In addition to using the chart below, here are some guidelines when making substitutions:

• Keep the ingredients in the same ethnic category.  For example, if you are making a Mexican dish without meat, substitute with black beans, pinto beans or hominy instead of mung beans or lentils.
• Substituting starches and proteins makes less of a difference in taste than spices and flavorings.
• Place complementary herbs, spices and flavorings together in your pantry.  For example, keep basil, parsley and oregano together to use when making an Italian dish.
• Keep staples such as flour, oils, beans and grains on hand.

View the whole article on Vegetarian Times

I discovered another great article about the amazing health benefits of making a yoga practice part of your life.

So roll out that mat and get started!

Yoga Journal Article: Count on Yoga: 38 Ways Yoga Keeps you Fit

The news from Haiti’s January 12’s massive earthquake is horrific. Estimates of the death toll are staggering and continue to rise. Following is a list of reputable organizations to which you can donate to help (you can even donate via text—it can’t get much easier than that):

• Partners In Health: www.pih.org, 617-432-5256
• Doctors Without Borders: www.doctorswithoutborders.org, 888-392-0392
• Oxfam America: www.oxfamamerica.org, 800-77-OXFAM (800-776-9326)
• Yéle Haiti: www.yele.org or donate $5 by texting “YELE” to 501501
• Unicef: www.unicef.org, 800-4-UNICEF
• American Red Cross International Relief Fund: www.redcross.org, 800-RED-CROSS, or donate $10 by texting “HAITI” to 90999
• International Rescue Committee: www.theirc.org, 877-REFUGEE, or donate $5 by texting “HAITI” to 25383
• AmeriCares: www.americares.org, 800-486-HELP
• UUSC/UUA Joint Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund: www.uusc.org

Source: Integrative Yoga Therapy

Establishing a rhythm is easy at home, where you control your schedule and can settle into a comfortable routine. But when you’re traveling (for business or for pleasure), that rhythm is disrupted, which can throw you off-kilter. To set yourself at ease on any journey, learn how to ground yourself.  Staying grounded away from home really comes down to being mindful and centered regardless of changing environments, time zones, and meal plans.

Here are some tips to help you stay grounded during your travels

Create a harmonious space

Cluttered surroundings can make you feel unbalanced and anxious. Unpack your belongings as soon as you arrive and take the time to arrange your room so it feels comfortable. Buy flowers or set up personal photos to make you feel more at home.

Invigorate with oil

Like candles, essential oils stimulate the sense of smell, which can influence how you feel. Ayurveda prescribes lavender oil for vata imbalance, jasmine or sandalwood for pitta, and eucalyptus for kapha. Add two drops to a bath or mix a few drops with almond, olive, or sunflower oil and massage into your skin.

Light a candle

To refresh your senses and calm your nerves, try one scented with lavender, lemongrass, or musk.

Detach from results

It’s natural to harbor dreams of perfection when you travel, because you’ve invested time, money, and effort. But when the inevitable mishap does occur—like missing a connecting flight, getting sick, or being stranded without a hotel reservation—yoga philosophy can help.

So what would Patanjali do? He’d probably remember the second of the eight limbs of classical yoga, the niyamas (observances). Cultivating two of the niyamas in particular, Ishvara pranidhana (the practice of surrender) and samtosha (contentment), can help remind you that oftentimes, the joy is in the journey, whatever unexpected form it may take.

Modify your usual yoga routine

You may not have the time, space, or energy for your full yoga practice, but sticking to some form of it will make you feel better. Try to meditate for a few minutes, and practice mostly standing yoga poses.  By grounding your feet, you’ll automatically feel stable.

Source: Yoga Journal Article By Karen Asp

What Is Meditation?

In the Yoga Sutra, Patanjali gives instruction on how to meditate and describes that yoga (or union) happens when the mind becomes quiet. This mental stillness is created by bringing the body, mind, and senses into balance, relaxing the nervous system.  Meditation begins when we discover that our never-ending quest to possess things and our continual craving for pleasure and security can never be satisfied. When we finally realize this, our external quest turns inward, and we have shifted into the realm of meditation.

By dictionary definition, “meditation” means to reflect upon, ponder, or contemplate.  In our culture, to meditate can be interpreted several ways. For instance, you might meditate on a career change that would entail a move across the country. In the yogic context, meditation, or dhyana, is defined more specifically as a state of pure consciousness.

In order to meditate, we must cultivate the ability to remain detached yet observant. Even though you need to be able to concentrate in order to meditate, meditation is more than concentration. It ultimately evolves into an expanded state of awareness.

Ways to Meditate

Just as there are may styles of hatha yoga, there are many ways to meditate.

• Concentrate on an object or a point of focus, with the eyes either opened or closed.
• Silently repeat a word or phrase
• Audibly recite a prayer or chant
• Visualize an image such as a natural object or deity
• Focus on an object such as a lighted candle in front of you
• Observe or counting your breaths
• Notice bodily sensations

Meditation Postures

Sitting

Sitting is the most commonly recommended posture. There are a number of classic seated poses, but Sukhasana (Easy Cross-Legged Pose) is the most basic. More flexible meditators prefer Padmasana (Lotus Pose).

Sitting in a chair also works. It’s no less effective and certainly no less spiritual, and it’s often the best choice for beginners. The most important things are that your spine remain upright and that you feel comfortable.  To maximize comfort on the floor, sit on a cushion or folded blanket. This helps support the natural lumbar curve of the lower back.

Relax your arms and place your hands on your lap, with the palms in a relaxed position facing up or down. Roll your shoulders back and down and gently lift the chest. Keep your neck long and the chin tilted slightly downward. Depending upon which technique you are following, the eyes may be opened or closed. Breathing is natural and free.

Walking

A moving meditation—highly recommended by many teachers—may be an enjoyable option for you. The challenge is to walk slowly and consciously.  Relax your arms at your sides and move freely, coordinating your breath with your steps. For instance, you might breathe in for 3 steps and breathe out for 3 steps. If that feels awkward or difficult, just breathe freely. Although you can practice walking meditation anywhere, choose a setting you love—the ocean, a favorite park, or a meadow. Remember, getting somewhere is not the issue. Rather, the complete involvement in the act of walking becomes your meditation.

Standing

Standing is another meditation practice that can be very powerful. It is often recommended for those practitioners who find that it builds physical, mental, and spiritual strength. Stand with your feet hip- to shoulder-distance apart. Knees are soft; arms rest comfortably at your sides. Check to see that the whole body is aligned in good posture: shoulders rolled back and down, chest open, neck long and chin parallel to the floor. Either keep your eyes opened or softly close them.

Lying Down

Even though lying down is associated with relaxation, the classic corpse posture, Savasana, is also used for meditation. Lie down on your back with your arms at your sides, palms facing upward. Touch your heels together and allow the feet to fall away from one another, completely relaxed. Although your eyes may be opened or closed, some people find it easier to stay awake with their eyes open. A supine meditation, although more physically restful than other positions, involves a greater degree of alertness to remain awake and focused. Therefore, beginners may find it more difficult to meditate in this position without falling asleep.

The Benefits of Meditation

Research has confirmed what the yogis of ancient times already knew: Profound physiological and psychological changes take place when we meditate, causing an actual shift in the brain and in the involuntary processes of the body.

Studies on meditators have shown decreased perspiration, a slower rate of respiration and a decrease of metabolic wastes in the bloodstream. Lower blood pressure and an enhanced immune system are additional benefits.

At the very least, meditation teaches you how to manage stress; reducing stress enhances your overall physical health and emotional well-being.  On a deeper level, it can add to the quality of your life by teaching you to be fully alert, aware, and alive.  Overall, meditation is a celebration of your self. You are not meditating to get anything, but rather to look at and let go of anything you do not need.

Starting Your Own Meditation Practice

I recommend a period of daily meditation. Add it to the end of your asana practice, or set aside another block of time. The important thing is that you find a time that works best for you. Don’t do too much too soon; you might get discouraged and stop altogether.

When and Where to Practice

To establish consistency, meditate at the same time and in the same place every day. Choose a place that is quiet, one that is pleasant, where you’ll be undisturbed.  Traditionally, the morning is considered the optimal time because you are less likely to be distracted by the demands of your day. Many people find that a morning meditation helps them enter the day with a greater degree of equanimity and poise. However, if a morning practice is a struggle, try an afternoon or early evening meditation.

If you are new to yoga and meditation, you may find adding five or 10 minutes of meditation at the end of your asana practice enough. When meditating outside of your yoga practice, a 15- to 20-minute time frame seems manageable for most beginners.

Food, Inc.

The book explores challenges raised by the movie in 13 essays by experts featured in the film including…

Eric Schlosser on the industrialization of our food supply.  Michael Pollan on the benefits of locally-sourced, organic eating.  Marion Nestle on sorting out food facts from fictions.  Anna Lappe on how the U.s. food system promotes global warming.  Muhammad Yunus on the global impact of food industrialization.

Are you hungry for change?

10 Simple things you can do to change our food system:

1. Stop drinking sodas and other sweetened beverages.
2. Eat at home instead of eating out.
3. Support the passage of laws requiring chain restaurants to post calorie information on menus.
4. Tell school to stop selling sodas, junk food and sports drinks.
5. Meatless Mondays – go without meat one day a week.
6. Buy organic or sustainable food with little or no pesticides.
7. Protect family farms, visit your local farmer’s market.
8. Make a point to know where your food comes from – READ LABELS.
9. Tell Congress that food safety is important to you.
10. Demand job protections for farm workers and food processors, ensuring fair wages and other protections.

For more information Food, Inc.

Nutritionist say that it’s not hard to get all of your daily nutritional needs from nonmeat sources, but it takes planning.  The first step is to educate yourself on healthful alternatives to animal products. Some of my favorites include hummus, lentils, tempeh, tofu and quinoa.  If you are a parent of a vegetarian teen, it is important that your child is educated on these alternatives and helps prepare vegetarian meals at home.  As a vegetarian teen growing up in a meat eating family, I made the common mistake of skipping the main course and eating the starchy sides such as rice, pasta and bread.  I wasn’t aware of the nutrients I needed and where I could find them.  The key nutrients to focus on, according to the American Dietetic Association, are protein, omega-3 fatty acids, iron, zinc, iodine, calcium and vitamins D and B-12.  Each meal doesn’t have to contain all of those nutrients, but they should add up over the course of a day or week.

“Health benefits may come as much from what vegetarians do eat as from what they don’t.  Studies show that vegetarians not only consume less artery clogging saturated fat and cholesterol but also get more antioxidants and vitamins such as potassium, magnesium and vitamin C.  They eat up to twice as much heart-healthy fiber, from fruit, vegetables and whole grains.  They have lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure readings.  And they tend to be leaner than meat-eaters.”

Vegetarianism may help kids, research suggests, by cutting down on meat early in life, it can be one way to counter the rising rates of obesity and chronic diseases such as diabetes.  Studies also show that vegetarian teens eat fewer sweets and junk food and get more fruits, vegetables and fiber.  Food habits form early, which means that learning to like a variety of grains and vegetables as a kid is easier than learning to like them as adults.

It’s important to remember that just because a meal is vegetarian, it doesn’t guarantee that it’s good for you.  As a parent, keep in mind your growing child’s nutritional needs and carefully plan meals to support their developing brains and bodies.  The benefits of a vegetarian diet are wonderful for both kids and adults as long as we are mindful that we are giving our bodies what it needs.  You don’t have to become vegetarian overnight.  Just making an effort to eat less meat can have a positive effect on your body and the environment.

Meal Suggestions for Vegetarian Teens

• Omelettes made with vegetables such as asparagus, broccoli, onions, bell peppers and mushrooms
• Burritos or tacos made with black, kidney or refried beans
• Stir fries made with tofu, vegetables, nuts and brown rice
• Almond butter on whole wheat bread with banana slices
• Falafels with hummus or yogurt with whole grain pita bread, cucumbers and tomatoes
• Salads made with dark, leafy greens, chick peas, beans, nuts, vegetables, pasta or rice
• Soups made with lentils and vegetables served with whole grain bread or crackers
• Pizza topped with lots of vegetables
• Vegetarian chili
• Vegetarian lasagna
• Smoothies made with bananas, frozen berries, soy milk or orange juice

For more information, check out articles pertaining to vegetarian teens at LA Times Health.

Foer argues that there’s no difference between the value of the lives of pets and the lives of the animals that we eat every day.

“If our next-door neighbor kept a dog in the conditions that well more than 90 percent of pigs are kept in, we would call the police.  We wouldn’t just be offended.  We wouldn’t just think it was wrong.  We would be compelled to take action,” Foer says.

Eating Animals, is more than just a case for vegetarianism and an anti-meat lecture.  It’s a book that challenges America’s meat-dominated diet.

Foer says his problem with meat isn’t that some people make the decision to eat it; instead, it’s that people don’t think about the decision.  And that, he argues, is just how the American factory farm system want it: “What does it say that there’s an entire industry… that asks us to give them money, asks us to ingest in our bodies and to feed to our children a product whose production they won’t let us see?”

Foer says overconsumption of meat – and the factory system that produces it – cause multiple health problems and contribute hugely to global warming and other environmental disasters.  These factors make the purchase of a cheap breast of chicken much more expensive than it might initially seem.

“More than anything, I want people to come away with the idea that meat matters,” Foer says.  He believes the decisions we make when ordering at restaurants and when we shop at supermarkets, are some of the most important decisions we make each day.

Whether you’re getting a deep-tissue massage or trying acupuncture for the first time, picking the right alternative medicine professional is important to your health.

Here are tips to help you choose wisely:

• Ask for referrals from your doctor, local hospital, or medical school.
• Get a recommendation from a professional organization for the type of practitioner you are looking for. The National Institutes of Health’s Directory of Health Organizations is a good place to start.
• Call your local health department to find out if your state has a regulatory agency or licensing board for the therapy you’re interested in, and then contact that office for referrals.
• Check on the training, certification, or other qualifications of your practitioner. See if he or she will speak with you briefly on the phone for this purpose before you make an appointment.
• Find out how much experience the practitioner has with your health concern and how effective he or she believes this therapy may be for your condition.  Be sure to ask about scientific research, as well.

So what exactly are nontraditional methods?  It goes by many names including naturopathy, complementary, alternative and integrative medicine.  This is because its umbrella covers many practices and products that are not generally taught in medical school or offered by traditional medical doctors.  Alternative medicine uses a holistic approach, seeking to treat the whole individual rather than just the affected part of the body.  These practices includes acupuncture, herbs, taking fish oil, crystal gazing and practicing yoga.  Alternative therapies are used most commonly to treat back pain, arthritis, colds and depression.  The most popular of these therapies found in a study by a National Health Interview Survey in 2007, include the use of natural products, deep breathing, meditation, chiropractic and massage.  The most popular supplements are fish oil, glucosamine, echinacea and flax seed.  Additionally, Americans spend $4 billion on yoga, tai chi and qigong classes.

What do we make of this?  Are people who use alternative medicines wasting their money and are being fooled into thinking they are getting something that is beneficial to them? Others believe that alternative medicine practices, even if not effective, are not likely to harm.  These herbal remedies are often more gentle compared to strong drugs.

There is also the issue of safety.   Many of these herbs and supplements have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, FDA because they are considered food, not pharmaceuticals. You can find a list of supplement alerts on the FDA website.

I believe that it would be unreasonable to study alternative therapies as thoroughly as we do with mainstream medical practices.  Having worked in the clinical research field, studies often take many years and are costly.  If a supplement or practice has potential for risk, then a study may be needed.  But I agree that we don’t need a 2-million-person double-blind, randomized trial to tell someone to eat blueberries because they are low in sugar and high in antioxidants.