“Institute for Integrative Nutrition Begins Road Tour” (Yahoo! Finance, May 14, 2008)
“Institute for Integrative Nutrition Moves to Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center as Demand for Curriculum Expands” (Fox Business, May 7, 2008)
“Healthy Substance Abuse” (Eugene Weekly, Cover Story Loving Your Body, Feb. 14, 2008)
“Mantra for Stress Relief” (Eugene Weekly, Cover Story Loving Your Body, Feb. 14, 2008)
Healthy Substance Abuse
Wining and dining your way to a healthy heart
BY MEGAN UDOW
We all have our weaknesses. For some it’s that box of chocolate, while others enjoy a daily latte. Yet these indulgences don’t have to mean guilt and regret. Wine, coffee and the most decadent of them all, chocolate, are not just indulgences anymore; they are ways of staying healthy.
“The power of the grape is in its skin. It’s cancer fighting and lowers blood pressure,” says local health counselor Sheila Gibbons. According to a study done by the American Journal of Physiology, red wine contains an antioxidant called resveratrol that benefits the heart tissue and helps in the prevention of heart disease. The same study found that wine drinkers also tend to choose foods that are healthier. And a quick note: While a glass or two a day may be able to keep the doctor away, it doesn’t mean a night of binge drinking counts as a healthy night out. Overindulgence in wine of any color can lead to liver, breast and other forms of cancer.
Some may see wine as an occasional treat, but there are many who cannot live without their daily dose of coffee. Luckily, the drug of choice in the Pacific Northwest contains a few antioxidants that have many benefits. Both caf and decaf cups have anti-adhesive properties that help prevent cavities — though that doesn’t justify a peppermint mocha! More importantly, coffee’s antioxidant compound boosts the activity of certain enzymes which protect against colon cancer, the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S.
A study in the European Journal of Social Psychology found that coffee can also impact the extent to which that special someone can be persuaded. Perhaps instead of a glass of wine for your date on Valentine’s Day, you could get your potential lover a cup of organic fair trade no foam skinny vanilla sugar-free latte — you may have a better chance of getting lucky.
Then there’s always chocolate- — the cause of many a failed diet. But don’t regret that square just yet. Chocolate contains flavonoids, which protect the heart and are critical for healthy blood flow and blood pressure. “Chocolate also raises endorphins and dopamine levels, making you feel better,” Gibbons says. However, not any old chocolate will do: “the darker the better,” Gibbons adds. A minimum of 70 percent cocoa is required, meaning that pint of Ben and Jerry’s New York Super Fudge Chunk you ate in one sitting doesn’t count.
Don’t forget that chocolate is still high in sugar, calories and fat. However, the concentration of antioxidants is highest in cocoa, two times more than in red wine and four times more than in black tea, meaning less guilt for chocolate lovers. Now not only will chocolate heal a broken a heart, it may help prevent one!
Source: Eugene Weekly, Cover Story Loving Your Body: “Healthy Substance Abuse”, Feb. 14, 2008
Mantra for Stress Relief
Calm down the monkey mind!
BY DEANNA UUTELA
Stability, clarity of mind, inner peace and a positive self image: Meditation sounds like living in your own personal utopia.
But can meditating really get rid of years of negative self-talk, insomnia, muscle strain, stomach tension, migraines and so many of the others problems associated with stress? Sister Kiran thinks so.
Sister Kiran, a Raja yoga instructor at the Eugene Brahma Kumaris Peace Place Meditation Center, is living proof of the power of meditation. As a young single mother on welfare, she says she lived in chaos before discovering meditation.
“Meditation has given me strength, patience, and a better relationship with my daughter. I don’t know where we would be today without it,” says Sister Kiran. “It has taught me how to value myself and has given me an opportunity to give back, which is very fulfilling.”
Sister Kiran has seen an influx of interest in meditation in the last couple of years. She attributes this partly to the growing popularity in alternative medicine and partly to a greater awareness of psychotherapy.
“When you go to the doctor now, they are going to prescribe more than just medicine,” Sister Kiran says. “They are more often than not going to tell you to do some sort of relaxation techniques, whether it is breathing practices or positive thinking.”
The Buddha Dharma Education Association asserts that the mind can be an important cause of sickness in the body, and it inevitably follows that the mind can also provide a cure. Learning how to meditate, they say, can develop both the body and the mind, bringing improvements to health at the same time. If a patient receiving treatment is able to understand that his sickness is physical and doesn’t allow it to affect his mental health, staying calm and cheerful, for instance, then his sickness will inevitably improve and be cured more quickly. But if a patient feels low-spirited and depressed, then the sickness will be more difficult and take longer to treat. Therefore, staying calm, clear-headed and cheerful at all times is something that can protect us from disease —?or so the association claims.
There are many forms of meditation, each one differing in prayer and posture techniques. The most common types of meditation are Transcendental, Zen, Buddhist, Raja yoga, Mantra and Chakra. The type taught and practiced by Sister Kiran is Raja yoga as taught by the Brahma Kumaris, which she says is a good option for beginners.
“Raja yoga is great to start with because it doesn’t require any specific postures, so you can do it regardless of age, flexibility or disability, it can be practiced anywhere. Meditation for beginners is guided, which means we provide recorded or live commentaries set against soft background music that guide your thoughts and help you to stay focused,” Sister Kiran explains. Before long, one can meditate without these “training wheels for the mind” as she calls them.
Though there are plenty of beginner meditation books and CDs available, Sister Kiran recommends taking a class to get the correct results and reach full potential. Most meditation classes usually require several lessons and some, like the ones at the Brahma Kumaris center, are free. Outside of class, she recommends meditating five minutes a day in the beginning and go up to 10 minutes after a couple of weeks. Just like any other type of physical activity, if you don’t do the work, you won’t get the desired results, warns Sister Kiran.
Personally, I have been told many times that I need to try meditation. Perhaps it is my two jobs and full time school schedule, the bags under my eyes or the small breakdowns I have when once again technology fails me, but something about me seems to make people think I am a prime candidate for meditation. When I have the stress of the day weighing on my mind and only an hour to spare in between errands and work, meditation seems impossible, but maybe it is not as difficult as I think. According to Sister Kiran, any time is acceptable to meditate, but she personally finds the mornings to be the ideal environment.
“There are fewer distractions in the early morning before most people are awake,” she says. “It is quieter and a lot easier to get into a meditative state. It is a good way to start your day.”
Once you find the time, the next task is finding the place. Whether it is your bathroom, bedroom or in the back seat of your car, finding a place void of distractions is important. Next, get into the proper posture depending on the type of meditation being practiced. Now comes the hard part. Clear your mind and focus your attention on an object, a mantra (a specially chosen word or phrase) or your breathing, depending on the type of mediation you are practicing.
“The reason why my classes are free is because I feel people need to know this stuff,” Sister Kiran says. “Raja yoga is meant for the modern working type and is a path to help you better handle the world around you. Think about what a different world we would live in if everyone was thinking positive thoughts about themselves and others.”
Where can you take classes or practice meditation in Eugene?
- Baba Nam Kevalam: Free yoga and meditation classes. Every Thursday 7 to 8:30 pm at the First United Methodist Church, 1376 Olive. Bring yoga pad or blanket, comfortable clothing. www.babanam.com
- Bodhi Path Buddhist Center: Meditation classes, workshops and lectures offered at 98 E. 13th Ave. 302-0093. www.bodhipath.com/eugene/index.html
- Brahma Kumaris Meditation Center: Free Raja yoga meditation classes taught by Sister Kiran. Classes start up again March 3 at 175 E. 31st Ave. 343-5252. www.bkeugene.com
- Eugene Buddhist Priory: Meditation classes, workshops and lectures offered. 344-7377. www.eugenebuddhistpriory.org
- Open Sky Shambhala Meditation Group: Offers courses in the practice and study of meditation. (541) 654-0236. www.shambhala.org
- Laughter & Meditation club: Meets alternating Saturdays and Sundays. Location varies. 255-2677. www.laughteryogini.com
- UO Health Center: Six week meditation class offered each term. Time and location to be announced. $13. 346-2770. www.healthcenter.uoregon.edu
Source: Eugene Weekly, Cover Story Loving Your Body: “Mantra for Stress Relief”, Feb. 14, 2008
