RECIPE: Lemon Garlic Basil Chicken

Posted on by Tammy

Looking for a quick and healthy chicken meal? Why not try this recipe for Lemon Garlic Basil Chicken from author Dr. Mark Hyman?

Basil is an excellent source of vitamin K, and a very good source of iron, calcium and vitamin A, and garlic is an excellent source of manganese, while also providing vitamin B6 and vitamin C.

The recipe makes four servings, and is cooked in 20 to 30 minutes!

Lemon Garlic Basil Chicken

INGREDIENTS

4 five-oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 garlic clove
2 tsp. olive oil
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp. lemon juice
3 tsp. fresh basil
½ tsp. sea salt

DIRECTIONS:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees, and trim chicken breasts of any fat.

Mince the garlic clove, and combine it with olive oil, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, basil and sea salt in a bowl. Place the chicken breasts in the same bowl and let marinate for 10 to 15 minutes, if desired.

Rub a cookie sheet or spray with olive oil to prevent sticking (or cover the pan with parchment paper). Place the chicken breasts on the sheet pan. Bake for approximately 20 to 30 minutes: internal temperature of the chicken breast should be 168 degrees.

New Website YoginiDeals.com Offers Discounts on Yoga Products and More

Posted on by Tammy

Featuring yoga-inspired and natural health products and services, the new Website YoginiDeals.com offers discounts on a variety of products from yoga apparel, fitness equipment, health and diet books, skin treatments, music, holistic dentistry, essential oils and more!

In addition to deals, the site also offers free and low-cost local meet-up events, online education and live Expos.

“YoginiDeals.com is truly designed for those who enjoy yoga, natural health, fitness, self-discovery, metaphysics, the law of attraction and supporting non-profits,” said CEO, Gina Macaluso. “We wanted to build a fun place for yoginis online and in person to come together and share their experiences in the pursuit of health and happiness.”

Current subscribers receive inspiration in their inboxes letting them know when new deals are released or when educational videos and articles are posted. They will also be notified when live events are launched.

To register for free visit: http://www.YoginiDeals.com.

Developing a Gratitude Ritual

Posted on by Tammy

By: Keri Nola, MA, LMHC

Gratitude is the single most important tradition of our lives. It welcomes a kind of peace and joy in our hearts that only grace knows. Contrary to popular belief, gratitude isn’t just a feeling – it is an experience that we cultivate through intentional daily practice.

Choosing to mindfully engage in a gratitude ritual prepares and trains us to be able to access love and light even in the darkest of times. So on those days when gratitude is the last thing on our minds or in our hearts, maybe we’ll allow ourselves to practice gratefulness for a moment and see how this experience realigns us with our Divine selves and our birth rights of infinite love, peace, joy, health and abundance.

If the idea of a daily gratitude ritual is new for you, I recommend Four Simple Steps (acronym B.A.R.E.):

1) Breathe – Close your eyes and take a deep intentional breath, inhaling peace and calm and exhaling tension, struggle and fear. Hold this step until you feel grounded and centered to move onto step 2.

2) Awaken Awareness – Allow yourself to meditate on what is true in the present moment. Become aware of each NOW moment.

3) Recognize Blessings – Name one or more blessings that come to your awareness in this moment. Let your senses be your guide. What do you see, hear, feel, taste and/or smell that generates an experience of gratitude for you right now?

4) Emotions Flow – Allow the emotions to flow as the naming of your blessings translates into an experience of feeling and enjoy the integration as your gratitude travels from the cognitive awareness of your head space into the emotional awareness of your heart space.

As indicated in the steps above, there is a mindfulness about gratitude that takes time to establish. It isn’t simply about saying “thank you,” but rather about the combination of acknowledging our blessings AND feeling grateful in our hearts.

The ultimate goal is to integrate the thought of gratitude in our heads with the feeling of gratitude in our heart center because it is when this feeling awakens that our vibration shifts and we begin to draw more blessings into our lives than we could ever dream possible!

Perhaps you’ll create a gratitude journal where you’ll capture your gratefulness, or maybe you’ll gather with a community of friends to co-create a sacred space for sharing. Or maybe you prefer to just hold the experience in your heart. Whatever you decide, be sure to personalize your gratitude ritual to meet your own needs as you discover what resonates with you over time.

Are you ready for the challenge? Ready, set, blessed!

Keri Nola is author of “A Year on Your Path to Growth: Daily Inspirations to Reconnect with Your Soul,” and founder of Path to Growth LLC, a Central Florida-based integrative healing center that blends traditional and holistic techniques for journeys to peace. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Nola provides psychotherapy and facilitates therapeutic retreats for those seeking to reconnect with their inner wisdom, particularly after trauma or loss. She also offers heart-inspired business consultations for healthcare professionals. For more information visit www.pathtogrowth.com, on Facebook and Twitter @pathtogrowth.

Manhattan Medical Residents Participate in Pilot Yoga Program

Posted on by Tammy

Medical residents at Manhattan’s Lenox Hill Hospital are participating in a pilot program called the “Lenox Chill” initiative, which is a month long optional yoga course to help residents better manage the stress and rigors of residency, according to a recent NY1 report. Started by internist Dr. Robert Graham, the class is run by his wife Julie, who is a yoga instructor.

“Residency tends to be a very stressful situation both financially, personally, physically clinically, and there’s really no introduction of self care and well being to our residents, and I think it’s important to introduce certain techniques like yoga and meditation so we can improve both the physicians’ well being and self care, and then hopefully translate into better patient care,” Graham said in the report.

His wife leads residents through stretching and breathing exercises in a hospital conference room, and doesn’t require a yoga mat or change of clothes, the report stated.

Residents who spoke with NY1 said they find themselves practicing yoga well after the class ends.

“We have been incorporating them into our work day sometimes we’ll take extra five minutes to sit down in a quiet place and do some of our mindful meditations or yoga stretches,” said Medical Resident Marelle Yehuda.

Dr. Graham is hoping to create a permanent program in the future.

Dead Sea Salt Can Help Sinus Pressure and Headaches

Posted on by Tammy

The waters of the Dead Sea are known for their therapeutic benefits and containing minerals such as magnesium, calcium, iodine, zinc, bromide, potassium and sulfur. Since these minerals are also found in skin cells, many people like to add the salts to a bath.

But what about rinsing the sinuses with them to alleviate sinus pressure and headaches? Doctors are finding this method better than a store-bought saline solution using a neti pot, according to a recent Fox News report.

“Most people use hypertonic saline, which is basically just table salt that they put in warm water, and they bathe their sinuses,” said Dr. Robert Graham of Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. “[A] study looked at the concentration of the Dead Sea salt as a substitute … and it showed that it was better in terms of quality of life and symptoms.”

Graham told his patient Rebecca Hensberry about the option after six months of antibiotics was not providing her with relief from sinus problems, which would help decrease mucus production and inflammation, and she found it helpful, the report stated.

“I could tell that it was working, and within about a week, I was cured. I’m feeling great,” she said in the Fox News report.

Additionally, Dr. Graham said using the Dead Sea salts are all-natural, non-addictive and have no harmful side effects.

Finding Right Meditation Style is Key to Sustaining Practice, Study Shows

Posted on by Tammy

In June 2008, Elevated Existence published an article called “Finding the Right Meditation for You,” to help people realize the importance of selecting the right practice to meet their individual needs. Now a new study published online in “Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing,” has the research to back it up!

Finding a meditation style that is the most comfortable for the individual has a lot to do with someone sticking with the practice, according to Adam Burke, author of the study, professor of Health Education at SF State, and the director of SF State’s Institute for Holistic Health Studies.

Burke compared four popular meditation methods: Mantra, Mindfulness, Zen and Qigong Visualization. Using 247 participants, they were all taught the methods and asked to practice them at home. At the end of the study, the participants reported which method they preferred. The two simpler methods, Mantra and Mindfulness, were preferred by 31 percent of study participants; Zen chosen by 22 percent; and Qigong by 14.8 percent.

“It was interesting that Mantra and Mindfulness were found to be equally compelling by participants despite the fact that they are fundamentally different techniques,” Burke said in the report. Mindfulness is the most recent meditation technique to gain widespread popularity, and is most recognizable by new practitioners, so it wasn’t surprising that the youngest in the group preferred this method, he explained.

“If someone is exposed to a particular technique through the media or a healthcare provider, they might assume because it’s popular it’s the best for everyone,” Burke said. “But that’s like saying because a pink dress or a blue sport coat is popular this year, it’s going to look good on everybody. In truth, different people like different things. One size does not fit all.”

If an individual is not comfortable with a specific method for any reason, he noted, they may be less likely to continue meditating and would lose out on such benefits as reduced stress, lower blood pressure or even treatment for addiction.

Want to start meditation or find a new style? Read our free article “Finding the Right Meditation Style for You.”

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