Not So Sweet: Cortisol and the Problem with Sugar

by Nina Strawberry Donut by Natalie Gazul Cookies, brownies, ice cream, candy bars, donuts, etc.—have you ever found yourself turning to sugar when you’re stressed out? It turns out there’s a good reason for this. Well, maybe not a good reason. But at least a very compelling reason. A recent study Excessive Sugar Consumption May Be a Difficult Habit to Break: A View From the Brain and Body in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology showed that...

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The Cellular Benefits of Meditation and Relaxation

by RamThe Heart of a Tulip by Melina MezaArticles on our blog by Baxter (Thoughts on Dyana), Timothy (Starting a Meditation Practice) Brad (Stress Mind, Stressed Cells), Nina (Meditation and Compassion) and yours truly (Achieving Stillness in Turbulent Situations; Memory Loss: Meditation to the Rescue), among others, have all provided lucid explanations of how to meditate and of the benefits of meditation on body and mind, along with empirical...

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Yoga for Pain Management

by BaxterJust today, I met with one of my students for a private yoga session to address her continued experience of chronic pain. For this student, a combination of age-related changes to her spine and musculoskeletal system, as well as ongoing side effects from past chemotherapy, have conspired to result in chronic low back, hip, and leg pain. Her experience of chronic pain is complex and fluctuating, and for the past few weeks has been worse than...

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Guided Meditations: New Feature on the Blog

by NinaToday I just wanted to let you know that I've just added a new page to the blog, which contains Jill Satterfield's guided meditations. We're excited that she'll be recording some new ones. She'll be coming by the Yoga for Healthy Aging studio tomorrow so you can look forward to seeing some new ones in the weeks to come.For now, check out the new page here: Guided Meditations.Subscribe to Yoga for Healthy Aging by Email ° Follow Yoga...

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Balance Pose of the Week: Half Octopus Pose

Subscribe to Yoga for Healthy Aging by Email ° Follow Yoga for Healthy Aging on Facebook ° Join this site with Google Friend Conn...

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Best Protein Foods

What are Proteins?Before we look into what are the best protein foods, let’s first take a look at exactly what are proteins. Every cell in the body contains protein and protein is critical for those cells to grow. Equally important it that protein is needed to repair tissue damage which can be sustained during a heavy workout at the gym. Approximately 20% of your entire body weight is made up of proteins.All proteins are made of amino acids. There...

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Creatine Benefits

So what exactly are the creatine benefits and the creatine dangers? Well, before we get into those questions, let’s first ask ourselves ‘what is creatine?’ You always want to know what you are taking first.Creatine is a compound that provides energy to the muscle cells in the body. The human body actually produces creatine however most people have a deficiency. Creatine is produced in the liver from 3 amino acids called methionine, glycine and arginine....

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How to Motivate Yourself to Workout

It’s too hot, it’s too cold, it’s too early, it’s too late, it’s too close to lunchtime…..these are all common excuses when it comes to motivating yourself to workout. I am sure that you have your own list of excuses as well.How to motivate yourself to workout is the first critical step of your entire workout routine, and hopefully some of the below tips will help you. You have to want to work out so setting yourself goals or targets is a key component...

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Whey Protein Benefits

What is Whey Protein?Whey Protein benefits significantly outweigh the downsides (my next article will be about the side effects of whey protein so be sure to read it). If you are looking to build lean muscle mass then whey protein is the way to go. Athletes as well as bodybuilders are now using whey protein to build strength and turn unwanted fat into lean muscle.Let’s take a look at exactly what whey protein is before looking at whey protein benefits:Whey...

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Friday Q&A: This Class May Not Be Good for You!

Fir Forest by Gustave KlimtA reader left this question on our post What Your Yoga Teacher Really Wants to Know:Q: What if you're a fairly new teacher and someone shares something of the above with you but you don't really feel confident in providing a modification. Like you think, "Yikes! was it x posture or y pose that someone with her condition shouldn't do?" Or "Gosh, I can't remember which poses are contraindicated for that condition!" Have...

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A Conversation with World Bodybuilding Champion and IFBB Professional bodybuilder, Dr. Lance Dreher. By Dr. Michael Dusa

The Dusa Interview SeriesA Conversation with World Bodybuilding Champion and IFBB Professional bodybuilder, Dr. Lance Dreher. By Dr. Michael DusaMD: Hi Lance. First, I just want to truly thank you for agreeing to speaking with me.LD: I am happy to, Mike.MD: Please tell me of your path in the game.LD: Mike, I know you know of the times in which I had my beginnings in bodybuilding. I began in our garage as a kid, as my father had weights at home that...

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