The Kids are going back to school!  Now it’s time for busy moms to regroup, recharge and relax!!   Summer is enjoyable and stressful at the same time.  Let’s face it kids are demanding.  I know my own have run me ragged, and the thought of them going back to school makes my heart smile.  Having an extra hour during the day that can be used for productive growth, change and inner-peace.  Yoga does just that.  One of my clients calls her yoga practice “organic xanax”.  No harmful side affects, just bliss.  One word of caution, it’s addictive.  But if you find yourself addicted, what better vice.  It’s inexpensive and easily available.  Yoga helps us reduce stress, which directly affects the central nervous system.  A calm nervous system boosts the immune system.  Reduces wrinkles, because we’re not frowning.  Naturally improves the quality of breast tissue, at my last mamogram, the tech said, “wow you have great muscle tone at your ribcage connecting to the breast tissue.”   And, my husband finds me very attractive after a yoga class.  He says, “you just ooze sexy calm”.   Which really increases my sex drive naturally.  When we are centered, relaxed, and calm, we can make-love easily.  It doesn’t feel like a chore, it feels like an expression of feminity and love.  Who doesn’t want that.

Yoga reverses the affects of aging.  This is not just marketing jargon, it’s true.  The ancient yogis not only outlived their peers, but did so with great vitality and health.  When we study yoga, we become sensative to life, we want to make better life choices.  Better lifestyle choices, which doctors say is key to improved health, not only for ourselves, but our families, too. 

One of the first lifestyle choices to make to drastically improve your health…eliminate toxins from our diet.  Simply put, greatly limit processed foods.  Sounds crazy, but my family stopped eating high amounts of processed foods about three years ago, and everyone became healthier.  Less stress in the body is the reason.  Processed food bogs down the liver, and the liver is one of our most important organs. A diet full of processed food invites thousands of toxins for our liver to filter out, this is an unnecessary strain on this essential organ.  Right? We only have one!!!

Introduce more organic foods into your diet.  What ever veggies you eat on a regular basis, try to make organic.  Many local grocers, including Kroger and Meijer, carry the freshest organic fruits and veggies.  They receive shipments daily.   Avoid any veggies that are limp and lifeless, this is a sign that they have been harvested too long ago to reap the nutriet benefit of the higher cost.  Organic foods taste better.   Reducing pesticides and artificial fertilizers is always a plus. 

Organic milk is amazing.  Tastes creamy, and fresh.   You can literally taste the difference.  Medical professionals are claiming the reason children are developing so early is the consumption of hormones in our food source.  Since my children switched to organic milk over three years ago, they have been healthier through the winter.  They are not consuming the antibiotics that remain in regular milk, so their immune system is stronger.  Antibiotics destroy not only the bad bacteria, but also the good bacteria necessary for great health.  We haven’t seen  sinus, bronchial, or ear infections since.  So you can guess, our health care cost has reduced to make up for the higher cost of organic milk. Again though, Kroger has a brand that is about $5 a gallon.  But my kids only see the pediatrition once a year, rather that once every 6 weeks like we used to.  And with shrinking benefits of our health insurance this is actually a savings.

Finally, look at reducing meat protein for dinner.  Meatless Mondays, and Fish on Friday.  Remember to eat fish that is Wild Caught. Grocers and local markets will label fish as wild caught of farm raised.  Farm raised fish have antibiotics in them, the fish are overcrowded and consume each others waste, ewww!  Again, more toxins for our bodies to filter out.  Increase healthy nuts and beans for protien, instead of dairy.  I know alot of vegetarians who struggle with their weight because of consuming to much dairy for protein.  At our house we make a mean chili with organic chicken, lots of kidney beans and fresh celery, onions, organic canned tomatoes and spices. Yum.

Someone once said, ‘you are what you eat’.  When you eat a diet filled with toxins…….create more health for yourself and your family.  The neighbors will think your crazy, Yoga, organic foods, better health and moods, better interpersonal relationships, more sex….who doesn’t want that?   Hope to see you at the Yoga Studio of Shelby.

Lisa Tokarz, ERYT200, founding director and senior teacher at The Yoga Studio of Shelby, has studied yoga, nutrition and dharma for over 17 years with the foremost teacher’s from around the world.  She has been sharing her wisdom successfully for 10 years.  Join her, with her playful spirit and uplifting presence, and begin to heal your body and your life naturally.