5 Guidelines for Discovering Your Nutrition Needs
Diet and nutrition are common topics being discussed in yoga class. When I first began practicing yoga, through no mindfulness of my own, my diet began to change. I started to notice that certain foods I enjoyed made me feel heavy and lethargic. Through yoga, I became aware of the effects the food I ate had on my body and so I naturally began to adjust my diet. Yoga helps us to tune into Nature’s rhythms and allows our true nature to resurface.
Just as no two people have matching fingerprints, we need to take into account our human uniqueness when discussing nutrition. Exercise your own judgment as to what is right for you. Our food choices reflect the ongoing evolution of ourselves, our life values, and our sense of purpose. There should be no forcing or struggle when it comes to what you eat (much like your yoga practice). Trust the wisdom your body has to offer and modify based on what your body is telling you.
Listening to and supporting our unique needs takes conscious effort. With nutrition information changing on a daily basis, it is hard for us as consumers to make informed choices. Technology, the media, and poor examples from those who raise us contribute to this separation from our intuitive abilities. We can honor ourselves and the planet by being aware of where and how our food is being produced, and understanding how our body digests and assimilates it.
Food gives us energy and helps us face life’s challenges. We should eat to nourish ourselves and not devitalize ourselves.
“Keeping ourselves clear through light and simple eating allows our full energy to be available to us so that we can be the true ‘spiritual warriors’ or ‘spiritual athletes’ we were intended to be.” – Elson M Haas, MD
5 Guidelines for Intuitive Whole Health
Here are some basic guidelines to follow:
1. Eat natural, fresh, good quality, organic, GMO free foods. Limit processed foods. The quality of the food eaten affects our well-being.
2. Diet varies with activity level and time of the year. Create meals based on foods available at Farmer’s Markets. Don’t be afraid to eat more if your activity level increases.
3. Meals should be simple. Big meals, or combining lots of different foods, can act as a mental and physical sedative.
4. Develop the habit of relaxing around eating. This supports the bodies digestive functions.
5. Exercise keeps the body healthy and helps our bodies utilize the nutrients we consume.
Bon Appetit.
About the Author
Baking Soda and Apple Cider Vinegar: Why You'll Never Go Back to Shampoo
Surprise, surprise. Your commercial shampoo may have ingredients that could have serious repercussions on your health.
There’s a reason that hair care professionals suggest washing your hair only once or twice a week.
Flip over your bottle of shampoo. One of the main ingredients in shampoo is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, known as SLS. Is it on the back of the label? It’s likely there because it is a detergent, degreaser and foaming agent. It’s in more than your shampoo, however; it might be in your dishwasher detergent, toothpaste, bubble bath and other foaming home products. Also check your car wash soap, garage floor cleaners, and car engine degreasers.
SLS isn’t something you want hanging around your sensitive body. Skin irritation, hormone disruption, eye irritation, and eye deformities are all known results of SLS toxicity. If that’s not enough, it’s even possibly carcinogenic when paired with some of the other typical ingredients in shampoo.
Even if you dismiss the SLS risks as nothing to be concerned about, here’s another issue you’re your shampoo. As I said, SLS is a detergent and degreaser. This means it strips your scalp of the natural oils in it. “Good!” you might declare. “I don’t want oily hair!” Not so fast: those oils are actually healthy and there for a reason. When they get stripped, your scalp dries out along with your hair. That’s where conditioner comes in, to replenish and restore the damage. However, the natural way is nearly always better, and sadly, conditioner does not stay on your hair in the same way that your natural oil would.
Thus begins a vicious cycle. Once your scalp contains less oil, it senses the need for more oils to be produced. That’s why you may notice an oily scalp after just a few days of not washing it. Your scalp is going into overdrive, overcompensating for these necessary oils.
A breakdown of what you’re probably doing right now: wash your hair, strip the oils, put fake oils to reduce the damage, your scalp gets super oily the next day as a result, so you wash it again.
What can we do to break the cycle?
You can definitely switch over to SLS-free, toxin-free shampoo, but you might notice this is a little pricey. Thankfully, there’s a cheaper solution! Grab baking soda and apple cider vinegar on your way home, as well as the little travel-size squeeze bottles found in the dollar section.
Baking Soda “Shampooing”
Baking soda is a gentle alkaline compound effective for cleansing and removing build up from your hair. The typical formula is 1 tablespoon of baking soda for every cup of water, though you might want to play with it according your hair density and texture. Fine, thin or short hair may require less.
A good method is to use an 8 oz travel size squeeze bottle. Fill it up with the water and baking soda mixed together. Shake it up to dissolve the baking soda.
In the shower, squeeze the water/baking soda mix onto your head, starting with the crown and then all over the scalp. Thoroughly work it through with my hands, scrubbing the scalp and rubbing the hair.
You may notice a remarkable difference in this experience: no lather or foam. This doesn’t mean it isn’t working, however! It is, in fact, cleaning your hair in a much gentler, more natural way.
Leave it on for a minute or two and then rise as normal.
Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse
We’ve raved about apple cider vinegar before. It’s an amazingly multi-functional, mild acidic that is useful for detangling and clarifying, balancing the pH level of your hair, and sealing the hair cuticle. Use 1-2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to every cup of water. For dry hair, use closer to 2 tablespoons. For oilier hair, use 1 tablespoon or less. Again, you may want to play with it to see what works best for you.
Put the required amount of ACV as well as a cup or a cup and a half of water into a reused apple cider vinegar bottle. Shake it up thoroughly.
In the shower, starting at the crown of the head, pour just a little on top. Then, pour again while scrunching up the hair at the base of the neck and concentrate most of solution towards the bottom and ends of your hair.
Wait a minute or two and then rinse it out.
Important Note:
Your hair will probably go through a transition phase lasting anywhere from 2 to 8 weeks in order for all of the chemicals to wash out, as well as restoration for proper scalp oil balance. In the transition period, your hair may be a little flatter, duller, or greasier as your scalp finds its balance. Sticking it out for the 2 to 8 weeks will be entirely worth it, however, as many testify that it’s their best hair they’ve ever had.
You also may have to play your solutions for some time to get the right balance for your specific hair situation. If your hair is too dry, use less baking soda or try rinsing with honey instead of vinegar. If your hair is too oily, use less vinegar, or try rinsing with lemon juice, or try not using a rinse at all.
