Achieving Peace with Pranayama Yoga

BERLIN - JULY 01: German-American yoga guru P...
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Stress is a burden that has plagued nearly every individual in his or her lifetime. There are multitudes of stress-reliving medications, practices and activities out there, but finding the right one can be tricky. But, for anyone experiencing stress, the cure could be as simple as breathing properly.

Yoga breathing can be a powerful option to help individuals release negative thoughts and energy and discover an inner peace. Known as pranayama, yoga breathing is the science of breath control that consists of exercises that focus on the body’s needs. Pranayama is a Sanskrit word that means to release energy from its bounds.

Because so many lead a stressful life filled with many responsibilities, individuals often fail to think about their breathing patterns, resulting in them taking short, shallow breaths. The body can become deprived of oxygen, and everything from sleep deprivation to heart disease can result. Even after the stressful event has past, the negative affects and poor breathing patterns will continue.

Pranayama focuses on taking deep, long breaths to engage the lungs. When the subjects inhale oxygen, their bodies are filled with an energy that reaches every part in the body. Exhaling removes carbon dioxide from the body, thus relieving it of toxic wastes. The balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide is attained, and the steady, controlled breathing helps the body, mind and spirit to become connected.

Pranayama has many benefits; it helps lead the yogi to a relaxed body and mind, teaches better self-control, and helps to develop better concentration and focus. Pranayama also helps subjects to fully use their lungs, so that the body can get enough oxygen. When the body has sufficient oxygen, the metabolism and health of the individual will begin to improve.

Pranayama requires special training, and should be practiced with the help of a professional trained in the breathing techniques.

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Fish Oil for Optimal Nutrition & Health

Fish oil caps
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While most readers may only know about cod liver oil from watching old movies, there is a great deal of value to be added to human nutrition & health by adding fish oils to the typical diet. Fish oils contain Omega-3 fatty acids. These essential fatty acids are critical to nutrition & health, but many people do not consume nearly enough.

When shopping for supplements, make sure that you look for pharmaceutical grade fish oil. This type of oil has been filtered to remove many of the pollutants and toxins that are present in the ocean environment. Curiously enough, most regular pharmacies do not always stock pharmaceutical grade fish oil. Quality Omega-3 supplements for nutrition & health can be found at health food stores and online shopping sites.

Fish oil can help with treating heart disease, high cholesterol, anxiety, ADHD, depression, immunity, cancer, arthritis, Alzheimer’s, eye disorders, inflammation, and a host of other conditions and diseases. It is also reported to help with pregnancy, weight loss, and skin care. In fact, some fish oil proponents claim that Omega-3 rich fish oils are practically a miracle for nutrition & health issues.

In some cases, it pays to take fish oil supplements for nutrition & health before there is a problem. Recent studies report that while fish oil can help prevent heart disease, it has little effect once cardio-vascular problems have progressed. However, they don’t appear to do any harm.

There’s even a new prescription fish oil medication that targets extremely high cholesterol levels. Made by GlaxoSmithKline, Lovaza is the ultimate pharmaceutical grade fish oil. It has 900 mg of DHA and EPA, the good stuff in fish oil, per one gram dose. Most experts believe that you can get the same benefit from over-the-counter fish oils as long as they are of good quality, but you may be able to save some money if your insurance covers most of the cost of Lovaza.

Fish oils are safe for most people to use, but some people do experience some side effects. Some people experience some digestive issues as their body adjusts to the oils.

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The health benefits of drinking wine

Wine grapes.
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“All things in moderation” stands as a maxim that anyone looking to live a long, healthy life should espouse as sacred. Even too much oxygen will cause a healthy person to pass out. Too much water will drown a man. And too much sunshine, well, it’s easy to know what that will do.
Even things that are seemingly bad for the health and can impair vision and judgment may actually be beneficial when taken in moderation. Wine, for example, has a growing number of supporters as not only a relaxing beverage to take while winding down from a stressful day or while enjoying a nice meal, but as a useful agent to combat disease, most notably cancer.
Surprisingly enough, it’s the alcohol content of wine that actually acts serves in reducing the risk of heart disease, cancer, and degenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Yes, alcohol thins the blood but it also raises levels of good cholesterol, and the flavanoids found in wine act as antioxidants in the bloodstream, keeping harmful free radicals at bay.
In addition, the resveratrol found in wine works to lower the amount of blood clotting in the body and produces anti-thrombotic agents that can potentially strengthen the heart and lower the risk for coronary heart disease.
So the question is…what wine is best? Instead of getting into the argument of Cabernet v. Chardonnay, simply judge by the color of the grape (for example, red wine carries more resveratrol than white simply by the way it is made).
However, as with all good things, too much wine can be detrimental to wellness and slide one backward in a hurry, both figuratively and literally. Drinking too much alcohol often leads to dehydration, weight gain, and migraines. And perhaps more than anything, drinking too much tends to make you useless the next day. Remember moderation in all things as rule #1 in living and maintaining a healthy, happy life.

“All things in moderation” stands as a maxim that anyone looking to live a long, healthy life should espouse as sacred. Even too much oxygen will cause a healthy person to pass out. Too much water will drown a man. And too much sunshine, well, it’s easy to know what that will do.Even things that are seemingly bad for the health and can impair vision and judgment may actually be beneficial when taken in moderation. Wine, for example, has a growing number of supporters as not only a relaxing beverage to take while winding down from a stressful day or while enjoying a nice meal, but as a useful agent to combat disease, most notably cancer. Surprisingly enough, it’s the alcohol content of wine that actually acts serves in reducing the risk of heart disease, cancer, and degenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Yes, alcohol thins the blood but it also raises levels of good cholesterol, and the flavanoids found in wine act as antioxidants in the bloodstream, keeping harmful free radicals at bay.In addition, the resveratrol found in wine works to lower the amount of blood clotting in the body and produces anti-thrombotic agents that can potentially strengthen the heart and lower the risk for coronary heart disease.  So the question is…what wine is best? Instead of getting into the argument of Cabernet v. Chardonnay, simply judge by the color of the grape (for example, red wine carries more resveratrol than white simply by the way it is made). However, as with all good things, too much wine can be detrimental to wellness and slide one backward in a hurry, both figuratively and literally. Drinking too much alcohol often leads to dehydration, weight gain, and migraines. And perhaps more than anything, drinking too much tends to make you useless the next day. Remember moderation in all things as rule #1 in living and maintaining a healthy, happy life.

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Give Me Some Skin

It used to be considered gauche to eat the skin from fruits and vegetables, as it was widely thought of as an unnecessary if not bitter-tasting obstacle that only got in the way of getting to the tastier, suppler insides. But in many cases, time has shown that the skin of many fruits and vegetables actually hold as much if not more nutritional value than the stuff it protects, and can in many cases actually add to the taste of the food.
For example, potato skin not only holds many healthy nutrients and preserves the healthy aspects of the potato itself, but it is also very rich in fiber. Potoato skin is also a great source of vitamin C and vitamin B6, iron, and protein, and contains phytonutrients, which are organic parts of plants known to promote wellness and a natural source of antioxidants.
On the fruitier side of things, apple skin also carries high levels of antioxidants and protects the fruit from oxidation and discoloring too quickly. However it is always good to wash apples and other tree fruits before eating as these fruits are exposed to pesticides and other chemicals.
But wait, there’s more. The skin from eggplant contains ample amounts of fiber and potassium, a necessary nutrient for humans and one that prevents muscle cramps. Eating a cucumber with its skin has been know to decrease wrinkles, and the kiwi, with its fuzzy brown covering, carries a high amount of antioxidants and flavanoids, which bring anti-inflammatory benefits.
Eating the seeds of plants, vegetables and fruits also can be beneficial to one’s health. One glance into just about any baseball dugout will find traditional bags of sunflower seeds with copious amounts of shells scattered on the ground. While it remains to be seen whether or not sunflower seeds can help raise a batting average, they can serve as an excellent source of polyunsaturated oil, vitamin E, and vitamin B1. Sesame seeds, along with flax and pumpkin seeds, also serve as excellent dietary agents and have been known to aid in the fight against heart disease and high cholesterol.

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