There are many misconceptions about eating and health. One of the most common assumptions is the emphasis on the quantity of food people eat. Although, this may be a valid consideration, it is more important to be concerned about the quality of foods that we consume. The body has a homeostatic, or balancing mechanism that will affect hunger and satiety centers of the brain if nourished properly. When eating the appropriate foods, the bodies innate intelligence will tell you to stop eating when it has the correct nutrients. The following is a list of general guidelines one can follow to obtain a good foundation.

The foods we ingest eventually affect every cell in our body. You truly are what you eat. When shopping, don’t put anything in your basket that wasn’t around 10,000 years ago! i.e. fruits, grains, vegetables and seeds. As a general rule, only buy items that are on the periphery of the store. These are your basic foods groups. Foods that are eye level are foods that the manufacturer wants you to buy, not necessarily good for you. The same thing goes for your children; foods at their eye level are usually of poor nutritional value. Stick to the basics. Buy foods that are fresh. Try to omit junk foods or food that is highly processed.

Read the labels. If you can’t pronounce the ingredients, you probably shouldn’t buy it. Foods that say hydrogenated should be avoided. They compete for sites in the brain where good fats are used and may cause neurodegenerative diseases. Buy foods that are full of nutrients. Vegetables and Fruits, preferably organically grown, are the best choice. Stay away from vegetable and fruits that have been sprayed with pesticides or grown in soils that have all the minerals taken out. A good place to obtain these is a good health food store or the natural food section of your grocery store. I prefer to steam or saute my vegetables and then add some spices, this assures that the vitamin and minerals don’t get affected like the other cooking methods. Whole grain cereals, breads and crackers, eggs and poultry, and cold-water fish are foods that one should consume on a daily basis.

For snacking, I would recommend raw nuts and seeds, yogurt and other natural dairy products.

Eliminate most foods that are white. White bread and flour, sugar and all foods made with them. These foods are full of “empty calories”. Cakes, cookies, pastries, crackers, pies, doughnuts, hamburger buns have virtually no nutritional value. These foods can actually rob your body of essential nutrients. Replace these foods with brown or basmati rice, whole grain breads or bean sprout breads, whole grain pasta and whole grain cereals. Avoid “enriched” flour some whole grain labels read, as it may actually be white flour.

Use natural sweeteners such as honey or concentrated fruit juices. Avoid synthetic sweeteners and sugar.

It is important to obtain good sources of proteins, which are the building blocks for all the enzymes, hormones, antibodies and neurotransmitters in the body. Some good sources are eggs, nuts and seeds, cold-water fish, beans, peanuts, lentils, sunflower seeds, shellfish and some cheeses (cheddar, Swiss).

Eat natural fats, such as clarified butter instead of margarine. Nuts are also a good source of fats, like almonds. Olive oil may be used on salads, but avoid heating it as it becomes rancid at high temperature. Try to stick to oils that are liquid at room temperature as a rule. There are some excellent new studies on Virgin Coconut Oil recently. It has been shown to help you loose weight. It is healthy for you and it tastes great! I like to add a spoonful to my shakes. It brings a nice flavor to it. Healthy shakes are a good snack either mid morning or mid afternoon, especially for those with hypoglycemia.

We should learn from our European friends that our meals should take place in a calm surrounding and it is an event that should be enjoyed and savored. Take the time to chew your food thoroughly and take breaks throughout your meal. Our society is becoming more fast paced and meals are “gobbled” down.

If you stick with these basic concepts you will be on the right track towards good nutrition.

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Anyone who cares about their health often focuses on keeping his or her body in peak condition. Who considers the health of the mind? A psychiatrist or a psychologist is concerned with behavior, and mental health, but how can Yoga help you?

We have all heard Yoga is a good “mind and body exercise,” but how does a Yoga student exercise his or her mind through Yoga practice. How can Yoga help you develop mental strength? Let’s look at one of the many styles of Yoga, to find answers, and acquire optimum mental health.

Jnana Yoga is the union of mind, body, and spirit, through acquired knowledge. It is true that reading will make your mind sharp, but what do Jnana Yogis read? Traditionally, Jnana Yogis read Hindu scriptures to expand their knowledge.

Yoga has been around for thousands of years. The Brahmin caste would have had more access to Yogic philosophy, and the scriptures (Vedas), than the average person, at that time.

This same parallel can be made to any holy man of any religion. Access to written knowledge, books, and Holy Scriptures was not common place, in any religion, hundreds of years ago. There was a time when the average person was forbidden to have a copy of the Bible. The early Bibles were very big, expensive to produce, and not meant for the public to interpret. Whether we like it, or not, this is a part of history.

Now, let’s fast forward to the 21st century. Millions of new computer users are accessing the Internet every year. So, how is it that more people, than ever, are disconnected from their mind, body, and spirit? We have attention disorders, multi-tasking, and many distractions to keep us far from tranquility.

Even in a Yoga class, you may hear a cell phone go off – despite the fact there are rules and a sign on the entrance of most Yoga studios. The sign might read, “Turn your cell phone off,” but people do not see it, even if it is right under their nose. Why?

Unfortunately, people do not read or pursue vital information. Cable television has hundreds of channels and the Internet has millions of sites. Do you really think the masses are trying to expand their minds by reading?

Jnana Yoga practice, and regular meditation, raises the “Level of Consciousness.” Yet it seems that prosperity seems to breed poor mental and physical health. When given the choice, children would rather play video games than watch the History Channel. Therefore, many adults must be getting in touch with their “inner child.”

Now, let’s come full circle. Entertainment is a wonderful thing, but we should be deliberate in our efforts to challenge our minds. Creativity cannot be found in games that are programmed or in viewing stories where you can easily guess the ending.

Your mind must be challenged on a daily basis by reading good quality writing and watching entertainment that is true art. The modern Jnana Yoga practitioner has much more access to education, information, art, and entertainment. However, he or she must be much more selective than ever before.

Copyright 2007 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Sexual health today, is nothing more than an expression of your general state of health. Moreover, your sexual health is a good indication of your general state of health.

If your libido is falling, if you have erectile dysfunction, or painful intercourse, you probably have other conditions affecting your general health.

Here’s what to do about guarding your sexual health.

Conditions that Affect Your Sexual Health

There are a few conditions that obviously affect directly your sexual health:

Overall state of your health

Obesity (being overweight)

Sexually transmitted diseases

Self-Image

Impotence

Lack of sexual satisfaction

What can be done about these?

1.If you are overweight, you must go on a diet and stick to it .There is no substitute.

Overweight people have a decreased libido. Seek help, do what you have to do, but lose some weight.

You will see your sexual health improving in direct relation to the weight loss.

2. Exercise

Is indispensable for sexual health. Whatever your condition is, make a daily effort to exercise, and in the least condition, walk. Walking is one of the best exercises known.

It will help you to lose weight as well. Your exercise will help you boost your testosterone levels and this will increase your libido, and sexual ability.

3.Besides dieting, choose foods that promote sexual health.

Make a red list (things not to eat) and a green list (things to eat).

The red list Will contain foods that are on your diet as forbidden, but also can contain red meat, junk foods, anything fried, things not fresh, hard alcohol, and other foods that do not promote general health.

Your green list will contain lots of fresh foods, fruits and vegetables, fresh fish, and green tea, for example.

5. Examine your lifestyle.

Are you getting enough rest? Rest and relaxation are crucial to overall health as well as sexual health.

Your mood and outlook improves when you are rested and relaxed. You have to include chill out periods during your day, no matter how busy you are, and also sufficient sleep.

6. A major cause in the decline of sexual and general heath is stress.

You must, for the sake of both your general health and sexual health (which is very directly related to stress mis-management), learn stress management techniques.

Lifestyle vs. Sexual Health Issues

Finally you must make a good examination of your whole lifestyle. Are you living the way you really wish to?

Is your sex life satisfactory?

Are you aging earlier than you expected? These are some basic questions that you must answer, and honestly.

If your lifestyle is not promoting your sexual and general health in an acceptable manner, you have to begin to think about changing it.

This self-examination is very good for each person, and you can simply sit down by yourself, before you sleep and review your day.

Go over each action you can remember. Think about them, were they correct, clever? Did they bring you happiness and satisfaction? Were you acting positively or negatively?

All of the above affects your sexual health in one way or another. If you would be healthy and happy, you must start now to guard your sexual health.