Cozy Holiday Cooking

Cozy Holiday Cooking


Fit Yoga
November 2005

With Thanksgiving and Christmas on the near horizon, there is definitely a holiday buzz in the air. In the shift from colorful autumn to cozy winter, this spirited season is marked by dinner gatherings, lively parties, and evenings by the fireside with friends and family. It’s a time of hospitality, good company, and warm, inviting foods and festivities. I often imagine big mugs of honey-sweetened chai tea, fresh-from-the-oven caraway bread with melted butter, or my favorite: sumptuous, flavorful soups and stews.

Just the heavenly scent of different herbs and vegetables simmering on your stovetop is an irresistible welcome for anyone passing through your front door. A part of every culture, soup is also one of the best ways to warm, nourish, and strengthen your body when cold weather arrives.

Making soups and stews from scratch is quite simple. What’s more, you’ll find them easy to digest and a great way to make sure you’re getting healthy, fiber-rich veggies, legumes, and grains. Soups fortify the entire body—especially your vital fluids. They also have a soothing, nurturing quality to them, giving you a comforting sense of satisfaction when you finish your bowl.

The fall harvest brings in an abundance of yams, potatoes, parsnips, carrots, and beets, so by late autumn I’m especially looking forward to root vegetable chowders or creamy blends. A big pot of soup, in fact, is a great way to take advantage of these strengthening and grounding mineral-rich roots and tubers. This vibrant recipe is a perfect example.


Garnet Yam Bisque with mango chutney
This simple soup makes a stunning holiday appetizer. A breeze to prepare, it uses just 6 ingredients to achieve a beautiful silken texture and a delicious full flavor that doesn’t require any additional seasoning. The refreshing mango chutney is a must.

Ingredients
Soup
5 medium garnet yams (about 3 pounds)
1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1-2 tablespoons honey or sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons salt or to taste
5-6 cups water*


Mango Chutney
2-1/2 cups chopped fresh mango (about 2 large mangoes)
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh chili
1 teaspoon minced ginger
2 tablespoons honey or sugar
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves (quite packed)
1 tablespoon lemon juice


Notes:
*You may need to add more water depending on the moisture and size of the yams and the soup consistency you prefer.

Procedures
Soup
1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

2. Puncture the yams with a fork and bake for 75 minutes or until soft. Meanwhile, prepare the chutney.

3. Allow the yams to cool enough so that you can peel and chop them.

4. Melt the butter in a 4-quart pot over high heat. Add the ginger and sauté for a minute, then add the yam, honey or sugar, salt, and water. Place in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth, in batches if necessary. Return to the pot and bring to a quick boil. Add a little extra water if the soup seems too thick, stir it through, and adjust the salt if necessary.

5. Remove from the heat, ladle into bowls, garnish with the chutney, and serve.


Mango Chutney
Place all the ingredients except 1/2 cup of the mango in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer to a serving dish, dice the remaining 1/2 cup mango, and stir it into the chutney. Chill until ready to serve.

Tips/Variations
Chutney suggestions: The Mango Chutney is also wonderful with crispy samosas, spring rolls, and tempura-battered vegetables.

Hands-on prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 1 to 1-1/2 hours
Total time: 1-2 hours
Makes about 8 cups

Wai Lana in the Media

Merry Christmas!

And best wishes!

Helping kids with ADHD

Every mother knows how hard it is to deal with a child with ADHD. Here's an interesting article to keep tabs on, and how you can alter your child's diet to help improve behavior!

CHOOSE: Essential fatty acids (EFAs)

Here is one fat you want your child to have: DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid, is the key to unlocking an ADHD child's brain. Studies have found that children with learning disorders, including attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders, often have an EFA deficiency.

The right kinds of fat are needed to help the brain fire information efficiently from synapse to synapse. An ADHD child experiences a miscommunication between brain cells, says clinical nutritionist Marcia Zimmerman.

A message is fired, but not received, "so then it gets sucked back up into the neuron that sent it in the first place," says Zimmerman. The EFAs help the brain cells receive the messages sent between synapses, thus eliminating the chatter and preventing the sending neuron from scooping up its own message.

Fish, flax seeds and nuts are great sources of EFAs. The specific EFA to look for is the omega-3 essential fatty acid DHA that's found in fish and some algae. Fish oil supplements are an efficient way to help your child get the amount he needs. DHA omega-3 eggs and other foods with DHA added to them are also good sources. EFAs from flax seed and other sources can work too, but the body needs to convert it into the form most advantageous for one's body, so they're a less efficient source.

Click here to continue reading

Say good morning with yoga!

good morning yoga

Deep breathing oxygenates the blood going to the brain and every cell of your body, so it’s very energizing. It wakes up your body and mind—without jitter-causing caffeine. Deep Breathing
Wai Lana suggests two simple wake-up exercises:
Energizing Breath
1. Stand with your feet together, then inhale slowly through your nose as you raise your arms to the sides. Fill your lungs completely as you bring your arms over your head until your hands meet.

2. Exhale audibly through your mouth as you lower your arms to your sides, emptying your lungs completely. Repeat 5 to 10 times, then relax.

Energizing breath

Wake-Up Stretch
If you have trouble balancing on your tiptoes, stand with your back to a wall.

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Inhale and raise your arms over your head.

2. Interlock your fingers and turn your palms up. Press your elbows straight and look up at your hands.

3. Rise onto your toes and stretch your whole body upward. Breathe slowly and deeply as you hold for 5 to 10 seconds.

4. Exhale as you lower your heels, straighten your head, and lower your arms. Repeat 3 to 5 times.

Wake up stretch

Wake up and energize each day with Wailana's Good Morning Yoga!

Cross Leg Pose

Cross Leg Pose

Wai Lana's Asana of the Week: Cross Leg Pose
This pose is a waist-reducing spinal twist. It stretches the buttocks, outer thighs, and hamstrings, too.

1. Lie on your back and extend your arms to the sides at shoulder level.

2. Inhale and raise your right leg.

3. Exhale and lower your right leg to the left. Bring your foot down as far as you can, simultaneously pressing your right shoulder down. If possible, rest the inner edge of your foot on the floor. Breathe normally as you hold for 30 to 60 seconds.

4. Inhale and raise your right leg.

5. Exhale and lower it straight down. Repeat with the left leg.

Hints…
You can either relax your crossed leg or straighten your knee. To increase the hamstring stretch, move your foot toward your hand. Relax the leg on the floor, letting it roll outward as you move into the pose. Be aware of the stretch in the waist, hips, and lower back.

Here's an Easier Way…
If your foot doesn't reach the floor, you can rest it on a cushion to help you relax into the stretch.

Benefits
• Reduces fat around the waist and hips
• Tones the legs
• Loosens the lower back and hip muscles
• Gently massages the internal organs
• Stretches out hip tension

Yoga: A Breath of Fresh Air

Yoga: A Breath of Fresh Air
Tomorrow’s Child Magazine
Spring 2004

by Wai Lana

“Breathe in … breathe out …” The open window lets in cool, fresh air as little arms rise and fall in time with the breath. If this is not yet a common sight in your Montessori school, it may be soon. As more and more schools include yoga in their curriculum, parents and teachers are realizing that yoga is a wonderful, healthful activity that underscores the Montessori philosophy of nurturing the whole child.

Children love movement, so they love doing yoga. Imaginative play is innate in kids, and yoga gives them ample opportunity to pretend. As they become dogs, cats, bridges, and trees, body and mind learn to work in harmony.

Yoga is versatile too. It can be a quiet indoor activity, or it can be more vocal and fun when kids make sounds and gestures to accompany their poses. Try doing yoga to music, or take yoga outside when weather permits and let the children enjoy their connection to nature with Salute to the Sun or Tree Pose.

Sometimes the focus is on holding a pose, on the breath, or on the animal they are imitating. Earnest faces reveal the concentration needed to hold balancing poses. This ability to focus stays with them and makes it easier for them to concentrate on schoolwork and other tasks.

In fact, a yoga practice can easily be woven into other aspects of learning. For example, when studying the desert, kids can be introduced to Camel Pose with a discussion of how the camel stores fat in its hump to be used as fuel on long journeys. Yoga can be interwoven with geometry by looking at the different shapes the body makes in the various poses. A yoga posture can also be a catalyst for a simple anatomy lesson or an explanation of the inner workings of the body.

Yoga develops children physically by building strength, stamina, and flexibility. On a deeper physical level, yoga’s focus on good posture helps young spines grow straight and strong. The poses regulate and balance the production of hormones, which is especially important as children approach and pass through puberty. Yoga also improves digestion, nutrient absorption, and elimination while helping strengthen the immune system.

When doing yoga postures, kids learn that they need to be patient; they must persevere and concentrate to get better at the poses. As they improve, they gain a sense of accomplishment and self-confidence. Yoga also gives children valuable tools to help them cope with stress and with emotions like sadness or anger. Yoga postures, breathing, relaxation, and meditation techniques teach them how to calm the mind and release tension in the body.

You can teach yoga to the class as a group, but once the children experience how good it feels to stretch and twist, you may just find them doing it on their own, especially if you set up a special yoga area with a kid-size mat or two. All in all, yoga is a wonderful activity for children. It brings balance and harmony to both body and mind, and gives them tools that can keep them healthy, not just during childhood, but also throughout their adult lives.

Here’s a yoga asana called the Bridge. It helps improve digestion, bronchial conditions like asthma, and poor posture.

How to Do the Bridge: Lie on your back with your arms at your sides. Bend your knees and place your heels close to your buttocks. Keep your feet and knees apart. Lift your hips up to make your body into a strong bridge. Lift up high so tall boats can sail under you. Hold for a few seconds, then lower your bridge. Repeat a few times.

Wai Lana in the Media

Wai Lana Green

Wai Lana's got another whole new line! Care for nature? Go green with Wailana, keep your yoga practice safe!



Check out Wai Lana Green to find out more.

News From Wailana: The Changing Face of Yoga

The Changing Face of Yoga
Sports Edge magazine
May 2004

Wai Lana focuses on yoga as a way of life and offers a bevy of products that cater to this type of consumer, from the tremendously successful Little Yogis line to a soon-to-be released vegetarian cookbook. "Because yoga is a lifestyle, products having to do with almost every aspect of one's life will be of interest to yoga practitioners," Wai Lana says.

Wai Lana In the Media

Wai Lana's Got a Christmas Sale!

Great timing for those of us who are trying to catch up with the gifts to send out this Christmas season!

Here are just some of the baskets:


go to Wai Lana's website to find out more about her Christmas sale.

Get Your Kids Outdoors!

Kids Wildly Out of Touch with Natural World, BBC Survey Reveals
British children are so out of touch with the natural world that they are no longer able to identify common species of plants and animals, according to a survey conducted by BBC Wildlife Magazine.

The results "reinforce the idea that many children don't spend enough time playing in the green outdoors and enjoying wildlife - something older generations might have taken for granted," said the magazine's Fergus Collins.

Seven hundred children between the ages of 9 and 11 were asked to identify various plants and animals from pictures. Just over 50 percent were able to identify a bluebell, with many mistaking the plant for lavender. Only 54 percent were able to identify a blue tit, and only 45 percent knew what an oak tree was. Forty-two percent correctly identified a newt, with many mistaking it for a lizard, and just 12 percent could identify a primrose. Many children mistook a deer for an antelope.

The children performed slightly better at identifying frogs, with a 62 percent success rate, while 90 and 95 percent could identify badgers and robins, respectively.

The survey also found that playing in the countryside ranked dead last among children's preferred ways of spending leisure time. Going for a walk or playing outside both ranked lower than playing on the computer or seeing friends.

Sir David Attenborough warned that the findings have dire implications for the future of the environment.

"The wild world is becoming so remote to children that they miss out," he said, "and an interest in the natural world doesn't grow as it should. Nobody is going protect the natural world unless they understand it."
.
Experts said that overprotective parents are partially to blame for the results, but so are conservationists, who are often afraid that children will damage nature.

"Environmental sensitivities should not be prioritized over children," said Martin Maudsley of the University of Gloucestershire. "Play is the primary mechanism through which children engage and connect with the world, and natural environments are particularly attractive, inspiring and satisfying for kids. Something magical occurs when children and wild spaces mix."
news

Skipping sugar, it's possible!

10 years later, school still sugar free and proud


The children in the cafeteria drink low-fat milk, shovel corn kernels on their sporks and munch on tuna sandwiches on wheat.
One of the most requested vegetables at Brown Mills Elementary School is broccoli, according to its principal.

One of the most requested vegetables at Brown Mills Elementary School is broccoli, according to its principal.

For dessert? Peaches.

There are no bake sales here, no birthday cupcakes, no cookies or ice cream. Don't even think about bringing sugar to Browns Mill Elementary School.

As schools around the country have begun removing soda and junk food from their premises, the elementary school in Lithonia, Georgia, was ahead of the curve, cutting out sugar 10 years ago under the watch of principal Dr. Yvonne Sanders-Butler.

"Childhood obesity, it's our tsunami, it's our Katrina," she said. "If we're really thinking about the best interests about the young people today, then we will take a stand."

Some may think the steps are draconian, but a glimpse inside the school's cafeteria shows hundreds of students coolly sipping their milk and juice and eating, instead of screaming, squealing and swapping snacks. Soothing jazz music plays in the cafeteria. Video Watch Dr. Sanders-Butler in the school cafeteria. »

The school day starts with an hour of jumping jacks, exercising and dancing -- one morning to the beat of "Whoomp! (There It Is)" as the children bounce and sing along. Students also eat a breakfast of omelets, soy milk, organic cereal and turkey sausages.

"When students are healthy, they do their best work..." Sanders-Butler said. "We want to make sure we're providing foods that will not only nourish the body, but also brain foods."

It turns out the kids don't hate the healthy stuff.

"One of the most requested vegetables now is broccoli..." Sanders-Butler said. "Can you believe that? The kids love broccoli."

In the first six months of the sugar ban, disciplinary incidents went down 23 percent, counseling referrals decreased 30 percent, and in the first years of standardized test scores, reading scores improved 15 percent, she said. Browns Mill was named a national blue ribbon school and a Georgia school of excellence in 2005.

The school since 1998 has shown improvements in test scores, truancy rates and counselor referrals, said Dr. Terry Huang, the director of obesity research for the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. More data such as body mass index would be needed to see whether the students became healthier, Huang said.

"We have preliminary evidence showing benefits of the program in terms of the school level indices, but we're not able to draw definitive cause-and-effect conclusions due to insufficient data," Huang said.

While the National Institutes of Health is not involved in studying the school, Huang said there is interest; 17 other Georgia schools are replicating the Browns Mill program.

Simone Davis, who was a fifth-grader when the school banned sugar, credits the program with ingraining lifelong lessons about healthy eating.

"I was one of the heavier students in elementary school, so I really lost a lot of weight and just became healthier overall with the changes," said Davis, who is now a slender junior at Spelman College. "Kids were hyper, bouncing off the wall and those things changed."

Sanders-Butler overhauled the school's menu, nutrition program and vending machines after battling her own weight troubles and surviving a stroke at 39. When she sought to eliminate sugar from the school, many resisted and warned her she was endangering her job.
Health Library

* MayoClinic.com: Children's snacks: 20 tips for healthier snacking
* MayoClinic.com: Guidelines for a healthy diet for kids

"If we don't do something, we're talking about children that are probably going to lose their life at some point. We have to take a stand," she said.

Schools are now pulling soda from their vending machines and cafeterias. California schools can sell only water, milk and fruit and sports drinks that contain a specified amount of sweeteners. Beverage distributors such as Cadbury Schweppes, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have agreed to sell only water, unsweetened juice, and flavored and unflavored low-fat and fat-free milk at all elementary and middle schools by the 2009 school year.

Research into the effectiveness of these kinds of interventions in schools is beginning, but recent studies suggest banning soda at school has minimal impact.

A study in Maine compared the soda intake between students at high schools where soda was permitted and schools where it was banned. Researchers found that reducing soda availability did not decrease consumption, according to the 2008 study published in the Society for Nutrition Education.

Another study published this year in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that limiting soft drinks at school decreased consumption by 4 percent.

Removing junk foods from schools may not eliminate the problem.

What happened in Browns Mill was the result of a number of factors, said Dr. Kenneth Moritsugu, former U.S. Surgeon General, who now chairs the Johnson and Johnson Diabetes Institute. He credits the principal for creating "an environment in her school where it became a normal part of the curriculum to learn about what's important as far as diet."

"It really focuses on the children and having the children learn how to make healthy decisions for themselves," he said. "Second, it created an environment within the schools that encouraged the kids to make those decisions. By having healthier foods, by having physical education, by having vending machines, that gives the children the opportunity to make healthy choices."
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Browns Mill fifth-grader Cori Bostic said she would prefer honeydew, watermelon or cantaloupe to cake anyway.

Wincing slightly, the fifth-grader said, "Junk food makes my stomach hurt."

CNN News

Skipping sugar, it's possible!

More great Christmas Gift Deals from Wailana!

Wai Lana's made smaller gift baskets- cheaper yet still of superb quality!





check Wailana's Yoga store for more information

Cooking ideas for the Holidays

Cozy Holiday Cooking

Fit Yoga
November 2005

With Thanksgiving and Christmas on the near horizon, there is definitely a holiday buzz in the air. In the shift from colorful autumn to cozy winter, this spirited season is marked by dinner gatherings, lively parties, and evenings by the fireside with friends and family. It’s a time of hospitality, good company, and warm, inviting foods and festivities. I often imagine big mugs of honey-sweetened chai tea, fresh-from-the-oven caraway bread with melted butter, or my favorite: sumptuous, flavorful soups and stews.

Just the heavenly scent of different herbs and vegetables simmering on your stovetop is an irresistible welcome for anyone passing through your front door. A part of every culture, soup is also one of the best ways to warm, nourish, and strengthen your body when cold weather arrives.

Making soups and stews from scratch is quite simple. What’s more, you’ll find them easy to digest and a great way to make sure you’re getting healthy, fiber-rich veggies, legumes, and grains. Soups fortify the entire body—especially your vital fluids. They also have a soothing, nurturing quality to them, giving you a comforting sense of satisfaction when you finish your bowl.

The fall harvest brings in an abundance of yams, potatoes, parsnips, carrots, and beets, so by late autumn I’m especially looking forward to root vegetable chowders or creamy blends. A big pot of soup, in fact, is a great way to take advantage of these strengthening and grounding mineral-rich roots and tubers. This vibrant recipe is a perfect example.


Garnet Yam Bisque with mango chutney
This simple soup makes a stunning holiday appetizer. A breeze to prepare, it uses just 6 ingredients to achieve a beautiful silken texture and a delicious full flavor that doesn’t require any additional seasoning. The refreshing mango chutney is a must.

Ingredients
Soup
5 medium garnet yams (about 3 pounds)
1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1-2 tablespoons honey or sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons salt or to taste
5-6 cups water*


Mango Chutney
2-1/2 cups chopped fresh mango (about 2 large mangoes)
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh chili
1 teaspoon minced ginger
2 tablespoons honey or sugar
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves (quite packed)
1 tablespoon lemon juice


Notes:
*You may need to add more water depending on the moisture and size of the yams and the soup consistency you prefer.

Procedures
Soup
1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

2. Puncture the yams with a fork and bake for 75 minutes or until soft. Meanwhile, prepare the chutney.

3. Allow the yams to cool enough so that you can peel and chop them.

4. Melt the butter in a 4-quart pot over high heat. Add the ginger and sauté for a minute, then add the yam, honey or sugar, salt, and water. Place in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth, in batches if necessary. Return to the pot and bring to a quick boil. Add a little extra water if the soup seems too thick, stir it through, and adjust the salt if necessary.

5. Remove from the heat, ladle into bowls, garnish with the chutney, and serve.


Mango Chutney
Place all the ingredients except 1/2 cup of the mango in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer to a serving dish, dice the remaining 1/2 cup mango, and stir it into the chutney. Chill until ready to serve.

Tips/Variations
Chutney suggestions: The Mango Chutney is also wonderful with crispy samosas, spring rolls, and tempura-battered vegetables.

Hands-on prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 1 to 1-1/2 hours
Total time: 1-2 hours
Makes about 8 cups


Wai Lana hosts the long-running TV series Wai Lana Yoga, which airs around the world and nationally on PBS and the Wisdom channel. She is the author of Wai Lana’s Favorite Juices and the upcoming Wai Lana’s Favorite Soups. For more information, please visit wailana.com.

Meditate, and Beat Depression

Ah, learn the best meditation for free at Wai Lana's meditation station... it's worked wonders in my life.

Meditation Works as Well as Medication to Beat Depression

A study just published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology reveals that meditation is just as good as medication for treating depression, even serious depression.

In other words, you can drop the drugs, pull up a yoga mat, and just meditate your way to happy times instead of popping pills.

The meditation approach also has the advantage of not causing you to kill yourself or others around you -- those are behavioral side effects well known to be related to conventional antidepressant drugs.

Of course, meditation takes more time than popping a pill, which makes it less appealing to many consumers, but it does have the benefit of being essentially free.

Perhaps we'll see a new bumper sticker that says, "Don't Medicate. Meditate!"

Personally, I think meditation and other self-actualization arts are very valuable, but don't forget your basic nutrition, too. I've met plenty of people who meditate, do yoga, practice energy healing and still have health problems. You know why? They're vitamin D deficient and don't get enough sunshine.

Source

Yoga Worries

Not Limber Enough for Yoga

The Mississippi Press
September 2006

My quest for optimum health goes on and this week it has led me to yoga.

I must admit that I approach yoga with a certain hesitancy. I do believe in the benefits of yoga, but I've had a bad experience with it.

A few years back, I had a girlfriend who was really into yoga and was quite good at it. So, one day she decided to teach me the basics. Well, the relationship went south shortly after that session and I will always believe it was the sight of my large and somewhat flabby body doing some position called downward facing dog that soured the romance.

So now, even though my fiancee, Donna, is really into yoga, and I'm a little slimmer after losing 20 pounds this summer, I still have not asked her to show me any moves.

The idea of taking a yoga class with a whole bunch of other people just seems outrageous. Yoga is a very private thing to me.

So instead of seeking help, the other day while Donna was gone, I took out one of her DVDs and went through a session by myself with a television hostess named Wai Lana. I like the idea of being taught something exotic like yoga by a woman with an exotic name.

We started off with a very simple move. You take your hands and extend them over your head for a big stretch and then bend your spine backward just a little.

It was like waking up in the morning. It felt great. I'm thinking this is a snap.

She got a little more difficult when she went to her knees. Her feet flatted under her and she told me to sit down on the heels of my feet. Well, my feet didn't flatten and sitting on my heels was uncomfortable. In fact, it hurt. So, I didn't do that part.

Then she went into this pelvic stretch where the knees spread out in opposite directions, the head goes forward and the belly, I think, is supposed to go to the floor. "Just let gravity take you on down," she said. Yeah, right.

I was thinking that I could get into that position, but I'll never be able to get back up without help.

I went to retrieve my cell phone to keep by my side in case I needed to call someone like an EMT.

I did do the pelvic stretch, but it didn't look like hers.

She went to a lying down position that felt really good. I loved that one, even if it wasn't really a position. Of course, she had more instructions from there.

It was at this point that I realized Wai Lana has no bones in her body. Perhaps her ligaments and tendons are not attached the way mine are. She is as limp as a rag doll. I was truly amazed.

The point where she lost me completely is when she lifted her legs and feet over her head and touched the ground in back of her. It's hard to explain the move, but I can tell you that if I had accomplished the move, I would be either dead or in traction today.

Even though I didn't do a lot of the moves on the tape, I attempted a lot of them and did get a workout, of sorts. Donna tells me practice is the key.

But really, I'm just proud to have made it through without injury. That's success.

Source

Wai Lana's Summer-Fresh Cooking

Summer-Fresh Cooking

Fit Yoga
August 2005

Late summer’s garden bounty makes it easy to serve fabulous meals with no fuss

In mid to late summer, my garden is really busy! Gorgeous scarlet-hued heirloom tomatoes, delicate green peas, jumbo zucchini, and purple and white marbled eggplant crowd the rambling vines and stalks. Hot pink radishes pop their heads from the ground, as do carrots so big they take an hour to munch. It’s certainly easy to eat well this time of year. Even if you don’t have a garden of your own, you’ll find summer’s best and brightest fruits and veggies overflowing the markets—at rock-bottom prices. And most of it is local too.

I’m a fresh-food addict. In fact, I have just about every fresh herb under the sun growing in my backyard, from cilantro, lemongrass, and Thai basil to summer savory, sage, and marjoram. The flavors jump out of the bowl and liven up even the simplest dishes. Not only do fresh foods and herbs taste best, they also make for quick, fuss-free cooking. You needn’t rely too much on your culinary skills or on time-consuming gourmet recipes to make something fabulous when you’ve got an abundance of fresh, seasonal produce. For a salad, all you need are ripe tomatoes off the vine, some hand-torn basil, a pinch of coarse sea salt, and a splash of good balsamic vinegar. Quick stir-fried garden greens and veggies served with a side of quinoa or couscous make a lively main course. And maybe some marinated tofu done on the barbecue to top it off. That’s easy, casual cooking at its best.

Summer is also a time when I crave light, refreshing meals that are easy to digest and don’t leave me feeling too full. I find simple, quick-cooking soups are the perfect solution. One of my favorites is a creamy, aromatic Zucchini Bisque topped with a cool, tangy homemade salsa. A lovely experience for both the eye and palate, it makes for a beautiful, satisfying meal or appetizer. I call it the ultimate “last-minute soup” because it takes just minutes to prepare and uses a small number of everyday ingredients. Serve it with croutons when there are kids at your table. Just adults? Let the colorful salsa stand on its own as the elegant crowning gem.

Wai Lana hosts the long-running TV series Wai Lana Yoga, which airs nationally on PBS and the Wisdom channel. She is the author of Wai Lana’s Favorite Juices and the upcoming Wai Lana’s Favorite Soups. For more information, please visit www.wailana.com.


Easy Zucchini Bisque with Apple Radish Salsa

Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
10 cups chopped zucchini (5-8 zucchini)
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh or dried tarragon
1 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
5 cups water
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
Dash of paprika
1 recipe Apple Radish Salsa and/or croutons for garnishing (optional)

Instructions
1. Heat the butter or oil in a 5-quart pot over high heat. Add the zucchini, tarragon, and salt and sauté for a few minutes until golden. Add the water and bring to a boil. Continue to boil for about 5 minutes until the zucchini is tender.

2. Begin preparing the salsa (see recipe below).

3. Remove soup from the heat and place in a blender or food processor along with the cream cheese and blend until smooth, in batches if necessary. Return to the pot and simmer uncovered on the lowest heat while you finish preparing the salsa.

4. Remove from the heat, ladle into bowls, and garnish with paprika and Apple Radish Salsa and/or croutons.

Apple Radish Salsa Garnish

Ingredients
3/4 cup diced tart, hard apple (peeled and cored)
1 cup diced peeled, seedless cucumber
1/4 cup finely diced radish
1/2 cup minced chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons minced chives or green onion
3 tablespoons lemon juice, or
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon honey

Combine all the ingredients in a 2-quart bowl and chill until ready to serve.

Hands-on prep time: 10-15 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Makes about 8 cups soup plus 2 cups salsa

Source

Stay Healthy and Hydrated with Fresh Juice

Stay Healthy and Hydrated with Fresh Juice

Fit Yoga
July 2006

By: Wai Lana

Since every one of us was a kid, we’ve been told we need to drink 8 glasses of water a day minimum—especially when doing lots of exercise. In my family of yoga practitioners and martial artists, this is something we take very seriously, particularly in the summertime. In fact, one of the best ways to protect your health and the health of those you love is simply by keeping everyone hydrated.

Many of us are at least partially dehydrated much of the time. Even just feeling thirsty means you’re dehydrated. Dehydration causes an electrolyte imbalance that affects everything from your energy level and metabolism to your flexibility and coordination. It can increase feelings of anxiety and confusion while negatively affecting your memory and concentration. Constant dehydration is also said to be a precursor to many health problems, such as gallstones, kidney stones, and edema. So if you sweat a lot in your yoga practice or you live in a warm climate, it’s very important to stay adequately hydrated.

When practicing yoga asanas, drink water before and after. Take small sips throughout your workout if you need to. If it’s really hot, you may wish to add an electrolyte packet to your water or have a sports drink instead. Coconut water is nature’s perfect sports drink, but if it’s unrealistic for you to chop open a coconut a couple of times a day, another easy formula I’ve always used for my family is fresh orange juice with a pinch of salt. Orange juice is rich in potassium, a crucial electrolyte that, along with sodium, is easily lost through perspiration. So add a pinch of salt to your OJ and you’ve got your own homemade sports drink.

Generally speaking, eat lots of fruits, vegetables, soups, and juices. These foods are naturally rich in electrolyte minerals and water. Avoid strong diuretics, such as coffee and caffeinated teas or sodas, as they will hasten the loss of fluid from your body. Stick to moisturizing, replenishing, and energizing seasonal fruits and veggies. Opt for whole fruit over dried and boiled foods over baked. The latter in both cases will draw moisture from your body during digestion. When you eat nuts, soak them first. If you’re on a high-protein diet, increase your fluid intake as protein requires considerably more moisture for digestion.

My absolute favorite way to increase the quality of my fluids is by juicing fruits and vegetables. I recommend choosing ones that are rich in potassium, like Asian pear, papaya, mango, cantaloupe, banana, and even avocado. Broth or soup is also a wonderful way to replenish fluids, especially when made with mineral-rich potato, carrot, tomato, yam, or sweet squash.

JUICE RECIPE

ASIAN ELIXIR
Here’s a light, sweet, and refreshing fruit and veggie juice that’s just delicious on a hot summer day. It truly satisfies your thirst as it strengthens your bones, teeth, and immune system.


Ingredients
3 large bok choy leaves
1 cup bean sprouts
2 parsnips
1 Asian pear
5 fresh mint leaves (or more)
1-inch piece fresh ginger (peeled)

Method
Chop ingredients in pieces small enough to fit through your juicer hopper. Rotate soft and firm ingredients through your juicer, ending with firm. Serve with or without ice.

Benefits
Rich in electrolyte minerals, this replenishing, cooling juice is perfect for summertime. It’s also a good source of calcium, so it helps strengthen your bones, hair, teeth, and nails. It can also be helpful if you suffer from arthritis, diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, or fatigue. Mint and ginger are both mild stimulants, so you may not want to drink this combination just before bed. Ginger improves digestion, metabolism, circulation, and immune function.

Wai Lana hosts the long-running TV series Wai Lana Yoga, which airs nationally on PBS and the Wisdom channel. She is the author of Wai Lana’s Favorite Juices and the upcoming Wai Lana’s Favorite Soups. For more information, please visit wailana.com/juicing.

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Food for the Body That's Good for the Soul

Food for the Body That's Good for the Soul

A real yogi eats to live, rather than living to eat. This doesn't mean your food has to be tasteless, though. In fact, cooking has always been one of my favorite hobbies. Over the years, my family and friends have patiently tested my kitchen creations (which, I must admit, sometimes flopped). But after trying out hundreds of dishes, I now have quite a few tried and true recipes to share with you that are healthful, tasty, and easy to prepare. I'll post a new favorite here each week, so check back often for delicious new additions to your diet.

So what do yogis eat? A vegetarian yoga diet, of course, consisting of fresh fruits and vegetables, beans and grains, nuts and seeds, and a moderate amount of dairy products. You can prepare countless dishes using various combinations of these nutritious foods. Fry up some spices and turn a plain vegetable dish into a savory Indian curry. Add herbs for a Mediterranean flavor or ginger and coconut milk for a delightful Thai entree. With scrumptious and satisfying dishes, even the die-hard meat-eaters in your family won't miss the meat. And if they think "vegetarian" means bland and boring, they're in for a pleasant surprise.

A Spiritual Diet
You don't have to be a vegetarian to do yoga, but as you become more aware of your body, you'll find that eating meat makes you feel heavy. A vegetarian diet, on the other hand, helps you maintain the light and energized feeling you get from practicing yoga. Just go easy on the fried spring rolls and cheese dishes—they can put on the pounds.

The yoga diet is especially important if we want to elevate our consciousness to the stage where we're feeling love and compassion for all living beings—including animals. Eating them, rather than respecting and caring about them, simply hardens our hearts, moving this goal beyond our reach.


Making the Switch
Switching to a vegetarian diet isn't hard as long as you have tasty alternatives. And you don't have to do it overnight. First cut down on red meat, then gradually eliminate it from your diet. As you find other vegetarian foods you enjoy, you can gradually give up poultry, fish, and eggs. You'll join the ranks of thousands of new vegetarians, many of whom have changed their diets for health reasons now that flesh foods have been linked to cardiovascular disease, colon cancer, and so on. Even cutting back on meat a little will benefit you—and I'm hoping my recipes make this transition easy and enjoyable.

Don't worry about getting enough protein. Vegetarians get lots of protein in legumes, grains, and the like. Even the U.S. Department of Agriculture places meat second to last in importance, behind grains, fruits, and vegetables. There's now a vegetarian food pyramid and a wealth of scientific evidence proving the health benefits of the yoga diet. I have my own living proof: My three healthy and athletic kids—vegetarians since conception!

So try out this week's recipe or browse the site for something that catches your fancy. And be sure to visit us again for more tasty and healthful "eat to live" recipes. Bon appetit!

Wai Lana's Weekly Message

Here is Wai Lana's weekly message.

German scholar
A German scholar was preparing to leave for India to learn yoga. His colleagues asked him if he was going there to learn the yoga siddhis, or mystic powers. The scholar replied that he was not. He said that the yoga siddhis or mystic perfections were already being duplicated by modern science and he was therefore not interested in them.

He told them, "The mystic yogi struggles for decades to achieve the power to levitate or the power to stay underwater for long periods of time. But with the development of airplanes and submarines, modern scientists have achieved the same aim."

"Then what kind of yoga are you planning to learn?" they asked him.

"I am going to learn the process of yoga that leads to the perfection of spiritual love. That is the true and highest goal of yoga."
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Study Finds Non-Drug Meditation Treatment Beats Depression

More reasons to do yoga! Do go to Wai lana's Meditation station to get some relaxation.

Study Finds Non-Drug Meditation Treatment Beats Depression

Clinical depression is far more than feeling blue. According to the National Institutes of Health, more than 20 million people in the U.S. have persistant depression that can interfere with everyday life, impact health and even lead to suicide. Now, for the first time, a study has shown that treatment based on meditation is an effective alternative to prescription drugs, even for people suffering from serious, long-term depression.

The research, just published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, found that the group-based psychological treatment called Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) was as good or better as treatment with anti-depressants like Prozac in preventing a relapse of serious depression -- and the non-drug therapy was more effective in enhancing quality of life. What's more, the study concluded MBCT is cost-effective in helping people with a history of depression stay well for the long term.

The research team, which included British investigators from the Mood Disorders Center at the University of Exeter and the Center for Economics of Mental Health (CEMH) at the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College in London, looked at 123 people who had suffered repeated episodes of clinical depression. In a randomized control trial , the research subjects were assigned to one of two groups. Half continued their on-going drug treatment with anti-depressants and the rest participated in an MBCT course and were also given the option of stopping their anti-depressant medications.

MBCT focuses on targeting negative thinking and helps people who are at risk for recurring depression to stop their depressed moods from spiraling out of control into a full episode of depression. During the eight-week trial, groups of between eight and fifteen people attended meetings with a therapist who taught them a range of meditation exercises that they could continue to practice on their own once the course ended. The MBCT exercises were primarily based on Buddhist meditation techniques and helped the study participants learn to focus on the present, rather than dwelling on the past or worrying about future tasks.

Although the meditation exercises worked in a different way for each person, many reported more control over their negative thoughts and depressed feelings. Over the 15 months after the trial ended , about 47% of the group following the MBCT course experienced a relapse -- but those who continued normal treatment with anti-depressant drugs experienced a much higher, 60 percent relapse rate. In addition, the group practicing the mindfulness meditation techniques learned in the MBCT program reported a far better quality of life, more overall enjoyment and better physical well-being.

In a statement to the media, Professor Willem Kuyken of the University of Exeter , who headed the research, explained that people treated with anti-depressants are highly vulnerable to relapse when they stop their prescription drug therapy. "MBCT takes a different approach – it teaches people skills for life. What we have shown is that when people work at it, these skills for life help keep people well. Our results suggest MBCT may be a viable alternative for some of the 3.5 million people in the UK known to be suffering from this debilitating condition. People who suffer depression have long asked for psychological approaches to help them recover in the long-term and MBCT is a very promising approach. I think we have the basis for offering patients and GPs an alternative to long-term anti-depressant medication. We are planning to conduct a larger trial to put these results to the test and to examine how MBCT works," Kuvken said.

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Obesity and Sugar Substitutes

Obesity and Sugar Substitutes

While obesity has become an epidemic among Americans, the food industry has found ways to reduce calories and sugar content in many products. A major method of doing so has been the use of artificial sweeteners. However, by replacing natural ingredients with artificial ones, I wonder if we really are progressing and improving nutritional value. While fake sugars significantly reduce caloric values, there are side effects to sweeteners that may be more serious and worthy of our attention. I found an article that details the dangers of sugar substitutes, where it is explained that aspartame, the main ingredient in Equal and NutraSweet, has had more complaints than any other food additive available to the public, and studies have shown that it can lead to damage to the central nervous system and genetic trauma. Even though the recepients, (rodents), were receiving extremely high amounts of the sweetener, these results demonstrate that this is a potentially dangerous substance that we are putting into our bodies. And while Splenda does not contain aspartame, it is calorie-free because it's chemical composisition goes unrecognized by the body and cannot be absorbed; however, some scientists predict that after a while, our bodies will recongnize it and digest it as sugar (no longer making it "calorie-free").
Sweeteners and other food subsitutes seem to be a short-term way to cut calories and lose weight. I think that in order for this country to truly progress and improve the obesity epidemic, the American life style has to change. Substitutes allow us to continue to eat the way we have been eating, but instead, we must change our dietary habits to live healthier lives. Obviously, this would involve excersise and healthy eating, and not simply cutting a few calories here and there, but I think this would improve the American people's general wellbeing.

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Microwaved water, a killer?

Microwaved Water
See The Effect Upon Living
Organisms Fed With It

The experiment was divided it into two parts. The first part was heated to boiling in a pan on the stove, and the second part heated to boiling in a microwave. Then after the water treated had been cooled. The water was used to water the two identical plants to see if there would be any difference in the growth between the pan boiled water and the water boiled in a microwave. The theory was that the chemical composition of the water may be altered by the microwave. As it turned out, we were amazed by the results.

An experiment was made to see how plants or any living organisms react to microwave radiation. Bottle A is microwave-heated water, while Bottle B is purified water. See the pictures above and compare the difference of their appearance. Both of them were treated at the same time. The plant in Bottle A tends to wither so soon, while Bottle B showed that the plant is still healthy and perky.

Another experiment was done on potted plants showing the effects of Microwave-heated water, which is shown below. Day 1: The plant was pruned back to record new growth.

Day 3: The plants are continuously watered regularly with Pot A in microwave-heated water and Pot B in purified water. See the difference between the two? Pot A seemed to be a bit thin and stopped sprouting leaves, unlike with Pot B; plus the color of the leaves started to differ. Pot B has a healthier color of leaves than Pot A.

Day 5: On day 5, you can see the major difference of the two pots. Pot A seems to be slowly drying out and dying while the plant in Pot B continues to grow and have a healthy color on its leaves.


Day 7: By this time, the plant in pot A looses its leaves and withers. You can tell how a microwaved-water affected the plant in pot A.
What happens to all of the food we heat in our microwave ovens? What of the baby's formula we heat in the microwave? What is the effect upon the babies gentle developing organs? What does over 20 years of using water and eating food heated out of a microwave do to our bodies? We need to stop and think about these plants above and what they are trying to tell us through this experiment. Repeat this at home and you will find the same results. This may give you a clue as to why the Russian banned it from their country after World War 2 even though they invented it.

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