Cheryl Thomas, RYT
www.cherylthomas.com yoga@cherylthomas.com 415-308-3377 |
Alternative Milk - Soy
Too any choices, I say. As an alternative to cows milk, you can have hemp, hazelnut, almond, coconut, rice and lots more. And there's soy milk. Soy milk, the original non-milk, is not a milk at all. It's liquid from a cooked bean. Being a plant milk, it's a complete protein and is naturally lower in fat and has no cholesterol. We first saw soy milk on the shelves in 1979 marketed as Vitasoy. Despite its growing popularity, its market is about one-twentieth the size of regular milk's (1)
Soy milk is made by soaking dried soybeans and grinding them in water. This Asian cuisine staple is an emulsion of oil, water and protein. Soy milk should be a good alternative to cows milk, but it's fraught with controversy. Depending on who you ask, it is either a wonderful superfood or a hormone disrupting poison.
One of the cons of drinking soy milk is it's high in phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens are endocrine disruptors, that can have adverse health effects (2). According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, "phytoestrogens that resemble human estrogen can block your normal estrogen and disrupt endocrine function, cause infertility, and increase your risk for breast cancer." But, maybe more importantly, it's a killer on the environment. How could an innocent bean that is the staple of the diets of many countries cause so much controversy? Over 90% of the soy produced in the US is genetically modified and the crops are sprayed with the herbicide Roundup. According to a Slate article, in South America, farmers responding to the massive global demand for soy-fueled in large part by China-have been accused of doing lasting damage to the Amazon rainforest. (ibid 1). So, choosing to drink soy milk is not just a health issue, but an environmental one as well. Just like all of our food choices, there are trade offs. Soy milk is no different. It has the advantage of being low in fat, which is a good thing for our expanding waistlines. It's from a plant, so it's accepted by vegans and vegetarians and lacks the lactose for the intolerant. It's high in protein, contains no cholesterol and is highly digestible. Just a few weeks ago, Nutrutianfacts.org, reported that the new USDA guidelines include soymilk, reporting that,
"Soymilk has been associated with weight loss, reducing cancer risk (see also the video about breast cancer survival and soy), and preventing COPD. Soymilk has 75% more antioxidants than cow's milk (sample breakfast here), and contains phytoestrogens that have a number of health-promoting effects. Girls who drink soymilk as opposed to cow's milk develop at a more normal age, beginning puberty 8 months later on average."(3)
Currently, and I say "currently" because these things change, I drink soy milk in my lattes and cows milk at home. I don't have a clear reason for either, except that cows milk is good and good for you. The choice of soy is complicated and some of the research is murky. But, regardless of whether it's soy or cow, find the absolute best source, preferably organic, local and minimally processed. [We're done with the milks!] (1) http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/the_green_lantern/2008/07/cows_or_beans.html (2) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3074428/ (3) http://nutritionfacts.org/topics/soymilk/
Want to read some of my past articles?. They're archived right here. Enjoy.
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Join me and all the awesome Graton Yogis this Wednesday, 12/31, that's New Years Eve, same time (8:45) and same place (Graton Community Club). 60/30 - New Year's Day I'll be offering a 60 minute vinyasa class followed by 30 minutes of restorative at the sane hour of 10:00! What a way to start the New Year! It'll be at YogaOne in Petaluma. Parmatma offers Yoga for Insomnia at Soul Yoga in Santa Rosa on 1/18, 1:30 - 3:30. Go to rejuvenationtravel.com/classes.htm.Tony Briggs offers at Teachers' Consultation Group/Mentorship Program starting February 4. See his website for details. If you're a yoga teacher, this is a rich opportunity. Also, NY Day class at POST from 10-noon. Yoga on Center has FREE classes all day on 1/1. See their website for times and classes. Thanks, YOC! Banyan Gallagher offers a blog post on teaching yoga at San Quentin State Prison. Yoga Basics with Iris Lambert meets for 7 weeks beginning 1/8. There will be alignment instruction as well as info on chakras, mudras, mantras, invocations and pranayama. See her website for details. in Santa Rosa. Yoga from 3:30 - 4:30, then social hour AND savasana harmonium with Meredith Rom and more!
Two hours of live musicians and powerful asana with Sherri Baptiste at Yoga Community, 1/3, 2-4.
Stand Up Paddle Board (SUP) is hot! It's gets people on the water, without getting "in" the water. And, you know, we've been out doing some crazy yoga on the boards, SUP Yoga. Now SeaTrek with Arline Thomas is taking a group to Baja from March 20th-26th. Booking is through Seatrek.
My weekly schedule is below (scroll down or click here!). Or, you can always go to my website and click on the always up-to-date calendar to find where I might be.
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 Research Supporting DetoxingAyurvedic doctor, John Douillard, offers some scientific research which backs up the benefits of detoxing programs.
He says: " I do agree with the fact that many detox procedures require much more investigation before they should be marketed as detox programs. But to say there is no science to back up the practice of detoxification is just simply false."
His article discusses Lipophilic-Mediated Detox, Tumeric for Detox and Sweating it Out. The article is here.
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 Exercise for Strong Bones
Our hunting ancestors had strong bones. As our sedentary lifestyle becomes the norm, our bones are getting weaker. Researchers believe human bone density will continue to decline at an accelerated rate. A bit from the article:"Since the invention of agriculture, new research shows, human bones have grown lighter and far less dense than those of early humans and closely related primates. Researchers believe sedentary lifestyles - made possible by agriculture and technology - are the root cause of human bone degradation over the past 1,000 years. Their findings reinforce the idea that exercise, not diet, is key to preventing fractures and osteoporosis." |
 Top Ten Meditation Books
Greater Good - Science of a Meaningful Life lists their top 10 Meditation Books for 2014. Thought you'd like to know. Here are just a few: * All Joy and No fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood * Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain * Ha! The Science of When We Laugh and Why |
"We tend to confuse busy-ness with meaning, and there's no better time to do this than when we're hosting family, preparing huge meals and fulfilling social obligations. However, if we negotiate our expectations and practice simple self-care practices, we become less busy and can instead focus on meaningful experiences." Find the audio here.
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Schedule of Upcoming Classes
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Week of December 28, 2014
Tuesday
4:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Healdsburg, Private
Wednesday
8:45 - 9:45
Graton Community Club, Graton
Gentle Flow - All Levels
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Thursday (New Year's Day Practice!)
60 Minutes of Flow, 30 Minutes of Rest 4:00 - 5:00 Healdsburg, Private
9:00 - 10:30
YogaOne, Petaluma
All Levels Flow
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Week of January 4, 2015
Tuesday
4:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Healdsburg, Private
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Thursday
8:45 - 9:45
Graton Community Club, Graton
Gentle Flow - All Levels 4:00 - 5:00 Healdsburg, Private
Saturday
9:00 - 10:30
YogaOne, Petaluma
All Levels Flow
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Graton Yogis Info:
Did you know your class pass (get these from your instructor) are accepted by all yoga teachers at Yoga in Graton?
We Gratonite Yogis have a place to call our own. It's www.
yogaingraton.com. There is information about current and new yoga classes offered in Graton.
Don't live in Graton? No problem. We want you to come anyway.
You cannot be lost if you don't care where you are.
Judith Lasater
When people ask me what equipment I use, I tell them my eyes.
Ansel Adams
"Not to have what we want is stressful; to have what we do not want is stressful." Buddha
Dalai Lama: "If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion."
"Everything will be alright in the end. And if it is not alright, it's not yet the end!" The Magnolia Hotel movie
If your Food can go bad, it's good for you. If it can't go bad, it's bad for you. Originally pinned by Michael Leaming, Ed.D. onto Fitness, Nutrition & Wellness
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