Issue: #17: June 2011

Namaste friends,

Soul Food

"Preserving the health by too strict a regimen is a wearisome malady."
--François Duc de la Rochefoucauld

"Believe those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it." --Andre Gide

 

HEAL

Organic Buy Rights
Everyone knows that we need to minimize consumption of pesticides. One big challenge is the cost, as organic produce is more expensive. The Environmental Working Group has stepped in to help promote wise spending by releasing a listing of the fruits and veggies that contain the most pesticide residue, as well as those that contain the least. The report is based on 89,000 tests of produce by the USDA and FDA over an eight-year period. The top organic choices are: celery, peaches, strawberries, apples, blueberries, nectarines, bell peppers, spinach, cherries, kale/collard, greens, potatoes and imported grapes. Foods where you can more safely save your money and perhaps skip organic produce include: onions, avocado, sweet corn, pineapple, mangos, sweet peas, asparagus, kiwi, cabbage, eggplant, cantaloupe, watermelon, grapefruit, sweet potato, honeydew and melons. For more information: www.foodnews.org.

Vegalicious
If it's difficult to get all your veggies in, try this tasty green smoothie recipe. Mix a cup to two cups of kefir with a bunch of organic parsley, half an avocado, a bunch of raw kale, half a banana, a handful each of frozen mango and almonds. Blend until smooth. If you're wondering "why parsley," it's because this often overlooked herb is particularly rich in antioxidants that protect against cancers, as well as vitamins like K, which helps maintain healthy bones. Parsley also contains the essential oil eugenol, an antiseptic for teeth and gums. Plus, it makes for a refreshing and delicious smoothie (if you can get past the green color).

 

STRENGTHEN

Step-it-up
To wake up sleepy outer hip muscles (the abductor muscles) in preparation for balancing poses, try this variation on the classic sidelying leg lift. Lying on your right side, lift your left leg slightly (6 inches is plenty). Press the entire outer right leg down into the floor and you'll notice the left leg lifts and lowers in response. To make the action even easier, let your eyes look up as you ground the bottom leg. This little action of the eyes will help recruit the entire body in the movement, in effect sliding the body up and down. Then try tree standing on the right leg. Not only will it be easier, but the muscles that need to fire to keep you balanced will be engaged on their own.

Muscle Maintenance
As we age, we tend to lose muscle, a condition called sarcopenia. Muscle loss can make activities we take for granted, such as lifting groceries or reaching for something on a high shelf, difficult for many elderly people. In addition, muscle serves as a protein reserve, which the immune system can call upon to fight off disease. Frail senior citizens who lack those reserves are more susceptible to illness. Fortunately, the process can be slowed or even reversed by exercising to maintain your strength, as well as making sure you get enough protein in your diet. In yoga, holding poses forces your muscles to engage in isometric contractions. Think of the strength it takes in your thighs and shoulders to hold warrior II, or the engagement of your core and arms in plank position.

 

LIVE

Sweet Nothings
It's no surprise that sugar isn't particularly good for you. But a recent New York Times Magazine article took these concerns further by concluding that available research shows that sugar is actually toxic. The connections between excess sugar consumption and diabetes, fatty liver and heart disease are not particularly surprising. What's more surprising is that sugar may increase your risk of tumors, including breast and colon cancer, due to increased insulin levels. The good news is that those effects seem to be reversible if you change your diet. Unfortunately, the jury is still out on how much sugar is too much.

Forked Over
If you eat too quickly, you tend to eat too much because you're not aware of signals that you're full. An easy way to slow yourself down and train your awareness is to consciously put your fork down after taking a bite. You'll be surprised to find how often your fork is poised in midair for the next bite while you're still chewing. To slow yourself further, notice where you chew--is it on the right side or the left? To reduce jaw tension, consciously vary which side of the mouth you use. These simple tips can help you stop inhaling your food and overindulging.

 

WORKSHOPS

Free Your Body Series:
BREATHING 101

Better breathing helps:

• Improve your posture
  
• Strengthen your core
  
• Connect to your pelvic floor to help with digestion, elimination and sexual function
  
• Ease chronic sciatica and back pain
  
• Relax and balance your emotions
  
• Increase energy and vitality
  

Life starts with a first instinctive breath. However, "life" can just as quickly disrupt our natural breathing patterns, impacting the way we feel and act. Through a combination of breath awareness exercises, Feldenkrais lessons and active yoga postures, you will learn to breathe more effectively. Once you change your breath, you can change everything-from how you physically feel to how you perceive and experience the world.

WHEN: Saturday, September 17, 11:30 am to 2:30
WHERE: Monroe Center, 720 Monroe St. (free parking), Room 517, Hoboken 
COST: $70 by 9/1, $80 after

PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED. Contact me at suzanneausnit@optonline.net
Tel. 973-204-0929.