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How to Begin a Yoga Practice

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BY EMILLIE CLOSS

Beginning a yoga practice can be intimidating and it can be difficult to know where to start. There are so many varieties of yoga available, Hatha, Iyengar, Ashtanga, Bikram, and it can be daunting.

If you are an active person you may like something at a quicker pace, like Ashtanga Yoga, or maybe you’re someone who has never really enjoyed physical activity, so a Hatha or a Yin Yoga class may suit you. Start with researching the various styles of yoga and decide based on your physical capabilities as well as what you might be hoping to get from this practice of yoga. Will you be doing yoga as a physical exercise or are you looking to yoga as a meditative practice?  Perhaps a combination of both mind and body relaxation is your goal.

Once you have decided on what style of yoga and level, you now have the next question. Will I practice at home, alone? Or will I go to a gym or yoga studio?

Another option is creating a home yoga practice, being guided by a book, DVD or online yoga classes. There is currently a great variety for practicing yoga at home. Paying $20 a month for hundreds of yoga classes’ right at your fingertips.  This is certainly budget friendly and you get to partake in yoga classes’ lead by some famous yogi’s, but there is something wonderful and soul-filling about walking into a yoga studio, being greeted by burning incense, sipping herbal tea post yoga, that feeds the soul. Being surrounded by fellow yogis creates a great energy in a room. It is a wonderful feeling of community and total bliss. Many yoga studios offer new student introductory specials such as one week for $20 or your first class free. This is a great way to try out different classes, discover your style of yoga and have the opportunity to be adjusted and corrected in class to be sure your asanas (poses) are in proper alignment. Unlimited packages, class packages and drop in options are the norm for the yoga studio setting.

Your next option is the gym. This can be hit or miss. Surrounded by weights and other equipment, outside the door dance music can be heard, so this experience might not be as serene as you are hoping. In some cases though gyms offer a yoga studio experience in a beautiful room and talented yoga teachers. Gym yoga classes are usually at a monthly fee or class sessions/pay as you go. If you work out and are very active then the gym option may work best for you.

Wherever you choose to go I still recommend a home yoga practice. Whether daily or several times a week your body will thank you. The asanas will become a little more comfortable and when you reach those toes for the first time in twenty years you will smile to yourself and take a moment to celebrate. It is because of that feeling of joy and utter bliss that you will continue to do yoga and not just because you can touch your toes but because you are practicing the act of self-love and that truly is the best practice to take part in.

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Fitness

Men and health fitness

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BY RACHEL MARY RILEY

I always wonder some men enjoy health and fitness and some are not so interested in health and fitness. Some men believe that only woman should take care of themselves more even than themselves. Some men have been traumatizing by life and experiences that lead them into depression, mental health, oppression, obesity and violence you name it. Some men don’t care to eat and live a healthier lifestyle. I’m not here to counsel or judge but to speak the truth. Dear men, living in health matters. Not to show off your muscles to another woman or to prove to the world for validation but come to the place of becoming healed eternally, emotionally, physically and spiritually and to be able to become the best version of yourself. I find that there is so many counseling sessions, conferences and events for woman more than for men these days. But not enough shows to build an empower men to be the best version of themselves. In this article I’ll dive into the reason why men need to stay fit and healthy.

Men you can live in health and pass that legacy down to your sons and the next generation. It’s not always about the woman being healthy. As I think and meditate on men health and fitness. I see some men wising up and some not wising up. I find some men always pointing figures at the woman as the problem. Question to ask yourselves today as you read this article; who’s the most to die early? My answer is men. We have more woman in population. Let’s do a reality check. According to my research, I discovered that average man pays less attention to their health than the average woman. Compared to women, men are more likely to

  • Drink alcohol and use tobacco
  • Make risky choices
  • Not see a doctor for regular checkups

Men are assailed by the diseases that can affect anyone—heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, depression… But they also have unique issues such as prostate cancer and benign prostate enlargement.

Many of the major health risks that men face can be prevented with a healthy lifestyle: regular exercise, a healthy diet, not smoking, stress reduction, and alcohol consumption in the moderate range (no more than two drinks a day) if at all. Regular checkups and screening tests can spot disease early, when it is easiest to treat.

So don’t be an average man — get on board with protecting your health today men (Men’s Health, 2023).

Major health tips for men:

  • Visit your doctor- Schedule yearly checkups with your doctor and keep these appointments. Your doctor can help monitor your weight, blood pressure, and the level of cholesterol in your blood. Excess weight, high blood pressure, and high blood cholesterol are risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Your doctor can recommend lifestyle changes, medications, or other treatments to help get your weight, blood pressure, and blood cholesterol under control (Rogers, n.d.).
  • Eat natural foods and stop relying on steroid’s (Rogers, n.d.)
  • Workout and stay fit (Rogers, n.d.)
  • Get your vitamins (Rogers, n.d.)
  • Break unhealthy habits. Smoking is one of the worst things you can do for your health. Secondhand smoke is also very dangerous. Other health-damaging behaviors include excessive alcohol consumption and recreational or habitual drug use. Lastly, if you use recreational drugs, it’s important to stop. They’re linked to many health conditions. For example, cocaine use can cause heart attacks and strokes. Injected drugs of all sorts can lead to serious infections and skin breakdown at the injection sites. Some men also use anabolic steroids to increase muscle mass. This can lead to serious health consequences. Possible outcomes include sterility, heart disease, skin disease, and behavioral problems (Rogers, n.d.).

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Fitness

Is there any such thing as being addicted to food?

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BY RACHEL MARY RILEY

Yes, I firmly believe that you can be addicted to food. Sometimes it starts with cravings. There are some of you, including myself that have faced this. It is up to you to change that path, and walk the narrow way. Junk food or addiction to food can come from many bad habits.

One of the major habits is take-out and dining out. You are always on the go, and forget the whole purpose of home cooked meals and home cooked benefits.

Emotional eating and going through things in life can also tend to make people eat more than they usually do, and stop in to pick up their favourite comfort food during their lunch hour, or on their way home from work.

 Breaking addiction habits:

  • Intermittent fasting
  • Daily affirmation
  • Surround yourself with like-minded people

 Food addiction: It became a spiritual journey

I just thought I was a guy with a big appetite.

“I am 5 feet 5 inches tall, and at one point I weighed 215 pounds and had a cholesterol level of 287. My blood sugar was tested at 160, which my doctor told me indicated a pre-diabetic condition, and I was unable to stop eating for longer than three hours a day (usually between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m.)

Nevertheless, I just thought I was a guy with a big appetite.

Looking back, I realize now that I was: physically, mentally, and spiritually ill. I was a slave to my appetite, eating such quantities of food that the acid in my stomach made me sick. I was drinking half-a-bottle of Mylanta a day.

If I slept late, as I did on Saturday mornings, the acid caused headaches and such severe nausea that I threw up long after my stomach was empty. I would take medicine, which put me to sleep for three hours, and when I woke up with the nausea and headaches gone, I would go immediately to the kitchen and begin the cycle of eating again.

I have spent hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars looking for an answer in psychiatrists’ offices, to no avail. I was a workaholic and worried constantly. I knew no boundaries and no satisfaction. I always wanted more of everything. My futile attempts to control everything and everyone, and the continual black hole of emptiness I felt in my gut, were symptoms of my mental and spiritual illness.

I had heard of FA but for a long time I was reluctant to come to meetings. The literature mentioned God and I figured it was a religious program. At last, the pain of eating made me desperate. I started coming to meetings, but I decided I could do the program without a sponsor. I didn’t weigh, or measure my food, since I figured that weighing and measuring food were female things to do. Real men devoured their food. So, I devoured my food, and it continued to ravage my life. After three months, I got a sponsor and began to weigh and measure. Miracles began to happen! When I started giving up food as a drug, I found not pain, but freedom.

Since entering FA, I have lost 80 pounds, my cholesterol has dropped 133 points to 153, and my blood sugar dropped 103 points to 57. Learning to let go of food has taught me to let go mentally. I don’t worry as much, my rage and anger have diminished significantly, and I have shed many of my workaholic ways. The empty spiritual hole in me has been replaced for the most part with sunlight and gratitude.

Today, thanks to the program, I believe that I am as I was meant to be—thin and healthy. I am discovering myself for the first time.” (Food Addiction: Stories of Men in Recovery, n.d.).

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Fitness

Doing weight loss the natural way: juicing

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BY RACHEL MARY RILEY

There are so many methods to lose weight quickly and keep it off. However, through my journey and continuous studying, I have discovered that losing weight naturally is one of the best natural ways to reach your goals, create a healthier lifestyle, and keep that weight off for good. In this article, I shed some light on some major ways to lose weight naturally. You don’t always have to use supplements to get in your best shape.

Juicing: What’s the hype all about?
Juicing is like a combination of rich greens and fruits juiced together and you can have it in the: morning, day or evening. Some folks replace their protein shakes with fresh squeezed juice, and some folks have it when they are intermittent fasting.

What is the difference between homemade juices and store bought juices?
According to research, “Store-bought juices can often be high in sugar and stripped of valuable nutrients like fibre and other phytochemicals,” (Pankonin). Juices made at home are often higher in fibre, and you can control the amount of added sugars or alternative sweeteners that you use.

If you don’t have time to make them yourself, it is recommended that you look for juices that are vegetable-based—think green juices, tomato, and other veggie juices. “These will generally be lower in calories, but still contain a lot of nutrients and hydration,” (The 15 Best Juices for Weight Loss, According to Nutritionists, n.d.).

9 Natural juices recommended for weight loss

Blueberry green juice
Blueberries are the stars of this juice, which are packed with vitamin C, and anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants that give them their gorgeous purple colour. This yummy juice also gets a fibre boost thanks to the almond or soy milk, mixed greens, banana, and pineapple (The 15 Best Juices for Weight Loss, According to Nutritionists, n.d).

Beet, carrot, kale and carrot juice
“The Ginger is good for digestive health and the apple adds the right amount of sweetness,” (The 15 Best Juices for Weight Loss, According to Nutritionists, n.d).

Berry beet juice
This sweet, fruity juice combines beets, strawberries, and raspberries with a bit of ice and water for a cold, fibre-packed juice that will help you stay hydrated (The 15 Best Juices for Weight Loss, According to Nutritionists, n.d).

Watermelon raspberry juice
With just three ingredients, this juice is the easiest one to make and possibly the most refreshing, thanks to the lime juice and watermelon, plus fibre from each fruit (The 15 Best Juices for Weight Loss, According to Nutritionists, n.d).

Green juice with spinach and apples
“Spinach and apples are high in fiber, which can be both nutritious and super filling,” says Pankonin (The 15 Best Juices for Weight Loss, According to Nutritionists, n.d).

Morning green juice
This green juice has six ingredients that are all filled with fibre and flavour to help keep you full: celery, spinach, cucumber, green apple, mint leaves, and a tiny bit of fresh ginger (The 15 Best Juices for Weight Loss, According to Nutritionists, n.d).

Kale, carrot and cucumber juice
“These vegetables contain a lot of fluid and fibre, which can be both hydrating and keep you satiated,” says Pankonin (The 15 Best Juices for Weight Loss, According to Nutritionists, n.d).

Strawberry cucumber juice
Besides the strawberries and cucumber, this juice gets an extra punch of fibre thanks to carrots and apples (The 15 Best Juices for Weight Loss, According to Nutritionists, n.d).

Wild blueberry chia fresca juice
“Boosting fibre intake is tied in many studies to positive outcomes with long-term weight management, so adding foods like chia seeds is a great way to make sure you’re getting your anti-inflammatory omega 3s, filling fibre, and satiating protein all in a delicious, low-sugar juice,” says Hultin. “The blueberries and fresh lime brighten up this antioxidant-rich juice,” (The 15 Best Juices for Weight Loss, According to Nutritionists, n.d).

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