Sketch of Yoga News: Spring 2011

Start fidgeting. Magic underwear helping to fight sitting too much. Study shows that incorporating movement into the day helps sedentary people fight weight gain from increased calorie consumption. The take away here is, hitting the gym is not enough, make more movement during the day. Revisit Challenge 2 - Be Active [New York Times]

Eating too much sugar! Article is long but pictures is succinct. Revisit Challenge 4 - Consume Less Sugar [New York Times]

Not every one likes how America does yoga. [Telegraph]

Yoga Teaching is becoming a career trend. [Chicago Tribune]

Challenge 4 - Consume Less Sugar

Most grocery stores and fast food products overuse unhealthy ingredients but the culprit focused here  is high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). It was introduced into our food chain in the 1950s and our food was never the same again. A series of government agricultural subsidies and bad business practices made HFCS a cheap substitute for sugar. There is a debate on the effects of HFCS in foods. HFCS has been associated with obesity, diabetes, and producing addictive characteristics to sugary foods.

I recently went to A&W and Kentucky Fried Chicken, fast food chains, during a road trip and wanted a meal with no simple carbohydrates and sugars. Impossible! Everything was fried, doused with carbs, even grilled chicken was dipped in flour, and added sugar. I ended up eating an A&W Cooney Chili Dog and skipped the bun, even though the Chili had sugar, it wasn't high on the ingredient list. 

Challenge: Drink and eat less sugar.

Application:

• Use Cinnamon, instead of sugar, in coffee
• Drink water instead of fruit juices or soda (you have heard this one before)
• Skip the pastry and go for a piece of fruit or cup of yogurt 
• Switch to beer or gin and tonics from sugary mixed drinks
• Buy fresh bread from a local bakery (less likely to have HFCS) than grocery store brands

Go Above and Beyond: 

• Next time you go grocery shopping, check the ingredients for all your products to find out what has HFCS

Challenge 1 - Eat More Fresh Vegetables

This challenge is based upon medical research and common sense, which tells us that fresh vegetables and fruits are healthier than processed foods.

Challenge: Introduce one fresh vegetable, fruits, or spices into your life this week, regardless where you get vegetables at the local supermarket or farmers' market.

Apply (vitamins and minerals associated):

• Add freshly cut green onions/scallions into noodles and soups (Fiber; Vitamins A, C, K; Calcium)
• Add fresh lemons (currently in season) to water (Vitamin C, slow insulin release)
• Add fresh mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, or garlic to pasta sauces & stir frys, instead of frozen/canned
• Substitute Olive Oil or Macademia Oil for Corn Oil or Vegetable Oil
• Throw fresh berries into cereal or granola
• Substitute spices, such as Cayenne pepper, Oregano, Dill, or Rosemary for cheese/butter on vegetables
• Substitute Cinnamon for sugar in coffee or tea (lower blood glucose)
• Drink Almond Milk instead of Dairy Milk (less growth hormones, more protein and calcium) 

Go above and beyond: A good resource for the Inland Empire is the Inland Empire Community Supported Agriculture provider. The service is a bit pricey and I often have to throw away food when it goes bad. I assume that the storage time for CSA veggies are shorter because they are not sprayed/washed with preserving chemicals. Summer is the best season to try out the service with the one-month trial period because your box will be filled with tomatoes, tomatillos and feijoes. My boxes have expanded my vegetables repertoire and introduced new flavors into my diet.

Make Small Changes for Big Results

Nothing is permenant except change

Diogenes Laertius, Greek Philospher

People's lives are in a state of flux. New Jobs. New Relationships. New Routes. Along the way less healthy habits can be picked up or shedded. Small changes can help with large overall results in our lifesyles, including nutrition, exercise, friendships, spirtual lives, and hobbies. I personally subscribe to this idea and try to make small changes or minute additions every day, week, and year to bolster my quality of life.

Every Monday there will be a weekly challenge. I will post a weekly change or addition to your daily habits to increase strength, improve nutrition, bolster awareness/consciousness, or contribute to happiness.

Try to do this challenge throughout the week then keep it or drop it.

Similar challenges may reappear throughout the posts.