yoga + mindful eating = healthy weight

Regular yoga practice is associated with mindful eating, and people who eat mindfully are less likely to be obese, according to a study led by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

The study was prompted by initial findings reported four years ago by Alan Kristal, Dr.P.H., and colleagues, who found that regular yoga practice may help prevent middle-age spread in normal-weight people and may promote weight loss in those who are overweight. At the time, the researchers suspected that the weight-loss effect had more to do with increased body awareness, specifically a sensitivity to hunger and satiety than the physical activity of yoga practice itself.

The follow-up study, published in the August issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, confirms their initial hunch.

"In our earlier study, we found that middle-age people who practice yoga gained less weight over a 10-year period than those who did not. This was independent of physical activity and dietary patterns. We hypothesized that mindfulness - a skill learned either directly or indirectly through yoga -could affect eating behavior," said Kristal, associate head of the Cancer Prevention Program in the Public Health Sciences Division at the Hutchinson Center.

The researchers found that people who ate mindfully - those were aware of why they ate and stopped eating when full - weighed less than those who ate mindlessly, who ate when not hungry or in response to anxiety or depression. The researchers also found a strong association between yoga practice and mindful eating but found no association between other types of physical activity, such as walking or running, and mindful eating.

Read more...

yoga + weight loss

It's not high intensity, but a gentle yoga routine blasts fat as effectively as weight lifting does, says research represented at the American College of Sports Medicine's 2004 conference.

In one of the few studies that have compared these radically different exercise regimens, University of Pittsburgh researchers put 59 obese, inactive women, ages 25 to 55, on a low-fat diet. Everyone walked for 40 minutes 5 days a week; a third of the volunteers did additional strength-training exercises; and another third added a yoga routine 3 days a week.

After 4 months, the yoga devotees dropped an average of 27 pounds - the most!; the strength trainers whittled away 23; and the walking-only group lost 20. Study author Kara Gallagher, PhD, an exercise physiologist, warns that the differences aren't big enough to conclude that yoga is better than dumbbells. But it appears to be a soothing option with a surprising power to fend off excess pounds, equal or exceeding strength training with weights.

source: from Prevention.com

The yoga classes I teach have plenty of sun-salutations, which engages, flexes, and extends all of your major muscle groups. Additionally, you are consistently lifting your own body weight, building strength, burning calories. Many new students say, "I didn't think I'd sweat in yoga, but I sure did!" Yet, a yoga workout is much more gentle than doing reps in a harshly lit gym, pumping iron. I speak from experience - I've definitely put in gym time. But I must say, I never walked away from a session of lifting weights feeling as de-stressed, centered, and rejuvenated as I do with yoga. And that's all the difference in the world.

yoga news: yoga makes you feel groovy

How does yoga improve mental health?

On a physical level, yoga postures are designed to massage the internal organs, increasing and decreasing blood flow to targeted areas. This circulates the blood and lymph, thus removing stale bodily fluids from vital organs and helping flush toxins. The physical movement can also stimulate certain hormones and neurotransmitters, leading to positive feelings and emotions.

Additionally, according to the Eastern medical model, yoga exercises are also designed to specifically move the “prana” or life force energy in the body (traditional Oriental medicine calls this “chi”). Keeping this life force fresh and alive is vital to well-being, according to Eastern philosophy.

Yoga poses stimulate certain aspects of the body's energetic system, comprised of “chakras” (energy centers) and “nadis” (the yogic term for “meridians” or energy channels). As stuck prana is moved and energized, old emotional wounds manifesting as blockages in the energy centers and channels can be released. This may explain why so many yoga practitioners experience a sense of emotional release from practicing certain poses, such as a spontaneous expression of tears, providing a sense of extreme relief and peace afterwards.

The special breathing exercises that go along with yoga (called “pranayama”) also serve to energize the body by bringing fresh quantities of prana in through the breath. These breathing exercises can also alleviate anxiety and create a sense of calm and well-being.

from naturalnews.com, read more...

staying hydrated

approximately 55 -65% of your body weight is water. Proper balance between water and electrolytes determines how our body functions. Staying hydrated is extremely important, especially when exercising in the summer. A few facts:

watery foods, such as soup, yogurt, and fruits (an orange is 90% water) count toward your daily water needs.

if you are properly hydrated, you should have to use the bathroom every 2 to 4 hours and your urine should be light in color.

your body hides mild dehydration very well. Headaches and cramping are common late signs of dehydration.

a 2% drop in body water can cause dehydration, and a 3 to 4 percent drop can cause physiologic changes, such as an increase in heart rate and body temperature.

-excerpted from Living Well, Atlanta Medical Center