Mountain Views News          Saturday, December 20, 2014

11

HEALTHY LIFESTYLES

Mountain Views-News Saturday, December 20, 2014 


THE JOY OF YOGA


KEEPING UP YOUR PRACTICE


Maintaining a 
state of balance 
is hard enough 
during the 
regular months 
of the year, let 
alone during the holidays. Yet, it�s during this 
time that we need our yoga practice the most! 
In fact, making room in the schedule for our 
practice is what can give us more energy to do 
all we need to. Feeling centered and balanced is 
what allows us to be present in each moment. So 
how, in fact, can we make room for our practice 
during one of the busiest times of the year?

 Finding a specific time of day for a home 
practice is extremely helpful and effective. 
Whether you can commit to 5 minutes or 60 
minutes, try and keep it consistent. There may be 
some days when only 5 minutes is possible, and 
other days when more is possible. If you have 
a meditation practice, make sure to do that no 
matter what. Keep it simple! A steady 5-minute 
everyday practice is better than 60 minutes once 
a week. The physical practice of yoga, or asana, is 
undeniably amazing, but the meditation practice 
can provide that lovely stability we crave. So, if 
you have to omit a part, keep the meditation.

 When traveling to visit family or friends, bring 
your mat! There are very thin foldable travel 
mats that pack well in a suitcase. Upon arriving 
at your destination, opening your suitcase to 
find your yoga mat can only bring a feeling of 
comfort. Maybe there�s a local yoga studio you 
might drop in on during your travels! Attending 
a class could provide the perfect break needed 
while staying with family.

 There are many treats to enjoy and much 
visiting to be had during the holidays. Make it 
point to attend class and show the same spirit of 
giving with yourself. Acts of self-care and love, 
not only help us, but translate directly to the 
people whom we love the most. It�s a win-win!

Much Love and Happy Holidays,

Keely Totten

Yoga Madre

WEAR OUT, DON�T RUST OUT

Each time we eat, 
our bodies create free 
radicals as part of the 
process of breaking 
down our food. This 
means that in order 
to counteract the 
oxidation caused 
by the metabolism 
of food, we need to 
eat antioxidant-rich 
foods with every 
meal. In order for 
this to happen, 
every meal we eat 
should contain whole 
plant food. Nature 
created antioxidant 
compounds when it 
created plants. 

 Fruits, especially berries are a great source of 
antioxidants. When we eat berries with a meal 
that is high in fat or refined carbohydrates these 
antioxidants may help counterbalance the negative 
effects of the pro-inflammatory food. Consuming 
foods which are high in phytonutrients increases 
the antioxidant capacity of the blood. The foods with 
the most phytonutrients are fruits. And the fruits 
with the highest concentration of phytonutrients 
are berries. In my opinion, it would be best to 
not eat the high fat or highly refined carbohydrate 
meal altogether. However, if you should succumb 
to the temptation, then I recommend chasing the 
bad food with some berries. 

 Berries are not the only good source of 
antioxidants. Legumes, especially red beans are 
very high in antioxidants. Apples are also good 
choice but even better than apples are artichokes, 
cinnamon and purple cabbage. 

 If we are talking about one single meal, the 
oxidative stress to the body may seem trivial. But 
over time, these daily insults can lead to problems 
such as heart disease and more. Don�t let oxidation 
rust you out.

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


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