Yin Yoga and Finding Peace Through Life’s Madness
Post by Karli Erickson, Certified Yoga Instructor, Nourish Northwest
In this fast-paced world, it’s important for us to find maintained balance through what life constantly throws at us, and as we move through our days and weeks, setting aside time that’s dedicated just for you is an important component in finding that balance. As we all know, it can be a challenge to think about “scheduling in” that time with all our distractions but is oh so necessary for our sanity. Along with the stress that’s paired with our busy schedules, physical and emotional tension manifests in our bodies, and can sometimes cause more stress and even injury. You might be thinking I’m merely stating the obvious, but please consider this a wake-up call for you to take charge of your needs and embrace this essential time for yourself, especially during the even busier holiday season! So, it is my mission to gently nudge you to in the right direction and suggest giving Yin Yoga a shot in your pursuit to nurture your needs.
What’s Yin Yoga, you say?? Well, it is considered a practice that helps counter your active lifestyle, or your active yoga practice. It compliments our busy schedules by presenting more restorative postures that confront the deep tissues and fascial networks in the areas of our body that particularly respond harshly to stress. Yin is a yoga practice that is done all on the mat without any standing poses, and is supported with props to allow the individual to relax into each stretch that releases bound-up tension. An example of these poses is one that translates to most styles of yoga, which is called Child’s Pose, or Balasana. Child’s Pose (pictured below), helps us take a more internal perspective and allows us to surrender to our agendas.
In the yogic philosophy, it is believed that any time you place something on the forehead, it acts as a visualization tool to come back to whatever you’re trying to focus or meditate on, such as the breath, physical sensations, or an intention, which is something that happens in Child’s Pose. This practice allows you to be completely present and supports restoration in the body and mind, finding a stronger connection to your higher self.
Other poses introduced in Yin go much deeper into the tense muscles (hips, neck and shoulders anyone?!), such as Pigeon Pose (pictured below). Pigeon focuses on opening up the deep tissues in the hips and releases the low back.
Acknowledging the fact that there are so many body types out there, each pose can be modified to support the individual’s physical needs by using props or modifying in some capacity, which is something the instructor will help with. Yin Yoga always ends with the most restorative posture called Savasana, which allows the student some time to settle in and soak up the deliciousness provided by the calm practice paired with the breath. Savasana, which translates to Corpse Pose, happens when the student lies on their back and simply focuses on the present moment, noticing the body’s response to each breath in and out–which is something we rarely do consciously, but effects us on much deeper levels. Perhaps give Yin Yoga a chance in your journey of self-care.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, and for considering “upping the ante” with your chill time! Your body will thank you, I promise.
Nourish Northwest offers Yin Yoga every Sunday from 5:15-6:15pm, a great way to end your weekend and start your week!
The Cruciferous Concern
Post by Paula Jahn, Registered dietitian and Co-owner at Nourish Northwest
As a dietitian and cooking instructor, I sing the praises of cruciferous vegetables both for their nutritional benefits as well as for their flavor and culinary uses. The family of vegetables that includes broccoli, cauliflower, kale, collard greens, bok choy, cabbage, rutabaga, Brussels sprouts, and kohlrabi has many redeeming (I’ll get to that justification in a minute) qualities such as anti-cancer benefits, a vegetarian source of calcium, and many vitamins and minerals.
The question of these vegetables being safe, in terms of thyroid function, has come up recently with individual clients and in cooking classes. With the kale craze showing no signs of decline, I feel the need to address this issue and give my perspective.
The thyroid is a gland responsible for secreting hormones that regulate metabolism, growth, and development. Raw cruciferous vegetables, in large quantities, may contribute to low thyroid function in those with a family history of thyroid dysfunction or for people with iodine deficiency. Cruciferous vegetables, especially in their raw form, can interfere with thyroid hormone synthesis or a compound found in the vegetables may compete for iodine uptake, an essential mineral for thyroid hormone synthesis. The combination of the kale frenzy and the popularity of high powered blenders can make for a potential problem. A fancy blender can make bunches of raw cruciferous vegetables into a convenient, slurpable beverage. If you’re gulping bunches of raw kale every day, you may be putting yourself at risk. However, according to most experts, the risk is small. Look here for a Q and A with endocrinologist and thyroid expert, Dr. Jeffrey Garber. My rule of thumb is to think, “Is this a reasonable amount to consume? Could I physically eat this quantity in one sitting?” If the answer is “No,” perhaps reconsider the composition of your SuperSmoothie.
If you are in a high-risk category for hypothyroidism, read below for some ways to mitigate the potential damage of these nutritious vegetables.
1. Apply heat. Just a quick blanch, roast, sauté, bake, grill, boil (etc.) diminishes the impact on the thyroid to almost nothing. In my opinion, raw cauliflower and broccoli are unappetizing anyway. Plus, they can wreak havoc on the digestive system. Cook ’em. They taste better that way.
2. Eat extra iodine. In some studies, problems with cruciferous vegetables are only seen in the presence of iodine deficiency. We are at low risk of iodine deficiency in the United States since our salt is iodized. However, those who follow a minimally processed vegan diet may consider adding sea vegetables to their diet. Try Vegan “Tuna” Salad or Miso Soup for a natural dose of iodine.
2. Diversify! This is my number one nutritional principle. With variety, you lessen the potential toxic effects of any one substance while adding nutrients from other foodstuffs that your body needs. Cruciferous vegetables are at their peak this time of year, but so are winter squashes, sweet potatoes, beets, parsnips, celery root…Switch it up. Eat it all. Kale is not the enemy.
Sit at a Desk 40 hours a Week? Read This!
Post by Christy Johnson, Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor at Nourish Northwest
Postural Distortion Patterns Explained
Many of us these days end up sitting behind a desk staring at a computer for 40+ hours a week, unfortunately, that is the nature of many of our jobs and it’s hard to avoid. In addition to that, we also sit in the car, sit on the couch to watch TV/read, and sit to eat meals, but what does all this sitting do to us? After hours of sitting, week in and out, year after year, it becomes a pattern that can lead to many bodily aches and pains. If we don’t spend time unwinding our body from sitting all day, the aches and pains will only get worse!
Below is a (semi) short and sweet explanation of Upper-Crossed Syndrome and Lower-Crossed Syndrome, two postural patterns you may be suffering from. Both of these patterns are exacerbated by a “sitting” lifestyle. Before we get in to explanations of Upper-Crossed and Lower-Crossed, it’s best to also understand the terms “overly-facilitated muscle” and “inhibited muscle.”
Overly-Facilitated muscle = “turned on”/shortened/over-active
Inhibited muscle = “turned off”/lengthened/under-active
Lower-Crossed Syndrome
What it looks like: Top of the pelvis is tilted forward/”booty pop”; low back curve “belly out”
Overly-Facilitated Muscles: (“turned on”)
Hip flexors (muscles in front of hips/pelvis), Rectus Femoris (front of thigh)
Latissimus dorsi, Quadratus Lumborum, spine extensors (these are all muscles in your back)
Inhibited Muscles: (“turned off”)
Gluteus Maximus/Medius/Minimus (butt, side of hip)
Abs/Obliques (stomach)
Can lead to:
“Tight” (spasming) hamstrings and weak glutes. (The hamstrings are compensating for weak glutes. Weak glutes can lead to many other compensations and injuries, and should be a blog post on its own!)
Low back pain/Poor posture
IT Band pain a.k.a. runner’s knee
Upper-Crossed Syndrome
What it looks like: Head/neck juts forward, shoulders are elevated/ rounded forward, upper back curved/”hunchback”
Overly-Facilitated Muscles: (“turned on”)
Pectorals (front of shoulder/chest)
Upper trapezius/Levator Scapulae/Scalenes (upper back, back of neck)
Inhibited Muscles: (“turned off”)
Cervical flexors (front of neck)
Rhomboids/Mid/Lower Trapezius (mid/lower back)
Leads to:
Shoulder instability/injury/pain
Neck pain/stiffness
Headaches
What Should I do???
For both of these postural distortion patterns, follow these basic guidelines:
- Release/relax the overly-facilitated muscles.
- Strengthen/fire the inhibited muscles.
Release techniques include trigger point therapy, foam rolling, and massage. It is always best to release the overly-facilitated muscles first, then immediately fire the inhibited muscles! Over time this will help bring your posture and body back to balance, and hopefully help with any nagging aches and pains!
If you are confused, or think this is too much to take in yourself, to get releasing/strengthening ideas you can always ask a personal trainer for help; another healthcare professional like a chiropractor or a massage therapist would also be a great resource.
Happy releasing and strengthening everybody!
Staying Healthy this Holiday Season
Post by Olivia Martino, Registered Dietitian and Co-owner, Nourish Northwest
As a dietitian, I feel as though I must write the obligatory “how to stay healthy during the holiday season” post. I personally have always disliked reading these posts because they all typically say the same thing: eat before the party, don’t use heavy cream in your recipes and watch out for those passed hors d’oeuvres. I have to say, some of these tips are good ones and I do use them with my clients. But I think we need something different.
We have heard of these strategies year after year and yet, the average person gains 2-5 pounds during the holiday season. While this may seem insignificant, the problem lies in the fact that most of us don’t ever lose that weight throughout the year. Then the holidays roll around again and we pick up another couple of pounds. This leads to a significant weight gain over time.
Last year I wrote about this topic, with the take home message being: ditch the guilt. I discussed the importance of enjoying your family food traditions as they are intended to be, rather than trying to modify them to be lower fat versions. Reframing your thoughts around these foods from feeling guilty to feeling happy about being able to enjoy these foods can do wonders for your emotional state. And many of us can agree, when we are not in the best emotional state, our eating habits often take a turn for the worse. I want to re-emphasize this concept again this year because I do think it’s very important. But I understand that it also may be easier said than done.
So, let’s look at a more action-based, concrete method of eating healthier during the holidays. It’s my single most important mission and passion as a dietitian and it involves making vegetables delicious and exciting. We all know we are supposed to eat vegetables to be healthy; it’s not an exciting new concept. Food fads have come and gone but eating vegetables has always remained a tried and true way to manage weight and prevent against chronic disease. So, if we know for a fact that eating vegetables is the most important thing we can do to stay healthy then why do we have trouble doing this? Why are we constantly looking for a different solution?
When it comes down to it, I think the main reason is simply that other foods taste better. When faced with a choice between a serving of the baby carrots and the double chocolate cheesecake bites on the buffet table, I really don’t expect many people to be excited about the carrots (I wouldn’t either). The cheesecake bites are always going to taste good and remain a tempting option but let’s give them a run for their money and replace the carrots with a beautiful, delicious, colorful and flavorful fruit or veggie option. I believe that fruit and vegetables can become the most delicious part of any meal and when that happens, eating healthy suddenly become very, very easy.
Preparing and bringing a healthy dish to your next holiday party will not only provide you with something healthy to eat when you’re there but others will appreciate it as well. They may not say it, but they are most likely experiencing the same stresses over how to eat healthy this season. So without further ado, here is a round-up of some of my favorite dishes that truly make the fruit and veggies the star of the show!
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Cilantro Pesto
Roasted Pears with Brie and Pistacchios
Dijon Braised Brussels Sprouts
Butternut Squash Salad with Farro and Pepitas
Cider Glazed Roots with Cinnamon Walnuts
Citrus Salad with Creamy Poppyseed dressing
Tassajara Warm Red Cabbage Salad
Moroccan Carrot and Chickpea Salad
Roasted Beet Salad with Oranges and Pomegrantes
Is Breakfast in Need of a Change?
Post by Paula Jahn, Registered dietitian and Co-owner at Nourish Northwest
This post is inspired by a webinar that I watched last week for continuing education credits. It was entitled Development in Protein’s Role in Promoting Lean Body Mass. You can click on the link to watch the recorded webinar. Full disclosure: The webinar was sponsored by Daisy Cottage Cheese and the two presenters have ties to the National Dairy Council and to the National Cattleman’s Beef Association and Texas Beef Council. Their research focused on animal sources of protein.
To summarize, the presenters have found that consuming moderate and equal amounts of protein at each meal can optimize protein synthesis. This means muscle building for physically active young adults and prevention of muscle wasting for bed-ridden young and older adults. The speakers pointed out that the typical American meal pattern tends to skew protein consumption toward dinner, with just over 10% of daily protein coming from breakfast.
The main point of this presentation was to maximize protein distribution for muscle growth. However, there was a study they mentioned that emphasized total calorie consumption as it relates to protein at breakfast. Breakfast is a topic that almost always comes up as an issue during nutrition counseling sessions, especially for weight loss. I’ve observed over the years that people who skip breakfast (or eat very little) end up eating extra snacks at night. These snacks are usually not as nutritious as breakfast would have been. The research backs this up. Breakfast is an important hunger management tool; appetite control often gets overlooked as part of a weight loss strategy. If increasing the protein content of breakfast can help even further with appetite, then it may be something I recommend to clients.
I like to apply the research on myself before I provide specific recommendations to my clients. How realistic is 25-30 grams of protein for breakfast? What does it look like? Is this even practical for vegans or people who cannot tolerate dairy?
I am typically a carbohydrate seeker in the morning. I love oatmeal, French toast, pancakes, waffles, etc. This is not to say that my breakfasts are devoid of protein: I add nuts or nut butter to my oatmeal, make pancakes with almond flour and/or eggs, and a piece of French toast soaks up nearly a whole egg. When I look at my typical breakfast, I consume about 12-15 grams of protein. It is quite normal for me to be hungry for a mid-morning snack.
So, I set out to consume 25-30 grams of protein for breakfast for a week. I took note of the total calories each breakfast provided and my hunger level throughout the day. For reference, I eat between 2,200 to 2,400 calories per day.
Days 1 & 3: 2 eggs sautéed with beet greens, 1/2 cup 4% cottage cheese, sprouted grain toast with butter. Total protein–30 grams, 310 calories.
Day 4: 1/2 cup beans sautéed with garlic and spinach, sliced chicken breast, avocado, 1 oz cheddar cheese. Total protein–35 grams, 400 calories.
Day 5: Ate out. Had 2 poached eggs, 1/2 cup black beans, cheese, avocado, sour cream, salsa and 3 mini corn tortillas. My guess was total protein–40 grams, 700 calories (at least).
Day 6: 3/4 cup whole milk plain yogurt, 1/2 cup homemade granola (with walnuts, almonds and sunflower seeds) PLUS a homemade peanut butter cookie. Total protein–26 grams, 420 calories.
Things learned:
- It is difficult to stay away from dairy, meat, and eggs in order to get t0 25-30 grams of protein. Nuts and nut butter are great, but I’d have to put over 1/4 cup of it in my oatmeal to get the 25 grams of protein. That would be unpalatable and expensive.
- The egg and cottage cheese breakfast was the most satiating and had the least number of calories. I really wasn’t hungry until lunch. A close second was Day 4. (I did not track total calories, so I have no idea if it caused me to actually eat less overall.)
- It forced me to be more creative for breakfast. I ate leafy greens on 2 days, and made granola and breakfast cookies.
- Will I recommend this to my clients? It’s hard to argue with how satisfied I felt. I may encourage a little more protein for breakfast without being dogmatic about the grams. I really enjoyed the day I had beans and avocado. It felt good to have a savory breakfast without eggs. The cheese and chicken could easily be swapped out for quinoa and nuts or seeds.