Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Today's Lecture Presented at The Maryland Center for Veterans Education & Training

Safe ways to drop pounds and feel satisfied:

Find love. Primary food trumps secondary food. People often reach for food to fulfill other nourishment lacking from their lives.

Drink water. We often mistake dehydration for hunger. Drink a glass of water and wait a few minutes. Then reassess your hunger.

Eat lots of vegetables, fruits and dense, whole grains. These foods provide healthy fiber and usable energy to keep you feeling full and energized longer.

Eat good fats. Healthy fats keep you satisfied and have a host of digestive and health benefits.

Eat mindfully. Turn off the TV and other distractions, appreciate your food and pay attention to what you’re eating to feel full and satisfied after you eat.

Share meals with others. It makes mealtime more fun and meaningful.

Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. Skipping meals affects blood sugar levels, mood and lends to overeating when you become too hungry.

Use smaller dishware. People tend to eat more when their plate or bowl holds more food. It takes less food to create a plateful using a smaller dish.

Chew well. Put your fork down between bites, slow down. Chewing well aids digestion and slowing down gives your brain time to register you’re full before you overeat.

Cook more. Cooking at home saves money and allows you to control the quality of ingredients and the amounts of fat, salt and sugar used. Plus it will be made with love.

Add in to crowd out. Don’t deprive yourself by taking away foods you enjoy. Adding in new, healthier choices will naturally crowd out some of the less healthy foods.

Get moving. Any type of exercise will rev up your metabolism, aid digestion and reduce stress. Take the stairs, walk to a further train or bus stop, do something you enjoy.

Slow down. Being calm, taking time to sit down and eat more slowly, allows you to take in the tastes, smells and textures of your food, leaving you more satisfied.

Get a good night’s sleep. We often reach for quick energy foods like caffeine and sugar when we’re lacking energy from too little rest and relaxation.

Entertain yourself. Before eating out of sheer boredom, reach for a book, an art or home improvement project, or any activity that brings you pleasure.


Weight loss problems in America

Lack of primary food. A lack of meaningful relationships and careers, spirituality and physical activity leaves us feeling “hungry.”

Processed foods. They are cheap, convenient and usually full of sodium, sugar, chemicals and empty calories.

Availability of fresh whole foods. In many communities, finding fresh produce and protein sources can be a challenge, where processed foods are in abundance.

Sedentary lifestyle. To maintain a healthy weight, one needs to burn as much fuel as one takes in. A sedentary lifestyle sets us up to eat more calories than we use.

Supersized portions. The larger the portion, the more we eat.

Supersized dishware. Dishware has become larger and larger over the years. It takes more food to make a large dish look full.

Advertising and marketing. As a general rule, the worse a food is for you, the more it is advertised. How many ads for quinoa or kale have you seen?

Misinformation and disinformation. We are bombarded with information about food, nutritional data, health benefits and risks; often by special interest groups. People are generally confused about what they are supposed to eat.

Cost of food. Processed, mass produced foods and subsidized the crops to make them are disproportionately less expensive than fresh produce and sustainably grown, whole foods.

Time management. Busy lifestyles promote fast food and eating on the run. Often people feel they just don’t have time to cook.

Stress. Prolonged stress increases a hormone that slows the metabolism, can affect blood sugar levels, fat storage, and increase cravings for fatty, salty and sugary foods.

Diets don’t work:

Not sustainable. Diets can be alienating, stressful, depressing and restrictive.

Not Bioindividual. Diets don’t take lifestyle and individuality into consideration

High Cost. Special diets often require expensive specialty foods or prepared meals.


We all know things we could do to take better care of ourselves, but often don’t do them.

The key to success is having support.

Today's Wellness Lecture at the Maryland Center for Veterans Education & Training PART 1

Top 10 Tips to Weigh Less, Live More


1.Feed your soul with primary food. Friends and family, physical activity, spirituality and a satisfying career feed us. Lack of primary food creates over-reliance on secondary, edible food.

2.Drink water. Most people are chronically dehydrated. We often mistake thirst for hunger. If you feel hungry between meals, drink a glass of water before giving into cravings. Limit liquid calories from soda and juice.

3.Eat a plant-based diet. Plant foods are typically lower in fat and calories and higher in filling fiber than meat, dairy and processed foods, while providing loads of essential nutrients.

4.Chew your food well. Digestion begins in the mouth. By thoroughly chewing your food, your body will better assimilate nutrients; you will also slow down your eating. It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to register that it is full. By slowing your eating, you’ll feel full and satisfied on less food.

5.Eat real food. Avoid products with high-fructose corn syrup or a long list of unpronounceable ingredients. They tend to be highly processed, lacking the nutrients your body needs, and are often loaded with empty calories.

6.Eat breakfast. Skipping meals causes your blood sugar levels to peak and dip, affecting your energy and moods. It can also cause overeating later on because you’re so hungry.

7.Eat mindfully. Turn off the TV. Get away from the computer. Sit down and savor the food you are eating with no distractions.

8.Get moving. Do any type of physical activity every day. Find movement or exercise you enjoy.

9.Sleep, rest and relax. When you are sleep-deprived or stressed, your body will crave energy, causing cravings for sugary snacks and caffeine as an energy boost.

10.Schedule fun time. Boredom and stress can lead to overeating. Make sure to take time to laugh, play and participate in activities that bring you joy.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Relax and Unload In unexpected ways, yoga can help you lose weight. Our expert tells you how.

By Dr. Timothy McCall

Yoga is so much more than a weight-loss program, but it has helped many people shed extra pounds, even some who have spent years trying to slim down in other ways without success. Studies show that a complete yoga program—asana, breathing techniques, and meditation—can peel off the pounds.

How does yoga do it? Well, the most obvious explanation is all the calories burned practicing asana, especially in vigorous yoga classes. Still, many students lose weight even when their yoga practice is gentle and doesn't burn that many calories.

LESS STRESS A less obvious explanation is that yoga helps reduce stress. In response to stress, levels of the hormone cortisol rise; for people who continue to worry, those levels can stay high. Elevated cortisol levels not only stimulate eating, they ensure that any additional calories are efficiently converted to fat. Worse, under the influence of cortisol, that fat tends to get deposited in the abdomen, a particularly unhealthy place. Big bellies are linked to insulin resistance—a precursor to Type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes—and heart disease. By combating stress, yoga helps normalize cortisol levels.

MORE AWARENESS The regular practice of yoga also boosts your ability to feel what's going on inside your body. This awareness helps you detect not only whether, say, your hamstring is tight but also whether your stomach is already full. Many people with weight problems have little awareness of their hunger and continue indulging long after they're sated. Besides having greater bodily awareness, people who practice yoga learn to examine their emotions—whether it's fear keeping them from doing a handstand or loneliness prompting late-night trips to the fridge. Yoga teaches that you are not your emotions and that you don't always need to act on them.

BETTER CONCENTRATION If you struggle with overeating, try paying closer attention to your eating habits—even if you can't alter them right now. If you find yourself about to eat when you're not really hungry, assess the emotions that may be fueling your appetite. It's also useful to eliminate distractions. Resist the temptation to read, watch TV, listen to music, or talk with a friend while you eat. Instead try to make your meal a meditation, tuning into the taste, texture, and smell of the food. If you find yourself slipping into thought, just notice that and return your attention to the food and your body's response to it.

BIGGER PICTURE One final piece of advice: Don't get wrapped up in all the hype about diets. Instead of adopting a short-term strategy to drop a few pounds (which may backfire and result in twice the weight gain), focus on finding a balanced approach to eating and exercise that you can enjoy and that can keep you healthy over the long haul.

Dr. Timothy McCall, Yoga Journal's Medical Editor, is currently working on a book, Yoga as Medicine, as a Scholar-in-Residence at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Lenox, Massachusetts. Always check with your own practitioner before following any recommendations given in Yoga MD.

5 Ways to Embrace a Pose You Loathe

I hate, hate, HATE twisting standing poses. Seriously, if Parvrrta Trikonasana (Revolved Triangle Pose), Parivrtta Parksvakonasana (Revolved Side Angle Pose), or Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana (Revolved Half Moon Pose) were people, I'd kick them all in the shins (and I'm not a violent person). But I know the poses I hate are probably the ones I need most, so I practice them anyway. Here are a few ways I've learned to cope with loathsome poses.

1. Fake It. It might not sound very yogic, but if you pretend you like a pose through your body language, breath, and internal dialogue, you might eventually change your perspective about it. When your teacher calls out your least favorite pose, instead of thinking "No.. Not this one again!," think, "I love a challenge!" Take deep calming breaths. And maybe, just maybe, let the corners of your lips curl up into a smile.

2. Consider Its Detoxifying Effects. In yoga, the poses that make you squirm are often the ones that touch parts of the body where you hold tension or emotions. When you work on those poses, it brings up all kinds of discomfort! I like to imagine that the discomfort is a sign that the negative "stuff" is moving on out of my body. It might even come out of your pores!

3. Just Do It Anyway--Like Eating Your Greens. Remember when you were a kid, and your mom made you sit at the table until you finished your greens? You knew they were good for you, but they just looked so icky and gross? As you grew up, you probably realized that they weren't so bad and if you'd just eaten them you could've moved on with your life without sitting at the table for hours. Your mind is like a 5-year-old when it comes to your most hated pose (spinach). Just do it anyway. The more you practice, the more you'll see it's not that bad and you might even kind of start to like it.

4. Approach It with Gratitude. Maybe when you were sitting at the dinner table as a child your mom told you, "There are starving children in the world that would love to eat those greens!" Sorry to go all lecture-y on you, but just think about how lucky you are that you have the ability to practice the pose you hate. You have the ability, guidance, and resources to practice.

5. Laugh at Yourself. Think of it this way: You're stressing out about YOGA. You have to see the humor in that. Isn't one of the reasons you doing yoga to help you manage your stress? So, one of the poses is a little uncomfortable... maybe you fall down every time you try it... or look like an awkward chicken... Just laugh at your attempt, know that your efforts will pay off eventually, and keep going. You'll be glad you did!

Erica Rodefer is a writer and yoga practitioner living in Charleston, SC. For more of her writing visit her blog, SpoiledYogi.com.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Relaxation 101

If attaining peace of mind were as simple as reminding ourselves to relax whenever we feel agitated, the majority of us would be blissed-out most of the time. Like any other worthwhile skill, though, relaxation takes practice.

Thankfully, yoga can be a good training ground for cultivating this fine art. And the skills we learn in our yoga practice can support us in the rest of our lives, helping us manage stressful times with clarity and balance.

Exhale. One of the best ways to bring yourself back down to earth is to lengthen your exhalations. This form of breathing—as prescribed in the Yoga Sutra—encourages the nervous system to become calm and quiet, moving the body into a more restful state of being.

Focus your mind. Sometimes when the world sends us spinning, we want to do nothing more than drop into an easy chair and stare into space. But this approach often gives the brain free rein to continue its obsessive and agitated thinking. Instead, try focusing your mind in a constructive and engaging way: Practice a challenging asana or an absorbing breathing exercise.

Appreciate Autumn


In the fall, nature conspires to appeal to our senses. The brilliant colors, the rustle and crunch of dried leaves beneath our feet, and the smell of autumn harvests make it hard not to take in every moment. Consuming genetically-engineered foods could cause a "crisis of consciousness"—a stale, numbing effect on our senses.

This week, celebrate the first week of fall by using seasonal, organic produce to create Sweet Potato Salad with Apple and Avocado


SWEET POTATO SALAD with APPLE and AVOCADO
More a meal than a side dish, this potato salad gets its protein from avocado and pumpkin seeds, both good sources of essential fatty acids. Nutrient-rich corn and diced apple give it crunch. Try serving it over a bed of spinach or arugula. Directions
1. Place sweet potatoes in large saucepan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil, and cook 3 minutes. Add corn, and cook 1 to 2 minutes more, or until potatoes are tender. Drain in colander and rinse under cold water to cool. Drain well.
2. Toast pumpkin seeds in dry skillet over medium-high heat 3 to 4 minutes, or until seeds begin to pop. Transfer to plate, and cool.
3. Combine apple, onion, cilantro, and lime juice in large bowl. Stir in sweet potatoes, corn, and oil, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Stir in avocado and toasted pumpkin seeds just before serving.

Forgiveness Heals

Forgiveness is not something you do solely for the person who hurt you. It is something you do for yourself, for the sake of your own inner freedom. You forgive so that you can live in the present instead of being stuck in the past. You forgive because your grievances and grudges—even more than hopes and attachments and fears—bind you to old patterns, old identities, and especially to old stories.

Think of a person you don't really want to forgive: a parent, an ex-lover, a teacher, a betraying friend. Maybe you believe that to forgive the person means you're excusing their wrong or that holding on to your anger somehow gives you back the power their offense took away. Or perhaps, as a good spiritual practitioner, you believe you've already forgiven. But if you really look, you might see that the grievance is still part of your story, even part of the meaning of your life.

"I'm this way because s/he did that to me!" you say—he or she being the unloving parent, the unfaithful lover, the guru who didn't deliver. The problem is, when you hold on to the grievance, you also hold on to its shadow belief: "I must be flawed in some way to have attracted that hurt."

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Nurture Your Connections Through Samadhi

The ultimate goal of a yoga practice is connection; in fact, the word "yoga" means to yoke or join. The final step in the formal path of yoga is called samadhi, which has been translated as "bliss" and "absorption into the infinite." This final step is when we recognize that the separation between individual beings is an illusion, and that we are all a part of something larger than ourselves.

But what does this mean on a day-to-day level? It means that our practice can be an opportunity for us to improve our relationships. As we come to understand and treat ourselves better, we can be better friends, parents, coworkers, and partners. As we learn to love ourselves more, we can love others more.

So the next time you hit a wall or engage in a conflict in your relationship, take a moment to ruminate on the idea of connection. Can feeling more connected to the person you are fighting with help sooth things over? Can pondering the notion of loving that person show you that conflict is only a fleeting thing, while connection is eternal?

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Focus on the Exhale

In the yogic practice of breath control (or pranayama), the exhale has a special function. While the inhale is stimulating, the exhale is relaxing. While the inhale is about bringing energy into the body, the exhale is about releasing stress, toxins, and pain. Because of this, you can use conscious breathing as a break in your day. By focusing on your exhale, you can let go of the past and come into the present with a renewed commitment. Here's how: Sit up in your chair with your feet on the floor and a long spine. Close your eyes and focus on your breath. Inhale through the nose, feeling your spine get longer and taller. Then exhale through your mouth with a deep sigh. As you exhale, visualize the moments of your day moving away from you. Try this for a few minutes anytime you need to let go of something. It can have a profound effect on your emotional and physical health.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

WEIGH LESS, LIVE MORE Lecture at the Maryland Center for Veterans Education & Training

Top 10 Tips to Weigh Less, Live More


1. Feed your soul with primary food. Friends and family, physical activity, spirituality and a satisfying career feed us. Lack of primary food creates over-reliance on secondary, edible food.

2. Drink water. Most people are chronically dehydrated. We often mistake thirst for hunger. If you feel hungry between meals, drink a glass of water before giving into cravings. Limit liquid calories from soda and juice.

3. Eat a plant-based diet. Plant foods are typically lower in fat and calories and higher in filling fiber than meat, dairy and processed foods, while providing loads of essential nutrients.

4. Chew your food well. Digestion begins in the mouth. By thoroughly chewing your food, your body will better assimilate nutrients; you will also slow down your eating. It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to register that it is full. By slowing your eating, you’ll feel full and satisfied on less food.

5. Eat real food. Avoid products with high-fructose corn syrup or a long list of unpronounceable ingredients. They tend to be highly processed, lacking the nutrients your body needs, and are often loaded with empty calories.

6. Eat breakfast. Skipping meals causes your blood sugar levels to peak and dip, affecting your energy and moods. It can also cause overeating later on because you’re so hungry.

7. Eat mindfully. Turn off the TV. Get away from the computer. Sit down and savor the food you are eating with no distractions.

8. Get moving. Do any type of physical activity every day. Find movement or exercise you enjoy.

9. Sleep, rest and relax. When you are sleep-deprived or stressed, your body will crave energy, causing cravings for sugary snacks and caffeine as an energy boost.

10. Schedule fun time. Boredom and stress can lead to overeating. Make sure to take time to laugh, play and participate in activities that bring you joy.


Weigh Less, Live More

Safe ways to drop pounds and feel satisfied:

Find love. Primary food trumps secondary food. People often reach for food to fulfill other nourishment lacking from their lives.

Drink water. We often mistake dehydration for hunger. Drink a glass of water and wait a few minutes. Then reassess your hunger.

Eat lots of vegetables, fruits and dense, whole grains. These foods provide healthy fiber and usable energy to keep you feeling full and energized longer.

Eat good fats. Healthy fats keep you satisfied and have a host of digestive and health benefits.

Eat mindfully. Turn off the TV and other distractions, appreciate your food and pay attention to what you’re eating to feel full and satisfied after you eat.

Share meals with others. It makes mealtime more fun and meaningful.

Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. Skipping meals affects blood sugar levels, mood and lends to overeating when you become too hungry.

Use smaller dishware. People tend to eat more when their plate or bowl holds more food. It takes less food to create a plateful using a smaller dish.

Chew well. Put your fork down between bites, slow down. Chewing well aids digestion and slowing down gives your brain time to register you’re full before you overeat.

Cook more. Cooking at home saves money and allows you to control the quality of ingredients and the amounts of fat, salt and sugar used. Plus it will be made with love.

Add in to crowd out. Don’t deprive yourself by taking away foods you enjoy. Adding in new, healthier choices will naturally crowd out some of the less healthy foods.

Get moving. Any type of exercise will rev up your metabolism, aid digestion and reduce stress. Take the stairs, walk to a further train or bus stop, do something you enjoy.

Slow down. Being calm, taking time to sit down and eat more slowly, allows you to take in the tastes, smells and textures of your food, leaving you more satisfied.

Get a good night’s sleep. We often reach for quick energy foods like caffeine and sugar when we’re lacking energy from too little rest and relaxation.

Entertain yourself. Before eating out of sheer boredom, reach for a book, an art or home improvement project, or any activity that brings you pleasure.


Weight loss problems in America:

Lack of primary food. A lack of meaningful relationships and careers, spirituality and physical activity leaves us feeling “hungry.”

Processed foods. They are cheap, convenient and usually full of sodium, sugar, chemicals and empty calories.

Availability of fresh whole foods. In many communities, finding fresh produce and protein sources can be a challenge, where processed foods are in abundance.

Sedentary lifestyle. To maintain a healthy weight, one needs to burn as much fuel as one takes in. A sedentary lifestyle sets us up to eat more calories than we use.

Supersized portions. The larger the portion, the more we eat.

Supersized dishware. Dishware has become larger and larger over the years. It takes more food to make a large dish look full.

Advertising and marketing. As a general rule, the worse a food is for you, the more it is advertised. How many ads for quinoa or kale have you seen?

Misinformation and disinformation. We are bombarded with information about food, nutritional data, health benefits and risks; often by special interest groups. People are generally confused about what they are supposed to eat.

Cost of food. Processed, mass produced foods and subsidized the crops to make them are disproportionately less expensive than fresh produce and sustainably grown, whole foods.

Time management. Busy lifestyles promote fast food and eating on the run. Often people feel they just don’t have time to cook.

Stress. Prolonged stress increases a hormone that slows the metabolism, can affect blood sugar levels, fat storage, and increase cravings for fatty, salty and sugary foods.

Diets don’t work:

Not sustainable. Diets can be alienating, stressful, depressing and restrictive.

Not Bio individual. Diets don’t take lifestyle and individuality into consideration

High Cost. Special diets often require expensive specialty foods or prepared meals.

Closing:

We all know things we could do to take better care of ourselves, but often don’t do them.

The key to success is having support.