Sonimahealth & nutrition – Sonima https://www.sonima.com Live Fit. Live Fresh. Live Free. Thu, 15 Dec 2022 05:41:38 +0000 en-US hourly 1 8 Unexpected Benefits of Good Posture https://www.sonima.com/food/health-nutrition/benefits-of-good-posture/ https://www.sonima.com/food/health-nutrition/benefits-of-good-posture/#respond Mon, 15 Jul 2019 05:01:48 +0000 https://www.sonima.com/?p=21529 When you consider your health and fitness, nutrition and exercise are the obvious correlations. We eat well for good health, and we break a regular sweat to improve our fitness. But what if we’re...

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When you consider your health and fitness, nutrition and exercise are the obvious correlations. We eat well for good health, and we break a regular sweat to improve our fitness. But what if we’re missing something simpler and far more fundamental in our approach to wellness?

In theory, the body is designed to be symmetrical. Ideally, your muscles should get equal use on the left and right sides, and all your systems should be interconnected. Unfortunately, that’s not often the case. Injury, habitual one-sided use, and too much time on the couch (or at your desk) render the human body out of whack.

“If your posture is off, you’re bringing improper alignment into everything you do and compromising the efficiency of everything from your workouts to your energy levels,” says renowned physiologist Pete Egoscue.

Here are eight ways that improving your posture will enhance your life, and three strategies to help you straighten yourself out.


1. It will make you more confident

Primally, your posture reflects whether you’re a predator or prey, whether you’re thriving or weak, says Egoscue. Slouching was a way to protect vital organs during attack. To stand tall, however, showed that humans were not in fight-or-flight mode. Today, good posture communicates that you’re physiologically healthy and strong—the opposite of weak prey.

A 2017 study in the British Journal of Psychology found that we judge others as more competent if they stand with strong posture as compared to neutral or weak. But it’s not just about perception: Posture can actually help you feel more confident about your own abilities. In an older study from Ohio State University, when people sat up straight while filling out job applications, they were more confident that the positive qualifications they wrote down were true compared to when slumped at their desk.


2. You’ll be able to breathe easier

“Poor posture can place compression on and limit the effectiveness of the stomach, intestines, lungs, and other vital organs,” says Alexa Rohach, a physical therapist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center’s Performance Therapy in Santa Monica, CA. Try this: Sit in an upright position, shoulders back, chest out, and take a deep breath in. Now, lean forward and slouch your shoulders, and take another deep breath. It’s nearly impossible to take in a full breath in a slouched position.

Research out of Saudi Arabia shows healthy lung muscles aren’t able to draw air in as well when they were slouching versus sitting upright. Meanwhile, a 2016 study in the Journal of Physical Therapy Science reports that even the poor posture we assume when we’re typing on our phones is enough to restrict our ability to breathe properly and efficiently. “Breathing, digestion, and bladder function—as well as other major organs—are all much more efficient when the body is aligned appropriately,” Rohach confirms.


3. You’ll digest food better

Poor posture compresses everything in your trunk, including your stomach and intestines. “What moves broken-down food through your small and large intestines is peristalsis, the undulation of the colon,” Egoscue explains. This movement comes from your diaphragm, which drops down into the abdominal cavity as you breathe, and your hip, back, and abdominal muscles all contract as a response. This tighten-and-release helps facilitate peristalsis, but only if your trunk is stretched with room to move rather than compressed, Egoscue says.

To top it off, when you sit with bad form—that is, your hips posteriorly tilted and your butt tucked under—the unnatural curve in your spine causes your transverse colon (the middle of your intestines) to jam up into the thoracic cavity, impinging the nerve that triggers the diaphragm to drop with each breath. The result: Everything literally stops. “You can take all the psyllium supplements in the world, eat all the roughage, but if you’re sitting with poor posture all day, nothing is going to move out of your colon,” Egoscue says.


4. You’ll burn more fat and have a stronger core

“Good posture may not directly result in six-pack abs, but it will definitely strengthen the core muscles that support the body,” says Rohach. Your core muscles support your spine, so staying erect keeps them engaged. Initially, the body may utilize more calories as it works to stay upright. As time goes on and your core muscles become stronger, they become more efficient at maintaining alignment without effort, and good posture becomes inherent, Rohach adds.

And it’s not just your core that will benefit. “The more you allow your big postural muscles—shoulder girdle, pelvis, hip girdle, knees and ankles—to engage as you walk around throughout the day, the more energy you burn while simultaneously becoming more posturally sound,” Egoscue says.

That higher energy burn boosts your metabolism, but also helps you become more efficient in how you expend energy. “We’re an all-terrain vehicle, designed for tremendous feats of physical accomplishment. When all the muscles are doing their job, we become incredibly efficient not only in the fuel we’re putting in, but the capabilities we’re putting out,” Egoscue says. It’s like having all eight cylinders of an engine firing versus just a few—you are capable of reaching the full potential your machine was designed for.


5. It will boost your mood and relieve anxiety

Just changing your posture can actually ease anxiety, according to a 2018 study in NeuroRegulation. The authors explain that when we feel threatened, we tighten our muscles, lift our shoulders toward our ears, and hold our breath. These movements, which happen naturally when we are anxious, tell our brain and nervous system there’s a threat, and so the body should be on guard. But doing the opposite—sitting up straight, shoulders down, relaxing tension—communicates to our body that it doesn’t need to engage the fight-or-flight response.

What’s more, tuning in to your posture can be a form of mindfulness. A 2017 study in Trends in Psychiatry Psychotherapy found this to be an effective way to treat mood and anxiety disorders. “When you bring your consciousness, brain, and spirit into the present moment, you’re letting go of the worry about yesterday or tomorrow and instead allowing yourself to be present and calm,” Egoscue confirms.

This has a domino effect. “If your emotional state is, ‘All is well,’ then the thoughts naturally flow from there, and you become a positive person with a positive outlook,” Egoscue says.


Related: Are You Just Stressed or Do You Show Signs of Anxiety?



6. You’ll have fewer headaches

Because poor posture compresses your joints and creates undue tension, it’s no surprise that it can exacerbate headaches.

When you are sitting at a computer, you’re likely slouching forward, rounding the shoulders, and pushing the head forward. “These poor mechanics compress joints in both the neck and low back, tighten the shoulder muscles, and weaken the core,” says Rohach. “Furthermore, this joint compression can alter the feedback the brain receives about body position. If this occurs often, it can lead to the onset of frequent headaches and joint pain.”

In fact, a 2016 study from Italy found when people regularly took breaks during their workday to do head and neck relaxation exercises, they had significantly less muscle tenderness and fewer headaches.


7. You’ll have more energy

When your body is in optimal alignment, everything functions better. But there are two specific ways better posture leads to more energy. Remember how sitting up straight allows your lungs to function better? In addition to deeper breaths, people have better blood flow to and from their lungs when standing upright, according to a 2017 study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology. Since oxygen is transported via blood, better blood flow means more oxygen throughout your system, which translates to more energy, Egoscue points out.

Second, better posture also means that you generate a higher cell exchange, Egoscue adds. Every muscle in the body requires energy. More energy means a faster cell exchange for everything from glucose to clearing out waste. ”The faster this exchange happens, the more efficient and healthy the cell is, and therefore the energy level of the human is higher,” Egoscue says.


8. You’ll get a better workout

“When you’re in a good upright position with minimal strain on your body, the joints have normal mobility and, therefore, the surrounding muscles can work much more efficiently to support these structures. This directly translates to how they will perform during gym workouts and day-to-day activities,” says Rohach.

You know that all your power comes from being hip-driven. “When people bring a dysfunctional body to a workout, the hips are under-activated and you’re only getting a small percentage of the actual work from a workout. But if you are posturally functional and moving from the hips, then you’re bulletproof in both the motion and motionless world,” Egoscue says.


Related: The Feel Good Workout



Convinced? Here’s How to Improve Your Posture

Good posture means your body is optimally aligned and in homeostasis. Your muscles are neither shortened nor lengthened, and your body has a natural tension (but not stress) on the surrounding muscles. Here are a few simple ways to make daily improvements.

1. Pull your shoulders back

Ideally, you should sit and stand with your feet hip-width apart and parallel to one another. Your shoulders are locked back and down, core engaged. Our shoulders are typically the first to go, Egoscue says, as we reach forward for the keyboard or look down at our phones. Once our top load-bearing joints are off, the curve in our spine and tilt of our hips follow shortly after.

2. Get up and walk around at least once an hour

Your hips are the driver of your body. When you engage and move from your hips, all other alignment will follow, Egoscue says. The problem: Your glutes and psoas have become trained to take the backseat as we sit all day. Adding some motion throughout the day can do wonders. And when you plop back down, it’ll remind your body that sitting properly is an active state rather than the passive one most of us treat it as, Egoscue says.

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Ayurveda’s Approach to 3 Chronic Conditions https://www.sonima.com/food/health-nutrition/ayurveda-for-chronic-disease/ https://www.sonima.com/food/health-nutrition/ayurveda-for-chronic-disease/#respond Mon, 06 May 2019 09:14:55 +0000 https://www.sonima.com/?p=21421 While there are many approaches to preventing and managing chronic diseases, people have used Ayurveda’s lifestyle, diet, and herbal strategies to ward off rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and more for many generations. In...

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While there are many approaches to preventing and managing chronic diseases, people have used Ayurveda’s lifestyle, diet, and herbal strategies to ward off rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and more for many generations.

In Ayurveda, the root cause of almost all disease is an imbalance in the doshas, or bio-energies. Whether you’re trying to manage or prevent a chronic disease, here’s how Ayurveda may help.


Joint Diseases

According to Ayurveda, vata regulates the movement aspect of the joints, while kapha regulates the lubrication aspect. If vata increases, it causes dryness, friction, achiness, and weakness in the joints. Vata depletes the tissues, weakening the muscles, tendons, and ligaments, and making them more prone to wear and tear. On the other hand, when kapha increases, it associates with AMA (metabolic toxins) and makes the joints swell, causing extreme pain.

Lifestyle strategies: Dry joint conditions need something externally lubricating, like oil, which can be rubbed into the joints and then absorbed through a hot sauna or bath. Abhyanga, or oil massage, is a common treatment for these types of joint issues. However, inflammation-related joint diseases don’t need oil but, instead, a lot of movement and dry heat like infrared saunas and external herbal treatments applied to the skin.

Dietary strategies: For people with dry-joint symptoms, Ayurveda recommends foods that are lubricating in nature like bone broth, moist grains such as quinoa and amaranth, and seeds with good oils such as hemp and pumpkin seeds. For swelling joints, focus on foods and spices that are warmer, drying, and metabolism-boosting, like ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, and cloves, as well as foods that are easier to digest and absorb excess moisture, like barley and millet.

Herbal strategies: Ashwagandha and guggulu.


Related: The Total Mobility Workout



Cardiovascular Disease

Ayurveda considers the heart the center of several important systems. It pumps lymph, blood, and prana (the life force) throughout the body. It’s also the epicenter of the immune system and the mind, sometimes being referred to as organ of contemplation.

All of these connections mean that the heart can be influenced by a number of factors, including a person’s outlook, diet, and level of activity. Because of this, lifestyle is incredibly important when it comes to maintaining heart health or treating cardiovascular disease.

Lifestyle strategies: Ayurveda says that those who know how to breathe well will seldom have heart diseases, so pranayama is recommended. Ayurveda also says that if you have a positive outlook on life, it’s healthier for your heart, so try meditation to take the emotional burden off the heart.

Because those who are more sedentary are also at greater risk for heart disease, regular activity is recommended. As a bonus, regular yoga practice can help manage blood pressure. (It’s important to note that those with high blood pressure should avoid strong inversions, though, as they temporarily cause fluctuations in blood pressure.) Lastly, reduce alcohol intake, and if you smoke, seek out support to quit.

Dietary strategies: Eating heavy meals late at night burdens the lymphatic system. Since the heart pumps lymph throughout the body, Ayurveda recommends avoiding heavy meals at night to avoid putting stress on the heart and causing it to become heavy. It’s also best to avoid milk products like cheese and yogurt at night, as they are thought to clog the pathways of the heart. Other foods to minimize include spicy and oily foods, which are very acidic in nature.

Moist, warm (not hot), freshly prepared foods are preferable for heart health in Ayurveda, which means reheated foods are not ideal. Especially beneficial foods are brown rice, barley, amalaki fruit, mung beans, pomegranate, Himalayan salt, and lime and lemon juice. Try drinking hot water with lemon or lime juice in the morning and a small quantity of fresh pomegranate juice before dinner.

Herbal strategies: Chyawanprash, a multi-herbal formula that contains amalaki, which is known in Ayurveda for its ability to decrease inflammation.


Related: The Health Benefits of a Heart in Balance



Diabetes

In Ayurveda, diabetes is seen as a result of lacking sufficient metabolism. Diabetes is primarily a kapha disease, wherein the body becomes stagnant and starts overusing the kidneys and bladder to dispose of sugar that’s not being processed and is instead accumulating in the body. If you want to prevent diabetes, Ayurveda says improving both your diet and lifestyle are equally important.

Lifestyle strategies: One of Ayurveda’s primary recommendations for diabetes prevention and management is to exercise on a regular basis, whether that’s yoga or some other kind of activity. Ayurveda especially recommends low-intensity walking and swimming. It is also best to avoid sleeping in or sleeping during the day, as this can disrupt your sleep-wake cycles and thus your metabolism.

Dietary strategies: Eat meals at regular intervals and prioritize low-glycemic grains like barley, millet, kamut, and spelt. These foods allow the body to slowly break down the sugar and increase metabolism. Metabolism-boosting spices like turmeric, fenugreek, and cloves (plus herbal teas made from those spices), and dark, bitter greens like kale, arugula, and Swiss chard are other good additions.

Herbal strategies: Guduchi may help with some diabetes-related symptoms, and Madhunashini is thought to help aid in blood sugar control.

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What You Need to Know About Bone Broth https://www.sonima.com/food/bone-broth/ https://www.sonima.com/food/bone-broth/#respond Sun, 24 Feb 2019 10:59:33 +0000 https://www.sonima.com/?p=21259 Bone broth is a simple food: You simmer bones in water either by themselves or with some herbs and vegetables, strain out the solids, and drink the liquid. But while it seems so simple...

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Bone broth is a simple food: You simmer bones in water either by themselves or with some herbs and vegetables, strain out the solids, and drink the liquid. But while it seems so simple when you look at a recipe, the list of benefits associated with eating bone broth is quite long. People who recommend eating bone broth say it may help protect joints, heal leaky gut syndrome, reduce wrinkles, boost immunity, fight osteoporosis and arthritis, and more. It’s also recommended as part of the Paleo and ketogenic diets.

However, there is little scientific research on bone broth for a few reasons. For one there just isn’t much profit to be made from studying it. There is also no standard bone broth recipe, and what ingredients you use, the quality of the bones, and how you prepare the recipe will lead to different nutritional profiles. Lastly, some of the trace minerals believed to be in the broth have never really been determined. According to a 1934 study on bone broth, the liquid contains little nutritional value. However, in general bone broth is a source of protein, with four or more grams per 30- to 45-calorie cup.


The Science on Bone Broth

Plus, there is some research on chicken soup, which is similar to bone broth. One study, published in the journal Chest in 2000, reported that the common home remedy for colds may have a mild anti-inflammatory effect. Chicken soup appears to inhibit the activity of white blood cells, which in turn may halt or help minimize the progression of an upper respiratory infection before it becomes a full-blown cold.

Chicken soup may also make you feel better if you do come down with a virus. In an earlier study published in 1978, 15 healthy adults drank hot water, cold water, or hot chicken soup. Those who had the soup experienced a greater increase in mucus flow, which indicates that soup may help clear nasal passages so you can breathe more easily.


Other Possible Health Benefits of Bone Broth

Beyond that, there is only anecdotal evidence that bone broth may have health benefits. For starters, the claim that bone broth can restore collagen is not proven. And although collagen is important for building bones, there isn’t sufficient evidence that eating collagen leads to stronger bones. Our bodies use collagen wherever it’s needed; you cannot make your body use that collagen to rebuild bones or make your skin smoother, for example.

And while supplementing with collagen may support joint health, it’s unknown how much collagen is in a recipe of bone broth and if that would provide the same benefit as a pill does. For the same reasons, consuming bone broth isn’t proven to relieve arthritis.


Related: The Best Natural Skincare Products in Your Kitchen


Many of my patients have reported improved skin quality. They say that they have more ‘glow’ after adding bone broth to their diets. Keep in mind, this is only anecdotal and there is no research to support this benefit. Collagen supplements may have anti-aging properties, but it’s unknown if bone broth has the same properties. Likewise, the claim that bone broth fights osteoporosis is unproven. Again, it’s unclear how much calcium, magnesium, and other bone-supporting minerals are in a batch of bone broth.

Lastly, some say that bone broth can heal leaky gut syndrome. Some point to the gelatin, a form of collagen, while others credit glutamine, an amino acid that’s involved in many bodily processes and is important for intestinal health. However, there is little scientific evidence that bone broth improves digestive health.


The Bottom Line on Bone Broth

All of this said, I have seen patients start drinking bone broth daily for four to six weeks and report better-looking skin and less hair loss. It may be that the bone broth contains protein and minerals that someone’s diet is missing, making the liquid highly restorative. Still, despite all of the possible benefits of consuming bone broth as part of your diet, keep in mind that no one food is a miracle. If your diet is unhealthy, drinking bone broth won’t do much for you. It’s more important to establish overall healthy eating habits, such as eating more plants and less processed foods.

And if you prefer to eat a plant-based diet and therefore avoid bone broth, try the delicious vegetarian bone broth recipe from Sonima’s resident chef, Amie Valpone, below. Although it is not exactly the same nutritionally as bone broth, it provides plenty of vitamins and minerals from the nutrient-dense vegetables. You can also add vegan collagen-boosting powder. These products contain plant-based ingredients that may boost your body’s natural production of collagen.

Vegetarian Bone Broth

 

Ingredients


10 cups filtered water
1 cup sliced button or Portobello mushrooms
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 large white onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon plant-based collagen-boosting powder (optional)


Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients except collagen in a large pot on the stovetop. Cover and bring to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer and cook for 2 hours. Remove from heat, remove lid, and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
  2. When ready to serve, stir in collagen and use a strainer to separate broth from vegetables (or serve the broth with vegetables, if desired). Serve warm.
  3. Store leftover broth in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in a sealed container or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Yields
Serves 2-4

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Should You Try a Panchakarma Detox? https://www.sonima.com/food/panchakarma-detox/ https://www.sonima.com/food/panchakarma-detox/#respond Fri, 18 Jan 2019 13:00:20 +0000 https://www.sonima.com/?p=21139 As Ayurvedic medicine becomes more popular and well-known in North America, more people are talking about the various Ayurvedic treatments they’ve tried. One of them that’s currently getting a lot of buzz is called...

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As Ayurvedic medicine becomes more popular and well-known in North America, more people are talking about the various Ayurvedic treatments they’ve tried. One of them that’s currently getting a lot of buzz is called a Panchakarma detox.

As you can probably guess, this is an ancient practice for clearing the body of toxins. In fact, Panchakarma’s literal translation is “five purification procedures.” But what many people don’t know about Panchakarma is that they’re not all safe for everyone. Luckily, there are many different external body work therapies also included in Panchakarma that more gently detox and rejuvenate the body. Here’s what you need to know.

Cleansing Panchakarma Detox

The most classic type of Panchakarma detox involves actually removing toxins from the body through one or more of the following methods:

  • Virechana or purging: The patient is prepared for several days, then given herbs that will help them purge through the lower orifice.
  • Vamana or emesis: The patient is prepared for several days, then given herbs that will cause them vomit.
  • Basti or enema with herbs: An enema with herbs is administered to lure toxins from the colon.
  • Basti or enema with oil: An oil enema is administered to nourish the colon.
  • Nastya or nasal drops: Nasal drops are administered after preparation to detoxify the head and neck region.

The above methods are used by Ayurvedic doctors who specialize in internal medicine. Those who specialize in surgery may also use bloodletting, with leeches for example, as well.

Contrary to what’s commonly thought about Panchakarma detoxing, it’s extremely rare for someone to go through all five treatments. This would require a minimum of 60 days of supervised Ayurvedic care. Each treatment requires several days of preparation, oil massage, steaming, and in many cases, a special diet both before and after the treatment.

Instead, it’s much more common to undergo one or two of these treatments based on the season, doshas, or a specific health problem.

For example, purging treatments are often done to balance the pitta (fire) dosha, which tends to accumulate in the middle part of the gut. If someone has hyperacidity in their gut, which is seen as a pitta imbalance, purging is appropriate.

Emesis is done for kapha (water) dosha, which tends to accumulate in the upper part of the GI tract and chest. If someone comes to an Ayurvedic practitioner with chest congestion, then the practitioner may choose to undergo emesis with the patient because it is thought to remove the phlegm right from the upper chest.

Enemas are done for vata (wind), which tends to accumulate in the colon and pelvic area. Let’s say a patient comes with back pain. An Ayurvedic doctor may choose enema as a treatment because it’s in that area.

These treatments have total body effects, too. If somebody has arthritis, it’s considered a vata-related condition because of the pain and discomfort with movement, so an enema still may be chosen as treatment.

Nasal cleansing is done for conditions related to the head and neck region, so this could include headaches, sinus infections, and more.

Panchakarma cleansing treatments are also done seasonally because the change of the season automatically increases certain doshas. For example, in the fall, pitta energy is very high, so Ayurveda recommends undergoing purging. In early spring, we do emesis to remove mucus and phlegm. When it rains and the temperature comes down significantly, we have people undergo a course of enemas to control vata.

It’s important to note that Panchakarma cleansing treatments are not recommended for women who are pregnant, young children, the elderly who are weak, or those who have not gone through proper preparation. Because of the intense nature of these treatments, it’s highly recommended that you find a qualified Ayurvedic doctor you trust to administer them.


Related: 5 Essential Ayurvedic Herbs that Heal



Rejuvenating Panchakarma Treatments

In modern times, the word “Panchakarma” has actually come to mean something even broader and more complex than just detoxing. Rejuvenative treatments are also included in Panchakarma.

When you hear that people have undergone Panchakarma at an Ayurvedic facility, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they’ve undergone enemas and purging and the more deeply detoxing procedures. Instead, they might have just done a series of rejuvenating therapies.

Anyone can go to an Ayurvedic center and ask for rejuvenating Panchakarma, and they’ll receive treatments like whole body oil massage, steaming, shirodhara (where an oil stream is poured on you), and more. This is what most people think of when they hear about Panchakarma. Rather than treating a specific set of symptoms, these treatments are mainly health promotive for both the mind and the body.

Because of these treatments, everyone can take part in Panchakarma in some manner. Often, we recommend that these rejuvenating treatments are done seasonally as well, so you can start each new season feeling your best.

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32 Meal and Snack Recipes for Clean Eating https://www.sonima.com/food/meal-and-snack-recipes/ https://www.sonima.com/food/meal-and-snack-recipes/#respond Sun, 06 Jan 2019 13:00:33 +0000 https://www.sonima.com/?p=21007 If you’re looking for some clean eating inspiration to jumpstart your healthy efforts, consider these 32 recipes your cookbook for well-being. Each breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack includes some of the 8 superfoods recommended...

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If you’re looking for some clean eating inspiration to jumpstart your healthy efforts, consider these 32 recipes your cookbook for well-being. Each breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack includes some of the 8 superfoods recommended by Sonima’s nutrition contributor Amie Valpone: leafy greens, beans or legumes, nuts and seeds, gluten-free whole grains, fresh herbs, berries, avocado, and citrus. From pumpkin tortilla soup to five-ingredient peanut butter granola to green falafel bowls, these dishes are full of color, flavor, and nutrients to help you feel your best.



BREAKFAST

Beet Berry Smoothie Bowls With Hemp Seeds

You’ll never guess this fruity magenta bowl has spinach and beets in it. The root vegetable contains anti-inflammatory compounds and may help lower blood pressure. Top this breakfast off with more hemp seeds and nuts, or nut butter, for some added staying power.

Za’atar Spiced Pecans and Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

Za’atar is a Middle Eastern blend of sesame seeds, herbs, and sumac, a spice that lends a lemony zing. Make the quinoa, roasted tomatoes, and spiced pecans at night so you can heat up, top it with an egg, then eat and go in the morning. The protein in this dish will help keep you satisfied.

Blueberry Chia Overnight Oats

This gorgeous meal is also easy to transport to work if you make it in a mason jar. The oat flour (use gluten-free, if you prefer) and chia seeds thicken overnight so it’s perfectly creamy come breakfast time. Plus, the fiber from the oat flour, chia, and blueberries supports healthy digestion.

Savory Breakfast Salad

Salad isn’t the first thing that usually comes to mind when you think of breakfast. But this combo of greens, roasted sweet potato, blueberries, hummus, avocado, hemp seeds, and parsley drizzled in lemon vinaigrette tastes as amazing as it looks. And all those colors are a sign of different antioxidants such as anthocyanins in blueberries and beta carotene in sweet potatoes.

Breakfast (Cookie) Bars

Some recipes for breakfast cookies are, indeed, cookies. However, these contain no refined sugars and white beans to bind all the tasty morsels—gluten-free oats, dried fruit, and pumpkin seeds—together. Consuming legumes and beans may help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure, and aid in weight management.

Hummus Kale Toast

Nothing against avocado, but it’s not the only toast topper. Garlicky sauteed kale provides vitamins A, C, and K to support eye, immune, blood, reproductive, and bone health. Sprinkle on a generous dose of hemp seeds—one tablespoon has three grams of protein.

Protein Breakfast Bowl

This balanced bowl is loaded with flavor, fiber, protein, and healthy fats. Spiced roasted sweet potatoes, seasoned black beans, crispy chickpeas and creamy spinach are topped with a hard-boiled egg, avocado, and sriracha. There’s no way hunger will come knocking before lunchtime.

Homemade Bircher Muesli

A Swiss physician came up with muesli, an early sort of overnight oats. In this version, unsweetened applesauce and almond milk soften up the oats. A spoonful of almond butter adds a bit of protein, and the apple grated on top provides fiber and may protect against cancer and cardiovascular disease.



LUNCH

Asian Quinoa Salad With Sesame Miso Dressing

This gorgeous salad takes less than 30 minutes to make. Chewy quinoa, tender edamame, and crunchy red cabbage and carrot are mixed with a dressing packed with umami thanks to miso, a fermented soy. Top with sesame seeds and fresh cilantro for extra crunch and a lemony kick.

Vegan Lentil Soup

This hearty soup with a hint of spice from cayenne and ginger is perfect all winter long. Fresh thyme adds an earthy flavor and antioxidants, and don’t skip the fresh lemon juice at the very end—it enhances all the other flavors and brightens the dish.

Broccoli and Kale Caesar Salad

Vegan Caesar? You bet! Blending soaked cashews with capers and lemons creates the classic flavor for this salad. Using kale and adding roasted broccoli and cannellini beans amps up the nutrition compared to the typical Caesar. Top with gluten-free croutons or just sprinkle on extra sunflower seeds—they’re a good source of antioxidant vitamin E.

Black Chickpea Wrap With Tarragon Yogurt

If you can’t find black chickpeas, regular garbanzo beans work in this recipe. Both are a good source of fiber, protein, folate, manganese, and iron. Tarragon adds a hint of anise to the creamy yogurt sauce, but you can use any fresh herbs you like.

Pumpkin Tortilla Soup

Rather than chicken, this tortilla soup calls for cubed pumpkin or butternut squash. Both are good sources of vitamins A, C, and E, as well as the minerals manganese and potassium, which is important for heart health. Top off the smoky, spicy soup with avocado, jalapenos, and crispy gluten-free tortilla strips.

Chopped Kale Salad With Lemon Tahini Dressing

Massaging the kale in oil and lemon juice not only adds flavor but also softens the powerhouse leafy green. While this salad is packed with other healthy ingredients like avocado, cranberries, and almonds, you’ll really love the creamy dressing made with tahini—the same sesame seed butter used to make hummus.

Mango Avocado Chicken Salad

If you haven’t used avocado in place of mayo to make chicken salad, this recipe is the reason to try it! The result is just as creamy, but lower in calories and saturated fat, and higher in fiber. And this isn’t your ordinary chicken salad—it’s full of carrot, cucumber, mango, red bell pepper, raisins, and pecans for loads of flavor.

Israeli Couscous Salad With Roasted Cauliflower, Pistachios, and Dates

Use brown rice for a gluten-free version of this salad that combines chewy grains, crisp-tender roasted cauliflower, crunchy pistachios, and sweet dates and golden raisins. Although quinoa often outshines brown rice, the rice has about 4.5 grams of protein and 3.5 grams of fiber per cup, plus more niacin than quinoa. This B vitamin helps convert food to energy and helps our digestive system function.


Related: For more healthy, tasty and simple recipes, check out our Clean Eating column!





DINNER

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Boats

This impressive, cheesy dish takes minimal effort. While the squash roasts, make an easy meat sauce (use grass-fed ground beef or organic ground turkey) and sauté some kale with garlic. Mix that with ricotta and the roasted squash, then put it back in the squash shell, top with sauce and more cheese, and pop it back in the oven for a few minutes.

Green Falafel Bowl

Falafel is actually easy to make: Combine the ingredients in a food processor or blender, then bake. Spinach turns these falafel green and adds iron and calcium. The best thing about this bowl is you can customize it. Start with your leafy green of choice, add leftover roasted or fresh veggies, some hummus or other dip, and drizzle on lemon-olive oil vinaigrette.

Butternut Arugula Pasta

Butternut squash as a sauce? Roasting it with fresh thyme and blending with garlic and chili flakes turns it into a rich, creamy, and savory yet slightly sweet pasta companion. Top with chickpeas, peppery arugula, pine nuts, and cheese, if you desire.

Healthy Thai Shepherd’s Pie with Red Curry Beef, Coconut Kale and Pumpkin Mash

This certainly isn’t your grandma’s shepherd’s pie, but she’d enjoy it. Ginger and red curry paste spice up grass-fed beef, which is mixed with creamy kale. Then rather than potatoes, the topping is a blend of cauliflower and pumpkin puree. The recipe can also be made vegan.

Vegan Stuffed Zucchini

Zucchini are a bit of a blank slate when it comes to flavor, yet they’re a good source of fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and folate. Roast them, then fill with spicy black beans for more fiber and protein, and top with a vegan cheese sauce made with tahini for a quick Mexican-inspired weeknight meal. (You can also use real cheese, if you prefer.)

Sun-Dried Tomato, Mushroom, and Spinach Tofu Quiche

Tofu makes a great substitute for eggs in a vegan quiche, plus it’s a complete protein. Fresh chives and basil, nutritional yeast, mushrooms, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes lend tons of flavor to this satisfying dish. You can omit the crust and bake it in a greased pan if you prefer.

Vegetarian Chili

What is winter without chili? This plant-based version includes pinto and red kidney beans for that stick-to-your-ribs heartiness. But along with the usual chili powder, cumin, paprika, and cumin, you add cocoa powder and cinnamon. Seems unusual, but it deepens the flavor without you noticing. Top with avocado and fresh jalapeno slices.

Easy Thai Curry Hot Pot

Hot pot is an Asian meal enjoyed as a group. There is a bowl of boiling broth in the middle, and you all add other ingredients to cook in the broth. Make this version for your family or when you have guests. Just whip up the garlic-ginger-curry broth, then stir in your desired protein, gluten-free noodles or rice, vegetables, greens, and herbs.



SNACKS

Lemon Ginger Chia No-Bake Snack Bars

Seven ingredients and a food processor are all it takes to make your own healthy snack bars. The combination of gluten-free oats, almonds, chia seeds, and dates adds up to 5 grams each of fiber and protein per bar. Be sure to use the crystallized ginger—it adds the perfect zing to compliment the lemon.

Garlic Rosemary White Bean Dip

We love hummus, but it’s not the only bean dip. This one is super easy, too—process the beans with garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and rosemary. The herb may have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and anticancer properties.

5-Ingredient Peanut Butter Granola

Granola can be loaded with sugars, but not if you make it at home, following this simple recipe. Combine natural peanut butter, gluten-free oats, chia seeds, vanilla extract, and a little honey. Then spread it out on a cookie sheet and bake. This granola is slightly sweet, crunchy, and full of peanutty flavor. Nibble on it alone or with berries and Greek yogurt.

Chia Berry Shake

You’ll never guess this shake has no dairy. It’s thick and creamy thanks to chia seeds and avocado, which also add some fiber and healthy fats. Use your favorite frozen mixed berries—all are sources of more fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

Sweet Potato Bites With Black Bean Hummus and Guacamole

This snack also makes a great appetizer. Roast slices of sweet potato with spices and top with homemade black bean hummus (or use any flavor store-bought hummus in a pinch) and guacamole. It’s easy and more nutritious than eating chips with dip.

Savory Oat Walnut Granola Bars

These aren’t your typical granola bars with fruit, nuts, and chocolate chips. Instead, they feature oats (use gluten-free) dotted with crumbled kale chips, olives, and walnuts. You can also add chili flakes for some heat. The savory is balanced by the sweetness of honey, which binds it all together. And they take minutes to make.

Simple Lemon Berry Bars

If you love lemon curd pie, you’ll go gaga for these bars. Lemons are full of vitamin C, and the phenolic compounds in berries may protect against conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, inflammation, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases.

Avocado Tartines With Gribiche Egg Salad

This recipe tops slices of bread with mashed avocado and an egg salad mixed with dijon, shallot, capers, and a blend of herbs: flat leaf parsley, tarragon, thyme, chives, and fennel fronds. Even if you don’t have all the herbs, the taste is delicious—light, fresh, and with a little kick.

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8 Must-Eat Foods for a Balanced Diet https://www.sonima.com/food/whole-food-diet/ https://www.sonima.com/food/whole-food-diet/#respond Wed, 02 Jan 2019 13:00:15 +0000 https://www.sonima.com/?p=20973 We’re all about balance and moderation here at Sonima. When it comes to health, we believe our bodies are fully capable of functioning optimally when we are loving and gentle with ourselves. So, as...

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We’re all about balance and moderation here at Sonima. When it comes to health, we believe our bodies are fully capable of functioning optimally when we are loving and gentle with ourselves. So, as you take stock of your wellness goals for the year—and the diet you might need to follow to get there—we propose taking a simple approach. Rather than following a restrictive plan, focus on filling your plate with nutritious whole foods that can serve as a foundation for clean eating.

Our nutrition expert, Amie Valpone, recommends the following eight versatile superfoods as a starting point. Stock your kitchen with these basics, get creative with your preparations, and enjoy the benefits of a healthy, balanced diet all year long.

1. Leafy Greens

Leafy green superfoods, such as Swiss chard, kale, spinach, and dandelion greens, are rich in vitamins A, C, and K. They also contain the minerals iron and calcium, so if you’re lactose intolerant or avoid dairy because of digestive issues, consider loading up on leafy greens to help get your calcium fix.

To prepare, add a single tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Add 1 clove of minced garlic and cook for 1 minute or until golden brown. Then add 1 head of finely chopped leafy greens and cover. Cook for 2 minutes, then stir until the greens are wilted. Season to taste with ½ teaspoon sea salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper and serve. Leftover sautéed leafy greens keep in a sealed container for up to two days in the refrigerator.

2. Beans, Legumes, Grass-Fed Beef, or Organic Poultry

Beans and legumes are excellent sources of fiber and protein. For examples, versatile chickpeas contain about 12 grams of fiber per cup, which is almost 50 percent of the daily recommended intake for women. They’re also a great source of iron, zinc and copper. Beans and legumes are a great choice if you are vegetarian or vegan, or if you don’t easily digest animal protein.

If you feel more energized eating meat or beans make you bloated and gassy, organic animal proteins such as lamb, grass-fed beef, bison, and chicken are a great options. Choose organic to avoid growth hormones and antibiotics, and select grass-fed beef, which has more heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids than other beef.

Beans and legumes are delicious served in salads, soups, or even spread on toast. Enjoy grilled or roasted beef and chicken, or add meat to stews, soups, and stir-fries.

3. Nuts and Seeds

Nuts and seeds are high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids, which may help fight inflammation and ward off diseases. The healthy fats, protein, and fiber in nuts helps you feel full and satisfied. And certain nuts, such as walnuts, are also loaded with antioxidants, which help protect your body from cellular damage and premature aging. When buying nuts, steer clear of the bulk bins. Many are dirty, making the nuts prone to mold.

Eat nuts and seeds as a snack or tossed into a meal. You can also make your own nut or seed butter: In a mini food processor, blend 2 cups of nuts with ½ teaspoon sea salt until it forms a peanut butter consistency. Scrape down the sides as needed to blend, then transfer to a serving bowl and serve atop whole-grain toast or with sliced apples. Leftover nut butter keeps in a sealed container for up to three weeks in the refrigerator.

4. Gluten-Free Whole Grains

Whole grains are packed with fiber and other nutrients such as the minerals copper, phosphorus, manganese, and magnesium. Millet, quinoa, and wild rice are some of my favorite choices because they have loads more flavor compared to white rice. These grains are also easy to batch cook on a Sunday night; refrigerate the cooked grain in a sealed container to use throughout the week in lettuce wraps, soups, and salads.

To eat, cook ½ cup of any gluten-free whole grain according to the package directions in a medium pot with water or vegetable or organic chicken broth for extra flavor. Remove from the heat and toss in a few tablespoons of your favorite herbs, fruit, and nuts, then toss with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Leftover gluten-free whole grains keep in a sealed container for up to four days in the refrigerator.


Related: Grain-Free Lemon Almond Crackers


5. Fresh Herbs

Fresh herbs contain vitamin C and are loaded with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. When you purchase fresh herbs, look at the roots to make sure they still look bright green and fresh.

Parsley, basil, and dill are versatile options that work well in salads, while rosemary and thyme are good for seasoning vegetables or roasted meat. You can also add finely chop herbs to scrambled eggs. Store fresh herbs in the fridge in a jar of water like you would flowers to keep them perky.

6. Berries

Scientists have discovered that berries—blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries—have some of the highest antioxidant levels of any fresh fruit. They are also a good source of fiber, phytochemicals, and vitamin C. In fact, a cup of strawberries has more vitamin C than a medium orange. They also add a touch of natural sweetness to any recipe without having to use added sugar.

Add fresh berries to yogurt parfaits, as a topping for ice cream, or dip them into creamy almond butter for a sweet treat. Or toss 1 cup frozen berries into your favorite smoothie, and you can forgo adding ice cubes and other sweetener.

7. Avocado

In addition to being addictively delicious, avocados contain more potassium than bananas, and they’re loaded with heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids. They also are full of fiber, which helps boost satiety.

To eat, slice a large (and very ripe) avocado in half lengthwise and discard the pit. Serve with a salad of greens or whole grains, on the side of eggs, mashed on toast, or prepared as guacamole.


Related: The Creamiest Avocado Aioli Sauce


8. Citrus

Citrus is often thought of as a powerful source of vitamin C, however, citrus fruits also contain potassium, calcium, and antioxidants to protect our bodies from oxidative stress and free radicals.

Citrus is at its peak ripeness this time of year, and the fruit makes a satisfying sweet and tangy snack. Lemon juice, lime juice, and orange juice are also fantastic used in salad dressings, marinades, or simply squeezed on fresh vegetables or roasted meat or fish.

>>Amie Valpone is the founder of The Healthy Apple and best-selling author of the cookbook Eating Clean: The 21-Day Plan to Detox, Fight Inflammation, and Reset Your Body.

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18 Wellness Tips that We Loved in 2018 https://www.sonima.com/meditation/wellness-tips/ https://www.sonima.com/meditation/wellness-tips/#respond Sun, 23 Dec 2018 13:00:39 +0000 https://www.sonima.com/?p=20856 This year, we’ve explored countless aspects of wellness. We’ve learned from fitness experts that functional, intentional exercise can cultivate energy, strength, and stability (and in less time than careless, high-intensity work). We’ve studied the...

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This year, we’ve explored countless aspects of wellness. We’ve learned from fitness experts that functional, intentional exercise can cultivate energy, strength, and stability (and in less time than careless, high-intensity work). We’ve studied the different methods of meditation; the healing benefits and methods of daily practice. And we’ve whipped up simple, nutritious meals that sing with the flavors of spices and herbs instead of artificial flavorings and highly-processed ingredients.

Here, we recount the greatest lessons we’ve learned and how to implement these strategies into day-to-day life. You’ll find that often the most effective approach is also the simplest—and that true wellness is a seamless process that works synergistically with the rest of your life. Pick up these pearls for 2019 to start the year off fresher, healthier, happier, fitter, and more relaxed than ever before.


1. Eat Whole, One-Ingredient Foods

Healthy eating doesn’t have to be confusing. Clean eating is fairly simple, says best-selling cookbook author, culinary nutritionist, and wellness expert Amie Valpone. It’s all about focusing your diet around one-ingredient whole foods—a full apple, an avocado. Eating foods in their original state helps your body naturally detoxify, manage blood sugar levels, and fill up without overdoing it. Simplicity is key. Focus on recipes such as salads, soups, and bowls that call for whole foods that promote both health, well-being, and longevity.

2. Focus on Your Hips

“Your hips are required in every moment you make,” says postural alignment specialist Brian Bradley, vice president of Egoscue. Your hips are the epicenter of the body, your anchor when you’re walking, sitting, throwing a ball, or swinging a golf club. Yet, too often, the hips are ignored.

Incorporate daily movements to activate and align the psoas, (the strongest muscle of the hip flexor group). Doing so creates a cascade of functionality throughout the body to the spine, the shoulders, the knees and ankles. When your body is connected and functional, your workouts and everyday movements are more efficient and effective. To light up your hip flexors, try these power moves.

3. Adopt a Bedtime Meditation Practice for Deep Sleep

Have you ever slept a full eight hours only to wake up feeling tired? It’s likely because you didn’t spend adequate time in a deep sleep state—the sleep phase that’s crucial for rejuvenation, recovery, says Sanjeev Verma, Sonima’s Vedic astrologer and meditation advisor. Reaching deep sleep states involves entering a complete state of relaxation. Fortunately, it’s something that can be fine-tuned in your waking hours.

This 10-minute meditation from Verma works you through a checklist to ensure you’re relaxed for sleep. You’ll check in on the tension throughout your body, learn to let go of stressful thoughts, and bring positive memories front and center. In time, deep sleep comes easier and you wake up refreshed and energized.

4. Embrace the Power of Repetition

There are times (in life and in yoga) when we’re unsure about how to move forward; when we feel disconnected from our true selves. These times of ambiguity or challenge can be accompanied by a tendency to drift from our regular practices or to switch back and forth between teachers. But receiving conflicting advice can inhibit you from progressing, says Andrew Hillam, Sonima’s yoga advisor. Maintaining a consistent practice with one teacher, however, builds progress over time.

“By staying with a single teacher, practicing a single kind of yoga, and concentrating the mind in only one direction—those kinds of difficulties (sic) are less likely to arise and can be more easily overcome if they do,” he says. Instead of fearing challenges? Face them head-on with consistency.

5. Work Smarter, Not Harder

In our fast-past society, fast-paced workouts, such as high-intensity interval training (HIIT), have gained traction. But Bradley says most people exercise with incorrect form, creating harmful compromises. “Usually, people go through a HIIT movement so fast that they become shoulder and arm dominant, and they’re no longer using their hips to drive the exercise,” he says. It’s something that can further stress the body and have counterproductive results in the long-run.

But when you slow down and focus on form and alignment through low-intensity deliberate movements, you do the opposite. This favors functionality over speed and activates deep, stabilizer muscles that contribute to balance and mobility.

Low-intensity training requires just the minimum effective dose of movement so that you yield results without diminishing returns. “The low-intensity moves teach your body’s parts to work better together. It will clear up imbalances and help re-establish functional movement patterns stemming from your hips and pelvis,” says Bradley.


6. Commit to Your Community

Seeing others practice will motivate you to also practice. When you build relationships with other students and teachers, and work together with a group of people, you more fully integrate your practice into all aspects of your life. This builds momentum and positive energy in a way that a solitary practice might not be able to.

“It is very important to have a connection to a local yoga shala,” says Sharath Jois, the lineage holder of Ashtanga yoga. “In many respects, a yoga shala is not unlike a temple, or a place of worship where we go to get connected, detach from material things, and dedicate our efforts to a practice.”

7. Teach Your Children to Meditate

“Meditation is a lifelong practice,” says Verma. That means that children are no exception. “By laying the foundation of mindfulness for your kids—or any child in your life—you’re providing them with an invaluable tool that will see them through life’s inevitable ups and downs,” he says.

Instilling mindfulness into children’s routines can help them gather self-knowledge, become aware of their breathing, and relax—all skills that stay with them and help them build healthy lives, Verma explains.

Age is an important consideration in properly introducing your child to meditation. This guide explains how to introduce kids of all ages the fundamental practice.

8. Never Drink Cold Water

“Water has a deep and rich history in Vedic tradition, the basis of both Ayurveda and yoga,” says professor of Ayurvedic medicine Jayagopal Parla. But Ayurveda follows certain rituals for hydration. For one, Ayurveda suggests that you never sip cold water. “Warmer water is thought to have metabolism-boosting benefits in Ayurveda, as well as health-promotive effects on the gut and digestive systems, and may help to prevent gas and bloating,” he says. To maintain good health, keep your water warm or room temperature when you’re feeling thirsty.


9. Expand Time with Meditation

In a culture of busy-ness, meditation offers a great benefit: more time. “When the mind is more present and focused, you have an enhanced understanding and comprehension of a given topic or task,” says Verma. “When that becomes a regular part of your working style, it profoundly impacts your ability to learn and work at a high level.”

Greater focus helps you to be more efficient with your everyday tasks and responsibilities. What’s more, this higher level of concentration improves the quality of your work and being. With a strong meditation practice, Verma says you might, for example, be able to complete a 30-minute task in just 20 minutes. “Through meditation, you can relax, and you can transfer that aura of calm to your efforts,” he explains. With leftover time, you might find more moments for relaxation or dive into your tasks in a deeper, more focused way.

10. Practice Yoga to Keep Distractions from Derailing Your Spiritual Path

No matter how well-intentioned, even the most disciplined people can’t control life’s everyday unpredictabilities. “Too often, we let distractions and other situations outside of our control affect us as if we could have done something to create a different outcome,” Jois says. “We think too much about our desires for something better, or become anxious about tragedy or loss.”

Focus your attention on your inward journey with yoga. It’s one way to remove outside stressors and craft a stronger inner peace. “Regardless of the method, when yoga is approached without the chatter, in a silent and humble manner, the more effective yoga will happen within you,” says Jois.

11. Wake Up on the Right Side

In Ayurveda and yoga, a commonly practiced tradition is to fall asleep on the left side and wake up on the right. Why? “Falling asleep on the left side encourages secretions of the liver. It also positions the stomach at the bottom of your body as well as leaves the right nostril open and the left nostril closed,” says Parla. In yoga, the left side of the body is the thinking or creative side, and the right side is the accomplishing or completion side, he says.

Optimize your positioning by turn toward the right when you wake up. This will increase the movement of your bowels, creating an urge to go to the bathroom. “If you do this for 10 to 15 minutes when falling asleep and waking up, that’s enough to reap the benefits,” says Parla.

12. Learn to Tune into Emotions, Needs, and Body Language

To cultivate positive and healthy relationships it is essential to be a conscientious and active listener. Make a daily commitment to pick up on how receptive people are to what you’re saying and how you are behaving. Learn to take in sensory data in your interactions with others, including facial expressions, body language, tone of voice, and choice of words. Be present and consider your own choice of words and demeanor.

This level of attention locks you in the present moment, helping you collect clues for how to respond next in conversation and move gracefully forward through your relationships.

13. Master the Art of Theta Through Meditation

In an increasingly hectic world, it’s all-too-easy for our internal peace can be drowned out. However, tapping into a strong, grounded base helps you meet life’s demands when they come knocking. This 20-minute meditation from holistic health expert Lisa Hedley guides you back—toward a state of mind that helps you free up tensions, stressors, and anxieties. Throughout your time spent in the meditation, brain waves to drop into what’s known as a “theta state,” where deep levels of healing can take place. The result: a stronger, more resilient you.


14. Get Outside

“Going outside moves you to another level of consciousness—it gets you to think differently,” says Bradley. “Nature gets you out of your head and into your heart. And your heart is your instinct.” Yet, today, children and adults spend less time outside than ever—approximately 13 percent of their time. The result, argues Richard Louy, author of Last Child in the Woods, is something called Nature-Deficit Disorder, a lack of outdoor time that takes a toll on quality of life.

Time in nature has been shown to positively affect symptoms of ADHD, reduce stress, and improve cognition. Getting outside—in a park, forest, or a swim in the ocean—should be an everyday priority.

15. Remember, Progress Requires Patience

Rewarding progress comes only when the body and mind are ready, and no sooner. Even with complete dedication, it can sometimes take years to master new poses or move onto more advanced sequences. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, embarrassed, or discouraged by that. Unfortunately, your desire might outweigh your abilities.

But there’s nothing wrong with the plateaus. Be patient while you master the basics—this is the foundation of more complicated work. Turning your attention to your body, breathing, and mind will help build the strength and mental capacity that progression calls for.

16. Acupuncture Can Aid Fertility

The 3,000-year-old practice of acupuncture—in which thin needles are inserted into acupoints on the body—has powers when it comes to pregnancy. “Women come in not only because they’re frustrated with Western medicine, but because of the success we’ve seen over the past 20 years in helping women get pregnant and deliver babies,” says licensed acupuncturist and board-certified herbalist Liz Carlson, LAc, co-founder of Common Point, a modern acupuncture clinic in Tribeca, New York.

It’s thought that the practice allows women to decompress, something that can play a role in fertility. “Inserting the needles prompts a release of endorphins and feel-good chemicals, like norepinephrine, serotonin and dopamine, which help move the brain out of stress mode. It essentially stimulates the body to heal itself,” she says. It’s often far more affordable than IVF, too.

17. Chronic Pain Can Be Emotional

It seems all too logical to blame pain on physical injury, a repeated strain or harmful event. Yet, sometimes, pain is coming from a deeper, emotional place—a psychosomatic manifestation of stress or negative feelings. After all, when we experience stress, the body absorbs it. And some researchers believe that the mind can repress emotions, funneling pain to the body, which might show up as back pain.

A dedicated and trusting yoga practice can provide the confidence and calmness needed to hear and heal your body and eliminate stress. When stress is seen for what it truly is, physical symptoms serve no purpose and might very well go away.

18. Add Moringa to Your Plate

“A tree native to India, but also grown in tropical environments around the world, moringa has been used medicinally for centuries, which is why it’s often called the ‘miracle tree,’” says Janet Zand, Sonima’s naturopathic medical advisor. The leaves of the moringa are nutrient-dense and preliminary research suggests that the tree might have anti-diabetes properties and may help protect the brain.

Moringa is most commonly seen as a powder. Incorporate into your daily tea or smoothie for a boost of calcium, potassium, iron, vitamin A, protein, and amino acids!

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Ayurveda’s Best Advice on Brain Health https://www.sonima.com/food/brain-health/ https://www.sonima.com/food/brain-health/#respond Wed, 19 Dec 2018 13:00:40 +0000 https://www.sonima.com/?p=20887 When we talk about brain health, we mostly talk about the physical aspects over the mental ones. In order to prevent age-related cognitive decline, modern medicine touts all kinds of valuable physiological strategies. But...

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When we talk about brain health, we mostly talk about the physical aspects over the mental ones. In order to prevent age-related cognitive decline, modern medicine touts all kinds of valuable physiological strategies. But in Ayurveda, the approach to long-lasting brain health is a little different.

That’s because we see the brain in a less concrete way. In Ayurveda, the mind is seen as something that’s spread all over the body. It’s located in two main areas: the head and the heart. In a sense, the head is the epicenter of the logical mind, and the heart is the location of the emotional mind. For optimal brain health to be achieved, these two aspects of the mind need to exist in harmony. The brain and the mind are intertwined.

There are three main ways to achieve this balance between logic and emotion: lifestyle, diet, and herbs. Here’s what you need to know about each.

1. Lifestyle

If you’re familiar with Ayurveda, you probably know that daily routine is an important part of the ancient practice. Tongue scraping and drinking water first thing in the morning are examples of routines Ayurveda recommends. These rituals laid out in the ancient texts are meant to be practiced daily for life. They serve a crucial purpose: To make use of our sense organs (like the ears, eyes, skin, and more) in order to establish a connection with our natural instincts over the forces of our minds.

Practices, like oil massage, are great examples of this. Vata, the wind energy, is considered to be the most harmful dosha when it comes to brain health. The best way to reduce the influence of an energy is to do something with opposite qualities. So since vata is dry, cold, and rough, we can use daily oil massage to keep it under control.

Most of these routines relate to physical hygiene, but there are also recommendations about mental hygiene. Ayurveda says that in order to achieve good brain health, people need to behave in a righteous way. This means telling the truth, respecting others, and being pleasant to those around you. Basically, Ayurveda says people should have a positive approach to their life in order to establish a healthy mental routine and boost brain health.

Science supports this idea. If you look at “blue zone” studies, or evaluations of people who live in areas of the world where the population lives the longest, one of the things they have in common is a positive life outlook.

Sleep is also a crucial part of a lifestyle that promotes brain health. A good night’s rest is essential for strong brain function, so building high quality sleep into your routine should be a priority.


Related: A Meditation to Help You Prepare for Restful Sleep


It’s also vital not to suppress natural urges, like needing to go to the bathroom, for example. Ayurveda says that doing so can cause toxins to accumulate in the deep tissues (FYI: the brain is considered deep tissue) and, simultaneously, increase vata energy in the body. So listening to what your body tells you is a key component in establishing a brain-health-promotive lifestyle.

2. Diet

Ayurveda makes specific diet recommendations for healthy brain function. In Ayurvedic texts, brain tissue is referred to as bone marrow. It may sound like a strange way of looking at it, but Ayurveda refers to anything that is contained in a hard bone cavity (like your brain) as bone marrow.

Why does that matter? It is believed that foods similar in structure to a certain type of tissue—brain tissue, for example, which is soft and oily—are beneficial for that tissue. That means the consumption of marrow is encouraged for meat eaters, either in the form of the marrow itself or in something like bone broth.

The use of healthy fat is also highly encouraged for brain health, since that is also considered to be soft and oily. This could be in the form of ghee, nuts and seeds, avocados. Food extracted from a hard shell, like walnuts and coconut, are also considered beneficial.

We also know that many brain issues, like dementia, affect the fatty tissues of the brain, so it makes sense that eating foods high in healthy fats may be helpful. This may be surprising because we have been told low fat diets were so healthy for so long, but this trend is changing, and Ayurveda has recommended healthy fats in the diet for thousands of years.


Related: Guidelines for Eating the Ayurvedic Way



3. Herbs

Herbs are also used in Ayurveda to keep the brain functioning well. There is a classification of herbs called medhya. Meda means “supports healthy brain function.” This has three aspects: intellect, memory, and willpower. Herbs that physically enhance the overall function of the mind fall into this category. Examples include Brahmi, Tulsi, Jatamansi, and Kapikacchu.

These herbs are often consumed as supplements, cooked in ghee, and are also sometimes added to oil and then used for application to the scalp. There is also a treatment called shirodhara, which involves pouring a stream of hot, herb-infused oil onto the forehead. It’s meant to reduce stress and can help bring the logical and emotional minds into harmony.

Lastly, Ayurveda recommends a seasonal head and neck cleansing (NASYA therapy) to keep the brain healthy. This is done by administering herbal oil nasally once every three to four months. There is a procedure for doing this that involves preparing the head and neck region beforehand with massage and steam. This practice should only be done by a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner, not on your own at home.

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Should You Drink Wine? https://www.sonima.com/food/benefits-of-drinking-wine/ https://www.sonima.com/food/benefits-of-drinking-wine/#respond Sun, 09 Dec 2018 13:00:04 +0000 https://www.sonima.com/?p=20861 If you’re currently rethinking your drinking habits, you’re not alone. There is a lot of new information about wine, and much of it contradicts what researchers have told us for years. It’s not necessarily...

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If you’re currently rethinking your drinking habits, you’re not alone. There is a lot of new information about wine, and much of it contradicts what researchers have told us for years. It’s not necessarily a sign that we should all sober up (though that’s not a bad idea), but it may help you evaluate your relationship with alcohol.

But how did we get here? Back in the 1990s and early 2000s, scientists reported many benefits of enjoying wine in moderation. Several studies linked light to moderate drinking with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and death. Others reported that drinking may reduce the risk of dementia, cognitive decline, and ischemic stroke. Many experts credited the benefits of wine to resveratrol, the antioxidant found in grape skins that scientists discovered has anti-inflammatory properties.

However, these studies did not prove that drinking is the secret to a long life. One common criticism is that many of the studies compared drinkers to non-drinkers. And non-drinkers often includes people who used to drink when they were younger, but now abstain. And many of those people who no longer drink do so for health reasons. Others who have never had a sip also often abstain due to a health condition. On paper, these individuals look less healthy because they are classified as “non-drinkers.” But it has little, if anything, to do with their beverage choice.

Drinkers and non-drinkers may be different in other ways, too. Those who can afford to imbibe also often exercise more often and eat healthier diets—both factors associated with better health outcomes. So does alcohol make drinkers healthier, or do drinkers tend to be healthier for other reasons? Most of this work is observational studies, and we have to remember that correlation does not equal causation.

In recent years, scientists began taking a closer look at the studies on wine and health. In 2017, a meta-analysis of 45 studies in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs said that drinking wine doesn’t appear to protect against coronary heart disease if you are 55 or younger. This April, a meta-analysis of almost 600,000 people published in the Lancet made similar conclusions. Researchers looked at alcohol consumption in current drinkers and the risk of death and cardiovascular disease. According to their data, drinking more than 100 grams of alcohol—about one five-ounce glass of wine per day—increases the risk of death for all causes.

But another paper in the Lancet, this one published in August, suggested that even the recommended moderate level of drinking (one serving a day for women) is too much. After looking at more than 700 international studies, the authors concluded, “Our results show that the safest level of drinking is none.”

Furthermore, some research suggests that alcohol may increase the risk of breast cancer in women. In a report published by the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) and the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) in May 2017, they found strong evidence that consuming alcoholic drinks increases the risk of breast cancer in pre- and post-menopausal women. Alcohol appears to raise levels of estrogen in the blood, and high estrogen levels are associated with a greater breast cancer risk.


Related: Want to Let Go of Food Guilt? Try This Simple Trick


While researchers continue to criticize each study and debate what, if any, level of wine consumption is truly healthy for us, what are you to do? The research on wine and all alcohol continues to grow, and for every study showing a positive health benefit, you can find another study showing a negative health consequence. There are also many confounding factors often not included in the studies that affect our health, and we can’t be certain that the correlation of alcohol is equal to a longer or shorter life.

Alcohol in excess is a known carcinogen, according to the National Toxicology Program. And we know that drinking beyond moderation—that is, more than one serving a day for women—is linked with various health problems, including high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, memory problems, and liver disease. So, if you do not currently consume alcohol, there is no reason to start drinking.

If you do enjoy alcohol, do so in moderation. One serving is five ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer, or 1.5 ounces of a spirit. Pick something you truly like, have that one serving, and stop at that. And if the information on alcohol causes you to pause and reconsider your relationship with drinking, that is a good thing. Whatever you drink or eat, it’s best to do so mindfully and enjoy both your beverage and food and your company.

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Should You Try the Keto Diet? https://www.sonima.com/food/ketogenic-diet/ https://www.sonima.com/food/ketogenic-diet/#respond Mon, 19 Nov 2018 13:00:56 +0000 https://www.sonima.com/?p=20735 The keto craze shows no signs of slowing, let alone stopping. Even if you don’t have a friend or coworker who is following the diet, you have probably seen “keto-friendly” products in the supermarket,...

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The keto craze shows no signs of slowing, let alone stopping. Even if you don’t have a friend or coworker who is following the diet, you have probably seen “keto-friendly” products in the supermarket, headlines online, and ketogenic diet posts in your social media feeds. You can certainly find a lot on this trend, including information that makes it seem beneficial as well as evidence warning you against trying it. In all this confusion, it’s important to examine what we know—and don’t know—about this particular eating style before you fill your fridge (and belly) with fats.

The ketogenic, or keto, diet originated as a treatment for epilepsy, but in recent years, it has been tied to weight loss. The plan is high-fat and low-carb. That sounds a lot like Atkins or other low-carb programs, but keto typically has a higher fat-to-protein ratio. Although you can find different versions of the diet, most ketogenic plans recommend a 4:1 ratio of proteins to carbs and consuming about 5 to 10 percent of your calories from carbs, 20 to 25 percent from proteins, and 70 to 80 percent from fats.

Going this low-carb and high-fat puts your body into a state of ketosis. This is a metabolic process where, since your body isn’t getting adequate glycogen to burn, it burns fat instead, which actually produces a ‘cleaner’ energy than glucose. Proponents say this helps you lose weight, improve insulin sensitivity, boost mental and exercise performance, keep your brain sharp, and more.

The ketogenic diet tends to get a bad rep because, for most people, it is difficult to sustain. However, it could be a way to help you cut out less healthy foods, such as sugars and processed carbs (things most of us eat too much of), and begin to eat more vegetables.

The keto plan calls for:

  • healthy fats such as avocado, ghee, butter, coconut, olive oil, nuts and seeds, nut and seed butters
  • full-fat dairy
  • fish, eggs, poultry, beef, pork, and organ meats
  • some fruit, such as berries
  • non-starchy vegetables such as spinach, kale, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, mushrooms, and asparagus

Of course, these foods have benefits and these fats have proven to be heart-healthy. And while full-fat dairy may be favorable for weight loss, we all know the more vegetables we consume, the better. When it comes to proteins, the ketogenic diet recommends fattier choices such as skin-on poultry, chicken thighs, salmon, bacon, and grass-fed ground beef and rib-eye steak. However, I encourage eating grass-fed and pasture-raised poultry and meat, wild fish, and not too much processed meat. (Go easy on the bacon.)


Related: Making Sense of the Science on Fat


Vegetarians and vegans don’t have to miss out on this trend. It is possible to follow a plant-based version, however, this tends to make it harder. Keto- and vegan-friendly foods include: coconut oil, coconut cream, coconut milk, avocado, plant-based oils, nuts, seeds, berries, and non-starchy vegetables.

Aside from focusing on whole foods, health claims about the ketogenic diet are still unclear. There is no standardized keto diet used in studies, and most are short-term trials. We need long-term studies to properly assess if the diet is not only safe and effective for weight loss, but also safe to be a lifestyle. There have also been studies on the ketogenic diet’s impact on neurological diseases, mental disorders, type 2 diabetes, and cancer patients. But here again, we need more research and more human studies to verify any claims that the diet helps with these conditions.

In addition to the lack of substantial scientific support, many experts have more concerns than praise about the ketogenic diet. In fact, U.S. News and World Report ranked the ketogenic diet nearly dead last (#39 out of 40) on its most recent Best Diets list, saying it can be extreme, which can make it hard to follow long-term. And while some keto plans recommend following the diet off and on for a few weeks at a time, that also can be challenging, as it takes discipline to cycle your diet.

Another warning: Anytime you go on the diet, you may experience what is referred to as “keto flu”. This tends to last a week or two as your body adjusts to ketosis. Symptoms may include low energy, bad mood, nausea, headache, dizziness, mental fog, constipation, and other flu-like symptoms. Once your body adapts, however, these side effects should dissipate.

Still, we don’t yet know the long-term effects of maintaining the ketogenic diet. Anyone living with diabetes and taking insulin or oral hypoglycemic agents should talk to their doctor before trying this extreme plan. Also, women who are pregnant should not go keto because the ketosis state could be potentially dangerous to the baby’s growth and neurological development.

Bottom line: There’s much to be discovered about the keto diet that’s not for everybody, but if you’re curious, it might be worth a try. Several dozens of my patients have been on the ketogenic diet for at least two years—some as many as five years—and they are in remarkable health with excellent metabolic biomarkers. If you are eager to learn more and understand the challenges of going keto, try it and see how you feel.

Below is a gluten-free, vegan-friendly recipe following the keto principles from Sonima’s resident chef, Amie Valpone, who adds: “I know the thought of eating enchiladas wrapped in leaves sounds very odd, but trust me. I’ve been serving variations of this recipe to all my guests—vegetarian, keto and paleo friends alike—and they love how light and delicious these enchiladas are. The best part about these enchiladas is the creamy almond ‘cheese’ that’s dairy-free, of course (it’s made from magnesium-rich almonds, which lend a hearty dose of protein to this meal). The spicy arugula is my go-to detoxifying cruciferous vegetable that’s easy to digest, unlike broccoli and cauliflower, which can make you gassy. Meat-eaters, we have an easy grass-fed bison add-on option for you below!”

No-Bake Keto Enchiladas

 

Ingredients


1 head collard greens
1 large carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup fresh arugula
2 tablespoons red onion, diced
2 chives, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Creamy Almond “Cheese”

1 cup whole almonds, unsalted and blanched
Juice of ½ large lemon
2 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic
¼ cup room temperature water, plus more as needed for desired thickness
½ teaspoon sea salt

Easy Enchilada Sauce

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup finely chopped red onions
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon sea salt, plus more if needed
½ teaspoon pepper
½ cup vegetable broth

Directions

For the Enchiladas:

  1. Blanch the collard green leaves one at a time in a large pot of boiling water with a large pinch of sea salt. Make sure to keep the stem out of the pot of boiling hot water so that you can use the stem to hold onto the collards while each leaf is blanching.
  2. Blanch each of the collard leaves for 20 seconds each, then holding the stem, remove each leaf from the boiling water and immediately place it in a large bowl of ice water for 30 seconds.
  3. Remove from the ice water and lay the leaf on a large kitchen towel to dry. Repeat with the remaining collard green leaves and set aside.

For the Creamy Almond Cheese:

  1. Soak almonds in a bowl of boiling hot water for 30 minutes, then drain, rinse well and pat dry with a kitchen towel.
  2. Combine all ingredients in a small food processor and blend until very smooth, about 5 minutes, depending on the size of your food processor.
  3. Scrape down the sides of the processor as needed. Add more water if you desire a thinner spread consistency.
  4. Season to taste with more sea salt, if needed. Store leftover “cheese” in a sealable container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Pro Tip: Pressed for time? No worries. You can make the enchilada sauce, the “cheese” and the ground bison the night before serving this recipe, if desired. However, the actual enchiladas should be made right before serving. If you decide to make these ahead of time, simply heat up the ground bison in a small skillet and the enchilada sauce in a small saucepan for 5 minutes on the stovetop over medium-low heat before adding to the enchiladas.

For the Enchilada Sauce:

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, add the oil and onions. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.

2. Add the spices, sea salt and pepper, stir and sauté for 3 minutes, or until fragrant. Add the vegetable broth and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve warm. Store leftover sauce in a sealable container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Assemble the Enchiladas:

  1. Lay the collard greens face up on a cutting board and remove the ends with a sharp knife.
  2. Spread the “cheese” onto the collard greens and top with the carrot slices, arugula, onion, chives and sunflower seeds.
  3. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper.
  4. Spoon the enchilada sauce on top and roll each collard green like a burrito and serve immediately. Slice the wrapped collards in half width wise if desired, for serving.

**Meat Alternative: If you prefer a heartier recipe, you can cook ½ pound grass-fed ground bison in a large skillet with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, ¼ teaspoon sea salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper over medium heat for 10 minutes, covered, stirring often or until the meat is fully cooked and no longer pink inside. Spoon the ground meat onto the enchiladas before adding the carrots.

Yields

Serves 2-4

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Your Guide to Milk: Which of These 10 Types Is Best for You? https://www.sonima.com/food/health-nutrition/types-of-milk/ https://www.sonima.com/food/health-nutrition/types-of-milk/#respond Sun, 14 Oct 2018 12:00:29 +0000 https://www.sonima.com/?p=20522 Choosing among skim, low-fat, and whole used to be the only decision in the dairy aisle. Today, however, there’s a lot more to consider with the rising number of plant-based milk options as well...

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Choosing among skim, low-fat, and whole used to be the only decision in the dairy aisle. Today, however, there’s a lot more to consider with the rising number of plant-based milk options as well as the growing demand for goat’s milk. Each type of milk, or dairy alternative, has its own benefits and drawbacks when you look at the ingredients, nutritional value, and how the product was sourced. It can be confusing and overwhelming to try to select what to pour into your coffee and over cereal.

First of all, if you have any allergies or sensitivities to dairy, nuts, or soy, be sure to avoid those options. Second, you may not like the flavor and consistency of certain milks, so definitely taste-test a few. You may want to try more than one brand or more than one milk type from the same brand because each is slightly different. For example, many nut milks come in unsweetened and unsweetened vanilla flavor, which can be naturally sweeter. Lastly, consider the nutrition facts and ingredients, which often—but not always—include added vitamins and minerals.

To make it easier for you, use the guide below, which shares the pros and cons of each option, as well as things to look out for since there is variation between each brand here too. There is no one best milk; what you ultimately choose is up to you. But this information can help make your decision easier when you hit the grocery store.

Cow’s Milk

Pros: 8 grams of protein, plus contains calcium and is fortified with vitamins A and D
Cons: Not everyone can digest cow’s milk
Watch for: Choose whichever level of fat you prefer; any choice can be healthy and has been shown to help you lose weight, if that is your goal. Organic milk from grass-fed cows is best, as this milk contains fewer chemicals and more nutrition compared to conventional milk. Research has found that grass-fed milk contains more omega-3 fatty acids (good for your heart and brain; fights inflammation) and conjugated linoleic acid (another fatty acid that may have heart benefits).

Goat’s Milk

Pros: ~ 9 grams of protein per cup; great source of calcium, magnesium, potassium, and added vitamin D; many people find goat milk to be easier to digest than cow’s milk
Cons: High in calories (about 170 per cup) and higher in fat
Watch for: Some brands are certified humane, which means goats receive a diet free of antibiotics or hormones, shelter from inclement weather, and other Humane Farm Animal Care standards.


Related: Should You Switch to Goat’s Milk?



Plant-Based Milks

These options aren’t actually milks, but water blended with nuts, legumes, or grains to simulate milk. For all plant-based options, always choose the unsweetened varieties to avoid unnecessary added sugars.

Almond Milk

Pros: Low calorie, very low carb, low fat, typically fortified with with calcium and often vitamins A, D, and E
Cons: Low protein
Watch for: You can find some higher-calorie, higher-protein versions made without any stabilizers. However, these also do not add vitamins or minerals, so if you are used to getting calcium, and vitamins A and D from milk, you may need to adjust your diet or consider a supplement.

Cashew Milk

Pros: The lowest calorie option, low fat, very low carb, typically fortified with calcium and, often, vitamins A and D
Cons: Low protein
Watch for: There are also higher-calorie options that are not fortified. Many folks find cashew milk to be a bit creamer and thicker than almond milk.


Related: How to Make Fresh Almond Milk



Oat Milk

Pros: Fortified with calcium and vitamins A and D, as well as B12, a nutrient found almost exclusively in animal products, so vegans may prefer oat milk for this reason
Cons: High in calories (120 per cup) and carbs
Watch for: An increasingly popular option in coffee shops, the main brand of oat milk sold in the U.S. is made from gluten-free oats, so no worries if you cannot tolerate gluten.

Coconut Milk

Pros: Very low carb, typically fortified with calcium and vitamins A and D, and some brands also add vitamin B12
Cons: Low in protein
Watch for: Although the fat in coconut milk is mostly saturated fat, studies have found that it may help boost “good” HDL cholesterol. Still, coconut products should be consumed in moderation.

Soy Milk

Pros: Highest in protein of all options, a compete protein
Cons: Slightly higher in calories
Watch for: Be sure to buy organic soy to avoid GMOs. However, most organic options are not fortified, so be mindful of the rest of your diet if you typically rely on your milk for certain nutrients. If you are allergic or cannot digest soy, of course, choose another milk. Also, avoid soy if you have an estrogen-sensitive cancer. There is some research suggesting that consuming soy may encourage the growth of these cancers.

Hemp Milk

Pros: Very low carb, a source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, and most are fortified with calcium and vitamin D
Cons: Slightly high in calories and very low in protein
Watch for: Although hemp is a complete protein, because plant-based milks are made with a high ratio of water to the main ingredient, hemp milk is actually low in protein, with 2 or 3 grams per cup. Hemp also has an acquired taste.

Rice Milk

Pros: Low fat
Cons: Low in protein and high in calories (120 to 130 per cup) and carbs (this offers the highest carb count of all milk types)
Watch for: Some brands are fortified, but not all.

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What It Really Means to Have a Diverse Diet https://www.sonima.com/food/health-nutrition/diverse-diet/ https://www.sonima.com/food/health-nutrition/diverse-diet/#respond Wed, 26 Sep 2018 12:00:35 +0000 https://www.sonima.com/?p=20391 You’ve been told for years to “eat everything in moderation,” but that advice should not be taken to mean literally everything, as the authors of a recent American Heart Association (AHA) science advisory state....

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You’ve been told for years to “eat everything in moderation,” but that advice should not be taken to mean literally everything, as the authors of a recent American Heart Association (AHA) science advisory state.

In the August issue of the journal Circulation, researchers reviewed 17 years of human observational and intervention nutrition studies. They found that more diverse diets were associated with higher intakes of less-healthy foods, such as refined grains, sugar-sweetened beverages, and processed foods. These diets were also associated with lower intakes of healthy foods, such as vegetables and fruit. Beyond what people were eating, more diverse diets were linked to weight gain and obesity in adults.

They conclude that, rather than focusing on diversity, it’s better to focus on consuming a diet that’s founded on plant foods, protein, low-fat dairy, vegetable oils, and nuts, plus low in sweets, sugar-sweetened beverages, and red meats.

This isn’t the first time experts have questioned the “everything in moderation” notion. A study published in PLOS One in October 2015 came to similar conclusions. When scientists assessed the diets of more than 5,000 adults of various ethnicities, they found that diversity in food consumption was associated with increased waist circumferences.

Overall, I agree with the new AHA statement. It seems that the more diverse your diet is, the more you eat of both healthy and less healthy foods. If you are eating plenty of plant-based foods as well as high amounts of refined carbs, trans fats, sodium, and processed red meat, the benefits of the healthy foods cannot undo the negative impact of the unhealthy foods. Plus, greater variety of foods is often associated with unhealthy snacking and can cause you to consume more calories, which can obviously lead to weight gain.

Beyond health, trying to include too many foods in your diet can feel overwhelming. Many of us have been in the situation where we’ve been inspired to go on a fresh produce buying spree, only to bring home our bounty and not know what to do with it all. Inevitably, some (or perhaps most) of it ends up going bad before we can use it. Wasting time, money and food can, ultimately, discourage you from cooking at home.


Related: 4 Healthy Foods with Surprisingly Wasteful Side Effects


So rather than thinking about eating everything in moderation, I recommend focusing on consuming a nutritious diverse diet. That is likely what the authors behind this original recommendation had in mind, however, in today’s world of processed and fast foods, there is more of “everything” at our fingertips, leading to the modern, less-healthy interpretation.

A nutritious diverse diet provides a mix of macronutrients and micronutrients to help you feel your best. It also gives you enough variety so that you’re not eating the same thing every single meal, but enough restriction so you’re not overwhelmed with options. After all, a diet of only spinach and chicken breasts gets super boring pretty quickly, and can make you tempted to head to the drive-thru or turn to Seamless.

Less nutritious options are not completely off limits. Attempting to entirely deprive yourself of foods that you enjoy often backfires. Also, I believe a healthy life is an enjoyable life. If, overall, the vast majority of your diet is unprocessed and whole plant foods, then you can have the occasional cheeseburger or small dessert when you want it. Plus, since many times these foods are eaten during social gatherings, you get the added benefit of spending time with others.

So what is a nutritious diverse diet? It’s one rich in plant-based foods, such as vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes and may include lean animal proteins such as poultry, fish, and small amounts of grass-fed meat. The choice of adding dairy is very personal and also based on your genetics. If you can digest it and wish to include it, the most healthful dairy is grass-fed and organic.

Aim to include a rainbow of colorful vegetables and fruits at each meal, as each color indicates a different phytonutrient. This is a good practice to help ensure that you are getting a variety of vitamins and minerals to support your health. Along with the produce, have a mix of healthy protein, fat, and carbs, which will also support your health and help you stay fuller longer. Some example meals include broiled salmon with mint chimichurri, mung bean noodle salad with seared tofu and mushrooms, and cucumber tomato salad with crispy chickpeas and feta.

When you eat this way and also with the seasons, diversity will naturally happen. Pick the ripest vegetables and fruit (adding frozen organic vegetables in the winter, when it can be harder to find a range of fresh produce) and mix up your proteins and carbs. If you prefer to cook a different dish for every meal each day, go for it, but you don’t need to. It’s OK to take a salad to the office for lunch most days, just try to mix up the proteins and fats. Similarly, there’s nothing wrong with properly saving leftovers from dinner and having them another night later in the week.

This can make cooking easier since you don’t need an entire farmer’s market of produce, plus you can stick to some staple recipes for most meals and mix in new recipes when you have the time to experiment. You’ll also likely save more money since you’re only buying what you need. And, according to the AHA statement, a high-quality diet like this is associated with lower risk of chronic diseases. So rather than eating literally anything and everything, stick to a variety of healthy foods.

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The Healing Power of Self-Care Through Ayurveda https://www.sonima.com/meditation/self-care-through-ayurveda/ https://www.sonima.com/meditation/self-care-through-ayurveda/#respond Wed, 22 Aug 2018 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.sonima.com/?p=20107 My body hurt in weird places. The inside of my ankles where blisters had formed from the rubber boots I had worn for the past two days. These same boots also cut into my...

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My body hurt in weird places. The inside of my ankles where blisters had formed from the rubber boots I had worn for the past two days. These same boots also cut into my calves from the continuous lunging, squatting, picking up, and hauling off of my parent’s possessions and the majority of the house’s interior structure. My own sentimental stuff was in the mix, too, including high school, college and law school degrees, letters from best friends and ex-boyfriends, and photos spanning decades. I was trying to hold back what felt like 106 billion gallons of damned emotions—the exact measure of water released from a local lake that flooded my parent’s neighborhood following Hurricane Harvey.

What had transpired was a Category 4 hurricane, super-sized from man-made overbuilding and poor environmental protections, making landfall deep in the heart of Texas. For almost three weeks, non-stop, I along with my partner, friends, and volunteers from local churches, stripped the house to its bare minimum: roof, struts, slab floor. I had a general sense of ache and fatigue, partly due to the lack of sleep and any real nourishment. This, along with an incomprehensible amount of worry and grief, were petty complaints and luxuries that I could not afford—not with my 81-year-old father walking around in a daze through the eight-foot-tall trash pile looking at the remnants of his life. Everything he had known for the past 30 years, upended by four-feet of flood waters.

On the daily 40-mile drive from the flood zone to our hotel, we cut through war-like scenes of destruction, rubble piled high, trees ripped and torn, homes tattooed with high water marks, and the stench of swamp. To tune out the bad commercial radio, I entered a post-apocalyptic game with myself. I told myself that after the storm I could choose from two fantasy gifts. One was impractical for my budget and mostly fear-based: a brand new Range Rover, which I’d never considered buying before the hurricane, but I was looking for armor, something that was strong and, as I tried to convince myself, impervious to destructive weather forces. The other was more in line with my lifestyle: 10 days at an Ayurvedic clinic in India to re-balance my body after all this stress. I’d been practicing yoga on a fairly deep level for the past 15 years, so I knew to park the Range Rover option, and book India.

Four months later, I checked into Vaidyagrama, a “true healing village,” a tag line plainly stated on their website, and, as I came to learn, a fitting description, indeed. For it does take a village to recuperate—it might take even a whole city, nation, or world—but I’m getting far ahead of myself.

Day one, I was met by one of the vaidyas, or Ayurvedic physicians, who share a common vision to healing. He was a gentle, middle-aged man who approached me with a warm smile. In his average English, from the start, he told me about one simple concept: the spiritual heart. We have a material heart and we care for this, but we also have a spiritual heart and we must care for it, he said. Mind you, if I’d heard it from anyone else, at any other time, it would not have been felt so viscerally, but I understood instinctively that this healer was sincere and that I had entered an authentic place. He believed what he was speaking and it came from an incontrovertible place in his soul. In a weird way, it felt similar to the feeling of care a parent gives when treating a sick child.

Ayurvedic medicine is not simply an Eastern medical profession, it is a way of life. Many people who take its teachings inside of India oftentimes do so from a family elder who passes the knowledge down like his or her elder before. It continues this way naturally from generation-to-generation. This has been curious to me because that chain doesn’t exist in the modern world of higher education or in many professions. Most Western doctors and nurses handle complex obstacles, such as disease and trauma as well as perform surgical operations that require a far different set of skills. Ayurveda, in contrast, seeks to care for the individual by employing preventative measures of self-care so that the body and mind stay in harmony with the environment, thus cultivating stronger and longer health.

It takes energy to deconstruct care, how we are to be cared for, and how we are to accept care. This felt impossible to do when I arrived in India so depleted. I’d voluntarily checked myself into an Ayurvedic hospital to recuperate, but after the doctor left my room, I found myself questioning my decision to come to a hospital at all. I was perfectly fine, right? Nothing was actually wrong with me, I reminded myself. I suffered from no disease or life-threatening ailment. I had taken a harrowing highway drive from the Coimbature airport to outside of town through dry and dusty India and had arrived at a modest and mellow place of healing, yet somehow it was all making me self-conscious. Had I been at a Western spa, or at a resort, the structure of my material self would have been firmly in place, if not feeling ever more special for the luxe stay; yet, I knew being pampered was somehow anathema to what I needed.


Related: Ayurveda’s Approach to Mental Health


My spirit was still dampened by thoughts of things of which I had no control, like the overdevelopment around Houston and building on marshes that should have been protected natural areas, and flooded with unimaginable responsibilities, like relocating my dad’s life. I thought about my spiritual heart and concluded that if I didn’t care for it, the body would bend to that course of bad health that I did not want.

The doctor put me on a regime of rest, a strict diet and medicinal massages, and I was told to slow down and not think about anything stressful. I quickly came to terms with the natural path to unwinding, and stuck to my instincts of choosing this Ayurvedic hospital in an effort to eradicate the trauma, and deconstruct so that I could move on.

For the first five days, each morning an hour after breakfast, I had a treatment called abhyangam, or oil massage, and dhanyamla dhara, which is pouring a fermented medicinal oil preparation onto the skin. Two young women in matching green colored bibs and billowy pants smoothed and rubbed medicinal oil into my skin while I laid on a hand-carved, thick wood table, or droni, made from a single piece of neem tree, used for its medicinal qualities. The oil was thick and smelled fragrant, like the moist soil of a forest mixed with sweet smelling blooming vines.

Speaking very little English, the girls rubbed oil into my scalp in a frenetic motion akin to scrubbing a stain out of cloth, and the same way I had seen women in India do with their children after bathing in the river. They then applied the oil to my body, lifting my arms, repositioning and scooting me along the droni, side-to-side, as needed. At first, the jostling made me feel like a rag doll, but the young women seemed to handle me the only way they knew how. It was the same way their moms handled them, and this went back generations. It’s peculiar to have a complete stranger, half your age, “mother” you in any way, but Mother India is a cultural phenomenon that has many teachings—and this was one. For most of our lives, unless or until we become an enlightened being, and regardless of how independent and successful we are as an adult, to be deeply cared for and healed takes another human being, an independent energy apart from ourselves, whether someone closely related, or someone we just met, like these young women and doctors.

After I showered off the residual oil, on the way back to my room, the girls pointed to the garden around the corner where the center grew its own herbs. In fact, each plant and tree on the premises was intentionally grown for a healing purpose. Knowing that the environment had been purposefully conceived rested peacefully on my conscious. The food they provided had also been harvested from their gardens as well as the tinctures I drank before the simple meals of rice, vegetables, sometimes a rasam, always a chapatti.

For the hour in between treatments and before lunch, I retreated to the built-in bed outside of my room on the patio draped in swaying bamboo chick blinds and closed my eyes. Under the cool wind of the ceiling fan, powered through energy conservation techniques, I was in a complete state of relaxation listening to the birds chirping, and the soft singsong of Tamil and Malayalam, the local languages spoken by the people walking to and fro down the thatched bamboo covered hallways. Each day that I returned to the patio, I felt more in equilibrium with myself and my environment.

In the mornings, I also attended the powerful and lovely pujas, and chanting. Finding time to show gratefulness to a higher power helped me feel connected to something other than the self. However, by the second week, I had become so lazy that striving beyond eating and sleeping was pointless. In the mornings and evenings, I stuck to my meditation schedule, which was easy under the circumstances, and because I’m not as disciplined as I’d like to be, in the afternoons, I lumbered over to the community space for some legal wifi, 30 minutes. As much as possible, I didn’t cruise through emails, social media sites, or memories of the flooded house, because it was irrelevant for this stay. Also, not conducting regular life like planning outfits and social occasions, doing errands, or paying bills created the time needed to indulge in a whole lot of nothingness. My job was to eat, receive treatments, bathe, become supine, watch birds flitter by, monitor mosquitos, and listen to the leaves rattled by a welcomed breeze.


Related: My Life As an Ashtanga Student in Mysore: The Essence of Seeking Consciousness


For the remaining five days, the doctor prescribed elakizhi, which is the lightly pounding of hot boluses stuffed with a poultice of inflammation reducing leaves, grated coconut, lemon, turmeric, rock salt and other herbs. This treatment dates back thousands of years, and was originally used for treating warriors home from battle. Trust me, after elakizhi, you don’t need more than the underbelly of a ceiling fan to entertain. Though the treatment may be referred to as a massage, it is far different from let’s say a Swedish or Thai massage. Mostly, Ayurvedic massage is to rub or, when doing elakizhi, pound natural herbs into the skin; it is not primarily for relaxation during the treatment. Although zoning out could be a natural byproduct of the treatment, along with any other hosts of occurrences that results from releasing toxins, it is mostly to rebalance the internal elements of our system that have become out of whack. In Ayurveda, these elements are defined by the five earth elements—fire (agni), water (jala), air (vayu), earth (prithvi), and ether (akash)—and, in turn, are represented by three groups, or doshas—vata, pitta and kapha—that connect the language of Ayurveda to symptoms of illness or pain as well as to our physical state of being for diagnosis.

Maybe I wasn’t suppose to use my brain too much, but I found, as my body and mind relaxed, surrounded in a supporting, environmentally conscious space, a sense of energy from an interior point so far inside my body that it could have been the back of, the beginning, or the base of my spiritual heart—which is what for me discovery feels like—and I knew something serious was transpiring.

Looking back over my life, I realized, my deep healing needs had always come from those experiences that fall on the furthest point of the spectrum, the hottest fire, the darkest night, the coldest heart, but it really shouldn’t be that way and Ayurveda told me so: It’s the moderation, the prevention, the care and love that we give to ourselves, daily, moment-by-moment, from where health’s true balance is found. One doesn’t need a natural disaster to happen to learn how to deeply care for ourselves, but, apparently, I did. It was critical to understand this lesson because our culture teaches us independence and fortitude. It says, if and when we find ourselves in need of help, we can’t accept it, because you don’t really need anyone. Warning: This is a trap. The more you buy into this lie, the harder it is to break down your own resistance to true self-care, which, actually, involves others (sometimes strangers).

Today, my dad is in pretty good physical health, he has a great sense of humor and lives in the present, but mostly he doesn’t remember the hurricane and I have to remind him why he’s not able to live at home. As a family member, I did my duty. I think anyone in my position would do the same, but when some karma comes knocking on your door, and it doesn’t look pretty, brace yourself, and do what you’re called upon to do, like Krishna points out to Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita. Arjuna is a warrior whether he likes it or not, Krishna says. So we must do our dharma, whatever that my be, but if I could be so bold as to suggest, consider tacking on a trip to an Ayurvedic clinic for as long as you can after the war.

Photography by Leslie Hendry

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Are You Drinking Enough Water? https://www.sonima.com/food/health-nutrition/drink-water/ https://www.sonima.com/food/health-nutrition/drink-water/#respond Mon, 06 Aug 2018 12:00:59 +0000 http://www.sonima.com/?p=19962 Water has a deep and rich history in Vedic tradition, the basis of both Ayurveda and yoga. In fact, there are more than 100 words and synonyms for water in Vedic texts. When it...

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Water has a deep and rich history in Vedic tradition, the basis of both Ayurveda and yoga. In fact, there are more than 100 words and synonyms for water in Vedic texts. When it comes to spiritual rituals, water was always the medium. It was used to carry intention, bind spiritual wishes, and as a vehicle for blessings in ancient practices. Rivers were admired and highly regarded for their mother-like nourishment to life. The flowing and connecting property of water is what helped sustain life.

Considering water’s spiritual significance, it’s not surprising that Ayurveda sees water as extremely important to our overall health. There are three essential things that support life itself: breath, food, and water.

Why You Need Water

Ayurveda suggests there’s a separate system that carries fluids in the body (known as udaka vaha srota). Its main control mechanism is under the upper palate, near where the major endocrine regulating hypothalamus and pituitary glands are located. There are several diseases and health issues that are thought to come from the imbalance in this channel or system, including diabetes, fluid retention, and swelling, like edema, and excessive thirst, to name a few. If someone doesn’t drink enough liquids, or consumes the wrong kinds (like too much alcohol), then damage to these fluid-carrying channels can occur.

Physiologically speaking, Ayurveda says that everything in the body has to move. Fluid is constantly flowing throughout the body. Water also supports two fluid tissues in the body: blood and lymph. If fluid is deficient, both blood and lymph lose their functionality, which causes a whole host of health problems. Lastly, the two waste products our bodies produce, sweat and urine, depend on fluid as well. In short, to sustain life, maintain tissues, and eliminate waste, water is invaluable.

When to Drink Water

Ayurveda recommends a series of morning rituals that should be completed before starting your day. It’s said that if you want to live 100 years, you should complete these rituals each day, without fail. One of them is drinking water—eight palmfuls to be exact. This measure is unique to each person and the size of his/her hand, and is done mainly to improve digestion and cleanse the body.

It’s also advised to keep the amount of water needed in a metal vessel. The type of metal you use depends on your body type. Ideally, you use copper for kapha (water), silver for vata (wind), and then gold for pitta (fire). Many people choose copper regardless of their dosha because it helps remove bacteria from the water.

For the rest of the day, drink water when you’re thirsty and based on the season. In the summer, you might need to drink more, and in the winter, you can drink less, but you should never force yourself to throw back bottles and bottles just because you feel like you should be consuming a certain amount.


Related: Why a Dehydrated Person Might Not Get Thirsty


There are also some specific recommendations about when to drink water in relation to eating food. Ayurveda says that if you want to lose weight, you should drink water before you eat. About 30 minutes before meals, you should drink a quantity of water that quenches your thirst. The reasoning behind this is simple: the more water you drink, the less hungry you will feel.

If you want to maintain your weight, you should sip water along with eating your food. This will help to mix the acid in your stomach with the food properly, and satisfies the volume of your appetite, because it takes a little space in between.

If you want to gain weight, you should drink water after you eat. This way, there’s more room for food in your body, and you won’t give away precious real estate to libations.

How to Drink Water

Drinking water, in general, is considered to be health-promotive in Ayurveda, although it’s very specific about what type of water to drink. Rain-harvested water is best for everyday drinking. The rationale behind this is that it hasn’t been mixed with other elements of the earth, so it doesn’t aggravate any of the doshas in a person’s body, and can easily reach and hydrate all the tissues in the body because it’s so pure.

Right now, most Ayurveda practitioners don’t drink rainwater because it’s a logistically difficult practice to implement. But I’m sure, in the future, there will be an industry for harvested rainwater bottled for people to drink.

When it comes to water itself, research has shown that water from different sources has different qualities. Water from the rivers that flow from the Himalayas to the east has different qualities from the waters that flow to the west. Well water, stream water, and rainwater all have different properties and qualities. Spring water is different from pond water. This is important because certain types of water can aggravate various health issues, and some types of water are harder or easier to digest. Generally, I’d recommend spring or mineral water because it’s the closest in quality to rainwater.

It’s common practice to treat the water you drink, since most people can’t drink rainwater. This can be done by boiling the water to reduce its volume by about half. You let it cool off, and drink it while it’s still warm.

Ideally, Ayurveda says you should never drink cold water. Summer is the only time when you can drink cold or room temperature water—but never ice cold. Why? Warmer water is thought to have metabolism-boosting benefits in Ayurveda, as well as health-promotive effects on the gut and digestive systems, and may help to prevent gas and bloating.

Bottom line: Drink warm or room temperature water first thing in the morning when you wake up, and continue sipping on it for the rest of the day whenever you feel thirsty in order to maintain your overall health.

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Ayurveda’s Skincare Secrets that Will Change Your Beauty Routine https://www.sonima.com/food/health-nutrition/homemade-face-mask/ https://www.sonima.com/food/health-nutrition/homemade-face-mask/#respond Wed, 18 Jul 2018 12:00:08 +0000 http://www.sonima.com/?p=19845 Ayurveda has been talking about the concept of beauty from within for 5,000 years. It’s message in a nutshell: How you nourish yourself on the inside is what will be reflected on the outside....

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Ayurveda has been talking about the concept of beauty from within for 5,000 years. It’s message in a nutshell: How you nourish yourself on the inside is what will be reflected on the outside. In light of this, it makes sense that the way Ayurveda approaches skincare is rooted in good overall health. In fact, some of the modern skincare practices that we see today are derived from this ancient science.

Skin, according to Ayurveda, plays a crucial role for two main reasons. It’s very important that we experience the world through all five senses, and skin is the largest sense organ in the body. Even though it is not used as extensively as the eyes or the tongue, it is still the largest. If the skin isn’t properly cared for, then your understanding of your surroundings you will not be complete.

Skin is also an organ that excretes waste material, i.e., sweat. Perspiration happens when toxins need to be eliminated in a timely fashion from the body, and the skin is responsible for that. For both of these reasons it’s crucial to place special attention into caring for your skin.

How Your Dosha Impacts Your Skin

You may already be familiar with the idea that there are three forces in the body, vata (wind), pitta (fire), and kapha (water). You may also remember that each person has a dominant dosha, or body type, that can be seen in a person’s skin appearance. Of course, this can vary, but when someone is at their healthiest, this is, generally, what their skin will be like depending on their body type.

Vatas tend to have dry, rough skin.
Pittas tend to have redder, delicate, and oily skin.
Kaphas tend to have normal skin that’s well-nourished and moist.

Vata regulates the gut on the inside, and is also seen in the skin on the outside. Because of this, skin is used as one of the organs that indicates how vata is working in the body. If the skin is dry, cracked, or discolored, then vata is increased and health can be compromised. This is important because vata controls every part of the body, including the other doshas, pitta and kapha. If vata can be controlled, then the rest of the body can automatically reach homeostasis.

Skin sensation is made possible by vata, but pitta is responsible for generating and secreting sweat. Pitta is also responsible for healthy color and complexion. In order to control vata and pitta in the body, Ayurveda uses the skin, so treatments meant to influence vata and pitta may be applied directly to the skin.

The Best Foods for Clear Skin

Diet, undoubtedly, plays a role in skin health. The word twak means “skin” in Sanskrit, and is the derivative of a specific action called twachya. Twachya is anything that you do or ingest that’s beneficial for the skin. Following general Ayurvedic diet principles is a good method of boosting skin health. Also, here are some specific foods and herbs that your outer layer will love:

  • Astringent and bitter foods, like mung beans and amalaki (Indian gooseberries), turmeric, and cumin seeds are thought to firm and tighten the skin.
  • Anything that’s moist, either with water or oil, is considered to be great for the skin because of its lubricating qualities. Examples include ghee, grapes, almonds, flax, and hemp seeds.
  • Shatavari is a rejuvenative Ayurvedic herb is commonly used to boost skin health.
  • Sprinkling food with Himalayan salt can be beneficial for the skin.
  • Drinking licorice tea is recommended from time to time to promote skin health.

Related: Guidelines for Eating the Ayurvedic Way


 

Try these All-Natural Topical Treatments

These days, face masks are a common cosmetic treatment. It might surprise you to know that Ayurveda has been using them for thousands of years. All those years ago, people knew that the skin is a surface for absorption. It’s only recently that this has been accepted into Western medicine.

Thirty years ago, when I would tell people that the skin absorbs everything, they would laugh at me because it was considered to be just a barrier. But now we know that it’s a living organ that absorbs and processes everything. In Ayurveda, we use all kinds of pastes and oils to reduce pain, redness, numbness, and more.

When it comes to beauty purposes, there is a completely dedicated category of treatments for healthy skin. Oils, pastes, and scrubs are used to smooth, clarify, lighten, and darken skin. That’s right, Ayurveda introduced the world to self-tanning.

If you’re interested in getting started with Ayurvedic skincare, one of the best things you can do is incorporate an oil into your daily beauty routine. Some of the most popular oils are:

  • Almond oil is recommended for all skin types.
  • Saffron oil, also known as kumkumadi, is recommended for all skin types.
  • Sesame oil is recommended for vata types.
  • Coconut oil is recommended for pitta types.

The next step would be to introduce a face mask. Here’s a homemade Ayurvedic skin treatment that you can try on your own, using everyday household ingredients.

A Homemade Ayurvedic Face Mask

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon rice flour
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • A pinch of turmeric
  • A pinch of cloves
  • 1 ½ teaspoon honey
  • Enough water or rosewater (for aroma) to make the mixture into a thick paste
  • ½ inch of lemon or orange peel, grated (optional)

Directions

1. Mix the following together, then apply as a mask on the face and allow to dry for 30 to 60 minutes.
2. Rinse with water. This gentle nourishing mask rejuvenates the skin and helps to neutralize the irritants that harm the skin.

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