Mountain Views News          Saturday, September 27, 2014

9

HEALTHY LIFESTYLES

Mountain Views-News Saturday, September 27, 2014


THE JOY OF YOGA


TURNING THE FOCUS INWARD

In a yoga class, the job of the teacher is to get you to turn your gaze 
inward. This allows you to know what feels good and what doesn�t 
and keeps you from getting hurt. The teacher can guide you � but 
you are the one in charge of your body and its movement. When 
practicing, we are focusing on what�s happening in the body but also 
what is happening in the mind. If we are thinking about what we are 
going to have for lunch after class, then we are not present to what�s 
going on in the body. We do not just want to move through the poses 
because the teacher says so - while we think about work or the weekend - we want to really think 
about how the hamstring is lengthening or the shoulder is opening and what the other supporting 
muscles are doing while we are there. We want to think about the breath and what it can tell us 
about how we are doing. Were we holding our breath? Where was the stress? How can we calm 
the stress? How can we breathe into the release?

This internal gaze prepares us for meditation. The thing we really want to know: Can we be alone 
with our thoughts? What can the subconscious mind tell us? The yogis say that if we can spend 
some time with these thoughts during meditation, then we will not be kept awake by them all 
night. In meditation, we can see what our mind is processing. We can see what we need to focus 
on and pay attention to, just like in the movements.

In this world of multi-tasking, it is really nice to get in there and concentrate. You may even have 
a better night�s sleep!

 See you in class. Namast�, Ren�


MY 5 TOP PICKS FOR FALL PRODUCE

 Fall is here. The 
weather is about to 
cool down. The kids 
are back to school and 
they are planning their 
Halloween costumes. 
Fall also means that we 
have a whole new crop of 
fresh produce available 
to us. Fall produces tends 
to be rich in nutrients 
and fiber. When we eat 
the produce that is in 
season we tend to eat 
fresher produce and 
less expensive produce. 
This is because store 
can obtain these crops 
from more local sources 
cutting down on fuel 
cost and storage cost. To 
get the most nutrients 
from produce is best to eat it as close to when it was 
picked.

 Here are my top 5 picks for fall crops that you should 
try to incorporate into your diet each week this fall:

 Beets: They can lower blood pressure, they are 
anti-inflammatory and their fiber helps to keep your 
digestive track clean. Use the greens (Top leaves of the 
beets) in stews and salads as they have a higher iron 
content than spinach, and a higher nutritional value 
than the beet itself.

 Winter Squash: Winter squashes are low in calories 
and high in vitamin C and potassium. Winter squash 
is a rich sources of anti-inflammatory nutrients such as 
omega 3s and beta-carotene, which are important for 
a strong immune system so they help protect against 
colds and the flu. No to mention that these squashes 
are very inexpensive. There are many varieties of 
winter squashes available at the grocery stores. Some 
traditional favorites include acorn, butter nut, pumpkin, 
and spaghetti varieties. 

 Broccoli: Best known for being rich in Vitamin C 
just 1 cup of raw florets a little more than your daily 
needs. It also is also known to lower your risk of type 2 
diabetes. It may also be a cancer fighter.

 Pears: Pears are an excellent source of fiber and a 
good source of vitamin C. They are full of fiber, twice 
as much as brown rice. They are nutrient dense too 
meaning they only have 100 calories per serving.

 Sweet Potatoes: These delicious potatoes also help 
in prevention of heart attacks. They contain vitamin 
C which besides improving immunity it also produces 
collagen which helps maintain skin�s youthful elasticity. 
Sweet potatoes contain Vitamin D which plays an 
important role in our energy levels, moods, and helps 
to build healthy bones, heart, nerves, skin, and teeth, 
and it supports the thyroid gland. If this is not enough 
they also are a good source of magnesium, which is the 
relaxation and anti-stress mineral.

 Why not sample every fresh taste of fall. My 
recommendation above will not just keep you healthy 
but by eating produce in season you are getting the best 
tasting produce and saving money too!

Dr. Tina is a traditional 
naturopath and nutritionist 
at Vibrant Living 
Wellness Center


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