For the discerning modern person, very busy, atrophied attention-span and all, here is all you need to know about chakras, energy and posture- the Reader's Digest version! ; ) But more seriously this is a good review or beginning point for those interested in learning how philosophy meets practical application in our lives.
It is a very complex interaction- the body, mind, energy interface that is the human experience. We are not informed or prepared in public schools to actually understand how to take care of ourselves and trouble-shoot illness, discomfort, and negativity. So here is one small point that makes a huge difference it my physical, mental, emotional well-being on a daily basis...
Most people, even those of which practice decent posture, don't stop to be conscious of how they direct energy/the force of gravity through their bodies. Unless you are trained in yoga, or perhaps ballet, you never would think that such an opportunity even exists... However it does, in each moment, and if we are unconscious about it, we slowly deteriorate the quality of our bones and joints, and our overall health.
The chakras are subtle (invisible to the eye, or pretend for the skeptics!) energy centers along the spine corresponding with major glands throughout the body. When we sit or stand unconsciously, we compress the entire abdomen with more pressure then our structure is meant to support. Energetically speaking, this obstructs the flow of energy, life force, diminishing our vitality. On the physical side of the very same experience, we deteriorate the quality of our spinal column with this extra pressure, and we greatly reduce both nerve function and blood supply to our major organs. This causes degenerative and "chronic" disease and lots of discomfort- bloating, heaviness, digestive issues and so on.
Ideally, energetically, we want a free flow of energy from the lower chakras up through all of the upper chakras, which simply isn't possible with this caveman-collapsing-into-gravity syndrome we have going on.
So how are we supposed to be doing our thing, us human beings? Here's the rundown from the ground up!
First of all: our connection to the earth is crucial- this is our foundation. When sitting your main connection is through the pelvis, the hip bones, or sitting bones as yogis often call them. Standing, obviously, the feet form the foundation. Use the whole foot evenly, without collapsing the arch. PRESS into the earth just a bit. You will already feel the energy lifting up through your body- you will sit or stand a little straighter.
Then keep your pelvis neutral, in other words don't let your lower back round out or belly hang out, balance in the middle. Draw the navel toward the spine. This helps with digestive health, proper alignment, core strength, and promotes confidence. By doing this, you should still be able to breathe smoothly, and it directs the energy flow up from the lower chakras to the upper chakras.
From there, open your chest fully, don't let the shoulders round forward- it is like caving in your heart. Instead keep your chest high, shoulders relaxed down, shoulder blades a little bit drawn towards the ground behind. Breathe well, freely and smoothly.
Try not to let your head slowly creep forward into your monitor. Like I so quaintly joked in my personal trainer days, "you're neck ain't nothin' but a part of your spine!" (Ha ha! I am a lovable goof ball!).
All of our strength and ease currently lies in our default posture, so it takes patience and diligence to retrain the body to a healthy posture, but the results physically, mentally, emotionally are incredible. Also, we have to become more present, more aware in each moment to do this work, so our mindfulness grows. Mindfulness, or presence, is the single most powerful catalyst for creativity, joy, and fulfillment in life.
So there is it, in a nutshell- how and why bother to stand up and sit up like good human beings, from the subtle and physical perspectives. If the body feels terrible, if energy flow is blocked, our happiness and ease are sharply reduced. We feel happier and better at every level when we can move and use our energy the way it is meant to interact with the body for ideal fulfillment in life.
With love for all life~ laura
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Pleasantly Surprizing +Satisfying Raw Veggie Soup
You may prefer this in the Summertime... You can add greens, enjoy with olive oil + salted kale chips, raw crackers, or a garden salad...
Raw Veggie Soup
One bowl:
3 soaked sun-dried tomatoes with extra soaking water, about one cup
2 stalks celery
1/2 carrot
1/4 onion
Juice of 1/4 lemon
Fresh ginger root, 1/4 x 1/2 inch chunk
6 soaked raw pecans
Salt to taste
Optional: red miso, bragg's liquid aminos, anything else you wish, fresh herbs, greens, etc.
Put everything into your food processor or Vitamix (lucky! : P Lol.)
And blend it up, using the soaking water from the tomatoes to thin to the perfect brothy consistency, in your humble opinion.
Enjoy in love, bliss and gratitude!
Offered w/ <3, Laura
Monday, April 9, 2012
Zucchini Jicama Salad
Zucchini, sliced into thin coins or julienned
Jicama root, peeled and julienned
Soaked sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
Basil, oregano, fresh lemon juice, olive oil, salt, optional crushe red pepper!
Mmmm!
* walnuts would also go well in this...
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Ginger Fruit Smoothie
~<3, laura
Caught me red-handed! Beet Salad
Add any form of green herbs- dandelion, parsely, cilantro, chives, or other favorites to really complete this recipe. To make it a meal in itself, add raw nuts such as almonds, pine nuts, walnuts, or add sesame or hemp seeds.
This makes enough for 2-3 as a meal or for 6 as a light side... Enjoy in brilliant health + happiness! ~ <3, laura
Jicama Beet Salad
1 beet grated
1 carrot grated
1/2 small jicama root, peeled + chopped
1/2 finely diced fresh pineapple
Options:
Add 1/2 chopped greens
And/or
1/2 cup nuts or 1/4 seeds
You can juice a fresh lemon over it, drizzle on olive oil, add salt + spices or herbs of choice to completely change the flavor
OR just enjoy the fresh, light taste, welcoming the bright side of the year!
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Health of Your Body Colors Your Worldview + Interactions with Others
An amazing, mind-blowing insight that came to me yesterday is this: when your body is off, unwell, polluted with toxins or unhealthy food it colors not only your mood, but your interpretation of others and their moods, actions, and words. It taints your view of everything and everyone. So if we take care of our health and physical fitness (without imbalanced obsession) we are taking care of how we will be able to see, serve, love, and interact with others and our world.
I have known this, I have encountered it before: seeing how on the days when I mentally felt like garbage, my interpretation and opinion of my self in the mirror was very dissatisfied and poor I realized how malleable our perceptions are. And I have known that all layers of being inter-penetrate and are one, but this is the first time this exact observation hit me over the head with its actual experience in my life. And I couldn't be more grateful!
So yet another reason to eat good, clean vegan whole-foods, drink lots of water, practice daily yoga, and listen to our bodies needs and requests... It alters our entire experience of life, relationships and ourselves! Minimize the toxins, live lighter and freer, and enjoy this wild and precious life!
Take good care of each other and don't cling to the reactions of others, even the ones you love most. Keep a broader perspective to avoid fixating on a passing mood or moment as if it were the end of everything. Moods and opinions and even what else we share are crystallized moments, relics reflecting a vast interaction of phenomena and history and reaction to sensory experience, including physical and mental states, all colliding in this very moment. Don't grab on and freak out and think that the ship is sinking. Give yourself and others permission to ebb and flow, grow and change, express and absorb.
Yet again, taking a little space around actions and reactions makes our experience of life clearer, more satisfying, less stressful, more beautiful.
I have known this, I have encountered it before: seeing how on the days when I mentally felt like garbage, my interpretation and opinion of my self in the mirror was very dissatisfied and poor I realized how malleable our perceptions are. And I have known that all layers of being inter-penetrate and are one, but this is the first time this exact observation hit me over the head with its actual experience in my life. And I couldn't be more grateful!
So yet another reason to eat good, clean vegan whole-foods, drink lots of water, practice daily yoga, and listen to our bodies needs and requests... It alters our entire experience of life, relationships and ourselves! Minimize the toxins, live lighter and freer, and enjoy this wild and precious life!
Take good care of each other and don't cling to the reactions of others, even the ones you love most. Keep a broader perspective to avoid fixating on a passing mood or moment as if it were the end of everything. Moods and opinions and even what else we share are crystallized moments, relics reflecting a vast interaction of phenomena and history and reaction to sensory experience, including physical and mental states, all colliding in this very moment. Don't grab on and freak out and think that the ship is sinking. Give yourself and others permission to ebb and flow, grow and change, express and absorb.
Yet again, taking a little space around actions and reactions makes our experience of life clearer, more satisfying, less stressful, more beautiful.
Yoga Saves My Life!
I have noticed for years that on my days off, I feel off. By the time the weekend is over I don't at all feel like myself. My ego flares up fearfully taking every subtle fluctuation of my loved ones moods as a threat to my being loved. Things don't roll off my back so well. I feel less strong and confident. My digestion isn't as well as usual. Every week, I crawl to my first class of the week humbled and seeking refuge. I walk away like a new human, freshly risen from the ashes of yesterday and remember myself.
I usually don't practice on my days off. It stems from my days of teaching about 29 classes a week myself. On the 7th day, I needed a break in self-defense. Then came my precious child, and I had this being that needed my whole attention and wasn't down with hanging out for an hour while I adjust my attitude on the yoga mat.
Well, my boy is bigger. And I only teach 7 classes each week. And on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays I need to start practicing, with my son at my side. He needs to grow up seeing what yoga practice does for me. He can join in or watch or do his own thing, but I need this. I feel the difference, the aggregation of garbage and misdirected flow of energy building up by Monday afternoon. Why have to do damage control after every weekend? Why not do what it takes to align my body, my heart, my mind everyday? Why not be my best self, feel my best everyday?
My practice has transformed my relationship to myself, to the individuals, to the world, and has saved me from a lot of suffering. It honestly and without exaggeration has saved my life. It has vastly improved my experience of life, my outlook, my whole world. An hour or even less each day is a small price to pay for incredible health, physical fitness, mental clarity, inner peace, deep satisfaction and an abiding joy that permeates my every experience.
What effects do you get from yoga practice? How often do you practice? Would practicing everyday change your life?
I offer numerous free videos on the Natural Yoga Method YouTube channel, please see the link on www.enlightenAmsterdam.com and let me know your requests as well.
Gratefully... LH
I usually don't practice on my days off. It stems from my days of teaching about 29 classes a week myself. On the 7th day, I needed a break in self-defense. Then came my precious child, and I had this being that needed my whole attention and wasn't down with hanging out for an hour while I adjust my attitude on the yoga mat.
Well, my boy is bigger. And I only teach 7 classes each week. And on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays I need to start practicing, with my son at my side. He needs to grow up seeing what yoga practice does for me. He can join in or watch or do his own thing, but I need this. I feel the difference, the aggregation of garbage and misdirected flow of energy building up by Monday afternoon. Why have to do damage control after every weekend? Why not do what it takes to align my body, my heart, my mind everyday? Why not be my best self, feel my best everyday?
My practice has transformed my relationship to myself, to the individuals, to the world, and has saved me from a lot of suffering. It honestly and without exaggeration has saved my life. It has vastly improved my experience of life, my outlook, my whole world. An hour or even less each day is a small price to pay for incredible health, physical fitness, mental clarity, inner peace, deep satisfaction and an abiding joy that permeates my every experience.
What effects do you get from yoga practice? How often do you practice? Would practicing everyday change your life?
I offer numerous free videos on the Natural Yoga Method YouTube channel, please see the link on www.enlightenAmsterdam.com and let me know your requests as well.
Gratefully... LH
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
The Dangers of Dehydration
The human body is composed of 75 percent water and 25 percent solid matter. To provide nourishment, eliminate waste and regulate all the functions in the body, we need water. Most modern societies, however, no longer stress the importance of drinking water as the most important "nutrient" among all nutrients. Entire population groups are substituting water with tea, coffee, alcohol and other manufactured beverages. Many people don't realize that the natural thirst signal of the body is a sign that it requires pure, plain drinking water. Instead, they opt for other beverages in the belief that this would satisfy the body's water requirements. This is a false belief.
It is true that beverages such as tea, coffee, wine, beer, soft drinks and juices contain water but they also contain caffeine, alcohol, sugar, artificial sweeteners or other chemicals that act as strong dehydrators. The more you drink these beverages, the more dehydrated you become because the effects they create in the body are exactly opposite to the ones that are produced by water. Caffeine containing beverages, for example, trigger stress responses that have strong diuretic effects (causing increased urination, at first). Beverages with added sugar drastically raise blood sugar levels, which uses up large quantities of cellular water, too. Regular consumption of such beverages results in chronic dehydration, which is a common factor in every toxicity crisis.
There is no practical or rational reason to treat an illness (toxicity crisis) with synthetic drugs or even with natural medications and methods unless the body's need for hydration has been met first. Drugs and other forms of medical intervention can be dangerous for the human physiology largely because of their dehydrating effects. Most patients today are suffering from 'thirst disease', a progressive state of dehydration in certain areas of the body. Unable to remove toxins from these parts due to insufficient water supply, the body is faced with the consequences of their destructive effects. The lack of recognition of the most basic aspects of water metabolism in our body can be held responsible for seeing a disease when it really is the body's urgent cry for water.
Recognizing Dehydration
Those who have lived for many years without proper water intake are the most likely to succumb to the build-up of toxins in the body. Chronic disease is always accompanied by dehydration and, in many cases, caused by dehydration. The longer a person lives on a low water ration and/or on a high ration of stimulating beverages or foods, the more severe and long lasting is the toxicity crisis. Heart disease, obesity, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, stomach ulcers, hypertension, cancer, MS, Alzheimer's, and many other chronic forms of disease are precipitated by years of "body drought." Infectious agents such as bacteria and viruses cannot thrive in a well-hydrated body. Drinking enough water is therefore one of the most important preventives for any disease.
People who do not drink enough water or unduly deplete their body's water reserves through overstimulation for a period of time gradually lower the ratio of the volume of water that exists inside the cells to the ratio of volume of water that is found outside the cells. Under dehydrated conditions, the cells may lose up to 28% or more of their water volume. This certainly undermines all cellular activities, whether they occur in skin cells, stomach cells, liver cells, kidney cells or heart cells. Whenever there is cellular dehydration, metabolic waste products are retained, causing symptoms that resemble disease but in truth are nothing but signs of disturbed water metabolism. Since more and more water begins to accumulate outside the cells, the dehydration may not be apparent to the afflicted person; he may in fact notice that he retains water, leading to swelling of his legs, feet, arms and face. Also his kidneys may begin to hold on to water, markedly reducing urinary secretion and causing retention of harmful waste material. Even the enzymes and proteins living in the dehydrated cells become so inefficient that they are no longer able to recognize the dehydrated state of the body; they fail to set off the 'thirst alarm'.
Demetria, a 53-year-old Greek woman consulted me to find relief for a painful condition of gallbladder disease. Her skin was dark gray, indicating a high concentration of toxins in her liver and throughout her body. Seeing how dehydrated (and swollen) her body was, I offered her a glass of water. She said: "I never drink water, it makes me sick!" I told her that her natural thirst signals no longer worked because of cellular dehydration and that without drinking water her body could not return to balance. Any water she would drink would instantly be used to remove some of the toxins lurking in her stomach, giving rise to nausea. In her case, any other therapy than drinking water would have been a waste of time and money.
A dehydrated person may also suffer from lack of energy. Due to the shortage of water inside the cell the normal osmotic flow of water through the cell membrane becomes disrupted or severely disturbed. Like in a stream, the movement of water into the cells generates "hydroelectric" energy, which is subsequently stored in form of ATP molecules (the main source of cellular energy). Normally, the water we drink keeps the cell volume balanced and the salt we eat maintains the balanced volume of water that is held outside the cells and in circulation; this generates the right osmotic pressure necessary for cellular nourishment and energy production. During dehydration, this basic process is undermined.
The Pain Connection
Another major indicator of dehydration in the body is pain. In response to increasing water shortage, the brain activates and stores the important neurotransmitter histamine, which directs certain subordinate water regulators to redistribute the amount of water that is in circulation. This system helps move water to areas where it is needed for basic metabolic activity and survival (from drought). When histamine and its subordinate regulators for water intake and distribution come across pain-sensing nerves in the body, they cause strong and continual pain. These pain signals, as they manifest, for example, in rheumatoid arthritis, angina, dyspepsia, low back problems, neuralgia, migraine, and hangover headaches, etc., are necessary to alert the person to attend to the problem of general or local dehydration.
Taking analgesics or other pain relieving medications such as antihistamines or antacids can cause irreversible damage in the body. They not only fail to address the real problem (which may be dehydration) but they also cut the connection between the neurotransmitter histamine and its subordinate regulators such as vasopressin, Renin-Angiotensin (RA), prostaglandin (PG), and kinins. Although the action of the pain killing drugs can relieve local pain for a while, they nevertheless stop the body from knowing the priority areas for water distribution, adding confusion to all its functions. Antihistamines -- also known as allergy drugs - effectively prevent the body's histamines from ensuring balanced water distribution.
In addition to jeopardizing the water regulating mechanisms, after reaching a certain pain threshold, painkillers become ineffective because the brain takes over as a direct center for monitoring pain perpetuation (unless of course the body is hydrated again). If the body produces pain out of its own accord (not caused through an injury), this should first be interpreted as a cry for water. The use of painkillers, which suppress this cardinal signal of chronic and local dehydration in the body and which "short circuit" its emergency routes, sabotages waste elimination and sows the seeds of chronic illness.
There is enough documentation to show that these drugs can have fatal side effects. They can cause gastrointestinal bleeding, killing thousands each year. Yet the body's natural pain signals are perfectly normal responses to an abnormal situation, which may be simple dehydration. In the case that a pain is simply unbearable, the use of painkillers, however, may be unavoidable. At the same time, the pain-afflicted person should drink plenty of fresh water and discontinue all energy-depleting factors, as these tend to have a strongly dehydrating effect.
'Body Drought' - the Strongest Form of Stress
Our brain, working round the clock, requires more water than any other part of the body. Under normal conditions, it contains about twenty percent of all the blood that circulates through the body. It is estimated that brain cells consist of 85 percent water. Their energy requirements are not only met by metabolizing glucose (simple sugar), but also by generating "hydroelectric" energy from the water drive through cell osmosis. The brain depends greatly on this self-generated source of energy to maintain its complex processes and efficiency.
Water deficiency in the brain tissue cut downs its energy supply and thereby depresses many of its vital functions - hence the word depression. With a low level of brain energy, we are unable to meet our personal and social challenges and subsequently succumb to fear, anxiety, anger and other emotional problems. We may feel drained, lethargic, stressed and depressed. The chronic fatigue syndrome, which is commonly known as M.E., is mainly a symptom of progressive brain dehydration and subsequent retention of metabolic toxins in the brain. The syndrome may disappear on its own when the afflicted person stops stimulating the brain with caffeine, tobacco, drugs, animal products, etc., and begins a consequent program of re-hydrating the body.
The Stress Response
When dehydrated, the body has to put up the fight of a lifetime -- similar to the one experienced in a "fight or flight" situation. The body meets a crisis situation by mobilizing several powerful hormones, including adrenalin, endorphins, cortisone, prolactin, vasopressin, and Renin-Angiotensin (RA).
Endorphins, for example, help us to withstand pain and stress and allow the body to continue most of its functions. Cortisone orders the mobilisation of stored energies and essential raw materials to supply the body with energy and basic nutrients during the crisis. In other words, this hormone allows the body to literally feed off itself. This in itself is a very stressful and damaging situation for the body and is expressed by such emotions as, "I can't cope anymore" or, "I feel this is eating at me." Many patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis, MS or other degenerative diseases take cortisone drugs, which often give them a boost of energy and morale for a relatively short period of time.
The 'success' of the drug, however, only lasts as long as there are still reserves left in the body that can be mobilized for energy and nutrient distribution. Once the body has used up its emergency reserves the organism can barely function anymore and the symptoms of disease become worse than ever.
Constriction of blood vessels
When the cells in the body are under-supplied with water, the brain's pituitary gland produces the neurotransmitter vasopressin, a hormone that has the property of constricting blood vessels in areas where there is cellular dehydration. During dehydration, the quantity of water in the bloodstream is reduced. Vasopressin, as its name suggests, squeezes the vascular system, i.e., the capillaries and arteries, to reduce their fluid volume. This maneuver is necessary to continue having enough pressure to allow for a steady filtration of water into the cells. This gives vasopressin a hypertensive property. High blood pressure is a common experience among people who are dehydrated. A similar situation occurs in the liver's bile ducts, which begin to constrict in response to restricted availability of water. Gallstone formation is a direct result of dehydration.
A person who drinks alcohol suppresses the secretion of vasopressin and thereby increases cellular dehydration (if alcohol consumption is excessive, cellular dehydration may reach dangerously high levels). To survive the body "drought," the body has to secrete ever more stress hormones, among them the addictive endorphins. With regular consumption of alcohol, meaning every day for several years, dehydration increases even further and endorphin production becomes an addictive habit. This may lead to alcoholism, a disease that has devastating consequences on a person's personal and social life.
Water Retention and Kidney Damage
The Renin-Angiotensin (RA) system is activated when there is a water shortage in the body. This system is used to direct the body to hold on to water wherever possible. It instructs the kidneys to inhibit urination and tightens the capillaries and the vascular system, particularly in areas that are not as vital as the brain and the heart muscles. At the same time, it stimulates an increase in the absorption of sodium (salt), which helps the body to retain water. Unless the body returns to its normal level of hydration, the RA system remains activated. But this also means that the pressure of the blood against the walls of the blood vessels remains abnormally high, causing the damage that is known as cardiovascular disease.
Hypertension and the retention of urine in the kidneys lead to kidney damage. Conventional treatments for this condition consist mostly of diuretic (urine forming) drugs and restricted salt consumption. Both may have severe drawbacks. Diuretic drugs, which are used to normalize the blood pressure, as well as reduced salt intake strongly undermine the body's emergency efforts to save the little water it has left for cell functions. The resulting stress response causes a further increase in dehydration and the vicious cycle is complete. There are so many kidney replacements made today that result from chronic dehydration, caused by something as simple as not drinking enough water or overstimulation of the nervous system.
The Caffeine and Alcohol Drama
The caffeine contained in such beverages as tea, coffee, cacao or colas not only stimulates the central nervous system and immune system but also acts as a strong diuretic. For every cup of coffee or tea you drink you relinquish approximately three cups of water, which the body cannot afford to give up without suffering damage. The caffeine containing cola beverages work in a similar way. Caffeine, being a nerve toxin, stimulates the body's stress hormones and triggers a strong immune response that may give a person the (false) impression that his level of energy and vitality has suddenly increased. To remove the nerve toxin caffeine, the body has to come up with extra water, which it takes from its cells. Hence there is an occurrence of cellular dehydration.
Caffeine, which is a major component in most soft drinks, removes water from the body faster than the body can absorb it again, thereby generating constant thirst. People, who frequently take soft drinks, can never really quench their thirst because their bodies continually and increasingly run out of cellular water. There are college students who drink as many as 10-14 cans of cola a day. Eventually, they confuse their bodies' never-ending thirst signal with hunger and they begin to overeat, causing swelling and excessive weight gain. Apart from its diuretic action and its addictive effects on the brain, regular caffeine intake overstimulates the heart muscles, causing exhaustion and heart disease.
Alcohol has a similar diuretic effect as caffeine containing beverages. For every glass of beer, for example, the body is forced to sacrifice about three glasses of water. A hangover results when due to alcohol abuse the brain suffers severe dehydration. If this occurs repeatedly, a large number of brain cells become damaged and die. Many important brain functions slow down or become depressed. Recovery is possible to a certain extent if alcohol consumption is discontinued.
Kidney Stones
The main functions of the kidneys are to keep the blood pure and healthy and maintain proper fluid balance in the body. To accomplish this difficult feat, the kidneys constantly monitor normal blood volume and filter from the blood the right quantity of urine to keep it balanced. There are many influences that can disrupt this mechanism and cause congestion in the kidneys. They include overstimulation, dehydration, fatigue, overeating, gallstones, blood pressure disturbance, medical or narcotic drugs, vitamins, digestive disorders, etc. When the kidneys are incapable of sufficiently separating the urine from the blood, part of the urine continues to circulate throughout the body, depositing urinary waste products in the blood vessels, joints, tissues, and organs. Skin diseases, strong body odor, sweating of palms and feet, water retention, intestinal swelling, high blood pressure, etc. are all signs of toxic blood caused by crystals and stones in the kidneys.
Stones in the kidneys begin as tiny crystals and can eventually become as large as an egg. The tiny crystals are too small to be detected by X-rays and since they do not cause pain, they are rarely noticed yet they are big enough to block the flow of liquid through the tiny kidney tubules. Crystals or stones are formed in the kidneys when urinary constituents, which normally in solution, are precipitated. Precipitation occurs when these particles occur in excessive amounts or when urine becomes too concentrated. The crystal particles or stones are usually full of sharp angles, which may cut and wear away the inner surface of the urinary canal (ureter) during their passage from the kidneys to the bladder. This causes severe pain in the loins or lower back. There may even be blood in the urine, pain running down the legs, numbness in the thighs and a difficulty in passing urine.
Most crystals or stones originate in the kidneys, although some may also be formed in the bladder. If a large stone enters a ureter, urine flow becomes obstructed. This can lead to serious complications, such as kidney infection or kidney failure.
Why The Need For A Kidney Cleanse?
The kidneys make a tremendous effort in trying to keep the body clear of toxic substances such as lead, cadmium, mercury and other impassable pollutants. They also maintain fluid and electrolyte balance and regulate the pressure from the heart that forces the blood through their filtering system. Kidney stones greatly impair this ability, which consequently increases the amounts of heavy metals and raises the body's general level of toxicity. This can lead to infection, high blood pressure, heart disease, brain disorders, cancer and many other diseases.
The following signs indicate the presence of crystals and stones in the kidneys or bladder: A dark or whitish color under the eyes; puffy or swollen eyes, particularly in the morning; deep wrinkles under and around the eyes; tiny whitish, tan-colored or dark lumps under the eyes, which can be felt or made visible when stretching the skin outwards towards the cheekbones; overlapping of the skin of the upper eyelid; chronic pain in the lower back; swelling of feet and legs; constant fear or anxiety. There are a number of herbs that can effectively dissolve kidney stones within a period of 20-30 days. Whether someone has been diagnosed as having kidney stones or not, doing a kidney cleanse once or twice a year produces tremendous curative and preventive benefits. The kidney cleanse not only improves physical health but also reduces stress, fear and anxieties.
It is true that beverages such as tea, coffee, wine, beer, soft drinks and juices contain water but they also contain caffeine, alcohol, sugar, artificial sweeteners or other chemicals that act as strong dehydrators. The more you drink these beverages, the more dehydrated you become because the effects they create in the body are exactly opposite to the ones that are produced by water. Caffeine containing beverages, for example, trigger stress responses that have strong diuretic effects (causing increased urination, at first). Beverages with added sugar drastically raise blood sugar levels, which uses up large quantities of cellular water, too. Regular consumption of such beverages results in chronic dehydration, which is a common factor in every toxicity crisis.
There is no practical or rational reason to treat an illness (toxicity crisis) with synthetic drugs or even with natural medications and methods unless the body's need for hydration has been met first. Drugs and other forms of medical intervention can be dangerous for the human physiology largely because of their dehydrating effects. Most patients today are suffering from 'thirst disease', a progressive state of dehydration in certain areas of the body. Unable to remove toxins from these parts due to insufficient water supply, the body is faced with the consequences of their destructive effects. The lack of recognition of the most basic aspects of water metabolism in our body can be held responsible for seeing a disease when it really is the body's urgent cry for water.
Recognizing Dehydration
Those who have lived for many years without proper water intake are the most likely to succumb to the build-up of toxins in the body. Chronic disease is always accompanied by dehydration and, in many cases, caused by dehydration. The longer a person lives on a low water ration and/or on a high ration of stimulating beverages or foods, the more severe and long lasting is the toxicity crisis. Heart disease, obesity, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, stomach ulcers, hypertension, cancer, MS, Alzheimer's, and many other chronic forms of disease are precipitated by years of "body drought." Infectious agents such as bacteria and viruses cannot thrive in a well-hydrated body. Drinking enough water is therefore one of the most important preventives for any disease.
People who do not drink enough water or unduly deplete their body's water reserves through overstimulation for a period of time gradually lower the ratio of the volume of water that exists inside the cells to the ratio of volume of water that is found outside the cells. Under dehydrated conditions, the cells may lose up to 28% or more of their water volume. This certainly undermines all cellular activities, whether they occur in skin cells, stomach cells, liver cells, kidney cells or heart cells. Whenever there is cellular dehydration, metabolic waste products are retained, causing symptoms that resemble disease but in truth are nothing but signs of disturbed water metabolism. Since more and more water begins to accumulate outside the cells, the dehydration may not be apparent to the afflicted person; he may in fact notice that he retains water, leading to swelling of his legs, feet, arms and face. Also his kidneys may begin to hold on to water, markedly reducing urinary secretion and causing retention of harmful waste material. Even the enzymes and proteins living in the dehydrated cells become so inefficient that they are no longer able to recognize the dehydrated state of the body; they fail to set off the 'thirst alarm'.
Demetria, a 53-year-old Greek woman consulted me to find relief for a painful condition of gallbladder disease. Her skin was dark gray, indicating a high concentration of toxins in her liver and throughout her body. Seeing how dehydrated (and swollen) her body was, I offered her a glass of water. She said: "I never drink water, it makes me sick!" I told her that her natural thirst signals no longer worked because of cellular dehydration and that without drinking water her body could not return to balance. Any water she would drink would instantly be used to remove some of the toxins lurking in her stomach, giving rise to nausea. In her case, any other therapy than drinking water would have been a waste of time and money.
A dehydrated person may also suffer from lack of energy. Due to the shortage of water inside the cell the normal osmotic flow of water through the cell membrane becomes disrupted or severely disturbed. Like in a stream, the movement of water into the cells generates "hydroelectric" energy, which is subsequently stored in form of ATP molecules (the main source of cellular energy). Normally, the water we drink keeps the cell volume balanced and the salt we eat maintains the balanced volume of water that is held outside the cells and in circulation; this generates the right osmotic pressure necessary for cellular nourishment and energy production. During dehydration, this basic process is undermined.
The Pain Connection
Another major indicator of dehydration in the body is pain. In response to increasing water shortage, the brain activates and stores the important neurotransmitter histamine, which directs certain subordinate water regulators to redistribute the amount of water that is in circulation. This system helps move water to areas where it is needed for basic metabolic activity and survival (from drought). When histamine and its subordinate regulators for water intake and distribution come across pain-sensing nerves in the body, they cause strong and continual pain. These pain signals, as they manifest, for example, in rheumatoid arthritis, angina, dyspepsia, low back problems, neuralgia, migraine, and hangover headaches, etc., are necessary to alert the person to attend to the problem of general or local dehydration.
Taking analgesics or other pain relieving medications such as antihistamines or antacids can cause irreversible damage in the body. They not only fail to address the real problem (which may be dehydration) but they also cut the connection between the neurotransmitter histamine and its subordinate regulators such as vasopressin, Renin-Angiotensin (RA), prostaglandin (PG), and kinins. Although the action of the pain killing drugs can relieve local pain for a while, they nevertheless stop the body from knowing the priority areas for water distribution, adding confusion to all its functions. Antihistamines -- also known as allergy drugs - effectively prevent the body's histamines from ensuring balanced water distribution.
In addition to jeopardizing the water regulating mechanisms, after reaching a certain pain threshold, painkillers become ineffective because the brain takes over as a direct center for monitoring pain perpetuation (unless of course the body is hydrated again). If the body produces pain out of its own accord (not caused through an injury), this should first be interpreted as a cry for water. The use of painkillers, which suppress this cardinal signal of chronic and local dehydration in the body and which "short circuit" its emergency routes, sabotages waste elimination and sows the seeds of chronic illness.
There is enough documentation to show that these drugs can have fatal side effects. They can cause gastrointestinal bleeding, killing thousands each year. Yet the body's natural pain signals are perfectly normal responses to an abnormal situation, which may be simple dehydration. In the case that a pain is simply unbearable, the use of painkillers, however, may be unavoidable. At the same time, the pain-afflicted person should drink plenty of fresh water and discontinue all energy-depleting factors, as these tend to have a strongly dehydrating effect.
'Body Drought' - the Strongest Form of Stress
Our brain, working round the clock, requires more water than any other part of the body. Under normal conditions, it contains about twenty percent of all the blood that circulates through the body. It is estimated that brain cells consist of 85 percent water. Their energy requirements are not only met by metabolizing glucose (simple sugar), but also by generating "hydroelectric" energy from the water drive through cell osmosis. The brain depends greatly on this self-generated source of energy to maintain its complex processes and efficiency.
Water deficiency in the brain tissue cut downs its energy supply and thereby depresses many of its vital functions - hence the word depression. With a low level of brain energy, we are unable to meet our personal and social challenges and subsequently succumb to fear, anxiety, anger and other emotional problems. We may feel drained, lethargic, stressed and depressed. The chronic fatigue syndrome, which is commonly known as M.E., is mainly a symptom of progressive brain dehydration and subsequent retention of metabolic toxins in the brain. The syndrome may disappear on its own when the afflicted person stops stimulating the brain with caffeine, tobacco, drugs, animal products, etc., and begins a consequent program of re-hydrating the body.
The Stress Response
When dehydrated, the body has to put up the fight of a lifetime -- similar to the one experienced in a "fight or flight" situation. The body meets a crisis situation by mobilizing several powerful hormones, including adrenalin, endorphins, cortisone, prolactin, vasopressin, and Renin-Angiotensin (RA).
Endorphins, for example, help us to withstand pain and stress and allow the body to continue most of its functions. Cortisone orders the mobilisation of stored energies and essential raw materials to supply the body with energy and basic nutrients during the crisis. In other words, this hormone allows the body to literally feed off itself. This in itself is a very stressful and damaging situation for the body and is expressed by such emotions as, "I can't cope anymore" or, "I feel this is eating at me." Many patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis, MS or other degenerative diseases take cortisone drugs, which often give them a boost of energy and morale for a relatively short period of time.
The 'success' of the drug, however, only lasts as long as there are still reserves left in the body that can be mobilized for energy and nutrient distribution. Once the body has used up its emergency reserves the organism can barely function anymore and the symptoms of disease become worse than ever.
Constriction of blood vessels
When the cells in the body are under-supplied with water, the brain's pituitary gland produces the neurotransmitter vasopressin, a hormone that has the property of constricting blood vessels in areas where there is cellular dehydration. During dehydration, the quantity of water in the bloodstream is reduced. Vasopressin, as its name suggests, squeezes the vascular system, i.e., the capillaries and arteries, to reduce their fluid volume. This maneuver is necessary to continue having enough pressure to allow for a steady filtration of water into the cells. This gives vasopressin a hypertensive property. High blood pressure is a common experience among people who are dehydrated. A similar situation occurs in the liver's bile ducts, which begin to constrict in response to restricted availability of water. Gallstone formation is a direct result of dehydration.
A person who drinks alcohol suppresses the secretion of vasopressin and thereby increases cellular dehydration (if alcohol consumption is excessive, cellular dehydration may reach dangerously high levels). To survive the body "drought," the body has to secrete ever more stress hormones, among them the addictive endorphins. With regular consumption of alcohol, meaning every day for several years, dehydration increases even further and endorphin production becomes an addictive habit. This may lead to alcoholism, a disease that has devastating consequences on a person's personal and social life.
Water Retention and Kidney Damage
The Renin-Angiotensin (RA) system is activated when there is a water shortage in the body. This system is used to direct the body to hold on to water wherever possible. It instructs the kidneys to inhibit urination and tightens the capillaries and the vascular system, particularly in areas that are not as vital as the brain and the heart muscles. At the same time, it stimulates an increase in the absorption of sodium (salt), which helps the body to retain water. Unless the body returns to its normal level of hydration, the RA system remains activated. But this also means that the pressure of the blood against the walls of the blood vessels remains abnormally high, causing the damage that is known as cardiovascular disease.
Hypertension and the retention of urine in the kidneys lead to kidney damage. Conventional treatments for this condition consist mostly of diuretic (urine forming) drugs and restricted salt consumption. Both may have severe drawbacks. Diuretic drugs, which are used to normalize the blood pressure, as well as reduced salt intake strongly undermine the body's emergency efforts to save the little water it has left for cell functions. The resulting stress response causes a further increase in dehydration and the vicious cycle is complete. There are so many kidney replacements made today that result from chronic dehydration, caused by something as simple as not drinking enough water or overstimulation of the nervous system.
The Caffeine and Alcohol Drama
The caffeine contained in such beverages as tea, coffee, cacao or colas not only stimulates the central nervous system and immune system but also acts as a strong diuretic. For every cup of coffee or tea you drink you relinquish approximately three cups of water, which the body cannot afford to give up without suffering damage. The caffeine containing cola beverages work in a similar way. Caffeine, being a nerve toxin, stimulates the body's stress hormones and triggers a strong immune response that may give a person the (false) impression that his level of energy and vitality has suddenly increased. To remove the nerve toxin caffeine, the body has to come up with extra water, which it takes from its cells. Hence there is an occurrence of cellular dehydration.
Caffeine, which is a major component in most soft drinks, removes water from the body faster than the body can absorb it again, thereby generating constant thirst. People, who frequently take soft drinks, can never really quench their thirst because their bodies continually and increasingly run out of cellular water. There are college students who drink as many as 10-14 cans of cola a day. Eventually, they confuse their bodies' never-ending thirst signal with hunger and they begin to overeat, causing swelling and excessive weight gain. Apart from its diuretic action and its addictive effects on the brain, regular caffeine intake overstimulates the heart muscles, causing exhaustion and heart disease.
Alcohol has a similar diuretic effect as caffeine containing beverages. For every glass of beer, for example, the body is forced to sacrifice about three glasses of water. A hangover results when due to alcohol abuse the brain suffers severe dehydration. If this occurs repeatedly, a large number of brain cells become damaged and die. Many important brain functions slow down or become depressed. Recovery is possible to a certain extent if alcohol consumption is discontinued.
Kidney Stones
The main functions of the kidneys are to keep the blood pure and healthy and maintain proper fluid balance in the body. To accomplish this difficult feat, the kidneys constantly monitor normal blood volume and filter from the blood the right quantity of urine to keep it balanced. There are many influences that can disrupt this mechanism and cause congestion in the kidneys. They include overstimulation, dehydration, fatigue, overeating, gallstones, blood pressure disturbance, medical or narcotic drugs, vitamins, digestive disorders, etc. When the kidneys are incapable of sufficiently separating the urine from the blood, part of the urine continues to circulate throughout the body, depositing urinary waste products in the blood vessels, joints, tissues, and organs. Skin diseases, strong body odor, sweating of palms and feet, water retention, intestinal swelling, high blood pressure, etc. are all signs of toxic blood caused by crystals and stones in the kidneys.
Stones in the kidneys begin as tiny crystals and can eventually become as large as an egg. The tiny crystals are too small to be detected by X-rays and since they do not cause pain, they are rarely noticed yet they are big enough to block the flow of liquid through the tiny kidney tubules. Crystals or stones are formed in the kidneys when urinary constituents, which normally in solution, are precipitated. Precipitation occurs when these particles occur in excessive amounts or when urine becomes too concentrated. The crystal particles or stones are usually full of sharp angles, which may cut and wear away the inner surface of the urinary canal (ureter) during their passage from the kidneys to the bladder. This causes severe pain in the loins or lower back. There may even be blood in the urine, pain running down the legs, numbness in the thighs and a difficulty in passing urine.
Most crystals or stones originate in the kidneys, although some may also be formed in the bladder. If a large stone enters a ureter, urine flow becomes obstructed. This can lead to serious complications, such as kidney infection or kidney failure.
Why The Need For A Kidney Cleanse?
The kidneys make a tremendous effort in trying to keep the body clear of toxic substances such as lead, cadmium, mercury and other impassable pollutants. They also maintain fluid and electrolyte balance and regulate the pressure from the heart that forces the blood through their filtering system. Kidney stones greatly impair this ability, which consequently increases the amounts of heavy metals and raises the body's general level of toxicity. This can lead to infection, high blood pressure, heart disease, brain disorders, cancer and many other diseases.
The following signs indicate the presence of crystals and stones in the kidneys or bladder: A dark or whitish color under the eyes; puffy or swollen eyes, particularly in the morning; deep wrinkles under and around the eyes; tiny whitish, tan-colored or dark lumps under the eyes, which can be felt or made visible when stretching the skin outwards towards the cheekbones; overlapping of the skin of the upper eyelid; chronic pain in the lower back; swelling of feet and legs; constant fear or anxiety. There are a number of herbs that can effectively dissolve kidney stones within a period of 20-30 days. Whether someone has been diagnosed as having kidney stones or not, doing a kidney cleanse once or twice a year produces tremendous curative and preventive benefits. The kidney cleanse not only improves physical health but also reduces stress, fear and anxieties.
[This is an excerpt from the book 'Timeless Secrets of Health & Rejuvenation' by Andreas Moritz]
Andreas Moritz is a writer and practitioner in the field of Integrative Medicine. He is the author of 13 books on various subjects pertaining to holistic health, including The Amazing Liver and Gallbladder Flush, Timeless Secrets of Health and Rejuvenation and Cancer Is Not a Disease. His most recent book is titled 'Vaccine-Nation: Poisoning the Population, One Shot at a Time.
Moritz is also the creator of Ener-Chi Art ( http://www.ener-chi.com ) and Sacred Santémony.
Much of his life's work has been dedicated to understanding and treating the root causes of illness, and helping the body, mind, spirit and heart to heal naturally.
Connect with Andreas at: http://www.facebook.com/enerchi.wellness
Copyright © 2011 by Andreas Moritz
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andreas_MoritzAndreas Moritz is a writer and practitioner in the field of Integrative Medicine. He is the author of 13 books on various subjects pertaining to holistic health, including The Amazing Liver and Gallbladder Flush, Timeless Secrets of Health and Rejuvenation and Cancer Is Not a Disease. His most recent book is titled 'Vaccine-Nation: Poisoning the Population, One Shot at a Time.
Moritz is also the creator of Ener-Chi Art ( http://www.ener-chi.com ) and Sacred Santémony.
Much of his life's work has been dedicated to understanding and treating the root causes of illness, and helping the body, mind, spirit and heart to heal naturally.
Connect with Andreas at: http://www.facebook.com/enerchi.wellness
Copyright © 2011 by Andreas Moritz
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/35388
Friday, September 9, 2011
Natural Migraine Relief
Depending on what your trigger is, you may find different things relieving. My trigger is light, heat, what is known as "pitta" in ayurveda.
Feverfew is an herb that can be taken (always check with your doctor and pharmacist!) preventatively, or regularly when you feel one coming on, or have one more full-blown.
Fasting once my headache gets strong helps to avoid severe nausea, but with a weak headache or while fighting one off, eating something comforting helps. Sometimes low blood sugar contributes to tension and pain.
Relax the facial muscles, massage the face and scalp, especially the points around the forhead, temples, eye sockets... Use peppermint essential oil on the temples and hairline.
Shirodhara is an ayurvedic treatment in which warmed oil is slowly dripped from the hairline over the scalp, while you relax on a massage table. It is very excellent for regular migraine sufferers.
I love using a cool, wet cloth over my eyes and forehead, it helps immensely. A long bath, a soak in the hot tub or hot shower can help relax tense muscles that contribute to a migraine intensifying and going full-blown.
If you can, go to sleep! Stay cool (but not shivering cold) and relax your body and especially the face/scalp. Use a wet cloth and keep flipping it to the cool side when you stir. I used to put my forehead up to the wall to keep it cool when I was younger.
If you have to work or stay alert, relax your facial muscles as much as possible. Cool down, or quiet down, if sound is your trigger. Keep your mind present as much as possible, you will feel much more pain as soon as you even subtely stress.
Migraines can be treated with regular meditation, yoga, and staying well hydrated, in addition to observing and respecting your triggers. I have been able to make a full-blown migraine go away with some feverfew, a cold-cloth, consciously relaxing, and resting a little bit. Even while teaching yoga classes, or playing with my toddler, I have been able to keep migraines down to a dull roar with increasing success using these techniques. I have never taken migraine medications and don't plan to. And yes, I experience real migraines. Regular meditation/yoga practice is key because it hones the powers of observation and conscious relaxation that are crucial to recognizing the triggers and actions that make it feel better and worse.
One blessing of migraine pain is it can help you become more acutely conscious of the way you tense your facial and scalp muscles. There is a Guru in everything! namaste!
Feverfew is an herb that can be taken (always check with your doctor and pharmacist!) preventatively, or regularly when you feel one coming on, or have one more full-blown.
Fasting once my headache gets strong helps to avoid severe nausea, but with a weak headache or while fighting one off, eating something comforting helps. Sometimes low blood sugar contributes to tension and pain.
Relax the facial muscles, massage the face and scalp, especially the points around the forhead, temples, eye sockets... Use peppermint essential oil on the temples and hairline.
Shirodhara is an ayurvedic treatment in which warmed oil is slowly dripped from the hairline over the scalp, while you relax on a massage table. It is very excellent for regular migraine sufferers.
I love using a cool, wet cloth over my eyes and forehead, it helps immensely. A long bath, a soak in the hot tub or hot shower can help relax tense muscles that contribute to a migraine intensifying and going full-blown.
If you can, go to sleep! Stay cool (but not shivering cold) and relax your body and especially the face/scalp. Use a wet cloth and keep flipping it to the cool side when you stir. I used to put my forehead up to the wall to keep it cool when I was younger.
If you have to work or stay alert, relax your facial muscles as much as possible. Cool down, or quiet down, if sound is your trigger. Keep your mind present as much as possible, you will feel much more pain as soon as you even subtely stress.
Migraines can be treated with regular meditation, yoga, and staying well hydrated, in addition to observing and respecting your triggers. I have been able to make a full-blown migraine go away with some feverfew, a cold-cloth, consciously relaxing, and resting a little bit. Even while teaching yoga classes, or playing with my toddler, I have been able to keep migraines down to a dull roar with increasing success using these techniques. I have never taken migraine medications and don't plan to. And yes, I experience real migraines. Regular meditation/yoga practice is key because it hones the powers of observation and conscious relaxation that are crucial to recognizing the triggers and actions that make it feel better and worse.
One blessing of migraine pain is it can help you become more acutely conscious of the way you tense your facial and scalp muscles. There is a Guru in everything! namaste!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Oh, pity us, the lumbering sleepwalkers!
eIn the introduction to Will Johnson's "Yoga of the Mahamudra", he discusses the idea of correlation between degree of human consciousness and how straight and upright the spine is. The straighter we become the more conscious we become.
You might be saying, "hey, well now, aren't we all standing up pretty straight?" No, well, some of us more then others but no. We are much straighter then our ancient ancestors but evolutionarliy speaking, we have more work to do. "What?!" Yes! Check your posture. Even after six years of sleeping, eating, breathing, teaching, living, constantly seeking yoga I am still day by day discovering a new degree of alignment and a new degree of awakening consciousness, and I think that I may have quite a ways to go.
Thankfully, yoga and the awakening of consciousness (and the awakening of alignment, for that matter), is a process-oriented experience-- their isn't a need to struggle or race to the goal, because the goal is the process.
I am not an engineer, but if we talk in basic terms about the body as a structure, we can feel and understand this concept. Think of the four-leggeds, the quadripedal animals. Imagine them standing up onto two legs and prancing around. Oh, isn't the idea of prancing doggies and kitty-cats so cute? :) But seriously, whenever meow-meow and woof-woof come up, they can't stay long, because their entire structure is designed for their four-legged lifestyle. For humans to make the jump from knuckle-dragging apes (said with love) to bipedal beings was nothing short of radical, revolutionary and maybe even random.
Coming from that vision of humankind's two-leggedness, we can now shift to contemplating gravity- a force that we have to work to overcome, or that can effortlessly stabilize us, depending on our alignment. Posture has gone by the wayside, sacrificied to the frantic multi-tasking monster devouring our society. In ages long past, parents consistently worked on their children's last good nerve with postural reminders. Even if it was done just out of ettiquette or tradition or habit, it was quite beneficial. In the last century and especially last few decades, people don't seem to pay attention to their own banana-like posture, let alone their children's, we have just forgotten to care. We plod along like dinosaurs, with the posture of a jumbo shrimp.
There are many factors compounding the Western constellation of issues- illness, unhappiness and unconsciousness- one of which is poor posture. While we stopped paying attention, or where we never thought to pay attention, we have left our bodies to fall slowly into gravity. Most people don't actually think much about posture and bodily structure, how they sit or relax or stand or sleep. To stand in poor alignment increases structural pressure to 150% and to sit slouching increases that preasure to 200% or more. This constant, daily pressure is the equivalent of carrying that much extra weight, it prematurely grinds down joints like the spine and knees. It chokes circulation to a minimum, it starves the major organs very, very slowly. It pinches nerves and diminuishes their ability to function profoundly. It also makes our torso distend, get bloated, feel heavy and look much bigger then it is, making us feel very uncomfortable and unhappy with ourselves. It can cause major digestive issues, including contributing to IBS. We are paying a heavy price for our ignorance and laziness.
If we don't give any thought or attention to how we sit, stand and move, then we are relying on unconscious support, gravity is having its way with us, and we actually spend a lot more energy whenever we sit, stand or move just to stay up. Proper alignment takes months of transition to make it past getting some sore muscles (because they have to strengthen in new ways), and years of transtion to newer and newer levels of straightness and lightness. But its only work for a short while. Once we reach a critical mass point, we suddenly feel horribly uncomfortable if we slouch and have to stand up straight because it just feels so much better.
Consequently, since it takes reminding ourselves every time we notice postural deviation, we also strengthen our ability to be conscious. We have to develop a level of mindfulness, a low-level watching that monitors at least the body position, if not the body's other senses and signals as well. This is where the mind-body consciousness connection becomes clear. As we develop posturally, we develop a clearer and clearer level of consciousness.
So how should we be using our body, to stay well and evolve our brains in all our true bipedal glory?
step by step...
Whatever part of us touches the ground is our foundation- feet or feet and hips when sitting. Feet should be flat (watch how you may be habitually shifting weight to the side of one or both feet!), and especially when standing, should apply a gentle to moderate amount of pressure downward into the earth. Pushing down just a little activates the legs, and those big muscles do the majority of the work of overcoming gravity for us. Next, point the tailbone down toward the earth a little, drawing the lower-belly diagonally up and in, navel toward spine. Continue the gentle lifting upward through the chest, and allow your heart to be held high and openly, shoulders opened out to each side. The muscles in the upper-center area of the back will become much stronger and the chest muscles will need to get a bit looser. Slide the ribs back a bit to place them over the hips, and I know, it feels like leaning back at first, it's okay, it just takes practice.
So, to recap, feet (and hips when sitting) push downward, which encourages a lifting motion. Engage navel to spine and lift and open the chest high, allowing the ribs to slide back over the hips.
The stranger this feels the more important it is that you patiently and dilligently practice EVERYDAY, even weekends and holidays. The more you practice the more quickly it becomes natural. Practicing yoga poses helps speed this process tremendously and make it more comfortable. Working out usually makes it harder, because unconsciously, or maybe unavoidably, when we do resistance training we tend to strengthen our muscles in the same imbalanced patterns we hold all day- in other words the imbalanced tightness-looseness of the muscles is what causes improper posture, so working them out gets them stronger, but at the same level of imbalance- unless you work with a very exceptional personal trainer. ( I can help you with that, actually.)
To work on building proper posture similtaneously stimulates the opening of awareness. When we pay attention to our posture and regularly check in on it, we begin to develop body awareness. We hear the body's signals more clearly, we may even start to listen. In time we have found greater all-over health, we eat better because we feel the effects of junk food, we are more joyful because we are better taken care of, we have less stress because we feel better. Just by practicing better posture, we have practiced better mindfulness. We transition from unconcious living slowly to more and eventually fully conscious living, enlightenment.
So physically and mentally, practicing proper posture is one of the most powerful and important endevors possible. It is crucial. It is the work needed in our times. Through the doorway of the body we become more truly human, more alive, fully conscious. In this very lifetime we make a huge leap in evolution. By finding bodily peace we find mental/emotional peace, and with that, our desire to harm or hate others melts away. We become peace.
You might be saying, "hey, well now, aren't we all standing up pretty straight?" No, well, some of us more then others but no. We are much straighter then our ancient ancestors but evolutionarliy speaking, we have more work to do. "What?!" Yes! Check your posture. Even after six years of sleeping, eating, breathing, teaching, living, constantly seeking yoga I am still day by day discovering a new degree of alignment and a new degree of awakening consciousness, and I think that I may have quite a ways to go.
Thankfully, yoga and the awakening of consciousness (and the awakening of alignment, for that matter), is a process-oriented experience-- their isn't a need to struggle or race to the goal, because the goal is the process.
I am not an engineer, but if we talk in basic terms about the body as a structure, we can feel and understand this concept. Think of the four-leggeds, the quadripedal animals. Imagine them standing up onto two legs and prancing around. Oh, isn't the idea of prancing doggies and kitty-cats so cute? :) But seriously, whenever meow-meow and woof-woof come up, they can't stay long, because their entire structure is designed for their four-legged lifestyle. For humans to make the jump from knuckle-dragging apes (said with love) to bipedal beings was nothing short of radical, revolutionary and maybe even random.
Coming from that vision of humankind's two-leggedness, we can now shift to contemplating gravity- a force that we have to work to overcome, or that can effortlessly stabilize us, depending on our alignment. Posture has gone by the wayside, sacrificied to the frantic multi-tasking monster devouring our society. In ages long past, parents consistently worked on their children's last good nerve with postural reminders. Even if it was done just out of ettiquette or tradition or habit, it was quite beneficial. In the last century and especially last few decades, people don't seem to pay attention to their own banana-like posture, let alone their children's, we have just forgotten to care. We plod along like dinosaurs, with the posture of a jumbo shrimp.
There are many factors compounding the Western constellation of issues- illness, unhappiness and unconsciousness- one of which is poor posture. While we stopped paying attention, or where we never thought to pay attention, we have left our bodies to fall slowly into gravity. Most people don't actually think much about posture and bodily structure, how they sit or relax or stand or sleep. To stand in poor alignment increases structural pressure to 150% and to sit slouching increases that preasure to 200% or more. This constant, daily pressure is the equivalent of carrying that much extra weight, it prematurely grinds down joints like the spine and knees. It chokes circulation to a minimum, it starves the major organs very, very slowly. It pinches nerves and diminuishes their ability to function profoundly. It also makes our torso distend, get bloated, feel heavy and look much bigger then it is, making us feel very uncomfortable and unhappy with ourselves. It can cause major digestive issues, including contributing to IBS. We are paying a heavy price for our ignorance and laziness.
If we don't give any thought or attention to how we sit, stand and move, then we are relying on unconscious support, gravity is having its way with us, and we actually spend a lot more energy whenever we sit, stand or move just to stay up. Proper alignment takes months of transition to make it past getting some sore muscles (because they have to strengthen in new ways), and years of transtion to newer and newer levels of straightness and lightness. But its only work for a short while. Once we reach a critical mass point, we suddenly feel horribly uncomfortable if we slouch and have to stand up straight because it just feels so much better.
Consequently, since it takes reminding ourselves every time we notice postural deviation, we also strengthen our ability to be conscious. We have to develop a level of mindfulness, a low-level watching that monitors at least the body position, if not the body's other senses and signals as well. This is where the mind-body consciousness connection becomes clear. As we develop posturally, we develop a clearer and clearer level of consciousness.
So how should we be using our body, to stay well and evolve our brains in all our true bipedal glory?
step by step...
Whatever part of us touches the ground is our foundation- feet or feet and hips when sitting. Feet should be flat (watch how you may be habitually shifting weight to the side of one or both feet!), and especially when standing, should apply a gentle to moderate amount of pressure downward into the earth. Pushing down just a little activates the legs, and those big muscles do the majority of the work of overcoming gravity for us. Next, point the tailbone down toward the earth a little, drawing the lower-belly diagonally up and in, navel toward spine. Continue the gentle lifting upward through the chest, and allow your heart to be held high and openly, shoulders opened out to each side. The muscles in the upper-center area of the back will become much stronger and the chest muscles will need to get a bit looser. Slide the ribs back a bit to place them over the hips, and I know, it feels like leaning back at first, it's okay, it just takes practice.
So, to recap, feet (and hips when sitting) push downward, which encourages a lifting motion. Engage navel to spine and lift and open the chest high, allowing the ribs to slide back over the hips.
The stranger this feels the more important it is that you patiently and dilligently practice EVERYDAY, even weekends and holidays. The more you practice the more quickly it becomes natural. Practicing yoga poses helps speed this process tremendously and make it more comfortable. Working out usually makes it harder, because unconsciously, or maybe unavoidably, when we do resistance training we tend to strengthen our muscles in the same imbalanced patterns we hold all day- in other words the imbalanced tightness-looseness of the muscles is what causes improper posture, so working them out gets them stronger, but at the same level of imbalance- unless you work with a very exceptional personal trainer. ( I can help you with that, actually.)
To work on building proper posture similtaneously stimulates the opening of awareness. When we pay attention to our posture and regularly check in on it, we begin to develop body awareness. We hear the body's signals more clearly, we may even start to listen. In time we have found greater all-over health, we eat better because we feel the effects of junk food, we are more joyful because we are better taken care of, we have less stress because we feel better. Just by practicing better posture, we have practiced better mindfulness. We transition from unconcious living slowly to more and eventually fully conscious living, enlightenment.
So physically and mentally, practicing proper posture is one of the most powerful and important endevors possible. It is crucial. It is the work needed in our times. Through the doorway of the body we become more truly human, more alive, fully conscious. In this very lifetime we make a huge leap in evolution. By finding bodily peace we find mental/emotional peace, and with that, our desire to harm or hate others melts away. We become peace.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
The real power of Yoga- why daily practice is key!
Coming together as a community to practice is powerful. Practicing once or twice at the studio each week is important to learn under the guidance of a professional, and to ensure that a practice center can remain open. But what about the weekend, the days in between, and the snow days? Natural Yoga is intended to be practiced everyday, it is intended to empower you to integrate practice into your lifestyle.
The word used for practice is sadhana, indicating spiritual practice, which in the Indian context is inseperable from life. Life is spiritually-infused, a journey of the soul in the body through the manifest world.
Don't depend on being at the studio to practice Yogic ways, anymore than one should only practice piety in church. Coming to the studio is to learn techniques, create community and to become inspired More deeply. Practice everyday- mindfulness of the breath and posture all day and aanas and/or meditation for at least a few minutes, and you WILL feel a great difference.
When we practice, we go deep within to the fountainhead of life energy, we touch the ground of Being or Source as it connects within us. To touch this is powerful, deeply healing and inspiring. Touch it once a week, and you will feel a difference. Touch it once a day, and you will transform. Touch it multiple times each day, and you will feel nothing short of miracles unfolding around you and through you.
We are having a workshop that will help you to establish daily practice of Natural Yoga on April 21st. Please inquire if you are interested or stay tuned for more info. You may request information by emailng naturalmethodyoga@gmail.com or by calling/texting 518 866 3621.
The word used for practice is sadhana, indicating spiritual practice, which in the Indian context is inseperable from life. Life is spiritually-infused, a journey of the soul in the body through the manifest world.
Don't depend on being at the studio to practice Yogic ways, anymore than one should only practice piety in church. Coming to the studio is to learn techniques, create community and to become inspired More deeply. Practice everyday- mindfulness of the breath and posture all day and aanas and/or meditation for at least a few minutes, and you WILL feel a great difference.
When we practice, we go deep within to the fountainhead of life energy, we touch the ground of Being or Source as it connects within us. To touch this is powerful, deeply healing and inspiring. Touch it once a week, and you will feel a difference. Touch it once a day, and you will transform. Touch it multiple times each day, and you will feel nothing short of miracles unfolding around you and through you.
We are having a workshop that will help you to establish daily practice of Natural Yoga on April 21st. Please inquire if you are interested or stay tuned for more info. You may request information by emailng naturalmethodyoga@gmail.com or by calling/texting 518 866 3621.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Top 10 Household Toxins for Pets ( c/o care2.com)
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/top-10-common-pet-toxins.html
Lots of information to help you protect the precious companion animals, including natural alternatives to keep them safer and lists of foods and plants that are poisonous as well, in addition to the overall top ten dangers.
Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/top-10-common-pet-toxins.html#ixzz1G1uaZHzV
Lots of information to help you protect the precious companion animals, including natural alternatives to keep them safer and lists of foods and plants that are poisonous as well, in addition to the overall top ten dangers.
Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/top-10-common-pet-toxins.html#ixzz1G1uaZHzV
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Natural Solutions for Insomnia (c/o Care2.com)
For those who have sleep difficulty, please take a look at this Care2.com article. Remember the solution to natural well-being always lies in treating the root causes, not the symptoms. Symptoms are signals that something is wrong. I hope this article serves you well! Namaste!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
The Benefits of Yoga
(c/o www.healthandyoga.com)
At the outset, we must understand what we can gain out of this wonderful practice
But these enormous physical benefits are just a “side effect” of this powerful practice. What yoga does is harmonize the mind with the body and this results in real quantum benefits. It is now an open secret that the will of the mind has enabled people to achieve extraordinary physical feats, which proves beyond doubtthe mind and body connection.
At the outset, we must understand what we can gain out of this wonderful practice
At the physical level, yoga and its cleansing practices have proven to be extremely effective for various disorders.
More importantly, yoga is extremely effective in:  | Increasing Flexibility – yoga has positions that act upon the various joints of the body including those joints that are never really on the ‘radar screen’ let alone exercised. | |||||||||
| | Increasing lubrication of the joints, ligaments and tendons – likewise, the well-researched yoga positions exercise the different tendons and ligaments of the body. Surprisingly it has been found that the body which may have been quite rigid starts experiencing a remarkable flexibility in even those parts which have not been consciously work upon. Why? It is here that the remarkable research behind yoga positions proves its mettle. Seemingly unrelated “non strenuous” yoga positions act upon certain parts of the body in an interrelated manner. When done together, they work in harmony to create a situation where flexibility is attained relatively easily. | |||||||||
| | Massaging of ALL Organs of the Body – Yoga is perhaps the only form of activity which massages all the internal glands and organs of the body in a thorough manner, including those – such as the prostate - that hardly get externally stimulated during our entire lifetime. Yoga acts in a wholesome manner on the various body parts. This stimulation and massage of the organs in turn benefits us by keeping away disease and providing a forewarning at the first possible instance of a likely onset of disease or disorder.
| |||||||||
| Complete Detoxification – By gently stretching muscles and joints as well as massaging the various organs, yoga ensures the optimum blood supply to various parts of the body. This helps in the flushing out of toxins from every nook and cranny as well as providing nourishment up to the last point. This leads to benefits such as delayed ageing, energy and a remarkable zest for life. | ||||||||||
| | Excellent toning of the muscles – Muscles that have become flaccid, weak or slothy are stimulated repeatedly to shed excess flab and flaccidity. |
Yoga through meditation works remarkably to achieve this harmony and helps the mind work in sync with the body. How often do we find that we are unable to perform our activities properly and in a satisfying manner because of the confusions and conflicts in our mind weigh down heavily upon us? Moreover, stress which in reality is the #1 killer affecting all parts of our physical, endocrinal and emotional systems can be corrected through the wonderful yoga practice of meditation.
In fact yoga = meditation, because both work together in achieving the common goal of unity of mind, body and spirit – a state of eternal bliss.
The meditative practices through yoga help in achieving an emotional balance through detachment. What it means is that meditation creates conditions, where you are not affected by the happenings around you. This in turn creates a remarkable calmness and a positive outlook, which also has tremendous benefits on the physical health of the body.
These are just some of the tangible benefits that can be achieved through yoga.
(c/o abc-of-yoga.com)
Physiological Benefits of Yoga
- Stable autonomic nervous system equilibrium
- Pulse rate decreases
- Respiratory rate decreases
- Blood Pressure decreases (of special significance for hyporeactors)
- Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) increases
- EEG - alpha waves increase (theta, delta, and beta waves also increase during various stages of meditation)
- EMG activity decreases
- Cardiovascular efficiency increases
- Respiratory efficiency increases
- Gastrointestinal function normalizes
- Endocrine function normalizes
- Excretory functions improve
- Musculoskeletal flexibility and joint range of motion increase
- Breath-holding time increases
- Joint range of motion increase
- Grip strength increases
- Eye-hand coordination improves
- Dexterity skills improve
- Reaction time improves
- Posture improves
- Strength and resiliency increase
- Endurance increases
- Energy level increases
- Weight normalizes
- Sleep improves
- Immunity increases
- Pain decreases
- Steadiness improves
- Depth perception improves
- Balance improves
- Integrated functioning of body parts improves
Psychological Benefits of Yoga
- Somatic and kinesthetic awareness increase
- Mood improves and subjective well-being increases
- Self-acceptance and self-actualization increase
- Social adjustment increases
- Anxiety and Depression decrease
- Hostility decreases
- Concentration improves
- Memory improves
- Attention improves
- Learning efficiency improves
- Mood improves
- Self-actualization increase
- Social skills increases
- Well-being increases
- Somatic and kinesthetic awareness increase
- Self-acceptance increase
- Attention improves
- Concentration improves
- Memory improves
- Learning efficiency improves
- Symbol coding improves
- Depth perception improves
- Flicker fusion frequency improves
Biochemical Benefits of Yoga
- Glucose decreases
- Sodium decreases
- Total cholesterol decreases
- Triglycerides decrease
- HDL cholesterol increases
- LDL cholesterol decreases
- VLDL cholesterol decreases
- Cholinesterase increases
- Catecholamines decrease
- ATPase increases
- Hematocrit increases
- Hemoglobin increases
- Lymphocyte count increases
- Total white blood cell count decreases
- Thyroxin increases
- Vitamin C increases
- Total serum protein increases
Yoga Health Benefits versus Regular Exercise Benefits
- Yoga Benefits
- Parasympathetic Nervous System dominates
- Subcortical regions of brain dominate
- Slow dynamic and static movements
- Normalization of muscle tone
- Low risk of injuring muscles and ligaments
- Energizing, not draining
- Effort is balanced with relaxation
- Energizing (breathing is natural or controlled)
- Balanced activity of opposing muscle groups
- Noncompetitive, process-oriented
- Awareness is internal (focus is on breath and the Infinite)
- Limitless possibilities for growth in self-awareness
- Exercise Benefits
- Sympathetic Nervous System dominates ("Fight or Flight" stress response)
- Cortical regions of brain dominate
- Rapid forceful movements
- Increased muscle tension
- Higher risk of injury
- Effort is maximized
- Fatiguing (breathing is taxed)
- Imbalance activity of opposing groups
- Competitive, goal-oriented
- Awareness is external (focus is on reaching the toes, reaching the finish line, etc.)
- Sympathetic Nervous System dominates ("Fight or Flight" stress response)
Friday, June 11, 2010
51 Ways to Use Baking Soda & How Sustainable Dave Washes His Car
Baking Soda is cheap, natural, safe and able to be used in lieu of many toxic home chemicals. Be smart and don't let advertising and habits keep you stuck on products that hurt you and the Earth.
Sustainable Dave adds a nice article on washing (& not washing) your car, a funny and smart read, my Loves.
I found these on Care2.com, an AMAZING SITE for simple activism, information on news you may care most to know, and more!!!!!! Please check it out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Namaste!
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/51-fantastic-uses-for-baking-soda.html
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/how-i-wash-my-car.html
Sustainable Dave adds a nice article on washing (& not washing) your car, a funny and smart read, my Loves.
I found these on Care2.com, an AMAZING SITE for simple activism, information on news you may care most to know, and more!!!!!! Please check it out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Namaste!
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/51-fantastic-uses-for-baking-soda.html
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/how-i-wash-my-car.html
Is This Factory Farming's Tobacco Moment?
Will Allen's article on Factory Farming- Is This Factory Farming's Tobacco Moment? A good read, pass it on to those that think the standard American cheap food cancerous way if life is normal and good.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_20581.cfm
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_20581.cfm
Friday, June 4, 2010
Reading THE CHINA STUDY May Just Save Your Life!
Two years ago, dear friends of mine found out I was eating some dairy again and highly recommended that I read The China Study. I remember the strong feelings they shared about the book. I ended up turning vegan again of my own volition, and filed the book recommendation in my mind, but didn't seek it actively.
My veganism floundered & flopped in the face of 9 months of heavy nausea & strong aversions to my favorite dietary staple: beans. I drifted far and even for the first 6 months of Finn's life we've been using local cheese, milk & eggs.
I am always seeking ways to reduce our impact on the earth, so after much deliberation, we decided to go vegan again. I will share in another post the difference between "grocery store vegan" & "whole foods vegan", but we decided on a whole foods vegan lifestyle.
I finally felt the pull to read The China Study, for added inspiration. I deeply wish that I had only read it 2 years ago. It may have given me the power to have eaten even better for my baby & my self.
The China Study is loaded with the results of numerous studies, all professional and scientific, scholarly studies. Each study provides more & more weight to the theory that Western diseases (obesity, diabetes, cancer, autoimmune disorders & more) are link to animal fat and protein consumption.
The correlation was so strong between cow's milk protein consumption and tumor growth that they literally could turn tumor growth on & off like a switch by raising and lowering protein levels!
We are told meat, milk & eggs are important for our health, so how can it be that they are killing us slowly? The meat & dairy industry have BILLIONS in clout to advertise, advise government recommendations & more. Oprah Winfrey was sued by the meat industry when she did a show on factory farming & said "that's enough to keep me from eating another hamburger again", because special laws are in place to protect the beef industry from libel. That violates freedom of speech, as guarenteed by our constitution!
I have heard of people adopting an organic, wholefood vegan lifestyle, using herbs and surrounding themselves with positive people & attitudes and curing their own cancer. I have seen a video years ago about this. The China Study helps me to remember & to believe.
The China Study talks about studies and through sheer bulk of such information, it provides a startlingly strong case for at least trying a whole food, plant-based diet for a month.
Please don't take my word for it, PLEASE READ THE CHINA STUDY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!
I will say that in switching from a vegetarian to a vegan diet, before reading The China Study I noticed that my energy is better, I feel more clean & well, and my metabolism has picked up. I am not deprived, and by eating whole vegan foods, as the book states, you can eat whenever you are hungry, you can trust your body once again.
Animal agriculuture has been around 10,000 years, but humans hae been around for 200,000 years. We ate meat at times, but a token amount compared to the Western diet now. Mostly, we ate plants. Even with animal agriculture, we ate far less of our animal products, still a mostly plant-based diet. Eating excessive animal products was a sign of affluence and was known to be extravegant. That knowledge has been buried by the powers that be.
Please read THE CHINA STUDY and decide for yourself!
My veganism floundered & flopped in the face of 9 months of heavy nausea & strong aversions to my favorite dietary staple: beans. I drifted far and even for the first 6 months of Finn's life we've been using local cheese, milk & eggs.
I am always seeking ways to reduce our impact on the earth, so after much deliberation, we decided to go vegan again. I will share in another post the difference between "grocery store vegan" & "whole foods vegan", but we decided on a whole foods vegan lifestyle.
I finally felt the pull to read The China Study, for added inspiration. I deeply wish that I had only read it 2 years ago. It may have given me the power to have eaten even better for my baby & my self.
The China Study is loaded with the results of numerous studies, all professional and scientific, scholarly studies. Each study provides more & more weight to the theory that Western diseases (obesity, diabetes, cancer, autoimmune disorders & more) are link to animal fat and protein consumption.
The correlation was so strong between cow's milk protein consumption and tumor growth that they literally could turn tumor growth on & off like a switch by raising and lowering protein levels!
We are told meat, milk & eggs are important for our health, so how can it be that they are killing us slowly? The meat & dairy industry have BILLIONS in clout to advertise, advise government recommendations & more. Oprah Winfrey was sued by the meat industry when she did a show on factory farming & said "that's enough to keep me from eating another hamburger again", because special laws are in place to protect the beef industry from libel. That violates freedom of speech, as guarenteed by our constitution!
I have heard of people adopting an organic, wholefood vegan lifestyle, using herbs and surrounding themselves with positive people & attitudes and curing their own cancer. I have seen a video years ago about this. The China Study helps me to remember & to believe.
The China Study talks about studies and through sheer bulk of such information, it provides a startlingly strong case for at least trying a whole food, plant-based diet for a month.
Please don't take my word for it, PLEASE READ THE CHINA STUDY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!
I will say that in switching from a vegetarian to a vegan diet, before reading The China Study I noticed that my energy is better, I feel more clean & well, and my metabolism has picked up. I am not deprived, and by eating whole vegan foods, as the book states, you can eat whenever you are hungry, you can trust your body once again.
Animal agriculuture has been around 10,000 years, but humans hae been around for 200,000 years. We ate meat at times, but a token amount compared to the Western diet now. Mostly, we ate plants. Even with animal agriculture, we ate far less of our animal products, still a mostly plant-based diet. Eating excessive animal products was a sign of affluence and was known to be extravegant. That knowledge has been buried by the powers that be.
Please read THE CHINA STUDY and decide for yourself!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Grocery-store Vegan vs. Whole-Food vegan
Grocery-store Vegan: Herbivore-abstaining from all animal products. Still eating produce out of season, eating highly processed meat substitutes often, and eating industrially made processed snacks & cereal bars. Synonym: junk-food vegan
Whole-food Vegan: Herbivore- abstaining from all animal products. Eats nearly 100% locally-grown in-season produce, uses whole grains & beans, rarely if ever eats industrially processed foods. Makes snacks from vegetables, whole-grains, beans & nuts, such as crunchy chickpeas, baked veggie chips & homemade crackers, hummus, and more. Doesn't depend on store bought tofu, but makes it easily in an hour per week at home (3.5 lbs from 3 cups yellow soybeans)! Doesn't buy soymilk from the store, as even organic soybeans can be GMO! Makes soymilk, or even cheaper, faster & easier, oat or other grain or nut milks. Flour, grains, beans & other staples are bought in bulk, as much as 10, 25, or 50 pounds at once to reduce negative environmental impact.
Synonym: sustainable diet, healthy diet
I know now through experience- it feels healthier, its less wasteful, its fresher, its cheap! It doesn't take much work at all! Well, it takes more work in Summer- canning & putting up food for Winter. Then all Winter cooking is all fast & convenient, unless you choose to bake or be fancy. Its living the high-life of a gourmet with out the disease or expense!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
The Yoga of Sustainability
CHAPTER 4: BIODIVERSITY
Beginning in the last chapter, biodiversity was introduced. Biodiversity describes the numerous varieties within each species of plants & animals raised in human agriculture. Each variety has developed over generations of adaptation to climate, varying weather conditions, and resisting pests & diseases. Simutaneously they also were chosen for unique color & taste properties, & these factors actually are nature's way of expressing nutrition. Biodiversity in food plants and farm animals is a result of the on-going process of their evolution.
A large share of what decimates & ravages the Earth is the unstable & impossibly unsustainable globalized food system. One of the most disturbing elements of this food system is that its based mainly on selling farmers patented genetically-modified seeds & suing them into ruin for saving their seeds. Here are presented the basics of what is happening, why its unsustainable and how to do the right thing, but reading The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver will present a more full view of the problem and solution.
If biodiversity and polyculture are the heroes of sustainable agriculture, then capitalism, genetic-modification & monoculture are the villians. Farmers have always had the responsibility of feeding the people. Farms are ecosystems, including not just food plants & livestock animals but also grass, microorganisms, insects, birds, sun, water, people & abstract concepts to honor the natural functions & needs of animals and ecosystem alike- rotation, diversity, and loops of interconnection large & small.
Each region was served by farmland and families of farmers- respectable earth-workers that learned to care for the land & animals, those that knew the subtleties of coaxing food from the land with resourcefulness & the ability to enrich the land's fertility. This was no mindless skill, the farmer's knowledge & mindfulness needed to be vast to be successful, and so much life depended on this success.
Before the 20th century, all seeds were heirloom, all farm animals heritage- in other words, farmers saved their best tasting, heartiest seeds for next year's planting, & the healthiest heartiest animals bred.
Farming was slowly undermined and taken over by big business. Farms were choked out by big agribusiness megafarms. These small, diverse, sustainable & regionalized family farms were stomped out or, facing bankruptcy, forced to become part of the agribusiness machine. Agribusiness farms want quantity over quality, conformity over taste, and use chemicals, inhumane animal treatment and hormones, among other environmentally & socially devistating tactics to produce more, bigger, fatter, faster, but only of one crop or one animal at once.
Instead of have polyculture, or the growing of several plant & animal varieties, the agribusiness farms focus on monoculture, just one. This fact, teamed with genetically-modified seeds that aren't allowed to adapt naturally to withstand weather, pests & blights anymore, can make these mega-monocultures very open to crop failures.
Still, many farmers have been led to believe that becoming part of this system was the only way to stay in business. In 50 or so years Americans went from knowing the farmers that grew their food to a food system based on a seasonless globalized machine of reallocating food. The people have forgotten how to eat whole, natural, season foods, farmers were becoming slaves to multination corporations that took over more than 75% of our entire food system, and these companies got rich. This is the food represented at your grocery store. This food often travels, on average, 1500 miles from farm to plate. So, if tomatoes are in season in your county, you are still probably finding another state's tomatoes at your local grocery store. This is just just one example of how absurd, unstable, inefficient & unfair our current food system is.
Animals are not raised on farms, but CAFO'S, Confined Animal Feeding Operations. This isn't true for all of the meat, milk & eggs sold in this country, only more than 80%, but this 80% reflects 100% of fast food animal products, and nearly all of the supply found at chain grocery stores nation-wide.
CAFO's keep animals in unnatural conditions, force them to eat antibiotic-laced corn, which is not there natural food, & thus causes them ill health- in the case of cows it causes them lots of pain and increases the instances of deadly E. COLI, deadly to the humans that eat them. CAFO animals, be they chickens, cows, turkeys, or pigs stand (or lay if they are too weak to stand) in the mass of feces from themselves and their prisonmates. These animals live tortured lives, start to finish. They are not healthy and happy.
Although at the grocery store the labels, purposefully deceiving, show happy pastoral scenes, this is not where eggs, meat, milk (and thus cheese & other dairy products) come from. Some terms on labels are regulated, like organic, but some are not, like natural. And even the organic stuff has a decent chance of coming from what is basically an organic CAFO, better than its non-organic counterpart, but not kind enough to the earth or the animal.
Combining the results of all of these factors- monoculture, genetic-modification, CAFO animal products, animal cruelty, deadly E. Coli, and we have a pretty dangerous and unstable system. It also depends on oil so heavily- for proscessing, shipping, and even in growing, that it is an extremely environmentally destructive force all around. And, its also destructive to the public health. White flour products, which so much of the plastic offerings at the grocery store are, laden with corn & soy additives are highly contributing to the epidemic of diabetes, obesity and heart disease. Even corn-fed animal products have a negative impact on health where their counterparts from animals fed the natural diet on which they evolved do not.
Yet again, the way to protect our health and the earth's is the same. And in this same way we can strengthen our national food system, our local economy and our bodies. The solution is to choose locally grown food. Shop at farmer's markets and co-operative markets. Only buy milk, meat and eggs from farmers that you know are raising their animals in a humane & old-fashioned way. boycott fast food. Grow a garden of heirloom variety produce. Stop buying processed food.
More details of a localized diet will be shared in the chapter on lifestyle. To protect bioiversity, the earth & your health, eat locally, especially all animal products. You will taste the difference!
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