very rich in vitamin C, and the leaves can be used in teas.
8. Cinnamon - Anti-bacterial, antiviral, antifungal. Helps stop vomiting and relieve nausea, and increases restricted blood flow.
9. Clove - Antiviral, antifungal, antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory. Helps fight infection and ease pain.
10. Lemon - Another rich source of vitamin C, squeeze some into your tea.
11. Chamomile - Anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory. Natural sedative.
12. Lemongrass - Antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-parasitic, antifungal. Relieves digestive ailments and fluid retention, improves blood circulation, and dilates blood vessels.
13. Oregano - A general tonic and immune booster.
14. Rosemary - Antibacterial, antiseptic, antiparasitic, antifungal. Good for the nerves and has a stimulating effect.
15. Tumeric - Antioxident, anti-imflammatory, antifungal, and anticancer. It is a blood purifier, and helps lower blood sugar levels.
About Jackie Leavitt
Jackie Leavitt is a traveler with a passion for writing. Or a writer with a passion for travel. She currently lives in San Francisco, pursuing both loves and dabbling in other interests, including yoga, cooking, rock climbing, running, latte art, photography, and painting. She graduated from the University of New Hampshire with B.A.s in Journalism and European Culture Studies, and after working behind a desk as an editor for 16 months, she moved to the West Coast to involve herself more in her life passions.
The Gift of Shedding
"From the beginning, the key to renewal has been the casting off of old skin"
It is interesting that the earliest peoples believed in something that we, in our modern hive of manufacturing, have forgotten-that immortality is attainable by shedding. The Dunsuns of Borneo have believed for centuries that when God finished creating the world, He announced that "Whoever is able to cast off his old skin shall not die."
But what does that mean? Not that we can live forever, but that the way to stay closest to the pulse of life, the way to stay in the presence of that divine reality which informs everything is to be willing to change. Still, change what? To change whatever has ceased to function within us. To shed whatever we are carrying around that is not alive. To cast off our dead skin because dead skin can't feel. Dead eyes cannot see. Dead ears cannot hear. And without feeling, there is no chance of wholeness, and wholeness remains our best chance to survive the pain of breaking.
Of course for human beings, dead skin takes many forms, the most significant of which remain intangible but suffocating, such as a dead way of thinking, a dead way of seeing, a dead way of relating, a dead way of believing, or a dead way of experiencing.
In essence, shedding opens us up to self-transformation. Paradoxically, those of us who refuse such renewal will, sooner or later, be forced to undergo transformation anyway as a result of being broken or eroded by the world. Very often both occur at the same time: that is we shed from within while being eroded from without.
What is dead skin for you? What can you shed, put to rest in order to gain greater access to the hidden wholeness of life?
Taken from "The Book of Awakening" by Mark Nepo
It is interesting that the earliest peoples believed in something that we, in our modern hive of manufacturing, have forgotten-that immortality is attainable by shedding. The Dunsuns of Borneo have believed for centuries that when God finished creating the world, He announced that "Whoever is able to cast off his old skin shall not die."
But what does that mean? Not that we can live forever, but that the way to stay closest to the pulse of life, the way to stay in the presence of that divine reality which informs everything is to be willing to change. Still, change what? To change whatever has ceased to function within us. To shed whatever we are carrying around that is not alive. To cast off our dead skin because dead skin can't feel. Dead eyes cannot see. Dead ears cannot hear. And without feeling, there is no chance of wholeness, and wholeness remains our best chance to survive the pain of breaking.
Of course for human beings, dead skin takes many forms, the most significant of which remain intangible but suffocating, such as a dead way of thinking, a dead way of seeing, a dead way of relating, a dead way of believing, or a dead way of experiencing.
In essence, shedding opens us up to self-transformation. Paradoxically, those of us who refuse such renewal will, sooner or later, be forced to undergo transformation anyway as a result of being broken or eroded by the world. Very often both occur at the same time: that is we shed from within while being eroded from without.
What is dead skin for you? What can you shed, put to rest in order to gain greater access to the hidden wholeness of life?
Taken from "The Book of Awakening" by Mark Nepo
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Sleep Interrupted? The Blood Sugar and Sleep Connection
*Click on the title of this post to watch his video on this topic
John Douillard, DC
In my last newsletter, I wrote about how most people with sleep trouble think they have too much energy and simply can’t settle down. I also discussed that one of the main causes of insomnia is actually a deep level of exhaustion. Odd as it may seem, the body needs energy to calm or sedate itself for sleep. Without energy, we stay awake, "wired and tired."
The second most common cause of insomnia is a silent blood sugar issue that affects one third of Americans. The worst part is, a shocking 90% of people are unaware of this problem until it is too late! (1)
Could you or someone you know be suffering from blood-sugar-related insomnia? Keep reading to learn the facts about this troubling, little-known sleep issue.
First Comes Stress, Then Come Cravings
Sleep disorders affect an estimated 50-70 million Americans and, as I discussed in my last newsletter, much of this is caused by stress and exhaustion. When under stress, the adrenals go shopping for energy. Their favorite stop is the pancreas, where stress generates insatiable cravings for sweets to create the energy the adrenals can no longer provide.
Before you know it, Americans are waking up to a sugar-laced cup of coffee or two. In an attempt to pick the healthy choice, we might sip green tea to keep us going through the morning. Lunch might be a salad and a diet soda. Then, as the blood sugar starts plummeting, bringing on the all-too-well-known afternoon crash, dark chocolate is passed around the office as if you had called room service. By the end of the workday, either a workout, latte or a nap is the only thing getting us home without falling asleep.
The Bandaid Cure
To remedy this, some of us have adopted a diet that was originally formulated for folks with severe hypoglycemia—the "six small meals a day" diet. The idea behind it being that, if you eat six small meals a day, the body and mind will have a steady flow of fuel and never crash. In a recent newsletter, I discussed my issues with this dietary theory and presented the research debunking this grazing phenomenon.
The High Sugar, Poor Sleep Connection
Whether you are one of the many who have been told to eat many small meals a day—or you are a grazer by habit—and have trouble sleeping, let me walk you through the logic of how one affects the other. This will not apply to everybody; read on for variations on the theme.
You eat every 2-3 hours all day (either very intentional “healthy” meals intended to boost metabolism, or just grazing and snacking out of habit) —> As a result, your body comes to expect getting fed every 2-3 hours, right? —> You go to bed at the end of the day and expect to sleep through the night for 8-9 hours with no food.
It is no wonder folks can’t sleep through the night - they are waking up hungry!
The Good Night, Sleep Tight Fuel
Humans are designed to burn fat through the night because it burns long and slow—in contrast to sugar and carbs which burn quickly—and then break the fat-burning fast with break-fast. Today, because of undetected blood sugar issues, many people never go into fat metabolism during the night at all, instead attempting to burn sugar and carbs through the night as they did during the day. With sugar and short chain carbs delivering only short, quick emergency bursts of energy, sleeping through the night becomes an insurmountable task.
As the amount of sleep decreases, blood sugar increases, escalating the issue. Lack of sleep has been shown to increase blood sugar levels and the risk of diabetes (2). Higher blood sugar means less long-lasting fat metabolism in the night and even less sleep. See the cycle?
Researchers at Boston University School of medicine found that people who slept less than six hours a night had blood sugar problems compared to those who got eight. This illustrates the cycle of sleep deprivation raising blood sugar, and unstable blood sugar in turn compromising quality sleep.
Beyond Sleep Issues – The Potential Consequences
As a result of less than ample sleep, people wake up tired and reach for that vanilla latte, sending the blood sugar right back up. Without realizing it, cravings for quick energy drinks, bars, breads, pastas and sweets become the norm. This constant surge of sugar and simple carbs puts significant strain on the pancreas. The result is a condition called Prediabetes, which affects 1/3 of the American population and, according to the CDC, 90% of those people don't know it (1).
In the short term, studies link disturbed sleep with increased cortisol production (a stress hormone) and weight gain (3).
Here is a list of therapies to support blood-sugar-related sleep issues:
1. Eat three meals a day with no snacks.
2. Eat whole foods - avoid processed foods.
3. Avoid baked goods, simple carbs and starchy veggies.
4. Eat fruits whole and avoid juice.
4. Increase intake of non starchy veggies - eat lots at each meal.
5. Get 1 gram of protein per day for each pound of body weight, just until sleep normalizes.
6. Drink 1/2 of your ideal body weight in ounces of water per day.
7. Read about Brahmi, Ashwaganda and Sleep Easy for sleep support.
8. Read about Beet Cleanse and Sugar Destroyer for blood sugar support.
References
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2007) National Diabetes Fact Sheet, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Diabetes Translation.
2. Challem J. Stop Prediabetes Now. Wiley Press, 2007. p. 234
John Douillard, DC
In my last newsletter, I wrote about how most people with sleep trouble think they have too much energy and simply can’t settle down. I also discussed that one of the main causes of insomnia is actually a deep level of exhaustion. Odd as it may seem, the body needs energy to calm or sedate itself for sleep. Without energy, we stay awake, "wired and tired."
The second most common cause of insomnia is a silent blood sugar issue that affects one third of Americans. The worst part is, a shocking 90% of people are unaware of this problem until it is too late! (1)
Could you or someone you know be suffering from blood-sugar-related insomnia? Keep reading to learn the facts about this troubling, little-known sleep issue.
First Comes Stress, Then Come Cravings
Sleep disorders affect an estimated 50-70 million Americans and, as I discussed in my last newsletter, much of this is caused by stress and exhaustion. When under stress, the adrenals go shopping for energy. Their favorite stop is the pancreas, where stress generates insatiable cravings for sweets to create the energy the adrenals can no longer provide.
Before you know it, Americans are waking up to a sugar-laced cup of coffee or two. In an attempt to pick the healthy choice, we might sip green tea to keep us going through the morning. Lunch might be a salad and a diet soda. Then, as the blood sugar starts plummeting, bringing on the all-too-well-known afternoon crash, dark chocolate is passed around the office as if you had called room service. By the end of the workday, either a workout, latte or a nap is the only thing getting us home without falling asleep.
The Bandaid Cure
To remedy this, some of us have adopted a diet that was originally formulated for folks with severe hypoglycemia—the "six small meals a day" diet. The idea behind it being that, if you eat six small meals a day, the body and mind will have a steady flow of fuel and never crash. In a recent newsletter, I discussed my issues with this dietary theory and presented the research debunking this grazing phenomenon.
The High Sugar, Poor Sleep Connection
Whether you are one of the many who have been told to eat many small meals a day—or you are a grazer by habit—and have trouble sleeping, let me walk you through the logic of how one affects the other. This will not apply to everybody; read on for variations on the theme.
You eat every 2-3 hours all day (either very intentional “healthy” meals intended to boost metabolism, or just grazing and snacking out of habit) —> As a result, your body comes to expect getting fed every 2-3 hours, right? —> You go to bed at the end of the day and expect to sleep through the night for 8-9 hours with no food.
It is no wonder folks can’t sleep through the night - they are waking up hungry!
The Good Night, Sleep Tight Fuel
Humans are designed to burn fat through the night because it burns long and slow—in contrast to sugar and carbs which burn quickly—and then break the fat-burning fast with break-fast. Today, because of undetected blood sugar issues, many people never go into fat metabolism during the night at all, instead attempting to burn sugar and carbs through the night as they did during the day. With sugar and short chain carbs delivering only short, quick emergency bursts of energy, sleeping through the night becomes an insurmountable task.
As the amount of sleep decreases, blood sugar increases, escalating the issue. Lack of sleep has been shown to increase blood sugar levels and the risk of diabetes (2). Higher blood sugar means less long-lasting fat metabolism in the night and even less sleep. See the cycle?
Researchers at Boston University School of medicine found that people who slept less than six hours a night had blood sugar problems compared to those who got eight. This illustrates the cycle of sleep deprivation raising blood sugar, and unstable blood sugar in turn compromising quality sleep.
Beyond Sleep Issues – The Potential Consequences
As a result of less than ample sleep, people wake up tired and reach for that vanilla latte, sending the blood sugar right back up. Without realizing it, cravings for quick energy drinks, bars, breads, pastas and sweets become the norm. This constant surge of sugar and simple carbs puts significant strain on the pancreas. The result is a condition called Prediabetes, which affects 1/3 of the American population and, according to the CDC, 90% of those people don't know it (1).
In the short term, studies link disturbed sleep with increased cortisol production (a stress hormone) and weight gain (3).
Here is a list of therapies to support blood-sugar-related sleep issues:
1. Eat three meals a day with no snacks.
2. Eat whole foods - avoid processed foods.
3. Avoid baked goods, simple carbs and starchy veggies.
4. Eat fruits whole and avoid juice.
4. Increase intake of non starchy veggies - eat lots at each meal.
5. Get 1 gram of protein per day for each pound of body weight, just until sleep normalizes.
6. Drink 1/2 of your ideal body weight in ounces of water per day.
7. Read about Brahmi, Ashwaganda and Sleep Easy for sleep support.
8. Read about Beet Cleanse and Sugar Destroyer for blood sugar support.
References
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2007) National Diabetes Fact Sheet, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Diabetes Translation.
2. Challem J. Stop Prediabetes Now. Wiley Press, 2007. p. 234
Too Tired to Sleep?
**Note that New Seasons carries most of the herbs he mentions. You can also order them online. Click on the link to watch John's lecture on this topic.
John Douillard, DC
Are you having trouble falling and/or staying asleep? When it comes to getting a good night's rest, those of us who have trouble will try anything. Sedatives, be they herbal or pharmaceutical, offer short term symptomatic relief at best.
The most common theory relating to sleep issues is that excessive energy makes it difficult to settle down and get to sleep. On the surface, this makes sense. But clinically, it turns out it has limited effectiveness.
Read on as I explore the Ayurvedic science of sleep troubles, and offer some very practical solutions.
Are You Exhausted?
In my practice, I’ve observed that most people who cannot sleep at night are deeply exhausted and often physically, mentally and emotionally depleted as well. Odd as it may seem, the body needs energy to settle itself down to sleep. A person at this deep level of exhaustion may not have enough energy to settle their moods, and the result is that they stay wired, unable to truly rest.
Sedating this person will only drive the exhaustion deeper. What they actually need is rejuvenation.
In order to regain equilibrium, they need a way to support their nervous system so that they have the energy to handle stress, support mood, build energy and sleep at night.
There are several main types of sleep issues that I see in my practice:
1. Pitta-type Sleep Support: Difficulty Falling Asleep
The first type of sleep issue involves having a hard time getting to sleep. Typically, this is when you lie in bed wide awake anytime from 10PM to 2AM counting sheep, waiting for the angel train to take you off to sleep.
According to Ayurveda, the time between 10PM and 2AM is the pitta time of night when the liver becomes active and begins its evening detox cycle to prepare the body for the next day. It is not unlike the janitor who comes in and starts cleaning floors and windows while everyone is asleep. This exlains why folks often get a second wind at this time of night, turning on the TV, getting on the computer, and off they go changing the world in the wee hours of the night. As this cycle winds down (sometime after midnight but usually before 2AM), the fire goes out and you drift off to sleep.
This type of insomnia is caused by excess pitta, or heat, in the body. A person with a hot body type who hasn't fallen asleep before the pitta cycle starts at 10PM, will often be swept up in the stimulation of the heat and glean all kinds of energy, making sleep at this time very challenging.
- For this type of concern we need to support the nervous system with an herb that is cooling, for the purposes of reducing pitta and building the nervous system.
- The Ayurvedic herb Brahmi has cooling properties for the brain and nervous system, thus supporting restful sleep (1). This unique adaptogenic herb can be taken at night to support sleep and in the morning to enhance mental clarity and energy*.
2. Vata-Type Sleep Support: Difficulty Staying Asleep
The second type of sleep issue involves waking up sometime between 2:00AM and 6:00AM, and having difficulty getting back to sleep. This type can be the most disturbing, as you lie there in the middle of the night wide awake.
According to Ayurveda, this type of sleep concern is due to excess vata, as this is considered the vata time of night. Vata is associated with the nervous system.
According to the rhythms of nature, the nervous system starts to excite around 2:00AM. If you do not have the energy needed to pacify yourself during this early morning activation, you will wake up and stay up, lacking the energy needed to get back to sleep.
What is needed here is deep rejuvenation. The best rejuvenative herb for vata-type sleep issues is Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera).
Ashwagandha is an adaptogen, or rejuvenative, and is traditionally said to give the “strength of ten horses”. Like Brahmi, Ashwagandha has the ability to support strength and stamina during the day while, at the same time, giving the nervous system the needed energy to settle down and sleep (2).
Ashwagandha supports the deep reserves of the body and restores balance to many of the bodily functions. Unlike Brahmi, which is cooling, ashwagandha is a warm, heavy and sweet root that deeply rejuvenates the body and mind.
Recommendations for a Good Night's Sleep
1. Herbs:
Brahmi cools the mind, rejuvenates and supports the nervous system. It supports falling asleep between 10:00PM and 2:00AM.
Ashwaganda supports sleep issues between 2-6am. It gives the body the energy it needs to stay asleep.
2. Take a hot bath or shower at 9:00PM followed by warm oil self-massage with the LifeSpa Tri-Doshic Massage Oil. Apply oil to the feet if a full body massage is not possible.
3. Read a boring book at 9:15PM (not my book).
4. Do the One Minute Meditation at 9:45PM.
5. Lights out at 9:46PM.
6. Drink one cup of warm milk boiled with a pinch of ghee, cardamom, ginger, turmeric, dates, crushed almonds and coconut. Add honey after boiling. (Almond milk is fine).
References
1. Sushma Tiwari, Shinjini Singha, Kishor Patwardhan, Sangeeta Gehlot, I.S.Gambhira. Department of Kriya Sharir, Faculty of Ayurveda, Institute of Medical sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
2. Kumar A, Kalonia H. Protective effect of Withania somnifer Dunal on the behavioral and biochemical alterations in sleep-disturbed mice (and over water suspended method). Indian J Exp Tiol. 2007;45:524-528.
Sudhir S, Budhiraja R, Migiani G, et al. Pharmacological studies on leaves of Withania somnifera. Planta Med. 1986;52:61-63. 27 Naidu P, Singh A, Kulkami S. Effect of Withania
John Douillard, DC
Are you having trouble falling and/or staying asleep? When it comes to getting a good night's rest, those of us who have trouble will try anything. Sedatives, be they herbal or pharmaceutical, offer short term symptomatic relief at best.
The most common theory relating to sleep issues is that excessive energy makes it difficult to settle down and get to sleep. On the surface, this makes sense. But clinically, it turns out it has limited effectiveness.
Read on as I explore the Ayurvedic science of sleep troubles, and offer some very practical solutions.
Are You Exhausted?
In my practice, I’ve observed that most people who cannot sleep at night are deeply exhausted and often physically, mentally and emotionally depleted as well. Odd as it may seem, the body needs energy to settle itself down to sleep. A person at this deep level of exhaustion may not have enough energy to settle their moods, and the result is that they stay wired, unable to truly rest.
Sedating this person will only drive the exhaustion deeper. What they actually need is rejuvenation.
In order to regain equilibrium, they need a way to support their nervous system so that they have the energy to handle stress, support mood, build energy and sleep at night.
There are several main types of sleep issues that I see in my practice:
1. Pitta-type Sleep Support: Difficulty Falling Asleep
The first type of sleep issue involves having a hard time getting to sleep. Typically, this is when you lie in bed wide awake anytime from 10PM to 2AM counting sheep, waiting for the angel train to take you off to sleep.
According to Ayurveda, the time between 10PM and 2AM is the pitta time of night when the liver becomes active and begins its evening detox cycle to prepare the body for the next day. It is not unlike the janitor who comes in and starts cleaning floors and windows while everyone is asleep. This exlains why folks often get a second wind at this time of night, turning on the TV, getting on the computer, and off they go changing the world in the wee hours of the night. As this cycle winds down (sometime after midnight but usually before 2AM), the fire goes out and you drift off to sleep.
This type of insomnia is caused by excess pitta, or heat, in the body. A person with a hot body type who hasn't fallen asleep before the pitta cycle starts at 10PM, will often be swept up in the stimulation of the heat and glean all kinds of energy, making sleep at this time very challenging.
- For this type of concern we need to support the nervous system with an herb that is cooling, for the purposes of reducing pitta and building the nervous system.
- The Ayurvedic herb Brahmi has cooling properties for the brain and nervous system, thus supporting restful sleep (1). This unique adaptogenic herb can be taken at night to support sleep and in the morning to enhance mental clarity and energy*.
2. Vata-Type Sleep Support: Difficulty Staying Asleep
The second type of sleep issue involves waking up sometime between 2:00AM and 6:00AM, and having difficulty getting back to sleep. This type can be the most disturbing, as you lie there in the middle of the night wide awake.
According to Ayurveda, this type of sleep concern is due to excess vata, as this is considered the vata time of night. Vata is associated with the nervous system.
According to the rhythms of nature, the nervous system starts to excite around 2:00AM. If you do not have the energy needed to pacify yourself during this early morning activation, you will wake up and stay up, lacking the energy needed to get back to sleep.
What is needed here is deep rejuvenation. The best rejuvenative herb for vata-type sleep issues is Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera).
Ashwagandha is an adaptogen, or rejuvenative, and is traditionally said to give the “strength of ten horses”. Like Brahmi, Ashwagandha has the ability to support strength and stamina during the day while, at the same time, giving the nervous system the needed energy to settle down and sleep (2).
Ashwagandha supports the deep reserves of the body and restores balance to many of the bodily functions. Unlike Brahmi, which is cooling, ashwagandha is a warm, heavy and sweet root that deeply rejuvenates the body and mind.
Recommendations for a Good Night's Sleep
1. Herbs:
Brahmi cools the mind, rejuvenates and supports the nervous system. It supports falling asleep between 10:00PM and 2:00AM.
Ashwaganda supports sleep issues between 2-6am. It gives the body the energy it needs to stay asleep.
2. Take a hot bath or shower at 9:00PM followed by warm oil self-massage with the LifeSpa Tri-Doshic Massage Oil. Apply oil to the feet if a full body massage is not possible.
3. Read a boring book at 9:15PM (not my book).
4. Do the One Minute Meditation at 9:45PM.
5. Lights out at 9:46PM.
6. Drink one cup of warm milk boiled with a pinch of ghee, cardamom, ginger, turmeric, dates, crushed almonds and coconut. Add honey after boiling. (Almond milk is fine).
References
1. Sushma Tiwari, Shinjini Singha, Kishor Patwardhan, Sangeeta Gehlot, I.S.Gambhira. Department of Kriya Sharir, Faculty of Ayurveda, Institute of Medical sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
2. Kumar A, Kalonia H. Protective effect of Withania somnifer Dunal on the behavioral and biochemical alterations in sleep-disturbed mice (and over water suspended method). Indian J Exp Tiol. 2007;45:524-528.
Sudhir S, Budhiraja R, Migiani G, et al. Pharmacological studies on leaves of Withania somnifera. Planta Med. 1986;52:61-63. 27 Naidu P, Singh A, Kulkami S. Effect of Withania
Yoga is More Than Getting Your Foot Behind Your Head
by Sarah Starr
Being able to put your foot behind your head doesn’t necessarily make you a happier person or even more spiritual. That being said, there’s also nothing wrong with enjoying a playful challenge. The trick is not to get invested in the outcome.
If the only goal is to achieve a pose, what happens when you finally get there? If it’s just about the pose alone, there will always be the next advanced position for you to climb over, bend through, and twist around, stuck in the eternal “chasing the rabbit syndrome.”
The point is, either way, it’s all good. The most important aspect is to meet yourself where you’re at. It’s in facing yourself, meeting the challenges, and noticing your reactions to the highs and lows where you get to learn more about yourself.
How does your yoga practice reflect into the rest of your life?
1. Are you always struggling to gain a more advanced position or can you let go and trust in the unfoldment?
2. When you get to the “advanced pose” do you feel any more at ease or do you immediately start grasping for what’s next?
3. When faced with a challenge, do you freak out or can you surrender to what is, acknowledging your true strength in each moment?
4. Do you continually look around and compare yourself to others and then go directly into judgment of yourself?
5. Are you open to new possibilities in your practice or firmly attached to all that you “think” you know?
6. Do you frequently pause, breathe, and notice the beauty of the moment in your practice?
7. Do you take time to decompress, noticing and enjoying the subtle qualities of the unraveling?
Yoga is an opportunity to check in with what’s true for you. As you tune in and notice your tendencies, you also have a choice to recreate yourself in each moment. As you push the pause button, you have an opportunity to let go of old habits and conclusions of the past that no longer serve you or define you. It’s not always about the huge leaps.
When we create change in our life, it’s the little shifts that create the foundation. In releasing judgment—good or bad—you can open to new possibilities of the moment, one step at a time, one foot in front of the other. For me, yoga is about connecting within, discovering my true nature, and inviting the curious, inquisitive, joyful part of myself to come out and play! What about you?
Since 2001, Sarah Starr, host of internationally syndicated “Happy Yoga with Sarah Starr,” has conducted classes such as “Power of Now” and “Breathing Peace” with thousands of people in national workshops and conferences. Sarah encourages her students to relax, breathe, and smile as they become the watchers of their thoughts, worries, and distracting mind dialogue. “If you’re not having fun, you’re not BEing Yoga.” Follow Sarah on Facebook and Twitter.
Being able to put your foot behind your head doesn’t necessarily make you a happier person or even more spiritual. That being said, there’s also nothing wrong with enjoying a playful challenge. The trick is not to get invested in the outcome.
If the only goal is to achieve a pose, what happens when you finally get there? If it’s just about the pose alone, there will always be the next advanced position for you to climb over, bend through, and twist around, stuck in the eternal “chasing the rabbit syndrome.”
The point is, either way, it’s all good. The most important aspect is to meet yourself where you’re at. It’s in facing yourself, meeting the challenges, and noticing your reactions to the highs and lows where you get to learn more about yourself.
How does your yoga practice reflect into the rest of your life?
1. Are you always struggling to gain a more advanced position or can you let go and trust in the unfoldment?
2. When you get to the “advanced pose” do you feel any more at ease or do you immediately start grasping for what’s next?
3. When faced with a challenge, do you freak out or can you surrender to what is, acknowledging your true strength in each moment?
4. Do you continually look around and compare yourself to others and then go directly into judgment of yourself?
5. Are you open to new possibilities in your practice or firmly attached to all that you “think” you know?
6. Do you frequently pause, breathe, and notice the beauty of the moment in your practice?
7. Do you take time to decompress, noticing and enjoying the subtle qualities of the unraveling?
Yoga is an opportunity to check in with what’s true for you. As you tune in and notice your tendencies, you also have a choice to recreate yourself in each moment. As you push the pause button, you have an opportunity to let go of old habits and conclusions of the past that no longer serve you or define you. It’s not always about the huge leaps.
When we create change in our life, it’s the little shifts that create the foundation. In releasing judgment—good or bad—you can open to new possibilities of the moment, one step at a time, one foot in front of the other. For me, yoga is about connecting within, discovering my true nature, and inviting the curious, inquisitive, joyful part of myself to come out and play! What about you?
Since 2001, Sarah Starr, host of internationally syndicated “Happy Yoga with Sarah Starr,” has conducted classes such as “Power of Now” and “Breathing Peace” with thousands of people in national workshops and conferences. Sarah encourages her students to relax, breathe, and smile as they become the watchers of their thoughts, worries, and distracting mind dialogue. “If you’re not having fun, you’re not BEing Yoga.” Follow Sarah on Facebook and Twitter.
Friday, March 23, 2012
6 Tips for a Successful Spring Detox
By Lisa Consiglio Ryan
Ahhh, wake up! Spring is here. It's time to get moving!
I don’t know about you, but during winter, I seem to hibernate in my house. Usually around 6 pm every night, I put my pajamas on and just stay in for the night. Nothing can get me out of the house when it’s freezing out!
So when spring arrives, I seem to have this renewed energy. A new spark.
During springtime, you are filled with inspiration and have more energy to achieve your health goals. You’re more active, creative, and more apt to stick to your routines.
Not only does spring symbolize renewal and rebirth, it also reminds me of cleansing. AND a great way to supercharge the season is to detox. I’m not talking pills and powders from a box but with lots of greens and whole foods.
Spring is the perfect time to do a detox because you can take a good look at habits and make a new plan. It’s a time to set goals whether it is cooking more at home, working out, or even taking more time for yourself.
Once you experience a detox that incorporates whole foods and daily activities that support your body, there isn’t anything in the world that can compare to the feeling you get after a detox. You may feel increased bouts of energy, eliminate your cravings, lose weight, reduce bloating and get rid of belly fat. Your mind is clear and focused, and even your mood can improve. You might even glow!
Now doesn’t that rock? Let’s get some of that!
Here are 6 tips for a successful detox:
1. Eat whole foods: Try a gentle, clean food-based detox. The first step is to eliminate foods that have barcodes. This means avoid foods that come in a can or box- processed foods. I usually remind myself of this rule when I shop. Also, stick to organic fruits and veggies for your cleanse. You don’t want to add any toxins into your body during your detox!
2. Add green goodness: Spring foods consist of dandelion greens, spinach, parsley, watercress, asparagus, peas, fennel, and mustard greens. You can also add in additional dark leafy greens such as kale, Swiss Chard, and collards. The chlorophyll from the leaves feed the blood, and help your body achieve balance. Therefore, ridding your body of toxins becomes easier. You feel cleaner.
3. Eliminate added sugar, dairy, alcohol, caffeine, wheat/gluten, eggs, animal protein, corn, and soy: These substances are allergens and need to be eliminated while you are doing a detox. Try to keep things as clean as possible.
4. Move your body: Of course eating foods that nourish and detoxify are necessary for your cleanse, but the next step is to incorporate exercise. Try gentle yoga, walking in nature, stretching. You don’t want to run twelve miles during your cleanse or do a long bike ride. You will be completely exhausted. Your body is working hard to get rid of toxins, and she needs to rest to restore during the detox period.
5. Take time to breathe and meditate: This time is for YOU. So try sitting still for at least 10 minutes a day, breathing in and out. Have a mantra. Be still. Stress is the #1 cause of inflammation so do all you can to take a few steps back and calm your mind.
6. Determine the length of your detox: 10 days is a perfect time period to feel and see changes in your body. It’s just enough time to really get the full effects of a detox. It takes time to make changes, and your body needs time to adjust to eating differently, getting rid of toxins, and establishing habits. So a cleanse less than 10 days might not give you the full results. If you are new to detoxing or want a power-boost to jump start healthy living, then 10 days is a good start.
Are you ready to get your detox on this spring?
Published March 22, 2012 at 1:25 PM
About Lisa Consiglio Ryan
Lisa Consiglio Ryan is a Certified Health and Nutrition Coach for busy, active women and their families. Areas of expertise include weight loss, stress management, detox programs, and special diets such as vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, and gluten-free. Lisa is also developing her own line of raw juices.
Ahhh, wake up! Spring is here. It's time to get moving!
I don’t know about you, but during winter, I seem to hibernate in my house. Usually around 6 pm every night, I put my pajamas on and just stay in for the night. Nothing can get me out of the house when it’s freezing out!
So when spring arrives, I seem to have this renewed energy. A new spark.
During springtime, you are filled with inspiration and have more energy to achieve your health goals. You’re more active, creative, and more apt to stick to your routines.
Not only does spring symbolize renewal and rebirth, it also reminds me of cleansing. AND a great way to supercharge the season is to detox. I’m not talking pills and powders from a box but with lots of greens and whole foods.
Spring is the perfect time to do a detox because you can take a good look at habits and make a new plan. It’s a time to set goals whether it is cooking more at home, working out, or even taking more time for yourself.
Once you experience a detox that incorporates whole foods and daily activities that support your body, there isn’t anything in the world that can compare to the feeling you get after a detox. You may feel increased bouts of energy, eliminate your cravings, lose weight, reduce bloating and get rid of belly fat. Your mind is clear and focused, and even your mood can improve. You might even glow!
Now doesn’t that rock? Let’s get some of that!
Here are 6 tips for a successful detox:
1. Eat whole foods: Try a gentle, clean food-based detox. The first step is to eliminate foods that have barcodes. This means avoid foods that come in a can or box- processed foods. I usually remind myself of this rule when I shop. Also, stick to organic fruits and veggies for your cleanse. You don’t want to add any toxins into your body during your detox!
2. Add green goodness: Spring foods consist of dandelion greens, spinach, parsley, watercress, asparagus, peas, fennel, and mustard greens. You can also add in additional dark leafy greens such as kale, Swiss Chard, and collards. The chlorophyll from the leaves feed the blood, and help your body achieve balance. Therefore, ridding your body of toxins becomes easier. You feel cleaner.
3. Eliminate added sugar, dairy, alcohol, caffeine, wheat/gluten, eggs, animal protein, corn, and soy: These substances are allergens and need to be eliminated while you are doing a detox. Try to keep things as clean as possible.
4. Move your body: Of course eating foods that nourish and detoxify are necessary for your cleanse, but the next step is to incorporate exercise. Try gentle yoga, walking in nature, stretching. You don’t want to run twelve miles during your cleanse or do a long bike ride. You will be completely exhausted. Your body is working hard to get rid of toxins, and she needs to rest to restore during the detox period.
5. Take time to breathe and meditate: This time is for YOU. So try sitting still for at least 10 minutes a day, breathing in and out. Have a mantra. Be still. Stress is the #1 cause of inflammation so do all you can to take a few steps back and calm your mind.
6. Determine the length of your detox: 10 days is a perfect time period to feel and see changes in your body. It’s just enough time to really get the full effects of a detox. It takes time to make changes, and your body needs time to adjust to eating differently, getting rid of toxins, and establishing habits. So a cleanse less than 10 days might not give you the full results. If you are new to detoxing or want a power-boost to jump start healthy living, then 10 days is a good start.
Are you ready to get your detox on this spring?
Published March 22, 2012 at 1:25 PM
About Lisa Consiglio Ryan
Lisa Consiglio Ryan is a Certified Health and Nutrition Coach for busy, active women and their families. Areas of expertise include weight loss, stress management, detox programs, and special diets such as vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, and gluten-free. Lisa is also developing her own line of raw juices.
Super Easy Butter Bean Bake
This is a quick throw together made up recipe compliments of my friend, Kimberly!It is my new obsession. It fills you up and leaves you with that comfort food feel!
1 cans butter beans
fresh spinach or 10 oz frozen
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 onion
cooked orzo
Feta cheese to taste
seasoning to taste (basil,oregano, salt and pepper..anything)
Saute the onion until it carmelizes. I usually cook in ghee. Add the spinach allow to cook down. Throw the spinach, beans, can of tomatoes, cooked orzo, seasonings and feta cheese in a casserole and bake at 350 for about 20-30 minutes until heated and the feta has melted.
You can add just about anything to this...it is yummy and delicious!
1 cans butter beans
fresh spinach or 10 oz frozen
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 onion
cooked orzo
Feta cheese to taste
seasoning to taste (basil,oregano, salt and pepper..anything)
Saute the onion until it carmelizes. I usually cook in ghee. Add the spinach allow to cook down. Throw the spinach, beans, can of tomatoes, cooked orzo, seasonings and feta cheese in a casserole and bake at 350 for about 20-30 minutes until heated and the feta has melted.
You can add just about anything to this...it is yummy and delicious!
My additional Class Schedule Week of March 26th
Hi my fellow RAC and 24 Hour Yogis!
I am subbing quite a lot next week so come join me around town!
Monday, March 26th: 12p Yoga at the RAC
Tuesday, March 27th: 8:30a Yoga at 24 Hour Tualatin; 12p Yoga@ Tualatin and 5p Yoga at the RAC
Thursday, March 29th: 6a Powersculpt at 24Hour@the Pearl;4:30p Yoga at 24Hour McLoughlin; and 6:30p Pilates @ Tualatin
Friday, March 30th: 12p Yoga at 24Hour Tualatin
Hope to see you there!
I am subbing quite a lot next week so come join me around town!
Monday, March 26th: 12p Yoga at the RAC
Tuesday, March 27th: 8:30a Yoga at 24 Hour Tualatin; 12p Yoga@ Tualatin and 5p Yoga at the RAC
Thursday, March 29th: 6a Powersculpt at 24Hour@the Pearl;4:30p Yoga at 24Hour McLoughlin; and 6:30p Pilates @ Tualatin
Friday, March 30th: 12p Yoga at 24Hour Tualatin
Hope to see you there!
Hips Too Tight?
If you're having difficulty with forward bends, don't assume it's your hamstrings. Inflexible rotator muscles may be to blame.
By Judith Lasater
There is an old Sufi story about philosopher-fool Nasrudin, who was looking for his house keys under a street light. A couple of friends happened by and joined in the search. Finally, in exasperation, one of the friends asked Nasrudin where he thought he had lost the keys. Nasrudin pointed to a spot some distance away where it was extremely dark. But why are we looking here then? he was asked. He replied: Because it is so much easier to see under the light.
This story reveals a common human tendency: to look where we want to instead of digging deeper to reveal the root of a problem. This is true of some yoga students who are trying to move deeper into their forward bends.
You attend class regularly, sometimes for years, practice at home, and make progress in most poses—except for forward bending. You seem to have hamstrings of steel! No matter how often or how long you practice, there doesn't seem to be any change. One day while teaching, I realized that I was like Nasrudin. I was looking in the wrong place to find a solution for some students who, no matter how often or how long they practiced, did not experience any change in forward bending poses. I realized that, like the hamstrings, a group of muscles in the hip area—the external rotators—can interfere with the ability to bend forward.
Called the obturator externus and internus, gemellus superior and inferior, piriformis, and quadratus femoris, these muscles are short, broad, and very strong.
While each of these muscles is a separate structure, they function as one, working to externally rotate the femur (thigh), stabilize the pelvis during walking, and help stabilize the pelvis and the femur together when you are standing on one leg. When you bend forward, all of the muscles on the back side of your body must lengthen, including the rotators.
An especially important rotator is the piriformis, which attaches to the sacrum and to the femur; the sciatic nerve passes directly under this muscle. A tight piriformis can do more than just limit your forward bends.
Tight Rotator Troubles
When a tight piriformis presses down on the sciatic nerve, it can lead to "piriformis syndrome," which creates a radiating pain in the buttocks, down the back of the thigh, into the leg and foot.
And if this rotator is especially tight, it can pull on the sacrum, affecting the functioning of the sacroiliac joint (the joint between the sacrum and the pelvis). When the sacroiliac joint is dysfunctional, the lumbar (lower) spine can also be adversely affected.
So if your forward bends are limited, or if you're experiencing "piriformis syndrome," it's a good idea to continue to work on your hamstrings, but also include a few rotator stretches in your regular asana routine.
A note of caution: If the leg pain is great and/or persists, it is advisable to seek the treatment of a qualified health professional.
Walk the Walk
Walking has a phase called the swing phase in which you are, in effect, standing on one leg: One leg is the support leg and the other is swinging forward but has not yet touched down. Because gravity tends to pull down on the pelvis, we need the action of the rotators on the standing leg side to hold the head of the femur and the pelvis together in a stable position. Rotators tend to get tight when this action is exaggerated, like when you run or dance.
In order to understand this concept, try an experiment. Place your fingertips on the front of your pelvis, slightly to the side of the bony prominence called the ASIS (anterior superior iliac spine). Walk across the room and notice how these bony landmarks are held virtually level in relationship to the floor—this is because the rotators are holding the pelvis stable while you're walking.
Now, keeping the hands as they are, raise the right leg in front of you as if you are about to take a step. Allow the left hip to sway to the left. The pelvis is now tipped downward on the right as the right rotators are relaxed. Place the right foot on the floor and try this experiment on the other side.
Dancers & Prancers
Dancers and runners usually have tight rotators because they demand increased stability from these muscles. Dancers, for example, need stable rotators when standing on one leg and lifting the other leg up in an arabesque. They might be quite flexible in other ways, but often have tight rotators.
For runners, the increased momentum associated with the forward movement of the legs places greater demands on the rotators to hold the pelvis level.
Try this: Stand up and place the feet a foot or so apart with the feet turned out as in second position in ballet. In order to turn the feet out when standing, you contract your external rotators to rotate the femur. If you hold them in this externally rotated position as if they are tight, you will see how that interferes with forward bending. Hold the buttocks firm by squeezing them together; try to bend forward. Even if you are supple, this will be difficult. If, on the other hand, you turn the thighs inward, stretching as opposed to contracting the rotators, this will facilitate forward bending.
Now turn the toes and thighs inward as much as possible. Imagine that you are pressing outward with the heels but actually keep the feet still as you bend. It will be much easier to bend forward with the legs and feet in this position. This is because the external rotators are being stretched and thus are interfering less with the forward movement of the pelvis over the thigh bones.
Stretch Crib Notes
The five rotator stretches presented below are in order of increasing difficulty. The benefits they bring to other poses, such as Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend), as well as to ease of walking, make them worth doing frequently. Because these poses can be deep stretches even for experienced students, attempt them when you are already warmed up by your regular yoga practice or some other physical activity. And remember: Recent research in muscle physiology has found that stretches need to be held for at least one minute in order to be effective. You may feel some of these stretches more on one side than the other. In fact, the longer you practice yoga, the more aware you will be of the differences between your right and left side. You may want to stretch the tighter side longer.
After each stretch, walk around the room to relax the rotators. You may discover that walking is easier as the rotators loosen. Try practicing a forward bend to see how it has changed. You may also notice that your Padmasana (Lotus Pose) improves. Hopefully such observations will encourage you to make these poses part of your regular asana practice.
Judith Lasater, Ph.D., P.T., author of Relax and Renew (Rodmell, 1995) and Living Your Yoga, (Rodmell, 2000) has taught yoga internationally since 1971.
5 Rotater Stretches
1. Reclining Twist Lie on your back and bend the knees so that the feet rest on the floor. Inhale. As you exhale, bring the knees slowly to the chest one by one so that the lower back remains firmly on the floor. Squeeze your knees together and drop them to the left, keeping your shoulders on the floor. The legs should be approximately at a 90 degree angle to the body, but experiment to find the position that maximizes the stretch in your outer hips (especially the right one). As you stay in the pose, imagine that the belly is rotating in the opposite direction from the legs. Repeat on the other side.
2. Reclining Twist with Raised Knee Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. Cross your right ankle over your left knee. Inhale. As you exhale, drop the legs to the left, bringing your right foot to the floor and keeping your shoulders on the floor. To increase the stretch, gently push your right knee away from you with your left hand. This should intensify the stretch in the outer right hip. If you don't feel this stretch, experiment with the placement of your right foot; you may need to bring it closer to the hip or move it farther toward the knee on the floor. Repeat on the left side.
3. Standing Pigeon Pose Place a blanket along the end of a stable, waist-high table. Lift your left lower leg onto the table with the knee bent; the shin and thigh should form a 90 degree angle. Keep the shin parallel with the far end of the table. Ideally, both your foot and knee should be resting on the table. If you find this too difficult, try a shorter table. You should feel the stretch in the outer hip and buttock of the left leg. If you are not feeling much of a stretch, bend forward as you exhale, making sure you don't move your standing leg and knee. It is important that the forward bend comes from the hip joints. If you move from the hip joints, you should not feel a strong stretch in your back. If you bend from the spine, you will stress the lower back-and won't stretch the rotators. You can further augment the stretch of this position by moving the supporting leg away from the table or moving the foot on the table away from your body. Repeat with the right leg on the table.
4. Modified Pigeon Pose Start in Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana). Step the right foot forward between the hands so that you are in a lunge position. Rest the left knee on the floor. Move your right foot so that it is exactly in the middle of your hands. Make sure that the right shin is perpendicular to the ground. As you exhale, let the right knee drop out to the right side. You will need to move your right arm out of the way. Place it where you need it for balance and then move your left leg and torso backward so that you actually open up the angle of the right knee; you will move your body slightly backward as you do this. It is important to keep the right foot slightly flexed so that you are putting weight on the outside rim of your foot and not your ankle.
Some students will be able to bring the left thigh and right buttock all the way to the floor, as in the splits. Use bolsters or blankets for support if you can't reach the floor. As you allow the body to drop down, keep the middle of the pubic bone exactly in line with the right heel.
Most students, when they feel the deep stretch in the right rotators in this pose, will shift the pelvis to the right. It is better to keep the body a little higher and toward the left than to shift the pelvis off to the right side. After several breaths, repeat this pose on the left side.
5. Twisting Lunge Start in Downward-Facing Dog. Step the left foot forward between the hands so that you are in a lunge position. Rest the right knee on the floor. Make sure that the left shin is exactly vertical. Place the right forearm down on the floor and place the right palm over the instep of the left foot.
Gradually let your body weight down onto your forearm. With your left upper arm on the outside of your left thigh and your left hand on your shin, hug your left leg toward your heart so that the chest drops down and you turn your breastbone toward the inside of the left leg. (Your hips will not be square in this position.) Keep the left shin vertical and the left foot flat on the floor. Repeat on the other side.
By Judith Lasater
There is an old Sufi story about philosopher-fool Nasrudin, who was looking for his house keys under a street light. A couple of friends happened by and joined in the search. Finally, in exasperation, one of the friends asked Nasrudin where he thought he had lost the keys. Nasrudin pointed to a spot some distance away where it was extremely dark. But why are we looking here then? he was asked. He replied: Because it is so much easier to see under the light.
This story reveals a common human tendency: to look where we want to instead of digging deeper to reveal the root of a problem. This is true of some yoga students who are trying to move deeper into their forward bends.
You attend class regularly, sometimes for years, practice at home, and make progress in most poses—except for forward bending. You seem to have hamstrings of steel! No matter how often or how long you practice, there doesn't seem to be any change. One day while teaching, I realized that I was like Nasrudin. I was looking in the wrong place to find a solution for some students who, no matter how often or how long they practiced, did not experience any change in forward bending poses. I realized that, like the hamstrings, a group of muscles in the hip area—the external rotators—can interfere with the ability to bend forward.
Called the obturator externus and internus, gemellus superior and inferior, piriformis, and quadratus femoris, these muscles are short, broad, and very strong.
While each of these muscles is a separate structure, they function as one, working to externally rotate the femur (thigh), stabilize the pelvis during walking, and help stabilize the pelvis and the femur together when you are standing on one leg. When you bend forward, all of the muscles on the back side of your body must lengthen, including the rotators.
An especially important rotator is the piriformis, which attaches to the sacrum and to the femur; the sciatic nerve passes directly under this muscle. A tight piriformis can do more than just limit your forward bends.
Tight Rotator Troubles
When a tight piriformis presses down on the sciatic nerve, it can lead to "piriformis syndrome," which creates a radiating pain in the buttocks, down the back of the thigh, into the leg and foot.
And if this rotator is especially tight, it can pull on the sacrum, affecting the functioning of the sacroiliac joint (the joint between the sacrum and the pelvis). When the sacroiliac joint is dysfunctional, the lumbar (lower) spine can also be adversely affected.
So if your forward bends are limited, or if you're experiencing "piriformis syndrome," it's a good idea to continue to work on your hamstrings, but also include a few rotator stretches in your regular asana routine.
A note of caution: If the leg pain is great and/or persists, it is advisable to seek the treatment of a qualified health professional.
Walk the Walk
Walking has a phase called the swing phase in which you are, in effect, standing on one leg: One leg is the support leg and the other is swinging forward but has not yet touched down. Because gravity tends to pull down on the pelvis, we need the action of the rotators on the standing leg side to hold the head of the femur and the pelvis together in a stable position. Rotators tend to get tight when this action is exaggerated, like when you run or dance.
In order to understand this concept, try an experiment. Place your fingertips on the front of your pelvis, slightly to the side of the bony prominence called the ASIS (anterior superior iliac spine). Walk across the room and notice how these bony landmarks are held virtually level in relationship to the floor—this is because the rotators are holding the pelvis stable while you're walking.
Now, keeping the hands as they are, raise the right leg in front of you as if you are about to take a step. Allow the left hip to sway to the left. The pelvis is now tipped downward on the right as the right rotators are relaxed. Place the right foot on the floor and try this experiment on the other side.
Dancers & Prancers
Dancers and runners usually have tight rotators because they demand increased stability from these muscles. Dancers, for example, need stable rotators when standing on one leg and lifting the other leg up in an arabesque. They might be quite flexible in other ways, but often have tight rotators.
For runners, the increased momentum associated with the forward movement of the legs places greater demands on the rotators to hold the pelvis level.
Try this: Stand up and place the feet a foot or so apart with the feet turned out as in second position in ballet. In order to turn the feet out when standing, you contract your external rotators to rotate the femur. If you hold them in this externally rotated position as if they are tight, you will see how that interferes with forward bending. Hold the buttocks firm by squeezing them together; try to bend forward. Even if you are supple, this will be difficult. If, on the other hand, you turn the thighs inward, stretching as opposed to contracting the rotators, this will facilitate forward bending.
Now turn the toes and thighs inward as much as possible. Imagine that you are pressing outward with the heels but actually keep the feet still as you bend. It will be much easier to bend forward with the legs and feet in this position. This is because the external rotators are being stretched and thus are interfering less with the forward movement of the pelvis over the thigh bones.
Stretch Crib Notes
The five rotator stretches presented below are in order of increasing difficulty. The benefits they bring to other poses, such as Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend), as well as to ease of walking, make them worth doing frequently. Because these poses can be deep stretches even for experienced students, attempt them when you are already warmed up by your regular yoga practice or some other physical activity. And remember: Recent research in muscle physiology has found that stretches need to be held for at least one minute in order to be effective. You may feel some of these stretches more on one side than the other. In fact, the longer you practice yoga, the more aware you will be of the differences between your right and left side. You may want to stretch the tighter side longer.
After each stretch, walk around the room to relax the rotators. You may discover that walking is easier as the rotators loosen. Try practicing a forward bend to see how it has changed. You may also notice that your Padmasana (Lotus Pose) improves. Hopefully such observations will encourage you to make these poses part of your regular asana practice.
Judith Lasater, Ph.D., P.T., author of Relax and Renew (Rodmell, 1995) and Living Your Yoga, (Rodmell, 2000) has taught yoga internationally since 1971.
5 Rotater Stretches
1. Reclining Twist Lie on your back and bend the knees so that the feet rest on the floor. Inhale. As you exhale, bring the knees slowly to the chest one by one so that the lower back remains firmly on the floor. Squeeze your knees together and drop them to the left, keeping your shoulders on the floor. The legs should be approximately at a 90 degree angle to the body, but experiment to find the position that maximizes the stretch in your outer hips (especially the right one). As you stay in the pose, imagine that the belly is rotating in the opposite direction from the legs. Repeat on the other side.
2. Reclining Twist with Raised Knee Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. Cross your right ankle over your left knee. Inhale. As you exhale, drop the legs to the left, bringing your right foot to the floor and keeping your shoulders on the floor. To increase the stretch, gently push your right knee away from you with your left hand. This should intensify the stretch in the outer right hip. If you don't feel this stretch, experiment with the placement of your right foot; you may need to bring it closer to the hip or move it farther toward the knee on the floor. Repeat on the left side.
3. Standing Pigeon Pose Place a blanket along the end of a stable, waist-high table. Lift your left lower leg onto the table with the knee bent; the shin and thigh should form a 90 degree angle. Keep the shin parallel with the far end of the table. Ideally, both your foot and knee should be resting on the table. If you find this too difficult, try a shorter table. You should feel the stretch in the outer hip and buttock of the left leg. If you are not feeling much of a stretch, bend forward as you exhale, making sure you don't move your standing leg and knee. It is important that the forward bend comes from the hip joints. If you move from the hip joints, you should not feel a strong stretch in your back. If you bend from the spine, you will stress the lower back-and won't stretch the rotators. You can further augment the stretch of this position by moving the supporting leg away from the table or moving the foot on the table away from your body. Repeat with the right leg on the table.
4. Modified Pigeon Pose Start in Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana). Step the right foot forward between the hands so that you are in a lunge position. Rest the left knee on the floor. Move your right foot so that it is exactly in the middle of your hands. Make sure that the right shin is perpendicular to the ground. As you exhale, let the right knee drop out to the right side. You will need to move your right arm out of the way. Place it where you need it for balance and then move your left leg and torso backward so that you actually open up the angle of the right knee; you will move your body slightly backward as you do this. It is important to keep the right foot slightly flexed so that you are putting weight on the outside rim of your foot and not your ankle.
Some students will be able to bring the left thigh and right buttock all the way to the floor, as in the splits. Use bolsters or blankets for support if you can't reach the floor. As you allow the body to drop down, keep the middle of the pubic bone exactly in line with the right heel.
Most students, when they feel the deep stretch in the right rotators in this pose, will shift the pelvis to the right. It is better to keep the body a little higher and toward the left than to shift the pelvis off to the right side. After several breaths, repeat this pose on the left side.
5. Twisting Lunge Start in Downward-Facing Dog. Step the left foot forward between the hands so that you are in a lunge position. Rest the right knee on the floor. Make sure that the left shin is exactly vertical. Place the right forearm down on the floor and place the right palm over the instep of the left foot.
Gradually let your body weight down onto your forearm. With your left upper arm on the outside of your left thigh and your left hand on your shin, hug your left leg toward your heart so that the chest drops down and you turn your breastbone toward the inside of the left leg. (Your hips will not be square in this position.) Keep the left shin vertical and the left foot flat on the floor. Repeat on the other side.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Yoga Journal - Yoga Home Practice - Sweet Surrender
Yoga Journal - Yoga Home Practice - Sweet Surrender
Click on this link for a nice, rejuvenating yin practice!
Click on this link for a nice, rejuvenating yin practice!
Most meditation practitioners have experienced the pain of stiff knees and an aching back at one point or another. The good news is that Yin Yoga can condition you to sit longer—and more comfortably.
So what's the difference between yin and yang approaches to yoga? In Yin Yoga, you hold poses for several minutes, stretching the connective tissue around a joint. This, over time, can improve your seated meditation practice. Yin Yoga emphasizes releasing muscles rather than contracting them, so most Yin Yoga postures are done seated.
A basic Yin practice incorporates forward bends, hip openers, backbends, and twists. Forward bends can often be combined with hip opening, such as Butterfly Pose (a Yin version of Baddha Konasana, or Bound Angle Pose). To balance this forward bend, use a pose like Seal (a Yin Bhujangasana, or Cobra Pose).
Dairy Dilemma
Many complementary medicine practitioners diss yogurt as just another outpost of dairy's evil empire. Yet Ayurvedic practitioners hold it in high esteem. What's a yogi to do?
By Catherine Guthrie
As you stand at the grocery store in front of rows of snackable, packable yogurt—seemingly an easy add to your kids' lunch—it's not surprising that you might hesitate over what type to buy, or even whether to buy it at all. After all, many complementary medicine practitioners diss yogurt as just another outpost of dairy's evil empire: a vile, mucus-making, immune system no-no. Yet Ayurvedic practitioners hold it in high esteem. What's a yogi to do?
Ayurveda considers milk products the building blocks of tissue, says Reenita Malhotra Hora, an Ayurvedic clinician at the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. In Ayurveda, the body is made up of seven layers of tissue: water, blood, muscle, fat, bone, bone marrow, and reproductive tissue. Milk is thought to contribute to the health of each layer.
"The Western world says milk causes mucus and allergies, but the problem isn't dairy; it's the manufacturing processes," Hora says. "India has been drinking raw milk for 5,000-plus years without a hitch." But she acknowledges it's not easy for Americans to get their hands on safe raw milk.
Short of parking a cow in your backyard, your best bet is to buy plain organic whole-milk yogurt with live cultures from a reputable producer, says Hora. Whole milk is key because the fat is where the tissue-building properties are found. (Whole milk is also high in saturated fat, so moderation is also key.) Plain is nonnegotiable, Hora says, because fruit interferes with the live bacteria, ferments the yogurt, and makes it more acidic. "In Ayurveda, you never mix fruit and dairy," she says. "The combination is practically considered poisonous."
By Catherine Guthrie
As you stand at the grocery store in front of rows of snackable, packable yogurt—seemingly an easy add to your kids' lunch—it's not surprising that you might hesitate over what type to buy, or even whether to buy it at all. After all, many complementary medicine practitioners diss yogurt as just another outpost of dairy's evil empire: a vile, mucus-making, immune system no-no. Yet Ayurvedic practitioners hold it in high esteem. What's a yogi to do?
Ayurveda considers milk products the building blocks of tissue, says Reenita Malhotra Hora, an Ayurvedic clinician at the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. In Ayurveda, the body is made up of seven layers of tissue: water, blood, muscle, fat, bone, bone marrow, and reproductive tissue. Milk is thought to contribute to the health of each layer.
"The Western world says milk causes mucus and allergies, but the problem isn't dairy; it's the manufacturing processes," Hora says. "India has been drinking raw milk for 5,000-plus years without a hitch." But she acknowledges it's not easy for Americans to get their hands on safe raw milk.
Short of parking a cow in your backyard, your best bet is to buy plain organic whole-milk yogurt with live cultures from a reputable producer, says Hora. Whole milk is key because the fat is where the tissue-building properties are found. (Whole milk is also high in saturated fat, so moderation is also key.) Plain is nonnegotiable, Hora says, because fruit interferes with the live bacteria, ferments the yogurt, and makes it more acidic. "In Ayurveda, you never mix fruit and dairy," she says. "The combination is practically considered poisonous."
Eat Right to Ease PMS
Though you may be craving chocolate, reach for veggies instead to quell PMS symptoms.
By Linda Knittel
When it comes to soothing premenstrual symptoms (PMS), the best medicine may be found in your kitchen. Studies have shown that a number of foods can actually eliminate the mood swings, bloating, blemishes, breast tenderness, and fatigue that often precede menstruation. "The majority of PMS symptoms are the result of an imbalance in hormones, such that there is too much estrogen in the body when compared to the amount of progesterone," says Beth Burch, N.D., of Emerita for Health Women's Institute in Portland, Oregon.
To combat this disparity, many experts believe that women should consume more foods that help balance hormones, such as soy, vegetables and fruit, and nuts and seeds. According to a study appearing in Obstetrics and Gynecology (February 2000), a low-fat, vegetarian diet that included legumes and whole grains increased the sex hormone-binding globulin in the blood, which keeps hormones in check and therefore many PMS symptoms at bay. Also, the fiber found in many vegetables and fruits helps to flush excess hormones from the body. Complex carbohydrates like whole grains can also boost serotonin levels in the brain, which helps to keep mood elevated even during those difficult days prior to one's period.
For many women excess estrogen also causes breast tenderness and bloating the week before menstruation. In those instances the isoflavones found in soy-based foods such as tofu bind to estrogen receptors and block the body's own estrogen from causing such symptoms.
Numerous clinical trials have also shown that both magnesium and calcium play crucial roles in the prevention of PMS symptoms. For example, consuming 200 mg of magnesium daily (which is slightly more than a cup of cooked spinach) was found to reduce the bloating, weight gain, and breast tenderness (Journal of Women's Health, November 1998). Other magnesium-rich foods include peanut butter, lima beans, kale, and nuts. Another study in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (December 1999) showed a daily dose of 1,200 mg of calcium (found in spinach, broccoli, and soymilk) cut food cravings and mood swings, most likely because calcium enhances the brain's processing of serotonin.
Burch adds that avoiding certain foods is also important. For instance, refined carbohydrates and sugar-filled foods, such as breads and desserts, disrupt blood-sugar levels causing fatigue and mood swings. Also, sodium contributes to bloating and breast tenderness, while non-organic dairy products and meats contain hormones that can cause inflammation and thus worsen cramps and bloating.
By Linda Knittel
When it comes to soothing premenstrual symptoms (PMS), the best medicine may be found in your kitchen. Studies have shown that a number of foods can actually eliminate the mood swings, bloating, blemishes, breast tenderness, and fatigue that often precede menstruation. "The majority of PMS symptoms are the result of an imbalance in hormones, such that there is too much estrogen in the body when compared to the amount of progesterone," says Beth Burch, N.D., of Emerita for Health Women's Institute in Portland, Oregon.
To combat this disparity, many experts believe that women should consume more foods that help balance hormones, such as soy, vegetables and fruit, and nuts and seeds. According to a study appearing in Obstetrics and Gynecology (February 2000), a low-fat, vegetarian diet that included legumes and whole grains increased the sex hormone-binding globulin in the blood, which keeps hormones in check and therefore many PMS symptoms at bay. Also, the fiber found in many vegetables and fruits helps to flush excess hormones from the body. Complex carbohydrates like whole grains can also boost serotonin levels in the brain, which helps to keep mood elevated even during those difficult days prior to one's period.
For many women excess estrogen also causes breast tenderness and bloating the week before menstruation. In those instances the isoflavones found in soy-based foods such as tofu bind to estrogen receptors and block the body's own estrogen from causing such symptoms.
Numerous clinical trials have also shown that both magnesium and calcium play crucial roles in the prevention of PMS symptoms. For example, consuming 200 mg of magnesium daily (which is slightly more than a cup of cooked spinach) was found to reduce the bloating, weight gain, and breast tenderness (Journal of Women's Health, November 1998). Other magnesium-rich foods include peanut butter, lima beans, kale, and nuts. Another study in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (December 1999) showed a daily dose of 1,200 mg of calcium (found in spinach, broccoli, and soymilk) cut food cravings and mood swings, most likely because calcium enhances the brain's processing of serotonin.
Burch adds that avoiding certain foods is also important. For instance, refined carbohydrates and sugar-filled foods, such as breads and desserts, disrupt blood-sugar levels causing fatigue and mood swings. Also, sodium contributes to bloating and breast tenderness, while non-organic dairy products and meats contain hormones that can cause inflammation and thus worsen cramps and bloating.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Spring Cleaning...
Spring officially begins on March 20th..well for most of the world. Sometimes in Portland it can be deceiving as we tend to see the same weather patterns for a few more months. None the less, spring is here. Spring for me means a time of new growth. During winter we bundle up, we hibernate, in a sense we meditate on where we are, who we are, and what we are doing. The tendency is to go within. You feel like staying home perhaps and snuggling with a warm blanket. The darkness for me can allow some time to sit with myself and truly look in the mirror of what I am reflecting. Pruning ourselves back we can feel a bit empty in these cold, dark winter months. And then...spring arrives!~
Spring is a time when we can bud, bloom and expand. It can also be a time to clear out and do some spring cleaning. We almost naturally want to clean our homes and remove clutter. I think this is the same with the internal. I think of spring as a time to consider where we need to grow and to take those leaps into new things. Some of us made intentions for the new year and we have sat with those through the winter so how is it working for us? What needs to shift? What feels stagnant? What needs to be bloom that is held tightly in its bud?
"There comes a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud is more painful than the risk it took to bloom" Anais Nin
Growth can be scary and hard as it most of the time asks that we put one foot forward into unknown territory. We have to look at our patterns of behavior and say..this is normal, routine, comfortable but does it work? I find so often that I have these things I do and sometimes when I really ask is it feeding my growth? What is is doing for me? I find that really my answers do not make sense. It is like the habit although comfortable and familiar is looked upon as good or normal even if the end effect is far away from where my soul wants to go. Changing those habits is hard because we are left with well only potential..
"All growth is a leap in the dark, a spontaneous unpremeditated act without the benefit of experience" Henry Miller
In order to grow we have to stick our necks out of the nest and go where we have not gone.
"We cannot become what we need by remaining what we are" Max Depree
We do not like risk. Most of us fear and avoid change at any cost. But isn't that is what life is about..it is about changing and growing..otherwise what is the point of stagnation? What is the fun of the slow steady ride when the roller coaster is ahead with its dips yet thrills and smiles.
"Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we go through. Where people fail is that they wish to erect a state and remain in it. This is a kind of death" Anais Nin
I think our yoga practice can be a venue for this time of growth. Looking in on the mat, where are you choosing to "play it safe and coast"? Where do you need to "shake things up"? How have you developed patterns of routine that no longer serve you? Are you really feeling each shape or are you going through the same movements without the connection?
"Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow." Ronald Osborn
So, I challenge you and myself this spring to take the time to examine where winter has left you and to take on the task of questioning where your next step lies. Make room for that growth by shedding that which is holding you into the darkness of winter.
Happy Spring my friends!
Spring is a time when we can bud, bloom and expand. It can also be a time to clear out and do some spring cleaning. We almost naturally want to clean our homes and remove clutter. I think this is the same with the internal. I think of spring as a time to consider where we need to grow and to take those leaps into new things. Some of us made intentions for the new year and we have sat with those through the winter so how is it working for us? What needs to shift? What feels stagnant? What needs to be bloom that is held tightly in its bud?
"There comes a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud is more painful than the risk it took to bloom" Anais Nin
Growth can be scary and hard as it most of the time asks that we put one foot forward into unknown territory. We have to look at our patterns of behavior and say..this is normal, routine, comfortable but does it work? I find so often that I have these things I do and sometimes when I really ask is it feeding my growth? What is is doing for me? I find that really my answers do not make sense. It is like the habit although comfortable and familiar is looked upon as good or normal even if the end effect is far away from where my soul wants to go. Changing those habits is hard because we are left with well only potential..
"All growth is a leap in the dark, a spontaneous unpremeditated act without the benefit of experience" Henry Miller
In order to grow we have to stick our necks out of the nest and go where we have not gone.
"We cannot become what we need by remaining what we are" Max Depree
We do not like risk. Most of us fear and avoid change at any cost. But isn't that is what life is about..it is about changing and growing..otherwise what is the point of stagnation? What is the fun of the slow steady ride when the roller coaster is ahead with its dips yet thrills and smiles.
"Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we go through. Where people fail is that they wish to erect a state and remain in it. This is a kind of death" Anais Nin
I think our yoga practice can be a venue for this time of growth. Looking in on the mat, where are you choosing to "play it safe and coast"? Where do you need to "shake things up"? How have you developed patterns of routine that no longer serve you? Are you really feeling each shape or are you going through the same movements without the connection?
"Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow." Ronald Osborn
So, I challenge you and myself this spring to take the time to examine where winter has left you and to take on the task of questioning where your next step lies. Make room for that growth by shedding that which is holding you into the darkness of winter.
Happy Spring my friends!
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Spring Minestrone
Nutritional Information
Serves 8
Amount Per 1 1/2-cup serving:
Calories 182
Protein 4g
Total fat 11g
Carbs 19g
Cholesterol mg
Sodium 94mg
Fiber 4g
Sugars 7g
Vegetarian Times Issue:
The secret to success when making this light soup is to be sure all the vegetables are diced to the same size so they cook evenly. Feel free to substitute or add other fresh veggies, such as zucchini, celery, and corn.
Ingredients
Serves 8
3 Tbs. olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 large shallots, finely diced
3/4 cup dry white wine
3 large cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice (1 1/3 cups)
1 large Yukon gold potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice (1 1/3 cups)
2 medium young turnips, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice (1 1/3 cups)
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
12 Italian parsley sprigs
8 fresh thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
10 oz. fresh or frozen shelled peas (2 cups)
4 oz. snow peas, stems trimmed and cut into 1/8-inch-wide slices (1 cup)
3 cups lightly packed spinach leaves (2 oz.)
2 Tbs. minced fresh tarragon, for garnish
Directions
1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallots, and sauté
2 minutes, or until shallots begin to soften. Add wine, garlic, and cayenne. Simmer 4 minutes.
2. Add carrots, potato, and turnips, and sauté 1 minute. Add broth and 5 cups water. Tie together parsley sprigs, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves with kitchen twine, and add to soup. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 minutes.
3. Stir in peas, snow peas, and spinach. Cover, and simmer 5 minutes more. Remove herb bundle, and discard. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Ladle soup into bowls, sprinkle with tarragon, drizzle with olive oil, and serve.
Serves 8
Amount Per 1 1/2-cup serving:
Calories 182
Protein 4g
Total fat 11g
Carbs 19g
Cholesterol mg
Sodium 94mg
Fiber 4g
Sugars 7g
Vegetarian Times Issue:
The secret to success when making this light soup is to be sure all the vegetables are diced to the same size so they cook evenly. Feel free to substitute or add other fresh veggies, such as zucchini, celery, and corn.
Ingredients
Serves 8
3 Tbs. olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 large shallots, finely diced
3/4 cup dry white wine
3 large cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice (1 1/3 cups)
1 large Yukon gold potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice (1 1/3 cups)
2 medium young turnips, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice (1 1/3 cups)
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
12 Italian parsley sprigs
8 fresh thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
10 oz. fresh or frozen shelled peas (2 cups)
4 oz. snow peas, stems trimmed and cut into 1/8-inch-wide slices (1 cup)
3 cups lightly packed spinach leaves (2 oz.)
2 Tbs. minced fresh tarragon, for garnish
Directions
1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallots, and sauté
2 minutes, or until shallots begin to soften. Add wine, garlic, and cayenne. Simmer 4 minutes.
2. Add carrots, potato, and turnips, and sauté 1 minute. Add broth and 5 cups water. Tie together parsley sprigs, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves with kitchen twine, and add to soup. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 minutes.
3. Stir in peas, snow peas, and spinach. Cover, and simmer 5 minutes more. Remove herb bundle, and discard. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Ladle soup into bowls, sprinkle with tarragon, drizzle with olive oil, and serve.
Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers
Vegetarian Times Issue: February 1, 2009
This dish freezes well for future meals. Quinoa provides whole-grain goodness and a serving of protein.
Ingredient List
Serves 8
1 medium onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 ribs celery, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
1 Tbs. ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
1 10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 15-oz. cans diced tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved
1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup quinoa
3 large carrots, grated (1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 cups grated reduced-fat pepper Jack cheese, divided
4 large red bell peppers, halved lengthwise, ribs removed
Directions
1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and celery, and cook 5 minutes, or until soft. Add cumin and garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Stir in spinach and drained tomatoes. Cook 5 minutes, or until most of liquid has evaporated.
2. Stir in black beans, quinoa, carrots, and 2 cups water. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 minutes, or until quinoa is tender. Stir in 1 cup cheese. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour liquid from tomatoes in bottom of baking dish.
4. Fill each bell pepper half with heaping 3/4-cup quinoa mixture, and place in baking dish. Cover with foil, and bake 1 hour. Uncover, and sprinkle each pepper with 1 Tbs. remaining cheese. Bake 15 minutes more, or until tops of stuffed peppers are browned. Let stand 5 minutes. Transfer stuffed peppers to serving plates, and drizzle each with pan juices before serving.
Nutritional Information
Per 1/2 stuffed pepper: Calories: 279, Protein: 14g, Total fat: 10g, Saturated fat: 3g, Carbs: 36g, Cholesterol: 15mg, Sodium: 518mg, Fiber: 10g, Sugars: 9g
This dish freezes well for future meals. Quinoa provides whole-grain goodness and a serving of protein.
Ingredient List
Serves 8
1 medium onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 ribs celery, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
1 Tbs. ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
1 10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 15-oz. cans diced tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved
1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup quinoa
3 large carrots, grated (1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 cups grated reduced-fat pepper Jack cheese, divided
4 large red bell peppers, halved lengthwise, ribs removed
Directions
1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and celery, and cook 5 minutes, or until soft. Add cumin and garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Stir in spinach and drained tomatoes. Cook 5 minutes, or until most of liquid has evaporated.
2. Stir in black beans, quinoa, carrots, and 2 cups water. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 minutes, or until quinoa is tender. Stir in 1 cup cheese. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour liquid from tomatoes in bottom of baking dish.
4. Fill each bell pepper half with heaping 3/4-cup quinoa mixture, and place in baking dish. Cover with foil, and bake 1 hour. Uncover, and sprinkle each pepper with 1 Tbs. remaining cheese. Bake 15 minutes more, or until tops of stuffed peppers are browned. Let stand 5 minutes. Transfer stuffed peppers to serving plates, and drizzle each with pan juices before serving.
Nutritional Information
Per 1/2 stuffed pepper: Calories: 279, Protein: 14g, Total fat: 10g, Saturated fat: 3g, Carbs: 36g, Cholesterol: 15mg, Sodium: 518mg, Fiber: 10g, Sugars: 9g
The Right Combination
Mixing too many foods at one time can trigger poor digestion. Here's a practical guide to combining foods appropriately.
By Hale Sofia Schatz
If you've ever tried to practice yoga right after a meal, then you know how uncomfortable your Downward-Facing Dogs and spinal twists can feel with a full or bloated belly. Even if you've finished eating several hours before stepping onto the mat, your body may still be working to digest your last meal, which means less available energy for your practice. To keep your body feeling light and vibrant, look within—to your digestive tract.
The main reason we eat is to provide our bodies with the fuel we need to live—fuel for walking, thinking,, making art, working, playing with our children, and doing yoga. But the very act of digestion also takes energy. You can assist your body's digestion before you even take the first bite of food. If you think of the stomach as a blender that purees food into a molecular soup, then what you eat together at one time doesn't matter because it all gets mixed up anyway, right? Wrong.
Different foods have different digestion times and require different digestive enzymes. Therefore, eating too many kinds of foods at one time—such as proteins with grains, fats, and sugars, a la the common peanut butter and jelly sandwich—can result in difficult digestion. Eating the appropriate food combinations not only helps improve digestion, it can also increase energy, regulate elimination, and help relieve depression, anxiety, and mood swings. And increased physical energy means more vitality, clarity, and focus in all areas of life. Although food combining isn't a panacea, it can ease digestion so that energy flows through the body unimpeded.
We do yoga not just for the sake of physical results, but so those results—a strong, supple, and receptive body—give us greater access to our spirit. Why should feeding ourselves be any different? Think of food combining as food yoga. By keeping the core of our bodies functioning with ease, we can access our inner selves more deeply because less of our attention is diverted to the physical.
A Process of Elimination
How often do you actually think about the food that's being digested by your body? Most of us think about digestion only when we suffer indigestion—bloating, gas, heartburn, constipation, diarrhea, and all the other unpleasant symptoms that quickly direct our attention to our bellies. Yet the digestive tract is the center of the body—the alchemical furnace in which what we eat is transmuted from separate foods into the fuel our bodies and minds need. The next time you eat something, think about when your food actually becomes you.
The digestive tract has three basic functions: The stomach separates the food into smaller parts, the small intestine completes the breakdown and assimilates nutrients to supply to the rest of the body, and the large intestine eventually eliminates any remaining waste. Keeping this system in good working order is essential to overall health and vitality.
Digestive problems can arise as we age, undergo stress, eat too quickly or on the run, or eat diets composed of refined and rich foods, too much food, or foods eaten in complicated combinations. Eventually, the proper flow of digestive juices slows down, compromising the breakdown of foods in the stomach and small intestine. Like any plumbing system, the digestive tract can erode or get backed up, resulting in chronic diarrhea and/or constipation. If elimination doesn't happen properly, we don't receive the nutrients we need and toxic waste matter can remain in the system. This causes us to feel uncomfortable and lethargic; the flow of life energy is blocked.
The word digestion comes from the Latin for "separate" or "arrange." In fact, this is exactly what happens in the digestive tract: Nutrients, in the form of molecules, are separated from food and arranged through assimilation to provide energy for all the body's internal organs. With food combining, you assist digestion by separating and prearranging your food before it even lands in your stomach.
Although medical research hasn't yet been done on the specific benefits of food combining, this system, which has been around in various forms since the 1930s, is based on the understanding that eating foods in combinations that have compatible enzymes and digestive times makes for easier and more complete digestion. High-protein foods require the acidic medium of the stomach to be broken down, whereas carbohydrates require the alkaline or neutral medium of the small intestine. When high-protein and high-carbohydrate foods are eaten together, digestion becomes more complicated, since the transit time for carbohydrates is slowed by the breakdown of protein in the stomach. If the breakdown is impeded, then the absorption of nutrients and elimination also may become more difficult, with undigested food particles remaining in the system. These undigested particles can create allergens, bacterial imbalances, and other disorders in the gastrointestinal tract.
A Simple Approach
In many aspects of life, with simplification comes less excess. The same is true for the body. In a world obsessed with abundance and the availability of every imaginable foodstuff 365 days a year, food combining helps us simplify our food choices. The basic rule of thumb is: The simpler the meal, the easier digestion will be. Simple meals, moderate portions, and chewing food slowly and with an attitude of reverence all help maintain easy digestion and free-flowing energy in the body. It doesn't take long to get the hang of food combining with these simple guidelines:
Fruits are the easiest and fastest foods to digest, and for that reason should always be eaten separately from proteins, grains, and vegetables. They are further classified into acid, subacid, sweet, and melons—based on their levels of acid and sugar—and have their own set of guidelines for combinations. Digestion time: 20 minutes to one hour.
All vegetables can be combined with one another as well as with proteins. For optimal digestive ease, it's best to combine only nonstarchy and low-starch vegetables with grains. Digestion time: 30 minutes to two hours.
Grains can be eaten alone or combined with nonstarchy and low-starch vegetables. Do not combine grains with protein or with starchy vegetables. It's best to have only one type of grain at a meal, so decide if you really want that hunk of bread or if it's worth waiting for the rice. Digestion time: two to three hours.
Proteins can be eaten alone or combined with nonstarchy, low-starch, and starchy vegetables. It's best to have only one type of protein at a meal. Digestion time: two to four hours.
When selecting what to eat, consider not only the culinary appeal of your choices but how your body will interpret the foods you are about to ingest. Ask yourself: Will these foods fuel my body so it can be a strong vehicle for my spirit, or will they slow me down? Feeding yourself purposefully is like doing yoga off the mat: Each choice of what and how to feed yourself is an opportunity to practice awareness, compassion, and self-love.
Hale Sofia Schatz is the author of If the Buddha Came to Dinner: How to Nourish Your Body to Awaken Your Spirit (Hyperion, available in 2004). She is a holistic nourishment consultant in Boston.
By Hale Sofia Schatz
If you've ever tried to practice yoga right after a meal, then you know how uncomfortable your Downward-Facing Dogs and spinal twists can feel with a full or bloated belly. Even if you've finished eating several hours before stepping onto the mat, your body may still be working to digest your last meal, which means less available energy for your practice. To keep your body feeling light and vibrant, look within—to your digestive tract.
The main reason we eat is to provide our bodies with the fuel we need to live—fuel for walking, thinking,, making art, working, playing with our children, and doing yoga. But the very act of digestion also takes energy. You can assist your body's digestion before you even take the first bite of food. If you think of the stomach as a blender that purees food into a molecular soup, then what you eat together at one time doesn't matter because it all gets mixed up anyway, right? Wrong.
Different foods have different digestion times and require different digestive enzymes. Therefore, eating too many kinds of foods at one time—such as proteins with grains, fats, and sugars, a la the common peanut butter and jelly sandwich—can result in difficult digestion. Eating the appropriate food combinations not only helps improve digestion, it can also increase energy, regulate elimination, and help relieve depression, anxiety, and mood swings. And increased physical energy means more vitality, clarity, and focus in all areas of life. Although food combining isn't a panacea, it can ease digestion so that energy flows through the body unimpeded.
We do yoga not just for the sake of physical results, but so those results—a strong, supple, and receptive body—give us greater access to our spirit. Why should feeding ourselves be any different? Think of food combining as food yoga. By keeping the core of our bodies functioning with ease, we can access our inner selves more deeply because less of our attention is diverted to the physical.
A Process of Elimination
How often do you actually think about the food that's being digested by your body? Most of us think about digestion only when we suffer indigestion—bloating, gas, heartburn, constipation, diarrhea, and all the other unpleasant symptoms that quickly direct our attention to our bellies. Yet the digestive tract is the center of the body—the alchemical furnace in which what we eat is transmuted from separate foods into the fuel our bodies and minds need. The next time you eat something, think about when your food actually becomes you.
The digestive tract has three basic functions: The stomach separates the food into smaller parts, the small intestine completes the breakdown and assimilates nutrients to supply to the rest of the body, and the large intestine eventually eliminates any remaining waste. Keeping this system in good working order is essential to overall health and vitality.
Digestive problems can arise as we age, undergo stress, eat too quickly or on the run, or eat diets composed of refined and rich foods, too much food, or foods eaten in complicated combinations. Eventually, the proper flow of digestive juices slows down, compromising the breakdown of foods in the stomach and small intestine. Like any plumbing system, the digestive tract can erode or get backed up, resulting in chronic diarrhea and/or constipation. If elimination doesn't happen properly, we don't receive the nutrients we need and toxic waste matter can remain in the system. This causes us to feel uncomfortable and lethargic; the flow of life energy is blocked.
The word digestion comes from the Latin for "separate" or "arrange." In fact, this is exactly what happens in the digestive tract: Nutrients, in the form of molecules, are separated from food and arranged through assimilation to provide energy for all the body's internal organs. With food combining, you assist digestion by separating and prearranging your food before it even lands in your stomach.
Although medical research hasn't yet been done on the specific benefits of food combining, this system, which has been around in various forms since the 1930s, is based on the understanding that eating foods in combinations that have compatible enzymes and digestive times makes for easier and more complete digestion. High-protein foods require the acidic medium of the stomach to be broken down, whereas carbohydrates require the alkaline or neutral medium of the small intestine. When high-protein and high-carbohydrate foods are eaten together, digestion becomes more complicated, since the transit time for carbohydrates is slowed by the breakdown of protein in the stomach. If the breakdown is impeded, then the absorption of nutrients and elimination also may become more difficult, with undigested food particles remaining in the system. These undigested particles can create allergens, bacterial imbalances, and other disorders in the gastrointestinal tract.
A Simple Approach
In many aspects of life, with simplification comes less excess. The same is true for the body. In a world obsessed with abundance and the availability of every imaginable foodstuff 365 days a year, food combining helps us simplify our food choices. The basic rule of thumb is: The simpler the meal, the easier digestion will be. Simple meals, moderate portions, and chewing food slowly and with an attitude of reverence all help maintain easy digestion and free-flowing energy in the body. It doesn't take long to get the hang of food combining with these simple guidelines:
Fruits are the easiest and fastest foods to digest, and for that reason should always be eaten separately from proteins, grains, and vegetables. They are further classified into acid, subacid, sweet, and melons—based on their levels of acid and sugar—and have their own set of guidelines for combinations. Digestion time: 20 minutes to one hour.
All vegetables can be combined with one another as well as with proteins. For optimal digestive ease, it's best to combine only nonstarchy and low-starch vegetables with grains. Digestion time: 30 minutes to two hours.
Grains can be eaten alone or combined with nonstarchy and low-starch vegetables. Do not combine grains with protein or with starchy vegetables. It's best to have only one type of grain at a meal, so decide if you really want that hunk of bread or if it's worth waiting for the rice. Digestion time: two to three hours.
Proteins can be eaten alone or combined with nonstarchy, low-starch, and starchy vegetables. It's best to have only one type of protein at a meal. Digestion time: two to four hours.
When selecting what to eat, consider not only the culinary appeal of your choices but how your body will interpret the foods you are about to ingest. Ask yourself: Will these foods fuel my body so it can be a strong vehicle for my spirit, or will they slow me down? Feeding yourself purposefully is like doing yoga off the mat: Each choice of what and how to feed yourself is an opportunity to practice awareness, compassion, and self-love.
Hale Sofia Schatz is the author of If the Buddha Came to Dinner: How to Nourish Your Body to Awaken Your Spirit (Hyperion, available in 2004). She is a holistic nourishment consultant in Boston.
How Yoga Can Make You a Better Athlete
"Mentally, an athlete must be strong in her resolve to keep pushing even when things get tough. My practice has taught me that intensity is fleeting; what feels like an interminable hold of a standing pose will soon give way to something else. When things get tough, I aim to meet the challenge with mental strength and with the knowledge that this, too, shall pass." Yogaglo
By Rita Trieger
Nearly 20 million Americans practice yoga for almost as many reasons, but primarily most hope to improve health, become stronger, and feel happier. Older Americans benefit from yoga’s gentle stretches and non-impact aerobic aspects, while younger mothers, children and teens use yoga as a way to develop strong personal bonds, self-awareness and overall clarity; and every practitioner in between knows that yoga can be the perfect choice -- no matter what your age or lifestyle – to help achieve the goal of overall well-being.
But perhaps the group with the most to gain from this ancient art is athletes. Most sports require a certain degree of physical prowess, including flexibility, endurance and strength; and yoga asanas or postures offer athletes a plethora of ways and means to improve on these qualities, as well as innovative techniques to incorporate balance, muscle conditioning and healing relief for joints.
At its core, yoga is an exploration of the body. A regular practitioner is able to develop an in-depth knowledge of the body’s biomechanics, including a greater understanding of exactly how it functions, and the changing nature of its limitations. Over time, an athlete can use yoga as a way to work with the body’s inevitable changes in order to improve performance and remain injury-free.
Yoga breathing (pranayama) techniques can also greatly improve aerobic capacity by helping to strengthen the diaphragm and expand lung tissue, resulting in enhanced athletic endurance. Yoga breathing deepens the flow of breath, improves core strength, and teaches us how to control and regulate the fight or flight response in challenging situations: Think third down and goal!
Since the primary functions of yoga are to rid the body of obstacles, as well as to calm the mind, athletic performance can be greatly improved with regular practice. As most athletes know, the mind can be the biggest stumbling block towards achieving their best. Being “psyched out” can often lead to devastating defeat.
Yoga helps athletes to step back and become a witness to their own consciousness. From this place of inner awareness the athlete is able to observe his or her own performance, without judgment, and can envision a clearer path towards their highest performance level.
As more and more professional and amateur sports teams employ yoga coaches and encourage practice as a way to stay healthy and limber, this ancient and varied practice will continue to thrive and inspire the athlete in all of us.
Published March 14, 2012 at 12:00 AM
About Rita Trieger
Rita Trieger is the Director of Marketing and Promotions for Scarsdale Yoga Studios. She teaches therapeutic yoga for cancer and heart patients at Stamford Hospital and is the author of Yoga Heals Your Back (Fairwinds, 2005).
By Rita Trieger
Nearly 20 million Americans practice yoga for almost as many reasons, but primarily most hope to improve health, become stronger, and feel happier. Older Americans benefit from yoga’s gentle stretches and non-impact aerobic aspects, while younger mothers, children and teens use yoga as a way to develop strong personal bonds, self-awareness and overall clarity; and every practitioner in between knows that yoga can be the perfect choice -- no matter what your age or lifestyle – to help achieve the goal of overall well-being.
But perhaps the group with the most to gain from this ancient art is athletes. Most sports require a certain degree of physical prowess, including flexibility, endurance and strength; and yoga asanas or postures offer athletes a plethora of ways and means to improve on these qualities, as well as innovative techniques to incorporate balance, muscle conditioning and healing relief for joints.
At its core, yoga is an exploration of the body. A regular practitioner is able to develop an in-depth knowledge of the body’s biomechanics, including a greater understanding of exactly how it functions, and the changing nature of its limitations. Over time, an athlete can use yoga as a way to work with the body’s inevitable changes in order to improve performance and remain injury-free.
Yoga breathing (pranayama) techniques can also greatly improve aerobic capacity by helping to strengthen the diaphragm and expand lung tissue, resulting in enhanced athletic endurance. Yoga breathing deepens the flow of breath, improves core strength, and teaches us how to control and regulate the fight or flight response in challenging situations: Think third down and goal!
Since the primary functions of yoga are to rid the body of obstacles, as well as to calm the mind, athletic performance can be greatly improved with regular practice. As most athletes know, the mind can be the biggest stumbling block towards achieving their best. Being “psyched out” can often lead to devastating defeat.
Yoga helps athletes to step back and become a witness to their own consciousness. From this place of inner awareness the athlete is able to observe his or her own performance, without judgment, and can envision a clearer path towards their highest performance level.
As more and more professional and amateur sports teams employ yoga coaches and encourage practice as a way to stay healthy and limber, this ancient and varied practice will continue to thrive and inspire the athlete in all of us.
Published March 14, 2012 at 12:00 AM
About Rita Trieger
Rita Trieger is the Director of Marketing and Promotions for Scarsdale Yoga Studios. She teaches therapeutic yoga for cancer and heart patients at Stamford Hospital and is the author of Yoga Heals Your Back (Fairwinds, 2005).
7 Reasons You Need to Be Juicing
By John McIntyre
Every day, I hear from people who want to get into juicing. They've heard dramatic stories of weight loss and tales of huge energy boosts. From juicing speakers like Jason Vale (The Juice Master) to Australians filming their juice fast (Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead), it seems that the world can't get enough of juicing.
Me? I started a few years back.
One morning, I woke up with a splitting headache and some sort of virus, struggling to make it to the kitchen for breakfast. After 12 hours sleep, I barely had the energy to walk and I collapsed on the living room sofa to recover.
After an hour, I pulled myself up and recalled that there was a juicer in the kitchen. Mind you, I'd never used it, and I smirked when my roommate made his fresh juice. I mean, how can dark green liquid taste or feel good?
However, that day I was desperate. After a frantic phone call to my roommate to find out how to use it, I made my first juice.
After gulping it down, how did I feel? Nothing really.
But once an hour had passed, I couldn't believe it. The tiredness from the morning? Gone. The headache? Gone.
I felt incredible, filled with energy and a powerful sense of well-being.
If you're sitting on the fence and can't decide whether you should give juicing a go, perhaps you can be convinced? Below are 7 reasons why you need to be juicing. Trust me, it's worth it!
1. Energy
It has to be experienced to be believed. Juicing fruits and vegetables makes them easy to digest. Energy that would otherwise have been spent on digestion can be spent on more important things.
Fresh juice supplies the body with a concentrated batch of vitamins and minerals in their natural form. With the extra nutrition, your body's performance will improve and more energy will be available.
2. Weight Loss
Many people have told incredible stories about weight loss after beginning juicing. Why? As a general rule, weight gain and obesity can be linked with processed foods, synthetic ingredients such as preservatives and a general lack of regular exercise.
Juicing helps on all fronts: a) Juicing is entirely natural, b) Fresh fruit and vegetable juice contains no synthetic ingredients like preservatives, and c) with the extra energy, you'll WANT to exercise.
3. Detox
Our livers are responsibly for cleansing and detoxifying the blood, which makes them absolutely essential. Every day, blood runs through the liver and is purified of toxins and waste matter.
With a diet of unhealthy food, the liver struggles and the blood is likely to be sub-optimal. One function of the blood is to move oxygen around the body, giving energy to limbs and organs. Poor blood quality equals low energy.
Since fresh juice is absorbed very quickly, it hits the blood and liver, aiding the detoxification process and helping the liver to do a fantastic job.
4. Sleep Like a Log
More than 30% of people suffer from insomnia. A big reason why some people struggle to sleep is that their diet sucks. Lots of refined carbs, heavy meats and processed food drain the body of energy and interrupt the natural sleep pattern.
Juicing on a regular basis makes it easy to bounce out of bed in the morning. You'll wake up well rested and ready to make the most of the day ahead.
5. Prevent Disease
Disease thrives in bodies which are filled with toxins, bacteria and carcinogens, most of which are found in unhealthy food. This applies to fast food as well as things like "white" bread.
To prevent disease and effectively defend itself, the body requires a wide assortment of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Juicing is a simple and easy way to meet this need, and many have reported success at preventing and curing disease with juicing.
6. Improve Relationships
When you're feeling great (and juicing will make you feel awesome), you'll naturally handle your relationships better. You'll find it easier to be loving and you'll have the energy to be a fun person.
7. Enjoy Life
When you feel healthy, you get more out of life. As you've seen above, juicing (and healthy living as a whole) can change someone's life and enable them take delight in the joy of it.
Published September 7, 2011 at 1:00 PM
About John McIntyre
John runs a popular juicing website where you can learn more about the benefits of juicing and get a variety of free juicing recipes.
Every day, I hear from people who want to get into juicing. They've heard dramatic stories of weight loss and tales of huge energy boosts. From juicing speakers like Jason Vale (The Juice Master) to Australians filming their juice fast (Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead), it seems that the world can't get enough of juicing.
Me? I started a few years back.
One morning, I woke up with a splitting headache and some sort of virus, struggling to make it to the kitchen for breakfast. After 12 hours sleep, I barely had the energy to walk and I collapsed on the living room sofa to recover.
After an hour, I pulled myself up and recalled that there was a juicer in the kitchen. Mind you, I'd never used it, and I smirked when my roommate made his fresh juice. I mean, how can dark green liquid taste or feel good?
However, that day I was desperate. After a frantic phone call to my roommate to find out how to use it, I made my first juice.
After gulping it down, how did I feel? Nothing really.
But once an hour had passed, I couldn't believe it. The tiredness from the morning? Gone. The headache? Gone.
I felt incredible, filled with energy and a powerful sense of well-being.
If you're sitting on the fence and can't decide whether you should give juicing a go, perhaps you can be convinced? Below are 7 reasons why you need to be juicing. Trust me, it's worth it!
1. Energy
It has to be experienced to be believed. Juicing fruits and vegetables makes them easy to digest. Energy that would otherwise have been spent on digestion can be spent on more important things.
Fresh juice supplies the body with a concentrated batch of vitamins and minerals in their natural form. With the extra nutrition, your body's performance will improve and more energy will be available.
2. Weight Loss
Many people have told incredible stories about weight loss after beginning juicing. Why? As a general rule, weight gain and obesity can be linked with processed foods, synthetic ingredients such as preservatives and a general lack of regular exercise.
Juicing helps on all fronts: a) Juicing is entirely natural, b) Fresh fruit and vegetable juice contains no synthetic ingredients like preservatives, and c) with the extra energy, you'll WANT to exercise.
3. Detox
Our livers are responsibly for cleansing and detoxifying the blood, which makes them absolutely essential. Every day, blood runs through the liver and is purified of toxins and waste matter.
With a diet of unhealthy food, the liver struggles and the blood is likely to be sub-optimal. One function of the blood is to move oxygen around the body, giving energy to limbs and organs. Poor blood quality equals low energy.
Since fresh juice is absorbed very quickly, it hits the blood and liver, aiding the detoxification process and helping the liver to do a fantastic job.
4. Sleep Like a Log
More than 30% of people suffer from insomnia. A big reason why some people struggle to sleep is that their diet sucks. Lots of refined carbs, heavy meats and processed food drain the body of energy and interrupt the natural sleep pattern.
Juicing on a regular basis makes it easy to bounce out of bed in the morning. You'll wake up well rested and ready to make the most of the day ahead.
5. Prevent Disease
Disease thrives in bodies which are filled with toxins, bacteria and carcinogens, most of which are found in unhealthy food. This applies to fast food as well as things like "white" bread.
To prevent disease and effectively defend itself, the body requires a wide assortment of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Juicing is a simple and easy way to meet this need, and many have reported success at preventing and curing disease with juicing.
6. Improve Relationships
When you're feeling great (and juicing will make you feel awesome), you'll naturally handle your relationships better. You'll find it easier to be loving and you'll have the energy to be a fun person.
7. Enjoy Life
When you feel healthy, you get more out of life. As you've seen above, juicing (and healthy living as a whole) can change someone's life and enable them take delight in the joy of it.
Published September 7, 2011 at 1:00 PM
About John McIntyre
John runs a popular juicing website where you can learn more about the benefits of juicing and get a variety of free juicing recipes.
The Power of Deep Breathing
By Jayme Barrett
Paying attention to your breathing is one of the fastest ways to become calm, centered, and energized. Have you noticed that when you feel anxious, excited, or fearful, your breathing becomes choppy, quick, and shallow? The key is to breathe fully, deeply, and slowly. As you inhale, let your stomach expand and fill your lungs with air. Do the same as you exhale. Your stomach goes in first, and then your lungs contract as you let the air out.
When you feel stressed during the day, stop everything and breathe deeply. You will compose yourself, bring in vital energy, and get off the “fast track,” if only for a few priceless moments. Practicing yoga is a powerful way to become conscious of your breathing and to balance your body, mind, and spirit. A few simple stretching poses coinciding with deep breaths will release unwanted tension.
If you need some inner answers to a difficult situation in your life, breathe properly; then ask for guidance. Your mind will be less jumbled, and you will be able to actually hear the guidance.
Below is a powerful breathing exercise that I share in my book Feng Shui Your Life offered by one of my teachers, Master Stephen Co. His book, The Power of Prana: Breathe Your Way to Health and Vitality offers a myriad of ways to invite Prana (life force energy) into your body.
Below are simple instructions for Pranic Breathing.
•Gently place your tongue on the roof of your mouth. This helps circulate energy throughout the body.
•Inhale through your nose for six counts.
•Hold your breath for three counts.
•Exhale through your nose for six counts.
•Hold your breath for three counts.
•This 6-3-6-3 breathing completes one cycle.
You can do pranic breathing during meditation, on a walk, or in your car. You can use it to absorb energy in nature. Whenever you are feeling low on energy, practice pranic breathing for twelve cycles, and you will feel refreshed.
Published March 15, 2012 at 3:40 PM
About Jayme Barrett
Jayme Barrett is a feng shui consultant in Los Angeles and the best-selling author of Feng Shui Your Life. Specializing in techniques for personal fulfillment, prosperity and integrated health, her philosophy is simple and effective. When one displays symbols of beauty, abundance, success and love within their home and work environment, it creates a manifestation of the life they want to live: a blueprint for their destiny. Jayme has appeared on The Today Show, E!, HGTV and has received feng shui praise from actresses Mary Steenburgen, Sela Ward, and Alyson Hannigan as well as authors Mark Victor Hansen and Tony Robbins.
Paying attention to your breathing is one of the fastest ways to become calm, centered, and energized. Have you noticed that when you feel anxious, excited, or fearful, your breathing becomes choppy, quick, and shallow? The key is to breathe fully, deeply, and slowly. As you inhale, let your stomach expand and fill your lungs with air. Do the same as you exhale. Your stomach goes in first, and then your lungs contract as you let the air out.
When you feel stressed during the day, stop everything and breathe deeply. You will compose yourself, bring in vital energy, and get off the “fast track,” if only for a few priceless moments. Practicing yoga is a powerful way to become conscious of your breathing and to balance your body, mind, and spirit. A few simple stretching poses coinciding with deep breaths will release unwanted tension.
If you need some inner answers to a difficult situation in your life, breathe properly; then ask for guidance. Your mind will be less jumbled, and you will be able to actually hear the guidance.
Below is a powerful breathing exercise that I share in my book Feng Shui Your Life offered by one of my teachers, Master Stephen Co. His book, The Power of Prana: Breathe Your Way to Health and Vitality offers a myriad of ways to invite Prana (life force energy) into your body.
Below are simple instructions for Pranic Breathing.
•Gently place your tongue on the roof of your mouth. This helps circulate energy throughout the body.
•Inhale through your nose for six counts.
•Hold your breath for three counts.
•Exhale through your nose for six counts.
•Hold your breath for three counts.
•This 6-3-6-3 breathing completes one cycle.
You can do pranic breathing during meditation, on a walk, or in your car. You can use it to absorb energy in nature. Whenever you are feeling low on energy, practice pranic breathing for twelve cycles, and you will feel refreshed.
Published March 15, 2012 at 3:40 PM
About Jayme Barrett
Jayme Barrett is a feng shui consultant in Los Angeles and the best-selling author of Feng Shui Your Life. Specializing in techniques for personal fulfillment, prosperity and integrated health, her philosophy is simple and effective. When one displays symbols of beauty, abundance, success and love within their home and work environment, it creates a manifestation of the life they want to live: a blueprint for their destiny. Jayme has appeared on The Today Show, E!, HGTV and has received feng shui praise from actresses Mary Steenburgen, Sela Ward, and Alyson Hannigan as well as authors Mark Victor Hansen and Tony Robbins.
20 Ways to Speed Up Your Metabolism
By Heather Bauer, RD,CDN, REDBOOK
Whether you're trying to shed some lbs or just stay fit, these tricks to increase your metabolism from nutritionist Heather Bauer, RD,CDN, will help you reach the finish line even faster.
1. Keep Hydrated I'm sure the general population thinks dieticians sound like a broken record when it comes to the whole water thing, but it really is important. Drinking the recommended eight cups of water a day will help your body function at peak performance levels.
2. Keep Calcium Levels Up Current obesity research shows that a dip in calcium levels can trigger the same hormone that causes the body to hold onto fat to be released. Choose low-fat dairy, cheese, yogurt, salmon, tofu, and oatmeal.
3. Ditch the Drinks Happy hours and late night cocktails can do a number on your metabolism the next day. Research shows that the day after a night of drinking, there is a significant dip in your metabolic rate. Combine this with hangover cravings, and you've got a double disaster.
4. Eat Constantly Snacking does not have to be a bad thing. If your stomach is growling, it means that you need more fuel. Not providing your body with food is a surefire way to slow down its basic functions. Choose high-fiber, high-protein snacks like low-fat cheese, fiber crackers, fruits, veggies, or Greek yogurt. Starving your body will sabotage all of your dieting efforts.
5. Destress Yourself Stress raises the amount of cortisol in your body. Cortisol is a hormone that tells the body to hold onto fat in case of a stressful situation (think more natural disaster-level stress, not a bad day at work-level). Experiment with yoga or meditation as ways to lower stress levels and clear your mind.
6. Decrease Diet Soda Although it's low in calories and seems like an easy swap for high calorie beverages, diet soda may actually have adverse effects on your metabolism. Water and seltzer are better options, but if you must drink diet soda, limit your consumption to two cans (not Big Gulps!) per week.
7. Don't Forget Your ZZZ's Getting a least seven to eight hours of sleep every night is crucial to a healthy metabolism. Anything less can adversely affect your body's ability to burn calories. Surprisingly, excess sleep may do the same thing. It's best to keep a consistent bedtime and wake up close to the same time every morning
8. Soak Up the Sun Research shows that when a person spends long periods of time in a darkened, dull environment, it stimulates the same physiological functions in the body as gaining weight and sleep. The best daylight hours are between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., so make it a point to get up from your desk and take a brisk walk outside. Aside from soaking up rays, you'll rev up your heart rate and benefit from the fresh air.
9. Work Out in the Cold Doing any type of cardio exercise in the cold can increase the ability of brown fat in the body to work at maximum capacity. Newly published research indicates that brown fat helps efficiently burn the white fat in your body, which is the considered that "bad fat."
10. Drink Kombucha Tea This tea, which is made from the Kombucha black mushroom, has racked up accolades in almost every health area-claims range from easing arthritis to detoxifying the liver. The detoxifying nature of this beverage may help your body function at an optimal level, which means a healthy metabolism.
11. Increase Weight-Bearing Exercises One pound of muscle burns 35 to 50 calories, while one pound of fat burns a measly 5 to 10 calories. Increasing your muscle mass can increase your body's basal metabolic rate (BMR) by up to 40%. There's no need to hit the weights hard, either, simply using light weights at high repetition has been proven to tone muscle and burn fat.
12. Up Your Vitamin C Vitamin C and calcium are partners in crime when it comes to your metabolic rate. Calcium speeds up metabolism, while vitamin C helps the body absorb this mineral, creating an overall win-win situation.
13. Vitamin B is Key Getting in all over your vitamin B, which you can do by incorporating small amounts of nuts, seeds, lean chicken, beef, and fish into your diet, helps maintain a healthy metabolism. Legumes are also a great source of B vitamins; plus they're chock-full of fiber.
14. Drink Green Tea The polyphenols, specifically EGCG, in green tea have properties that rev up your metabolic rate. However, green tea takes dedication. You have to drink about 4 to 5 cups a day to see results.
15. Avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup It's one of the most controversial issues in nutrition: Studies show that HFCS can make the body insulin-resistant. Also, when given the choice, the body stores fructose as fat before it does glucose.
16. Try Interval Training Aside from curing workout boredom, interval training allows you to burn more calories in less time. This is a great way for busy people with less time to get in a maximum workout.
17. Drink Oolong Tea Swap your second latte of the day with a fresh cup of oolong tea. Chinese medicine and celebrities alike tout the calorie boosting properties of this electrifying elixir.
18. Spicy Peppers Take your pick: Jalapenos, chili, cayenne, habanero, etc.. These fiery little guys contain capsaicin, which is why you get a burning sensation in your mouth when you eat them. This same effect is created internally, causing a calorie burn for about 30 minutes afterward.
19. Go Ginger The latest craze is to add ginger shots to juice, but if you're not into juicing, it also pairs nicely with veggies in a stir-fry. In addition to aiding digestion, it can speed up the body's digestion process by as much as twenty percent.
20. Eat Oily Fish Fish such as tuna and salmon contain oil that increases leptin, which is a hormone responsible for controlling appetite.
Whether you're trying to shed some lbs or just stay fit, these tricks to increase your metabolism from nutritionist Heather Bauer, RD,CDN, will help you reach the finish line even faster.
1. Keep Hydrated I'm sure the general population thinks dieticians sound like a broken record when it comes to the whole water thing, but it really is important. Drinking the recommended eight cups of water a day will help your body function at peak performance levels.
2. Keep Calcium Levels Up Current obesity research shows that a dip in calcium levels can trigger the same hormone that causes the body to hold onto fat to be released. Choose low-fat dairy, cheese, yogurt, salmon, tofu, and oatmeal.
3. Ditch the Drinks Happy hours and late night cocktails can do a number on your metabolism the next day. Research shows that the day after a night of drinking, there is a significant dip in your metabolic rate. Combine this with hangover cravings, and you've got a double disaster.
4. Eat Constantly Snacking does not have to be a bad thing. If your stomach is growling, it means that you need more fuel. Not providing your body with food is a surefire way to slow down its basic functions. Choose high-fiber, high-protein snacks like low-fat cheese, fiber crackers, fruits, veggies, or Greek yogurt. Starving your body will sabotage all of your dieting efforts.
5. Destress Yourself Stress raises the amount of cortisol in your body. Cortisol is a hormone that tells the body to hold onto fat in case of a stressful situation (think more natural disaster-level stress, not a bad day at work-level). Experiment with yoga or meditation as ways to lower stress levels and clear your mind.
6. Decrease Diet Soda Although it's low in calories and seems like an easy swap for high calorie beverages, diet soda may actually have adverse effects on your metabolism. Water and seltzer are better options, but if you must drink diet soda, limit your consumption to two cans (not Big Gulps!) per week.
7. Don't Forget Your ZZZ's Getting a least seven to eight hours of sleep every night is crucial to a healthy metabolism. Anything less can adversely affect your body's ability to burn calories. Surprisingly, excess sleep may do the same thing. It's best to keep a consistent bedtime and wake up close to the same time every morning
8. Soak Up the Sun Research shows that when a person spends long periods of time in a darkened, dull environment, it stimulates the same physiological functions in the body as gaining weight and sleep. The best daylight hours are between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., so make it a point to get up from your desk and take a brisk walk outside. Aside from soaking up rays, you'll rev up your heart rate and benefit from the fresh air.
9. Work Out in the Cold Doing any type of cardio exercise in the cold can increase the ability of brown fat in the body to work at maximum capacity. Newly published research indicates that brown fat helps efficiently burn the white fat in your body, which is the considered that "bad fat."
10. Drink Kombucha Tea This tea, which is made from the Kombucha black mushroom, has racked up accolades in almost every health area-claims range from easing arthritis to detoxifying the liver. The detoxifying nature of this beverage may help your body function at an optimal level, which means a healthy metabolism.
11. Increase Weight-Bearing Exercises One pound of muscle burns 35 to 50 calories, while one pound of fat burns a measly 5 to 10 calories. Increasing your muscle mass can increase your body's basal metabolic rate (BMR) by up to 40%. There's no need to hit the weights hard, either, simply using light weights at high repetition has been proven to tone muscle and burn fat.
12. Up Your Vitamin C Vitamin C and calcium are partners in crime when it comes to your metabolic rate. Calcium speeds up metabolism, while vitamin C helps the body absorb this mineral, creating an overall win-win situation.
13. Vitamin B is Key Getting in all over your vitamin B, which you can do by incorporating small amounts of nuts, seeds, lean chicken, beef, and fish into your diet, helps maintain a healthy metabolism. Legumes are also a great source of B vitamins; plus they're chock-full of fiber.
14. Drink Green Tea The polyphenols, specifically EGCG, in green tea have properties that rev up your metabolic rate. However, green tea takes dedication. You have to drink about 4 to 5 cups a day to see results.
15. Avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup It's one of the most controversial issues in nutrition: Studies show that HFCS can make the body insulin-resistant. Also, when given the choice, the body stores fructose as fat before it does glucose.
16. Try Interval Training Aside from curing workout boredom, interval training allows you to burn more calories in less time. This is a great way for busy people with less time to get in a maximum workout.
17. Drink Oolong Tea Swap your second latte of the day with a fresh cup of oolong tea. Chinese medicine and celebrities alike tout the calorie boosting properties of this electrifying elixir.
18. Spicy Peppers Take your pick: Jalapenos, chili, cayenne, habanero, etc.. These fiery little guys contain capsaicin, which is why you get a burning sensation in your mouth when you eat them. This same effect is created internally, causing a calorie burn for about 30 minutes afterward.
19. Go Ginger The latest craze is to add ginger shots to juice, but if you're not into juicing, it also pairs nicely with veggies in a stir-fry. In addition to aiding digestion, it can speed up the body's digestion process by as much as twenty percent.
20. Eat Oily Fish Fish such as tuna and salmon contain oil that increases leptin, which is a hormone responsible for controlling appetite.
Monday, March 12, 2012
John Mackey: 4 Pillars of Healthy Eating
"America is sick, and we are rapidly getting sicker. Most of our illness is do to unhealthy diets and unhealthy lifestyles," says Whole Foods Market founder and CEO, John Mackey. But he's got a plan.
Why is this so?
Maybe it has something to do with the American diet, which only consists of 10% Unrefined Plant Food (Fruits, Vegetables, Beans, Nuts, Seeds), only 2.5% Whole Grains, and a whopping 62% from Processed Foods! Mackey says this diet is "Designed for Disease."
How do you fix this problem?
Mackey breaks it down to the Four Pillars of Healthy Eating:
1.Whole Foods (if it comes in a package or a label then it's probably not a whole food)
2.Plant Strong (you don't have to be vegan, but get your animal product consumption down)
3.Healthy Fats (think avocados)
4.Nutrient Dense (fruits and veggies, not animal products)
Through these four pillars of eating, some Whole Foods team members have reversed diabetes and lost over 100 pounds!
Mackey goes on to talk about how as we as individuals can raise our consciousness and help educate others about adapting a healthy lifestyle.
Click on the link to watch a short video of his presentation.
Why is this so?
Maybe it has something to do with the American diet, which only consists of 10% Unrefined Plant Food (Fruits, Vegetables, Beans, Nuts, Seeds), only 2.5% Whole Grains, and a whopping 62% from Processed Foods! Mackey says this diet is "Designed for Disease."
How do you fix this problem?
Mackey breaks it down to the Four Pillars of Healthy Eating:
1.Whole Foods (if it comes in a package or a label then it's probably not a whole food)
2.Plant Strong (you don't have to be vegan, but get your animal product consumption down)
3.Healthy Fats (think avocados)
4.Nutrient Dense (fruits and veggies, not animal products)
Through these four pillars of eating, some Whole Foods team members have reversed diabetes and lost over 100 pounds!
Mackey goes on to talk about how as we as individuals can raise our consciousness and help educate others about adapting a healthy lifestyle.
Click on the link to watch a short video of his presentation.
7 Foods to Fight Stress
By Linnea Jensen
More so than any other emotion, tension and stress can wreak serious havoc on our precious bodies. The good news is, we have a choice. The first step is to change the way we listen to our stress. Anxiety happens inappropriately when our body's needs are not being met. So in a moment of tension, there are two choices -- to take it literally or to take action and move out of it. Moving out of it can be as simple as taking initiative, and eating the right foods.
Certain healthy foods can actually help tame mindless munching and cravings, and lower overall anxiety levels. Below are 7 of my favorites:
1) Dark Chocolate. Eating healthy does not mean eating boring foods. This enticing substance can actually help you to alleviate symptoms of stress when eaten in moderation. Dark chocolate is high in flavonoids which are potent with relaxation properties. Chocolate also contains phenethylamine, a chemical that enhances mood. The darker the chocolate, the more of these substances you are getting. Generally, opt for bars with 70% cacao or higher.
2) Spinach. This lean, green leaf is high in magnesium which improves your body's overall response to stress and stops blood pressure from spiking.
3) Oatmeal. Have you ever noticed that when your body is stressed you crave carbohydrates? Your body is incredibly intelligent and demanding that you get back to feeling balanced. Follow that craving and choose nutrient rich complex carbohydrates. Oatmeal takes the cake on this one. Complex carbohydrates help you to produce serotonin, a relaxing hormone that can reduce anxiety's negative effects. Oatmeal's fiber rich qualities allow the body to absorb it at a much slower pace and prolong the serotonin boost. For those of you with low blood sugar, this is your solution to make sure your levels are in check for longer periods of time.
4) Walnuts. If you have high blood pressure, walnuts are your new best friend. Eating at least 1 ounce a day prevents blood pressure from rising, and keeps your anxiety levels in check. If you already tend to have higher levels of adrenaline and anxiety, do yourself a favor and don't make your heart work over time.
5) Sunflower seeds. Sunflower seeds contain a high source of folate, which helps your body produce the feel-good brain chemical and take control of our emotional responses.
6) Blueberries. The high potency of antioxidants in these berries counteracts the production of cortisol, which is the number one chemical that is released during stressful times.
7) Salmon. Two words = omega threes. These fatty acids can actually reverse stress symptoms entirely by boosting serotonin and lowering anxiety hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline.
Happy eating!
Published March 6, 2012 at 12:35 AM
About Linnea Jensen
Linnea is a Seattle based vinyasa yoga instructor, writer, wellness wizard, juicing queen, and businesswoman. She makes regular contributions to health and wellness websites, and teaches a sweaty, playful flow in the heart of the city. Linnea is known for her relatable ease, and authentic teaching. She also specializes as a wellness coach, helping others to not only redefine their health, but live a life that is "better than just good." You can find her making a ruckus in the kitchen, juggling vegetables, and talking your ear off about all things yoga. "Like" Linnea Jensen Yoga on Facebook or follow her on Twitter for more innovation for a vibrant life.
More so than any other emotion, tension and stress can wreak serious havoc on our precious bodies. The good news is, we have a choice. The first step is to change the way we listen to our stress. Anxiety happens inappropriately when our body's needs are not being met. So in a moment of tension, there are two choices -- to take it literally or to take action and move out of it. Moving out of it can be as simple as taking initiative, and eating the right foods.
Certain healthy foods can actually help tame mindless munching and cravings, and lower overall anxiety levels. Below are 7 of my favorites:
1) Dark Chocolate. Eating healthy does not mean eating boring foods. This enticing substance can actually help you to alleviate symptoms of stress when eaten in moderation. Dark chocolate is high in flavonoids which are potent with relaxation properties. Chocolate also contains phenethylamine, a chemical that enhances mood. The darker the chocolate, the more of these substances you are getting. Generally, opt for bars with 70% cacao or higher.
2) Spinach. This lean, green leaf is high in magnesium which improves your body's overall response to stress and stops blood pressure from spiking.
3) Oatmeal. Have you ever noticed that when your body is stressed you crave carbohydrates? Your body is incredibly intelligent and demanding that you get back to feeling balanced. Follow that craving and choose nutrient rich complex carbohydrates. Oatmeal takes the cake on this one. Complex carbohydrates help you to produce serotonin, a relaxing hormone that can reduce anxiety's negative effects. Oatmeal's fiber rich qualities allow the body to absorb it at a much slower pace and prolong the serotonin boost. For those of you with low blood sugar, this is your solution to make sure your levels are in check for longer periods of time.
4) Walnuts. If you have high blood pressure, walnuts are your new best friend. Eating at least 1 ounce a day prevents blood pressure from rising, and keeps your anxiety levels in check. If you already tend to have higher levels of adrenaline and anxiety, do yourself a favor and don't make your heart work over time.
5) Sunflower seeds. Sunflower seeds contain a high source of folate, which helps your body produce the feel-good brain chemical and take control of our emotional responses.
6) Blueberries. The high potency of antioxidants in these berries counteracts the production of cortisol, which is the number one chemical that is released during stressful times.
7) Salmon. Two words = omega threes. These fatty acids can actually reverse stress symptoms entirely by boosting serotonin and lowering anxiety hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline.
Happy eating!
Published March 6, 2012 at 12:35 AM
About Linnea Jensen
Linnea is a Seattle based vinyasa yoga instructor, writer, wellness wizard, juicing queen, and businesswoman. She makes regular contributions to health and wellness websites, and teaches a sweaty, playful flow in the heart of the city. Linnea is known for her relatable ease, and authentic teaching. She also specializes as a wellness coach, helping others to not only redefine their health, but live a life that is "better than just good." You can find her making a ruckus in the kitchen, juggling vegetables, and talking your ear off about all things yoga. "Like" Linnea Jensen Yoga on Facebook or follow her on Twitter for more innovation for a vibrant life.
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