This Lousy World, by Pema Chodron

This was exactly what I needed today :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buTrsK_ZkvA

Gluten-Free

Wow! It has been a while. Gotta pick the pace back up.

I was inspired to write tonight by some delicious gluten-free cookies I discovered. The brand is "The Craving's Place" which I found at New Seasons (you mix & bake). Chocolate Chunk... yum!

So why gluten-free? A couple years ago my acupuncturist mentioned gluten can create a wet towel effect in the intestines. This past year I read a book called "The Mood Cure" which discusses how to regulate emotions and energy with food and amino acids. She outlines several bad mood foods, including gluten (gluten= flour, wheat, oats, barley and rye).

What's the issue? "Gluten (think glue) can irritate, inflame and rupture the lining of the digestive tract, to the point that the nutrients of food don't get absorbed well (or sometimes at all)." This in turn disrupts digestion and can cause malnutrition. She maps back to all kinds of problems- from digestive to headaches, depression and colon cancer. Eek!

I tested giving them up and very quickly felt like a new person. My stomach and intestines felt lighter. My digestion was better. My skin improved GREATLY. And I had more energy.

When I eat now (yes, I sneak) I get a terrible stomach ache and my skin sometimes is impacted.

It's been very interesting. I'm definitely glad to be gluten-free. But do sneak a piece of bread or slice of pizza... it's worth the pain from time to time. :)

The good news is I am discovering more and more options, so sneaking may not be necessary soon.

If you are interested in the book, see:
http://www.amazon.com/Mood-Cure-4-Step-Program-Emotions-Today/dp/0142003646/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251872585&sr=8-1

And if you want gluten-free recommendations, let me know. I also love recommendations so please pass along!

Aging

Last week I discovered a small wrinkle above my eyebrow. Over the past few months, more greys have been creeping in and what I thought were big freckles I think are age spots. And as much as I like to ignore it, gravity is taking hold.

I was getting pretty freaked out at first. It's all come on so sudden. Clearly I've reached a turning point and things are just going to start changing no matter how much I exercise, eat well and try and reduce stress.

The more I've thought about it, I'm realizing there is such a small window for our "youth"/"prime", but the majority of our lives (if we live an average lifespan) is riddled with greys, wrinkles and sags.

So considering we spend most of our time in this state, I think we need to start embracing it as beautiful and the new "prime". Why live with such anxiety over the progression nature has in store for us? Why place such a high premium on a portion of our lives that is so short in comparison to the larger part of our existence?

Gravity rules!

Today marks a very special day in my life- 5 years of sobriety! I can hardly believe it. In many ways it has flown by, and in others it seems a lifetime ago. It's hard to relate to that chapter of my life anymore. I was reflecting over the weekend about how much my life has changed. This involved major anxiety over some of the crazy decisions I made, followed by immense gratitude for being able to pull through and be in such a healthy position today.

I am eternally grateful toward having such amazing, supportive people in my life. My friends and family have played a significant role in helping encourage me along in my path to health and happiness. I am truly blessed.

Here’s to health!

Being Uncomfortable

My yoga instructor shared a great quote today...

"If you can learn to be comfortable with being uncomfortable, no one can steal your peace."

Something I continue to work on... how to be in the moment, even if that moment is uncomfortable. This quote brought a new beauty to being present and not running from whatever is happening.

This one will definitely go in the back pocket.

Yoga vs Stretching

My father challenged me to write a non-biased piece on yoga vs. stretching. Apparently I get quite fired up when people speak of yoga as just "stretching". I truly don't mean to, so if I have ever snarled or cringed when this is said I am very, very sorry. Perhaps the full practice of yoga has become so sacred to me I am tender about it being considered just a stretching practice. It has had a profound impact on my life, and I so rarely think of the flexibility or stretching benefits when I think of yoga.

Here's just a few things I've gained from practicing:

• It has given me space to reflect every day and come back to the simplest essence of who I am- outside of my career, my relationships, etc.... just me at the core.
• It has taught me how to breathe, which in my opinion is the most powerful tool we own.
• It has made me appreciate my body for what it is.
• It has made me a gentler person (at least I hope) and more grateful for the life I have been given.
• It has taught me to not only be grateful for my life, but to show this gratitude by being the best person I can each day and act kindly toward other beings and the earth.
• It has taught me that we are all connected and share in the struggles of life (some way more than others, so perspective is important)
• It has carried me through some of the hardest periods of my life and reminded me to "just breathe".

So, to answer the question as posed by my papa, here goes...

Q: What is the difference between yoga and stretching?

A: Although yoga involves stretching your muscles, it is quite different than the stretches you might do to prepare for running, working out at the gym, etc. Yoga in its entirety also goes far beyond physical practice.

Some key ways yoga is different (note, this is extracted from various articles... my way of removing my bias :)) :

• Yoga places emphasis on alignment, meaning that how you are touching your toes is more important than whether you can actually touch them or not.
• Most yoga poses are not stretching an isolated area, but rather involve the whole body in both stretching and strengthening.
• Yoga involves awareness of the breath. Many styles, such as vinyasa, hatha and ashtanga, use specific breathing techniques and also use breath to guide the movements.
• Asana, or the physical practice of postures, in only one aspect of a yoga practice, albeit the most well-known one these days. Even if you only engage in yoga through asana practice (an excellent place to start), be aware of the eight limbs of yoga. Each limb relates to an aspect of achieving a healthy and fulfilling life, and each builds upon the one before it. Only one of the limbs involves the performance of yoga postures.

Here is a description of the eight limbs (From http://www.about.com/).

1. Yama: Five ethical guidelines regarding moral behavior towards others:
   Nonviolence, Truthfulness, Nonstealing, Nonlust, Noncovetesness
2. Niyama: Five ethical guidelines regarding moral behavior towards oneself:
   Cleanliness, Contentment, Sustained practice, Self study, Surrender to God
3. Asana: Practice of yoga postures.
4. Pranayama: Practice of breathing exercises.
5. Pratyahara: Withdrawal of the senses, meaning that the exterior world is not a distraction from the interior world within oneself.
6. Dharana: Concentration, meaning the ability to focus on something uninterrupted by external or internal distractions.
7. Dhyana: Meditation. Building upon Dharana, the concentration is no longer focused on a single thing but is all encompassing.
8. Samadhi: Bliss. Building upon Dhyana, the transcendence of the self through meditation. The merging of the self with the universe. Sometimes translated as enlightenment.

Weight Management Tips from Amazing Acupuncturist Peter Borton

I received a monthly newsletter from one of my favorite acupuncturists- Peter Borton at http://www.thedragontree.com/- and he has some interesting insights on weight management I thought I would share. The full article can be found at http://www.thedragontree.com/news-a-specials/newsletter.

Excerpts from Peter (more tips in the full article... read the last one here though... the most important!)-

- Get enough sleep (but not too much). Since insufficient sleep is associated with weight gain, make sure you’re getting enough sleep that you feel well rested in the morning. If you tend to feel more groggy after a certain time in bed (usually over 9 hours), you may be oversleeping.

- Don’t skip meals. When you skip meals your metabolism slows down to adjust for the decreased supply of calories. Also, you’re more likely to overeat at your next meal.

- The amount you eat per meal is more significant than your total daily calories. If you eat two meals of 1000 calories each per day (that’s 2000 calories total), you most certainly are supplying your body with more than it can handle at each meal, and the excess will be stored as fat. On the other hand, if you divided those same 2000 calories into four 500-calorie meals spaced out evenly over the day, you are more likely to under-supply your caloric need. Then the body will burn fat for extra energy.

-Allow enough time between meals for the stomach to empty and your body to burn the calories you have consumed. This means at least two and a half hours with no food whatsoever (water is okay). If you tend to get hypoglycemic between meals, trying eating more protein and fewer simple carbohydrates.

- Never microwave anything in a plastic container or plastic wrap; reduce your consumption of foods that come in plastic containers (dry goods in plastic are okay) and cans. Plastic residues in our food may interfere with our hormone function.

- Stay relaxed when you eat. Always eat sitting down, turn off the music, turn off the television, and put down your book or newspaper. It’s a good idea to stay relaxed after eating, too.

-Sugars allow the amino acid tryptophan to enter your brain. There it is converted into serotonin, which elevates our mood. Without adequate carbs, there may not be enough tryptophan entering the brain, and consequently not enough serotonin. This is why some people feel depressed when eating a low carbohydrate diet. This can be addressed by eating slightly more complex carbohydrates (vegetables!, moderate amounts of whole, raw fruits, or small amounts of whole, unrefined, cooked grains) and/or taking supplemental tryptophan (1500 mg twice a day or 3000 mg at bedtime, always taken apart from protein-rich foods).

-Don’t stop eating fats. It’s a good idea to avoid margarine and deep fried foods, since they’re unhealthy, but moderate amounts of animal and vegetable fat supply essential nutrients. They give us energy, support nervous system function, and are useful in promoting satiety. That is, they help us feel full. Most people would feel full - perhaps even bloated - after eating a piece of cheesecake (which has plenty of fat), but meanwhile you could probably drink a glass or two of soda or bottled juice and still eat a meal with it. The soda/juice has no fat, so it doesn’t fill you up much, but it has maybe two-thirds the calories per can as a piece of cheesecake!

- Finally, just because you may prefer a slimmer body, don’t withhold love and approval from yourself. This is like depriving a sick person of medicine because you dislike sickness. Think about how you would treat a loved one with a weight problem. Even if you thought they would fare better with different eating habits or more exercise, would you reject them or stop loving them? You are so much more than the shape of the body you reside in. When you stop loving yourself, the impact on your health can only be negative. Practice a combination of discipline and compassion. You can do it.