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Showing posts from July, 2017

Four Simple Tips for Listening to Your Body

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One of my favorite things to help my clients with is learning to listen to their bodies. I always say that I know a lot about health, but you know your body the best. When you really tune in, you will notice that it’s always talking to you. The simple act of tuning in each day can give you a profound insight into your health. You’ve heard about meditation and the importance of mindfulness. Hint…. It isn’t hard to listen to your body! You can do it in just moments a day. I’ve made it easy with these four simple tips! 1.    Focus on Your Breath We’ve all had moments where our stress level is elevated and we feel out of control. That adrenaline rush your body is feeling is fight-or-flight mode. This survival technique kept our ancestors alive in times of great distress. Unfortunately, our bodies cannot distinguish between an impending deadline and a charging lion. You can regain control, however, by focusing on your breath. This is one of my favorite methods of tuning into my body, be

Vitamins And Minerals For Emotional Balance

Deficiencies of vitamins and trace minerals have been reported in people with mood disorders, and these days, deficiencies are widespread. Modern, industrial, processed food does not give our bodies the protective nutrients – especially, vitamins and minerals – needed for optimal physical and mental health, and emotional balance . Correcting the deficiencies with dietary supplements sometimes helps. Most frequently cited as a good candidate for supplementation is the B-complex of vitamins , a group of water-soluble compounds that the body cannot store and needs constantly for optimum metabolism. Its need for them is increased by stress, erratic diets, use of drugs and alcohol, smoking, illness, shift work, and demanding travel. In short, there is no reason not to take the whole complex of B-vitamins in supplement form, but also no reason to take them apart from a daily multivitamin/multimineral supplement. Allow Dr. Weil to emphasize: Dietary supplements are not the whole answer, as

Cinnamon Pecan Homemade Breakfast Cereal

Romesco Sauce | Component Cooking

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Of all the components I’ve shared so far, this romesco sauce recipe is my favorite. It’s an easy sauce/spread that’s made from a few simple ingredients, primarily roasted red peppers. If it’s summer, I recommend making your own roasted red peppers but during the cooler months, jarred roasted red peppers sustain me. Romesco’s smokey flavor is wonderful on sandwiches, with eggs, and especially with roasted vegetables. Make a batch on the weekend and use throughout the week- you won’t regret it. Read more and see the recipe. The post Romesco Sauce | Component Cooking appeared first on Naturally Ella . from Naturally Ella http://ift.tt/2tOa1UD Erin Alderson July 30, 2017 at 09:56AM

Your 20-Minute Total-Body TRX Workout

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Straight from the Navy SEALs, TRX  has been shown to increase strength , balance, flexibility and stability, all in one portable, lightweight package. This 20-minute TRX workout, created by master trainer Garson Grant, will target the core, glutes , chest, hamstrings and back — all with just the TRX straps , your bodyweight, and some good old-fashioned gravity. Each move can be modified to make it more or less challenging — just play around with the angle of the body or the distance to the anchor to reduce or increase tension on the straps. Hang on — you're in for a serious workout! Not sure how to perform a move? Scroll down below the infographic for detailed how-tos. RELATED: 275 Bodyweight Exercises to Shake Up Your Routine Your Total-Body TRX Workout TRX Exercises How-To's 1. TRX Balance Lunge Start with arms by the sides (not extended), holding a TRX handle in each hand. (a) Descend one leg back into a lunge — the knee just hovering off the ground at roughly 90-de

5 Things that Will Affect Your Muay Thai Experience in Thailand

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The post 5 Things that Will Affect Your Muay Thai Experience in Thailand appeared first on Way Of Ninja . Going to Thailand for the first time? You have some romanticized expectations of Muay Thai training there, don’t you? Sorry to burst your bubble… but your experience is unlikely to match your expectations. Why? There are  a number of factors that will affect your training experience. For example, if you’re new to Thailand and don’t speak the language, you’ll only be able to access Muay Thai gyms that use English to instruct. You may also fall for common scams in the kingdom. How about we get more specific… Factors that affect your Muay Thai Training Experience These are some factors that will affect the kind of training experience you’ll get. Counting down from the least to most important, here they are… 5 Familiarity with Thailand If you’re totally new to Thailand and the culture, you’re in for a culture shock. You have to get used to the food, traffic, and weat

Golden Beet Hummus

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This week I felt like I needed to step up my snack game. You know, do a better job of having easy, good-for-me things to grab between meals. Hummus is an obvious go-to, but I thought I'd take a swipe at making a version that is on the lighter side. Hummus often has a lot of tahini and added oil, and I wanted to see how I could rein it all in a bit and really amp it nutritionally as well. Billowy and smooth, this is a boosted hummus for everyday, all-day ;) enjoyment. Meaning, it's delicious without being overly indulgent, and it incorporates a number of favorite all-star ingredients - golden beets, turmeric, and legumes. Enjoy! -h Continue reading Golden Beet Hummus... from 101 Cookbooks http://ift.tt/2tMjSdN July 29, 2017 at 12:32PM

Five Years of Kung Fu Tea: Making Martial Arts Studies Matter

Zucchini Sweet Corn Hash Egg Skillet

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I like to think that during the summer season, I am more creative with my cooking. All the ripe produce is beautiful and there’s so much to choose at the markets. Truth is, I’m actually a tad bit lazier. I find myself making meals with all the odds and ends. Those meals are also usually simple at best. It’s easy to make a delicious meal, hardly any effort required. This egg skillet has been a favorite of mine through the years. Zucchini and sweet corn is a true summer staple and I’ve found it’s hard to go wrong with this simple combination. This skillet is straight forward but it’s really made with a heavy hand of homemade salsa (seriously, this stuff is the best.) Make this egg skillet for breakfast or lunch- you won’t be disappointed. Read more and see the recipe. The post Zucchini Sweet Corn Hash Egg Skillet appeared first on Naturally Ella . from Naturally Ella http://ift.tt/2vblGkR Erin Alderson July 27, 2017 at 01:13PM

Burning nerves with needles in back pain – stop the burning, just use the needles!

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This piece has also been stimulated by a publication in JAMA , this time evaluating the use of denervation of joints in spinal pain.[1] It is a set of three large (n=251, n=228, n=202), probably definitive, pragmatic trials that evaluate the use of radiofrequency denervation (RFD) as an addition to a 3 month standardised exercise programme. The design is such that the intervention was given the greatest possible opportunity to demonstrate an effect, that is both the specific effect of the intervention plus the context in which it is provided. This is rather similar to the Acupuncture in Routine Care (ARC) trials performed as part of the German Modellvorhaben Akupunktur;[2] all of which were markedly positive for acupuncture. The results seem clear – at no time point did the difference been intervention and control reach clinical significance in terms of pain intensity (the primary outcome); and in only one of 18 time points across the three trials did the difference reach statistical

Try This Salad That Has Mood-Boosting Potential!

In Dr. Weil’s research, he has found that an anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle would be effective both as a treatment for and a way to prevent depression. Dr. Weil’s Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid is a simple tool that encourages following an Anti-Inflammatory Diet, and the basis of this pyramid is vegetables and fruits. This recipe has plenty of both, and is perfect for warm weather gatherings. Try the Watermelon and Heirloom Tomato Salad and see how healthy eating can translate to a healthy outlook! The post Try This Salad That Has Mood-Boosting Potential! appeared first on DrWeil.com . from DrWeil.com http://ift.tt/2vbuaZ0 Kara Gonos July 27, 2017 at 12:00PM

5 Badass Resistance Band Exercises for Total-Body Strength

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[caption id="attachment_60575" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Courtesy of Kaisa Keranen [/caption] Give the barbells and weight machines a day off and reach for some resistance bands instead. They might look flimsy, but those brightly colored cords are some of the most powerful pieces of equipment in the gym. And if you’re traveling this summer or have limited real estate at home, these bands take up no space at all. Keeping the bands taut while performing your go-to moves will give you comparable strength gains to using traditional weights, according to new research published in the European Journal of Sport Science . We tapped Kaisa Keranen , a certified trainer and movement coach based in Seattle, for some of her favorite moves incorporating bands. Like the superhuman Keranen is, these resistance band exercises are full-body, high-energy, dynamic movements that are anything but ordinary. Bonus: All you need to try the moves are a pair of loop

SAVORY MUFFINS WITH SWEET CORN + YELLOW SPLIT PEAS (gluten-free + dairy-free)

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Over the past couple months, I have been traveling back and forth between San Francisco and Portland just about every other week for work. Being in California feels like hanging out with an... Click on the title for the full post! from The Year In Food http://ift.tt/2tL8nHk Kimberley July 26, 2017 at 05:20PM

6 Open-Water Swimming Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

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[caption id="attachment_60551" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Twenty20 [/caption] Even if you hit the pool multiple days a week, your first organized open-water swim can feel disorienting, intimidating or just downright difficult. “Swimming in open water is completely different from swimming in a pool . There are no lane lines, and in most cases you can’t see the ground,” says Andrew Kalley, a USA Triathlon level II coach and senior coach at Chelsea Pier’s Full Throttle Endurance in New York City. To smooth out your stroke, we’re letting you in on the mistakes most open-water swimming newbies make. Plus, you’ll get expert tips on how to avoid them so you can glide right to the finish. RELATED: 10 Swimming Tips to Improve Every Stroke 6 Open-Water Swimming Mistakes Most Newbies Make Mistake #1: Not practicing enough (or any) open-water swims What to do instead: All the pool workouts that fill your training plan will certainly boost your fitn

5 Protein Sources for Ninja Muscle Fitness & Recovery – Crickets Included!

5 Ingredient Classic Homemade Hummus

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Believe it or not, there was a time when hummus was not on America’s radar. Thirty-odd years ago, kids did not dip their crackers and carrots into hummus. I know, because I grew up in the middle of America, and no one was talking about hummus. We were eating meat loaf and PB&J. Which reminds me of a true story I just heard on a podcast. Back in the 1960’s, a Middle Eastern grade school boy was growing up in the middle of Ohio (his name is Thomas Royal Nimen and the story is here ). His school was pretty un-diverse, and one day he came home and told his mom he didn’t want Middle Eastern food in his lunch any more. “From now on, could we do peanut butter and jelly on Wonder Bread?” he asked. Because, the kids were making fun of him because his food didn’t look like everyone else’s. At the time, everyone else’s was PB&J. So what does his mother do? The next week, she convinced the principal to do a presentation at lunch. She brought in a load of Middle Eastern food: kibbe, ­fat

Za’atar Roasted Tomato Salad with Black Lentils

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Post sponsored by nuts.com. See below for more details. I have a fairly simple equation to my salad making that I follow most of the time. It is typically along the lines of greens + vegetable + legumes+ nuts/seeds. That’s it, that forms the base for salads. From there I’ll switch flavors, dressings, and add cheese. This particular tomato salad is no different. I like kale salads during the summer because the heat makes most other greens bitter. Roasted tomatoes are eaten every day, the za’atar is technically the seed portion, and black lentils are one of my favorite salad add-ins. The black lentils hold up well when cooked and also add a beautiful color to the overall dish. This is the second recipe in my series with nuts.com about a hard to find ingredient: black lentils. As I mentioned in my last recipe, black lentils are a bit hit and miss at stores but a necessity for me to have on hand for salads, tacos, and stews. Luckily, they sourced the perfect ingredient so that it’s eas

Active Lifestyle Is Vital To A Balanced Mood

Have you ever noticed that when you stray away from a regular routine of getting physical activity, you feel blue? That’s because human bodies are designed for regular physical activity. The inactivity characteristic of so many people today undermines both general health and brain health. It almost certainly plays a big role in the modern depression epidemic. An active lifestyle is one of the keys to maintaining a balanced mood . The fact that we spend so much time sitting – in cars, or in front of TVs or computers – is one of the most significant differences between the lifestyles of “advanced” societies and those of primitive ones. This is likely a major reason these pre-industrial people – or people who have opted out of industrial lifestyles, such as the Amish – enjoy much greater contentment than we do, and have extremely low rates of major depression. Many studies have shown that patients with depression who follow and stick with an aerobic exercise regimen: Improve as much

Episode 23: Charles Staley - How to Lift to Stay Strong and Healthy at Any Age!

Strength coach Charles Staley offers up his hard-earned wisdom about how to balance strength, body composition, and overall health as the years go by. From programming to choosing movements to flexible dieting, he touches on everything you need to know to plan out your lifting life! from Bodybuilding.com Articles http://ift.tt/2uuqWNe July 24, 2017 at 03:00AM

Dramatically Boost The Mind-Muscle Connection By Making One Small Change

This elusive concept has the power to recruit more muscle fibers and unlock massive gains. But it's not always easy to do! This one simple technique can help. from Bodybuilding.com Articles http://ift.tt/2twe1t1 July 24, 2017 at 03:00AM

With The Olympia In Sight, Finish The Summer Right!

Got eight weeks to look great? We've got your plan. Or rather, Steve Cook, Jay Cutler, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Kris Gethin do. Follow their lead, and crush your goals by fall! from Bodybuilding.com Articles http://ift.tt/2tEFE76 July 24, 2017 at 03:00AM

Patrick Lost Nearly 70 Pounds In Hopes Of Healing His Back

In preparation for his second back surgery, Patrick's doctor told him he needed a BMI of 32 before they could operate. Patrick chose to drop the weight and get fit. from Bodybuilding.com Articles http://ift.tt/2uruOjS July 24, 2017 at 03:00AM

Kris Gethin: Man Of Iron, Week 12

Week 11 was full of the unexpected. Week 12, on the other hand, is all about the grind. Their spontaneous half-marathon completed, Kris Gethin and Sunshine head back to the gym and to a local pond to continue adding muscle, burning fat, and mastering the complexities of open-water swimming. from Bodybuilding.com Articles http://ift.tt/2vTrETC July 24, 2017 at 03:00AM

How Strong Is Your Core? 3 Tests to Find Out

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[caption id="attachment_60482" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Twenty20 [/caption] The basis for all movement breaks down to one crucial fit factor: core strength. Whether you’re running , lifting, boxing or downward dog-ing, you need a solid center to crush every exercise — especially if you want to do so sans aches. “Core strength provides a firm platform to move our arms and legs, while keeping stress off the spine,” says Jonathan Ross, senior fitness advisor for the American Council on Exercise and author of Abs Revealed . “All the muscles that support the spine and torso — if they’re doing their job — both absorb forces and create forces. So they keep us stable when necessary and help us move when necessary.” RELATED: 50 Ab Exercises to Score a Stronger Core Stronger Core, Fewer Injuries Science supports the idea of putting core stability at the top of your workout priority list. Studies show a strong midsection helps you handle the deman

Looking Forward and Looking Back: The 2017 Martial Arts Studies Conference

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The dedicated core who stayed to the end of the Thursday afternoon workshop.     Conference Report   I recently had the chance to attend (and deliver a keynote at) the 3 rd Annual Martial Arts Studies conference, held at the Cardiff University.  Having also attended the 2015 and 2016 conferences I can state with confidence that the field continues to move from strength to strength.  Each of these gatherings has been a dynamic and exciting affair, and each has had its own unique strengths and topics of focus.  Cultural and film studies marked the first gathering, anthropology and theatre studies were prominent topics at the second, while history and sociology seemed to play a more visible role in these meetings.  Taken as a set the three conferences have showcased the breadth of questions asked in Martial Arts Studies.  And the professionalism of the papers that I saw this year (a notable improvement over the already good quality of work being showcased in previous years) spoke