Once again the cookies, cakes and candy are piling in from friends and family, and I must admit, I've been doing a little baking myself. Before you go into sugar overload, think.... That's right, just think about how it will make you feel after you eat it, what it will do to your hips, what it does to your internal systems and then after you've thought about it for a minute or two, and if you still want it, go ahead. I've found that if I truly think about what I'm putting into my body and how it makes me feel, I do a much better job of eating well. There's always going to be that family favorite chocolate cake (my Granny made the best Hershey's Chocolate Cake!) or that wonderful pecan pie that will be worth it, but if you try to eat just a little to satisfy that need, you'll feel better and be happier with yourself afterwards. I hope to post a few of my favorite healthy holiday recipes here soon, so stay tuned..
Happy Holidays!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Yoga for Weight Loss - Your New Year Resolution?
It's been an eventful year, though you wouldn't really know it by my posts here! Sorry! Today I was inspired to post because of an article I saw Dr. Weil post on his blog. His research has shown that a regular yoga practice helps promote weight loss. While the physical activity certainly has a lot to do with it, it is the mindfulness that you cultivate with your yoga practice that makes the biggest difference. I have observed this first hand in my own practice. Over tha last year of practicing yoga daily, and becoming certified to teach, I have become much more mindful of what I put into my body, and often am just not hungry anymore. I don't think about food constantly, and have just about stopped going to fast food restaurants altogether. I find it helpful to drink a glass of water or tea if I think I might be hungry to make sure it's really hunger and not just thirst. Most times, it's that I'm thirsty. As a result, I've lost over 25 lbs in the last year! People ask me what I've been doing, and I say "Yoga". "No way, you can't lose that much just by doing yoga!" they say. Oh yes you can! Yoga is a wonderful thing that spills over into other parts of your life. It is truly about bringing wellness to Body, Mind and Spirit!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
A must see!
Ok, I know I've been negligent in my blog updates, but I've had a good excuse which I won't belabor here. But now I'm back in the swing of things and just had to make you aware of this movie thats out called Food Inc. Here's the link to the trailer.
I have gotten certified as a Nutrition and Wellness Consultant by the American Fitness Professionals Association and am now studying for the American Association of Nutrition Consultants certification which is much more involved. But what I'm learning is just exactly what is in this movie. Our soils are so depleted that if you eat your veggies like you are supposed to you may still not be getting all the nutrients you need. Further, if you are like most Americans and are eating processed foods, you are getting even less nutrient than if you eat your veggies. Folks, this is exactly why cancer rates are sky high and why so many degenerative diseases are cropping up across America!!
Use your good sense and your pocketbook to vote for an alternative - organic products!! You only get one body to live in, period! There is no do-over! Once the symptoms of degenerative disease show up is too late to start thinking about it. It takes each individual coming to realize this for his/herself, and I completely understand the "lack of time" and "organic costs more", but we must overcome those issues to be healthy. There's just no two ways about it.
I hope you'll check out the movie. I know I'll be there!
I have gotten certified as a Nutrition and Wellness Consultant by the American Fitness Professionals Association and am now studying for the American Association of Nutrition Consultants certification which is much more involved. But what I'm learning is just exactly what is in this movie. Our soils are so depleted that if you eat your veggies like you are supposed to you may still not be getting all the nutrients you need. Further, if you are like most Americans and are eating processed foods, you are getting even less nutrient than if you eat your veggies. Folks, this is exactly why cancer rates are sky high and why so many degenerative diseases are cropping up across America!!
Use your good sense and your pocketbook to vote for an alternative - organic products!! You only get one body to live in, period! There is no do-over! Once the symptoms of degenerative disease show up is too late to start thinking about it. It takes each individual coming to realize this for his/herself, and I completely understand the "lack of time" and "organic costs more", but we must overcome those issues to be healthy. There's just no two ways about it.
I hope you'll check out the movie. I know I'll be there!
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Cultivating Gratitude - A Source for Inspiration
This morning I got an email from Yoga Thailand, the place I went last summer for a week of yoga on the island of Ko Samui. They have recently opened an new retreat center so I was browsing around their website to check it out. While I was there last summer, we got a preview of the new place while it was being built and it's pretty swanky! The photos on the website are very impressive and make me want to go back.
While I was browsing around, I ran across this article from one of the founders of Yoga Thailand, Paul Dallaghan, entitled "Gratitute is Key", and it reminded me of a guided imagery exercise I did a few years ago that focused on gratitude and had a profound impact on my thinking. Here is just a taste of what he writes. I'd highly recommend reading the whole thing.
"Do we see the thorns or the flowers? Is the glass half empty or half full? How we look at everything in life is indicative of what is going on in our system, energetically speaking. Try to observe your response and actions to all situations in your life. How negative or not are they? You can cultivate positivity right at the start of your day. The beginning of any activity is crucial and thus this day even more so. Genuinely feel it, make time for it, sit and offer thanks. Already energetically the positive current starts to flow and affects the rest of your day."
"If we have really acknowledged all we have and feel genuine appreciation we are directly in a position to feel the plight of others. In other words compassion will more naturally flow from us. To put yourself in another's shoes, to do unto others as you would want done to yourself is a key principle of life and inherent in all yoga. From a real place of gratitude your heart is opening to feel others, offer love to others and to help others. What more is there to life?"
Want to feel blessed? Cultivate gratitude. Want to relieve depression? Cultivate gratitude. Feeling sorry for yourself? Cultivate gratitude. Next time you find yourself in one of life's challenging situations, think of all of the things you are thankful for. You'll notice a difference in how you handle the situation.
Thank you!
While I was browsing around, I ran across this article from one of the founders of Yoga Thailand, Paul Dallaghan, entitled "Gratitute is Key", and it reminded me of a guided imagery exercise I did a few years ago that focused on gratitude and had a profound impact on my thinking. Here is just a taste of what he writes. I'd highly recommend reading the whole thing.
"Do we see the thorns or the flowers? Is the glass half empty or half full? How we look at everything in life is indicative of what is going on in our system, energetically speaking. Try to observe your response and actions to all situations in your life. How negative or not are they? You can cultivate positivity right at the start of your day. The beginning of any activity is crucial and thus this day even more so. Genuinely feel it, make time for it, sit and offer thanks. Already energetically the positive current starts to flow and affects the rest of your day."
"If we have really acknowledged all we have and feel genuine appreciation we are directly in a position to feel the plight of others. In other words compassion will more naturally flow from us. To put yourself in another's shoes, to do unto others as you would want done to yourself is a key principle of life and inherent in all yoga. From a real place of gratitude your heart is opening to feel others, offer love to others and to help others. What more is there to life?"
Want to feel blessed? Cultivate gratitude. Want to relieve depression? Cultivate gratitude. Feeling sorry for yourself? Cultivate gratitude. Next time you find yourself in one of life's challenging situations, think of all of the things you are thankful for. You'll notice a difference in how you handle the situation.
Thank you!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Becoming a Yoga Teacher
I'm back from Acapulco and Yoga Teacher's Training, and all I can say is "wow!" It was just a great experience and I'm so happy I went. Many thanks to my brother, George, who came to take over for me so that I could go.
Yoga Teacher's Training in the Integrative Yoga Therapy philosophy of Yoga was just exactly what I needed. No strict religion about a specific style, but a blend of many styles of Hatha Yoga, combined with a variety of other approaches to yoga. So much more than just Hatha Yoga, we learned about Kundalini yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Mantra Yoga, Tantra Yoga, and Raja Yoga (aka, The Wheel of Yoga). These various yogas focus on specific parts of the mind, body and spirit. For example, Kundalini Yoga focuses on the energy body while Mantra Yoga is the yoga of sacred sound, and of course Hatha Yoga focuses on the physical body. I hadn't really expected to explore yoga this broadly, but am really glad we did. In learning about these different types of yoga, we learned about chakras or energy centers withing the body, Ayurveda and it's relation to yoga, and Pranayama or "channeling of the life force" among other things. While we were given "permission" to miss a day of class for whatever reason, none of us wanted to miss a word! Over the course of 2 1/2 weeks, we all had at least one day where we didn't feel too good, but none of us missed class.
And to top it all off, we had a great group of women together in one place. I enjoyed every one of them, all with different stories and circumstances, but with a lot of similarity too. We all got along well.
Now to complete my certification, I have to teach 4 classes and send in my class notes to my teachers. I enlisted the help of some of my Dad's friends, a group they call "The Mondays" because they have cocktails every Monday afternoon. I've developed a series called "Yoga for Balance & Mobility" which is yoga done in a chair. This group of 6-7 southern bred ladies, all of whom are over the age of 80 had asked me to teach them yoga when I returned, so we started today with Class #1. This class focused on Body Awareness, a foundational concept for yoga. The idea is to tune into what's going on in your body, learn to listen to it, and adjust accordingly. Sounds so basic, but many times we think our bodies will just keep on going whether we pay attention or not. But when I hear them say they have problems feeling their feet or finger tips, I know that they can benefit from improved body awareness and some proprioception retraining. They loved it and say they are looking forward to next week.
Class #2 will focus on breath awareness, another foundational concept. Class #3 will focus on balance, and Class #4 will focus on flexibility. Won't be long now before I'll be officially certified!
Yoga Teacher's Training in the Integrative Yoga Therapy philosophy of Yoga was just exactly what I needed. No strict religion about a specific style, but a blend of many styles of Hatha Yoga, combined with a variety of other approaches to yoga. So much more than just Hatha Yoga, we learned about Kundalini yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Mantra Yoga, Tantra Yoga, and Raja Yoga (aka, The Wheel of Yoga). These various yogas focus on specific parts of the mind, body and spirit. For example, Kundalini Yoga focuses on the energy body while Mantra Yoga is the yoga of sacred sound, and of course Hatha Yoga focuses on the physical body. I hadn't really expected to explore yoga this broadly, but am really glad we did. In learning about these different types of yoga, we learned about chakras or energy centers withing the body, Ayurveda and it's relation to yoga, and Pranayama or "channeling of the life force" among other things. While we were given "permission" to miss a day of class for whatever reason, none of us wanted to miss a word! Over the course of 2 1/2 weeks, we all had at least one day where we didn't feel too good, but none of us missed class.
And to top it all off, we had a great group of women together in one place. I enjoyed every one of them, all with different stories and circumstances, but with a lot of similarity too. We all got along well.
Now to complete my certification, I have to teach 4 classes and send in my class notes to my teachers. I enlisted the help of some of my Dad's friends, a group they call "The Mondays" because they have cocktails every Monday afternoon. I've developed a series called "Yoga for Balance & Mobility" which is yoga done in a chair. This group of 6-7 southern bred ladies, all of whom are over the age of 80 had asked me to teach them yoga when I returned, so we started today with Class #1. This class focused on Body Awareness, a foundational concept for yoga. The idea is to tune into what's going on in your body, learn to listen to it, and adjust accordingly. Sounds so basic, but many times we think our bodies will just keep on going whether we pay attention or not. But when I hear them say they have problems feeling their feet or finger tips, I know that they can benefit from improved body awareness and some proprioception retraining. They loved it and say they are looking forward to next week.
Class #2 will focus on breath awareness, another foundational concept. Class #3 will focus on balance, and Class #4 will focus on flexibility. Won't be long now before I'll be officially certified!
Friday, February 6, 2009
Shrimp Stew - OMG Goodness!
One of my favorite magazines is Body & Soul. Every issue has great articles on nutrition, excercise and all around healthy living. In the latest issue, I found this recipe for Shrimp Stew and it's just about the best thing I've made in a long time. Now, in the article, they are saying how great shrimp are for you, and they are, but they don't give the nutrition info on this recipe which seems unusual. By my calculations, per serving it looks something like 350-400 calories, 10-13 g fat, 33 g protein, and 22 g carbs. That of course depends on what kind of sausage you use. I point out the sausage because that's where you'll find the most fat and sodium, and is where you'll have the most opportunity to make this a little bit healthier (every little bit helps, right!).
The recipe calls for italian chicken sausage, but I used chicken andouille sausage and it was excellent. You could use most any kind of sausage and it would be good, but you might want to opt for one with low sodium if you can find it because the real downside of this dish is the amount of sodium. I've looked at several chicken and turkey sausages on the market, and the ones I've found range from a low of 340 mg to a high of 1450 mg of sodium for the 2 links that are called for or 85 - 363 mg per serving, depending on link size and what's mixed in during the processing of it. The maximum recommended daily intake for adults is 2400 mg per day as shown on food labels, but a reduced sodium diet would be around 1500 mg per day. So you can see with the higher sodium sausages you could be getting a substantial portion of your daily allotment in this one dish. Be sure to look at the labels! If you are watching sodium and/or want to eliminate the sausage altogether you may want to substitute cubed chicken or turkey and add some more seasoning to give it that country stew flavor. You can easily make your own seasoning mix from fresh or dried herbs like oregano, rosemary, garlic, thyme, chili powder, various peppercorns and seeds like fennel, celery seed, etc.. Just experiment until you find what you like - my favorite way to cook.
With the potatoes, carrots, onions, and garlic you've got a rich tasting, great stew! Put a salad with it and you've got an easy meal. With any luck you'll have some leftovers, and this is one of those things that gets better overnight.
All this talk of Shrimp Stew is making me want to head to the kitchen and start cooking a batch! Enjoy!
The recipe calls for italian chicken sausage, but I used chicken andouille sausage and it was excellent. You could use most any kind of sausage and it would be good, but you might want to opt for one with low sodium if you can find it because the real downside of this dish is the amount of sodium. I've looked at several chicken and turkey sausages on the market, and the ones I've found range from a low of 340 mg to a high of 1450 mg of sodium for the 2 links that are called for or 85 - 363 mg per serving, depending on link size and what's mixed in during the processing of it. The maximum recommended daily intake for adults is 2400 mg per day as shown on food labels, but a reduced sodium diet would be around 1500 mg per day. So you can see with the higher sodium sausages you could be getting a substantial portion of your daily allotment in this one dish. Be sure to look at the labels! If you are watching sodium and/or want to eliminate the sausage altogether you may want to substitute cubed chicken or turkey and add some more seasoning to give it that country stew flavor. You can easily make your own seasoning mix from fresh or dried herbs like oregano, rosemary, garlic, thyme, chili powder, various peppercorns and seeds like fennel, celery seed, etc.. Just experiment until you find what you like - my favorite way to cook.
With the potatoes, carrots, onions, and garlic you've got a rich tasting, great stew! Put a salad with it and you've got an easy meal. With any luck you'll have some leftovers, and this is one of those things that gets better overnight.
All this talk of Shrimp Stew is making me want to head to the kitchen and start cooking a batch! Enjoy!
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Recipes for Dinner - Salmon Pinwheels, Cannillini Bean Salad, and Steamed Asparagus
Tonight I fixed a healthy meal for my Dad and I and thought it was a good one to share. I got some great Salmon Pinwheels stuffed with a Spinach stuffing at Trader Joe's (obviously not in Albany!) and served them with Cannellini Bean Salad and some steamed asparagus. Pretty simple and it took about 30 minutes to prepare. Maybe Rachael should do this on her 30 minute meals!
Salmon Pinwheels - ok, these came from Trader Joe's and are one of the main reasons I go there! If you don't have a TJ's near you, just use some plain salmon filets with your favorite seasonings. I thawed them out in their package in some cold water which took about 15 minutes. I sauted some garlic (2 small cloves) in olive oil (1 tblsp) and then put the Salmon Pinwheels in. I seared them on both sides and then put a little white wine in (about 1/2 cup of Savignon Blanc)and simmered for maybe 5 minutes. Done!
Cannellini Bean Salad - this is a recipe that I got off of the Food Network and is tried and true. It's an Emeril recipe, so you know it's good! Everytime I serve it it is a big hit and there's never any left - always a good sign. The official Food Network recipe name is Cannellini Bean Salad with Parsley Pesto. If you don't want to mess with making an official pesto with the food processor, it works just as good to chop the parsley by hand and mix it with the garlic and olive oil. I use italian parsley instead of the curly leafed kind. This takes about 10 minutes to prepare, but like a lot of things tastes better after it sits in the refrigerator for a little while. Try to make it ahead, but don't sweat it if you can't.
Steamed Asparagus - no biggie. Chop off the ends of the asparagus spears. Boil some water. If you have a steamer, use that, otherwise, you can just put a little water in the bottom of a pan and put in the asparagus for about 5-10 minutes. Steam it until it's al dente - just barely done. You don't want to over do it or it gets mushy. Better to be underdone than overdone.
And there you have it! It has ample protein from both the salmon and beans, good fiber from the beans and the asparagus along with an assortment of other nutrients like folate and vitamin K among others. You'll get some good fat from the Salmon and the olive oil used in the beans, and ample complex carbs.
I attempted to take a photo, and I realize I don't get any points for presentation, but hey, this is a normal home, not a TV set!
Salmon Pinwheels - ok, these came from Trader Joe's and are one of the main reasons I go there! If you don't have a TJ's near you, just use some plain salmon filets with your favorite seasonings. I thawed them out in their package in some cold water which took about 15 minutes. I sauted some garlic (2 small cloves) in olive oil (1 tblsp) and then put the Salmon Pinwheels in. I seared them on both sides and then put a little white wine in (about 1/2 cup of Savignon Blanc)and simmered for maybe 5 minutes. Done!
Cannellini Bean Salad - this is a recipe that I got off of the Food Network and is tried and true. It's an Emeril recipe, so you know it's good! Everytime I serve it it is a big hit and there's never any left - always a good sign. The official Food Network recipe name is Cannellini Bean Salad with Parsley Pesto. If you don't want to mess with making an official pesto with the food processor, it works just as good to chop the parsley by hand and mix it with the garlic and olive oil. I use italian parsley instead of the curly leafed kind. This takes about 10 minutes to prepare, but like a lot of things tastes better after it sits in the refrigerator for a little while. Try to make it ahead, but don't sweat it if you can't.
Steamed Asparagus - no biggie. Chop off the ends of the asparagus spears. Boil some water. If you have a steamer, use that, otherwise, you can just put a little water in the bottom of a pan and put in the asparagus for about 5-10 minutes. Steam it until it's al dente - just barely done. You don't want to over do it or it gets mushy. Better to be underdone than overdone.
And there you have it! It has ample protein from both the salmon and beans, good fiber from the beans and the asparagus along with an assortment of other nutrients like folate and vitamin K among others. You'll get some good fat from the Salmon and the olive oil used in the beans, and ample complex carbs.
I attempted to take a photo, and I realize I don't get any points for presentation, but hey, this is a normal home, not a TV set!
The search for the perfect travel yoga mat
I'm really getting excited about my trip to Acapulco now and am counting the days! I found out yesterday that I need to plan to take my own yoga mat. That oh so easy to pack yoga mat! Won't fit in my suitcase, won't fit in my backpack, what's a yogini to do? Shop!! So I started looking online for a mat and a bag to carry it. Of course I have a yoga mat already, actually I have 2, but neither will do for this. I need something light weight, that will roll up small, yet will still have enough cushion for my old bones, it needs to be at least 72" and it needs to be eco friendly. Neither of the 2 I already have meet those qualifications. But I'm sure I can find it on the internet!
There are many yoga mats for sale these days!!! So I quickly went to narrow the search down to eco-friendly yoga mats. Still there are many options: rubber, jute, cotton, something called TPE, and then there are blends of the above. From looking at product descriptions, dimensions, weights and reviews from customers, here's what I learned:
1) Rubber mats seem to be very popular for their bounce and cushioning, but many people complain about the rubber smell, and they are heavy with some weighing 5 lbs or more.
2) The jute blends are blended with rubber, so still stinky and heavy, but people say they have good grip.
3) The cotton mats are either too thin or too thick.
4) The TPE mats seem to be a good option. According to the website, Kulae that carries these mats, "TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) is 100% biodegradeable. Unlike the so called "eco" friendly rubber mats, no toxins or chemicals are used in the production of the tpECOmatTM. There is no latex, rubber or PVC. Furthermore, TPE does not smell and its closed cell technology means that your tpECOmatTM will not readily absorb bacteria and germs. " And they weigh about 2.5 lbs for the 72" length and 1/4" thickness which is what I really want. I can go a little lighter to 1/8" thickness and it weights in at 1.12 lbs which is better from a weight standpoint, but I'm a little concerned that it might not give my knees enough cushion.
Here is the mat I'm leaning towards after my extensive research: http://www.kulae.com/TpECOmat-plus-Yoga-Mat-p3.html
It meets all of my qualifications and I can get it in the 1/4 " thickness - 5 inches and 2.5 lbs rolled up (still gonna be cumbersome no matter how you slice it!). This company only makes eco yoga products and 5% of their profits go to charities in what they call "karma's real" which is very cool. They were also really helpful as I was trying to make my decision. I love good customer service!
Now for a bag to carry it. I rarely ever check a bag when flying, and eventhough I'll be gone for 2 1/2 weeks, I'm going to try and carry on. I mean most of what I'll be taking is yoga shorts & tops and bathing suits. How much space can they possibly take? (famous last words, I know) Normally I'll take my rolling suitcase and a backpack, but since my yoga mat won't fit in either, I needed a new solution. Option 1 was to bungee cord the mat to my current backpack, but there aren't any bungees on my backpack (it's about 25 years old and pre-bungee) and if I just wrap them around the backpack it will be really cumbersome to get stuff in and out of it while traveling. Ditto if I bungee it to the suitcase, and it probably wouldn't meet the size limits then either. So I pulled up the trusty internet and again went shopping. I found the perfect thing on eBags, a site I've visited often and usually find exactly what I need. This bag needed to replace my backpack, so needed enough space for my laptop, books, small purse, toiletries, snacks, my iPod and/or Blackberry, travel docs, etc, etc. , and the yoga mat. I think this bag will be perfect! The only thing that would make it more perfect is if it was also eco friendly, which I don't think it is, and I didn't find anything similar that was. Maybe the folks at Kulae can come up with one!! http://www.ebags.com/ebags/value_set_kalya_town_square_terrace/product_detail/index.cfm?modelID=106806. It's got pockets galore, a sling for the yoga mat that comes out of a hidden compartment on the bottom, a water bottle holder also in a hidden compartment on one end and a pocket for your iPod/MP3 player on the other end, and it's big enough for my laptop and other stuff. To top it off, it comes with a smaller matching purse, was on sale, had free shipping and a lifetime warranty! Needless to say, it's on it's way to me now.
Now I just need for everything to show up before next Thursday, and I'll be all set!
There are many yoga mats for sale these days!!! So I quickly went to narrow the search down to eco-friendly yoga mats. Still there are many options: rubber, jute, cotton, something called TPE, and then there are blends of the above. From looking at product descriptions, dimensions, weights and reviews from customers, here's what I learned:
1) Rubber mats seem to be very popular for their bounce and cushioning, but many people complain about the rubber smell, and they are heavy with some weighing 5 lbs or more.
2) The jute blends are blended with rubber, so still stinky and heavy, but people say they have good grip.
3) The cotton mats are either too thin or too thick.
4) The TPE mats seem to be a good option. According to the website, Kulae that carries these mats, "TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) is 100% biodegradeable. Unlike the so called "eco" friendly rubber mats, no toxins or chemicals are used in the production of the tpECOmatTM. There is no latex, rubber or PVC. Furthermore, TPE does not smell and its closed cell technology means that your tpECOmatTM will not readily absorb bacteria and germs. " And they weigh about 2.5 lbs for the 72" length and 1/4" thickness which is what I really want. I can go a little lighter to 1/8" thickness and it weights in at 1.12 lbs which is better from a weight standpoint, but I'm a little concerned that it might not give my knees enough cushion.
Here is the mat I'm leaning towards after my extensive research: http://www.kulae.com/TpECOmat-plus-Yoga-Mat-p3.html
It meets all of my qualifications and I can get it in the 1/4 " thickness - 5 inches and 2.5 lbs rolled up (still gonna be cumbersome no matter how you slice it!). This company only makes eco yoga products and 5% of their profits go to charities in what they call "karma's real" which is very cool. They were also really helpful as I was trying to make my decision. I love good customer service!
Now for a bag to carry it. I rarely ever check a bag when flying, and eventhough I'll be gone for 2 1/2 weeks, I'm going to try and carry on. I mean most of what I'll be taking is yoga shorts & tops and bathing suits. How much space can they possibly take? (famous last words, I know) Normally I'll take my rolling suitcase and a backpack, but since my yoga mat won't fit in either, I needed a new solution. Option 1 was to bungee cord the mat to my current backpack, but there aren't any bungees on my backpack (it's about 25 years old and pre-bungee) and if I just wrap them around the backpack it will be really cumbersome to get stuff in and out of it while traveling. Ditto if I bungee it to the suitcase, and it probably wouldn't meet the size limits then either. So I pulled up the trusty internet and again went shopping. I found the perfect thing on eBags, a site I've visited often and usually find exactly what I need. This bag needed to replace my backpack, so needed enough space for my laptop, books, small purse, toiletries, snacks, my iPod and/or Blackberry, travel docs, etc, etc. , and the yoga mat. I think this bag will be perfect! The only thing that would make it more perfect is if it was also eco friendly, which I don't think it is, and I didn't find anything similar that was. Maybe the folks at Kulae can come up with one!! http://www.ebags.com/ebags/value_set_kalya_town_square_terrace/product_detail/index.cfm?modelID=106806. It's got pockets galore, a sling for the yoga mat that comes out of a hidden compartment on the bottom, a water bottle holder also in a hidden compartment on one end and a pocket for your iPod/MP3 player on the other end, and it's big enough for my laptop and other stuff. To top it off, it comes with a smaller matching purse, was on sale, had free shipping and a lifetime warranty! Needless to say, it's on it's way to me now.
Now I just need for everything to show up before next Thursday, and I'll be all set!
Saturday, January 31, 2009
When do I really need to buy organic?
I just returned from the grocery store and I always have to pull out my little cheat sheet on when to buy organic and when it doesn't matter so much. So I thought I'd pass this on to everyone so you can make your own cheat sheet.
The things you should always buy organic because conventionally grown these are typically sprayed with pesticides or chemical fertilizers:
Peaches
Apples
Sweet Bell Peppers
Celery
Nectarines
Strawberries
Cherries
Pears
Grapes
Spinach
Lettuce
Potatoes
These are typically ok to purchase conventionally grown:
Onions
Avacado
Sweet Corn (frozen)
Pineapples
Mango
Asparagus
Sweet Peas (frozen)
Kiwi
Bananas
Cabbage
Broccoli
Papaya
Milk, eggs, chicken and other animal products should be raised without hormones or antibiotics. Packaged and canned products are typically processed with all kinds of yucky stuff like high fructose corn syrup, so I usually opt for the organic versions or skip them altogether. Canned beans are where I'll make an exception (but rinse them before using). Read the labels!
There are differing schools of thought regarding whether or not frozen is as good as fresh. My thinking is that frozen veggies that are really fresh frozen and haven't thawed out are probably just about as good nutritionally as fresh, and are certainly better than canned or no veggies at all. The biggest unknown is whether or not they've been allowed to thaw along the way to the grocery store. But certainly if you are freezing your own veggies, are using really fresh veggies, and aren't leaving them in the freezer for a really long time, you should get just about as much nutrition value from them as if you had eaten them straight from the garden. But not everything freezes well, so I typically stick with things like corn, peas, butter peas, and okra. And I like frozen spinach too. No way are you going to have a frozen tomato that tastes as good as one right out of the garden! That said, you can freeze tomatoes for using in soups and stews. And it's really nice to be able to pull something like butter beans and corn out of the freezer in the winter to remind you that spring planting season is right around the corner!
The things you should always buy organic because conventionally grown these are typically sprayed with pesticides or chemical fertilizers:
Peaches
Apples
Sweet Bell Peppers
Celery
Nectarines
Strawberries
Cherries
Pears
Grapes
Spinach
Lettuce
Potatoes
These are typically ok to purchase conventionally grown:
Onions
Avacado
Sweet Corn (frozen)
Pineapples
Mango
Asparagus
Sweet Peas (frozen)
Kiwi
Bananas
Cabbage
Broccoli
Papaya
Milk, eggs, chicken and other animal products should be raised without hormones or antibiotics. Packaged and canned products are typically processed with all kinds of yucky stuff like high fructose corn syrup, so I usually opt for the organic versions or skip them altogether. Canned beans are where I'll make an exception (but rinse them before using). Read the labels!
There are differing schools of thought regarding whether or not frozen is as good as fresh. My thinking is that frozen veggies that are really fresh frozen and haven't thawed out are probably just about as good nutritionally as fresh, and are certainly better than canned or no veggies at all. The biggest unknown is whether or not they've been allowed to thaw along the way to the grocery store. But certainly if you are freezing your own veggies, are using really fresh veggies, and aren't leaving them in the freezer for a really long time, you should get just about as much nutrition value from them as if you had eaten them straight from the garden. But not everything freezes well, so I typically stick with things like corn, peas, butter peas, and okra. And I like frozen spinach too. No way are you going to have a frozen tomato that tastes as good as one right out of the garden! That said, you can freeze tomatoes for using in soups and stews. And it's really nice to be able to pull something like butter beans and corn out of the freezer in the winter to remind you that spring planting season is right around the corner!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Need a little energy boost this morning? Try these Yoga poses.
I woke up at 4:00 a.m. this morning and couldn't go back to sleep. I really hate it when that happens! Rather than toss and turn all morning until my alarm clock went off, I decided to pick up the book I've been reading in hopes that it would make me sleepy. But it didn't. Of course now I'm feeling sluggish and not fully rested, but I want to get a yoga class in today. So I was trying to think of something that would give me some energy, but wouldn't wreck my blood sugar or jack me up on so much caffeine that I won't be able to sleep later. I happened to go to the Body & Soul Magazine website to look for something I saw in my latest issue, and found these 3 yoga poses that are supposed to "stretch and strengthen the spine, increase vitality, reduce tension, release impurities, and improve focus -- everything you need to face what lies ahead." And it's called "Morning Wake-Up". Sounded perfect!
As it turns out, these are 3 poses are a variation of poses that we commonly do to start yoga classes at the studio where I've been going. And I like them so much that I commonly do them to start my yoga practice at home. They are great to loosen the hips and as I found from reading this article awaken vital energy. According to Kundalini yoga tradition, "a built-in supply of energy lies dormant at the root of the spine, like a bulb that rests underground, waiting for a cue to bloom. " These poses help provide that "cue" and gets that energy flowing.
Give them a try next time you feel tired and sluggish. I feel better already!
As it turns out, these are 3 poses are a variation of poses that we commonly do to start yoga classes at the studio where I've been going. And I like them so much that I commonly do them to start my yoga practice at home. They are great to loosen the hips and as I found from reading this article awaken vital energy. According to Kundalini yoga tradition, "a built-in supply of energy lies dormant at the root of the spine, like a bulb that rests underground, waiting for a cue to bloom. " These poses help provide that "cue" and gets that energy flowing.
Give them a try next time you feel tired and sluggish. I feel better already!
Sunday, January 18, 2009
The Yoga Connection
As I mentioned before, I was re-introduced to yoga by my good friends Mike & Beverly last summer. I've practiced yoga for several years, but like my other exercise routines, I had gotten out of practice. When Mike & Beverly told me they were going to Thailand to do yoga with their nephew, I asked if I could camp out on their floor. I initially had no intentions of doing yoga, but REALLY wanted to go to Thailand. But the more I investigated, the more I wanted to try to do a week of yoga. It has been a great gift!
Within weeks after I returned from Thailand, I found out that my Dad was ill. Fortunately, I had just taken a retirement package from Delta, and was able to go to take care of him. As you might imagine, my life changed greatly. I left my home near Atlanta and went to South Georgia where I grew up and where my father still lives. I've felt anxious, frustrated, sad, out of control, and worried among other emotions (thankfully not all at the same time) and yoga has not only helped me calm myself and focus, but has also been a great form of exercise.
As I retired, I really wanted to "do something different", and I found many of my friends saying the same thing. I decided while I was not working to pursue looking for something different and teaching yoga seemed to make sense for me. I was encouraged by others as well. When I stumbled upon Integrative Yoga Therapy, I was really interested. When I found that there would be a two week intensive training in Acapulco in February, I was ready to sign up. I called Beverly and she was ready to sign up too, so we did! We will be going to Bambuddha Retreat Center on the beach in Acapulco for 2 and a half weeks! I am so looking forward to it!
I hope to be certified to teach in March and I want to find someplace to teach ASAP. I've already started talking with the teachers at the yoga center where I attend now, and have gotten good information and encouragement from them all.
I'm not exactly sure how things will work out, but I hope to be able to teach yoga and maybe do some nutrition and wellness consulting part time while taking care of my Dad. We'll just see what the next few months bring....
Within weeks after I returned from Thailand, I found out that my Dad was ill. Fortunately, I had just taken a retirement package from Delta, and was able to go to take care of him. As you might imagine, my life changed greatly. I left my home near Atlanta and went to South Georgia where I grew up and where my father still lives. I've felt anxious, frustrated, sad, out of control, and worried among other emotions (thankfully not all at the same time) and yoga has not only helped me calm myself and focus, but has also been a great form of exercise.
As I retired, I really wanted to "do something different", and I found many of my friends saying the same thing. I decided while I was not working to pursue looking for something different and teaching yoga seemed to make sense for me. I was encouraged by others as well. When I stumbled upon Integrative Yoga Therapy, I was really interested. When I found that there would be a two week intensive training in Acapulco in February, I was ready to sign up. I called Beverly and she was ready to sign up too, so we did! We will be going to Bambuddha Retreat Center on the beach in Acapulco for 2 and a half weeks! I am so looking forward to it!
I hope to be certified to teach in March and I want to find someplace to teach ASAP. I've already started talking with the teachers at the yoga center where I attend now, and have gotten good information and encouragement from them all.
I'm not exactly sure how things will work out, but I hope to be able to teach yoga and maybe do some nutrition and wellness consulting part time while taking care of my Dad. We'll just see what the next few months bring....
10 Foods to Fight Inflammation
I ran across this article called "10 Foods to Fight Inflammation" in Better Nutrition magazine I thought would help explain further some foods that are inflammatory and what to eat to fight inflammation. There are also some good recipes here for Spinach Salad with Blueberries and Walnuts, and Spicy Sweet Potato and Spinach Soup.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Rawls Whittlesey - Certified Nutrition and Wellness Consultant
I've always been into nutrition it seems, and for most of my adult life, I've really had to watch my weight. And over the years I've watched it go up and become harder and harder to get rid of! In high school and college I played sports, and never really had to worry about it, then in my late 20's after gaining about 25 lbs, I got myself into the gym and by my 30's was in the best shape of my life (at least I thought). Then came the back problems, and I ended up having back surgery which really limited my ability to do any major aerobic exercise. I continued exercising, but the drop in my workouts and no change to my diet didn't keep me in the same shape. Go figure! When work became more intense (stressful, long hours!!!!!) my workouts became less frequent. Then I just got to where I dreaded going to the gym and felt guilty when I didn't. I was feeling so out of balance, and nothing worked to help me lose weight, I had no energy, I was sure I was hormonal, and I didn't know what to do. I was fortunate enough to find an Integrative Medicine doctor, Dr. John Kim, and he helped me weed out fact from fiction when it comes to nutrition, inflammation and healthy living. He also introduced me to Dr. Andrew Weil (more about him later). Fast forward to 2008, and I was re-introduced to yoga by some really good friends when we went to a yoga retreat in Thailand (see my travel blog ). That was in June, and I've hardly started a day without yoga since then and I've lost 10+ lbs. Then my Dad got sick and his diet became extremely important; important to me because I dropped everything to take care of him and had to figure out how to keep him nourished properly.
As I began to research nutrition for my Dad's condition, I started realizing that I really liked this topic, I've known much of this information for a while, and it's all coming together for me now as more of a nutrition plan for life long health as opposed to a way to lose unwanted weight. That coupled with the yoga, and I'm making some important changes to live better! Since I've not been working (I "retired" from Delta Air Lines in June), and have been taking care of my Dad for the last six months, I decided that I needed to make the most of the free time I have, and started looking for a way to get certified as a nutrition consultant. That's when I found out about the American Fitness Professionals Association, and their Nutrition and Wellness Consultant certification. I found the course material and text books to be well done and up-to-date. I confirmed a lot of the information I already knew, and learned a lot more in the process. I learned the why's and why nots of some of the things I've learned over the years, and learned more about how to counsel individuals who need nutrition and wellness advice.
It's important for me to say here that I am not a Physician nor Registered Dietician and therefore, I strongly recommend you talk to your doctor before implementing any of the information, recommendations, and suggestions that you find in my blog. Each person has a unique make up and I am mostly speaking in generalities here. Wellness may look different for each individual so you should speak with someone familiar with your health history to develop your own plan.
I'm starting this blog to share my learnings and to help people understand how to take the tons and tons of nutrition information and make some sense of it. I hope to post some recipes and meal plans too.
So, the first bit of advice I'm going to give is to listen to the CD from Dr. Andrew Weil called "Taking Care of Yourself". It is excellent and is a good start towards helping understand what is really important when it comes to nutrition, supplements, exercise, and wellness. In case you aren't familiar with Dr. Weil, "Andrew Weil, M.D., is a world-renowned leader and pioneer in the field of integrative medicine, a healing oriented approach to health care which encompasses body, mind, and spirit. Dr. Weil is an internationally-recognized expert for his views on leading a healthy lifestyle, his philosophy of healthy aging, and the future of medicine and health care." I copied that from his website, http://www.drweil.com/. He's written a number of books and produced many CDs on these topics as well. His advice makes sense and I can tell you it's made a huge difference in my life.
One of the biggest things I've learned in the last couple of years is that inflammation is the root of all evil when it comes to maintaining a healthy body & mind. It is the underlying cause of most major illnesses. Here's what Dr. Weil has to say about the Anti-inflammatory diet and why it's important: "The anti-inflammatory diet counteracts the chronic inflammation that is a root cause of many serious diseases that become more frequent after age 60. Normally, inflammation occurs in response to injury and attack by germs. It is marked by local heat, redness, swelling, and pain, and is the body's way of getting more nourishment and more immune activity to an area that needs them. But inflammation isn't always helpful. It also has destructive potential. We see this when the immune system mistakenly attacks normal tissues in such autoimmune diseases as type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus. And we now know that inflammation also plays a causative role in heart disease, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, as well as other age-related disorders, including cancer."
All that to say, you should think seriously about following Dr. Weil's Anti-Inflammatory diet. On his website is the Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid along with suggestions for how to follow it. Check it out!!!
I'll refer to the Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid frequently, because there are things that some people may find different than your basic USDA food pyramid. I've learned with my Dad's friends who so generously want to bring food over, but need to adhere to his dietary plan, that it's not always so obvious how to cook in a way that is anti-inflammatory. I hope I can help clarify what to cook, how to prepare it, etc., and I'll refer to Dr. Weil and others to do that frequently.
That's it for my first blog post. Check back often!
As I began to research nutrition for my Dad's condition, I started realizing that I really liked this topic, I've known much of this information for a while, and it's all coming together for me now as more of a nutrition plan for life long health as opposed to a way to lose unwanted weight. That coupled with the yoga, and I'm making some important changes to live better! Since I've not been working (I "retired" from Delta Air Lines in June), and have been taking care of my Dad for the last six months, I decided that I needed to make the most of the free time I have, and started looking for a way to get certified as a nutrition consultant. That's when I found out about the American Fitness Professionals Association, and their Nutrition and Wellness Consultant certification. I found the course material and text books to be well done and up-to-date. I confirmed a lot of the information I already knew, and learned a lot more in the process. I learned the why's and why nots of some of the things I've learned over the years, and learned more about how to counsel individuals who need nutrition and wellness advice.
It's important for me to say here that I am not a Physician nor Registered Dietician and therefore, I strongly recommend you talk to your doctor before implementing any of the information, recommendations, and suggestions that you find in my blog. Each person has a unique make up and I am mostly speaking in generalities here. Wellness may look different for each individual so you should speak with someone familiar with your health history to develop your own plan.
I'm starting this blog to share my learnings and to help people understand how to take the tons and tons of nutrition information and make some sense of it. I hope to post some recipes and meal plans too.
So, the first bit of advice I'm going to give is to listen to the CD from Dr. Andrew Weil called "Taking Care of Yourself". It is excellent and is a good start towards helping understand what is really important when it comes to nutrition, supplements, exercise, and wellness. In case you aren't familiar with Dr. Weil, "Andrew Weil, M.D., is a world-renowned leader and pioneer in the field of integrative medicine, a healing oriented approach to health care which encompasses body, mind, and spirit. Dr. Weil is an internationally-recognized expert for his views on leading a healthy lifestyle, his philosophy of healthy aging, and the future of medicine and health care." I copied that from his website, http://www.drweil.com/. He's written a number of books and produced many CDs on these topics as well. His advice makes sense and I can tell you it's made a huge difference in my life.
One of the biggest things I've learned in the last couple of years is that inflammation is the root of all evil when it comes to maintaining a healthy body & mind. It is the underlying cause of most major illnesses. Here's what Dr. Weil has to say about the Anti-inflammatory diet and why it's important: "The anti-inflammatory diet counteracts the chronic inflammation that is a root cause of many serious diseases that become more frequent after age 60. Normally, inflammation occurs in response to injury and attack by germs. It is marked by local heat, redness, swelling, and pain, and is the body's way of getting more nourishment and more immune activity to an area that needs them. But inflammation isn't always helpful. It also has destructive potential. We see this when the immune system mistakenly attacks normal tissues in such autoimmune diseases as type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus. And we now know that inflammation also plays a causative role in heart disease, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, as well as other age-related disorders, including cancer."
All that to say, you should think seriously about following Dr. Weil's Anti-Inflammatory diet. On his website is the Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid along with suggestions for how to follow it. Check it out!!!
I'll refer to the Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid frequently, because there are things that some people may find different than your basic USDA food pyramid. I've learned with my Dad's friends who so generously want to bring food over, but need to adhere to his dietary plan, that it's not always so obvious how to cook in a way that is anti-inflammatory. I hope I can help clarify what to cook, how to prepare it, etc., and I'll refer to Dr. Weil and others to do that frequently.
That's it for my first blog post. Check back often!
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