Category: Health and Fitness

Source http://www.sonima.com/fitness/foot-fitness/

If you’re like most people, you probably do not spend a ton of time, if any, thinking about the muscles in your feet. In fact, you likely can’t even name them. Think about it: You know your biceps and triceps are in your upper arms. You’re certainly aware that the front side of your thighs is your quads, and the back sides are your hamstrings. But the muscles that lets you lift your big toe and press it against the ground, that’s called…uh….the, um…

Abductor hallucis is the phrase you’re looking for. You were just about to say that, right? You can group it in with a larger formation of muscles known as the plantar intrinsics, a not-particularly-well-understood group that both begin and end within the confines of the foot.

Only recently, researchers have been able to take a detailed look at what, exactly, these muscles do. Among those leading the charge is Luke A. Kelly, PhD, a biomechanics research fellow at the University of Queensland in Australia. His work over the past five years has shown that the plantar intrinsics play a crucial role in <a …

Source http://www.foodpolitics.com/2017/05/weekend-reading-food-first/

Tanya M. Kerssen and Teresa K. Miller.  Food First: Selected Writings from 40 Years of Movement Building.  Food First Books, 2015.

I just got sent my copy of this book, for which I did this blurb:

For 40 years, Food First has been at the forefront of deep thinking about the consequences of agricultural and food consumption practices and injustices, and what needs to be done to achieve food systems that are healthier for people and the planet.  It is an invaluable resource for students, scholars, and advocates.  May it flourish for another 40 years at least!

It’s a reader, introduced by Francis Moore Lappé, with dozens of short essays on hunger, food aid, the green revolution, agroecology, peasant food sovereignty, food justice, climate justice, and transformative food movements.

It also has a timeline of the impressive achievements of Food First, starting with Frankie Lappé’s inspirational Diet for a Small Planet (I used it as a textbook in the first nutrition class I ever taught) and ending with Eric Holt-Gimenez’s anniversary speaking tour.

Happy anniversary First Food, and apologies for the late greetings.

…

Source http://www.sonima.com/meditation/emotional-pain/

Dear John,

How does one use bodywork to heal from emotional trauma?

Warmly, Dolores

“Trauma resolved is a great gift, returning us to the natural world of ebb and flow, harmony, love, and compassion.” – Peter Levine, PhD, 1997

Dear Dolores,

You ask an important question that comes up a lot in my line of work. Before I respond, first, a few disclaimers: Trauma work can be challenging and, ideally, is done with the support of a qualified professional. My suggestions here are not meant to replace or act as any form of treatment. I offer one perspective and one technique here, but there are many others, so, by all means, use this as a starting point and continue exploring different ways to heal.

Let’s take a look at a mind-body-spirit approach to releasing emotional trauma. This practice is specifically inspired by the modalities of Focusing, Shamanism, Forrest Yoga, and the work of master somatic therapist Peter Levine, PhD, the developer and director of The Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute based in Colorado.

Step 1: Deep Breathing

In order for deep breathing to help you connect with yourself, you must learn to get the inhale-exhale rhythm moving completely th…

Source http://www.sonima.com/yoga/yoga-mission/

Traveling to see my guru, Sharath Jois, in Mysore, India usually requires a long journey of trains, planes and auto-rickshaws. With him now in the U.S. on his annual yoga tour for the entire month of May, you’d think a trip to practice with him at Stanford University in California would be much different. Nope. While I wasn’t leaving the Western Hemisphere for the East, I was still taking the long route to practice with the Paramaguru. An impromptu trip to Cuba had inserted itself into my schedule a week before his arrival, which meant I was making my way to San Francisco by way of Havana.

Once in the Bay area, I scouted for my Uber among a throng of car-lift expectants―at least six people deep on the curb―staring into their smart phones. This was worlds away from the post-Communistic island where cars are from the 1950s and testy wifi is sold in forms of perforated cards with long alphanumeric names and passwords by hot spot gangster types on the street. Their hushed-toned solicitations normally reserved for illicit substances intended for mental escape, which is maybe the function of the Internet at times anyway.

No matter where you go, traveling tends to illustrate the world’s contradictions and imbalances. Absorbing San Francisco airport’s exalted tech scene, I told myself that in the future the stark disparities of Havana and San Francisco would somehow be ameliorated by benign, caring, intelligent, and selfless world …

Source http://refineryfitnesspdx.com/four-keys-for-healthy-living/

It seems there is a lot of contradictory information out there about how to live a healthy life.  Many people have incredibly strong feelings about how they fuel their bodies and they are not afraid to share their opinions.  It can be hard to keep up with the latest research because the information is always changing.  One minute, carbs are good- the next, carbs are bad.  First you hear, don’t eat fat then you hear eat all the fat you want. It can be confusing because new research is always being released.  However, here are 4 tiny tips I think most everyone can agree on.

1. Eat whole foods.   Try to make the majority of calories you consume come from whole foods.  Eat foods you recognize with a minimum of ingredients- all of which you can pronounce.  Avoid food that comes in a box or package.  Food in its natural state is the best.
2. Eat healthy fats.  Your body needs fat to survive.  Fat is necessary for absorption of the fat soluble vitamins D, E, K and A, for insulation for your organs and to help keep your body warm.  Fat helps produce hormones and biochemicals and is in every cell in the body.  However, not all fat is healthy.  Avoid trans fats like those found in baked goods or processed foods.  Get your fats from real food s…

Source http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/05/17/528826774/many-of-california-s-salmon-populations-unlikely-to-survive-the-century?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=thesalt

Climate change, dams and agriculture are threatening Chinook salmon, the iconic fish at the core of the state’s fishing industry, a report predicts. And 23 other fish species are also at risk.

(Image credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

…

Source http://refineryfitnesspdx.com/focus-on-rhubarb/

 

Rhubarb is a perennial vegetable that grows well in most of the United States.  It’s beautiful red stalks  are sold at farmers’ markets and grocery stores by the stalk, like celery. It’s harvested in the spring, with a short peak season  from April to June.  The stalks are the only edible part of the plant and in fact, the leaves are poisonous.  Rhubarb can be very tart when raw and is almost never eaten without being cooked with a generous helping of sugar.  Rhubarb is extremely low in calories but is loaded with fiber and other important vitamins and minerals.  It is high in anti oxidants which help fight heart disease and cancer.  An important vitamin in rhubarb is vitamin K.   Vitamin K plays a significant role in brain and neuronal health. It can prevent the oxidation of brain cells and stimulate cognitive activity.  It is also very important for bone health.  Finally, rhubarb is high in Vitamin C, an important vitamin to help the body form and maintain connective tissue, protects against heart disease, prevents scurvy and helps with the absorption of iron.

Many people are unsure how to use rhubarb in their lives but this Strawbe…

Source http://refineryfitnesspdx.com/focus-on-rhubarb/

 

Rhubarb is a perennial vegetable that grows well in most of the United States.  It’s beautiful red stalks  are sold at farmers’ markets and grocery stores by the stalk, like celery. It’s harvested in the spring, with a short peak season  from April to June.  The stalks are the only edible part of the plant and in fact, the leaves are poisonous.  Rhubarb can be very tart when raw and is almost never eaten without being cooked with a generous helping of sugar.  Rhubarb is extremely low in calories but is loaded with fiber and other important vitamins and minerals.  It is high in anti oxidants which help fight heart disease and cancer.  An important vitamin in rhubarb is vitamin K.   Vitamin K plays a significant role in brain and neuronal health. It can prevent the oxidation of brain cells and stimulate cognitive activity.  It is also very important for bone health.  Finally, rhubarb is high in Vitamin C, an important vitamin to help the body form and maintain connective tissue, protects against heart disease, prevents scurvy and helps with the absorption of iron.

Many people are unsure how to use rhubarb in their lives but this Strawbe…

Source http://www.bornfitness.com/abs-workout/

You’ve heard the desperate tactics in those late night infomercials. The crazed fitness models who tell you to do endless crunches on useless gizmos to get the abs of your dreams.

You’ve gone to the gym and heard “hardcore” lifters insist that you don’t need an “abs workout” at all, and that a steady diet of compound exercises like squats and deadlifts will do the trick. Still, others say you can simply plank your way to abdominal greatness.

With all of the conflicting theories out there, it’s no wonder you are still searching for a clear answer on how to design an abs workout that will actually work for you.

What you want seems simple: a sturdy core that allows you to live the life you want…and it doesn’t hurt if you also look good shirtless on the beach. But it’s hard to know what to do when you spend so much time filtering through misinformation, outdated methods, and marketing hype from a fitness industry that knows everybody loves a six-pack. No one could blame you for feeling overwhelmed, hopping from program to program, or even giving up entirely.

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Source http://www.bornfitness.com/abs-workout/

You’ve heard the desperate tactics in those late night infomercials. The crazed fitness models who tell you to do endless crunches on useless gizmos to get the abs of your dreams.

You’ve gone to the gym and heard “hardcore” lifters insist that you don’t need an “abs workout” at all, and that a steady diet of compound exercises like squats and deadlifts will do the trick. Still, others say you can simply plank your way to abdominal greatness.

The first goal of any good abs workout must be injury prevention.

With all of the conflicting theories out there, it’s no wonder you are still searching for a clear answer on how to design an abs workout that will actually work for you.

What you want seems simple: a sturdy core that allows you to live the life you want…and it doesn’t hurt if you also look good shirtless on the beach. But it’s hard to know what to do when you spend so much time filtering through misinformation, outdated methods, and marketing hype from a fitness industry that knows everybody loves a six-pack. No one could blame you for feeling overwhelmed, hopping from program to program, or even giving up entirely.

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Source http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tinybuddha/~3/AOvKVT2mrCM/

“The primary cause of unhappiness is never the situation but your thoughts about it. Be aware of the thoughts you are thinking.” ~Eckhart Tolle

One of the first ideas I learned in law school was “the reasonable third person,” a legal fiction created to help figure out if someone has acted unreasonably. There’s no clear-cut definition, so I spent a lot of energy arguing what a reasonable person would do. This hypothetical person haunted my law school exams, and later, my career.

But I realized the reasonable third person could teach me something beyond the courtroom. I could apply that perspective to ease anxiety in my own life.

At my law firm, I was so busy that I could barely make meetings in time. It would always be a mad scramble to get everything ready. The senior lawyer would always be annoyed and stressed, and the partner would barely acknowledge my presence.

I’d have too much coffee and be nervous. I’d try to be casual, but I’d either fidget too much or sit too still, trying not to attract attention. I was always so nervous I’d get asked a question and not know what to say.

Mostly, I just sat silently in meetings. Occasionally I’d make a comm…

Source http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tinybuddha/~3/gLnCHnXGmB8/

“Life is short. Focus on what matters and let go of what doesn’t.” ~Unknown

Our most precious commodities are not our smartphones, 3D TVs, brand new cars, or even our big and impressive houses.

Our most precious commodities can’t be found at the bank. They can’t be ordered online. The truth is, they are on a very short list.

Amongst our most precious commodities are our purpose, time, health, and our relationships.

How I Came to This Conclusion

Several years ago I realized I was accumulating more in my life. More things that didn’t really matter to me or speak to me on a spiritual level. More commitments I wasn’t really passionate about keeping. This was all leaving me feeling a little flat and unfulfilled. It felt like something was missing, but I wasn’t sure what that something was.

A period of fairly deep reflection followed. I then started to take some action based on this reflection. Amongst other things, that action has meant:

• I have made good on long-term dreams to write creatively
• I have realized I value freedom and flexibility over the ability to just earn more, and I now seek out ways of living accordingly.
• I have accumulated fewer material possessions but enjoyed more (travel and holidays, events,…