Friday, 30 September 2016

The state of women in the workforce, loopholes in London’s alternative stock market, and Mission 2020

As usual, the TED community has lots of news to share this week. Below, some highlights.

Why there are still so few women at the top. Leanin.org, the organization created by Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg to help empower women, released its second annual Women in the Workplace report. The news is not good: Women have less access to senior leadership (even though sponsorship by senior leaders is seen as critical to career advancement); women negotiate as often as men for a promotion or increased compensation but receive more pushback; and women are less likely than men to receive feedback when they ask for it. Conducted with the consulting firm McKinsey & Company, the report is based on pipeline data and a survey of HR practices from 132 companies, employing a combined total of 4.6 million Americans, as well as the responses of 34,000 employees to a survey on gender, job satisfaction, ambition and work-life issues. (Watch Sheryl’s TED Talk)

womenintheworkplace2016_2_line_roles

How anonymous companies find loopholes in London’s alternative stock market. London’s Alternative Investment Market (AIM) is known for loose regulations and brokers with conflicts of interest — which means that suspicious companies sometimes slip by. On BBC Radio’s “File on 4,” small shareholders explained how they lost money on AIM after investing in foreign companies that then de-listed and disappeared. What’s worse is that many of these companies are closer to home than investors realize. One example: British cricketer Phil Edmonds’ company, Sable Mining. Global Witness, the watchdog organization started by TED Prize winner Charmian Gooch, investigated Sable Mining, and uncovered anonymous offshore accounts, bribes to Liberian officials and shady business practices. Global Witness warns that self-regulated markets like AIM allow companies like Sable Mining to hurt small shareholders and businesses. According to Global Witness, anonymous companies should raise flags for everyone, including AIM, and stricter regulations should be put in place to protect investments. (Watch Charmian’s TED Prize Talk)

A new definition of ‘better off.’ “We live in tenuous times. In fact, for the first time in American history, the majority of parents do not think that their kids will be better off than they were. This is true of rich and poor, men and women,” says Courtney Martin in her talk at TED2016. But rather than a doomsday message, Martin’s is a call to reimagine. In her TED talk and her new book The New Better Off, released on September 13, Martin asks readers to redefine “better off” and imagine a new American Dream, one that reevaluates how we think we should live, work, celebrate, and mourn. (Watch Courtney’s TED Talk and read an excerpt from the book on our Ideas blog)

New insight on CRISPR enzyme C2c2. Scientists have known about CRISPR enzyme C2c2 for a few months, but research published in Nature by Jennifer Doudna and colleagues has added a new layer to our understanding of the system, which targets RNA instead of DNA. While it was previously thought that C2c2 had only one RNA cleaving function, the researchers showed that it actually has two. One allows C2c2 to cut its RNA target and the other allows it to process its guiding CRISPR RNA. (Watch Jennifer’s TED Talk)

The race to 2020. While Christiana Figueres is no longer Executive-Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, it doesn’t mean that her fight to save the planet is over. Figueres is now at the helm of Mission 2020, a collaborative venture with the ambitious aim to surpass the goals of the Paris climate agreement and bring global emissions into decline by 2020. The group will work with stakeholders to unite the public and private sector in order to deliver a net-zero emissions pathway. (Watch Christiana’s TED Talk)

Have a news item to share? Write us at contact@ted.com and you may see it included in this weekly round-up.

from TED Blog http://blog.ted.com/the-state-of-women-in-the-workforce-loopholes-in-londons-alternative-stock-market-and-mission-2020/
via Sol Danmeri

Maple Mustard Tempeh Buddha Bowl

4 Important Himalayan Salt Lamp Benefits For Your Home

Himalayan Salt Lamp Benefits for Clean Air and Reduced Allergies

There are few things in life as soothing and relaxing as the warm glow of a campfire, and Himalayan salt lamps offer this same ambiance at home.

I’ve talked before about how I use them to help purify indoor air and for their soothing red glow. We use these lamps so often that I figured they deserved their own post.

What is a Himalayan Salt Lamp?

Salt lamps or HPS (Himalayan Pink Salt) lamps are essentially large pieces of pure Himalayan Salt with a small bulb inside. They can be solid pieces of salt (like this one) or decorative baskets filled with large crystals of salt (like these). The offer a nice warm glow when lit and may be beneficial for indoor air quality.

Himalayan salt lamps are made from pure, food grade, himalayan salt crystals and can even be powdered to use as salt in recipes if needed. These beautiful lamps have gained massive popularity lately and there are many benefits attributed to them.

But are these benefits actually backed by science?

Read on to find out:

Do Salt Lamps Really Generate Negative Ions?

the-truth-about-himalayan-salt-lamps Many sources claim that salt lamps are natural negative ion generators, though there are some important points to understand:

What are negative ions?

At any given time, there are both positive and negative ions in the air. As a flashback to freshman science:

“An ion is an atom or molecule in which the total number of electrons is not equal to the total number of protons, giving the atom a net positive or negative electrical charge.”

Positively charged ions are also known as cations, while negatively charged ions are anions. The positive or negative charge makes ions able to move and bond easily.

Negative Ions in Nature

Negative ions occur more often in nature and they are often created by things like lightening storms, sunlight, waterfalls, and ocean waves. Running water is considered nature’s greatest source of negative ions and may be one of the things that contributes to the refreshing scent of waterfalls and the beach. In fact, this is one of the reasons people often report feeling renewed or refreshed after a storm or at the beach.

WebMD explains some of the benefits of negative ions in the air:

Generally speaking, negative ions increase the flow of oxygen to the brain; resulting in higher alertness, decreased drowsiness, and more mental energy,” says Pierce J. Howard, PhD, author of The Owners Manual for the Brain: Everyday Applications from Mind Brain Research and director of research at the Center for Applied Cognitive Sciences in Charlotte, N.C.

“They also may protect against germs in the air, resulting in decreased irritation due to inhaling various particles that make you sneeze, cough, or have a throat irritation.”

And for a whopping one in three of us who are sensitive to their effects, negative ions can make us feel like we are walking on air. You are one of them if you feel instantly refreshed the moment you open a window and breathe in fresh, humid air.

Places like waterfalls and beaches where negative ions are naturally produced can have a negative ion concentration of up to 10,000 negative ions per cubic centimeter whereas busy cities can have negative ion levels as low as 100 ions per cubic centimeter.

Do Salt Lamps Generate Negative Ions?

Short answer: Yes. But not in large amounts.

Spending time in nature, especially around water, is definitely the best way to get exposure to negative ions, but salt lamps do generate small amounts, especially when used consistently over time.

Since positive ions are often created by electronic devices like computers, TVs, microwaves, and even vacuum cleaners and can often exacerbate problems like allergies, stress and sleep trouble. Negative ions can neutralize positive ions (they bond together) and help cleanse the air. Additionally, salt lamps offer a soothing glow that many people find relaxing.

We don’t use salt lamps strictly as a negative ion generator, but keep them around the house, especially near electronics. If negative ions are the goal, using a negative ion generator would be a much more concentrated source.

But, Salt Lamps ARE Hygroscopic

Salt, by its nature, is hygroscopic, meaning that it attracts water to its surface and this water evaporates quickly due to the small amount of heat from the light source (this is also why salt lamps tend to sweat and appear wet in humid climates).

Small amounts of water vapor is present in the air and can carry things like mold, bacteria, and allergens. Salt lamps attrat this water vapor and the things it carries to its surface and removes them from the air. This is one of the main benefits of salt lamps, and one of the reasons we have them in most rooms of our house.

The Benefits of Salt Lamps

Salt lamps may not be the negative ion generation panacea they are made out to be, but we will have them in many rooms of our house for other reasons:

1. Great Night Light and Low-Light Lamp

Research has shown that different colors of light affect the body in different ways. My own doctor recommends avoiding blue light after sunset because it can interfere with circadian rhythm and disrupt sleep hormones.

Unfortunately, many modern light sources like cell phones, tablets, computers and TVs emit a lot of blue light and many of us spend a lot of time staring at these, especially in the evening.

Salt lamps, on the other hand, offer a warm orange glow, similar to the hues found in a campfire or by candlelight. For this reason, they are a great light source for the evening and can even be used as a night light without negatively affecting sleep.

I often wear orange sunglasses at night if I’ll be on the computer or watching a movie to avoid blue light and we use mostly salt lamps and other low and orange lights after dark.

2. May Improve Air Quality

Salt lamps are not a spectacular source of negative ions. However, due to their hygroscopic properties, they may improve the air in other ways. Besides offering a soothing glow, they can attract pollutants in the air and even help neutralize the effects of electronics.

3. Light and Color Therapy Benefits

These soothing lamps may also help boost mood and energy levels, especially for those with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). The soft orange hues are one of the soothing colors often used to calm mood and increase focus. The small amounts of negative ions may also be helpful in boosting mood as well.

4. Soothing for Allergies

My brother in law has struggled with asthma and allergies for much of his life and he found relief from using a Himalayan salt inhaler. Others notice a difference from having salt lamps in their homes or offices.

How To Choose a High Quality Salt Lamp

It is possible to buy machines that create negative ions, but I’ve found that salt lamps are a less expensive alternative and offer other benefits as well.

We have salt lamps in most rooms in our home and enjoy them in winter months when it isn’t possible to have the windows open or to spend as much time outside. We now have a solid salt lamp or a basket lamp in each room of our home and I love them for their ambient glow and orange color.

Salt lamps cost less than many other types of lamps, and a high quality one can last for decades.

If you are interested in adding a salt lamp to your home, choose ones with these features for best quality:

Orange Color– Darker colored lamps are typically considered higher quality. Lamps should specify that they are 100% Himalayan salt, as cheap imitations may use lower quality salt.
Size– The bigger the salt lamp, the bigger the affect. Smaller lamps weight 5-6 pounds while larger ones can weigh up to 50. A good general rule is that 1 pound of salt will filter approximately a 4×4 area of a room. Smaller lamps are typically much less expensive, so we keep 1-2 in smaller rooms and 2-3 in larger rooms of our home.
Rough Surface– The surface area of a salt lamp determines its hygroscopic potential. Rougher lamps have a higher surface area than smooth and polished lamps and are more effective at improving air quality. In my opinion, they also look better and are a great decoration for most rooms.
Bulb– The hygroscopic benefits are due to the salt and heat together so it is important to use a heat-producing bulb. LED bulbs don’t accomplish this. I use these inexpensive bulbs.

HPS Lamps: Bottom Line

Salt lamps aren’t a panacea and they don’t take the place of an air filter. They don’t create large amounts of negative ions like you’ll find in nature, especially around water. If negative ions are the goal, taking a hike or a swim in nature is a much more efficient way to get them.

Salt lamps ARE a beautiful light source that may offer benefits of color therapy, by cleaning the air hygroscopically and in alleviating allergies. They are an inexpensive no-blue light source to use after dark and as a sleep-friendly night light for kids.

At the end of the day, they aren’t going to fix any health problems on their own or drastically improve indoor air quality. They are, however, a beautiful and eco-friendly light source that produces a healthy spectrum of light. If you are choosing lamps for your home, they are a great option to consider.

himalayan-salt-lamp-benefits-and-practical-uses

FOR THE LOVE OF FOOD: Skipping workouts decreases brain circulation, FDA considers what’s “healthy,” and nuts have fewer calories

For the Love of Food

Welcome to Friday’s For The Love of Food, Summer Tomato’s weekly link roundup.

This week skipping workouts decreases brain circulation, the FDA considers what’s “healthy,” and nuts have fewer calories than thought.

Too busy to read them all? Try this awesome free speed reading app to read at 300+ wpm. So neat!

I also share links on Twitter @summertomato and the Summer Tomato Facebook page. I’m very active on all these sites and would love to connect with you.

Links of the week

Not All Who Wear Fitness Trackers Are Lost <<I mentioned last week that I thought psychological factors were likely behind the finding that activity trackers didn’t seem to be correlated with weight loss (in fact, they were associated with slight weight gain). Apparently James Hamblin over at The Atlantic agrees.
Get Your Children Good and Dirty <<Shockingly thorough review of the importance of living in harmony with the bacteria in our environment. Definitely worth a read, even if you don’t have kids. (WSJ)
Brain Benefits of Exercise Diminish After Short Rest <<Fascinating new research on how your brain circulation changes when you stop exercising, once you’re in the habit. Maybe this is why I go nuts if I go more than a few days without a workout. (NY Times)
Meditation takes many forms. Quietly ponder these insights <<I especially appreciate tips #3 and #4. (LA Times)
What does “healthy” mean (on food labels)? <<In case you’re wondering about the process by which food companies are allowed to get the FDA to approve their marketing efforts. The FDA is taking input on the word “healthy,” but only for processed foods. #smh (Food Politics)
Which is worse: Glucose or fructose? <<Depends on your goals, but eating less sugar is always a good idea. (Nutrition Over Easy)
The Better, Faster Way to Freeze and Defrost Your Foods <<The package you use matters way more than I realized. (Serious Eats)
WALNUTS GET A CALORIE CUT <<This should be bigger news. Turns out the 19th century method for determining the calories of common foods wasn’t super accurate. I have a feeling this is why it seems like I can eat so many more calories of real foods compared to processed foods. (Dr. Weil)
Organic Milk Will Wait and Wait for You <<I didn’t know that organic milk is pasteurized differently than conventional. Super interesting. (NY Times)
indian-spiced cauliflower soup <<I made this last night and it was delish. I used chicken broth instead of water for extra flavor. (smitten kitchen)

What inspired you this week?

from Summer Tomato http://summertomato.com/for-the-love-of-food-skipping-workouts-decreases-brain-circulation-fda-considers-whats-healthy-and-nuts-have-fewer-calories
via Holistic Clients

Naked Spinach Quinoa Lasagna Casserole

Try this lightened spinach quinoa lasagna casserole for a no-hassle, protein-packed dinner that’s sans gluten and filled with so much flavor! Can we talk about stress for a minute? Holy man am I feeling it right now. I’m feeling it in my work, in my skin, in my sleep, in my eating…basically in every single crumb...

The post Naked Spinach Quinoa Lasagna Casserole appeared first on Fit Foodie Finds.

from Fit Foodie Finds http://fitfoodiefinds.com/2016/09/naked-spinach-quinoa-lasagna-casserole/
via Holistic Clients

Thursday, 29 September 2016

Vegan Pumpkin Pie Protein Pudding

Yep, another pumpkin recipe! This time it’s a vegan pumpkin pie protein pudding that can be ready in about 2 minutes. This quick breakfast, snack or dessert falls somewhere between a smoothie bowl, creamy pudding and soft serve ice cream. I went with calling it pudding but it could be any of the three, either... Read More » The post Vegan Pumpkin Pie Protein Pudding appeared first on Running on Real Food.

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from Running on Real Food http://runningonrealfood.com/vegan-pumpkin-pie-protein-pudding/
via Enlightened Marketing

Surviving a Kitchen Remodel – What Do You Eat!?

I’m nearly 3 weeks into surviving a 6-7 week kitchen remodel. And there’s also the minor detail that we had a baby 3 weeks ago today. #nbd When I told people about this grand timing, I got a lot of looks. It wasn’t by choice, however. “THE” contractor we want on the job is finishing up his last few kitchens before retiring and so it was now…or not with him. We chose him.

I’ll update soon on what the kitchen actually looks like because as I type, cabinets are being installed and things are really beginning to come together. Oh, and did I mention things are running on time and even AHEAD of schedule? Wait, brb. I gotta go knock on some wood.

Okay, I’m back. But in all seriousness, the cabinets were slated to arrive today and installation to begin Monday. From the sounds of it, they could be nearly all installed by Monday. Pinch me. We’re not in the home stretch just yet, but “surviving” this kitchen remodel has been quite doable. Not ideal, but doable. I think being on maternity leave has actually been helpful in a sense – I’m here to field contractor questions, and I’ve got time to think and plan what we’re eating and when…and to do the prep without the chaos of work and the daily grind added in. But let me be clear that there is nothing fun or convenient about doing dishes in the laundry room. Or the banging and pounding.

Mmmkay, let’s get to it. What the heck have we been eating? Nothing glamorous, but we’re making due just fine. Hopefully this post gives some ideas.

First, what are we working with as far as a “kitchen”? See below.

make-shift-kitchen

We’ve set-up our “kitchen” in our formal dining. Our fridge is located in our formal living room (which is also where all my kitchen contents are, piled in boxes and Tupperware). I borrowed 2 card tables from a friend, as well as a microwave from a friend (ours was built-in). On top of the microwave, you can see we have some pieces of wood and on top of the wood is the toaster oven. We’ve got hot pads, salt and pepper, and olive oil off to the side of the microwave (can’t see it pictured).

In the upper right picture (above), you can see the second card table which has our sippy cups, blender, paper towels, and a large bin of pre-portioned snacks/lunch items for Shea to take to daycare (we supply lunch). On the wine fridge in the corner, you can see we have our knife block and the large utensil caddy. We’ve also started keeping wet wipes for cleaning hands of little ones and for easier clean-up ourselves.

In the bottom right picture (above), you can see our utensil tray is on the table, as well as a fruit bowl and some other random food. In the back, you can see the storage tower that we purchased for non-perishables, as well as paper products, baggies/foil/parchment, bibs, and our last piece of “cooking equipment” – an electric griddle.

As it ends up, no two pieces of equipment can be running at once. This gets trickiest with the microwave and toaster oven, so timing can take some creativity.

If you’re curious, here’s what the living room looks like with all the boxes..

living-room

Alright, what have we been eating?

breakfast

Breakfast:

Smoothies (yes, made on the floor so the toddler can help!)
Oatmeal made in the microwave (old fashioned oats + unsweetened almond milk + a pinch of raw sugar + cranberries + unsweetened coconut – yum!)
“Mommy juice” (coffee) in a solo cup – I’ve taken to buying the Starbucks iced coffee from the grocery store so I could eliminate the hassle of a coffee pot
Banana “sushi” – whole wheat tortilla with almond butter/peanut butter and banana…roll-up and slice
Breakfast items like breakfast cookies or muffins from the freezer
Zucchini bread (generously dropped off by my coworker)
Al Fresco chicken sausages
Bagels or toast with butter or apple/pumpkin butter
Fruit (I’ve taken to buying it pre-cut to make dishes all the less)
Cottage cheese
Eggs and hash browns on the electric griddle
Yogurt

lunch-dinner

Lunch and Dinner:

Burgers on the grill
Grilled pizzas on naan
Fajitas on the grill
Pasta made in the microwave – cover with several inches of water in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave according to package directions for boiling, plus several minutes more (check often for desired doneness) with jarred sauce or pesto (jarred or homemade defrosted from the freezer)
Sandwiches – duh
Pre-cooked nitrate-free chicken sausages (such as Al Fresco brand) with sweet potato coins (thinly slice sweet potato and toss in a large ziplock with EVOO, s&p, and cinnamon…arrange in a single layer on parchment and bake for 30 minutes at 350-400 F in the toaster oven)
Quesadillas on the electric griddle – add apple to the quesadilla for some added nutrition and flavor!
Pancakes on the electric griddle
Eggs and hash browns (can you tell we like breakfast for dinner…?)
Salad – add pasta and rotisserie chicken to make it more substantial
Grilled cheese or turkey and cheese with soup (microwave a canned variety)

As you can see, we’re most definitely not starving. And truly, we’re getting along just fine. Yes, a little more creatively and less nutritiously than our norm, but that’s okay. It’s making me all the more anxious for our finished kitchen and one of my toughest decisions to make is simply what will I make first in my new kitchen?! Such a problem to have, I know

That’s all for now!

Be well,

sig4

from Prevention RD http://preventionrd.com/2016/09/surviving-a-kitchen-remodel-what-do-you-eat/
via Heart Based Marketing

Cauliflower Mac n’ Chicken Casserole

This recipe makes healthy comfort food a real thing! Make this Cauliflower Mac n’ Chicken Casserole with ancient grain pasta for the most epic meal the entire family will love! Are you sick of casseroles yet? I am too…NOT. Clearly I am casserole obsessed because I make though year round and in all shapes and sizes....

The post Cauliflower Mac n’ Chicken Casserole appeared first on Fit Foodie Finds.

from Fit Foodie Finds http://fitfoodiefinds.com/2016/09/cauliflower-mac-n-chicken-casserole/
via Holistic Clients

Wednesday, 28 September 2016

How To Meditate: Making Friends With Your Monkey Mind Not As Hard As It Sounds

“Just giving [a] banana doesn’t work.” – Mingyur Rinpoche Meditation is intimidating to a lot of people, and likely the reason many don’t even attempt it. How can I possibly STILL my mind and think of NOTHING? But, hey sad eyes, don’t get discouraged. Here’s the trick, you don’t have to! We’ve seen and heard […]

from YogaDork http://yogadork.com/2016/09/28/how-to-meditate-making-friends-with-your-monkey-mind-not-as-hard-as-it-sounds/
via SEO Totnes

The Microbiota and Bone Health: Yet Another Reason to Protect Your Gut

bone health

The trillions of bacteria that inhabit our gastrointestinal tract play an intricate and increasingly appreciated role in human health. Deemed by some as the “forgotten organ” (1), new connections between these microorganisms and our physiology are being discovered all the time. In recent months, I’ve written extensively about these connections. Check out my other blog articles to learn more about the influence of microbes on your health:

Next up in the series, and yet another reason to protect your gut microbes: bone health! Before we dive in, let’s review a few fundamentals of bone physiology and how we determine bone health.

Bone health: The basics

Bone is not a static structure and is constantly being remodeled. Mature bone tissue is regularly removed from the skeleton by cells called osteoclasts (a process called resorption), and new bone tissue is formed by cells called osteoblasts (a process called ossification). Remodeling helps to reshape bone following fractures and also responds to mechanical loads like exercise (2). An imbalance in bone resorption and formation can result in bone diseases like osteoporosis and arthritis (3). There are numerous measures of bone health. In humans, researchers often use a DEXA scan to determine bone mineral density. In rodent models, scientists can also measure bone mass, length, volume, and mineral composition to get a more complete assessment of bone structure. In general, higher bone mineral density is associated with reduced risk of fracture and bone disease. However, increased bone mineral density, bone mass, and bone length do not always suggest better bone health (4).

Three ways your gut microbes can support healthy bones.

The association between gut microbes and bone

One of the key ways that researchers study the effects of the microbiota on an organ system is using mice that don’t have one at all. Called “germ-free” (GF), these mice are born and raised in sterile incubators. Studies of skeletal health in GF mice have found mixed results. In one type of mice, GF mice had reduced bone mass compared with conventionally raised animals, which have a full consortium of microbes (5). In another type of mouse, the GF environment resulted in increased bone mass, while the conventional environment increased measures of bone turnover (6). Although it is difficult to reconcile these contradictory findings, the key feature of both studies was that the mere presence or absence of a microbiota significantly changed the structure of the bone. Antibiotic models provide further evidence for an association between gut microbes and bone, and the results are much more translational to humans. One study found that exposing mice to subtherapeutic doses of antibiotics at weaning resulted in a significant increase in bone mineral density after three weeks (7). Another study found that animals treated with tylosin, amoxicillin, or a mixture of both had larger bones and a higher bone mineral content than control mice (8). Low-dose antibiotics have long been used in the agricultural industry in animal feed for this very reason; they influence skeletal growth and make for larger, more profitable livestock.

Bone disease is partly heritable and associated with GI disorders

All that nitty-gritty science in animal models is great, but what about humans? Is there evidence of a gut–bone connection in humans? Epidemiological evidence and observational studies suggest that there is. In adult humans, bone mineral density is 50 to 80 percent heritable (9). For quite some time, heritable traits were thought to be only passed on from parent to offspring through DNA. We now know that vertical transmission of microbes occurs at birth—as a baby passes through the mother’s birth canal, he or she acquires crucial microbes that shape the composition of their gut microbiota (5). It’s possible that in addition to the heritable traits encoded by our own genetics, additional determinants of our bone health are acquired based on our microbial inheritance. Bone complications are often seen in individuals with GI disorders. Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have an increased risk of osteopenia, osteoporosis, and bone fracture. This has been attributed to malabsorption of calcium, reduced blood levels of vitamin D and K, or bone loss after glucocorticoid treatment (10). Gut and systemic inflammation are also associated with increased production of cytokines that are key contributors to bone loss (11). We’ll discuss this in detail in the next two sections.

Leaky gut and bone health

If you’re an avid reader of my blog, you might be thinking: leaky gut, again? Yep. When the intestinal barrier becomes compromised, microbes or parts of microbes can translocate from the gut lumen to the bloodstream. Your immune system recognizes these bacterial components in the bloodstream and launches a systemic immune response. Indeed, studies have found a strong association between microbial translocation and joint pathologies like rheumatoid arthritis (12, 13). The most common of the bacterial components include peptidoglycan, lipopolysaccharide, and flagellin. These stimulate various “toll-like” receptors (TLRs) on innate immune cells: peptidoglycan is the primary component of bacterial cell walls and stimulates TLR2; lipopolysaccharide is located in the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria and stimulates TLR4; and flagellin is the main protein that makes up the filamentous “tail” of bacteria and stimulates TLR5 (14, 15, 16). Stimulation of innate immune receptors has effects throughout the body, which is why a leaky gut can manifest as a number of different chronic health conditions. In regard to bone health, stimulation of innate immune cells has a direct effect on bone remodeling.

Microbes shape the systemic and mucosal immune system to influence bone remodeling

The microbiota plays a key role in the initial development of the immune system as a child and the maintenance of proper immune responses later in life. This represents yet another pathway by which microbes are connected to bone health, as the immune system is intricately involved in the regulation of bone metabolism and physiology. Immune cells that are activated by microbes in the gut can migrate to bone and directly regulate bone remodeling via osteoclast-inducing factor, RANKL, and other bone-active molecules (17). Increased levels of activated innate immune cells have been shown to increase expression of the signaling molecule TNFα in bone marrow. TNFα stimulates stems cells in the bone marrow to differentiate into osteoclasts. This tips the normal balance of bone resorption and formation, resulting in higher levels of bone breakdown and lower bone density (18, 19)

Gut microbes regulate the availability of nutrients important for bone health

Healthy bones require a multitude of nutrients, including calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D, vitamin K2, vitamin A, and magnesium. Recent research has also suggested a role of several B vitamins and even vitamins C and E in bone health (20). Animals raised on a nutrient-depleted diet have reduced bone length (21). Disruption of the microbiota can significantly alter nutrient absorption. Gut dysbiosis has been shown to increase the number of calories absorbed from food (22, 23). Yet it can also result in inflammation of the gut epithelium, the location of nutrient transporters that allow for the absorption of vitamins and minerals. This paradoxically results in individuals that are both overweight and malnourished (24). In addition to influencing absorption and metabolism, microbes themselves also synthesize some of our vitamins. These include thiamin (B1), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), biotin (B7), folate, tetrahydrofolate, pyridoxal phosphate, and vitamin K2 (25, 26).

Protect your microbes to support healthy bones

While there are certainly many factors that influence bone health, including genetics, diet, mechanical loading, and other environmental factors, gut health seems to play a crucial role. Below I have compiled a list of ways to support a healthy gut flora and how each might improve bone health.

Probiotics. Eat your fermented foods! Adult male mice treated with Lactobacilli for four weeks showed increased femoral bone volume, increased bone formation, and a reduction in circulating pro-inflammatory cytokine expression (27). Lactobacilli were also shown to prevent bone loss in a model of type 1 diabetes (28). You can find Lactobacilli in sauerkraut, kimchi, and other fermented vegetables.

Prebiotics. Prebiotic fibers in dandelion greens, plantains, and other foods promote the growth of beneficial bacteria. Prebiotics have been shown to have a beneficial role in mineral metabolism, enhancing calcium absorption in both rodents and humans (29, 30). This enhanced absorption translates to increased bone density (31). While different fibers have different effects, a study testing eight different prebiotic fibers in young rats showed that most prebiotic fibers had significant effects on bone density measures (32).

Bone broth. Bone broth supports a healthy gut lining and a healthy microbial community. Homemade broth also provides all of the necessary vitamins and minerals for building bone, as well as the proteins collagen and glucosamine for healthy joints and cartilage.

Now I’d love to hear your thoughts. Did you know about the gut–bone connection? Do you or someone you know suffer from osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, or another bone disorder? Let us know in the comments!

from Chris Kresser http://chriskresser.com/the-microbiota-and-bone-health-yet-another-reason-to-protect-your-gut/
via Holistic Clients

Why I Stopped Running Marathons for Good

Photo by Juanedc

By summer 2005 I had two marathons under my belt, San Francisco and Big Sur. The Big Sur race I finished in April was especially difficult with a couple of notoriously killer hills, but I finished with a respectable time of 4:14:33.

I had been training for long runs for nearly two years in SF and was feeling pretty confident, particularly about my speed on relatively flat courses. So I got this brilliant idea that I should try to qualify for the Boston Marathon.

Back then, to be able to run in the Boston Marathon you had to first finish a race in under 3:40:00 for my age bracket (today it’s 3:35:00 for the same group––one I no longer belong to, alas). So qualifying for Boston would have been a big deal for me, but I was up for the challenge.

In September 2005, I signed up to run for what I thought would be an easy, flat race called the Sacramento CowTown Marathon and gave myself just over a month to get my speed up to qualify. This decision elevated running in my mind from a hobby, to a sport. I have a fierce competitive streak in me, so with only five weeks to train it was game on.

On race day I was pumped. I felt strong and energetic, and the weather was perfect. I was on pace to finish well within the 3:40:00 requirement for Boston––until mile 25, when one slightly awkward step tweaked something in my left knee.

I hobbled to a stop and tested my knee by putting a little weight on it. Yep, that hurt. Had I not been in the race I would have certainly sat down and put ice on it, but since I didn’t see any of the race officials nearby and still had hopes of hitting my time goal I kept limping forward.

The last 1.2 miles of the race were painful. I walked most of the way, occasionally attempting a sad jog-limp to make up some time. Ultimately I hobbled across the finish line at 3:54:16, nearly 15 minutes short of my goal.

Failing sucks, but being injured is way worse. While I didn’t have any serious tissue damage, my sprain was bad enough to keep me from doing any strenuous exercise for three full months. I was devastated.

For me being active is like meditation, a daily ritual that keeps me sane amid the chaos of my life. Without it I feel weak, lethargic and a little depressed.

Yet the worst part of this particular injury was that it was entirely unnecessary. It was caused by my ego.

As I limped around for those three months I realized that I really didn’t care about the Boston Marathon, I just wanted to say that I had run it. I underestimated the difficulty of improving my time so dramatically in such a short period. I underestimated the seriousness with which one should commit to a real sport. My arrogance was what left me sidelined.

But I also gained something by no longer running. Suddenly I wasn’t spending 8-10 hours per week training (in addition to my regular workouts) and could use that time for things I really did care about like working in lab, reading nutrition books and learning how to cook (this was 2005 and I was just starting to become a foodist).

Not only did my running habit cause me an injury that impacted my quality of life for three months, it was also taking time away from more important things that I didn’t realize I had been neglecting. It suddenly became obvious that running marathons wasn’t worth it for me.

Giving up on something you have previously committed to isn’t an easy thing to do. It can feel like failure or defeat. But sometimes giving up your goal is the smartest thing to do. Sometimes the cost of achieving it isn’t worth the price of admission.

It’s fine to start something thinking that it is a good idea then decide it isn’t for you. Maybe it takes more effort or time than you were expecting, or maybe you didn’t get the benefits you were hoping for.

Before you start a new habit your idea of what you’ll gain or how difficult it will be is really just your best guess. Without firsthand experience, you don’t have enough information to know for sure if it’s something you’d like to stick with.

Of course this isn’t always true. Some new habits are worth persisting in even if they’re really hard.

How can you tell the difference?

Some aspects of self-care should never be negotiable, as they are the cornerstone of being happy and productive in every other part of your work and family life. You probably never question whether or not you should shower or brush your teeth in the morning, for example.

Other goals may sound nice to have, but unless they add some deeper benefit than “could be fun” or “I’ve heard this is good for me,” then pursuing them may take time away from other essential activities and not be a good use of your time and energy.

It gets tricky when a habit is difficult to create, but you haven’t yet experienced the value of maintaining the habit long-term.

For instance, if you’ve been eating processed food for most of your life, shifting to eating mostly Real Food can feel daunting (95% of the time, this means learning to cook). You therefore won’t realize how devastating your food choices are to your energy levels and ability to function, because you don’t know what it’s like to not feel drained and lethargic.

As a rule of thumb, your non-negotiable self-care habits are those that impact your ability to function day-to-day:

Getting enough sleep (rest)
Basic hygiene (cleanliness)
Eating Real Food (fuel)
Being active, not sedentary (mobility)
Relaxation (stress management)

If you let any of these things slip for too long you will certainly experience negative consequences in other parts of your life, like low energy, fatigue and poor focus. So any habit that fuels these minimal requirements should be considered essential.

Where we tend to get tripped up is when we confuse these self-care goals with related goals that are more specific, but less necessary. For instance, being active is good but that doesn’t mean I need to run marathons to be fit and healthy. Eating Real Food is important, but you don’t need to eat 100% local or organic to get the benefits.

It’s easy to lose sight of the real goal when someone you know swears by hardcore workouts like marathon training or extreme diets like Paleo (no grains, beans or dairy). They have the results you want, but seem to sacrifice a lot to get them.

You start believing that that level of commitment is necessary for basic health, but it isn’t.

For the people that love these regimens, it isn’t the health benefits that make the habit worth the effort. The vast majority of the time it is a sense of community and belonging that they get from these activities that is the primary value. This is fantastic if it works for you, but if you already have a strong community elsewhere you don’t necessarily need to join a CrossFit gym to stop being sedentary. A stroll with a friend is a great start.

The only way to know for sure if a new habit is worth your time is to give it a solid try. If it ends up not being your jam, that’s totally fine. Just remember to not give up the habit of caring for yourself entirely.

Do you feel guilty about giving up goals that are no longer serving you?

Originally published July 28, 2015.

from Summer Tomato http://summertomato.com/when-to-give-up-trying-to-start-a-new-habit
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Skinny Orange Chicken Casserole

With just a few simple ingredients and a casserole dish you can have a dinner packed with veggies, protein, and whole grains, in just 60 minutes! One of the first meals I ever learned to cook as a kid was stir fry. You see…take out Chinese food was (still is) my ultimate dinner after soccer...

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from Fit Foodie Finds http://fitfoodiefinds.com/2016/09/skinny-orange-chicken-casserole/
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Tuesday, 27 September 2016

Yoga Alarm App Wakes You Gently, Mercifully

Wake up to yoga. Literally. A new yoga alarm could change the way we greet the day. Most alarms get a pretty bad rap — it’s their job to be annoying and disruptive — and no matter what beep bop boop or blaring siren you choose, they’re usually met with some form of ughhh. But […]

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Sweet Potato Green Curry Quinoa Casserole

Curry just got even easier and more delicious than ever! In less than an hour you can have this delicious Sweet Potato Green Curry Quinoa Casserole ready for the entire fam. Good day team! I am currently sitting on a airplane on my way back to Minneapolis from Denver after a really fun and exciting...

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Monday, 26 September 2016

Chicken Parmesan Nuggets Recipe (Kid’s Love this Quick Meal)

Will You Be Watching The Presidential Debate Mindfully?

The yoga community is mobilizing. Or more accurately, the wellbeing community. If you didn’t think yoga or wellness can get political, you might be surprised by the newest movement to meld practice with politics. CTZNWELL describes itself as “a movement committed to democratizing wellbeing” whereby they are asking wellbe-ers, as it were, to come together […]

from YogaDork http://yogadork.com/2016/09/26/will-you-be-watching-the-presidential-debate-mindfully/
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Zucchini Pizza Boats

YD Deal: Take 15% Off Any YogaCoaster Order

What do you buy someone who has all the yoga gear? It all started out as a hunt for unique gift for his yoga-loving wife. And then everyone wanted one. And so…YogaCoaster was born. Luckily, you don’t have to be a professional stonesmith to enjoy these beauties or gift them to a friend. The creator of […]

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New Mama Glo Bars (lactation-friendly, nut-free)

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“I’ve officially polished off my ‘postpartum’ Glo Bar stash.” This is what I wrote on Snapchat early in September with a photo of me gobbling up my last lonely bar from the freezer. I had overestimated my self-control at 9 months pregnant just a tad, thinking that I could stock the freezer a month early with Glo Bars so I would have them handy to bring to the hospital and to enjoy once home. Hahaha…fool! Here is my not-so-spoiler alert: I have zero self-control when there’s a food I love in the house. Obviously. So I made another couple batches (oh darn), only this time I waited until I was ready to pop (aka…right now).

I’m really excited to share this Glo Bar recipe today because not only is it crazy delicious and a cinch to throw together, but these bars contain ingredients which are thought to help boost milk supply in breastfeeding mamas (such as oats, flax, sesame, and coconut). Don’t worry, though, anyone can enjoy these bars! In fact, Eric assures me that his cup size hasn’t increased one bit since becoming a fan himself.

Another thing I love about these Glo Bars is that they are nut-free; when I was nursing Adriana in the early days, I suspected that when I ate nuts it caused her to be fussy. This can also be true for chocolate, so I purposely left it out of this recipe as well (just in case it happens again this time too). If nuts and chocolate aren’t an issue for you though, feel free to tweak the mix-ins to your heart’s content! Another bonus of using seeds over nuts is that seeds tend to be a bit more wallet-friendly. This year, I’ve really gotten into using sunflower seeds for this very reason.

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New Mama Glo Bars

Vegan, gluten-free, no bake/raw, nut-free, refined sugar-free, soy-free

I created these Glo Bars with new mamas in mind, but rest assured that they can be enjoyed by all! These nut-free Glo Bars contain oats, ground flax, sesame seeds, and coconut oil, all of which are thought to help boost milk supply in breastfeeding women. They are a great no-bake bar to store in the freezer before baby arrives, too; I love to keep a stash in my freezer so I always have some on hand. I purposely made these bars nut- and chocolate-free because, in some cases, these foods can contribute to fussy breastfed babies (of course, every baby is different—tweak as you see fit!). But it also makes them a great nut-free option for after school snacks, too!

Yield
12 bars

Freeze time
10 minutes

Prep Time
15 Minutes

Cook time
0 Minutes

Ingredients:

For the dry ingredients:

1 1/2 cups (150 g) gluten-free rolled oats
3/4 cup (25 g) gluten-free rice crisp cereal
1/4 cup (40 g) white sesame seeds*
1/4 cup (40 g) pepita seeds*
1/4 cup (30 g) ground flaxseed
1/3 cup (45 g) dried cranberries or dried cherries**
2 tablespoons (12 g) unsweetened dried shredded coconut
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt or fine sea salt

For the wet ingredients:

1/2 cup (125 mL) brown rice syrup***
1 tablespoon (15 mL) pure maple syrup
1/4 cup (63 g) smooth sunflower seed butter****
1/2 tablespoon (7.5 mL) coconut oil
1 teaspoon (5 mL) pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Line a 9-inch square pan with a piece of parchment paper. I like to leave some overhang so the bars are easy to lift out after freezing.
In a large bowl, stir together the dry ingredients (oats, cereal, sesame seeds, pepita seeds, ground flaxseed, dried fruit, coconut, cinnamon, and salt).
Add the brown rice syrup into a small pot over low heat. Stir in the maple syrup, sunflower seed butter, and coconut oil until combined. When the mixture is warm and runny remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla.
Immediately pour the brown rice syrup mixture over the dry ingredients (I use a spatula to scoop every last drop!) and with a large metal spoon, stir until the oats are fully coated in the syrup mixture. This can take some elbow grease, but we don’t want any dry patches, so mix well.
Scoop the mixture into the prepared pan and spread out evenly. I like to lightly wet my hands and use them to spread the mixture out. Grab a small pastry roller if you have one, and roll the mixture until even and smooth. Or, simply press down firmly with your hands—the more you pack down the mixture the better the bars hold together. Using your fingertips, press the mixture downward along the edges to create straight edges.
Place the pan in the freezer, uncovered, for about 10 to 15 minutes until the bars firm up enough to slice. Remove the slab and place on a cutting board. With a pizza slicer, slice the bars into 12 equal bars.
Wrap each bar separately in plastic wrap. Store in the fridge for up to 1 week, or freeze the wrapped bars in a freezer-safe zip bag for 4 to 6 weeks. The bars will firm up when chilled. You can let them sit at room temperature for 5–10 minutes before enjoying, if desired.

Tips:

* These bars are great with toasted sesame and pepita seeds, as well as raw.
** To make the bars look extra colourful, like in the photo, I like to scatter the dried cranberries on top (along with a handful of pepitas) before pressing the mixture into the pan.
*** There are no substitutes for brown rice syrup unfortunately. I've tested all different liquid sweeteners and nothing else binds the bars enough.
**** I love using my Homemade Sunflower Seed Butter recipe, or for a store-bought option, Organic Sunbutter (smooth) is my go-to. Make sure it's silky smooth and not dry and hard.

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By the way, a batch or two of these bars would make a great gift for a mama-to-be!

Last but not least, I’d like to share another roundup of #osgeveryday blog tour posts. A huge thanks to these talented bloggers for all their support! Be sure to check out the links below for recipe sneak peeks, giveaways, and fun Q+A’s.

Ambitious Kitchen

Keepin’ It Kind

Hummusapien

Edible Perspective (Ash dishes on the behind the scenes of shooting the book!)

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Meditation and Aging

By Aditi Dave, MD, and Jim Larsen

What happens in the body that causes aging? Scientists have discovered a fundamental process of aging in our cells that occurs on the strands of our DNA. This discovery won the Nobel Prize in medicine in 2009. This discovery is important to everyday life because we now know the speed of aging can move faster or slower and we have some control over the process. Aging can be seen to literally speed-up from stress and slowdown from meditation.

We have known for decades that meditation improved health by reducing stress, anxiety, improving cardiovascular function. Even beginning meditators report they feel calmer, happier, sleep better and have more energy. These benefits should be enough to encourage everyone to meditate as the cost and time involved is minimal compared to the rewards.

New research shows that the benefits of meditation are far greater than previously thought as it produces changes at the deepest level of our brain, cells, and DNA. In addition to living healthier and happier from meditation, the deeper changes could bring dramatic improvements in longevity and cognitive function in old age.

Meditation also helps us stay healthier throughout life, not just live longer. Our cells are always aging and the faster they age the more susceptible we become to disease, so the benefit of slowing the aging process also helps us remain healthier when we are young. The sooner we begin meditation the better, but research has found measurable changes in the brain after only 8 weeks of meditation, so it’s never too late to start. Studies on meditation have used many different methods of meditation and all were found to bring measurable benefits.

STRESS RESPONSE FROM THE REAL AND THE IMAGINED

A stress response is triggered by an overwhelming experience or perceived threat. If you need to run away from danger a stress response will help you run faster and farther, but at a cost. A stress response is also triggered by simply thinking of something that worries or disturbs us. We don’t have to actually face a threat, just imagine one. The physical release of stress hormones is the same whether the trigger is from a real event or an imagined one.

There has been a revolution in medicine… recognizing the interactions between the body and the mind, the ways in which emotions and personality can have a tremendous impact on the functioning and health of virtually every cell in the body.”

~Dr. Robert M. Sapolsky, neuro-endocrinologist, professor of biology, neuroscience, and neurosurgery at Stanford University, in Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers

Studies have found long-term activation of the stress-response can disrupt almost all the body’s processes and puts us at increased risk of numerous health problems. A 2002 press release from the National Institutes of Health states: “Stress hormones continue to wash through the system in high levels, never leaving the blood and tissues…[and] can have a hazardous, even lethal effect on the body.”

HOW AGING ADVANCES FROM STRESS AND SLOWS FROM MEDITATION

Scientists found that aging can be measured by the length of a protective cap on the ends of our chromosomes called “telomeres” and by the presence of “telomerase,” an enzyme that protects the telomeres from the wear and tear of cellular division. In 2009, Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn won the Nobel Prize for her discovery of telomeres.

The length of telomeres indicates the remaining lifespan of a cell, the amount that a cell can continue to divide and replicate normally. Telomeres naturally become shorter with age, but research shows this aging process doesn’t happen at the same speed for everyone. Shortened telomeres are associated with weakened immune system function, heart disease, and degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and osteoporosis. Many diseases previously common only in the elderly are now affecting many young people.

Telomerase is an enzyme that prevents telomeres from becoming shorter. Plus it can also add length back to the telomeres, which increases cell longevity. Telomerase activity is a predictor of the long-term viability of cells.

A 2008 study showed that the stress hormone cortisol inhibits the activity of telomerase. The oxidative stress and inflammation which is the physiological fallout of stress appears to erode telomeres directly. Meditation is known to reduce cortisol.

A 2004 UC-San Francisco study led by Dr. Elissa Epel, that also included Nobel prize recipient Dr. Blackburn, found a significant correlation between shortened telomeres in subjects who lived with a lot of stress. The participants in the study were all pre-menopausal mothers caring for a child, including a group of caregivers who had a higher level of objective stress because of caring for a chronically ill child.

The greater amount of telomere shortening in the high-stress group indicates they had aged the equivalent of 9–17 additional years, compared with the low-stress group.

A 2013 Harvard Medical School study led by Dr. Elizabeth Hoge found relative telomere length was longer in women who practiced a loving kindness meditation compared to a control group that didn’t meditate. The longer participants had been practicing meditation the longer their telomeres were.

A study by Dr. Mary Armanios, MD at the John Hopkins School of Medicine, looked at the telomere lengths of over 2,000 Native Americans. Those who had the shortest telomeres were more than twice as likely to develop diabetes during the following five and a half years.

Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn, the scientist who won the Nobel prize for discovering telomeres, states, “If people could see the impact of stress on their telomeres, they would have the motivation to change their lifestyle and be more willing to embrace a yoga or meditation practice.”

AGING CAUSES BRAIN LOSS AND COGNITIVE DECLINE – MEDITATION REVERSES BRAIN LOSS

Studies show that after the age 35 there is a steady loss of brain volume, beginning at about 0.2% per year and accelerating to about .5% at age 60. After 60, the loss per year is even higher. This loss of brain volume contributes to early cognitive decline and premature death.

Those who meditate have been found to gain brain volume instead of losing it. In a 2007 study, neuroscientist Richard Davidson at the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, found an increase in grey matter and cortical thickness in key areas of the brain in meditators. Increased activity was also seen in brain regions used for paying attention and making decisions.

In a 2009 study published in the journal NeuroImage, researchers at UCLA used high-resolution MRI imaging to scan the brains of people who practiced various forms of meditation compared with a control group. All the meditators in the study showed significantly larger volumes in regions of the brain known for regulating emotions. The control group did not show any areas of the brain with significantly larger volumes or more gray matter than the meditating group.

In 2011, a team led by Harvard-affiliated researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital reported the analysis of MR images taken 2 weeks before and after an 8 week meditation program. They found increased gray-matter density in the hippocampus, known to be important for learning and memory, and in structures associated with self-awareness, compassion, and introspection.

BREATH-BASED MEDITATION SHOWING EFFECT ON GENE EXPRESSION

DNA is the blueprint of our physiology, and epigenetics is the field of study of how genes turn on or off in response to environmental and lifestyle cues. For all physiological and pathological processes, gene expression determines the final state of cells and their function.

A study on SKY Breathing Meditation found the practice immediately affected gene expression. This study compared gene expression after a session of SKY Breathing Meditation compared to a control group that went for a walk in nature and listened to classical music.

The findings showed four times more genetic expression in the SKY Breathing Meditation group than the control group and about 85% of the genes that were turned on or off were different than the control group. These genetic expression changes seemed to be global changes occurring very rapidly (within 2 hours of the SKY practice) and were associated with a 2.5 times longer life span in the white blood cells studied.

BREATH-BASED MEDITATION BOOSTS THE BODY’S ANTIOXIDANT DEFENSE SYSTEM

Another impressive finding was how quickly SKY Breathing Meditation achieved physiologic boosts in the cellular anti-oxidant defense system that protects us from “free-radicals” that accelerate cellular aging. Free-radicals are generated in the body naturally from essential metabolic processes and also from exposure to the environment (air pollution, x-rays, industrial chemicals and ozone to name a few).

Antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione are the body’s way of scavenging free-radicals before they damage cells. A balance between free-radicals and antioxidant enzymes is essential for proper physiologic function. Stress increases free-radicals and if they exceed the body’s ability to regulate them, oxidative stress ensues, leading to altered lipids and proteins and damaged DNA, which can then trigger pre-mature cellular death leading to accelerated aging and disease.

One study on SKY Breathing Meditation looked at 42 practitioners who had practiced SKY for 1 year versus non-practitioners. The study took blood samples of each group and narrowed in on a particular white blood cell (the lymphocyte) and its antioxidant enzymes, as well as cell longevity.

The results showed a significantly better anti-oxidant status for all these antioxidant enzymes studied and an associated prolonged life span of the white blood cell, suggesting a powerful, positive effect on improving the antioxidant mechanisms of anti-aging in the body through SKY Breathing Meditation.

Another promising study looked at 24 healthy males from Police Training College Delhi, India. The study evaluated antioxidant levels in practitioners of SKY Breathing Meditation as compared to non-practitioners. The results found significantly improved antioxidant enzyme levels in practitioners of SKY Breathing Meditation at 5 months as compared to non-practitioners.

MEDITATION CULTIVATES A CALMING RESPONSE

When stress responses are triggered chronically, less and less of a trigger is needed to set-off another one. When meditation is practiced regularly, the opposite trigger can be cultivated in the system. When a stress response occurs, a meditator might simply take a deep breath, or consciously bring their attention to their mind or body and a calming response is spontaneously triggered thereby quickly reversing the stress response.

Long-time meditators show less activity in an area of the brain known as the “default mode network,” which is linked to self-centered thinking. A brain imaging study at Yale University found people who regularly meditate switch off areas of the brain linked to such states as daydreaming and anxiety.

An EEG study at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology studied an effortless form of meditation where there was no attempt to control the content of the mind. They found marked changes in electrical brain wave activity associated with wakeful, relaxed attention when comparing the same subjects resting without applying any specific meditation technique.

NOT ALL MEDITATION IS THE SAME

In a wide spectrum of meditation studies a large variety of techniques were found to reduce stress to some degree. The most effective techniques bring a deep state of rest to the mind and body as shown by reduced cortisol in circulation, and a decreased sympathetic overdrive of the nervous system and brain. Depending on the technique, the meditative experience of a person and the regularity of practice, the depth of the immediate rest, and long-term benefits could be significantly varied.

Many simple techniques can bring a degree of relaxation while other meditation techniques take one well beyond relaxation to a state of deep meditation where the mind is quiet and may even have moments of no thoughts. Just a few minutes of such a deep meditative state can bring enormous benefits in rejuvenating the mind and body.

Many folks give up meditation because the hyper-stimulated mind interferes with quieting down. This is driven by the chronically sympathetic-driven nervous system, which is fueled by our demanding lives, constant multi-tasking, and over-stimulated environment.

If you identify with this, and are inspired to either learn meditation or deepen your current meditation practice, one user-friendly and highly efficient program is SKY Breathing Meditation. Using the breath is a naturally efficient and easy way to shift the nervous system and mental activity into meditation because of the direct connection between breath and mind.

——————

ABOUT AUTHORS
Jim Larsen, M.Ed., has taught meditation and breathing practices since 1975. In 1990 Jim learned SKY Breathing Meditation and added this to his existing meditation practice. The results prompted him to travel to India to study with the founder of SKY. Jim currently teaches SKY and other meditation practices full-time with the nonprofit International Association for Human Values. Jim’s courses include special programs for military veterans (www.PWHT.org) and advanced meditation retreats for everyone. Jim has also taught prison inmates, trauma survivors in Haiti, and patient-centered wellness programs. His website is www.SKYbreath.org.

Aditi Dave, M.D., is trained in both internal medicine and pediatrics, specializing in hospital-based medicine. She has been faculty of internal medicine at both the University of Michigan and Wake Forest University School of Medicine. She has had a 20 year interest in meditation and breathing practices leading to a self-study in mind-body medicine, and teaching meditation and breathing practices for the past 8 years. She is also the director of physician wellness and patient wellness programs for the International Association for Human Values.

Photo credit: The incredible geodic artwork of Havoc Hendricks, an old neighbor, classmate, and all-around funny, talented human.