Energy Boost Blueberry Spinach Smoothie

Low calorie, low fat, high in: fiber, antioxidants, Vitamin C and K, omega 3 fatty acids, anti-inflammatory properties, iron, and tasty deliciousness! This smoothie makes a great component to a balanced meal or a healthy snack

Blend together:

1c frozen blueberries
1c 100% orange juice
big handful of raw baby spinach
2tsp flax meal
opt: for protein and probiotic boost add 1/2c strained whey from homemade yogurt

How to get the most out of your group fitness workout

How to get the most out of your group fitness (or solo) workout:

We are all crunched for time and sometimes fitting exercise into our busy schedules is hard to do. When you make exercise a part of your day, make the time you put in count most by following these easy tips.

Allow your instructor/trainer to guide you by:

•   Listening closely to cues, watching instructor cues and form. 
•   Being open to having an instructor/trainer provide gentle correction to a posture, pose, stretch or exercise you are doing
•   Take into consideration the educational piece an instructor may provide you-why the exercise/stretch/pose is important, what muscles are being activated, how the muscle is activated

Make your movements intentional by:

•   Listening to your body, it's normal to feel stronger and more full of energy some days and not as much other days. Challenge yourself when you are feeling strong and ease your body through when you're not.
•   Altering your intensity level based on those intensity options provided by your instructor/trainer. Deepen your stretch, contract your muscles rather than letting your body "go through the motions"
•  Watch your form, mirrors are good tools for this. Does your form match that which your instructor has guided you to do? Does your form feel right? Some exercises may feel awkward the first time you do them, though they should never feel like they are putting you at risk of injury, strains, sprains, overuse, etc. If the exercise is very painful, seek the guidance of your instructor/trainer.
•   Being in full control of your movements- focus on good posture and alignment, take advantage of fuller ranges of motion when your body is able to produce those movements

Practice, practice, practice! It takes time and dedication to becoming a more efficient and effective exerciser. When you have a better understanding of how the  body is working and the importance behind making the body work efficiently, you can focus on your own workout and get the most out of the time you put in making your body strong and healthy!

Urinary Incontinence and Pelvic Floor Strength

Urinary Incontinence and Pelvic Floor Strength

Urinary incontinence is a common problem, affecting approximately 25 percent of women at some point in their lives. Some of the most common times that women experience incontinence are during pregnancy, after childbirth or around menopause. Since incontinence is often caused by weakened pelvic floor muscles, building pelvic floor strength through exercise is typically the first line of treatment, and has proven very effective for many women. On the other hand, some women with severe urinary incontinence that hasn't been helped by less invasive measures may need corrective surgery.

Kegel Exercises
If you are one of the many women who suffer from urinary incontinence, chances are you've been instructed to do Kegel exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. Kegels are good. In fact, there is a lot of scientific evidence behind that recommendation, with many studies showing that they are an effective means of reducing the symptoms of incontinence, especially stress urinary incontinence, or SUI. However, studies have also shown that they must be done correctly to be effective, and that women who are guided by a physical therapist or fitness professional to ensure proper technique achieve much better results than those who do Kegels on their own.

However, Kegels probably aren't the only exercise you should be doing. There is an ongoing debate about Kegels. While they have long been the standard in the treatment of pelvic floor disorders, there are experts who feel that too much emphasis is placed on them, and that strengthening just the pelvic floor muscles in the treatment of pelvic floor disorders may be counterproductive. The pelvic floor muscles play a primary role in pelvic health, but there are other muscles that contribute, so some fitness and medical professionals advise that just working pelvic muscles and neglecting the rest creates an imbalance in the body that can be detrimental to pelvic health and the long-term management of urinary incontinence.

A Broader Approach
Some physical therapists are broadening their approach in the treatment of pelvic floor disorders like SUI. Many are working with patients to strengthen core muscles, gluteal muscles, hamstrings and others, rather than focusing exclusively on pelvic floor muscles. While it hasn't been proven that this more comprehensive approach to exercise is better for pelvic floor health than Kegels, it certainly can have benefits in weight management and overall health, both of which can help improve incontinence.

While non-invasive treatments help most women, surgery may be necessary for some. However, it is important to be aware that SUI surgeries that use transvaginal mesh implants, in the form of bladder slings, have been associated with serious complications. Common problems reported to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) include mesh erosion, organ perforation, mesh contraction and infection. Many women have been affected by these dangerous complications and some have even filed bladder sling lawsuits. 

The FDA has issued safety alerts on these devices, warning that reports of serious complications with mesh procedures are rising dramatically. The agency advises that most cases of SUI can be treated successfully without transvaginal mesh and urges surgeons and patients to consider traditional SUI surgery as a safer alternative to bladder sling procedures. Even with all the complications the FDA has still not mandated a transvaginal mesh recall.

Guest blog written by Elizabeth Carrollton who writes about defective medical devices and dangerous drugs for Drugwatch.com.

Best Homemade Pancakes Ever! And They're Healthy Too!

My kids and I have established a tradition of Pancake Friday, making pancakes nearly every Friday for the past 5 years. I started out with your basic Bisquick box pancakes, which taste good though aren't necessarily the healthiest or cheapest way to go about eating pancakes every Friday. So I searched all over the web, experimented and concocted recipe after recipe of flat, stale, dry, chewy pancakes. Until...a friend of mine, Renee Samson, clued me in on a family recipe that included adding yogurt to the batter for the most moist, delicious fluffy pancakes I've ever tasted. My kids all loved them AND one of my biggest food critics (my husband) even prefers my pancakes to any other pancake out there now. I've modified a bit and this is the recipe I make every Friday, adding fruits, chocolate chips or even homemade granola to switch things up a bit.

Recipe 
2 c flour (I've used bleached, unbleached, whole wheat....all work well)
2T baking powder
2T raw sugar
pinch sea salt (for an extra boost of trace minerals-magnesium, potassium, calcium)
2 eggs beaten
1c milk (I use 1%)
1c yogurt (homemade yogurt is best though store bought will work)
2T melted coconut oil

Wisk together the dry ingredients.
Mix wet ingredients together, I warm the mixture a bit to keep the coconut oil from solidifying when added to the cold milk/yogurt/egg.
Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well, smoothing out the lumps but not over wisking.
Ladle pancake batter into a med-low heated griddle, pan or skillet.  The temp may vary depending on your stovetop, we use gas and I find that keeping the heat at medium-low is perfect.  I love to use a cast iron skillet because it provides just a tad extra iron to our diets and evenly cooks the pancakes. Watch for the bubbles on the top of the pancake to pop and the sides of the pancake start to dry. Flip and cook for just a bit longer on the other side to make sure the pancake is cooked all of the way through.
Can freeze excess pancakes and reheat them in the toaster or microwave!

Strawberry Mango Paradise Smoothie-Why Coconut?

Why coconut? Coconut meat, milk and oil have been shown to:

• Provides a nutritional source of quick energy
• Improves insulin secretion and utilization of blood glucose.
• Improves digestion and bowel function.
• Reduces inflammation.
• Supports tissue healing and repair.
• Supports and aids immune system function.
• Functions as a protective antioxidant.
• Helps to protect the body from harmful free radicals that promote premature aging and degenerative disease.

That is just to name a few of the health benefits of coconut! Check out the latest from the Coconut Research Center on the health benefits and medicinal uses of the coconut!

Strawberry Mango Paradise Smoothie Recipe

In your blender add:

1/2c canned coconut milk (I like Thai kitchen) OR for thinner smoothie use prepared coconut milk

1/2c plain yogurt

1/2c chopped zucchini-raw

1c frozen strawberries

1c frozen mango

raw sugar or honey to taste (optional, my kids like it a bit sweeter)

Pulse to get the smoothie going and blend until you've reached your desired consistency. We like ours really smooth, so I'll let it blend for a minute or so. You can also throw in raw spinach in place of or addition to the zucchini. For an additional  boost of omega 3 fatty acids, lignans and fiber add a few sprinkles of flax meal into your smoothie. This recipe makes 4-5 smoothies.

Make "Healthy" a Habit: Challenge!

I'm re-introducing my Baby Steps, Big Changes challenge. I challenge you to make a small change to your health and well-being and to make it a habit. 1 small change. We all want to be healthy, fit individuals though getting there is daunting when you think about diets, nutrition, vitamins/supplements, stretching, exercising, sleep, low stress, good food, bad food, moderation etc etc. It's a LOT to think about and it's hard to put the right foot forward when trying to achieve so many goals in so many different places. However, while difficult, it's not impossible. it takes dedication, accountability, strength, knowledge, perseverance, hope, flexibility, a goal and a plan.

According to Florida International University, and various other research sources out there, it takes 21 days to form a habit (or in our situation, a lifestyle change) and conversely 21 days to break a habit. So, with this in mind, knowing that if we can dedicate ourselves to one part of our health...we can form a healthy lifestyle habit in just 21 days, 3 weeks.

How it will happen:

1) What 1 thing would you like to change (don't worry, if there's more than one, the rest will fall into place as you start to build a healthier lifestyle)

2) What is your goal? Start small.

3) Make a plan, write it down. Share it with others. Encourage others to join you. Accountability and team/group motivation is hugely successful.

4) Educate yourself on how to make the change, find a way that makes it happen for you. Empowered Wellness 'Healthy~You~Can Do" Workshops are a great way to gain the knowledge you need to fill your health toolbox with the tools you need in making healthier choices.  Be flexible to make it suit your lifestyle, do what works for you and be consistent in making it happen.  Educate yourselves on how to do it, what's worked for others, what will work for you.

5) Mark your calendar and journal-check in with friends who are on board with getting healthy

6) Continue to seek out resources, the more you know the more successful you can be.

7) Don't beat yourself up if you have an off day, we all do. It's ok to fall off the health wagon from time to time, just don't let it become a habit. A  Failure is feedback, learn something from your off days.

8) Reward yourself, don't deprive yourself of things that make the world a happier place. If chocolate brings you to a happy place, why deprive yourself of that small pleasure. Find a special time to indulge yourself. Find enjoyment and control over your indulgence to avoid over-doing it.

9) Pass it on, spread the word. A healthy world is a happier world

10) Smile, it releases endorphins

So....who's in? You can do this!

Why Fermented/Cultured Foods? Intro to Kombucha

Did you know that this food preservation method from times past produces foods that are more easily digestible, creates new nutrients including folic acid, riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, biotin, omega-3 fatty acids, superoxide dimustase, GTF chromium, glutathione, phospholipids and beta 1,3 glucans as a by-product of the microbial culture life cycle? (Katz 6-7) Let's not mention the digestive health benefits of live fermented foods, by helping to create and sustain thriving microflora in the gut that help prevent digestive related disease and illnesses.

Kombucha, referred to as "Immortal Health Elixir" in ancient Chinese times,  is just one of the variety of the live fermented foods/beverages you can enjoy and benefit from. Kombucha is produced by the fermentation of sugar sweetened black tea plus a symbiotic culture often referred to as the "mother" or "scoby". The "mother" is a culture of acetic bacteria and fungi and aids in the fermentation of the sweetened black tea to produce a powerfully nutritious and delicious cultured beverage.

Russian research at the beginning of the century, indicate that Kombucha has healthful properties that help improve resistance to cancer, prevent cardiovascular disease, promote efficient digestion, boost the immune system and reduce inflammation. As found by Santos and colleagues, Kombucha can help aid in the prevention of digestive disease caused by E.Coli and Staph typhi by inhibiting growth of these bacteria, seen in the presence of a significant inhibition halo zone (or presence of inhibited growth) between 20-25mm for E. Coli and 21mm for Staph typhi.  For more resources on a century full of research visit Gaia Organics Research.

Basic Kombucha Recipe (as per Sandor Katz)
1qt/1liter water
1/4c suga/60mililiters sugar
1TBSP/15mililiters loose black tea or 2 tea bags
1/2c/125 mililiters mature acidic Kombucha
Kombucha Mother or Scoby

1. Find a scoby-try local health food stores, friends, wellness centers
2. Bring water and sugar to a boil, turn off heat and add tea (I put mine in a tea infuser and rigged it up to float in the pan). Steep ~15min.
3. Pour liquid into a wide glass container or crock, to allow adequate surface area of scoby to grow. Cool liquid
4. Add mature acidic kombucha, keep a portion of subsequent batches on hand for this purpose.
5. Place kombucha mother or scoby in the liquid with the firm opaque side up.
6. Cover with a cloth and store in a warm spot (ideally 70-85 degrees F). Let sit for a week or so, the longer it sits the more acidic it will become.
7. Store liquid in the refrigerator.
8. You will now have 2 mothers (the one you started with and a new one-the skin that formed on top of your new batch of kombucha). Use either to start a new batch, pass the unused mother down to a friend or compost it.
9. Drink, enjoy and be healthy!



Sources:
Katz, S. (2003). Wild fermentation: The flavor nutrition and craft of live-cultured foods. (1 ed.). White River Junction: Chelsea Green Publishing Company. DOI: www.chelseagreen.com

Santos Junior, R., Batista, R., Rodrigues, S., Filho, L., & Lima, A. (2009). Antimicrobial activity of broth fermented with kombucha colonies. Journal of Microbial and Biochemical Technology, 1(1), 72-78.

Cardio Training Intensity and Your Fitness Goals

What is "cardio"? In the fitness industry, cardiorespiratory training is activity that puts demand on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems in order to produce, sustain and recover from the activity. Basically if you are getting your blood pumping, you are cardiorespiratory training on some level.

What is intensity? Intensity in any kind of exercise training is, basically how much effort you are putting into your workout as compared to your maximum efforts. This can be measured in many ways, some ways are more appropriate than others depending on the training concept. For today, we're talking about "cardio" and a good indicator of your intensity during a cardiorespiratory workout is perceived exertion. Perceived exertion scales usually follow the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale which is a 6-20 scale (6 being no effort 20 being maximum effort), however are scaled down to a 1-10 scale for ease of use (1 being no effort at all 10 being maximum effort).

The Borg Rating finds a high correlation between perceived exertion multiplied by 10 and actual the heart rate during activity of that intensity level. (Borg, 1998). This, of course, is just a generalization and doesn't take into account all of the variables that affect heart rate (fitness level, medication, conditions that affect the cardiorespiratory system etc). For instance if you are exercising at intensity level 10 on the Borg Scale, your heart rate would be roughly 10x9 or 90beats per minute. This exercising heart rate is very light and your efforts "relatively" low, again this number is relative depending on the above variables. Perceived exertion comes in handy when you a) don't have a heart rate monitor handy or b) don't feel like stopping your activity to check your pulse rate. How well your body is conditioned will determine your perceived exertion for each activity.

From weeding the garden to running a race the possibilities of activities that challenge our cardiorespiratory systems are endless and you have the power to get the most (or least) out of your efforts by changing your intensity level during your activities. By increasing your intensity level during activity, you are telling your body to recruit more motor units (nerves stimulating muscle fibers to work). More motor unit recruitment means more muscle fibers working which also means more energy required to produce and sustain those contractions. More energy required can mean more calories expended during that particular exercise effort. If your fitness goal, for instance, is weight loss increasing your intensity level to maximize the amount of energy expended works to your advantage! It can mean a difference of hundreds of calories burned during one bout of exercise.

How can you increase your intensity? It all depends on the exercise

• Involving more muscle groups per activity is usually a good start. A jumping jack for instance, intensity is increased when you add arms movement to the leg movement. Starting with just legs is a great place to start add arms when you're feeling ready to take things up a notch. 
• Intentional movement, making those movements count...flopping arms around will require less muscle work than intentional, defined arm movement. Small movements will require less energy than large movements. Squatting and standing up without focusing on muscle contraction will require less energy than squatting and squeezing the quads and glutes when you come back up. As founder of the willPower Method®, Stacy Lei Krauss says "defined movement produces defined muscles", I couldn't agree more. Make those movements count!
• Add a jump or a kick to your step
• During slower tempo exercise, create fuller range of motion (this is also good for joint mobility)
• Contract muscles when you can both concentrically (shortening the muscle) and eccentrically (elongating the muscle from shortened state).
• Smile (a smile produced by the contraction of 17 muscles, burn extra calories just by smiling:)-my personal favorite!   

Empowering You and Your Growing Baby

Inside you is an innate wisdom that intuitively understands about the very natural process of birth. We help you reconnect with this wisdom, guiding you through a class specifically designed for the journey of pregnancy.  Linking yoga postures with the breath will lead you to new discoveries, bringing awareness to the mind, body and spirit, and also the spirit of your baby. The program, conducted in a calm, peaceful environment will help strengthen the uterus and pelvic muscles, improve circulation, aid in digestion, exercise the spine, relieve fatigue and tension and increase overall comfort. 

Yoga can also alleviate many of the discomforts of pregnancy such as nausea, constipation, swelling, back pain and sciatica. Breathing techniques will be practiced. This allows the chest to open and helps to improve circulation in both mother and baby, ensuring a better supply of oxygen to the blood.  It also calms the nerves and gives the mother greater control of her breathing during labor.  Prenatal yoga keeps the body healthy and flexible.  A safe, open community allows you to freely discuss any issues, from discomforts and concerns, to the wonderful new changes your body and baby are experiencing.

~Nicole Cummings Prenatal Yoga Instructor at Empowered Wellness Rochester MN

 

Safety Guidelines
All pregnant women are welcome to attend the class, whether you have a regular practice or want to start yoga during pregnancy. No prior yoga experience is required.  It is very important to inform the teacher of any complications (current or past) or any treatment that you are receiving.

FOUNDATION 1: Working Your Core, What Does it Mean?

Foundation training at Empowered Wellness, what is it? We believe in the importance of building a strong foundation of stabilization, balance and flexibility in order to be more effective in your exercise efforts, day to day living, sports events and competitions etc.  Foundation training includes: Core Stabilization, Balance Training and Flexibility

We've all heard the hype about the importance of working your core, how it will help you produce better movement and will help with posture and balance. Many misconceptions around working your core arise when we see workout videos and media stating we're working our core when we're doing crunches, v-situps, side crunches. These exercises are working the mobilizer muscles within your core but don't necessarily target the more important stabilizer muscles that work to stiffen the spine and keep the spinal column protected  by limiting excessive micromotion between intervertebral junctions, while your body produces movement. 

What are Core Stabilizers and Core Mobilizers?

Core Stabilizers:

Transverse Abdominis

Internal Oblique

Lumbar Multifidus

Transversospinalis

Pelvic Floor

Diaphragm

Core Mobilizers:

Latissimus Dorsi

Erector Spinae

Hip Flexors

Hamstrings

Hip Adductors and Abductors

Rectus Abdominus

External Obliques

While the stabilizers and mobilizers work in harmony, they aren't always balanced and many traditional exercise programs had worked to target the mobilizers BEFORE the stabilizers or worse yet...not targeting the stabilizers at all. What's the result? Pain and Injury throughout the kinetic chain (believe it or not, having a weak core can lead to headaches, knee pain, foot pain and low back pain).

Where to start?

There are many basic exercises you can do to target your core stabilizers, many of which will start you out at a slow steady pace to help you recognize these muscles, build endurance and help train these muscles for the physical demands of an increased work load as you progress to more challenging core training exercises. Some of these exercises include: standing core stabilization-draw in maneuver or pulling in the area just below your naval, straight arm circles, single leg balancing, floor exercises cat cow stretch, opposite arm/leg reach and balance, prone cobras, floor bridge and planks. 

Most of these exercises can be done without the use of equipment and can be done wherever you go, at home, at the office, on vacation. It's wise to consult a fitness professional and your health care provider before starting a new exercise program. Once you have the clearance from your provider and the help from a fitness professional who can help you establish a routine and good form, you'll be well on your way to building a strong foundation!

Katie's Wholesome Delicious Granola Recipe

Granola:

3c old fashioned oats
3/4c flour (wheat or white will do)
1/4c wheat germ and/or flax meal
1c chopped nuts of your choice ( I like walnuts and almonds)
1/4c brown sugar (light or dark, or omit if you want less sweetened granola)
1/2c maple syrup (or honey)
1/2c coconut oil

Mix dry ingredients well. Whisk together oil and syrup. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix well with hands. Bake on a cookie sheet in a ~1/2in layer in an oven set at 250F, for 1 hour (stirring about half way through). Take out and let sit for about 5min, mix in dried fruits after baking (optional).  Store in an airtight container on the counter. Eat, drink and be merry!

The Body's Guide to Functioning Efficiently and Achieving Fitness Goals

A bonfire burns most efficiently if its structural integrity is intact~KBS

Two keys here: surface area, and airflow. To catch a flame (and especially a spark) you need as much surface area as possible for your flame to catch (which is why newspaper works so well.) But you also need air to be able to circulate and get to where the flame is. If you need a reason, look up oxidation. In a fire, cool air has to come in from the bottom to replace the hot air escaping from the top. Keep that in mind when building any fire.

Thank you berZirker for your Instructables and insight on how to build a bonfire

Over the course of my Masters work and as I began to understand more about human movement science and exercise science, I immediately started brainstorming ideas on how I could bring that knowledge to my community to help people move better, move pain free and reach their fitness goals in a healthy sustainable way. I'm a firm believer in doing things right the first time, even if that means taking the longer path. Usually the longer paths are well established and are strengthened by the interconnecting routes, building strong established paths take time! There are no quick fixes that are made to stand the test of time after all.

What is it about a bonfire that will help you achieve your fitness goals? The bonfire is an analogy I came up whilst out on a run, pondering ways to present this at an upcoming wellness workshop at Empowered Wellness. After a season of building fall afternoon bonfires in the backyard, I thought of how a bonfire is constructed and how it burns, why if you build it right it takes off in a blaze of glory and if you don't pay attention to details you'll easily end up with a bonfire that smolders and peters out.

So here's the analogy, consider these two scenarios

1) You throw a heap of wood into your fire pit and light a match to it. What happens? It does nothing, maybe the few of the outer splinters ignite then quickly die off. You decide to stuff some newspaper into the mix, the paper ignites the smolders and goes out. You bring out the big guns-the jug of gasoline (what I like to think of as fad diets and quick fix synthetic miracle fat burning, muscle building, energy boosting powders, pills, bars etc). What happens? It lights off like a rocket, you see results, you get excited until it too eventually smolders and dies out.

2) You crumple up a ball of newspaper, gather up your tinder (twigs, shaved wood, dried leaves, paper, bark, grass, dried pine needles, broken up pine cones etc), then your small kindling (small dry sticks) and medium kindling (wrist sized sticks) and logs (your fuel source). With the tinder in the center, teepee the small and medium kindling around the tinder and longs on top for a larger teepee with enough airflow and surface area to oxygenate the fire. Light the match and watch your masterpiece blaze! How does this relate to your body's ability to function and burn fuel? 

Consider a body who's spinal alignment is out of whack from injury, overuse movements, prolonged sitting in front of a computer monitor...the list goes on. The malalignment of the spine is symbolic of the heap of logs thrown into the fire pit. When the spine is out of alignment, the muscles that support and move the spinal column become imbalanced (weak in areas where they are not being used or are being compensated for creating overactive/tight muscles). This is often combined with a weakened intrinsic core stabilization system (not talking the 6 pack abs, I'm talking the small muscles that stiffen your spine protecting the nervous system while the larger mobilizers work to move your trunk and limbs-think transverse abdominis, multifidus, transversospinalis, internal oblique and pelvic floor muscle). 

Without the structural integrity of the spinal column intact, the nervous system becomes inefficient. With decreased neural stimulation to the muscles, muscles become inhibited, weakened, prone to injury susceptible to altered force-coupled relationships between muscles that work synergistically to produce movement (ie, weak muscles become weak, and their supporting and/or opposing muscles pick up for the slack and become overactive) thus fueling the muscle imbalance and malalignment. 

Why is this important? Whether your fitness goal is to move without pain, lose that spare tire around your waist, run a marathon or increase your overall strength, if you're neuromuscular system isn't functioning efficiently (those nerves aren't efficiently and effectively reaching those muscles) your efforts may be hindered. For instance, more neural input to muscles, means more muscle fibers recruited, means more energy required to fuel those muscles (fuel means more calories), more calories burned means improved metabolic function resulting in decreased fat mass. 

Let your hard work and efforts mean more, get those imbalances in check (pay a visit to an NASM CPT and CES for Personal Training with a focus on corrective exercise), strengthen your core, work on realigning your spine through strength, stretching, breathing and posture, perhaps visit a chiropractor. Fuel YOUR fire, ACHIEVE your goals, LIVE your dreams!

Thick and Creamy Homemade Yogurt

Ingredients:

1qt milk (this recipe works well with 1%, 2% or whole milk)

1/2c powdered milk

2T plain yogurt (with live cultures)

Directions:

Pour a quart of milk and 1/2c powdered milk into a heavy bottom saucepan. Lately, I've had lots of success with my cast iron dutch oven. I can do everything all in one pot, less to clean up afterward.

Heat milk over medium-low heat until it reaches 180 F degrees, stirring constantly to avoid burning the milk on the bottom of your pan. Remove from heat and cool to 110-115 F degrees 

Scoop out about 1/2 cup of the warmed milk and in a Pyrex or bowl and add 2T room temp plain yogurt (any plain yogurt will do, Greek yogurt makes for a wonderful yogurt. Make sure your yogurt culture has plenty of active live cultures in it for optimal results). Whisk together, add the yogurt milk mixture to the warmed milk in the saucepan and whisk thoroughly. 

Pour mixture into a quart sized Mason jar, cover tightly then place the jar in a warmed crock (I let mine heat up on low for about 30min, then unplugged it). The crock will have to be sealed to keep the heat in, so if you have a shorter crock, you may have to lay your mason jar horizontally.

Wrap the crock with a thick towel and a fleece blanket to keep it warm OR if you are heating your milk in a cast iron dutch oven, you can mix everything in the dutch oven, wrap it and leave it to culture OR if you have a large enough food dehydrator you could place your mason jar directly into the dehydrator and set the temperature at around 105 F.  Let yogurt sit bundled up in blankets overnight (or for 8-10hrs, the longer it sits the more tart it is, I've made it in as little as 7hrs and it's very mild but still thick).Unbundle your yogurt after it's done culturing, store in the fridge.

 Add sweeteners, flavors, jams (strawberry rhubarb jam swirled in is wonderful), granola upon eating! Bon Appetit!

Using Your Breath to Improve Your Posture

We've all heard the old adage, take nice deep breaths especially in the face of stress. It's easier said than done though a pattern of shallow breathing can alters your breathing patterns thus directly impacting how your muscles, bones and nerves work together to create movement. 

With negative stress, our breathing becomes shallow causing our bodies to use "secondary respiratory muscles ( parasternal, scalenes, sternocleidomastoid, trapexius and pectoralis muscles) instead of "primary respiratory muscles" (diaphragm). http://www.dukechironyc.com/images/posture_back_6.jpg 

Over-activity and use of secondary respiratory muscles can cause muscle imbalances (muscle tightness in over-active muscles and weakening of under-active muscles), leading to headaches, dizziness, light-headedness and poor posture. Shallow breathing also limits your body's ability to take in adequate amounts of oxygen or rid itself of carbon dioxide leading to inefficient muscle function, decreased energy, muscle stiffness, anxiety, fatigue, poor circulation and poor sleep patterns. 

Remember to take some time to focus on your breath

Foot Fitness and Barefoot Training

Barefoot: Strength From Your Foundation Up

• Structures of: bones, ligaments, tendons, muscles and innervation

o The structures of the foot each work harmoniously to produce movement, decelerate movement, absorb shock, create a system of checks and balances by sending messages to the brain to aid in balance and serve as the foundation of the kinetic chain.

• Kinetic Chain and Arthrokinetics
o The “head bone’s connected to the neck bone, the neck bone’s connected to the shoulder bone….” All bones are connected and their articulations and movement influence the movement one another.

o What is the kinetic chain?
- Kinetic chain pertains to the body’s systems involved in producing movement (nervous, muscular and skeletal systems). If one of the components of the kinetic chain isn’t functioning properly, it will affect the other components and ultimately affect movement.

- Nerve endings (sensory receptors sense pain, pressure, movement to the brain causing an appropriate message to be sent to the muscles to dictate a physical response via movement. Increased use of those pathways, promotes efficiency and healthy function of the neuro-muscular systems. Barefoot allows the receptors to freely receive feedback, provide input to the brain and allow the body to respond in a way that produces safe and efficient movement.

- Nerves and proprioception. Proprioception is the sensing of your limbs during movement, important in keeping your spatially oriented, balanced, protected from faulty movement etc. The more sensory nerves you have exposed to the elements, the more messages are sent to the brain telling it what is going on with your limbs and the brain influencing the right movement at the right time. These neural pathways are important in adjusting gait to adapt to uneven ground, respond to a harmful stimulus (heat, pressure, tension etc).

- Blocking the sensory receptors can lead to delayed neural response, decreased neuro-muscular efficiency, decreased proprioception and decreased balance. The more your foot feels the more information is sent to your brain, the quicker it can send the right message to produce the right movement.

o How can weakness in the foot create low back pain?
- The muscles that support the feet and ankles are connected to and support knee movement, when there is weakness in the muscles of the lower leg, muscles of the upper leg also become imbalanced which can further contribute to faulty movement patterns and increased muscle imbalances of the knee, hip and ultimately spine.

o Raised heels and back pain

-When the heel is raised, the foot is put in a position of plantar flexion forcing the body forward at the ankle. In order to maintain eye level along the horizon and to avoid falling forward, the upper body is brought back into upright position at the hip, anteriorly tilting the pelvis and putting the lumbar spine in a position of hyper-extension which can ultimately lead to low back pain. Muscle imbalances ensue leading to more faulty and painful movement.

So, Why Barefoot?:
-Ankle, knee and hip stabilization
-Increased neuromuscular efficiency and balance
-Proper spinal alignment
-Increased body awareness
-Decreased impact and ground collision force
-It's fun
-It's empowering
-It's inexpensive
-It's natural

Exercises you can do to strengthen your feet and ankles (a count of 8 for each exercise is a sufficient start)

-Point (plantarfex) and flex (dorsiflex): while sitting http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_7V4hxLiHU

-Alternate touching your big toe to the floor (eversion) to your pinkie toe (inversion) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ia1LXBbgCF4

-Toe raises: with your foot flat on the floor, lifting only your toes (keeping the lateral arch or "ball" of your foot on the floor)

-Splaying your toes, while sitting work on spreading your toes apart slowly with each day you'll find that the distance between each toe increases. Work on both feet

-Foot fold: while standing, bring your heel high up off the floor coming up onto your lateral arch. Raise and lower your heel dynamically one foot at a time.

- Toe challenge! While standing, aim to touch only your big toe and pinkie toe to the floor while lifting the middle 3 toes

-Toe curls: while standing, lay a paper towel or small thin rag on the floor, while curling your toes scrunch the towel under your foot. Then pick it up with your toes. Have fun with it!

-Walking around barefoot on different surfaces is also great stimulation for the feet and ankles.

Start slowly and ease your way in, eventually you'll have strong solid feet and ankles.