A Yogic Diet For Immune Function

Using the Yogic Diet to Improve Immune Function:

Foods to Look For:

colorful fruits/veggies raw or lightly cooked
LOTS of WATER to keep hydrated (also some tea with a little RAW honey)

Strawberries
Kefir
kale
oats
almond butter
beans
matcha
black rice
pumpkin seeds
milk

www.webmd.com

Herbs/Spices:
cinnamin
FRESH chopped garlic

Suppliments:
Elderberry
Echinacea
Zinc (do not take on an empty stomach)
Vitamin C (do not take with zinc)

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Beta-carotene and other carotenoids: Apricots, asparagus, beets, broccoli, cantaloupe, carrots, corn, green peppers, kale, mangoes, turnip and collard greens, nectarines, peaches, pink grapefruit, pumpkin, squash, spinach, sweet potato, tangerines, tomatoes, and watermelon
Vitamin C: Berries, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cantaloupe, cauliflower, grapefruit, honeydew, kale, kiwi, mangoes, nectarines, orange, papaya, red, green or yellow peppers, snow peas, sweet potato, strawberries, and tomatoes
Vitamin E: Broccoli, carrots, chard, mustard and turnip greens, mangoes, nuts, papaya, pumpkin, red peppers, spinach, and sunflower seeds

• Omega 3- flax, cold water fish
• Zinc: Found in oysters, red meat, poultry, beans, nuts, seafood, whole grains, fortified cereals, and dairy products
• Selenium: Found in Brazil nuts, tuna, beef, poultry and fortified breads, and other grain products
• Hot peppers/spicy foods- contain "mucolytics" to clear sinus and lungs

From:  http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/antioxidants-your-immune-system-super-foods-optimal-health 

Yoga For Immune Function: 10 Tips to avoid a COLD

10 ways to boost your Immune Function this winter:

Our Yoga Practice naturally stimulates the 3 major parts of the immune system (thymus, spleen, lymph system).  By incorporating a few specific poses on the mat and a few habits off the mat we can look forward to a winter season free of Colds/Flu!

1. DeStress! = a reduction in stress improves thymus function and improves immune response.  Meditation is a big part of this because we can learn to control our nervous system and stay in a state of peace and calm no matter what is going on around us.

2. Thymus Thump= the thymus gland is located behind the sternum (breast bone) - taking the fingers and tapping this area for a few minutes each day will stimulate the thymus to function more effectively

3.  Chest Opening= another way to stimulate the thymus.  Use postures that incorporate opening around the heart and back bending like Camel and Cobra. Chanting the bija mantra for the 4th chakra "yum" will also stimulate the thymus.

4.  Lymph Flow= improved immune function.  Sequences that incorporate twisting, hip opening and inversion will stimulate the lymphatic system and improve lymph flow in the body to move immune cells more effectively. 

5.  Neti Pot= sinus cleanse will clear out bacteria/virus before it is able to colonize our system. Pair this with gargling salt water to cleanse the throat at the first sign of a tickle. 

6.  Breathing exercises: Lion Pose to stimulate the tonsils and neck lymph nodes. Kapalabhati to prevent respiratory infections, Nadi Shodhana breath to prevent sinus infections. 

7.  Cleansing: wash hands (soap & hot water, at least 30 seconds of bubbles) and dont touch your face with your hands during the day.  Stay home when sick.

8.  Yogic Diet: fruits, veggies, low sugar, plenty of WATER (see the list of Immune Boosting Foods)

9.  Herbs & Vitamins: fresh garlic, Echinacea, zinc  (see the list of Immune Boosting Foods)

10. Balance & rest: make sure you are not over scheduled, over worked and lacking sleep as this is a recipe for a run down immune system.

Know the first subtle symptoms of illness and act quickly as soon as you notice them setting in.  This will help to stop an illness in its tracks, or at least to shorten the severity and duration of the illness.

Online Resources for YOGA info

Here are some websites with great yoga information:

www.LauraYoga.webs.com   <<<<  ME!

www.YogaJournal.com

http://tarastiles.com/

http://www.abc-of-yoga.com/

and more to come...

(post your favorite online yoga Resources)

Online Resources for Health, Fitness and Happiness :)

Here are some websites that are full of great information on health, exercise, diet, nutrition, meditation, fitness and anything else you could be looking for:

www.drweil.com

www.livestrong.com

www.doctoroz.com

www.sparkpeople.com

and more to come...

Healthy Bites: Anti-Inflamatory Diet

After talking about the inflamatory properties of sugar and sweeteners I wanted to look at what we should eat & why inflamation is so damaging to our body. 

Chronic inflamation from the food we eat can cause conditions including heart disease, cancer, arthritis, memory loss, circulatory problems, premature aging and stroke.

Step 1 = cut down on the refined sugar & carbs
Step 2= learn the foods that help decrease inflamation in the body and incorporate them into your diet
Step 3= feel better :)

So before I make my weekend trip to Whole Foods lets look at what items I should be keeping an eye out for...

Check Out Dr Weil's Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid:
http://www.drweil.com/drw/ecs/pyramid/press-foodpyramid.html

garlic
onions
kelp
papaya
dark chocolate
fresh Herbs & spices- especially ginger, garlic, onion, cinnamon, tumeric
Omega 3 rich foods = flax seed, hemp seed, natural eggs
pumpkin seeds
olive oil
avacados
oat meal (without sugar)
organic fruits & veggies - the more colorful the better
nuts
berries
whole soy products (tofu & temphe)
grapes
green veggies (organic)

overall= think fresh, natural, unprocessed, low animal fat & refined sugar content, colorful food!

Healthy Bites: 100 Super Foods

Vegetables Asparagus Avocados Beets Bell peppers Broccoli Brussels sprouts Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Collard greens Crimini mushrooms Cucumbers Eggplant Garlic Green beans Kale Mustard greens Onions Peas Portobello mushrooms Potatoes Rainbow chard Romaine lettuce Shiitake mushrooms Spinach Summer squash Sweet potatoes Swiss chard Tomatoes Turnip greens Winter squash Yams Calcium-Rich Foods Almond milk Cheese, low fat Cottage cheese, low fat Milk, skim or 1% Orange juice with calcium Rice milk Soy milk Yogurt with active cultures, low fat

Fruits Apples Apricots Bananas Black olives Blackberries Blueberries Cantaloupe Cherries Cranberries Figs Grapefruit Grapes Honeydew melon Kiwifruit Lemons Limes Nectarines Oranges Papaya Peaches Pears Pineapple Plums Prunes Raisins Raspberries Strawberries Watermelon Grains Amaranth Arborio rice Barley Brown rice Buckwheat Bulgur Corn Farro Jasmine rice Millet Oats Quinoa Rye Spelt Triticale Wheat berries Whole grain breads, cereal, pasta Whole wheat breads, cereal, pasta Wild Rice

Proteins Almonds Black beans Cashews Chickpeas Egg whites Eggs Flaxseed Garbanzo beans Hemp seeds Hummus Kidney beans Lima beans Lentils Miso Navy beans Nuts Peanut butter, natural Peanuts Pinto beans Pork, lean Pumpkin seeds Sesame seeds Soybeans Sunflower seeds Tahini Tempeh Tofu Veggie burgers Walnuts Miscellaneous Canola oil Dark chocolate Green tea Olive oil Coconut Oil

List from : http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=307 

Healthy Bites: Looking at Natural Sweeteners

Searching For a Natural Sweetener: ( & decreasing processed Sugar)

After setting out to find the perfect natural source of sweetness I have discovered...there is no such thing.  The answer to our sugar addiction is to work on decreasing our need for sweet foods and using small amounts of natural sweetener as needed.  Over time we can retrain our pallet to appreciate foods with less sugar content.

But One thing is for sure...we need to make a drastic change in the amount of refined sweeteners we take in on a daily basis. ( ...and please dont even consider using aspertame and saccharin)

My sweeteners of choice are Agave Nectar & Raw Honey

In an effort to cut down my intake of refined sugar I have changed the following foods in my diet:

- vanilla almond milk to unsweetened almond milk

- greek yogurt with fruit to plain yogurt (add my own fresh fruit)

- flavored coffee creamer to natural cream/soy creamer & cinnamon

- honey nut cheerios to plain cheerios

- whole wheat bread without high fructose corn syrup

- Gatorade to natural ice tea or water with lemon

- processed peanut butter to natural almond butter

- milk chocolate to 85% dark chocolate

- tomato sauce in a jar to fresh

Why Decrease your Intake of artificial and refined sugar?

"Having sugary foods and drinks can cause a spike in your blood glucose levels. In response, our bodies secrete insulin and insulin-like growth factor (IGF). These two substances promote cell growth and inflammation. And when you have too much of them, they can pave the way for the development of cancer. "

- http://breastcancer.about.com/od/cancerfightingfoods/a/natrl_sweetener.htm

Well, aside from the increased bulge around the waistline, diets high in sugar are strongly linked to an increased risk for type 2 diabetes, elevated triglycerides, low HDL (good) cholesterol levels, and heart disease. Sugar intake has also been linked to depression, migraines, poor eyesight, autoimmune diseases (such as arthritis, and multiple sclerosis), gout and osteoporosis.

- http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1663

Learn the Glycemic Index:

"The glycemic index (GI) is a ranking of carbohydrates on a scale from 0 to 100 according to the extent to which they raise blood sugar levels after eating. Foods with a high GI are those which are rapidly digested and absorbed and result in marked fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Low-GI foods, by virtue of their slow digestion and absorption, produce gradual rises in blood sugar and insulin levels, and have proven benefits for health. "

-http://www.glycemicindex.com/about.php

Sweeteners & Glycemic Index (GI):

Agave: 15

Fructose: 17

Rice Syrup: 25

Raw Honey: 30

Maple Syrup: 54

pasteurized honey: 75

(refined white sugar: 80)

Four Steps to decreasing your Sugar Intake:

- read food labels (find out what foods have hidden sugar or excessive sugar per serving)

- turn to foods that have natural sweetness (not added sweeteners) like fruit

- re-train your pallet: this will take time to break your food cravings, but remember that when you eat or drink something with lots of sugar it will condition your pallet to want more sugar

- learn the glycemic index value of foods you commonly eat and work to maintain constant blood sugar levels (instead of highs and lows that will cause cravings and energy crashes)

Healthy Bites: The Snack Food Trap: SUGAR!!

Healthy Bites: "The Snack Food Trap" By Laura Beil, Newsweek

I was making my usual late-afternoon trip to the breakroom in search of something tasty - when a giant doughnut cought my eye.  To my disappointment It was only a picture - but it got the point across. I was falling into the Snack Food Trap.

The article brings up the concept of food having a drug-like control over some people.  this means considering your relationship to junk food as a type of addiction rather than just being someone who needs to go on a diet.  As we begin to change our eating habits it is a recovery process from those addictive foods. New research is showing that our brains have a similar reaction to high sugar/carb/fat foods as it would with addictive drugs.  This also explains why many people recovering from drug/alcohol/cigarets will turn to food to fill the void. 

One of the biggest pitfalls now (and my addiction) is SUGAR!  There is hidden sugar in almost every processed food we eat which adds up to a massive sugar intake and lots of empty calories.  In research studies rats were willing to go through mild electric shock to obtain sweet sugary food. 

PET scans show that the activation in the brain when eating these addictive foods strongly resembles the brain of a drug addict.  It was also found that pregnant rats fed a high fat/sugar/carb diet had offspring that sought out these same foods.  Our habits have a lot to do with it - studies found that when we eat high fat/sugar/carb foods we will tend to crave them and seek them out more frequently. 

so why do we crave sertain foods?
why is it so hard to resist some foods?
why do some of us have more will power to resist than others?

The verdict is still out as to weather or not we can put our relationship to unhealthy food in the same category as drug addiction, but this is an interesting way to look at it.  I can understand the connection- I considered my diet to be pretty healthy until I took a close look at my sugar intake.  I was really shocked to see how much sugar was in foods that I eat daily- bread, Tomato sauce, yougurt, salad dressing, cereal.  When I started to cut back my sugar intake I could feel myself craving anything with sugar in it. It is going to be much harder than I expected to break my sugar habit.  But for starters I will stop looking for doughnuts in the breakroom!

Yoga Discussion: "How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body"

Here is the article "How Yoga Can wrek your Body" that created quite a stir in the yoga world:

It is part of a book: The Science of Yoga: The Risks and Rewards by William Broad

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/08/magazine/how-yoga-can-wreck-your-body.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

FIRST of all It is clear that the article was written with the intention of creating publicity for this book - and it was successful in that respect, however at the cost of putting out mis-information and fear about hatha yoga. It was a publicity stunt that I find to be disappointing on both the part of the author and the New York Times. Although the author went about this in "shock journalism" sort of way the article does raise a valid point: Yoga is not a perfect, 100% safe form of activity, like ALL things in life it has a certain level of risk that yoga practitioners (especailly new students) should be aware of.

Here is my Major problem with the content of the article:
Hatha Yoga is a form of physical activity and like ALL forms of physical activity you can hurt yourself.(running, gymnastics, tennis, football, bicycling, walking, swimming, skiing...) I have plenty of injuries from when I played soccer and ran track - and yes I have had minor injuries  from doing yoga. The difference is that with soccer and track I was pushed to work through my injury, ignore the pain and get back into the competition. With yoga I am encouraged to learn from pain and discomfort, listen to my body and modify my practice. If we approach our Yoga practice with the same mindset as competitive sports then you do risk serious injury - even more than with sports because the nature of Hatha Yoga is to take the body to its limits in both strength and flexability.  When we practice yoga postures with our Ego we lose many of the true benefits of our practice because we are no longer practicing YOGA.

Here are some interesting Responses to this article/Book:

http://www.youryogamn.com/blog/2012/1/8/yoga-and-injuries.html

Yoga Class Readings: Quotes

From: http://www.arthaonline.com/yogareadings.html

The words of the tongue should have three gatekeepers: Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?
 – Arabian Proverb

(I try to remember this at work each time someone yells at me...)
When another person makes you suffer, it is because he suffers deeply within himself, and his suffering is spilling over. He does not need punishment; he needs help.
 – Thich Naht Hanh

Each morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.
- Budda

Morning Mantra: P'Tah Morning Song

Morning Mantra From: http://www.arthaonline.com/Yoga%20Word%20Files/PTahMorningSong.pdf

This is my version of P'Tah Morning Song. I like this Morning Mantra because it has a focus on gratitude and being thankful - which is such a great way to start the day.


From the Center of my Being I give forth thanks for the love that I am,
For the love in my life and the love that surrounds me, Thank You.

Thank You for the Miracle of life that I am, and Thank You for the miracle of life I see reflected all around me.
Thank You for the gift of life that I am.

Thank You for this perfect body, my health and well- being Thank You
Thank You for the abundance that I am and Thank You for the abundance that I see reflected all around me.

Thank You for the richness of my life.
Thank you for the excitement and adventure of the millions of wondrous possibilities and wondrous probabilities, Thank You.

Thank You for the Wonderment and Thank You for the joy.
Thank you for the peace and tranquility.
Thank you for the laughter and Thank You for the play.

And Thank You for the privilege of serving and sharing the gift that I am.

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You

Save Some Green: New Urbanism

An Interesting Idea to save the planet: New Urbanism

Plan Communities for functional living, walking distance to all needed places and more open spaces for parks, wild life and conservation.

As I can see from the message boards there is lots of controvercy around this idea & I will have to explore further - But I do like the Idea of planning living areas for better use of the resoruces, fuel and space- as well as encouraging WALKING/BIKING as primary transportation instead of cars.
  I would love to ride my bike to and from work each day, but every time I try this I nearly get hit by a car on the narrow, crumbling roads.  Our roads are just not setup to be safe for long distance walking/biking to destinations around suburban towns.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=VGJt_YXIoJI

Yoga Sequences: Sun Salutation Collection: Surya Namaskar

Surya Namaskar
Here is a collection of different versions of the Sun Salutations - collected through my yoga travels.  Credit given to sources for each if i knew where they were from.

Partner Yoga: Thai Yoga Massage

During the Partner Yoga Workshop I did a large portion of Thai Yoga Massage.

Here are my Thai Massage sequences from Seated, Supine and Prone

Partner Yoga: Standing Sequence

Here are my Partner Yoga Sequences from the Middle of the workshop:

Standing Spine Flow and Standing Balance sequence with a transition to seated for the cool down.

Partner Yoga Sequence: Seated Warm Up

These are the Lesson Plan Cards I wrote last February for a Valentines Day Partner Yoga Workshop:

Seated Warm Up Part 1: Back to Back,        Part 2: Facing Each Other

Yoga Teacher Handouts: Proper Posture

Yoga Teacher Handouts & Student Education Forms
Proper Posture

This is from Prevention Magazine. I use this handout with my patients at work as well as my yoga students so that they know what healthy posture looks like and they can start to undo some of those bad habits (rounded shoulders, forward head posture, over extending the lower back...)

Save Some Green: The Dirty Dozen & Why you should buy Organic

Yoga Teacher Handout & Student Education Forms:

This article from Prevention Magazine has great info about exactly what the True Cost of not buying Organic produce is. 
I also attached a list of the "Dirty Dozen" - the top 12 most contaminated foods with chemicals & pesticides (the first foods you should consider buying organic) - (This list changes each year as farming practices change)
And the "Clean 15" (the foods that typically do not contain as many pesticides and therefore is is not as critical to buy these organic items - to save a bit on the grocery bill)

I recommend picking one item each month to switch over to organic- this makes for a more gradual change that everyone can get used to.

Yoga Sequences: Kneeling Sun Salutations

Yoga Sequences: Kneeling Sun Salutations

This is a sequence that I love to use in my Gentle Yoga Class. It creates a nice flow without building too much heat or making it too challenging to new students. 

This sequence is from The Yoga Bible by C. Brown.  It is a book that I refer to frequently when I am planning classes.

Yoga Sequences: Iyengar Restorative Sequence

Yoga Sequences: Iyengar Restorative Sequence
I am not sure where I came across this handout - if you know the source let me know so i can give credit. 

Yoga Teacher Handouts: Health Information

Yoga Teacher Handouts: Health Information Form
This is adapted from Kripalu, I plan on making a more useful version of this form with conditions that relate to how the teacher needs to adapt and guide students (ex. carpal tunnel, rotator cuff repair, sciatica...)  And leave out things like a detailed description of menstrual symptoms. 

Yoga Teacher Handouts: Sun Salutations / Surya Namaskar

Yoga Teacher Handouts & Student Education Forms
Here are several handouts that I have used when teaching sun salutations / Surya Namaskar
Each handout has the website/source at the bottom.

Yoga Teacher Handouts: Ashtanga Surya Namaskara

 Yoga Sequence Handout
This is another handout that was given to me by a student (sorry I cant give an original source on these)
It is the Ashtanga Style Practice.

Yoga Teacher Handouts: Karma Yoga: Ahimsa

Yoga Teacher Handouts: Student Education Forms
Karma Yoga...Do Good
How the Yoga principle of Ahimsa influences the choices we make on a daily basis & the goods we consume.

Yoga Teacher Handouts: The Purpose of Yoga

Yoga Teacher Handouts & Student Education Forms
The Purpose Of Yoga
This is my favorite of all the Handouts that I use: It was given to me by a student and I liked it so much that I continue to pass it on to other students. The original text was from www.fairhavenyoga.com 

Yoga Teacher Handouts: Welcome Letter

Yoga Teacher Handouts & Student Education Forms:
Welcome Letter:
This is another Form I adapted from Kripalu and use as part of the Packet I give new Yoga Students.  This is the cover page to the packet. 

Yoga Teacher Handouts: Liability Release & Disclosure Form

Yoga Teacher Handouts & Student Education Forms:
This is a basic Liability Release/ Disclosure form.  I believe I adapted this from a form on the Kripalu Website.

Yoga Teacher Handouts: Yoga Basics: How to get the Most Out of Class

Yoga Teacher Handouts & Student Education Forms
This is another handout I use with new students so that they can better understand what yoga is all about and how they can get the most out of their practice.

Yoga Teacher Handouts: Yoga Supplies

An Introduction to Yoga Supplies:  

This is a Handout I use with my new students so they have some background information on the props that may help to enhance their practice. 

My Trip West: Part 6: Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park is a yoga destination.  Each year thousands of yogis gather in this area for a week long yoga convention.  The warm dry desert air, unusual trees and graceful rock piles create the perfect location for a yoga gathering.  The energy surrounding Joshua Tree is that of playfulness and creativity.  The perfect area to expand your practice. 
We drove into Joshua Tree from Pheonix and arrived as the sun was setting.  We were met with the most amazing night sky of our entire 2 week trip (and our entire life).  The moon was bright enough that we could walk around without the need for artificial light, yet the sky was dark enough to see the milkyway stretch across the sky.  I laid on top of the picnic table at our campsite, looking around at the outline of amazing rock piles and spikey trees illuminated by moonlight.  I marvled at the most amazing stary sky I had ever seen.  I did not want to go to sleep that night - but I needed my rest to play among the Joshua Trees for our last day on the west coast.

My Trip West: Part 5: The Grand Canyon

My favorite practice of the trip was on the evening we arrived at the Grand Canyon.  After setting up camp I pulled out my sleeping pad (my substitute yoga mat for the trip) and began to work out some of the tension that had accumulated in my hips and hamstrings from the long car rides.  After I finished my practice we headed over to the closest overlook for our first view of the Grand Canyon.  It was just before sunset so we settled in and watched the light change as the sun slid behind the Canyon walls. 

My Trip West: Part 4: Death Valley National Park

Our trip through Death Valley was short. We drove through on our way from Yosemite to Las Vegas. Looking back on the trip It was a day of amazing transition. We woke up on our last morning in Yosemite wearing hats gloves and several layers under our fleece jackets. It was a chilly 42 degrees F. As we left the dense forests and crystal clear lakes of eastern Yosemite the landscape began to change dramaticly as we descended elevation.  The landscape had less and less vegitation and the temperature began to climb steadily as we drove south along the border of California and Nevada. By the time we arrived at the entrance to Death Valley the temperature was well into the 90's.  As we drove farther and farther into the park, toward Badwater, the temperature continued to climb until it was a scorching 113 degrees.  The landscape was completely flat and desolate, several hundred feet below Sea Level.  We stopped to snap a picture but quickly continued on to Las Vegas.  We ended the day walking under the bright lights of the busy Vagas Strip. 
In One day we went from a remote campsite in the dense forests of the Sierra Mountains, to the flat desolate heat of death valley, and finally to the busy city of Las Vegas.  An amazing day of contrasts and transitions.

My trip West: Part 3: Yosemite National Park

On my 2 week trip West we spent the most time in Yosemite National Park, however I did not take any "Yoga Pics" there. I found myself in more of an introspective state during my time in Yosemite. I spent my time sitting at overlooks trying to soak in the beauty and magnitude of my surroundings.

My Trip West: Part 2: Sequoia National Park

The second stop on my trip west was my favorite spot for yoga pics. I loved the giant sequoia trees & couldn’t get enough time around them. The fire scars were amazing, especially because these trees were able to continue growing after such trauma. Of all the beautiful, awe inspiring places I visited on my 2 week tour of the west, my time spent in the presence of the Sequoias was the most magical.  The energy surrounding these 2,500 year old trees was unlike anything I have felt before and it is beyond explanation. It has to be felt in person.