Recently, I have been taking an online leadership course from a university.  I am only in week two, but have been reluctant to watch the videos.  I was not sure why I didn't feel excited and inspired.  Then, during one of the videos today, It hit me, the reason was clear.  I keep hearing the instructor giving an inspiring statement, and then following it with a limiting belief. It sounded to me like, "Reach for the stars, but you'll never get there."  Then what is the point in reaching? This brought up many things throughout my life, where I realized I've been hearing that, saying that and believing that for myself. Part of what he is saying is true, but there is another way to say it that does not create a limiting belief and lead you to failure.

One example was a video in which he was discussing great leaders. He said Martin Luther King, Jr. was a great leader, but none of us can be him. Well, yes and no. Yes, we are not the same man as him, but we can be just as great as him, or better. When I heard that statement, I felt like he was saying you can never be as great as him, you will never do what he did. What he could have said instead was this; you may not be Martin Luther King, Jr., but you can be your own unique version of greatness, you can be just as good of a leader as him and even better.  That is a true statement. There is no limit to what you or I can do, and stating it in the second manner does not leave room to create that limiting belief. 

I see this all the time, people creating idols or superstars in their professions, religions and  hobbies. We put them up there on a pedestal and say, "Man, it would be so great to be like them." Our mind is saying, "I'm not good enough to be like them. I don't deserve to be like them. I'm not worthy...' None of those statements are true.  We all begin in the same place and we all have the opportunity to do something better, but we have to believe that we can be and do something better.  A better way to look at our superstars is as an opening to something more.  They paved the road, opened the door so that I, too, can be a better version of me. 

This limiting belief of, "You can try, but you'll never succeed.", sets you up for failure and self-sabotage. If you really believe that you'll never get there and you keep trying because it is something you love or are excited about, you will never get there.  You have set yourself up to fail, because you don't believe you can. You may have little successes here and there only to sabotage yourself and have a major set-back.  It's like dieting.  "I really want to lose 50 pounds." So, you hire a personal trainer, go on a diet, lose 40 pounds and then something happens. You miss your personal training sessions, you eat that piece of cake at a friend's birthday party and you "fall off the wagon".  Well, what really happened, is that somewhere along the way you learned, "you will never succeed" and when you got close to your goal suddenly things fell apart. You didn't lose your ability to lose weight, you lost your belief that you could. 

There are many ways to work with this if you recognize this within yourself. I enjoying tapping, breathwork, meditation and awareness as methods to recognize when there is a limiting belief present and then to work on peeling back the layers, the instances in life that proved it to be true, the emotion carried with it and then to let it go and change the belief into one that serves the BEST version of me.

"You can't make money doing that!" Those are words that I have carried around as a belief since I was 11 years old. I'm sure the person who said it to me had no idea what kind of impact it had on me. Not only was it a profession, but it was a passion I was truly excited about; so with that statement, I also learned to believe, you can't make money doing what you love. 

I was in sixth grade, when I first heard this statement. I was so excited because I had found a profession that combined my love of animals, Earth and water.  Previously, I had wanted to be a veterinarian.  However, due to my severe allergies and asthma at the time, it didn't seem like a real possibility.  Now, I had my eyes (and heart) set on becoming a marine biologist.  I would get to travel, swim in the oceans and help the marine life of our world. I was so excited, and then crushed as this idea was rejected by someone I looked to for approval.  It created a self-limiting belief that has been carried around ever since.

I bring this up because I have heard this comment mentioned to a boy about the same age I was when I heard this same statement. He wanted to be a math teacher.  I also heard it about another dear person to me, whom also wants to be a teacher. "You can't make money doing that!" It crushes them, causes them to withdraw and continue looking for the thing that will gain approval by these people, even if it takes away their personal happiness. 

First off, teachers are in much need. I agree that they do not make much, and they should be paid better. I dare anyone to go into a classroom to educate students on any topic for what they get paid and then come out and tell me if they are over paid babysitters. The thing with these people that are interested in teaching, is that they have a passion for it. That is exactly what you need in a teacher; some one who will guide, open minds, and find creative ways to bring understanding of material to all students and their various learning styles. If they are passionate about it, they can do this even though they are not compensated appropriately.

I really bring this up to hopefully bring awareness to what you say to others.  It may seem harmless or like good advice to you, but it may truly be harming the person who was so excited to share their dreams with you.  Your words are so much bigger than you know.  The power to create and to destroy are in your words and thoughts.  I encourage you to listen to what you say to others.  If you feel yourself about to react in such a manner, stop yourself, and find a way to be in support of them.  This is their life, their dream and their passion. Be thankful they find you worthy enough to share it with.

May we all find the support, love, dreams and passion to enhance the joy in our lives. Money helps you get by in this world, but it isn't the only part of living in this world.

One of the first things my students learn is that calories are energy. We don't need to live in fear of the calorie. It is simply necessary energy for our bodies to function optimally.  There is a basic amount of energy each of us need in order to maintain brain function, breathing, and all other vital mechanisms of the body, like creating enzymes.  This is known as your basal metabolic rate or BMR; it is 65-75% of your caloric needs. Even if you do not exercise, you will need more calories each day in order for you to go about your daily routine, walking, driving, etc. The first step in finding a healthful weight is to let go of the notion that calories are bad, that calories make you fat. This is simply not true. Calories are fuel for our body to be able to function, the type of calorie is what you should be concerned about.

Not all calories are created equal.  This is true.  In fact, there are a couple of components to this statement. Is the calorie coming from a necessary macronutrient, lipid, carbohydrate or protein? And if so, is that source a "real food" source? 

Let's begin with the macronutrients. Macro- because we need these in large quantities during the day.  They also provide calories, energy, whereas micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) do not.  You need a certain quantity of macronutrients each day, and a balance between the three types. Right now, the idea of how much of each group is in fluctuation. You have many camps that favor one over the other.  The most important take away is that you need all of them.  Sacrificing one is sacrificing your life.  Let's take a quick look at each in relation to calories.

Lipids. Poor lipids have such a bad reputation. Lipids are fats, and there are many different types.  Some are better for you than others, and some you want to avoid at all costs. It may not be what you think, either. Lipids to avoid are oxidized fatty acids, trans fats.  Examples include: polyunsaturated oils (canola, corn, cottonseed, etc), oils in transparent plastic bottles, hydrolyzed, modified and of course those in fried foods. Good oils include: coconut, hemp, flaxseed, olive oil, salmon and cultured organic grass-fed butter. Lipids are nutrient dense.  You receive 9 calories per gram of lipid. What type of lipid is important when it comes to the state of your health and your waistline. They should not be avoided - your brain is made of fats, we need fats.  Choose healthier oils, avocados, walnuts, chia seed, fatty fish to get your fats in during your day. Read food labels to avoid the oils mentioned as unhealthy choices.

Carbohydrates. Carbs, avoid carbs!! No, don't listen to them. Carbohydrates are where we get so many of vital micronutrients as well as fiber and water. The problem we have with carbohydrates is that we think about the wrong ones, but just lump them all together when discussing them. You should limit your flour, wheat, grain and SUGAR consumption, but eat as many vegetables as you like. Even fruit should be limited to a couple of servings per day and in it's whole form, not juice on the grocery shelves. Making your own juice at home from mostly vegetables with just a little fruit is a great option to getting your vegetables in during the day. For every gram of carbohydrate you consume 4 calories.  A little aside, you should limit sugar consumption to under 25 grams per day. Sugar is a major culprit in underlying health issues, primarily the inflammation that leads to many healthy issues. You must read your food labels, sugar is in everything from marinara sauce, salsa to frozen vegetables and yogurt. 

Protein. Somehow this one gets the reputation that you can not live without it. True, but the same is true for the others as well. Again, where it comes from is important. Here is something different about protein, we don't store it as protein. If it is stored it, too, is stored in our adipose tissue. We do not store it in our muscles, therefore, too much protein also leads to obesity. Most people should consume approximately 1.0g/kg of body weight. To convert your pounds to kilograms you will divide your weight by 2.2, so let's say you weigh 150 lbs, your body weight in kilograms will be 68kg, this is also the approximate amount of protein, in grams, you should consume in a day.  Where should this protein come from? Well, vegan sources are quinoa, and legumes (peas, beans, lentils) and nuts. Other options are hormone, antibiotic, grass-fed (not grain fed) meats and fish. You also get 4 calories per every gram of protein you consume. 

Anything you consume over what you your body needs will be stored in adipose tissue. This is why exercise is always discussed with eating. We have so much food and food - like products, that we consume more than we need.  Exercise is important anyway, but the better quality of food and balancing the quantity will allow you to maintain a healthy waistline and have the energy you desire every day.

What you think plays a big role in your health and your weight. Begin to flip your thoughts and comments about calories being bad or making you fat, to ones of gratitude for the energy they provide you and watch your life begin to transform into something better.

"if you are healthy, well, my definition of healthy is different from most, so if you are healthy by my definition, you will be able to heal well from illness."  

This was a statement I made to my microbiology class. It was a class of students training  to become registered nurses. It also, was a class of half Americans and half Africans. Even though, I had been teaching them other courses for months, they all wanted to know what my definition of healthy is and how it could possibly be different from others. Before I get to that let me explain why I mentioned the demographics of my class.

As we went through microbiology, learning about all the diseases and how they affect the body, I would get vastly different responses to certain illnesses. Why? Why would an American be in fear of malaria, while the Africans just shrugged their shoulders? The same reason that before the chickenpox vaccine, we were not afraid of chicken pox.  We had children play together because it was better to get it as a child than an adult. Since the vaccine, people are suddenly becoming fearful of a rather mild disease. Yes, there can be complications with any illness, as there can be with any medication or food you consume. This is where my definition of health is different from many others.  What you are constantly exposed to becomes the norm. That doesn't make it right or wrong, good or bad; it just is. We adapt to our environments, sometimes without even realizing we did it. This too, is important in how we view health.

How do you define health? Most would define it as the absence of illness. Okay, so you don't have a fever or diarrhea (which by the way are the body's natural defenses and not necessarily bad). Did you take acid reflux medication today? Blood pressure, allergy pill, insulin or inhaler today?  These are signs that you in fact, are not healthy.  How many would still think that they are even though they take daily medications? Here is where our differences begin and how our society would benefit from re-organizing our thoughts on health.

All of the above medications are taken for lifestyle diseases. Yes, Type 1 diabetes is more of an autoimmune disease and not considered lifestyle, but what if autoimmune diseases are part of lifestyle diseases?  There are a few factors we need to look at in regards to health: What you eat/drink, What you think, How you react, Do you breathe, move, and rest well? I am not against medications when they are truly necessary, however, I do not believe any medication should be for life.  This discord, dis-ease, in the body is a sign that we are not balanced and is a warning to get there before it is too late. Maybe if we treated medicine this way, we would have more truly healthy people and drastically lower health care costs. I digress, what does being truly healthy mean?

First and foremost, what do you eat? If it comes from a box, a bag, a can, most school cafeterias and any fast food it is poison to your body. Why? because it is primarily chemicals. Our body does not know what these toxic chemicals are nor how to use them. Therefore, it tries to detoxify them, it tries to eliminate them, but it also just stores them to deal with later. This is where inflammation, immune system overload, liver cirrhosis and obesity come into play. Your body is doing what it knows to do, it senses something dangerous and it reacts, send out the troops  Inflammation is a way to protect the body, keep foreign substances controlled and immune system deployed to handle the attack. After daily attacks and therefore continuous inflammation, disease begins to develop.  This could look like heart disease, high blood pressure or diabetes.  It could also look like migraine headaches, allergies and asthma. 

So, how does our food lead to this attack on our health? Well, it isn't food, it's chemicals.  It is mutated food, engineered food. I will discuss genetically - engineered foods later.  In order to create foods that taste good and will last on shelves for extended length of time is why we have most of the chemicals in our food, but others are so that they will look good or cause our body to crave them. It is interesting to go back even 70 years ago and look at food. It was just that food. It grew on plants and animals, we mixed it with other ingredients, cooked, fermented or canned it. Today, it is difficult to find a jar of pickles without food dye and at least two other chemicals. What happened to putting cucumbers in brine (water, salt and maybe herbs) and letting them ferment into pickles. Why do we need to color our pickles green? 

The cleaner your food, the fresher and the fewer ingredients the better. Yes, that box of macaroni may seem easy and cheap, but what is in it? How long is that list of "ingredients"? Is it actually food or is it hydrolyzed, isolate, and modified? These things may not create an immediate reaction, like hives, headaches or fatigue, but over an extended time they will assist in dis-ease in the body. 

Secondly, what are you drinking? Hopefully, water (not flavored water or vitamin water). Depending on which book you read our bodies are made up of 55-75% water. We need water. But, you've heard this before. So, let me offer you some other beneficial beverages, to aid in everyday health and not just absence of disease. Coconut water is my number one go to for hydration. If you have diarrhea, vomiting, just worked out hard, donated blood or its 90 degrees outside, drink coconut water. Coconut water is more balanced in electrolytes and lower in sugar than other sports hydration beverages. It also, is not colored (food dye is for illness). Then there is kombucha. This beverage is making a big appearance in mainstream media and many are taking to making it at home. Kombucha is a fizzy, probiotic beverage. It is a great substitute for something fizzy (like sodas) and it gives your body healthy bacteria to help boost your immune and digestive health. One thing to look at when purchasing, is sugar content. Some like to keep the beverages sweeter and therefore, have more sugar in the end product. Choose a kombucha with the smallest amount of sugar possible. And don't shake it up - it will spew all over the place!

There are more blogs on the way about what you think, feel and how you react to your environment, so let me just keep this one brief. You are what you think and say. Those are so much more powerful than we give them credit for, and in fact can be used as tools to not only gauge your health, but also to flip it from dis-ease to ease. There are so many articles, books and programs out there on the power of the brain.  Yes, if you constantly judge, criticize and look for the negative or down-side; you will find it and you will see it reflected back at you. The first step is noticing what you are thinking, what you are saying and how you react when it is reflected back to you. It's okay to feel what you feel when you begin to notice, but choose to change it and thank yourself for noticing it. If you hold on to it and rehash it over and over, it will only keep happening and lead to dis-ease in the body (we create inflammation for these things, too). Your heart doesn't get a lot of attention when this topic is discussed. It should, because your heart is even more powerful than your brain. So, pay attention to what you are feeling, it too is a message from the body. This most important thing is to breathe and allow for the possibility that it's okay to feel this way and I can change. 

Lastly, being healthy is about breathing, moving and resting. We have heard we need to exercise daily and sleep 6-8 hours each night. True, but now the word "exercise" has a negative vibe attached to it. So, how about this - play each day. It should involve the entire body, not just thumbs and eyes. Jump, run, dance, laugh, walk, try a new class like zumba, tai chi, yoga or belly dancing. Join a co-ed sports club. Have fun and move the entire body! 

Sleep, is difficult for many people these days. However, if you begin to implement all of the above along with a breathing practice, sleep should come much more easily and have a better quality to it. If sleep is stressful for you, there are essential oils and supplements like magnesium that may help. Other things that have helped my patients, are energy work, massage, journaling and deep breathing with visualization before bed.

Breathing, is one of the most important aspects to health and is also, one of the most missed aspects of healthcare. Because this topic deserves so much attention, you will find many mentions of it on this page as well as www.chiropracitc-now.com/blog.  For now, let's take a deep breath together. What happened when you took this breath? Did your shoulders rise up to your ears, was it short and uncomfortable? These are signs that you have forgotten how to breathe.  So, let's do one properly. Sit comfortably upright (not slouching - hard to breathe when you the organs are squished), relax your body and allow yourself to breathe normal.  On your next inhale, allow your belly to expand forward over your belt (shoulders should not move), continue inhaling and feel it expand through the back and sides. It should feel like this breath is pushing up and out against your abdomen, back and sides. Then exhale, squeezing your belly button back towards the spine (contracting abdominal muscles) and continue to exhale until all the air is out of back and sides as well. How did that feel? Most of us do not understand that our abdominal muscles are antagonistic to the diaphragm.  The diaphragm is the muscle responsible for creating the pressure difference that allow the lungs to inflate and deflate (inhale and exhale). The abdominal muscles work in opposition to this muscle, which makes them important in deep exhales, but they get in the way of deep inhales. So, it is okay to relax your belly when you inhale deeply. Do a 3-5 minutes of this before you begin your day and before you end your day. If you find yourself feeling stressed, tired or worried, do it then also. 

My definition of health, is not the absence of disease. My definition of health is a physical, mental, emotional and spiritually balanced body. One that works everyday to eat and drink real food, is aware of their thoughts and makes a conscious effort to speak from the heart and out of kindness, moves the whole body, plays, laughs and breathes deeply. Medicine is not needed on a daily basis and balancing the body is the first priority when illness does pop up. Medicine is an option at that point, but not always the first reaction. 

I teach nutrition courses at a local career college. I do not teach nutrition the traditional way, meaning I do not teach from the book. I teach from knowledge, research, experience and documentaries. At the end of every course students tell me "Thank You!" They took a nutrition class once, it was boring. They learned so much this time and their lives have changed in the four weeks we had together. Nothing feels better than having passed on information that others can use (and do use) to enhance their life and their health for themselves and their families.

In a recent class, one student said I eat healthy. My response? "Great, tell me what you eat." I had Cheerios and skim milk for breakfast, coffee from the gas station, those peanutbutter crackers and vitamin water for a snack and a taco at lunch." Sometimes I ask what they put in their coffee, somehow sugar goes unnoticed once it's in the coffee. On the first day of class though, I take it easy. "Well, by the end of this course you will be able to tell me why you haven't eaten real food today and why that isn't healthy." Ruffled feathers? May be, but I am not concerned, your health is at stake and I want you to know it.

That being said, what do you eat? If it comes from a box, a bag, a can, most school cafeterias and any fast food chain it is poison to your body. Why? because it is primarily chemicals. Our body does not know what these toxic chemicals are nor how to use them. Therefore, it tries to detoxify them, it tries to eliminate them, but it also just stores them to deal with later. This is where inflammation, immune system overload, liver cirrhosis and obesity come into play. Your body is doing what it knows to do, it senses something dangerous and it reacts, send out the troops  Inflammation is a way to protect the body, keep foreign substances controlled and immune system deployed to handle the attack. After daily attacks and therefore continuous inflammation, disease begins to develop.  This could look like heart disease, high blood pressure or diabetes.  It could also look like migraine headaches, allergies and asthma. 

So, how does our food lead to this attack on our health? Well, it isn't food, it's chemicals.  It is mutated food, engineered food. I will discuss genetically - engineered foods later.  In order to create foods that taste good and will last on shelves for extended length of time is why we have most of the chemicals in our food, but others are so that they will look good or cause our body to crave them. It is interesting to go back even 70 years ago and look at food. It was just that food. It grew on plants and animals, we mixed it with other ingredients, cooked, fermented or canned it. Today, it is difficult to find a jar of pickles without food dye and at least two other chemicals. What happened to putting cucumbers in brine (water, salt and maybe herbs) and letting them ferment into pickles. Why do we need to color our pickles green? 

The FDA puts these ingredients on the GRAS (generally regarded as safe) list. This does not mean they have been thoroughly researched, as you would like to believe. It means that they have not seen any effects in certain populations, in certain amounts in a short window of time (usually 90 days or less). Like I said, our bodies are miraculously adaptable and 90 days is not enough time to determine safety for long term consumption.  Also, it means it certain quantities it is regarded as safe. Great, but if every ingredient in the sandwich you made for lunch has these ingredients, and the chips you ate with your sandwich and the beverage you drank all have these ingredients; is it still in the safety zone? Do you need to be concerned with what you had for breakfast, snacks and what you plan on eating for dinner as well? Maybe instead of freaking out about calories we should start counting chemicals and freaking out about that.

Food should be safe to eat. It should be simple. It should be food. One of my students mentioned eating "real food". What a crazy phrase, "real food"? When did our food become fake? When did fast food restaurants suddenly realize it was a good campaign (and idea) to now sell hot dogs with "real meat"? How did they get away with feeding my family poison for decades? Because we bought it with our eyes wide open and excited, but our brains were turned off. 

Let's take a moment and ask ourselves, why should I be happy that this loaf of bread lasted two weeks without going bad? Why should I be excited to buy 4 liters of pure poison for $4.00? When it comes to your food, quality, not quantity should matter. It doesn't mean the expensive food is necessarily better for you, it means know what is in your food, where did your food come from and how long has it been sitting around? Unfortunately, we can't just go into the local butcher and buy meat from the farmer's around town, we can't just go to farms and pick our produce like it used to be before factory farming and big grocery stores took over. But, we can do our research. WE can go to farmer's markets, we can go in with other families to purchase a cow or pig that will be grown by a trusted farmer and have it butchered properly. We can also go in with other families to grow gardens, may be you grown tomatoes and cucumbers while your neighbor grows watermelon and spinach. You don't have to grow everything, but try to grow your favorite things. Learn to can or ferment foods so that you can have them after the growing season. But most importantly, read our food labels, and choose what you purchase with an educated mind.  Every time you choose to go to a store or farmer's market you are voting, every time you choose food with less chemicals verses the synthetic food, you are voting. So, vote wisely my friends. Your health, your family and our planet depend on it.

Olive oil is known as one of the best ways to get healthy fats in your diet. Eventhough, we have spent decades directing the population away from saturated fats and towards unsaturated fats, our rates of heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes continue to increase. Why is this? Isn't olive oil supposed to be amazing for your heart?

Yes, olive oil is beneficial to health. However, there are certain qualities that matter in relation to oils in general that are often not added to the heart healthy conversation. It is not enough to just use olive oil, it needs to be the right type of olive oil.

Olive oil is a monounsaturated lipid. As with all oils it has the ability to become oxidized (which creates health damaging molecules in the body). Oils are sensitive to heat, light and air. The more exposure to these, the more oxidation. This oxidation of low density lipoproteins (a component of cholesterol in our body) is why heart disease is increasing.

When purchasing olive oil it needs to be in as dark of a container as possible. This will help keep damaging light exposure while it sits on the shelves of your grocery store. It is best to choose expeller pressed or cold pressed. These methods use less heat in the process of extracting oil from the olive. Also, purchase a size bottle equivalent to what you can use in a reasonable time period (1-2 months). If it is opened too often air exposure will begin oxidation.

When you get your olive oil home, it needs to be stored in a cool, dark place with a sealed lid. It's best to keep it in a pantry or cabinet away from heat (oven, microwave, etc) and light (sunlight or artificial). To protect it from excessive oxygen exposure, recap it when not in use and only keep a pour spout in a bottle that is smaller and used for short time period. For example, a small salad dressing container you put on the table at dinner.

As far as oils and health are concerned, olive oil, flaxseed oil, hemp oil and coconut oil are the best choices. It is best to stay away from polyunsaturated oils such as, corn oil, canola oil, safflower oil, cottenseed oil and sunflower oil. These oils tend to be from genetically modified crops (more on this to come, but for now - there isn't enough research on this method) and they oxidize more easily.

Olive oil is great, but which type you choose is also important. Don't worry, I stand in the oil isle holding bottles up to the light to see how opaque they are, too.

Happy oil hunting! Dr. A

As we enter into the beginning of a new year, many set goals or resolutions to make their lives better, to look better, feel better, enjoy more of life.  How many people decide, "this year I let go of ____________".  You fill in the blank. I let go of being withdrawn and choose to engage more in life. I let go of this dieting cycle and choose to eat the best, most nutritious foods that enhance my health. I let go creating drama in my life and choose to create love and support in my life. What if that is how we set up our resolutions or goals? What if we became more empowering for ourselves and responsible for the stories we create in our lives?

Maybe it's even bigger than that. Maybe you are holding on to a way of being because you are afraid of being different than you were raised because you don't know how your friends/family would treat you (accept you). Or you don't know who you would be if you let go of those beliefs and chose something that feels more true for you. Or maybe you just don't know how else to be - so you stay in your misery hoping someone will tell you how else to be.  Here is the thing, you are always supported and their is always love available for you. The first place to look is within yourself. 

You are incredibly powerful, your words, your thoughts, your feelings create your inner (body/health) and outer (world) environments.  You get to choose how to interact with this world. If something isn't going right for you in your life, look at yourself in the mirror and ask, "What do I need to change? What can I let go of now?"  Bullying yourself, bullying your way through life is exhausting.  Others will follow your lead in how you treat and view yourself; therefore the best thing you can do for your life right now is to be honest, vulnerable and in love with yourself. Then you give everyone else permission to be that way for themselves and to be that way with you.

When you actively chose to let go of something and open to other possibilities your life, your relationships and your health will change. How willing are you to be what feels good, right and true to you? What if it means letting go of some friends, a job, a relationship, etc?  Are you still willing?  I know that if you do that for yourself - whatever it takes I chose to be me - your life will change in ways you haven't even thought of yet. 

Maybe this year your resolution is to discover what being me is all about, how does being ME really feel and look? Here's to the BEST of YOU! You are amazing and powerful, live it up in FULL LOVE (for yourself first :) ).

Most people set new years resolutions to lose weight. Most fail after a few days, weeks or months. It isn't that they are necessarily weak, but it most likely due to the fact that they are addicted. When you hear the word "addiction" you most likely associate it with illegal drugs like cocaine and heroin or alcohol, but you rarely think of food.  People become addicted because certain chemicals attach to receptors in our brain that cause us to feel good, happy, free. When those chemicals are no longer present a withdrawal and craving begins. Scientists have discovered that many foods create the same receptors to light up in the brain leading to a brief euphoric feeling and when taken away (like on a diet) those cravings, withdrawal symptoms show up.  In order to feel better, you eat more and the cycle continues. 

If you have any digestive problems, skin rashes or strange bumps, acne, memory problems, fatigue, high blood sugar or high blood pressure, the way you look at food needs to change now. If you have been diagnosed with arthritis, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, migraine headaches, crohn's or irritable bowel syndrome, diabetes, or heart disease, your food lifestyle needs to change today. If you have family members with any of these diseases or disorders and you eat like they eat, your food needs to change.

I didn't say overweight or obese, because there are people, especially children and teenagers, that are fat on the inside and thin on the outside. They appear thin. like they can eat anything, however, the amount of visceral fat (fat in and around the organs) is in abundance. I will discuss this concept and the dangers of visceral fat in another blog.  Just remember, that a person may be able to eat a lot of food and not gain weight, but they may be undernourished, fat inside and sick.

The two tweaks for 2015 are eliminate grains and add in fermented foods. Normally, I would suggest just adding the good stuff in and eventually the "bad" stuff finds it's way out of the diet.  This time I'm going to recommend removing grains WHILE adding in healthy fats and fermented foods. Our country is sick, our world is sick and our food is our best chance at turning it around. I know some people may think grains do not affect them, so why eliminate them from the diet?  We are discovering that gluten and gliadin bind to receptors on  brain cells and can lead to the immune system attacking the body (auto-immune disorders). While you may not experience bloating, diarrhea, or constipation; you may be have symptoms of stiff, achy joints, irritability, headaches, allergies, asthma, skin rashes, acne, mood swings or fatigue. Some people are extra sensitive to gluten and would be best off eliminating all grains; others may only need to drastically decrease portions size, frequency of eating grains and eliminate gluten rich foods such as wheat, barley, rye, spelt, triticale and kamut.

Removing wheat from your diet will take some work at first because it is in everything. It most likely will require you to do more eating at home and preparing meals. It will also, cut back 350 - 400 calories per day and you will feel more energized and craving foods less. Once you discontinue eating wheat the cycle of addiction can cease and you will operate more smoothly each day. When we consume large quantities of grains and sugar our pancreas must release insulin to move the sugar out of the blood stream and into a storage space (adipose tissue).   Wheat increases your blood sugar more than a candy bar, therefore large amounts of insulin must be released into the diet.  The body is storing this as well as it can into visceral fat, which will cause a release of inflammatory cytokines (chemicals that stimulate immune response), and will increase the production of estrogen and prolactin.  This latter hormones help females with breast development and milk production, which is why men may experience "man boobs" from eating too many grains.  Wheat also has a morphine - like effect on the brain and acts as an appetite stimulant - yes, it makes you want food! 

So, maybe you only are concerned about the 20 extra pounds sitting around your midsection. These 20 extra pounds may have been here for years, fluctuating with each diet or killer exercise stent. Try to remove all grains from your diet (replace with raw nuts, seeds, olives, avocados, and vegetables) for four weeks.  Notice how you feel at the end of four weeks and how effortlessly the weight is dropping off. 

Next, add in fermented foods! Probiotics have gotten a lot of great press in the past few years, but we should really look to our food for help.  It's nice that the allopathic community is beginning to understand the importance of these good bacteria, however, pharmaceutical companies are trying to turn it into a drug as well - you have x disease you take x bacteria.  Unfortunately, our body is designed to work more globally than take this for that, it's take this and ALL THIS (good and not - so - good) happens. Our body has more microbiota growing in and on it than it does human cells; we are designed to work with these friendly bacteria. The fermentation process allows for bacteria (sometimes yeast) to breakdown foods enough to release beneficial enzymes and nutrients for our bodies.  Microbiota in our intestines actually produce some vitamins for us and make it easier for us to absorb other vitamins and minerals. It is beneficial to eat some pickles or fermented antipasta before your meal because the bacteria coat your digestive tract (helps fight off any pathogens in the food or utensils), and stimulates the release of digestive enzymes along with bringing healthy enzymes to the party. 

It is great to ferment your own vegetables, but if that is not for you here is some advice on what to buy already prepared. Read the label.  It should only contain the vegetable, water, salt and maybe some other seasonings (like dill, garlic, red pepper flakes). It should not contain perservatives, food coloring or things you cannot pronounce.  There are many types of fermented foods; kombucha, sauerkraut, pickled beets, kimchi, pickled eggs and beef, kefir, yogurts (full fat, no sugar (fruit, honey, sucrose, aspartame, etc added, live cultures) and much more. If you like fizzy drinks, but are removing those toxins from your food, try kombucha - it is fizzy, flavorful and adds good bacteria to your body. You do not have to drink an entire bottle, like you would a soda. 

If you are ready for some big changes to your health in 2015, here are some great ways to begin; remove the grains and add in fermented foods. You have nothing to lose (except weight, medical bills and pill alarm) and everything to gain (health, energy, vitality, youthful skin, and more) by making this tweak in your food lifestyle. Most of us set resolutions, so why not set one to try this for 4 - 6 weeks and notice the changes.  I recommend that you make a list of all the health complaints you made in 2014 - backaches, headaches, rash, anemia, low energy, low libido, depression, high blood pressure - then write down what you would like your health to be in 2015 - vibrant, full of energy, 30 pounds lighter, no allergies, glowing skin, thick hair (did I mention wheat has been linked to hair loss), etc.  After you experiment with this food change for 4-6 weeks notice how many of these symptoms disappeared and how many of your health wishes are coming true. Then, choose to stay with this lifestyle change or not. If you find yourself eating a wheat or grain product, pay attention to how you are feeling the next few days.  It may be as small as a stuffy sinuses to as big as full-body aches and depression. 

Healing from the Inside Out,
Dr. A

I have noticed that their are two definitions of yoga: 1. Yoke and 2. Union. How perfect is that for pregnancy?! I encourage everyone I meet to connect with their bodies so that they are aware of what is happening inside themselves throughout the day. This is a main principle of yoga and in prenatal yoga it allows you to create a deeper connection to the little one growing inside.  There are many other benefits of doing yoga during pregnancy, here are a few.

1. Focusing on breath, learning to breathe. Breath is important for all of us, however, focusing on our breath has some amazing benefits. During pregnancy, as baby grows it is easy to become short of breath, however, holding the breath can create a state of dis-harmony or illness in the body. Becoming aware of how you are breathing and being able to adapt that breath for full health is a great aspect of yoga. Also, different breathing techniques performed in yoga can be used during labor to help move through the contractions smoothly. It's important to remember to breathe, never hold your breath.

2. Strong Body. Being a mom takes strength; physically, emotionally and mentally. Yoga helps with all of these, but let's talk about the body. As you progress through trimesters there are noticeable differences in the body that create an opportunity for more props and modifications in your yoga practice, however, it also makes you stronger and adaptable! We know that exercise is important during pregnancy, yoga helps increase circulation, strengthen arms and legs and even helps to open up the hips in order to prepare for delivery. If you get too hot during a session (do not do hot yoga during pregnancy), you may try to breathe through the mouth, move into a resting pose for a bit or just sit comfortably and sip on some water.

3. Pain Relief. Yoga can assist in alleviating low back pain, leg pain, neck pain and even wrist pain associated with carpal tunnel syndrome that sometimes occurs with pregnancy. By moving the body with the breath, noticing what is happening inside and allowing it to leave the body through the practice of yoga allows for increased circulation, strong and flexible muscles. Awesome! 

While there are many benefits to yoga during pregnancy, it is also important to find an instructor you trust and who has an understanding of pregnancy, the human body and yoga modifications. It is a good idea to consult with your pregnancy care provider before attending a yoga class. It is ideal to attend a prenatal yoga class over a "one size fits all" type of class.  I also find it important to remind women, that they know their bodies better than anyone else. Respect your body, if you need to stop during a class, stop. If you feel that a pose is not ideal for you, don't do it. The time is always right to just sit quietly and connect with your baby and your breath, so do that if that is what you feel.

Blessings on your journey - enjoy every moment!

Yoga is a practice for life off the mat. There are many lessons learned on the yoga mat, if you are present, aware and noticing what is happening in the body while doing yoga. Being present is one of the most amazing lessons and it carries with you in everything you do, if you let it. 

I know many "do" yoga for the exercise or stretching - physical aspects, however, I invite you to engage your mental and emotional aspects the next time you "do" yoga.  Begin with those first few breaths, really use them to drop everything from your mind.  You don't need to think about your shopping list, or the grade you (or your child) made on their test, or what a disaster your house will be in when you get home.  For the next hour, all you need to focus on is YOU. 

As you move into the poses, allow yourself time to get there and just feel it. What is going on in the body, in the mind?  Hopefully, the mind is quiet and you are fully engaged in the body. Yes, physically adjust the body and then breathe and check in fingers to toes; ask What am I feeling and Where do I feel it?  The poses open up different energy centers in the body, allowing for awareness in each of those centers can clue you in to the state of your system. Notice the breath, are you holding it, it is rapid, is it smooth and even? 

Let's pretend you are in Warrior Two - hips are open, shoulders are open, head is turned, arms are reaching out. What are you feeling in the body right now? This question allows you to be present and more connected to yourself. Maybe your throat feels tight or you feel squished down. That's great because you are now aware and you can begin to transform, inside and out. As you firmly press your feet through the floor and allow the heart to float to the sky, lengthening the torso; feel it in the body, feel how it shifts. Maybe now you feel strong and powerful. Why? Because you opened up that personal power center in your core and you grounded into the earth. If the throat feels constricted, I invite you to bring your breath there, really make a sound in the throat as you exhale; squeeze the throat on the exhale and relax on the inhale. 

Now, in this same pose, where is your breath? When you first get into it maybe the breath is stuck in the belly or the throat. As you hold the asana, do you hold your breath or does it become rapid and jagged?  We want to flow with the breath, use the breath to allow a further opening into the pose. So, once you physically have opened up the core and throat begin to focus more on the breath. Breathe up from the earth to the heart and exhale from the heart out of the head. Feel the lengthening in the body and the calmness of the mind and muscles as you do this.

Hopefully, yoga doesn't end for you when you get off the mat. These same practices you did in Warrior II can easily be translated into your life. In that moment on the mat, you allowed yourself to be present with the body and breath, creating calmness and strength in the mind and body. Let's say you get home and the house is a mess. First, take a moment to notice what you are feeling and where you are feeling it. Secondly, what is happening with the breath right now? Now, breathe through the body up and down until the breath becomes smooth, even and flowing throughout the entire system. Then, decide what to do and choose to go about it happily (or not).

Once you begin to be present in each moment, the world takes on a different color, smell and feel. You notice the squirrels playing in your backyard and you enjoy it. The spilling of juice on the floor isn't such a big deal, washing dishes in the sink becomes an enjoyable meditation. So, if you notice your mind wondering, your stomach hurting, your list growing, just take a moment to check in with your body and breath. Then breathe and know it is all perfect, right now.

One of my favorite things about yoga is how I get to notice the small changes in my body, until eventually I realize the big change. Yoga is a way to fully connect your mind, body and soul.  Most yoga teachers take the first few moments of the class to connect to the body and quiet the mind through breath work. These are some of the most important and enjoyable parts of the practice. Take that time to feel your breath move through the body. Are there areas where it gets "stuck"? Relax those areas as you allow the inhale to bring air and create space in the tissue. Then, as you exhale, see that area of tension leave the body with the breath. Allow the breathing to flow through the entire body, to release any tension or tightness and to clear the mind of the days events in order to spend the next hour focusing on you.
Take each pose to really feel what your body is experiencing in each pose. See how much you can open up the body, creates space between the joints, the top of the head and the tailbone. When you experience pain or tension or fatigue, go back to the breath. Slowly inhale for a count of four and slowly exhale for a count of four, allowing the area to open and release. Celebrate the victory of breathing, opening and allowing yourself to be present in the asana (pose). 
The final pose, savasana, is also of importance and one which many people dislike. This "corpse pose" is meant to be a moment of silence and stillness to soak up all the awesome stuff you just did. It is a great time to do a short meditation or to silently express gratitude for yourSelf. The first part, just laying quietly, relax every joint of the body. It's as simple as starting at the feet and telling them to relax and working all the way up to the jaw, the forehead and the scalp. The second part, is re-awakening, take this time to gently roll to your left and take of few breaths of gratitude before you resume sitting. This is important for grounding the body and allowing the blood to flow freely through its path.
I am always amazed at how much deeper you can get into a pose, how it calms the mind and how it carries over into all areas of my life. My health, attitude, outlook, sleep and awareness have improved and continues to improve with every minute of yoga I allow for mySelf. 

One of my favorite things about practicing yoga asanas (poses) is the connection I have with my body. When I begin to move into a pose I begin by getting "set-up" anatomically correct. Are my arms straight, are my legs active, is my core engaged, where are my knees, how is my neck, etc. Then I stop and breathe. I this moment I get to feel my body and notice all the strength and flexibility.  Sometimes, I notice that I can't get as far into the pose as I did a few days ago.  I notice it, but let it go and continue to relax into the pose and breathe.  As I stay in the asana, connected to my breath and my body, I begin to feel my body shift.  If I'm twisting, I feel my body naturally twist more.  If I'm balancing, I feel a lifting sensation.  It is completely letting go, connecting and allowing the body to move.  There is nothing forceful about it.

I've noticed many students try to do all the poses no matter what modification you give them, they try to force themselves into the full asana. It is important to understand that yoga is more than the physical workout most people look for in the USA. Yes, it is a fantastic workout, but it can be so much more.  There are numerous reports of people "curing" their depression, infertility, insomnia, anxiety, etc through yoga.  Those are "cured" by reconnecting to the body, by using the breath and being still.  I find it funny, how few people can lie still in the final pose, the "corpse pose".  I read a piece of Tibetan literature that stated people can not be still because they have a fear of death. But death is not to be feared and much is to be gained from being still.  When you can be still and quiet in the mind and body, there are so many things you can learn about yourself. 

So, the next time you "do" yoga, relax into the asanas.  If it feels good and you want to stay there longer than the instructor gives you, do it, it's your practice. Also, let yourself go in the final pose. Savasana is about being like a corpse, so give it all you've got! Someone will wake you if you fall asleep, it's okay and it does happen.  You just did a fantastic job of being a corpse.
Namaste