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Yoga For Dummies guides you slowly, step by step, into the treasure house of Yoga. And it is a fabulous treasure house! You will find out how to unlock your body’s extraordinary potential and enlist your mind to do so, and in the process strengthen your mind as well. This book covers the following topics and more:
Five basic approaches to Yoga
Selecting a Yoga class
Practicing Yoga safely
The mechanics of Yogic breathing
Classic foundational postures
Exercises to target problem areas
Putting together your personal routine
Yoga for special situations
The focus on this book is on Hatha (pronounced haht-ha) Yoga, which is that branch of Yoga that works primarily with the body through postures, breathing exercises, and other similar techniques. When necessary, the book provides helpful photos or illustrations to help you better understand the exercises or postures.
One author (Georg Feuerstein) is internationally recognized as a leading expert on the Yoga tradition and has authored many seminal works on it. The other author (Larry Payne) has a thriving practice as a Yoga teacher in Los Angeles, where he teaches and responds to his clients’ specific health challenges. In this book, their combined 55 years of experience have merged to create a reliable and user-friendly introductory book that can also serve you as a beginner’s reference work on an ongoing basis.

Book: Yoga For Dummies by Georg Feuerstein
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What to eat to lower your cholesterol

High cholesterol is becoming a growing problem in the population. The rising number of Americans with high blood pressure and heart disease is ringing alarm bells in the country’s health sector. Health officials are working hard to slow the rise and to make people aware of their eating and exercise habits.

Understanding cholesterol

Although high cholesterol is a major cause of heart disease, not all cholesterol is bad. In fact, the body needs some cholesterol to make bile salts, vitamin D and hormones such as oestrogen and testosterone.

There are two main kinds of cholesterol, the good and the bad, as most people like to call them. The bad cholesterol, LDL, is raised by eating saturated fats and trans fats. These are found in many processed and prepared foods, such as potato chips and some baked and packaged foods.
LDL cholesterol sticks to the walls of the arteries. High levels of LDL can form plaques in the artery walls that may eventually narrow the arteries and slow the flow of blood. This makes the heart work harder and raises the risk of coronary heart disease, heart attack and stroke.

What to eat

The good cholesterol, HDL, helps lower LDL by carrying cholesterol back to the liver, where it is removed from the body. HDL is made by the body and is not found in food, but healthy fats such as those in fish and nuts help keep your cholesterol balance healthy.

Fruits and vegetables also help lower cholesterol. Plant foods contain no cholesterol at all, so eating them does not add to your levels.

Another important thing about fruits and vegetables is that they are excellent sources of fibre, which your body needs to keep LDL cholesterol in check. Berries, citrus fruits and carrots are just some of the foods you can count on.

Another food that can lower cholesterol levels in the body is soy. A well-known study at the University of Toronto combined fibre-rich foods, soy, almonds and plant sterols and lowered the participants’ LDL cholesterol by roughly 29 percent in a one-month study where the food was provided, and by about 13 percent in a later six-month study of everyday diets. Oats, barley and olive oil are also great ways to lower LDL.

Foods that are very oily, especially deep-fried foods, are another source of the fats that raise LDL. To lower your LDL, cut down on deep-fried foods. If you do fry, use a vegetable oil such as olive or canola oil.

Use butter sparingly, as it is high in saturated fat. Instead, use a vegetable oil or a soft spread that is free of trans fats. Try to steam, braise, grill or bake your food. You will find that it is tasty and healthier.

Not only diet

Several other factors affect cholesterol levels in the body. Besides your eating habits, these include age, gender, family history and of course the amount of physical activity you do.

Exercise is very important in keeping LDL cholesterol at bay. It also raises HDL and improves circulation.

How to start yoga with diabetes

Yoga can be fun, healthy and calming. It is a mind-body discipline that people have practiced for thousands of years, and even a little progress can bring a sense of ease and calm. If you have diabetes, you can enjoy it too, as long as you start with a few sensible precautions.

How can you learn yoga?

You can find audio and video recordings that teach breathing and relaxation techniques at health food stores, bookstores, online and by mail order. It is probably fine to learn breathing and relaxation from a recording or a booklet, but do not try the yoga postures without a skilled teacher. A teacher can correct you, warn you when necessary and help you adapt poses to your body.

It is worth spending some time finding an instructor who is right for you. Your diabetes educator or another health care professional may be able to recommend one. Ask for referrals as you would for any professional you might consult. Yoga instructors do not have to be certified, but many are, through a range of different programs. Ask prospective teachers whether they are certified. A certified teacher is not necessarily better than one who is not, but it is something to consider.

How can you exercise safely with diabetes?

Most people with diabetes can exercise safely, but all physical activity carries some risk. These precautions help to tip the balance in your favor.

Have a medical check-up before you start, especially if you have heart disease, are over 35, have high blood pressure or high cholesterol, smoke, or have a family history of heart disease. Your doctor will tell you whether you need tests such as an exercise stress test with an ECG, which is more likely if you plan vigorous activity.

Tell your doctor about any symptoms that you notice during or after exercise, such as discomfort in your chest, neck, jaw or arms, nausea, dizziness, fainting, unusual shortness of breath or short-term changes in vision.

If you have diabetes-related complications, ask your health care team about special precautions. Consider exercising in a medically supervised program at first if you have peripheral vascular disease, retinopathy, autonomic neuropathy or kidney problems, and ask which poses to avoid.

Learn how to prevent and treat low blood glucose (hypoglycemia). If you take insulin or diabetes pills that can cause lows, check your blood glucose before, during and after exercise. Blood glucose can keep dropping for hours afterward. Keep fast-acting carbohydrate, such as glucose tablets or juice, within reach.

If you have type 1 diabetes and your blood glucose is above 250 milligrams per deciliter, check for ketones. Do not exercise if moderate or large amounts of ketones are present, because activity can raise the risk of ketoacidosis, a medical emergency.

Always warm up and cool down, and avoid exercising outdoors when the weather is extremely hot and humid, or extremely cold. Be careful with hot yoga rooms. Check your feet afterward for sores or blisters.

What can yoga do for you?

Gentle yoga can be a way to move more, relax and manage stress. It does not replace your medication, your meal plan or the advice of your health care team, so keep following them and share your plans. If you are curious about the basics, our post on what yoga is is a good place to start, and our guide to basic yoga postures shows some of the poses you may learn. For more on living with diabetes, see our posts on diabetes and diabetes-friendly recipes.

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When you feel drained, achy and low on energy, the idea of a detox is tempting. We are told that a cleanse will give us clearer skin, a sharper mind and a stronger immune system. It is worth knowing what actually happens in your body before you try one, because the gentlest options are also the ones with the best track record.

What does your body already do?

Detoxification is something your body does all day, every day. The liver breaks down and packages waste, the kidneys filter the blood and make urine, the intestines clear solid waste, the lungs breathe out gases, and the skin loses some waste through sweat. You do not need to “switch this on.” What you can do is avoid overloading it, and give it what it needs to work well.

Are juice and water fasts a good place to start?

Many detox plans start with a juice fast or a water fast. The idea is that giving the digestive system a rest will let the body clean itself. In reality, there is little evidence for it. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health explains that juice and detox diets can lead to a quick initial weight loss because of the very low calorie intake, but people tend to regain weight when they return to normal eating. Fasting can also cause headaches, fainting, weakness and dehydration, and drinking large amounts of water and herbal tea without food for several days can cause dangerous electrolyte imbalances.

There are other risks. Juice that has not been pasteurized can carry harmful bacteria, which is a particular problem for children, older people and anyone with a weak immune system. Some juices are high in oxalate, which can matter for people prone to kidney stones, and anyone with diabetes should not change their eating without talking to their health team. You will also see claims that you can lose 30 to 40 pounds on a 30-day juice fast, but that kind of weight loss is neither healthy nor lasting.

What helps lower the load on your body?

The simplest step is to cut back on things that put a strain on your body: cigarettes, alcohol, and too much sugar and saturated fat from fast food and processed snacks. Use household and personal care products as directed on the label and keep your home ventilated. You cannot remove every chemical from your life, and you do not need to, but the habits above make a real difference to your health.

Which gentle habits are worth trying?

Change what is on your plate. Replace packaged and fast food with whole grains, fruit, vegetables, beans and nuts, which are rich in fiber and nutrients and low in fat and sugar.

Sweat a little, if you like. Saunas are used in many cultures, and some people find them relaxing. They are not proven to remove chemicals from your cells. If you have heart disease, low blood pressure or are pregnant, ask your doctor first, and always drink water.

Try skin brushing as a pleasant routine. A soft, natural-bristle brush used on dry skin before a shower can remove dead skin cells and feel stimulating. There is no good evidence that it moves toxins or “stimulates the lymph” in a meaningful way, and you should not use it on broken or irritated skin.

Practice yoga. Gentle yoga has been linked to better mood, sleep and stress, according to the NCCIH review of yoga. Twists and stretches will not “wring out” your organs, but they do relax you and keep you moving.

What is the bottom line?

If you want to feel better, the plan is not exotic. Eat more plants, drink water, sleep, move, and limit alcohol and tobacco. Read the full NCCIH guide to detoxes and cleanses if you are considering a program. Our posts on body detox the easy way, detox herbs, balancing pH and detox and body cleansing and detox for body and mind go into more detail.

Weight loss surgery and its health risks

If you have been watching your weight climb for years and are worried about it, you may wonder whether weight loss surgery works. Can it stop future weight gain? Here is what you should know before you decide.

What is weight loss surgery?

Weight loss surgery, also called metabolic and bariatric surgery, is a group of operations that change your digestive system to help you lose weight. Some of them make your stomach smaller, so that you feel full sooner. Others change the small intestine, so that your body absorbs fewer calories. Surgery can also affect hormones that control hunger. Surgical techniques and monitoring have improved over the years, but it is still major surgery with real risks.

For this reason, appearance should not be the main reason for having it. It is meant for people with obesity who have not been able to lose weight and keep it off in other ways, and its main aim is to improve health problems linked to obesity, such as type 2 diabetes.

Who is it for?

According to the US National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, it may be an option for adults with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more, or a BMI of 35 or more together with a serious health problem linked to obesity, such as type 2 diabetes or sleep apnea. In some cases it is considered for people with a BMI of 30 to 35 whose type 2 diabetes is hard to control.

How much weight do people lose?

It varies. Studies show that many people lose, on average, 15 to 30 percent of their starting weight, depending on the type of operation. No method, including surgery, is sure to work. Some people lose less than they hoped, and over time some regain part of the weight. How well it works depends on your weight before surgery, the type of operation, your age, your ability to exercise, your overall health, your commitment to follow-up care and the support you get from family and friends.

What are the risks?

Side effects right after surgery can include bleeding, infection, leaks where the stomach or intestine was stapled or sewn, diarrhea and blood clots in the legs that can travel to the lungs or heart. Follow-up procedures or hospital stays are fairly common, affecting about one in three patients within five years. Rarely, complications can be fatal.

Problems can also appear later. Your body may not absorb enough nutrients, especially if you do not take the vitamins and minerals you are prescribed, which can lead to anemia or osteoporosis. This matters for vegetarians, who need to plan their intake of vitamin B12, iron, calcium and protein with a dietitian. Gallstones can form after rapid weight loss, gastric bands can slip, and some patients develop strictures (a narrowing that makes it hard to eat) or hernias. Some research suggests that gastric bypass may change how the body handles alcohol.

How can you prepare?

Learn as much as you can. Talk to an experienced bariatric surgeon, or at least a family doctor who knows the field, and ask about the types of surgery, the risks and the follow-up. Speak to a dietitian, and consider seeing a psychologist or psychiatrist for advice on long-term goals, since eating habits and emotions play a big part in the results. Make sure that you have people around you who will support you.

What happens after surgery?

Surgery is a tool, not a cure. To keep the weight off, you still need lifestyle changes: healthy eating, regular exercise, your vitamins and regular check-ups. Read our posts on a weight loss plan, natural weight loss and weight loss tips for ideas that work for the long term. For a summary of surgery types, risks and benefits, see the NIDDK guide to weight-loss surgery.

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