Wed, 14 December 2016
Do your feet hurt? Do you have hammer toe, overlapping toes, corns, or bunions? Without even realizing it, most people wear footwear that leads to poor posture, muscle imbalances, and chronic foot problems. Yoga can help, but you need to fix your footwear too. On this week's Yoga Talk Show, you'll meet a podiatrist-slash-yoga-teacher, Michele Colon, who will share with you her experiences in the clinic and on the mat working with all walks of life to correct foot problems. Most people assume that foot problems are just cosmetic when in reality, your feet are foundational for your posture and can impact your knees, hips and back. Proper posture starts at the ground, and healthy feet will improve your walking and running gate as well as your balance very quickly.
ABOUT OUR GUEST Dr. Michele S. Colon has a Bachelor’s degree in Physiology, a Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences, and a Doctorate degree in Podiatry with a specialty in Foot & Ankle Surgery. Dr. Michele is also certified in Yoga, Reiki, Reflexology, and Laser Therapy. Dr. Michele specializes in Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, and Therapeutic Yoga to provide the most healing, relaxation, and rejuvenation to her patients and clients. Dr. Michele has studied Ayurveda extensively and has worked with some of the best practitioners throughout California to bring Ayurveda to the forefront of medicine. Links & Resources: Nutritional Tip:
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Thanks to Our Sponsor: Let me guess… you love essential oils but are sick and tired of diffusers that look like lava lamps from the 1960’s? If so, you need YOGABODY Essential Mister with a real-wood exterior. The simple, elegant design is a lovely addition to any room in the house, and it’s simple, foolproof functioning allows you to set it and forget it for hours and hours of continuous use. Originally designed for our commercial yoga studios, The Essential Mister allows you to bring the power of Aromatherapy to your home or office. USA-plug, but with a simple adapter can be used in any country. 1-year warranty, 100% satisfaction guaranteed.
Direct download: 233_-_Happy_Feet_How_to_Heal_Your_Messed_Up_Toes.mp3
Category:Health -- posted at: 3:10pm CET |
Thu, 1 December 2016
If you've ever completed goal-setting activities, no doubt "happiness" appeared on the top of your list. And yet, what is happiness? Really? Do you have a way to measure it? Do you have tools to achieve it? For most people, our tools for happiness are mindless televisions series, junk food, alcohol, and social media consumption. These tools work in the short term, but long term, there must be a better way. On this week's show, you'll meet, Jonathan Robinson, happiness researcher and best-selling author who has dedicated his career to the study of joy.
Jonathan Robinson is one of the world’s leading experts on happiness and how to get there. A psychotherapist, bestselling author of 10 books, and a professional speaker who consistently presents to Fortune 500 companies, he has reached more than 100 million people around the world with his practical methods. Jonathan has made numerous appearances on such shows as Oprah, CNN, and the leading morning shows, and been featured in Newsweek, USA TODAY, and the Los Angeles Times. He has spent more than forty years studying the most practical and powerful methods for achieving a state of personal life satisfaction and happiness. Links & Resources: Nutritional Tip:
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Thanks to Our Sponsor: Hurts So Good Massage Balls allow you to release tension, break up sliding surface dysfunctions, and improve circulation in and around your muscles and tendons, ligaments, and fascia.
Direct download: 231_-_Finding_Happiness_with_Technology.mp3
Category:Health -- posted at: 3:04pm CET |
Thu, 17 November 2016
Have you heard of sham surgeries? In 2002, 180 people with osteoarthritis of the knee joined a double-blind study. Some patients underwent real arthroscopic surgery and a placebo group simply had a skin incision and then were stitched back up. Here is where it gets weird. The placebo group self-reported identical results to those who had undergone actual surgery. This is just one example of thousands of documented instances of "mind over body" in healing modalities ranging from allopathic medicine and crystal therapy to group prayer and homeopathy. How can this be? On this week's Yoga Talk Show, we'll try to get to the bottom of this very real phenomenon.
ABOUT OUR GUEST His work focuses on the human element of science – the people who do it, those who benefit from it, and those who do not. He has written for The New York Times, Nature, Scientific American, Harper’s, National Geographic, and a number of other local and national outlets. His first book, Suggestible You, about how the mind and body continually twist and shape our realities was inspired by his feature in Discover and is on Amazon. You can learn more about his work at www.ErikVance.com Nutritional Tip:
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Thanks to Our Sponsor: Let me guess… you love essential oils but are sick and tired of diffusers that look like lava lamps from the 1960’s? If so, you need YOGABODY Essential Mister with a real-wood exterior. The simple, elegant design is a lovely addition to any room in the house, and it’s simple, foolproof functioning allows you to set it and forget it for hours and hours of continuous use. Originally designed for our commercial yoga studios, The Essential Mister allows you to bring the power of Aromatherapy to your home or office. USA-plug, but with a simple adapter can be used in any country. 1-year warranty, 100% satisfaction guaranteed.
Direct download: 229_-_The_Placebo_Effect_How_Suggestible_Are_You.mp3
Category:Health -- posted at: 11:03am CET |
Wed, 9 November 2016
Back pain affects an estimated 80% of the population at some point in life, and yet most conditions are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. To complicate matters, most people have hard line ideas about treatment of their mysterious conditions, so it's no surprise that chronic pain, recurring problems, and frustration abound. On the Yoga Talk Show, we tend toward natural, non-medical healing modalities; but there is a time and a place for allopathic medicine, and yes, even surgery. For every 10 students I know who healed their own spine, I know at least one for whom surgery was a life saver. Rather than look at the issue as black or white, it's important to consider all options and understand the best treatments. Enter: Dr. Tony Mork. Board certified orthopedic surgeon and pioneer of endoscopic surgery. He breaks down surgical options in an incredibly simple and insightful way and makes a very convincing case for why spinal fusion, the most common surgery, should be avoided if at all possible.
ABOUT OUR GUEST Dr. Mork is a board certified orthopedic surgeon has personally performed more than 8,000 endoscopic spinal surgeries. He designed many of the specialized tools used in laser spinal surgery and is constantly pursuing the improvement of spinal care. Dr. Mork has been instrumental in developing most of the current endoscopic spinal surgery techniques. He is one of the originators and wrote the original peer reviewed articles on most of the endoscopic spine surgery techniques used today. He was the co-founder of Microspine and founder of the Endoscopic Spinal Academy. Nutritional Tip:
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Direct download: 228_-_Back_Pain_Surgery_or_No_Surgery.mp3
Category:Health -- posted at: 12:11pm CET |
Thu, 20 October 2016
Chronic inflammation is a precursor to a myriad of diseases and illness, and the foods and lifestyle choices we're making are largely at fault. Perhaps the biggest challenge with inflammation is you cannot see it, so it can be a "silent killer," wreaking havoc without you even aware of what's going on. This week's guest on the Yoga Talk Show hopes to change all that—and more.
ABOUT OUR GUEST Kellyann Petrucci is a weight-loss and natural anti-aging transformation expert. She has a private practice in the Birmingham, Michigan area and is a concierge doctor for celebrities in New York City and Los Angeles. She is a board-certified naturopathic physician and a certified nutrition consultant. You might have seen her on The Doctors, Dr. Oz, and other television news programs. She is the driving force behind the website DrKellyann.com, and has authored six books for John Wiley & Sons.
Links & References from the Show: Got Questions? Write to us podcast@yogabody.com Thanks to our sponsor: If you’re a vegetarian, live a high-stress lifestyle and/or are over 50 years of age, there’s a very good chance you need to supplement with vitamin B12. B12 is one of the few vitamins that our body doesn’t produce on its own. If you don’t eat or supplement with B12, you will develop a deficiency that could lead to anemia, nerve damage, mood and mental health problems.
Direct download: 225_-_Inflammation._Kryptonite_for_Your_Health.mp3
Category:Health -- posted at: 3:26pm CET |
Wed, 5 October 2016
How many people do you know who live stress-free lives without any tension or trauma? Let me guess: none! Stress, tension and even "soft trauma" are part of all our lives, and the tools most of us have to deal with these issues are limited at best. A dedicated yoga practice can offer great help, but there are new and innovative ways to balance your nervous system and release neurological tension.
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David Berceli, Ph.D. is an international expert in the areas of trauma intervention and conflict resolution. He is the creator of Tension & Trauma Releasing Exercises (TRE). David has spent over twenty years providing trauma relief workshops and designing recovery programs for international organizations around the world. He has lived and worked extensively in Israel/Palestine, Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Yemen, Egypt, and Lebanon. Nutritional Tip of the Week:
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Direct download: 223_-_Tension__Trauma_Releasing_Exercises.mp3
Category:Health -- posted at: 4:18pm CET |
Wed, 21 September 2016
It's estimated that 80% of the population will suffer from back pain at some point in their life—and most people are left frustrated and confused about how to actually heal. Should you take medications? Get physical therapy? See a chiropractor? On this week's Yoga Talk Show, you'll meet "Spondy" researcher, Justin Adkins. Spondylolisthesis is a serious spinal injury where a vertebra shifts forward causing pain, inflammation, and often radiating nerve problems. While there is no one-size-fits-all cure for Spondy or any other back pain problem, there is a framework for healing that can really help. JUSTIN ADKINS Justin is a certified strength and conditioning coach through the NSCA. He is also certified by USA Weightlifting and the Functional Movement Screen. He has trained and helped countless athletes from the youth to the professional level achieve their performance goals and return from various injuries. Like the tens of thousands of people each year, Justin was also diagnosed with Spondylolisthesis as a teenager. Justin became his own first client to deal with his own condition, and now helps thousands of people through his website: www.Spondyinfo.com
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The Yoga Trapeze is the most powerful, at-home yoga inversion tool ever created. Hang inside your house from a doorway, ceiling hooks, or outside from a beam, bar or swing set. Setup is fast and simple, results are immediate. |
Wed, 14 September 2016
The benefits of yoga practice are at least 50% nervous system related; and yet, most of the yoga world has completely forgotten your body's electrical system. The nervous system effects of yoga are what distinguish it from other movement modalities, and it's where much of the magic of practice is hidden.
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Thanks to our sponsor: This formula will naturally give your drink or smoothie a sweet taste without the sugar! Check out our ingredients, they’re awesome. All-natural, zero-calorie stevia in just the right amount gives this super mineral-dense powder it’s flavor.
Direct download: 220_-_Heart_Rate_Variability_from_Your_Phone.mp3
Category:Health -- posted at: 1:50pm CET |
Wed, 7 September 2016
USA Olympic swimmer, Michael Phelps made headlines this year with his black and blue marks all over this back during his races. Wonder what that was? It's a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) technique called, cupping, and it's believed to increase circulation, reduce inflammation and improve recovery time. Does it really work? Can Traditional Chinese Medicine help you? And what about acupuncture?
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If you're a vegetarian, live a high-stress lifestyle and/or are over 50 years of age, there's a very good chance you need to supplement with vitamin B12. B12 is one of the few vitamins that our body doesn't produce on its own. If you don't eat or supplement with B12, you will develop a deficiency that could lead to anemia, nerve damage, mood and mental health problems. Now available here: Liquid Energy-B
Direct download: 219_-_Getting_Started_with_Traditional_Chinese_Medicine.mp3
Category:Health -- posted at: 4:43pm CET |
Thu, 1 September 2016
What is your "Gut IQ?" Is your gut a genius or a fool? Your gut is home to over 3lbs of bacteria, both good and bad. Your gastrointestinal health is crucial for the digestion and absorption of nutrients, your immune system, and even neurotransmitter production – but many people suffer from chronic gas, bloating, irregular bowels, and inflammation. Anyone concerned with holistic health must start with the gut, so on this week's Yoga Talk Show, Dr. Chaudhary will point you in the right direction. About Dr. Chaudary: Dr. Kulreet Chaudhary is a medical doctor, an integrative neuroscientist, and an expert in Ayurvedic medicine. She successfully developed a system to manage chronic neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and migraine headaches, by incorporating changes in diet, behavior, and stress, in addition to the standard allopathic approaches. Dr. Chaudhary is a regular guest on the Dr. Oz show, and her new book, The Prime: Prepare and Repair Your Body for Spontaneous Weight Loss is available on Amazon.com.
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The Yoga Teachers College combines new technology and age-old apprenticeship to deliver a level of education previously unavailable anywhere. We train students not just teach, but to become local business leaders in the mind-body wellness industry Now accepting applications for January 2017: www.YogaTeachersCollege.com |
Thu, 18 August 2016
Have you ever sneezed and accidentally peed your pants? Have you (or someone you know) suffered from a distended abdomen after pregnancy? Did you know that many women, even women who have never given birth are suffering from prolapse—and that it affects men too? Pelvic floor dysfunction is a huge problem affecting people of all ages and backgrounds. Our modern life encourages weakness, tightness, and imbalanced tissues of the pelvic floor, and the side effects can be life-altering and detrimental to your health. On this week's Yoga Talk Show, you'll learn how to reverse it naturally with Hypopressive Exercises. Trista Zinn is the founder of Coreset Fitness. She is a personal trainer who specializes in pelvic health and core re-programming. She’s Canada’s master trainer in HYPOPRESSIVE® Low Pressure Fitness. She has been in the fitness industry for over 25 years and after being diagnosed with stage 2 prolapse (many years after childbirth), a condition she was told she’d need surgery to correct, she learned the Hypopressive approach to healing and became her own first student.
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Your Best Year Ever!
Direct download: 216_-_Hypopressive_Exercise_for_Core_Strength_and_Rehabilitation.mp3
Category:Health -- posted at: 4:06pm CET |
Thu, 4 August 2016
We often think of “exercise” as the yoga class after work, the morning job, or a weightlifting session. But there are many more ways to exercise, and one way often overlooked is Corrective Exercise, or the fitness practices designed specifically to correct weakness, tightness and imbalance in the body. On this week’s Yoga Talk Show, you’ll learn about simple self-care techniques that can make a huge difference in your health. ------------ About the Guest Brendan won World and National Collegiate powerlifting championships during his studies and went on to attain his Corrective Exercise Specialty from The National Academy of Sports Medicine. Brendan invented Posture PT back support that launched on Kickstarter recently. He is a practicing meditator under guidance of Sadhguru of the Isha Foundation, schooled in classical yoga and mysticism. ------------ Listen & Learn:
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Thu, 28 July 2016
Yoga students invest hours on functional flexibility, strength, and mobility, but the moment they leave the studio, most lace up restrictive footwear. Modern shoes squish your toes, damage your arches, and contribute to dysfunctional movement patterns leading to chronic pain and injury upstream including: knee pain, back and hip pain.
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This formula will naturally give your drink or smoothie a sweet taste without the sugar! Check out our ingredients, they're awesome. All-natural, zero-calorie stevia in just the right amount gives this super mineral-dense powder it's flavor. For superfoods, we've got you covered with spirulina, barley grass juice extract, acerola, maca, chlorella, mesquite, rice bran, kelp, and stevia (for natural sweetness). Mix with water, blend with fruit, or stir into a green-chia gel, either way it tastes amazing!
Direct download: 213_-_Minimal_Footwear_for_the_Modern_Yoga_Student.mp3
Category:Health -- posted at: 11:48am CET |
Fri, 15 July 2016
We spend a third of our lives asleep, but most people treat sleep and dream states like second rate citizens of consciousness, always given the back seat to waking states. On this week’s Yoga Talk Show, you’ll learn how yoga and mindful sleep go hand-in-hand, and why serious yoga students should learn to zonk out like a pro. Andrew Holecek is an author, spiritual teacher, and humanitarian. As a long-time student of Buddhism that he teaches with a contemporary perspective – blending the ancient wisdom of the East with modern knowledge from the West. He is the author of three books, The Power and the Pain: Transforming Spiritual Hardship into Joy, Preparing to Die: Practical Advice and Spiritual Wisdom from the Tibetan Buddhist Perspective, and Dream Yoga: The Tibetan Path of Awakening Through Lucid Dreaming.
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Your Best Year Ever! This is a total immersion yoga retreat set in Barcelona. Your days will be filled with yoga practice, nutrition lectures, breathing workshops, posture clinics and outdoor adventures; and you’ll also have plenty of time each day to explore the beautiful city of Barcelona on your own or with your fellow students. |
Wed, 15 June 2016
Dr. Eric L. Zielinski (“Dr. Z”) is a natural health care provider, chiropractor and researcher with the intent to educate, inspire and challenge people to live their potential. He earned his Doctor of Chiropractic degree at Life University and is currently working on his Master of Public Health at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. Dr. Z’s mission is to provide people with simple, evidence-based tools that they need to experience the Abundant Life, and today we're going to talk about essential oils specifically.
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Direct download: 207_-_Integrating_Essential_Oils_Into_Your_Health_Plan.mp3
Category:Health -- posted at: 5:13pm CET |
Wed, 1 June 2016
Most people claim “happiness” is one of their top priorities in life, but how many of us really take time to define what that means? Is it free time? Is it friends and family? Is it financial success? Humans have evolved with a brain hard-wired to avoid danger and threats to our personal safety above all else, but that is not the ideal mental model for a fulfilled life most would define as happy. For many people, their ideal of happiness goes against much of their hard-wired tendencies, so to achieve it, it requires serious thought, hard work, and deliberate lifestyle design. On this week's Yoga Talk Show, author, Raj Raghunathan, shares his research, teaching, and writing around happiness based on his career.
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First Ever Yoga Trapeze Teachers Training Course in Barcelona! Here is what you get:
Now accepting applications: www.YogaTeachersCollege.com |
Thu, 12 May 2016
You know you should sleep 7 to 8 hours per night, but do you really sleep that much? And when you do, is the quality of your sleep any good? Modern life makes pillow-time a huge challenge. Your cell phone on the nightstand emits blue light and EMF, your high glucose dessert after dinner leaves your hormones out of whack, and that glass of red wine you use to initially fall asleep will eventually backfire and keep you from achieving deep, restful sleep. With the best possible intentions, our sleep hygiene is often a mess. ---------------------------------------------------------------
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Thanks to our sponsor: The YOGABODY Teachers College combines new technology and age-old apprenticeship to deliver a level of education previously The YOGABODY Teachers College combines new technology and age-old apprenticeship to deliver a level of education previously unavailable anywhere. We train students not just teach, but to become local business leaders in the mind-body wellness industry Join the Early Notification List for First Application Preference: |
Thu, 28 April 2016
If you want to start an argument among yoga students, just mention the phrase "hot yoga." Love it or hate it, Hot Yoga has spread across the globe faster than any other style—and there are solid health benefits that few people are aware of. As a yin to the yang that is Hot Yoga, cold therapy and cryotherapy are now the new new thing with ice baths and freezer chambers all over social media.
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Thanks to our sponsor: The YOGABODY Teachers College combines new technology and age-old apprenticeship to deliver a level of education previously The YOGABODY Teachers College combines new technology and age-old apprenticeship to deliver a level of education previously unavailable anywhere. We train students not just teach, but to become local business leaders in the mind-body wellness industry Join the Early Notification List for First Application
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Thu, 14 April 2016
Could "mood" be the #1 determining variable in performance and recovery from training? What impact does reduced breathing versus accelerated breathing have on your oxygen and carbon dioxide levels—and what about your nervous system? On this week's Yoga Talk Show, you'll meet strength and conditioning coach, Brian MacKenzie, who will introduce you to breath training in a whole new way.
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Thanks to our sponsor: Yoga Toe Spreaders & Separators for Nighttime, Yoga Practice & Running Awesome Toes! naturally stretch your feet after a long day of work. Loved by anyone who wears high-heeled shoes, work boots, or spends all day on their feet. They also help stretch the shortened connective tissues of your feet so they regain their natural shape and range of motion. Awesome Toes! can be used at night, while watching TV, while practicing yoga, and even in wide-toed athletic shoes for running. Most toe separators on the market fall off or break during activities, but Awesome Toes! are designed for durability and comfort during yoga practice, dance rehearsals and while engaging in sports.
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Thu, 31 March 2016
You already know wheat is inflammatory, high glycemic, and allergenic for many people, but did you know that bread can affect your brain as well? Sad but true: something as ubiquitous as your morning toast could cause short term brain fog and contribute (or even cause) neurological diseases long term. On this week’s Yoga Talk Show, you’ll meet filmmaker, Max Lugavere, who is leading an awareness campaign to connect the dots between bread and cognitive decline. Initially motivated by the neurological challenges of his mother, Lugavere will shed new light on “sandwich culture” and why we need to rethink this all-American staple in our diets. Lugavere is an American television personality, producer, filmmaker, and musician. He earned a degree in film and psychology from the University of Miami and contributes regularly to The Huffington Post on topics of science, innovation, and technology. Currently, Max is working on a new documentary that explores the impact of our diets and lifestyles on brain health, called, Bread Head. --------------------------------------------------------------- What You’ll Learn:
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Thanks to our sponsor: Yoga Toe Spreaders & Separators for Nighttime, Yoga Practice & Running Awesome Toes! naturally stretch your feet after a long day of work. Loved by anyone who wears high-heeled shoes, work boots, or spends all day on their feet. They also help stretch the shortened connective tissues of your feet so they regain their natural shape and range of motion. Awesome Toes! can be used at night, while watching TV, while practicing yoga, and even in wide-toed athletic shoes for running. Most toe separators on the market fall off or break during activities, but Awesome Toes! are designed for durability and comfort during yoga practice, dance rehearsals and while engaging in sports. |
Thu, 24 March 2016
Is your inner voice critical, self-defeating, and ruminating all day long? Our modern world is more knowledge-based than action-based, but what do you do when your inner voice is your worst enemy? How do you find balance and peace?
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Extremely small class sizes, huge teaching team, dedicated training facility! Next course starts in June!
Direct download: 195_-_Mysteries_of_the_Brain_Secrets_of_the_Heart.mp3
Category:Health -- posted at: 1:00pm CET |
Thu, 17 March 2016
Why is it that larger pills are more effective than smaller ones at treating illness? How could it be that longer doctor’s visits are correlated with faster patient recovery? How much of alternative healing is mind over body or simply mind tricking body? On this week’s Yoga Talk Show, we deep dive into the fascinating world of the placebo effect and it’s everpresent role in both allopathic and alternative medicine. -------------------------------- What You’ll Learn:
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Thanks to our sponsor: Corky the Block is an eco-friendly yoga block, made of all natural & sustainable material, engraved with our YOGABODY saying: Practice is Everything. This block was originally developed for the YOGABODY Fitness Studio Group because we needed an all-natural, eco-friendly, and non-slip prop to use in our public classes. Traditional, synthetic blocks are ugly, slip with sweat, and have an unpleasant hand-feel. Hence, Corky the Block was born! Yoga students use Corky the Block in dynamic Vinyasa Yoga practices, deep stretching Gravity Yoga sessions, and in advanced arm balancing and back-bending. A block is an essential yoga prop, and Corky the Block is a beautiful addition to your practice room. |
Wed, 27 January 2016
Corporate giants like Coca-Cola, Kraft, and Kellogg’s dominate the food and beverage industries, but they are optimized for profit, not for our health. To make their foods more palatable and profitable, these companies strategically utilize specific combinations of salt, sugar and fat. Michael Moss is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, SALT SUGAR FAT: How the Food Giants Hooked Us. He's a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter formerly with the Times. He's a keynote speaker and has been a guest on CBS This Morning, Dr. Oz, CNN The Lead, ATC and Jon Stewart's the Daily Show. He has been a reporter at The Wall Street Journal and an adjunct professor at the Columbia School of Journalism. To learn more, visit: www.michaelmossbooks.com ---------------------------------------------
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Thanks to our sponsor: 2-in-1 Yoga Strap and Mat carrier: This strap was originally developed for the YOGABODY Fitness Studio Group because our students wanted a simple mat carrier solution but they were already bringing yoga straps to class—so it seemed silly to have both. Hence, the Super Strap was born! Yoga students use the Super Strap in Vinyasa Yoga practices, deep stretching Gravity Yoga sessions, and in advanced arm balancing and back-bending. A yoga strap is an essential yoga prop, and the Super Strap is a beautiful and practical addition to your practice room. |
Thu, 21 January 2016
When you experience happiness, your brain releases dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and/or endorphin. The curious things is that our brain doesn’t release a happy chemical without very particular (and often counter-intuitive) triggers. On this week’s Yoga Talk Show, Loretta Graziano Breuning, PhD, talks about how you can boost your happiness by retraining your brain to turn on the chemicals that make you happy. Loretta is the founder of the Inner Mammal Institute, which provides resources that help people rewire their mammalian neurochemistry.She's Professor Emerita at California State University, East Bay, and author of Beyond Cynical and I, Mammal. She also writes the blog Your Neurochemical Self: Getting real with a 200-million-year-old brain on PsychologyToday.com. She has been interviewed on NPR, The Matt Townsend Show, and the Ask Altucher podcast, and her work been featured in Psychologies and Real Simple magazines. Her most recent book is called, Habits of a Happy Brain and can be found on Amazon or any major bookseller. ---------------------------------------- Listen & Learn:
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Thanks to our sponsor: “Corky the Block” - Cork Yoga Block This block was originally developed for the YOGABODY Fitness Studio Group because we needed an all-natural, eco-friendly, and non-slip prop to use in our public classes. Traditional, synthetic blocks are ugly, slip with sweat, and have an unpleasant hand-feel. Hence, Corky the Block was born! Yoga students use Corky the Block in dynamic Vinyasa Yoga practices, deep stretching Gravity Yoga sessions, and in advanced arm balancing and back-bending. A block is an essential yoga prop, and Corky the Block is a beautiful addition to your practice room. |
Thu, 14 January 2016
Have you seen the viral Youtube video where a unicorn poops rainbow ice cream and a prince lectures on bowel health? It’s ridiculous but also very relevant. Yoga students talk about their bowel movements constantly, and for good reason. It's an important indication of health, and one that many struggle with (literally). ---------------------------------------- Listen & Learn:
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Thanks to our sponsor: THE PROBLEM: When you’re trying to burn fat, get fit, increase your energy, improve your digestion and just plain feel better each day, it can be overwhelming with all the conflicting health information online. Do you start with organic food? Paleo? Raw vegan? Do you have to run marathons or is yoga a good solution? There’s just too many choices and too many opinions. THE SOLUTION: The truth is that there are as many paths to exceptional health as there are trees in the forest, so rather than argue about which path is best, let’s just focus on elephant in the room. Medical doctors, weight loss experts, yoga teachers, and weight lifters all agree that the single biggest troublemaker in our modern diet is excessive sugar in all its forms. It causes weight gain, diabetes, hormonal problems, premature again—and just about every other health problem you can think of. So if you want to get healthy, let’s start with the one change that will give you the biggest bang for your buck. Together, let’s kick the sugar habit and start a positive spiral towards health. |
Thu, 7 January 2016
Wheat-related digestive problems are something you’ve probably heard of before, but less commonly known is the effect that long-term gluten exposure has on your entire body. Guest speaker, Dr. Peter Osborne, will help you understand why "heart-healthy" whole grain bread might be making your joints hurt or contributing to chronic pain of all types. You’ll learn how to rethink your everyday food choices to avoid gluten altogether. Dr. Peter Osborne is the clinical director of Origins Healthcare Center. He is a doctor of chiropractic medicine and a Board Certified Clinical Nutritionist. His focus is on natural treatments of degenerative diseases with a primary focus on gluten sensitivity and food allergies. He founded Gluten Free Society in 2010 to help educate on the far-reaching effects of gluten sensitivity. He is the author of Glutenology, a series of books designed to help educate the world about gluten. His new book, No Grain, No Pain: A 30-Day Diet for Eliminating Chronic Pain—for Life is available on Amazon and at all major booksellers. ---------------------------------------- Listen & Learn:
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Thanks to our sponsor: Level II: 300hr Yoga Alliance Certification CourseThis 1-month immersion is designed to take qualified teachers and turn them into career yoga professionals. Students sign up for different reasons, but everyone comes seeking a deeper, and more-fulfilling teaching life. You get to a point where you know you need to step outside your daily schedule to progress, but you’re not sure where to go for help in this next phase of your career. Who can support and guide you personally, professionally, and financially? To solve this common problem, Absolute Yoga Academy’s 300hr, Level II course was born. If you want to fall in love with yoga again ( as a student ), become an “authority teacher”, meet like-minded colleagues and friends, and learn how you can teach less but earn more, we invite you to discover the Absolute Yoga Academy 300hr Level II Teacher Training course |
Thu, 24 December 2015
The Yoga Talk Show is 3 years old, and I feel like we're just getting started. 2015 was an amazing year with over 50 guests with topics spanning from hormonal health to barefooted running. I've learned a ton, and I hope you've found this information valuable as a listener. In this week's show, I've decided to do a "year-in-review" episode to highlight some standout moments for me in the previous 12 months.
Nutritional Tip of the Week:
Visit them online at: www.ThesisBeauty.com
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Thu, 17 December 2015
Your body is hard-wired for survival, but our modern world throws continuous health challenges our way. I wish things became easier with time and age, but for most people, the journey toward health becomes more and more challenging. To help you on the path to optimal health in the new year, please meet plant-based medical doctor, Michael Greger, MD. Michael Greger, MD, is a physician, author, and internationally recognized speaker on nutrition, food safety, and public health issues. He is a graduate of Cornell University School of Agriculture and Tufts University School of Medicine. Currently Dr. Greger serves as the Director of Public Health and Animal Agriculture at The Humane Society of the United States. Hundreds of his nutrition videos are freely available at NutritionFacts.org, with new videos and articles uploaded every day. He is the author of a new book titled, How Not to Die: Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease just released this month and available on Amazon and all major booksellers. Listen & Learn:
Nutritional Tip of the Week:
Links & References from the Show: Got questions?
Thanks to our sponsor: Patty Post, is a yogi from Minnesota and the creative mind behind Sweathouse. Aside from their colorful yoga towels, Patty created “the Saucha Spray”, a anti-funk spray because she was sick of her yoga clothes smelling just after a few months after purchasing them. She realized that her sweat, and habit of washing her yoga clothes hours; sometimes even days after practicing was causing the funk. The bacteria in our sweat sets into fabric just 2 hours after sweating and once it's in it's really hard to get out. So she created a formula that prevents the funk from setting in, spray on fabric after sweating to keep your clothes and gear smelling fresher, longer. She realized that it can be used on anything even hockey equipment, dance costumes! After you namaste, spray Saucha. |
Thu, 10 December 2015
This week’s yoga talk show explores medicinal mushrooms; not the hallucinogenic kind, the type that boost your immune system! Tero Isokauppila, co-founder of Four Sigma Foods, a medicinal mushroom superfood and super drink company, shares with you the health benefits of Reishi, Chaga, Shiitake, Cordyceps and Maitake. What You'll Learn:
Nutritional Tip of the Week:
Links & References from the Show: Got questions?
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Thu, 3 December 2015
Popular health advice around the holidays usually includes such nonsense as doing squats before you pig-out, taking charcoal capsules after you drink too much, and going to the gym twice per day in an attempt to balance out your gluttony. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but none of those things will undo the damage of overeating and overdrinking—but there are some simple strategies that can really make a difference. Listen & learn:
Nutritional Tip of the Week:
Links & References from the Show: Got questions?
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Thu, 19 November 2015
Dream states are more than just random fantasy. Dreaming can be incredibly healing and is believed to be an essential part of all restful sleep. Robert Waggoner, a leading authority on lucid dreaming, suggests that by decoding our dreams we can begin to understand our psyche. On this week’s Yoga Talk Show, Lucas Rockwood and Robert look at different types of sleep and dreams, and the potential impact that lucid dreaming can have on our physical and mental health. Robert is the author of, Lucid Dreaming: Gateway to the Inner Self and Lucid Dreaming, Plain and Simple: Tips and Techniques for Insight, Creativity, and Personal Growth. Robert frequently speaks on lucid dreaming at national and international dream conferences, workshops and college classrooms, like Sonoma State University, Iowa State University, University of Washington, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and Evergreen State College.
In this show, you'll learn:
Nutritional Tip of the Week:
Links & References from the Show:
Got questions?
Thanks to our sponsor: YOGABODY Naturals |
Thu, 29 October 2015
“ The body is your temple. Keep it pure and clean for your soul to reside in.” - B. K. S. Iyengar
Dr Chutkan founded the Digestive Center for Women (DCW) in 2004, an integrative gastroenterology practice that includes nutritional therapy, meditation, biofeedback and counseling, as well as gastrointestinal procedures like endoscopy, colonoscopy, and video capsule endoscopy. Dr Chutkan makes regular appearances on The Doctor Oz show, and has been a featured expert on The Today Show, The Early Show, The Doctors, and local news programs. She has been featured in numerous articles on GI diseases in The Washington Post, Self, Shape, Healthy, Yoga Journal, Ladies Home Journal, Fitness, Women’s Health, and the Huffington Post among others. What You'll Learn:
Nutritional Tip of the Week:
Links & References from the Show: Got questions?
Thanks to our sponsor! Are You a Yoga Teacher or Studio Owner? YOGABODY Business is excited to announce their first-ever Facebook Marketing for Yoga Teachers course to begin on 2 November. This online course can be attended from anywhere in the world and guarantees to double your impact, audience and sales through Facebook. The course starts Monday. To learn more, visit: http://www.yogabodybusiness.com |
Thu, 22 October 2015
You’ve probably measured your heart rate while exercising with a chest strap or a wrist device - but have you ever measured your heart rate variability (HRV)? It’s fascinating stuff for yoga students. Ronda Collier joins Lucas Rockwood on this week’s Yoga Talk Show to explain why HRV is a crucial health metric, the importance of "coherent breathing", and how all of this ties in with your yoga practice. Ronda has more than 25 years of experience in high technology product development with a proven track record of delivering leading-edge consumer electronic products within both privately held startups and Fortune 500 corporations. She spent years as an independent scholar researching non-invasive health monitoring techniques to improve overall personal well being, research that led to the founding of SweetWater Health in 2010.
Nutritional Tip of the Week:
Links & References from the Show: Got questions? Thanks to our sponsor! Magic Carpet Yoga Mats |
Thu, 8 October 2015
In an attempt to lead the healthiest life possible, food and movement often become the main focus - but you must also address your mental and emotional health, particularly as you age. More and more research links physical health problems to root emotional problems meaning stress, worry, and anxiety left unchecked can have horrendous long-term implications on your health. He's the author of Panic Attacks Workbook: A Guided Program for Beating the Panic Trick and the soon-to-be released, The Worry Trick: How Your Brain Tricks You into Expecting the Worst and What You Can Do About It
What You'll Learn:
Nutritional Tip of the Week:
Links & References from the Show:
Got questions?
Thanks to our sponsor! Lems Shoes is a 100% family-run company that bases its decisions on "doing what is right", not "doing what is most profitable". Lems shoes are made with less. The Lems shoes team spend their time getting the important things right and eliminate the rest; no added material, no gimmicks, and no fluff. From the beginning, their goal was to design a shoe that considers the foot above all else, a shoe that is flat, flexible and fits the natural shape of the foot, and that will never change. |
Thu, 1 October 2015
Yoga is unique and powerful as a mind-body fitness modality in that it can restore balance to the body's electrical system (aka your nervous system) - and breathing is the secret key that makes it all possible. In the same way that our breath changes very predictably during times of fear, sorrow, love, or rest, we can flip that equation around and change our breathing patterns in order to change our mood. Why then do psychiatrists prescribe drugs before using this age-old practice of balancing breath to treat mental health issues? To answer that question, Lucas is joined by Patricia Gerbarg MD who shares her years of research and on-the-ground training using breathing as therapy. Dr. Gerbarg reveals some of the current challenges in our modern world and in psychiatric medicine - and she’ll share with you how she uses breath in her practice, often in lieu of traditional treatments like prescription drugs - and it’s working!
Along with Dr. Richard P. Brown, she has co-authored over 40 scientific articles, book chapters, and health books on complementary and integrative treatments. Her books include: The Rhodiola Revolution, How to use Herbs, Nutrients, and Yoga in Mental Health Care, Non-Drug Treatments for ADHD, and The Healing Power of the Breath. Listen & Learn:
Nutritional Tip of the Week:
Links & References from the Show: Got questions? Thanks to our sponsor! Absolute Yoga Academy is one of the most-respected and rigorous teacher training schools in the world. It’s a place where students go to become teachers, and where teachers go to become industry transformers. Join the movement!
Direct download: 170_-_Breathing_instead_of_medicating.mp3
Category:Health -- posted at: 12:45pm CET |
Wed, 23 September 2015
When most people think about world hunger and poverty, they often think of Vitamin A deficiency impacting vision or distended abdomens from protein deficiency in developing countries. Oddly, a much bigger problem affects people across the globe: iron deficiency. Low iron can lead to weakness, impaired cognitive ability, increased risk of illness, and even death - and as many as 50% of the population are at risk. To solve this problem, please meet, Gavin Armstrong, the purpose-driven entrepreneur behind the Lucky Iron Fish. As the name suggests, this solution is quite literally “luck fish” made of iron and used in cooking to add iron into your diet. It’s elegantly simple, scientifically proven, and the compliance rate is off the charts. Every iron fish can provide an entire family with up to 75% of their daily iron intake for up to 5 years. All you have to do is cook with it! Gavin is a PhD Candidate in biomedical science at the University of Guelph [golf] and is a Fulbright Scholar. He has received the William J. Clinton Hunger Leadership Award and the Michaëlle Jean Humanitarian Award. He has also received the Mayor’s Award of Excellence, has been named one of the Top 40 under 40 in the Guelph community, and has been named a fellow emeritus of both the Hunger Solutions Institute and the Kirchner Food Fellowship. What You'll Learn:
Links & References from the Show: Got questions? Thanks to our sponsors! Panda sunglasses are eco-friendly eyewear handcrafted from sustainably sourced bamboo. They have also partnered up with Optometry Giving Sight so that every pair of sunglasses purchased gives the gift of vision to someone in need. And their new product, the Panda Bamboo Watch, provides the gift of education for developing communities around the world with every purchase, via their partnership with Pencils of Promise.
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Wed, 16 September 2015
Negative lifestyle habits and poor food choices can impact the neural messengers that keep you energized, calm, focused, optimistic, and inspired. In many ways, our modern world undermines our brain health and can lead to imbalances with very serious repercussions. On this week’s talk show episode, Dr. Mike Dow introduces “The Brain Fog Fix”, a program designed to balance serotonin, dopamine, and cortisol, three essential chemical messengers for fog-free living. By naturally healing your brain health, you can find clarity, focus, inner peace while staving off future health problems. Dr. Mike Dow is an author, psychotherapist, and the host of shows on E!, TLC, VH1, Investigation Discovery, and Logo. He makes regular appearances on Dr. Oz, Dr. Drew On Call, The Talk, Wendy Williams, Rachael Ray, Nightline, Good Morning America, The Doctors, The Talk, and Today. His latest book, The Brain Fog Fix, is available on Amazon.com.
Listen & Learn:
Nutritional Tip of the Week:
Links & References from the Show:
Got questions? Write to us: podcast@yogabody.com
Thanks to our sponsors! The innovative yoga brand Yoga Design Lab has been shaking up the industry with uber colorful yoga mats described by Refinery29 and Fitness Magazine as 'stunning works of art’. Designed in Bali by a Canadian surfer/yogi named Chad, who sold all his stuff and moved there to launch the idea in 2014. The young brand produces visually stunning, fashion-forward, eco-friendly yoga products designed to inspire. "I was seated in the back of a packed yoga class while on vacation in Ubud, Bali. Looking around, all I saw was a sea of unoriginal, massed produced, solid colored mats. My thinking was, there must be a way of creating a highly functional product that was also aesthetically beautiful. So the journey began. Long story short, I sold my stuff, packed up a couple bags and moved to Bali with the goal of creating a stunning line of yoga products that inspire more people to get excited about yoga.” - Chad, YDL Founder Blending fashion-forward design elements with innovative functionality and bio-renewable consciousness is key to the Yoga Design Lab approach. From insulated stainless steel water bottles, to yoga mats comprised of biodegradable natural tree rubber, to the water based inks used in the printed designs, we can all make a difference with the products we buy. Discount code: 15FRIEND
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Thu, 27 August 2015
Nutrition is such an important topic, and no matter where we find ourselves on our health journey,we are constantly looking for ways to feel better, live longer, and generally lead healthier, happier lives. This week, Lucas Rockwood and guest speaker, Ariane Resnick, dig into fundamentals of healthy home food prep, and more specifically, the power of old-fashioned, organic bone broth. Ariane Resnick is a private chef and certified nutritionist who specializes in organic farm-to-table cuisine. She has cooked for celebrities that include Gwyneth Paltrow, Chris Martin, Agustina Groening, Lisa Edelstein and Jeff Franklin, and has been featured in media such as Well&Good NYC, In Style, Star, Goop.com, Food.com, Huffington Post, Refinery29.com, Muscle & Fitness, Men’s Fitness and Food Network’s “Chopped.”Her first book, “The Bone Broth Miracle,” was released in May. In this Show, You'll learn:
Nutritional Tip of the Week:
Links & References from the Show: http://www.arianecooks.com
Got questions? Write to us: podcast@yogabody.com
Thanks to our sponsor! The MOUS Shaker was created for individuals who are passionate about fitness, and the environment. It is made of top quality, food grade plastic that experiences and displays glass like characteristics. The bottle itself is designed to be modular, with ease of assembly and disassembly. By sourcing only the highest food grade and BPA-free plastics (Eastman Tritan), the MOUS Shaker limits the ability of bacteria absorption. It’s not only the perfect companion for any athlete, it’s also fantastic for smoothies, juices, and fruit infused water detox.
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Thu, 20 August 2015
This week, we take a close look at the brain mechanisms of emotion and memory. With as many as 25% of adult women taking some form of antidepressants, emotional health has become a huge problem in the US - and around the world. On today’s episode, Lucas Rockwood and Joseph LeDoux talk about why our emotions are constantly being spun off balance, and what it is that we can do to get in better emotional health. Joseph LeDoux is a professor and a member of the Center for Neural Science and Department of Psychology at NYU. His work is focused on the brain mechanisms of emotion and memory. In addition to articles in scholarly journals, he is author of the books, The Emotional Brain: The Mysterious Underpinnings of Emotional Life and Synaptic Self: How Our Brains Become Who We Are. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a fellow of the New York Academy of Science, a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Science, and the recipient of the 2005 Fyssen International Prize in Cognitive Science. In this Show, You'll learn:
Nutritional Tip of the Week: Fresh and vibrant: the health benefits of wheatgrass!
Links & References from the Show: http://www.cns.nyu.edu/home/ledoux
Got questions? Write to us: podcast@yogabody.com
Thanks to our sponsors! Barefoot Yoga is a unique and popular yoga product and apparel company, founded in 1996 out of sincere admiration of yoga and the desire to inspire its practice. We are well-known and established in the global yoga community with a solid reputation for providing the highest quality yoga products available online and at thousands of studios and stores worldwide. We have developed a number of our own Barefoot brand products, including yoga blocks, mats, silk eye pillows and the very first yoga mat bags.
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Thu, 30 July 2015
Medical marijuana has always been a polarizing topic, clouded in controversy, and it can be challenging to distinguish the real medical benefits from the stoner myths. On this week’s Yoga Talk Show, Dr. David Casarett takes us on a tour of the medical cannabis world to learn about its uses and benefits as “medicine”. Dr. David Casarett is a physician, researcher, and tenured associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. His studies have included more than 10K patients and have resulted in more than a 100 articles and book chapters, published in leading medical journals such as the Journal of the American Medical Association and The New England Journal of Medicine. His many awards include the prestigious U.S. Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. Dr. Casarett recently launched MarijuanaResults.org, a platform for medical marijuana users to connect about their experiences and a source of data for medical professionals. His new book, Stoned: A Doctor's Case for Medical Marijuana, is available on Amazon.
In this Show, You'll learn:
Nutritional Tip of the Week: The “dark side” of balsamic vinegar
Links & References from the Show: http://www.davidcasarett.com Stoned: A Doctor's Case for Medical Marijuana
Got questions? Write to us: podcast@yogabody.com
Thanks to our sponsors! www.AbsoluteYogaAcademy.com
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Thu, 9 July 2015
If you’re a vegan or a vegetarian, chances are someone has already asked you where you’re getting your protein from, or if you’re getting enough of it. We know many yoga students and teachers are exploring the plant-based diet, so this week we wanted to take a closer look at the challenges of a vegan/vegetarian diet, and what you need to do to avoid protein deficiency. Our guest this week, Dr. John Douillard, covers some of the most common questions around this topic; he also introduces the science of Ayurveda, and how it can provide valuable insights into your personal health. Dr. John Douillard, DC has written and produced numerous health and fitness books, CDs, and DVDs. He has been teaching and lecturing internationally for 28 years and publishes a free wellness video-newsletter filled with the latest studies and research. He was the Director of Player Development for the New Jersey Nets in the NBA and currently directs the LifeSpa- Ayurvedic Retreat Center in Boulder, CO, where he lives with his wife and six children. In this Show, You'll learn:
Nutritional Tip of the Week:
Links & References from the Show: http://www.lifespa.com
Got questions? Write to us: podcast@yogabody.com
Thanks to our sponsors! www.YogaBodyBusiness.com
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Thu, 4 June 2015
Environmental toxins, genetically modified food, chronic stress, and the rise in autoimmune conditions have all contributed to an explosion of thyroid problems. Dr. Will Cole joins Lucas on this week’s Yoga Talk Show to explore thyroid health, how you can get tested, treatment options, and the importance of your microbiome. Dr. William Cole D.C, graduated from Southern California University of Health Sciences in Los Angeles, California. He has his post doctorate education and training in Functional Medicine and Clinical Nutrition. Dr. Cole consults in the Pittsburgh area and phone or webcam consultations for people around the world. He specializes in clinically investigating underlying factors and customizing health programs for chronic conditions such as thyroid issues, autoimmune, hormonal dysfunctions, digestive disorders, diabetes, heart disease and fibromyalgia. Dr. Cole has been featured numerous times on Pittsburgh news affiliates WTAE-TV, KDKA-TV and WPGH-FOX. He is a health writer for international publications and lectures nationally. In this Show, You'll learn:
Links & References from the Show: www.drwillcole.com Got questions? Write to us: podcast@yogabody.com |
Thu, 21 May 2015
Over-the-counter drugs like aspirin and ibuprofen are cheap, easy to obtain and provide instant pain relief - but they are more of a coverup than a cure. For these reasons, it’s no surprise that yoga students often look toward natural remedies first, and to help you with this area of study, Susun Weed joins this week’s Yoga Talk Show to share her wisdom about herbal medicine with a specific slant toward yoga students. Susun Weed began studying herbal medicine in 1965 and wrote her first book, Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year (now in its 29th printing) in 1985 followed by a series of books including: Healing Wise, New Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way, Breast Cancer? Breast Health! The Wise Woman Way, and Down There: Sexual and Reproductive Health the Wise Woman Way. Susun Weed is a contributor to the Routledge International Encyclopedia of Women's Studies, peer-reviewed journals, and popular magazines, including a regular column in Sagewoman. Susun appears on many television and radio shows, including National Public Radio and NBC News. In this Show, You'll learn:
Links & References from the Show: www.WiseWomanMentor.com
Got questions? Write to us: podcast@yogabody.com Visit us on: www.YogaBody.com www.facebook.com/Yogabody.Naturals www.instagram.com/yogabodyfitness
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Fri, 15 May 2015
Ayurveda, often referred to as traditional Indian medicine, offers us a truly holistic look at health and wellness. From understanding your own personal constitution to the food you eat and the energies impacting you continuously, Ayurveda is truly a perfect pairing for yoga-minded students. My guest today is, Ananta Ripa Ajmera, founder of "Whole Yoga & Ayurveda" a health practice using Ayurveda Health Consultations, Private Yoga Classes, and workshop series to help clients transform. Ananta is a certified yoga teacher, Ayurvedic Health Practitioner, and a graduate from NYU Stern Business School. You may have seen her writing on ElephantJournal, MindBodyGreen, CureJoy.com, Vivid Life, DoYouYoga.com, ABCNews.com, and LIVESTRONG.com.
In this Show, You'll learn:
Links & References from the Show: Ananta’s site: www.wholeyoga-ayurveda.com Online dosha test: http://doshaquiz.chopra.com/
Got questions? Write to us: podcast@yogabody.com
Visit us on: www.YogaBody.com www.facebook.com/Yogabody.Naturals www.instagram.com/yogabodyfitness |
Thu, 7 May 2015
Everyone from trainers to medical doctors is touting the benefits of lifting, not just for cosmetic reasons, but for metabolic health, hormonal health, bone density, and more. Nia Shanks joins to Lucas on the Yoga Talk Show to share her experiences with weightlifting, and the impact that continuous exercise can have on your overall well-being.
Nia Shanks is a coach, health and fitness writer, and founder of "Lift Like a Girl" website and popular podcast. She is busting the myth that women can’t develop strong bodies in a healthy way and she wants them to embrace who they are and become even stronger, more awesome versions of themselves.
Nia has a degree in Exercise Physiology and has written for and been featured in: Burn the Fat Blog, Tribe Sports, Breaking Muscle, Experience Life Magazine, EliteFTS, Muscle and Strength, Contributor to TNation, Beautifully Hardcore, BodyBuilding.com, and more.
In this Show, You'll learn:
Links & References from the Show: www.LiftLikeaGirl.com
Got questions? Write to us: podcast@yogabody.com
Visit us on: www.YogaBody.com www.facebook.com/Yogabody.Naturals www.instagram.com/yogabodyfitness |
Thu, 30 April 2015
Poor sleep quality has reached critical mass, and the problem seems to be getting worse with our modern lifestyles. Whether it’s stress, anxiety or diet-related, millions are struggling each night. In an effort to improve your sleep, Dan Pardi shares his professional work experience and research into insomnia and narcolepsy, and the crucial role of sleep quality and good health. Dan is a health researcher, educator and facilitator. Early in his career, he served as a Division 1 Strength and Conditioning Coach where he designed year-round training protocols for 13 different athletic teams. More recently, Dan developed the Loop Model to Sustain Health Behaviors that help people live a healthy lifestyle in our modern world. Dan does research with the Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Department at Stanford, and the Departments of Neurology and Endocrinology at Leiden University in the Netherlands. Dan works with Naval Special Warfare to help elite fighters maintain vigilant performance in both combat and non-combat conditions. His current research looks at how sleep influences decision making.
In this Show, You'll learn:
Links & References from the Show: www.dansplan.com
Got questions? Write to us: podcast@yogabody.com
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Wed, 15 April 2015
Moringa is known as the “miracle tree” due to its many healing properties. With over 92 macro and mirco-nutrients, nearly every part of the tree can be used to heal and sustain life. This week, Lucas and Lisa Curtis discuss the power of moringa, and how the tree of life can help with malnutrition globally.
Lisa Curtis is the founder of a Morgina-based nutrition company called, Kuli Kuli. She began working on Kuli Kuli while in the Peace Corps in West Africa. As a volunteer in her village’s health center, she gained a first-hand understanding of the common nutritional challenges faced in West African villages and how moringa can play a role in helping to address those challenges.
Prior to Kuli Kuli, Lisa served as the Communications Director at Mosaic, wrote political briefings for President Obama in the White House and worked at an impact investment firm in India.
You can learn more about her company at KuliKuliFoods.com
In this Show, You'll learn:
Links & References from the Show: http://www.yogabody.com/yoga-talk-show/
Got questions?
Write to us: podcast@yogabody.com
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Thu, 9 April 2015
Pop health losing weight advise tells us to, "eat less and exercise more" - but research has shown this rarely works. This week, Lucas and Dr. Lori Shemek deep dive into the research around inflammation on our waistline, which anti-inflammatory exercises and foods are best for “cooling” off, and lesser-known tips for finding balance.
Dr. Shemek has been a featured health expert on numerous radio and televisions programs including: Ladies Home Journal, Shape Magazine, Woman's Day Magazine, Health Magazine, I-Village, Yahoo, Livestrong, CNN, Fox News, The Ricki Lake Show and many others. Lori also has a new book, How to Fight FATflammation, which is available now on Amazon.
While you're listening, you can check out her site at: www.dlsHealthWorks.com
In this Show, You'll learn:
Links & References from the Show: http://www.yogabody.com/yoga-talk-show/
Got questions?
Write to us: podcast@yogabody.com
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Wed, 1 April 2015
The art of Feng shui was developed in China over 3,000 years ago, and it’s based on the notion that what's happening in our homes is essentially a reflection of what’s going on inside us. The idea is that if we succeed in achieving good Feng Shui in our living and working environments, this will invite happiness, health and fortune in our lives.
In this week’s episode, Lucas talks to Dana Claudat about the ancient art of Feng Shui. Dana Claudat is a Feng Shui and art expert that helps people create harmonious homes and lives using this ancient Eastern practice. Dana is the founder of, The Tao of Dana, a popular blog on Feng Shui, and a contributing writer and editor to a number of popular sites. The Tao of Dana was a Finalist in the 2014 Apartment Therapy Homie Awards for Best Home Design & Inspiration.
While you're listening, you can check out her site at: www.fengshuidana.com
In this Show, You'll learn:
Links & References from the Show: http://www.yogabody.com/yoga-talk-show/
Got questions?
Write to us: podcast@yogabody.com
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Thu, 26 March 2015
Fear is one of the most powerful motivators on the planet. Unfortunately, it usually motivates us to play small, hide in our own shell, and avoid the awkward and personally challenging situations needed for us to self actualize. But to face your fear, almost by definition, means to embrace rejection. And for most people, rejection is scary.
This week, Lucas and guest Jia Jiang discuss the power of “rejection therapy”. Jia Jiang is an entrepreneur, blogger, speaker and writer. He's the founder of the online site Fearbuster.com that aims to beat fear one rejection at a time. He conducted a personal experiment where he asked for 100 different whacky things 100 days in a row just to completely break down the fear of reaction and welcome the world of possibilities—and that's why I have him on the show here today.
While you're listening, you can learn more about his work at Fearbuster.com
In this Show, You'll learn:
Links & References from the Show: http://www.yogabody.com/yoga-talk-show/
Got questions? Write to us: podcast@yogabody.com
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Thu, 12 March 2015
We all know green juice is good for you, but you can take it much deeper and actually “reboot” your health and detoxify your body. This week, Lucas Rockwood talks with Joe Cross about juicing for health, and the powerful impact of an all-plant diet. Joe Cross is an Australian entrepreneur, author, filmmaker, and wellness advocate. You probably know him from his documentary Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead in which he tells the story of his own 60-day juice fast and road trip . He is the founder of Reboot with Joe, a health and lifestyle company, and he's just released a new book called, The Reboot with Joe Juice Diet: Lose Weight, Get Healthy and Feel Amazing that is a best-seller.
In this Show, You'll learn:
Links & References from the Show: http://www.rebootwithjoe.com/
Got questions?
Write to us: podcast@yogabody.com
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Thu, 29 January 2015
When you feel stiffness, pain, and aches in your body, it can often be caused by connective tissue dehydration, a little-known, extremely-common condition that’s no good for yoga students. Join Lucas Rockwood and Sue Hitzmann as they deep dive into connective tissue hydration, corrective exercise, training “safe” rather than hard, and to heal your body.
Sue Hitzmann in the New York Times best-selling author of the MELT METHOD, a book that teaches her signature self-treatment technique for rehydrating your connective tissues, overcoming pain and injuries, and preventing future problems.
Sue is a nationally-recognized somatic-movement educator and manual therapist. She has decades of experience in practice, research, and study of anatomical science and alternative therapies all of which have gone into the creation of the MELT Method® (MELT).
In this Show, You'll learn:
Links & References from the Show http://www.MeltMethod.com
Got questions?
Write to us: podcast@yogabody.com
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Wed, 7 January 2015
Do you struggle to find significance in you life? Meaning in your work? Purpose in your day-to-day routines? Living a life of purpose is something I think we all strive for, but it’s easier said than done.
Ocean's grandfather founded, Baskin-Robbins (31 flavors) ice cream company, and his father is John Robbins, author of Diet for a New America which has inspired millions of people to live and eat in a more compassionate and sustainable way.
In this Show, You'll learn:
Links & References from the Show www.OceanRobbins.com www.FoodRevolution.org
Got questions?
Write to us: podcast@yogabodynaturals.com
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Wed, 24 December 2014
Are you as supple a leopard or as bendy as a tortoise? The “supple leopard” himself, Kelly Starrett, joins YOGABODY for an insightful class on the importance of listening to your body whether practicing yoga or working out. Kelly is a coach, physical therapist, author, speaker, and creator of MobilityWOD, an amazing online resource center for athletes, cross-fitters, and anyone who is obsessed with movement and performance.
Learn how to bridge the divide between fitness folks and yoga students, finding the similarities and differences between the two practices. You’ll discover why self-care is essential and how to avoid potentially dangerous movement patterns, particularly if you’re a newbie. Kelly is the author of, Becoming a Supple Leopard a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller, and he's got a new book out now called, Ready to Run.
In this Show, You'll learn:
Links & References from the Show www.MobilityWod.com
Got questions?
Write to us: podcast@yogabodynaturals.com
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Thu, 27 November 2014
Mark McClusky is the author of the new book, FASTER, HIGHER, STRONGER, and the Editor at WIRED.com in San Francisco. Prior to his work at WIRED, Mark was an editor at Mobile PC magazine, Editor in Chief of EA.com, and a reporter and editor at Sports Illustrated and SI for Kids magazines. He’s appeared on a lot of different shows, including Today, NBC Nightly News, PBS NewsHour, CNN, MSNBC, ABC News, and NPR.
In this Show, You'll learn:
Links & References from the Show http://www.mcclusky.com/
Got questions?
Write to us: podcast@yogabodynaturals.com
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Thu, 13 November 2014
Nomi Shannon has been eating raw for over 25 years and still going strong at age 70. She is an award winning author and world renowned coach. Her best-selling book, The Raw Gourmet, has sold over 250,000 copies, making it one of the best-selling raw food books of all time.
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Thu, 30 October 2014
Angela Stokes-Monarch is a raw food-ist with an inspiring story about how starting a plant-based diet changed her life. She and her husband run a business together, The Raw Food World, along with a blog and YouTube channel, all promoting the amazing benefits of raw food. In 2002, prior to changing her diet and her life, Angela was morbidly obese due to a thyroid problem. Over the past 12 years, she has completed transformed her life. Speaking with Lucas, she explains her story and how you can improve your life, lose weight, and get healthy.
In this Show, You'll learn:
· How to use green foods daily for weight loss
· Why the REAL food is on the outskirts of the supermarket
· The importance of movement and exercise
· How to find support and guidance
· Why you should “live-it” not “die-it”
Links & References from the Show
Got questions?
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Thu, 23 October 2014
Leslie Kaminoff is a yoga educator inspired by the tradition of T.K.V. Desikachar. He is an internationally recognized specialist with thirty five years’ experience in the fields of yoga, breath anatomy and bodywork. Leslie currently practices in New York. He is the founder of the yoga blog, “e-Sutra,” and The Breathing Project, an educational non-profit in New York City dedicated to the teaching of individualized, breath-centered yoga. Leslie teaches The Breathing Project's unique year-long courses in yoga anatomy, which are available online at yogaanatomy.net. He is the co-author, with Amy Matthews, of the best-selling “Yoga Anatomy,” with nearly 500,00 copies in print. In this show you will learn: § Why there is so much growing interest in yoga anatomy among students and teachers § The difference between new school teachers and old guard yoga teachers § The sustainability of yoga as an exercise for your body § What new students should look out for in their body and breathing § All about Leslie’s The Breathing Project |
Thu, 16 October 2014
Dr. Vaughan Dabbs holds a Doctorate of Chiropractic and specializes in diversified and flexion-distraction techniques, muscle and joint rehabilitation and in treating low back, whiplash and sports injuries. Dr. Dabbs has published work in some of the most respected orthopedic journals in the country. He created a program called, the Accelerated Back Care System and he's also the author of the book, This is Why Your Back Hurts.
✓ To understand the good, the bad and the complicated of being a chiropractor. ✓ How to identify the differences between "slipped disk", "bulging disk", and "herniated disk". ✓ If back pain has any root in emotions or psychology. ✓ When a back surgery is necessary. ✓ The 3 ways to tell what may be causing your back pain. --------------------------------------------------- Links & References from the Show Dabbs Rehab Center of Maryland http://www.dabbsrehab.com --------------------------------------------------- Got questions? Write to us: podcast@yogabodynaturals.com
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Thu, 2 October 2014
Eric Goodman is a Doctor of Chiropractic and also holds a degree in Health Sciences and Physiology. Dr. Goodman is the creator of Foundation Training, a system where he combines his experiences as a strength coach, personal trainer and Chiropractor to create a simple strengthening program that facilitates the body’s natural healing ability and quickly improves degenerative movement patterns. While we're talking, you can visit his website at http://FoundationTraining.com In this Show, You'll learn: ✔ The good, the bad and the complicated of being a chiropractor. ✔ What does all this "slipped disk", "bulging disk", and "herniated disk" really mean? ✔ If back pain is rooted in emotions or psychology. --------------------------------------------------- Questions - podcast@yogabodynaturals.com --------------------------------------------------- 💻 http://YogaBody.com 💻 https://www.facebook.com/Yogabody.Naturals 💻 http://instagram.com/yogabodyfitness |
Thu, 18 September 2014
Judy Gaman is an award winning author and public speaker. She has influenced and entertained audiences of all sizes, and her books can be found on the shelves at most national book chains as well as on Amazon.com The truth about what makes (or breaks) the passionin your life 8 foods that are proven to turn on the fire Real stories of people who’ve lost their mojo and then found it again Real-world tips for busy people who want to get busy at home too |
Wed, 10 September 2014
Sarah Lobisco is a naturopathic doctor who speaks professionally on integrative medical topics, has several journal publications, and is a candidate for postdoctoral certification in functional medicine.
She currently has a private integrative medicine consulting practice in Ballston Spa, New York, where she incorporates her training in holistic medical practices with conventional medicine. Why some people are more sensitive to smells. How to discover which oils are more suitable for you. If edible essential oils are good or bad for you. How to start utilizing essential oils. |
Thu, 21 August 2014
Stephanie Johnson is a primary school teacher and yoga teacher in Sydney Australia and the founder of an organization called, That Yoga Feeling.
Last year, Stephanie took the plunge, took leave from her job and went to India to study to be a yoga teacher. Now, she teaches yoga at a community class in after school to children. If kids can really be taught yoga. Why you need to teach children to meditate. How to teach kids to meditate. |
Thu, 10 July 2014
Gary and Valerie are the cofounders of the Grow Your Own Food Summit. Gary Heine is the co-founder of Heine Brothers’ Coffee an importer and roaster of organic, fair-trade coffee with distribution in nine Louisville, Kentucky cafes. Valerie is the co-founder of the not-for-profit 15Thousand Farmers which teaches people how to grow food simply at home. She has also served as Executive Director for Eco Soul for many years supporting sustainable energy projects. What fair trade means and why is it so important particularly on coffee, chocolate, and cotton. Why they're so passionate about teaching people to growth their own foods. How to get started planting and growing your own food at home. |
Thu, 3 July 2014
Daniel Vitalis is a Health, Nutrition, and Personal Development Strategist. He encourages people to “ReWild Themselves”. He is the creator of FindASpring.com, a great resource to help people find fresh, clean, wild water wherever they live, and the founder of Surthrival, a lifestyle, health and adventure brand. Daniel was recently featured in the documentary film, “Hungry For Change”. You can find him at Surthrival.com or DanielVitalis.com. What “rewild” means and why it’s more important than ever. How to blend food and exercise into a more holistic plan. Why eating locally grown superfoods beats the imported stuff. |
Wed, 18 June 2014
Many people join yoga to get fit and toned but a large portion also do it to get rid of cellulite. Joey Atlas is an expert in reversing the causes of cellulite. Joey is the author of a bestseller on Amazon.com and has 2 degrees in exercise physiology. What exactly is cellulite? Whether cellulite is genetic or not? Who’s more prone to cellulite? If beauty products for cellulite are effective? |
Fri, 13 June 2014
David Simon is a lawyer and advocate for sustainable consumption. He's the author of the book, Meatonomics, a book about the economic impact the meat, fish, egg and dairy industry is having on our economy and lives. If grass fed meat is really better socially and economically. Which has the biggest impact, meat or dairy. How a hamburger costs $1, the reality behind that price. Possible solutions to a broken food market. |
Thu, 29 May 2014
Donna Gates, writer of The Body Ecology Diet speaks about how to restore and maintain the important "inner ecology" your body needs to function properly and to eliminate or control the symptoms that rob you of the joy of living. |
Fri, 7 March 2014
Stella Grizont is the founder and CEO of Woopaah, a company that focused on The Science of Happiness, "hacks and skills to flourish." She creates immersive play experiences for people at work to feel happier, more creative, and connected. Her clients include Google, Columbia University, and New York City's Department of Transportation. Stella was one of the first people to earn a Masters in Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania.
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Thu, 27 February 2014
Steven Kotler is a New York Times bestselling author, award-winning journalist, and co-founder and director of research for the Flow Genome Project. His books include the non-fiction works "The Rise of Superman," "Abundance," "A Small Furry Prayer".
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Thu, 20 February 2014
Jasmin Singer is the co-founder and director of, Our Hen House, a non-profit animal rights activist organization as well as an extremely popular podcast by the same name. Jasmin also has a really amazing personal story of health transformation.
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Thu, 13 February 2014
Karen X rose to notoriety after one of her YouTube videos went viral. In that video Karen taught herself to dance in a year. Now she’s on a mission to encourage people to practice something for 100 days.
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Thu, 30 January 2014
Dave Asprey is a biohacker who has spent more than $300K on weird pills, science experiments, at-home quantified self gizmos, and extreme brain training sessions.
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Thu, 23 January 2014
After 10 years of research, analyzing over 1,300 studies, and garnering endorsements by top doctors from Harvard Medical School, Johns Hopkins, Yale, and UCLA, Jonathan Bailor is a nutrition and exercise expert and former personal trainer who specializes in using high-quality food and exercise to simplify wellness and weight loss. He is an extremely popular podcaster. His show is called, and that is also the name of his soon-to-be released book which I'm excited to be getting a review copy of later this week.
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Thu, 16 January 2014
The Caltons are among the world's leading experts on the topics of weight management, lifestyle medicine and micronutrient deficiency. Their high success rate working with adults and children to achieve sustainable weight loss and reverse health and disease conditions has made their consultancy highly sought after by celebrities, athletes and top corporate executives around the world. It is their belief that becoming micronutrient sufficient is the first step towards preventing and reversing many of today's most prevalent health conditions and diseases.
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Thu, 9 January 2014
JJ Virgin is a fitness and nutrition expert, a speaker and media personality. She has over 25 years experience and is the author of The NY Times bestseller The Virgin Diet: Drop 7 Foods, Lose 7 Pounds, Just 7 Days. The Virgin Diet has also been a bestseller in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, the Chicago Tribune, and numerous other media outlets. JJ is also the author of Six Weeks to Sleeveless and Sexy, published by Simon & Schuster Gallery, and co-starred on the TLC reality series, “Freaky Eaters”.
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Thu, 2 January 2014
Emily Fletcher is a mediation teacher with extensive training in Vedic meditation, she had a 10-year career on Broadway including roles Chicago, The Producers, A Chorus Line and many other shows. She first experienced the benefits of meditation as an actress and she now helps every day people, celebrities, and everyone in between discover the powerful benefits of meditation in their lives.
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Thu, 26 December 2013
Jonathan has been practicing yoga since 1995 and has been teaching since 2000, having studied with some of the yoga community’s leading teachers. He owned and operated the Yoga Center of Brooklyn from 2001-2009 and created the CoreWalking Program in 2005 because walking is something we all do and walking correctly is an amazing way to bring positive change to our ageing bodies.
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Thu, 5 December 2013
In episode 76 Lucas speaks with Ike Allen, founder of Avaiya, filmmaker, philosopher and creator of Super Shrink Me, a film where Ike eats junk food for 30 days and he does just fine. In our Q & A we get answers to, yoga and boxing, downward facing dog technique, best time of day for yoga and so much more. The nutritional tip has to do with: reverse vegetarianism. Listen to learn more about all that stuff.
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Thu, 28 November 2013
Welcome to the Yoga Talk Show. Your one-stop destination for all things yoga, health and wellness.
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Thu, 21 November 2013
Welcome to the Yoga Talk Show. Your one-stop destination for all things yoga, health and wellness.
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Fri, 15 November 2013
Lucas: Welcome to the Yoga Talk Show, your one-stop destination for all things yoga, health and wellness. So hello and welcome, everyone. This is Lucas Rockwood, and I'm here today with Nick Polizzi, who is the creator of Sacred Science and he was also heavily involved with Simply Raw, two films that most of you are probably very familiar with. And if you're not familiar with them, you'll be familiar with them very soon.
I met Nick about a year ago in New York city at a conference, and it's really interesting. There's kind of frontline people and then behind the scenes people, and it's interesting because the behind the scenes people do a lot of the heavy lifting and a lot of the conceptual work and so it was really interesting and exciting for me to meet Nick, who was involved in the film Simply Raw, which already had a huge impact on me and my life and on a lot of our listeners' lives as well.
In any case, Nick's going to be talking to us today about his wild adventures in alternative health, raw food, herbal medicine and medicinal healing. So thanks for joining us, Nick.
Nick: Oh, it's a pleasure to be here.
Lucas: So as we're having this chat, you're right in the middle of a big launch of Sacred Silence, which is a film that you shared with me about a year ago. And for people who are listening who have never heard of anything kind of off the wall, medicine man, healers, (01:23) give us an overview of what that whole project was all about.
Nick: So just going back to Simply Raw, I've been involved in a couple films before The Sacred Silence, and both of them were about alternative healing strategies. One is the Tapping Solution that's all about meridian points and tapping on different spots on your upper torso while going through traumatic events from your past and releasing pain that way, which is more of a Chinese medicine style.
Then Simply Raw came along, and that was more of a nutrition-based, super food-based film. As we made those movies, while we were interviewing the different experts that you saw in each of those, (02:05) it felt like a lot of them, when we asked them about the origins of their teaching, were turning to more indigenous practices, in particular Shamanism.
So we kind of took note of it, but when we were making those films you kind of keep your eye on the ball and keep creating the film that you're making. But I was really curious about Shamanism by the time I had finished making those two films, or being involved in those two films. So once those films were out, the next project for me was, hey let's at least take a look at Shamanism, figure out what it's all about.
And we sort of scoured the globe for the most Shamanic-rich cultures, and the Amazon has one of the most, if not the most, dense percentage of Shamans per capita on the planet. So we went down to the jungle, started doing some research. Not only is there a really thriving culture of Shamanism, medicine man, I'm not sure if your viewers are familiar with this idea of the indigenous healer. (03:14) The Shaman is somebody who plays the role of both the priest, the healer and the wisdom keeper in any given tribe.
If you look into different parts of the world, most indigenous cultures have a Shamanic-type structure, where there isn't really a government, there isn't really
So we thought to ourselves, okay so on one hand we have what we're looking for. There are amazing medicine men, medicine women in this culture that are doing incredible work, but on top of that they have the benefit of a pharmacopeia of amazing healing plants that haven't been studied by modern medicine yet. That's what led us down to the jungle, and that's what pretty much culminated in the film, The Sacred Science.
Lucas: So you're this guy and (04:25) what makes you want to make movies about energy healing, about raw food, about medicine men? Most independent filmmakers are making movies about two disturbed teenagers wandering across the Brooklyn Bridge and things like this. What prompted you to do this? Did you have a health crisis in your life? Is there a health crisis in somebody else's life? Is it just something that's always fascinated you?
Nick: I never really knew what it was until at one of the film festivals we were in, during the Q&A it just popped out and I realized that that was probably what it was. I realized what it was. (04:59) I was hit by lightening when I was 16, and it's really interesting how we a lot of times forget or compartmentalize and disregard some of the significant things that have happened to us in our life as just being, 'Oh, that can't possibly be contributing to where I am now.'
But once I got hit by lightening, and it wasn't some crazy, sacred thing where I was on top of a mountain and it just happened and it was this amazing, enlightening experience. I was playing basketball in my driveway and it was during a thunderstorm, and lightening came up as I was going up for a lay-up and hit my basketball hoop. I was after that, a much different person. It did something. I don't know how woo-woo you want to get, but it definitely shifted something inside me, and there were a lot of episodes I had that were unexplainable. Nick Ortner, producer of The Tapping Solution, a good friend of mine, helped me through and was fascinated by. He had no way of understanding them, neither did I.
I didn't need to be sold on holistic medicine. Let's put it that way. I didn't need to be sold on energy work. That was something I already had a dose of, probably too soon, without having any way of understanding what it was. But I probably was initiated into some sort of spiritual healing practice when I got hit by lightening when I was 16.
My career has somehow manifested in such a way that I get to make films about this stuff. So that's the origin probably of how I started on this path, and then once I started making films about alternative medicine all the rest of my career kind of just filled in by itself and that's where I am right now. (07:11) I'm on this path of trying to figure out how to legitimize a lot of these archaic, traditional healing methods that have been kind of discarded over the last 1,000 years. So I don't know why I love this so much, but it's kind of all I ever want to do. It's really all I want to do is create films that explore new healing modalities. Sorry, that was a long answer.
Lucas: No, no, it's interesting. I think if the sky parts and strikes you down, I can imagine that would have a profound impact on everything thus forward. One thing that I'd like to ask you about, because you've gone down in the Amazon, you experienced some really freaky, alternative stuff. One thing that I find in the alternative world, and this is me speaking as somebody who's guilty of this, as anybody else, but as soon as we get into the alternative world we immediately assume alternative is better. We throw away all the conventional stuff. So I'm just curious. You took some pretty ill people into the jungle and you took some people who would normally be on very, very conventional medicines to very alternative medicines. I'm wondering your totally biased opinion, how did you walk away from that? (08:26) Did you walk away thinking, hey this is the answer or this is an answer or how did your perception change in terms of finding a balance between allopathic medicine and traditional healing medicine?
Nick: I think I walked away with a feeling that might not be as interesting as I wish it was. I think my feeling was that some of these methods are extremely effective at treating certain illnesses. The neurological disorders, like Parkinson's, incredible. (08:59) There are things going on in the jungle right now that are going to be probably heard about relatively soon, plants that are being discovered that it's like night and day with what you're seeing right now on the market for Parkinson's and MS and things like that.
But other things, like cancer, one of our patients in the film had extreme results, beneficial results from cancer. A few of the other patients didn't, and that was kind of how it was. And I think that's probably why people look at our film as being reliable or trustworthy, is because we show you both. We're showing you what does work, what doesn't work.
But I think that my overarching feeling about these modalities is probably a little bit more boring now than it was before I went down there. I think I went down there with this idea that, wow this is all going to cure everybody. (0948) But I think that my feeling right now is that modern medicine and natural medicine are both very important, and modern medicine is extremely good at treating acute conditions but it's terrible at treating chronic ones. I think that Amazonian medicine and indigenous medicine in general is really good at treating the chronic conditions.
So I think they both have a very substantial role to play. It's just that one of them is dominating right now, and we need to sort of leave some breathing room for the natural medicines to come in. David Wolfe says it really well. He says 200 years ago, if Humpty Dumpty fell off the wall you wouldn't be able to put him back together again. Now you can. But you also have ridiculous increases in chronic conditions, too, right now.
So I think that both of them are very valid, and I think our mission really is to just give voice to the natural medicines that have sort of been ignored or discarded, discredited over the last 200 years. So that's how I feel about it. Just as a wrap up, the beautiful thing about the Amazonian traditions and other indigenous healing traditions, in Siberia and in Australia, is that they treat you from within, so that even the patients that didn't get healing results in our film still email me now talking about how even though their body didn't heal the way they wanted it to there were life-changing spiritual transformations that happened that they continue to feel the benefits from.
Lucas: Yeah, I think there's no question that the mind aspect in healing is just really coming to the forefront right now and it's pretty undeniable to bring that into any kind of healing modality. When I was a teenager, I used to spend summers in the Sierras in California, working at about 10,000 feet with a string of burrows. One summer I was up there and I met this guy. He scared the pants off me, actually. He would spend the entire winter in the cabins that I would live in when I was up there. And spending a winter at 10,000 feet in the California Sierras is like spending a winter on the moon or Antarctica or something. Nothing should live. In May, there's still snow everywhere.
He was this big, big, giant guy, nearly seven feet tall, didn't have any meat left on his body. I kind of got his story, and he'd been coming there and he considered himself the caretaker of this cabin. Nobody had ever hired him, nobody ever knew he came but he'd been the winter caretaker for something like 25 years. He had really, really bad gear, so he would come in on cross-country skis, come in about 35 miles on cross country skis.
In any case, I thought this guy is going to know these plants. I was spending all this time on the land and I was fishing in the creeks and I was really trying -- the truth is, there isn't much. When you get that high, things really start to die. But I figured this guy's going to know the land. It was interesting, he did. He knew every single thing you could eat, and again, there weren't many. And he knew about the different kinds of fish and how the fish were originally brought in and they weren't native and all these kind of things.
What was interesting to me, I think it kind of relates to what you were saying, is (13:27) a lot of times the biggest revelations are really pretty subtle. His big thing, his big take away from the Sierras was this willow bark. This willow bark, he discovered, was similar to aspirin, which was helpful in terms of pain from his walking around in bad shoes, but he also found that it had this anti-aphrodisiac property, which he thought, of course, a solitary male basically living like a monk in a hut. He thought this was going to be the next big thing. He thought if they just gave this to teenage boys, like the truancy and the delinquency rates were going to completely drop through the floor. But it was interesting and it was really, really subtle. He'd find a natural form of pain relief and a natural way to deal with what would normally drive a man from the forest, which is his libido.
Interesting stuff. (14:29) So I also know in the film, there was one gentleman who didn't make it. Is that right?
Nick: Yes, that's true.
Lucas: That's pretty heavy. How did that impact you? How did that impact the group? Were you prepared for that? How did that go down?
Nick: I was not prepared for that. (14:49) As much as we knew it was a possibility, obviously we took very sick patients down to the jungle, we were prepared for it in terms of on the ground with the right services and everything that somebody would need, but in terms of emotionally I wasn’t prepared for it. I'm an optimistic guy. Even though I throw myself into pretty intense situations, I always like to sort of expect the best result to happen. I wasn't mentally or emotionally prepared for it, and it was a really intense experience.
The gentleman who died, he was suffering from neuroendocrine cancer, and he was one of my -- I hate to say this, but he was one of my favorites of the patients. He and I bonded really well beforehand during our interview. We visited each patient in their home before we went down there, and got a read on who they really were and he was just such an incredible guy. And of all the people that you see in the film, he's probably the guy, even though he's got a serious health condition, he's probably the guy you least expect to be the one that passes away.
In the beginning of the film, we tell everyone five people get real healing results, two people leave disappointed and one person doesn't come back, period. So everyone knows that somebody's going to pass away. Some people think what we mean by that is they're going to stay down there and become a Shaman, but I think most people understand that there probably is going to be somebody that passes away. Most people don't think it's going to be this person.
In a really kind of tacky or inappropriate way, the fact that he passed away was incredible for the shaping of the movie, and I think that he's the kind of guy who is probably humorously, from wherever he is now, looks at it as being the perfect addition to this project, because he was so about what we were doing and he was such a sweet soul and he knew, later on after talking to his family, his loved ones, they had all said goodbye to him before he even came down because his condition had worsened since we had seen him during the interview. So he knew, his family knew that he was going to pass away. He just didn't let us in on it, so it was kind of a surprise.
So yeah, he's an awesome guy and it's really more sad for me, not from the project's perspective but because I just wanted to spend -- I wanted to be friends with him. He and I had plans to hang out afterwards. But from the perspective of the film, I think it really gave us the opportunity to talk about our society, conventional Western society's relationship with life and death, and that was a gift because a lot of what the healers in the jungle talk about is this dying process. It's this fear of the unknown. (17:50) The dying experience, when you boil it down to its essence, really comes down to the fear of the unknown, which is a fear that we experience every single day. It's just that when you die you really have no way of peaking around the corner and seeing where you're doing.
So Gary's passing gave us the opportunity to really go into that, because it shocks the audience. When you see somebody pass away in a documentary that you're attached to, in real time, it brings up a lot of issues. So it gave us the perfect opening for one of the medicine men, named Habin, to talk about life and death and all the misconceptions and all the crazy storylines and how desperately we avoid even thinking about it here in the West and how alive and part of the healing culture it is down in the Amazon. Something that is looked at as being a gift, and it's not nearly as feared as it is here. So it was a really mixed bag, but like everything that's happened with this film, it really turned out to be perfect.
Lucas: (18:56) So I guess the million-dollar question is if you had to do it all over again, would you cast him? Would you bring him down again? Do you think you made the right choice?
Nick: Yes, I do, 100%, 100%. Listen, if I had reason to believe that his passing could have been avoided by him staying up here or having some other course of treatment, then I would obviously not have brought him down. But this man had tried everything, and he was paying like, gosh, I'm trying to remember what the figure is, I don't want to misquote him because he says this in the film, but I think he says he was paying $2,000 or $3,000 a month for a shot that he was getting to sort of keep the cancer at bay a little bit, but it was still failing. And he had no money. He had no ability to afford it. It was not something that was covered by his healthcare. And he said he was sick of it and it made him feel terrible and he was in pain every day, and this was his last and final option. (19:51) So 100%, I would have brought him down, I think it was a perfect way for him to make his transition.
Lucas: Interesting. (20:02) Nick, before we wrap up here, tell people about what you're working on next, how they can get a hold of you and if they want to see what you're up to and how they can connect with your films.
Nick: Sure. First of all, we have a free screening going on right now. It ends tomorrow, Thursday, October 17th. So if you want to watch Sacred Science for free, just come visit us, TheSacredScience.com/screening and you'll get the information you need to register and we'll send you all the details you need to tune in not only to the film but also to a bunch of really awesome guest speakers that we have presenting. Most of them have already presented their material, but we have links to all those things that will be sent to you via email. So again, TheSacredScience.com/screening and you can watch the film for free.
In terms of what we're working on next, this film has really opened up a lot of doors. The first two films were great, in terms of giving us great experience on how to actually go about making film, but this one has been in a ton of film festivals and we've had a lot of opportunities surface since it's been released. It's kind of a tough decision for us. (21:13) We want to either go further into Shamanism itself or start making a film or two about some of the lessons we've learned that have come up from the ceremonies we sat in, things that we've noticed about society that are really quirky and conspicuous that we'd like to point our cameras at.
(21:38) One of our next films is most likely going to take us to the Siberian Steppes and into some remote regions of China and Mongolia, to sort of track down the earliest and potentially the most Shamanic traditions there are on the planet. (21:57) One of our other films are going to be addressing an institution that has existed for thousands and thousands of year and that may or may not be serving us. So there's two different films. We'll keep you posted.
If you join us for the Sacred Science free screening, you'll get all kinds of updates about future films as well.
Lucas: Sounds great, Nick. Thanks for all the information. Speaking of your new films, one thing that resonates with me is everywhere I go I feel like people are desperate for rites of passage and ceremonies, and I think a lot of the interest in ayurvedic medicine, in medicinal healers, in Shamanism, I think a lot of it comes back to that. So many people have lost their faith in whatever it is, so it's interesting stuff. I'm excited to see what comes next.
Again, thanks so much for joining us. (22:49) Everybody listening, check out SacredScience.com, and thanks, Nick, and we'll talk to you real soon.
You've got questions? We've got answers. Welcome to the FAQ round. If you've got something that you want to ask, send your questions to Podcast@YogaBodyNaturals.com. And now, let's hear what's going on with our listeners.
Miranda asks:
Q: (23:14) I've done a bit of research, and the correct term for my condition is Lordosis. I can't stretch my arms or shoulders back very far. I'm not sure if this is connected to that or something different. Wondering if the yoga trapeze will help to straighten this out.
A: If you don't know, the yoga trapeze is an inversion device that we manufacture and we teach students how to use. It's really fun for spinal decompression. It gives you traction on your spine. It's really great for passive backbends. We actually do core work and upper body strengthening poses on it as well. It's great for functional strength. It's kind of like a yoga version of a TRX, if you've ever seen one of those at a gym. You can do a lot more on this than you can do on a TRX.
In any case, Miranda, in terms of Lordosis, is this going to help? It's really hard for me to say. I'm not a medical expert in terms of that condition. The thing I would recommend is working with a teacher, if you can, and perhaps working with a physio or a chiro who could perhaps give you more structural integration information.
Jola asks:
Q: (24:18) I would like to take up yoga class, but which one would you recommend? I've never done it before. I'm 64. I walk my dog every day, and I'm reasonably fit. I've had back problems in the past, so I have to be careful about bending down. I'm an anxious sort of person and get a lot of tension in my shoulders, and it takes me ages to get to sleep at night. Sometimes I don't sleep at all.
A: Great question, Jola. In terms of what type of class I'd recommend, I always say the same thing. Do the type of class you love. So if you're somebody who likes something intense and strong and athletic, no matter what your age, I'd take a look at hot yoga, take a look at power vinyasa, ashtanga-style yoga. The great thing about yoga is it's great for any ages. We have students even coming to our yoga teacher training courses in Thailand who are well into their 60s. We've had people in their 70s. So it's not an age-restrictive thing. Of course, your body's not the same at 64 as it was at 24, let's be honest here, but you can still do a lot of things with yoga and you can get all the benefits. So that's if you're on the athletic side of things.
If you prefer a more calming practice, if you like meditation and if you like quieter classes, take a look at local classes that might be called hatha yoga, they might be called yin yoga, they might be called restorative yoga, sivananda or integral yoga. Some of these classes might have chanting and they might have Sanskrit words and perhaps even things connected to deities and religion. That may or may not be of interest to you, just as a word of warning, but many of them will not as well. You can always feel comfortable asking the studio about those things. It's always a good thing to ask, if you do have concerns about that.
In terms of your nightly sleep, using gravity yoga right before bed is very, very effective. We also teach a belly breathing routine that's very, very effective for falling asleep at night. We'll try to link to it here in the show notes. Belly breathing is when you lay on your back, you relax your belly completely and you breathe in and out through your belly, usually to a four count. So you inhale for one, two, three, four, and then exhaling for four, three, two, one. You keep your chest still, your face relaxed and you breathe just into your lower abdomen. So your belly swells and fills on the inhale and it falls and collapses on the exhale.
And what this does is it has a very strong effect on your central nervous system, and again, you switch from that sympathetic to the parasympathetic nervous system. You switch from your right nostril preference on the exhale to your left nostril preference on the exhale, and your body starts to really calm down. So that would be my suggestion for you.
Susan asks:
Q: (27:02) I had pots break 14 years ago and never healed properly, so cannot walk for more than a block without so much pain. I cannot use this foot in the yoga swing but could use the knee. I have carpal tunnel in both wrists. I cannot lift weights, use bands, do push-ups, et cetera, and will not be able to use my hands in a yoga trapeze. Do you have any tips for using the trapeze that way? I bought it to release my back pain.
A: Okay, Susan, this is a great question. I'm not sure. You said you had a break. I'm not sure what kind of break this was. I'm guessing you broke something in your spine. I'm not really sure. In any case, it sounds like you have quite a bit of pain in your body. The yoga trapeze is fantastic for getting traction on your spine. The one caveat to that is you do need to be able to get in and out of it and you do need a fair amount of mobility to be able to utilize it.
Now, there is another inversion device which is very, very common. It's just a lot bigger and a lot more expensive, but it's called an inversion table. You might have seen them before at a chiropractic office or at a health fair. It's a long table. It looks like a massage table, and it tips and goes all the way back and you can invert on the table. This might be something that might be more appropriate for you. With carpel tunnel, with pain, if you can't do any kind of resistance training, this might be a safer thing for you to try. So think about that.
Q: (28:27) I'm morbidly obese, I'm 5'2" and 223 pounds. I'm on a disability pension so I'm limited on the food we can afford. I eat lots of tuna, chicken, potatoes, frozen veggies, et cetera, because the fresh stuff is out of my price range. Would you have any tips on losing weight? Also, what other products other than the yoga trapeze would you recommend for me?
A: In terms of other products, I wouldn't recommend anything. If you're on a tight budget, just to natural activities that you love. If you like to walk, go for a walk. If you like to dance, put on a DVD and dance. Put on some music and dance. If you like to play with the neighbors or the kids or whatever it is, do that. There's this myth that in order to be thin or lose weight you have to do extreme exercise. It's almost never true. In fact, almost always the opposite is true. We have a sister business that I own and we do a lot of work with obesity and weight loss, and our most successful clients do little or no extreme exercise at all. Usually they do natural activities, just like walking around, playing in the park, very, very natural things. It's not necessary to get extreme. So that's the first thing.
In terms of eating healthy on a budget, this is a real challenge. Cheap food is fattening food, and that's a really, really sad state of affairs but it is a reality. Healthy food is more expensive, and people like to tell you that it's not but good food costs more. And that's just part of the situation. Now all of that said, there are plenty of options that are lower in cost and almost equal in terms of nutritional value. It sounds like you found quite a few of them. Frozen vegetables, for example, are nearly as good as fresh vegetables. So that's perfectly fine. Your cheaper meats, like tunas and chickens they're not too bad either. What I might recommend, if you're a meat eater, is go and try to get less common meats, like organ meats and like leftover pieces from really high-quality meats, for example you might get organ meats from grass-fed cows which would normally be very expensive. The organ meats will be very inexpensive and they're very, very nutrient-dense.
But all things considered, if you're thinking about investing in products, I would for sure invest in good food. And it doesn't need to be super expensive, but for sure it's going to cost more than even takeaway food from a restaurant. So with all that said, please keep in touch and let's see if we can figure out some good tools to help you and we'll go from there.
Esther asks:
Q: (30:56) What is your view on eggs? I'm eating organic, free-range, cruelty-free eggs pretty much every day for breakfast with spinach and avocado. What alternative, high-protein, vegetarian breakfast could I eat?
A: Eggs are really, really interesting. If you've been hanging around YOGABODY for a while, you know for over decade I just eat plants, so I haven't eaten eggs in a really long time. But in my day, I've eaten plenty of eggs. Eggs are interesting in that they have a very, very bioavailable protein. They seem like an animal food that we are made to eat, more so than other foods even in that they're very easy to digest.
A couple of problems with eggs. First of all, they come from chickens. Chickens are a really messed up animal. It's kind of like a poodle. You know when you see a poodle, like you go to Central Park in New York and you see these poodles getting walked around and this poodle looks sort of like an Easter Bunny/fur coat/I don't know what it is. It's really a mutant, and a chicken is very much like that. It's a very strange animal, and it's fed terrible, terrible foods like GMO corn and all kinds of really crappy grains. A chicken in the wild eats all kinds of things, like rats and mice and bugs and grasshoppers and leftover garbage. Chickens are really wild scavengers. And then they put them in cages and feed them really crappy food and antibiotics, and it's really a disaster.
In terms of eating organic, free-range eggs, I feed these to my kids. You've just got to be careful. A lot of the free-range is kind of a joke. A lot of the free-range just means that instead of being in cages, the chickens are just all on the floor smashed into each other. It's really no better. There are more and more and more truly cruelty-free eggs available, and I'm a huge supporter of that.
So here's the deal with eggs. Eggs are a great source of protein. Eggs are also very allergenic, and people develop allergies to them. The breakfast you talked about, eggs with spinach and avocado is something that my daughter loved beyond belief. For two years straight, every day she wanted eggs with spinach for breakfast, and suddenly now she won't eat eggs and it hurts her stomach. She's developed an egg allergy, and it's very common. If you talk to body builders, weight lifters, they often develop egg allergies as well, from over eating eggs. It's the white of the eggs that people develop an allergy to, the protein. I'm not sure why. I haven't seen any compelling research to explain why. I have a feeling it's because, like I said, the chicken is a funny animal. I don't believe in it as an animal. I think there's something wrong with it.
So that said, eggs from any other animal are better. If you can get duck eggs, for example, if you can get ostrich, any other kind of egg you could possibly get are going to be more nutritious and more natural than a chicken egg.
In terms of other high-protein, vegetarian breakfasts, the best breakfasts are not breakfast. Breakfast food is crappy food, by definition. The sweet cereals, the breads, the grains, all that stuff is gross. Eat dinner for breakfast. I like to eat leftovers from dinner for breakfast. Anything is great. Since you're a vegetarian, you just want to avoid the dairy. Dairy is so inflammatory. It's really a disaster of a protein. So if you're not eating meat, you want to make sure you're getting a good high-fat, high-protein breakfast. One thing that I like to use are sprouted lentils. Sprouted lentils are really, really great because a lot of the starch has been eaten in the sprouting process, so they're protein-dense, very, very easy to digest, very inexpensive and very fast to make. But the best breakfast food is not breakfast at all; it's dinner eaten for breakfast.
Q: (34:31) I'm confused about conflicting information about fruit. There's been a lot in the news about how fruit has too much sugar and should be avoided. What's your view on this?
A: Yeah, so fruit is really controversial. There's this guy out there called Durian Rider, and he says you should eat 30 bananas a day and then there's other people out there, Dr. Mercola tells you if you eat more than 5 pieces of fruit a day you're going to explode. I guess I fall somewhere in the middle. I come from a raw food background, so there's been periods of my life where I lived exclusively off of fruit, and at certain periods in my life I did really, really well off just fruit. At one point, I had less than 5% body fat, really great energy. I was able to work about 12 hours a day and maintain about a 3-hour per day yoga practice. Kind of extreme, but I was fueled by fruit during those days.
These days I'm a lot more conservative about fruit. First thing I'll tell you is it has a lot to do with climate. Where you live really affects your sugar metabolism dramatically. Your age dramatically affects your sugar metabolism. So what I mean by that is on the internet if you search around for these 80/10/10 guys or these fruitarians, the ones that look really, really good, and there's some really, really healthy-looking people out there, women in particular that people get really excited and they say, wow these people look like models. They look fantastic, and they're eating bananas and peaches all day, so maybe I should go do that.
The truth is, that might work for you. It might work for you in the short term. I've never seen it ever, ever, ever work in the long term, and I'm paying attention and I know people who've tried and they really deteriorate with age. So if you look at that fruitarian community and you look at the people in their later 30s, in their 40s and especially the people in their 50s, it's a train wreck and they have oxidative stress and they're aging really rapidly. And I haven't seen their blood work, but I promise if you were to do a glucose tolerance test it would be a disaster. Your weight, if you're only eating fruit, tends to be manageable. On any kind of whole food diet, your weight usually stays under control. But that has nothing to do with your hormones and that says nothing about your fatty acid levels and things like this.
I went off on a little bit of a rant there, but let me just tell you thing about fruit is that the fruit we're eating today is nothing like the fruit we had even 100 years ago. Let's talk about an apple, for example. A wild apple is a bitter, mealy, barely edible thing. A modern apple, I can eat literally five or six of them in one sitting and I can still want more. So yes, our fruit is way, way, way sweeter than it used to be. This has been done through selective breeding, in some case GMOs, but mostly just selective breeding.
And so what this means is when we're eating fruit, we want to focus on low-sugar, high-micronutrient fruits. That tends to be things like your berries, like your cucumbers, like your tomatoes. Yes, cucumbers and tomatoes are fruits. Anything seed-bearing is a fruit. And so you want to try to avoid the really, really, really sweet ones like watermelon and bananas. Those are very, very sweet. They're not bad for you, but it's a lot of sugar. That said, if you're an athlete, if you're very active, that can be a great source of carbohydrates for you.
The thing about fructose, especially concentrated fructose, is it's one of the most lipogenic things on the planet. What lipogenic means is lipogenesis, it goes into your liver and starts forming belly fat very, very quickly. So were you to try to gain a lot of belly fat really fast, let's say you were a method actor and you wanted to gain a bunch of weight really, really quickly, the absolute best way you could do that is to eat a whole bunch of fructose. It would be really, really easy to gain a bunch of fat. And the reason is, is because of the way it's metabolized. And so you need to be careful with fructose, especially isolated and concentrated fructose. So high-fructose corn syrup, like the stuff that's in soda pops, everybody knows you should avoid that.
But if you're eating fruit, here's just a general, general rule. You shouldn't be eating more than five pieces of fruit per day, and if you're eating other kinds of processed carbs, if you're eating any kind of grains, any kind of starches like breads or rices or pastas or any of that stuff, you need to be even more careful. So sometimes you'll hear people about going on a fruit-free diet and losing weight. Well, this is true and this does happen, but a lot of these people, they haven't given up their processed carbs. So they stopped eating fruit, but they're still eating lots of bread and lots of pasta and lots of rice. I would be much more interested in you getting rid of the grains and eating more fruit, because they're more healthy, they're more micronutrient-dense.
But as a general rule, again, I've gone on a real rant here, but about 25 grams of fructose a day or less is a good rule of thumb. Depending on the fruit, that could be just a couple of pieces or it can be about five pieces of fruit, if you're eating low-glycemic fruits. High-glycemic fruits, there's nothing wrong with them as long as you're active and as long as you're not eating too many other starchy foods. When people get into plant-based diets, oftentimes they end up eating all kinds of crazy starchy foods all day long and their blood sugar levels get all out of whack.
Q: (39:53) Is there any limit on how often we should be eating beans?
A: Beans or legumes are a really interesting food. We tend to think of them as a protein food, but they're actually pretty starchy. Most beans are around 10% protein, so not that high. Certain beans, like soy beans, are extraordinarily high in protein, but of course they have a couple of drawbacks that make us not want to eat them all the time. I like legumes a lot. I've come to like them more and more over the years, and I'll tell you why. I've learned how to prepare them better. Most beans give you terrible gas and bloating. They have oligosaccharides, which is a form of sugar, that we're unable to digest. But there are simple ways to overcome those digestive issues.
It takes a little bit of work. Specifically, buying beans dry, soaking them overnight and then cooking the snot out of them. That's one option. So you buy beans, you soak them overnight and you cook the crap out of them. It really, really helps with digestion. Of course, that cooking is not that great for the protein, not really that great for the micronutrients. But anyway, that's the way to do it. The other option, which I'm a huge fan of now and at any given time I have fresh lentil sprouts in my kitchen, is sprouting lentils. Lentils come in quite a few different varieties. They have very, very unique flavors. Some are peppery, some are more sweet. And when you sprout them it eats quite a bit of this starch. It makes them much more protein-dense, makes the protein more bioavailable, it eats a bunch of the sugars, it's predigested. And then I'll very likely cook them, stir-fry them or boil them in soup and they're very fast to cook, very easy to cook. You don't have to cook them nearly as much, and they're great for you. So I'm a huge fan of legumes.
They do have some anti-nutrients and things, which people get a little bit too hung up on them. You just need to learn how to cook. If you don't know how to cook, I would say beans are not for you.
Marilou asks:
Q: (41:43) Why is it so hard to lift up your upper body when on the floor doing bekasana?
A: Bekasana is a frog pose. You lay on your belly, you bend your legs, you reach back and you grab your feet and you lift your chest up. That all sounds fine. Do a Google search for it, bekasana, it looks really easy and then you go to do it and you feel like you're dying. It feels like your kneecaps are going to explode and your heart's going to burst. Why is it so hard? There are a couple of reasons, Marilou. Your shoulders tend to be tight, and your upper back tends to be tight and you really need to open up there to lift up and it's just a really intense, awkward position. So that's about all I have there.
I will tell you, you'll make progress really quickly. If you practice it every day, you'll make progress really quickly. Just be careful with your knees. Be really careful with getting adjustments in this pose. A lot of teachers like to sort of sit on you, and I do not like that in terms of your knees. It could be really risky there. I hope that's helpful.
If you have questions, please send them to Podcast@YogaBodyNaturals.com.
It's now time for the bendy body nutritional tip of the day. Raw food, edible insects, tropical oils, why not? It's all fair game. Here we go. Let's talk nutrition.
(43:03) Today's nutritional tip is all about water. The conventional wisdom is drink eight glasses of water per day. The only problem is, what the hell does eight glasses of water mean? Is that 8, 8-ounce glasses? Is that 8 liters of water? Is that 8, 12-ounce glasses? Who knows what that is? So here's my thing with water. You need to drink a lot more than you think. There's a couple of reasons for this, but one of the biggest reasons is the food that you're eating right now tends to be very dehydrated. A lot of people eat packaged and processed foods, and even the meats and things like that that they're eating tend to be dried. They're not nearly as wet and as water-dense as they should be, which means we need to drink more water.
(43:46) So how much water? Well, I like to drink about two liters per day. When I'm in Thailand, I might drink as much as five or even six liters per day, which sounds crazy but it's really hot there and I do a lot of yoga and I sweat a lot. It really depends on you. But for almost everybody, I find that a little bit over hydrating makes them feel really, really great. It reduces your hungry, it helps with elimination, helps you clear up your digestion and your skin. So it can be really great. So if in doubt, I'd ere on the side of drinking too much.
(44:17) So how do you do this? People get really stuck. The first thing is keep a bottle of water on your desk, and at your home keep a bottle of water on the counter. And by bottle of water, I don't necessarily mean a store-bought bottle of water. I have glass bottles at home that I filter water and put them in, and when I just leave them around on the table I end up drinking them all. There seems to be no limit to the amount of water I'll drink if it's sitting around. So literally, a jug of water on the counter, on my desk and I will drink it down no problem at all. I'd encourage you to do the same. If you're somebody who's out and about all day long, carry around with you a water bottle and carry a large water bottle, a nice big one. That will help you to drink more water.
(44:57) The second thing is, add something to your water. The things that I like best are lemon, fresh lemon, cucumber, sounds gross but it's good and then the last thing is we have something called Total Hydration, which is an electrolyte formula. It actually helps you absorb 43% more water. They've done clinical trials with firefighters. It's not necessary for everybody, but if you're somebody who struggles to drink water, is chronically dehydrated, the signs of that are constipation which is very, very common, and headaches, it can be a big help. If you're a hot yoga student, if you're an athlete, it can be really effective as well. You can learn more about that in the YOGABODY store. Regardless of whether you use Total Hydration or not, the key thing is drink more water. Keep it around. That's the simplest way to get it down.
You've been listening to the Yoga Talk Show with Lucas Rockwood. You might not know this, but I live and die for your iTunes reviews and ratings. So help me out. Head over to the iTunes Store and give me some love. And when you're done with that, you can grab the complete show notes, links to everything mentioned in this show, plus all kinds of other yoga shenanigans, at YogaBodyNaturals.com. |