Kathleen Trotter Newsletter

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March 2010

Intro

Hi everyone. I hope you have all had a wonderful start to your 2010. As most of you may know, I have recently changed studio locations. Unfortunately, Stretch has closed down. I am now working out of a gym called Body Pump. It is a great space, conveniently located on St. Nicholas st. which is at Yonge and Wellesley. I managed to bring all my pilates equipment with me to Body Pump, and the owners of Body Pump have managed to make the transition relatively seamless. If you have questions about the new space, feel free to email me.

Yoga - Tips To Ease Tight Calves and Lower Backs

by Leonor Mowry

Spring is finally in the air and people are happily hitting the streets in droves! The good news is, we’re enjoying more lightness; during the days and in our spirits. The bad news is, walking more can create tightness in our legs, hips and lower backs.

Teaching yoga this morning after our first glorious Spring-like weekend, I arrived to a class full of complaints. Sore hips, tight low backs, aching calves...all as a result of getting outside, walking more, and enjoying the glorious weather! We immediately went to work on creating more space along the back line of the body, and everyone left class feeling a little taller and a lot more comfortable.

Here are some tips for recreating ease now that we’re walking more:

l. Roll out your calves. Sit on the floor with legs outstretched. Place a tennis ball (or an acuball-mini) under the fleshy part of one of your calves. Bend the opposite leg and place that foot flat on the floor. Start to gently move the outstretched leg over the ball. Explore the fleshy part of the calves with the ball. You might feel what seem like little pebbles in the calves, and when the ball comes into contact with certain areas it can feel pretty intense - like you’ve got a bruise. These sensations indicate tight parts of the muscles. Just keep gently moving the leg around and access all areas of the calves. If you’re strong and your shoulders and wrists allow, put the hands behind you and lift your buttocks off the floor. This will put even more pressure on the ball. If an area is particularly tight, stop in that spot and breathe deeply, imagining “letting go” as you exhale. Roll out one side for a couple of minutes and then compare how both legs feel. Change sides and repeat.

2. Calf Stretch at the wall. Stand facing a wall and place the right foot on the floor at the wall. Don’t squish your toes! Step the other foot back and with straight legs, ensure that the back foot and leg are straight, and the back heel is firmly connected with the floor. Hands can be on the wall in front of you for support, but keep the shoulders relaxed! Slowly start to bend the front (right) knee until you feel a stretch in the back leg. If you don’t feel a stretch, you might have to step your left foot farther back. Stay in the stretch and breathe easily for a minute or two. Come into a neutral standing position and compare the two legs. Change sides and repeat.

3. Legs up the wall. Oh, how I love this pose! Done correctly, it softens the lower back and hips, alleviates pressure from the legs, and best of all, facilitates a feeling of ease throughout your entire being. Sit right at the wall with one hip against it. Leaning back into the hands for support, sweep the legs up the wall and shimmy around until the buttocks are almost at the wall and the legs are straight up it. The upper body is on the floor, perpendicular to the wall. Take the legs hip-width apart and notice what’s happening in the legs. This isn’t a leg stretch so if that’s what you feel, create a little more space between your buttocks and the wall. The legs should not be “locked” and might , in fact, be slightly bent. That’s ok! Let the hands rest away from the body about halfway between hip and shoulder height with the palms facing up and the arms relaxed. Close the eyes. Focusing on the hips, imagine the thigh bones sinking gently into their hip sockets. Continue focusing here as you breathe and relax. The knees might bend a little bit more but should not collapse into the chest. Take the awareness all around the hip and lower back area, softening everywhere possible. No clenching or holding…anywhere! Focus on the breath and relax for several minutes.
**If your legs start to fall asleep, you may need more or less distance between your buttocks and the wall. If trying different positions doesn’t help, don’t try to force the pose or force yourself to relax. This is supposed to be an easy pose (although I know it’s not necessarily easy getting into it!), and if it’s not, it’s not right for you; at least not today!

I hope you enjoy your more comfortable self and our burgeoning Spring!

Leonor is the director of Village Yoga in Toronto’s Forest Hill Village. She is the author of “Advancing Your Yoga Practice: The Art of Slowing Down”, and creator of “The Voice of Relaxation, Volume 1: guided relaxations for clarity, creativity and peace of mind”. She is also the Director of Yoga Walks for the Toronto Trails Festival, and a long-time lululemon ambassador. She can be reached at info@villageyoga.ca or 416.487.2812. You can find Village Yoga online at www.villageyoga.ca, and listen to her guided relaxations at www.myspace.com/thevoiceofrelaxation.

Ask a Naturopath/Nutritionist

by Jennifer Baer, RHN, ND

Q: Are you really “what you eat”? Where did this idiom originate?

A: “Nutrition” has been defined as: “the organic process of nourishing or being nourished (by food)”, and “the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary to support life”. I would add that nutrition is the mechanical and chemical process of digesting, absorbing and making available for use, energy and nutrients necessary to sustain life (and health), from food. Would it be fair, then, to say that we are what we eat?

“You are what you eat” has its origins in the 1826 work: Physiologie du Gout (The Physiology of Taste) by lawyer-politician turned gastronome Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, who writes: "Dis-moi ce que tu manges, je te dirai ce que tu es." (Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are).

Others cite 1860’s German philosopher Feuerbach with: "Der Mensch ist, was er ißt." (The punny: Man is what he eats/Man eats what he is.). But the English phrase became popularized by doctor and nutritionist Victor Lindlahr, who in 1942 published You Are What You Eat: how to win and keep health with diet. Victor just happens to be the son of Dr Henry Lindlahr, considered one of the fathers of Naturopathy in North America.

Regardless of origin, the meaning was not literal – but pointed to the idea that what you eat affects your state of mind and health. In some instances the meaning was more political, highlighting differences in diet according to socio-economic status.

More recently, author, Michael Pollan, illustrates that we have, in fact, literally become what we eat in his book: The Omnivore’s Dilemma. The ancient Mayans and their descendants used to refer to themselves as “the corn people” or “corn walking”, owing to their reliance on corn as the staple food they held sacred. Even now, about 40% of a Mexican’s caloric intake purportedly comes from corn, while North Americans favour wheat. And yet, if the Mexican is to be called “corn walking”, Pollan asserts, North Americans could be called “processed corn walking”. In light of corn’s unique chemical make-up and technological advances, scientists can identify just how much of the carbon in our tissues comes from corn. And, it turns out, North Americans are significantly “cornier” than Mexicans.

To what do we owe this shift in our composition? Surplus. American. Corn. So much corn, in fact, that we’ve had to create a whole industrial food industry (not to mention petrochemical industry) to support it. Virtually all processed food is made from industrial grade surplus corn (or its rotational partner, soy) – that wouldn’t be deemed fit for human consumption in its original state. A full 60% of this surplus goes towards feeding livestock – formerly grass-eating cattle, chief amongst them. And, as Pollan points out, you aren’t only what you eat, but what you eat, eats too.

And we can’t stop there! The ingredient list of a typical processed food reads like a veritable corn-ucopia: hydrogenated fat, lecithin, corn meal, MSG, citric and lactic acid, glucose, fructose, maltodextrin, sorbitol, mannitol, xanthan gum, dextrins, modified and unmodified starches, ethanol (both alcoholic and fuel), viscosity control agents, vegetable oil, margerine, shortening, and the ubiquitous HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) are all derived from industrial corn.

If we are what we eat (figuratively and literally), and what we eat, eats, shouldn’t we spend a little more time thinking about not only the quantity and type of food we consume, but also its quality? March is National Nutrition Month, April 24th is Earth Day, and the 1st week of May is National Naturopathic Medicine Week. In honour of these three events, I challenge you to spend a little bit of time this next month or so considering the following:

Where does the food I eat come from, and how was it grown or raised?
How did it get to my local supermarket or farmer’s market?
What options do I have to include organic, seasonal, local and sustainable foods in my diet?
How does the quality of the food I eat affect my health? The environment?
How can I become more educated about the food choices I make and the local resources available to me?

For guidance and resources on any of these topics, please check out the links on my website, or consider a nutritional consultation.

In the same spirit, we are offering a Spring Detox Program at the clinic April 20th – May 29th. The program is an opportunity to become more mindful of the choices you are making with regards to diet and lifestyle, and of the interactions between our food, our environment, and our health. The program differs from a kit you might purchase at a health food store (which may not be right for you), in that it is medically supervised, and focuses on dietary and lifestyle changes that are safe, effective and sustainable.

References:
Pollan, Michael, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Penguin Books, 2006.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutrition
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/you%20are%20what%20you%20eat.html
http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=nutrition

RECIPE
These fast & easy kale chips are crunchy, nutritious and surprisingly addictive. A great way to introduce some greens to picky eaters!

Crispy Kale Chips
1 (or more) head kale
1 Tbs olive oil
1-2 cloves pressed garlic
sea salt to taste
1-2 Tbs freshly grated parmesan (optional)

Optional Seasoning (mix all thoroughly in separate small bowl):
1/4 cup tahini
2 Tbs apple cider vinegar
2-3 Tbs lemon, juiced
2 Tbs nutritional yeast (or parmesan cheese)
Olive oil, sea salt & garlic, as above

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Tear leaves away from tough stalks and break into pieces up to 2 inches in length. Wash well, and dry thoroughly in a salad spinner. In a large bowl, toss kale pieces well with oil, garlic, salt, and parmesan (if desired). Spread out on several cookie sheets, and bake for 10-15 minute s,turning several times until starting to brown and crisp. Serve in bowls like potato chips!

For Optional Seasoning version: Use 1/3-1/2 cup of seasoning per head of kale. Mix well with hands to coat kale. Follow the steps above, but bake for 25-35 minutes in a 275°F oven.

Jennifer is a Naturopathic Doctor, trained chef and Registered Holistic Nutritionist, with a passion for educating people about making healthy dietary choices that are realistic, appealing and delicious. In addition to naturopathic care, Jennifer offers nutritional consultations and customized meal plans with recipes. For more information about her training, programs and services, please visit: www.bokhealingarts.com

Q & A With Kathleen

by Kathleen Trotter

Q. My body gets so stiff from sitting all day. Can you suggest some stretches and/ or exercises to alleviate some of the tightness?

A. Excellent question. First, I would suggest taking as many opportunities as you can throughout the day to get up from your desk and move around. Walk and fill up your water bottle or if you have something to say to someone, walk to their desk instead of emailing them.

Try setting an hourly "stretching" alarm. This will help to remind you to stretch every hour. When the alarm goes off, try these exercises bellow.

1. Hip flexor stretch.

Put your right foot forward and your left behind you so the back leg is almost straight. Have both toes facing forward. To perform the stretch, bend the back knee slightly and tuck your pelvis slightly under you. Reach your left arm up and slightly over your head. You should feel a stretch in your back leg. Hold for thirty seconds and then switch legs.

2. Angle Arms

Sit tall in your chair. Engage your abdominals by pulling in your low abs and imaging putting on a tight pair of jeans. Have your hands by your side, palms forward. Arc your arms up towards your ear like you were making a snow angel. Lower down and repeat 10 times. Feel your shoulder blades more.

3.Postural Scapula Retraction

Sit with your arms straight out in front of you, horizontal to the floor and at shoulder height. Keep your arms straight and use the muscles in-between your shoulder blades to retract your arms. Imagine you are "cracking a walnut in-between your shoulder blades". Repeat 10-15 times.

4. Ankle exercises

Moving your feet and ankles will help increase blood flow throughout your body. This will help you feel more awake. Try jumping up and down on both feet for thirty seconds. If that is not appropriate for your office, circle each ankle 10 times each direction while you sit at your desk.

5. Exercise For The Wrist and Hands

Starting position, for all exercises: bend both your arms to 90 degrees at the elbows with your forearms parallel to the floor. Through all the exercises try to limit the motion of the forearm, upper arm and elbow. Make the motion only from the wrist.

Wrist flexion: starting in the above position, have your palms facing up. To perform the exercise hinge at the wrist to bring your palms and fingers towards you. Try not to bend the fingers. Only break at the wrist. Repeat 10-20 times.

Wrist extension: starting in the above position, have your palms facing down. To perform the exercise, hinge at the wrist to bring the top of your hands and fingers towards you. Try not to bend the fingers. Only break at the wrist. Repeat 10-20 times.

Radial deviation: starting in the above position, have your palm facing up. To perform the exercise break at the wrist and move your entire hand away from the mid line of the body (sideways towards the thumb) . Try not to bend the fingers. Only break at the wrist. Repeat 10-20 times.

Ulner Deviation: starting in the above position, have your palm facing up. To perform the exercise hinge at the wrist and move your hand towards the mid line of the body (sideways towards your pinky finger). Try not to bend the fingers. Only break at the wrist. Repeat 10-20 times.

Q. In our training sessions we do a million planks and bird dogs, why? I hate planks and I really hate bird dogs. Can we not just do some regular crunches? I am sure you have a reason for this, can you explain.

A. I would say there are three main reasons why traditional crunches are overrated.

Traditional crunches do not work the deep abdominal muscles. Crunches can help promote bad posture and can be harmful for the spine. More functional core exercises like planks and bird dogs work your body as a system, are safer for the spine, and help train the deep abdominals. I wrote a Q&A for that's.fit.ca on this very issue. For a more detailed answer to your question please CLICK HERE .

Exercise of the Month

Walking lunges

Put your right foot forward and your left behind you so the back leg is almost straight. Have both toes facing forward. To perform the exercise bend your back knee towards the floor, but do not let the knee actually touch the floor. Make sure your front knee does not go forward over your toes. At the bottom off the motion try and engage your front glute muscle to push you up to the starting position. Now step your left foot forward and perform that same movement. Keep walking forward until you have performed 20 lunges (10 on each side).

Interesting Study: Exercise Linked To Increased Cognitive Function In Older Women

The New York Times (1/26, D6, Rabin) reports that a new study from researchers in British Columbia has determined that "older women who did an hour or two of strength training exercises each week had improved cognitive function a year later." The study "randomly assigned 155 women ages 65 to 75 either to strength training with dumbbells and weight machines once or twice a week or to a comparison group doing balance and toning exercises," and found that the strength training group demonstrated "an enhanced ability to make decisions, resolve conflicts and focus on subjects without being distracted by competing stimuli."