Nutrition

Red Wine Fights Fat!

| kukhahnyoga

Yes, it is true!

Red wine suppresses estrogen production in fat cells, and increases the release of Leptin an appetite suppressing hormone.

Red wine also decreases cortisol, a hormone that increases appetite and is associated with stress.

Red wine prevents fat storage

And

(drum roll…)

promotes fat breakdown!

Fat cells are the most important site of estrogen production in postmenopausal women, and in men.

Red wine contains chemicals such as quercetin, myricetin, resveratrol, and procyanidins that interfere with estrogen production.

A Brazilian study showed that rats treated with red wine showed less weight gain than control animals, even though they were fed the same amount of food. Bon appetite!

Sugar: It May Be Cute but It’s Not Innocent

| kukhahnyoga

sweethearts cupcakes with sprinklesWords I repeat over and over in my head as I scurry quickly past the window full of beautiful, sweet and not so-innocent-looking cupcakes. Thank god for Manduka mats they make such excellent cupcake shields. Do you think they may want that for their next ad compaign?

” Yoga teacher and Manduka ambassador Angela Kukhahn pioneered the way to better health after dicovering that covering ones eyes with the Manduka Black Mat while in the prescence of sugary delights greatly reduced ones chances of  shoveling a cupcake into ones mouth while walking to yoga class.”

Manduka Mats also make great ‘sugar shields’, who knew?…simply, Brilliant!

Why sugar is bad (further evidence that Mrs Beasley and the devil may be in cahoots…as I always suspected…)

I gleaned some info from the author of this website macrobiotics.co.uk/sugar.htm

Of all the foods consumed today, refined sugar is considered to be one of the most harmful

Sugar contains no fiber, no minerals, no proteins, no fats, no enzymes,… only empty calories.

  • To digest sugar ‘borrows’ from your perfectly healthy cells since it is void of enzymes and nutrients leaving your body robbed of the building blocks of good health. (This is no Robin Hood think Cat Bugular…)
  • Likewise, the teeth are affected and they lose their components until decay occurs and hastens their loss.
  • Sugar is highly acidic creating a breeding ground for disease in the body
  • Sugar causes toxic waste to accumulate int the blood, the body and the brain speeding up cellular death.
  • Sugar makes the blood very thick and sticky, inhibiting much of the blood flow into the minute capillaries.
  • Sugar eventually causes Diabetes when the  pancreas can no longer produce adequate insulin. Diabetes is what happens when the poor ‘lil ‘ol pancreas throws in the towel. I can just see a my ‘lil pancreas marching in a stomping its angry ‘lil pancreas foot saying “I have had it with you and Yogurtland! One more episode and I’m outta here!” (Not that i like Yogurtland that much or anything, I mean I am just saying…)
  • Sugar leaves you with that “tired” feeling when the pancreas releases too much insulin. (Wow sounds fun…Good times!..not!)
  • Sugar causes and upset in the minerals in the body causing gallstones.
  • Sugar causes a variety of mental problems. Our brains are very sensitive and react to quick chemical changes within the body. It leads to a confused mental state and has also been linked with juvenile criminal behavior.

    • The Young Raw Coconut: Natures Very Own Sheriff (Call Me the Deputy/Damsel in Distress)

    | kukhahnyoga

    I would imagine that should a young raw coconut ever get cast in a movie it would get a starring role as the sheriff.

    Why the sheriff you ask?

    (In fact you may even be wondering why a tropical fruit would get cast in an action movie at all)

    Allow me to explain…

    It seems to me in old westerns that the sheriffs role involves showing up unexpectedly to ‘clean up’ a town that has been overrun with rouge outlaws. (gasp!) He then heroically drives out the ‘bad guys’, restores order and of course wins the young maidens heart.

    I would say that is fairly consistent with what I know about coconuts. The young coconut came into my life unexpected, cleaned out the renegade bacteria in my digestive tract, restored balance in my body, and helped me lose a few extra pounds. Of course all of that chivalry led to us falling in love and living happily ever after!(The End.)

    The only thing is,….. I am not sure how a coconut would look in chaps,… however that is just a minor detail…

    Showing up unexpectedly: Coconuts are a natural sports drink without all the artificial colours and sugar (or even worse artificial sweeteners, hello Diet Red Bull…ick!) most people are unaware of how awesome coconuts are,….yet! (insert music from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly here)

    Driving out the bad guys & Restoring Order:Coconut oil is anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal and has one of the highest natural sources of electrolytes in nature. Electrolytes are ionized salts in our cells, that transport energy throughout the body.

    The molecular structure of coconut water is identical to human blood plasma, which means that it is immediately recognized by the body and put to good use. Drinking the juice from a young coconut is like giving your body an instant blood transfusion. In fact this was common practice during World War II in the Pacific, where both sides in the conflict regularly used coconut water, siphoned directly from the coconut, to give emergency transfusions to wounded soldiers.

    Winning the young maidens heart: Proven to aid in weightloss simply by eating them. (Medium chain fatty acids are sent to your liver to be converted to energy instead of being stored as fat and also boost your metabolism) Eat to lose? Oh, I am so in! (insert clip of me and the coconut riding off into the sunset here!)

    (*Please note however you do not have to be young or a ‘maiden’ to enjoy a loving relationship with young coconuts!)

    How to Make Your Own Yummy Chai

    | kukhahnyoga

    spiced-chai-teaIf you love chai tea as much as I do then you have probably wondered how to make it…How to:

    Boil 1 cup of water, adding one teaspoon of loose black tea (I use South Indian Orange Pekoe), 2 spoons sugar (organic cane), and grate 1 inch of ginger into boiling water.

    After mix has boiled for 1-2 minutes and ginger is cooked, add 1 cup milk (whole organic milk is best, 2% and 1% are missing the good fats). Add 3 crushed cardamom and 2 crushed cloves, some saffron if it is available (all crushed in a mortar and pestle). Wait for entire liquid to boil 3 times, and then strain. Yum yum!

    Recipe found on this Blog khushyoga.wordpress.com




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    Just Say No to the Frappunccino! (I got your coffee shake right here!)

    | kukhahnyoga

    Creative Food image of a frappuccino made out of caulifower

    Hilarious Photo! See more creative food photos HERE

    I usually stick to black coffee to get my ‘fix’. Occasionally however, I will look at happy ‘lil Starbucks goers slurping up oh-so-yummy-looking Frappuccinos and feel deprived! They say that necessity is the mother of invention and since I feel like drinking something coffee flavoured, chocolately, and frothy is a necessity (all while eating healthfully of course!) I invented this shake (along with the help of co-chef extraordinaire Brian Aganad woot woot!)

    Grab your blender and buckle up for a taste bud adventure!

    The Healthy Frappuccino

    1.c Coconut Water (Amy and Brian’s naturals)
    1/2 c. Strawberries (Organic Frozen)
    1 scoop Amazing Grass Amazing Meal Chocolate Infusion
    1 pkt Starbucks Via Ready Brew (Columbia/medium)
    2 pkts Emergen-C (Pomegranate Tea)
    1 Tbl Maca Powder (Essential Living foods)
    2 Tbl Ground Flax Seeds (Barleans)
    2 capsules Active Digestive enzymes (opened and emptied into blender) (Global Health Trax)
    1 scoop Amazing Greens super food (berry flavour)
    1 Three-Lac Probiotic packet (Global Health Trax)
    1 Tbl Cacao Powder (Euphoria Loves Rawvolution)
    Dash of Cayenne powder + Dash of Cinnamon (I like my coffee and chocolate with a kick to it just like the Mayans!)
    2 pkts Stevia powder

    Blend and Enjoy! Mmmmm….coffee, chocolately, icy goodness!

    Coconuts and Modern Medicine: A Long List of the Many Health Benefits of Coconuts!

    | kukhahnyoga

    Coconuts and Modern Medicine: A Long List of the Many Health Benefits of Coconuts!

    Taken from this fantastic website please visit to learn more about the powerful healing properties of coconuts!!!

    www.coconutresearchcenter.org

    Modern medical science is now confirming the use of coconut in treating many of the above conditions. Published studies in medical journals show that coconut, in one form or another, may provide a wide range of health benefits. Some of these are summarized below:

    • Kills viruses that cause influenza, herpes, measles, hepatitis C, SARS, AIDS, and other illnesses.
    • Kills bacteria that cause ulcers, throat infections, urinary tract infections, gum disease and cavities, pneumonia, and gonorrhea, and other diseases.
    • Kills fungi and yeasts that cause candidiasis, ringworm, athlete’s foot, thrush, diaper rash, and other infections.
    • Expels or kills tapeworms, lice, giardia, and other parasites.
    • Provides a nutritional source of quick energy.
    • Boosts energy and endurance, enhancing physical and athletic performance.
    • Improves digestion and absorption of other nutrients including vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.
    • Improves insulin secretion and utilization of blood glucose.
    • Relieves stress on pancreas and enzyme systems of the body.
    • Reduces symptoms associated with pancreatitis.
    • Helps relieve symptoms and reduce health risks associated with diabetes.
    • Reduces problems associated with malabsorption syndrome and cystic fibrosis.
    • Improves calcium and magnesium absorption and supports the development of strong bones and teeth.
    • Helps protect against osteoporosis.
    • Helps relieve symptoms associated with gallbladder disease.
    • Relieves symptoms associated with Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and stomach ulcers.
    • Improves digestion and bowel function.
    • Relieves pain and irritation caused by hemorrhoids.
    • Reduces inflammation.
    • Supports tissue healing and repair.
    • Supports and aids immune system function.
    • Helps protect the body from breast, colon, and other cancers.
    • Is heart healthy; improves cholesterol ratio reducing risk of heart disease.
    • Protects arteries from injury that causes atherosclerosis and thus protects against heart disease.
    • Helps prevent periodontal disease and tooth decay.
    • Functions as a protective antioxidant.
    • Helps to protect the body from harmful free radicals that promote premature aging and degenerative disease.
    • Does not deplete the body’s antioxidant reserves like other oils do.
    • Improves utilization of essential fatty acids and protects them from oxidation.
    • Helps relieve symptoms associated with chronic fatigue syndrome.
    • Relieves symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (prostate enlargement).
    • Reduces epileptic seizures.
    • Helps protect against kidney disease and bladder infections.
    • Dissolves kidney stones.
    • Helps prevent liver disease.
    • Is lower in calories than all other fats.
    • Supports thyroid function.
    • Promotes loss of excess weight by increasing metabolic rate.
    • Is utilized by the body to produce energy in preference to being stored as body fat like other dietary fats.
    • Helps prevent obesity and overweight problems.
    • Applied topically helps to form a chemical barrier on the skin to ward of infection.
    • Reduces symptoms associated the psoriasis, eczema, and dermatitis.
    • Supports the natural chemical balance of the skin.
    • Softens skin and helps relieve dryness and flaking.
    • Prevents wrinkles, sagging skin, and age spots.
    • Promotes healthy looking hair and complexion.
    • Provides protection form damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation form the sun.
    • Helps control dandruff.
    • Does not form harmful by-products when heated to normal cooking temperature like other vegetable oils do.
    • Has no harmful or discomforting side effects.
    • Is completely non-toxic to humans.
    Happy Coconut Eating!

    Crazy About Coconuts!!!

    | kukhahnyoga

    Many of you know how much I love coconuts! They are excellent snacks. They last forever in your fridge, and seem to take forever to spoil. yes, I have a hatchet, and I know how to use it thank you verymuch.

    An essential part of becoming a coconut lover, is figuring out how to get the darn things open!

    Some of the benifits that I have noticed since eating them

    1. They are delicous…mmmm, like natures pudding. love pudding, yum!
    2. They are filling, and a perfect little mini meal
    3. They seem to have a calming effect being a cooling food and I am very Pitta and run a little hot. Perfect for summer!
    4. Coconut Meat and oil burn fat
    5. Coconuts have a cooling affect on the body, great for hot summer days, and nights when its too hot to sleep
    6. The Coconut Juice is great for rehydrating the body, and is like natures own perfect sports beverage! (Minus all the yucky added sugar, and toxic couloring)
    7. They detoxify the body
    8. They are low in fat, and calories.
    9. They are antiviral, antifungal and are a natrual antibiotic

    Check out what the ladies over at The HotandHealthy Blog have to say about their coconut love here Cu-Cu for Coconuts

    Chocolate is a Superfood (A reminder before Valentines Day!)

    | kukhahnyoga

    A yummy flourless chocolate birthday cake. Possibly the yummiest suprise ever! One of the girls in the Teacher Training group in Australia made this for me..I ate 3 pieces that day!!!

    CHOCOLATE MAKES YOU SMARTER!
    Research suggests that the flavonols in dark chocolate increase cerebral blood flow, which then create blood vessels and brain cells. And a new study showed that older adults performed better on cognitive tests after eating small portions of the sweet stuff. CHOCOLATE AND YOU HEART!
    Flavonol-rich cocoa and chocolate act similarly to low-dose aspirin in promoting healthy blood flow. Reducing the blood’s ability to clot also reduces the risk of stroke and heart attacks. Chocolate eaters who had heart disease were less likely to die following a heart attack compared with those who didn’t regularly consume chocolate. Lead study author Dr. Carl Keen cautioned that his team isn’t suggesting that people eat a couple of candy bars instead of taking their daily dose of aspirin. “We’re not advocating that people consume flavonol-rich foods in place of aspirin,” stressed Keen, who is also the University of California-Davis nutrition department chairman. For people who cannot take aspirin, however, he said eating flavonol-rich foods “may be a useful approach.”
    CHOCOLATE FIGHTS CAVITIES!
    New research shows a compound in chocolate — theobromine — may be just as good as fluoride at hardening tooth enamel. Keep in mind that alot of commercial brands of chocolate have tons of added sugar. Opt for dark organic chocolate and check the sugar content before consuming.
    ANTIOXIDANTS IN CHOCOLATE
    Cornell University food scientists found that cocoa has nearly twice the antioxidants of red wine and up to three times those found in green tea. Antioxidants are substances that inhibit oxidation or reactions promoted by oxygen and peroxides, and that include many held to protect the living body from the deleterious effects of free radicals.
    LIVE LONG AND PROSPER
    Indulge in chocolate up to three times a month and you may just live longer! Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health found that those who eat chocolate and sweets up to three times each month live almost a year longer than those who eat too much or those who steer clear of junk altogether.