Mountain Views News          Saturday, November 30, 2013

11

HEALTHY LIFESTYLES

 Mountain Views News Saturday, November 30, 2013 

THE JOY OF YOGA

‘TIS THE SEASON


COULD YOU NOT BE GETTING ENOUGH 
POTASSIUM?

Less than 2% of Americans get an adequate intake of potassium, 
and why is this you may ask? It is because we don’t eat enough plant 
foods. When you think of a food source for potassium, how many of 
you immediately thought of bananas? Bananas are a good source of 
potassium but there are almost 50 better ones. Every cell in the human 
body requires potassium to function. Potassium is an electrolyte or a 
mineral which means it helps your body to conduct electricity. People 
who eat a potassium rich diet have a lower risk of stroke. They also have 
lower levels of inflammation. Not enough potassium in our diets can 
cause fatigue, irritability, and even hypertension (high blood pressure). 
If you occasionally get nighttime leg cramps, they could be caused by 
insufficient potassium. Here is a list of some great foods that are very 
high in potassium and most if not all are higher than bananas:

Avocados

Pumpkin

Dried apricots

Papaya

Parsnips

Spinach (raw)

Edamame

Raisins

Dark Leafy Greens 
(raw)

Sweet Potatoes

Winter Squash

Seaweed

White beans

Prunes

White potatoes w/
skins

French beans

Acorn Squash

Beet Greens (cooked)

Lima beans

Mushrooms





Give your body the potassium that it needs. Be sure and include plenty of these foods in your diet.

During this season of Thanksgiving and bounty,

it seems natural to reflect upon the idea of abundance. Just how 
can we get everything we want, anyway? Well, it's about gratitude.

Abundance is not necessarily about material things or money but 
about the relationships in our lives -- especially that unique relationship 
with ourself. Do you wait until 

2 p.m., to ask yourself how you feel that day? How about asking 
that question first thing in the morning and honoring the answer 
throughout your day. 

 

Think of a tired, thirsty, lifeless plant. It's existing in a state of scarcity. But give it some water 
and sunshine, and it totally regenerates. Stands taller, blossoms. It's then able to share its 
gifts -- the beauty of its flower and fragrance, and the life-giving oxygen it produces. 

Care for and nourish yourself in supportive ways that energize and allow you to thrive: get 
adequate rest, drink plenty of water, eat well, breathe completely and do your yoga. 

 

Receive each breath as a gift, and practice receiving gracefully . . . and gratefully. The more 
attentively you receive the gift of breath, the more you will start to notice all the other gifts 
you've been receiving all day long. You'll likely rediscover the powerful truth that your life 
is abundant and full already.

See you in class.

 

Namasté, René

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


SIERRA MADRE FARMERS MARKET 

 

 The Sierra Madre Farmer’s Market hours have changed to 3:00pm through 8:00pm 
every Wednesday. Vendors include Dry Dock which has fresh and wild caught 
fish, Rustic Loaf with artisan breads, Cutie Pie with fresh pies and much more!

 For those interested in being a vendor contact Melissa Farwell with Raw 

Inspirations at 818-591-8161 ext. 806.

JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS


LOOKING FOR A BEST FRIEND??

RECOMMENDED ROVER READS

For The Canine Lover’s Christmas List

STILTS IS TOO! 

Our tiny friend, Stilts, is a brown, black and white Chihuahua, Yorkshire 
terrier and Kuvasz mix according to recent DNA testing. He is a very 
mature gentle soul in a young boy’s body and is approximately 1 to 1 
½ years old. He got his name because of his very long skinny legs that 
appear to be stiff at times. He is very delicate, thin and weighs only 5 
½ pounds. He has the cutest little face full of expression and the cutest 
white trimmed paws that make him look like he is wearing socks.

He is a little shy at first, but warms up quickly. He does like other dogs, 
but it is a challenge for him to keep up with them. Because he is tiny, 
fragile and easily knocked over, he is a little sensitive to fast movements 
and a little hand shy. He will need a special someone who is patient, 
nurturing and will handle him gently. He would make a great best 
friend for a senior or senior couple who would love having him on 
their lap, taking him for short walks and letting him soak up the sun’s 
rays in the yard. He is neutered, up to date with all routine shots and ready to be a valued part of 
your family!! 

He currently resides at the San Gabriel Valley Humane Society located at 851 E. Grand Avenue in 
San Gabriel with his roommate. We are located off San Gabriel Blvd., north of Mission and south 
of Las Tunas. 

To arrange a ‘Meet and Greet’ with Stilts (aka….SG11899), please stop by any time from 10:00am 
to 4:30pm Tuesday thru Sunday. 

His adoption fee is $120 which includes his neuter surgery, a microchip, first vaccinations and a free 
wellness check-up at a participating veterinarian. Feel free to call us at (626) 286-1159 for more 
information on Stilts. 

See our website at www.sgvhumane.org for information and photos of all our available pets. 


Happy Tails

by Chris Leclerc

With Thanksgiving now behind us 
(already?), and Christmas quickly 
approaching, many folks are now 
scrambling to come up with creative 
holiday gift ideas for family and 
friends. I am personally of the mind 
that the holiday season should be 
treated more like an opportunity to 
be thankful for our blessings, joyful 
in our attitude, and thoughtful to 
re-new our minds on what is most 
important in life. However, I still 
enjoy the traditional festivities of 
our culture. Gathering together with 
family and friends, decorating the 
tree, and wrapping gifts to surprise 
others with is certainly a fun part of 
the process.

 Of all the activities that come with 
the traditional holiday season, I 
find selecting the right gift for the 
right person most challenging. I 
must admit, every year I tend to 
buy basically the same things for 
my husband, (who’d actually be 
quite content to receive nothing for 
Christmas), and this year I started 
early, buying gifts I know he will 
appreciate and make good use of. 
Now, with that done, I am on a quest 
to find some unique gifts for those 
on my list who happen to love their 
furry, four-legged friends the way I 
do.

 Notwithstanding the fact that 
technology has changed the way 
many of us go about reading these 
days, I still think books (you know, 
the ones with printed paper pages) 
make great Christmas gifts, and this 
year I thought it would be fun to find 
a few books with themes about our 
beloved canine companions. During 
my search for “recommended rover 
reads“, as I like to call them, I came 
up with a few that I think would 
make great gifts. Here’s a short list 
of dog-related reads for those of 
you who are still looking the perfect 
present for your canine-
loving companions.

 INSIDE OF A DOG 
~ Alexandra Horowitz, 
Scribner Press, 2009: This 
non-fiction New York 
Times Bestseller has been out for 
a few years, but you will still find it 
displayed prominently on the shelves 
of most mainstream bookstores. 
Written by a dog-loving psychology 
professor at Columbia University, 
it is an excellent and enlightening 
scientific-based book that also 
turned out to be a timeless reference 
for those who are interested in better 
understanding their dog’s behavior. I 
read it 2 years ago, and I have referred 
back to it several times since, when 
a question has come up about why 
dogs behave the way they do.

THE ART OF RACING IN THE 
RAIN ~ Garth Stein, HarperCollins 
Publishers, 2008: This novel made 
the New York Times Bestseller list 
upon it‘s first publication, and has 
sustained itself as a hot seller for 
several years now. The short synopsis 
on the back cover sums it up best: “A 
heart-wrenching but deeply funny 
and ultimately uplifting story of 
family, love, loyalty and hope - a 
captivating look at the wonders and 
absurdities of human life…as only a 
dog could tell it.”

 MANADOOB MYSTERY OF 
THE MOOBIA STONES ~ June 
Salin, Sadiki Press, 2008: This 
children’s book (Age 8+) is focused 
on enhancing the child’s self-esteem, 
kind interaction with other beings, 
and social awareness. I was given a 
copy by the publisher’s sister, Janis 
Salin who also happens to be one of 
my Canyon Canine clients here in 
town! This may sound kind of silly 
to some, but I read it to my dogs a 
little at a time, and I was surprised 
to see how much they seemed to 
enjoy listening to it’s text. I fell in 
love with the book, myself as it 
reflects many of my own thoughts 
on how the human’s connection 
with other animals can enrich and 
broaden their perspective on life. I 
highly recommend it to anyone who 
wants to encourage their children 
to appreciate and respect the world 
around them.

 THE FIRESIDE BOOK OF 
DOG STORIES ~ Edited by Jack 
Goodman, Simon & Schuster, 1943: 
Although this antique book might 
be hard to find, I decided to add 
it to this list because it is a classic 
collection of short stories written 
by various famous authors such as 
Walter Edmonds, Rudyard Kipling, 
Jack London and E.B. White. A 
friend of mine found it at an estate 
sale and thought of me. I had such 
fun reading each story one-by-one, 
and thought it would make a great 
holiday read for the family who 
enjoys gathering around the hearth 
and hearing classic tales about dogs. 
If you are interested in the book but 
can’t find a copy, feel free to contact 
me through the Mountain Views 
News and I will be happy to share 
the list of titles and author names 
for your use in seeking them out 
individually, in case you can‘t get 
your hands on a copy of the book 
itself.

 Well, that’s all I have time for, on my 
list of recommended rover reads but 
I would like to close with a sincere 
wish to you all, to have a very happy 
holiday season! May it be filled with 
fun times shared with your beloved 
family members and friends. And, 
don’t forget to spend quality holiday 
time with your four-legged furry 
family members too!

 By the way, if you are looking for 
a festive holiday activity to take part 
in along with your pet, you might 
want to check out Pasadena’s Pet Day 
in the Courtyard where your dog 
can enjoy the unique opportunity 
of sitting on Santa’s lap for a photo 
session. This annual event is 
cordially hosted at One Colorado 
in Pasadena, and will be held on 
December 8 from 3:00pm-7:00pm. 
I am sure it will warm your heart to 
know that a portion of the event’s 
proceeds will benefit the Pasadena 
Humane Society and SPCA.