Mountain Views News          Saturday, February 14, 2015

9

HEALTHY LIFESTYLES

Mountain Views-News Saturday, February 14, 2015 


THE JOY OF YOGA

APPRECIATING WHERE YOU ARE


HEART HEALTH NOT HEART DISEASE

What a gift 
the present 
moment is. All 
things possible. 
Everything is in 
perfect order. It’s 
only when we drift into yesterday or tomorrow 
that trouble creeps in. You all know those people 
who live in the past, held back by past experiences 
or accounts of yesterday. Or those who live in 
tomorrow-constantly moving, planning, doing. 
Never moments rest to enjoy a job well done.

 Our yoga practice provides the ideal venue for 
practicing being in the present moment. Time 
almost stops during class sometimes. Breath, 
movement, focus, it’s the perfect recipe. I think 
this is one of the reasons people feel great after 
yoga. We get a break from having to accomplish, 
having to plan, or even a break from our negative 
emotions. The “All is Well” feeling has a chance to 
enter our mind and body. It’s attitude changing.

 You cannot help but notice how comfortable 
that present moment felt. It feels right! And OK. 
Would it be nice to live this way all the time? Not 
worrying about yesterday or tomorrow. Enjoying 
right where you are at any given point in time. 
There are many ways to begin practicing this. Of 
course, on the mat is a great place to start. We 
continue flower in this acceptance throughout 
our times in class. Yoga is known for its ability 
to increase acceptance and compassion. Yes, for 
others, but first for ourselves.

Namaste,

Keely Totten

RYT 500, Teaching at Yoga Madre

Do you have heart 
disease? Do you 
believe you are 
destined to have high 
blood pressure or 
some other form of 
heart disease because 
of your family 
history? There is no 
question that there is 
enough evidence out 
there that shows that 
our family passes on 
DNA (information 
in our genes) that 
predisposes us to 
being more suscept-
ible to diseases than 
maybe our neighbor. 
More important though than DNA is lifestyle. In 
particular your lifestyle and what you eat. I tell 
all of my clients that “your DNA loads the gun 
but your lifestyle pulls the trigger”. To date, heart 
disease remains the leading cause of death in the 
United States for both men and women. If you 
could simply change the way you eat and either 
prevent getting heart disease or reverse the heart 
disease you already have would you do so?

 The evidence is pretty compelling, a plant based 
diet lowers your risk of ever developing heart 
disease and may reverse or certainly lessen the 
severity of existing heart disease. Even former 
president Bill Clinton who was notoriously known 
for having a less than healthy diet has seen the 
light. During his time in the White House he was 
known to try and jog off his fast food binges. It 
worked and he was able to pass all of his health 
checks while he was president. During that time 
his heart disease was progressing. In 2004 Clinton 
underwent bypass surgery and in 2010 that surgery 
failed. Later that year, Clinton began a plant-based 
diet. The result, he began to feel great, he lost 
weight and his heart disease began to reverse itself. 

In an analysis published in 2009 in the American 
Journal of Cardiology, a plant based diet has been 
shown to: Lower levels of triglycerides, lower blood 
pressure, decrease body weight, decrease risk of 
death from any cause including heart disease, 
improves insulin sensitivity and more. 

 So, if you have high cholesterol, or you know 
someone who does, checking out a plant based 
diet may be well worth your time. Adjusting your 
diet may be one way to lower your cholesterol and 
prevent heart disease.

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


DISCIPLINE &

 A HEALTHY LIFE

“Discipline is getting yourself to do something you don’t necessarily want to do to achieve a result you 
really want to get.” –Andy Andrews

 Most people want to be healthy, want to feel good, want to function well and live a long life. The 
healthiest and happiest people on the outside have usually done a lot of work on the inside or in 
private.

 The discipline it takes to be healthy requires daily choices done consistently for a long time. Many 
of these choices are not easy. It requires that we have habits, good habits that we rely on to give us the 
best opportunity to have a healthy state of being. This requires that we take responsibility for our lives.

“Learn to love the things that are good for you.” --Dr. Eric Plasker, author The 100 Year Lifestyle

If we can discipline ourselves and take responsibility for our lives, we recognize that between stimulus 
and response we have the ability to respond and this is where our power lies. We discipline ourselves 
to make choices, good choices and when we practice this discipline we develop habits and these habits 
develop our true character and this character determines our ultimate results. This discipline frees us 
to live unencumbered by illness or injury.

 In regards to our physical health we will make choices in the areas of exercise, nutrition, rest and 
protecting our spine and nervous system. 

 The question arises are you developing good or bad habits in regards to taking responsibility for your 
health? Good habits require discipline and are not easy to put in place but once they are in place they 
are easy to live with. Bad habits develop when you are not responsible and do not discipline yourself. 
Therefore bad habits are easy to put in place but hard to live with.

 When you are in crisis and suffering, the situation requires your utmost attention, you are motivated 
and desirous to reclaim your health. You will do whatever is required and follow instructions in an 
admirable fashion. However, as you become stable and relief has been achieved, do you proceed into 
the critical transition of rehabilitation and regeneration with the same fervor? Do you continue on the 
path to achieve optimum fitness and achieve lifestyle care?

 Protecting your spine and nervous system with exercise, nutrition, rest and practicing good posture, 
and having your spine checked for interference and function is a discipline and practice of top 
performers whether it be in sports, entertainment, the board room or top performers in any industry. 
They make chiropractic care part of the health disciplines they practice regularly so their nervous 
system can function with ease and be well connected. The nervous system controls all the other 
systems so they are all necessary to build and maintain health.

 In 2015 make regular chiropractic care part of the disciplines you employ to create great habits, 
outstanding character and the life you desire and deserve.