I  received a copy of Esther Gokhale’s pain busting book 8 Steps to a Pain Free Back and a  stretchsit cushion to review. As a fitness professional and yoga teacher I find any tools that I can use to help my clients live a more pain free, happy life to be of the utmost value.  I count this book as one of those tools.Gokhale draws her information from formal academic studies, various cultures, research into biomechanics of the body and her own personal struggle with pain.  

The result is a workbook that provides readers with a step by step guide, via written instruction and well executed photography, to living a pain free life.  I myself I have attempted many of the instructions and found all to be understandable, the only one I have trouble with is the kidney bean shaping of the feet.

I have long held many of the same beliefs about posture that are put forth in this book, and relate during classes studies that show people living in less industrialized nations have less back pain, pelvic problems, etc. Here is the undeniable proof, with pictures too!

As someone who loves to learn, I found the photos of other cultures to be amazingly educational and intriguing – almost too much so at times as their presence in the sidebar drew my attention away from important information about the steps I should be taking.  But that turned out to be ok, each section has a recap at the end that gives clear, delineated photos of what was covered.

Truly this book is a no-brainer.  Who doesn’t want to live pain free? No-one. Who couldn’t follow this book? No-one.  It is easily understandable, even the parts that delve into structure, alignment, and biomechanics.  It is well laid out and informative.  It is broken into small enough bites that anyone can digest them.

Honestly this book should be on the shelves of anyone who works in yoga, fitness, therapy, medicine – just everyone looking to help others manage pain.

To accompany her book, Gokhale developed the stretchsit cushion.  To be honest, I already practice much of what the book relates in regards to sitting (having studied with a Svaroopa yoga teacher) such as stacking the spine.  I tried the cushion for a day in the car on the passenger’s side.  The small ridges were like little massaging air cushions but other than that I did not experience anything different than a cushion effect.  This is not to say that the stretchsit is without merit.  It is compact, designed for its purpose and as such stays put, is not obtrusive, and does a good job, but why take my word for it? Win one for yourself.

Win a Stretchsit Cushion, here’s how…

1. Visit 8stepstoapainfreeback.com and take a look around, post a comment sharing something interesting you found. You can even receive a free chapter from the book and free audio with promotion code 8steps.
2. Retweet “@skyyogastudio is giving away a Stretchsit cushion $49.95 value on http://skyyogastudio.com”
3. Become a FB Fan of Sky Yoga Studio – we will announce the winner chosen at random from all comments.  Each comment is an entry.

March 19th, 2010 | Tags: 8 steps to a pain free back, books, Giveaway, Review | Category: Community, Contest, Core, Daily Post, Fitness, Giveaway, Health, Review, books | Leave a comment

I received a copy of this book by Dr. Aziz to review, and based on the press release was very intrigued by what it had to offer.

Let me preface this by saying since the birth of my son in December 2009 I have been dedicated to losing 75 lbs, which I have done through exercise and counting calories (via measuring my food, etc) and I have been a strict vegan for 22 years.  As a fitness professional, lifestyle and weight management coach I make it my personal goal to spread healthy information to all I can and love to find new ways to support my efforts.

This book is full of great information, in depth research about hormones and their effect on weight loss, even recipes.  A great deal of what Dr. Aziz purports in his book is right in line with what I tell my clients – eat less processed foods, cut back on sugars, up the whole grains, whole fruits and vegetables, etc. and Dr. Aziz takes it to a higher level with research.

Some of Dr.Aziz’s revelations on nutrition include:

• How low-fat diets wreak havoc on insulin levels and increase hunger
• Natural food is always best
• Balancing the 10 key hormones is essential for lasting weight loss
• Staying youthful longer with saturated fats

Shopping Tips:

• Don’t buy low-fat, fat-free, especially fat-free dairy
• Gravitate towards fruits like berries, cherries and cantaloupe
• Love saturated fats!
• Avoid low-carb products with soy protein isolate
• Integrate healthy fats
• Don’t buy products with artificial sweeteners
• If you can’t pronounce it, don’t buy it
• Read ingredients
• Buy organic
• Eat before you go grocery shopping

Almost 10 years ago I went on a raid of our pantry, cabinets and fridge – getting rid of anything with High Fructose Corn Syrup, and Hydrogenated Oils.  I simply do not let items with these in our house.  We aren’t drinkers of soda, we never use artificial sweeteners, and always buy whole grains.  I agree with much of Dr.Aziz’s points but won’t go as far as to give up being a vegan, or buying organic – I know that last one is a shock –but I have never found organic to be truly better when I research it.  At the grocery store an item is considered not to be organic if it goes on a food belt that inorganic items have been on, not to mention different standards in labeling products.  I keep my extra cash and make sure to wash my produce thoroughly, and look for non-GMO products.

Dr.Aziz definitely has written an educational and interesting diet book, which is given credence by his board certification in internal medicine, far better than reading and listening to advice given by some TV personality.  Although I found this book to offer a sound perspective on weight loss and hormones that could help many struggling with weight loss, I am not sure that this Perfect 10 Diet is the only way – but it is definitely a positive step in the right direction for many.

This book touts again and again that low-fat and low-carb are not the way, that calorie counting is not necessary.  I found after reading though that stage one does not allow any grains, and the typical day meal plan seems to be low calorie by design.  The book also suggest you rid the kitchen of BBQ sauce and ketchup because they are full of HFCS, and sugars – this just isn’t so if you go to health food stores, even conventional grocers now have natural alternatives.

Of course my largest beef with this book is the small section on: Is it healthy to be a strict vegetarian? His answer no, because vegetarian diets are often high in carbohydrates and low in fat and protein.  As a vegan for 2 decades who loves to eat, I can tell you this just is not true. The circular logic then given to support this – do you really think you can sculpt a body and tone muscle by eating bread and rice? Is just foolish.  I don’t eat bread and rice and I have the best body of my life after having two children.  Then again I wasn’t reading this because I am struggling with weight loss, I found a way to lose weight – and that is just my point.  This book provides a different perspective on weight loss, it will help many people shed those unwanted pounds and live healthier – but that doesn’t make it the only way.

Do you want a copy

I am giving away my review copy of The Perfect 10 Diet to one lucky reader. So how can you win? Post a comment after each step, each comment is an entry to win! I will announce the winner April 1, 2010 via our Fan Page and Blog. Winner chosen at random from all comments.

1. Join Sky Yoga Studio’s Fan Page

2. Join the Facebook Fan Page http://www.facebook.com/perfect10diet

3. Follow on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/perfect10diet

March 15th, 2010 | Tags: Book, Contest, diet, Fitness, Health, Review | Category: Contest, Daily Post, Fitness, Food, Health, Review, books | Comments (1)

  March – National Nutrition Month

By Margaret Lewin, MD, FACP – Medical Director, Cinergy Health

As March comes roaring in, let’s look at winter’s glorious choices of fruits and vegetables and plan to E.A.T. R.I.G.H.T.!

Eat the rainbow!  Not only do foods of varying colors pack a wealth of nutrition, they also look ever so enticing on the plate! 

• Red fruits (think cranberries, grapes) and vegetables (think beets, red peppers, tomatoes) are high in the anti-oxidants which help fight heart disease, cancer and age-related memory loss.
• Orange and yellow fruits such as citrus and vegetables (sweet potatoes, squash, carrots) are high in beta-carotene for healthy skin and eyes, Vitamins A and C and anti-oxidants. 
• Green leafy vegetables (think kale, spinach, cabbage, Brussels sprouts) – the darker the green the better – broccoli, bok choy, avocados, and snow peas.  They are high in fiber and most are rich in folic acid, vitamins A, C and K and potassium.
• Blue and purple fruits (grapes, raisins) and vegetables (purple cabbage, blue potatoes, black beans) are high in fiber, anti-oxidants and many important trace elements.
• White and tan fruits (pears, dates) and vegetables (garlic, ginger, mushrooms, shallots, onions, turnips) add spice, phytochemicals and anti-oxidants to any meal.  Cauliflower is rich in vitamins C, K, and folate, and is one of the cruciferous vegetables that reduce the risk of many cancers.
• Brown grains, seeds, legumes (beans, lentils, split peas) and nuts are high in fiber, zinc, iron, folic acid, minerals, healthy fats and B-vitamins.

Avoid processed foods.  Take advantage of your time at home to multi-task by making your own soups and stocks and steaming some fresh vegetables while you prepare the main course (note that micro-waving removes many valuable vitamins).  Cook larger portions than you need and freeze the extras in individual portions to reheat for lunch or to thaw quickly when you’re in a hurry to get dinner on the table.

Take a list with you when you shop – with a mind to whole meals containing those fresh fruits and vegetables of varying colors as well as whole grains.

Read package labels carefully.  Pay attention to serving size (for example, you’re likely to be surprised that those little boxes of dried pasta contain 8 servings!) and choose products low in hydrogenated and saturated fats, salt and added sugar, altogether avoiding products containing trans fats.

Inspect fruits and vegetables carefully for signs of spoilage, store them properly, and wash them immediately before using.

Get locally grown, seasonal fruits and vegetables when possible, in order to maximize nutrition; decrease the risk of contamination and save money.

Have fish at least twice weekly – it’s high in protein, low in calories and fat, and high in omega-3 fatty acids.  There is evidence that dementia and impairment of thinking are significantly decreased, the incidence of heart attacks and sudden deaths are decreased by more than one-third, and the risk of death from all causes is decreased by more than 15%… and benefits can be seen in as little as 3 – 4 months!  Fish’s ability to reduce inflammation can decrease symptoms of diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and it may also help to control diabetes.

Take time to enjoy your meals, eating slowly to decrease portion size and to help digestion.

So… celebrate National Nutrition Month by trying at least one new seasonal vegetable or fruit every week of this month, going to the Internet to find new and interesting ways to serve them, and making your meals brilliant with color and nutrition.

March 9th, 2010 | Tags: diet, Eating, Food, Health, Nutrition | Category: Community, Daily Post, Fitness, Food, Health, Vegan | Leave a comment

We made eight fun filled stops  during our Virtual South American trip with pounding hearts and pounding Latin beats.  We returned home this past week and the tallies are in, passports have been stamped and I can declare our official winner – making 5 stops out of the 8 as Jenny!

Our winner received, hot off the presses, the new Zumba Workout Book, which is currently on sale for purchase at the studio.  It includes the founding story of Zumba, Beto’s story, a meal plan, a workout plan and a DVD with sample workouts.  Be sure to pick it up next time you are in.  We also have received our shipment of Zumba Toning Sticks – a limited amount are available for purchase on the studio – check out the new Zumba Toning class on our schedule.

Thank you to all of our wonderful participants who came to classes and made them a blast.  Join us for our newest challenge starting this week!

January 3rd, 2010 | Tags: Winner, Zumba, Zumba Toning | Category: Daily Post, Fitness, Giveaway, Health, Zumba | Leave a comment