Healthiest You Ever

“Fermented soy foods, like tempeh and miso, are a good source of iron. Soy foods are rich in copper and magnesium and are also rich in B vitamins…. Soybeans are rich in phytochemicals known as isoflavones, which may help prevent certain types of cancer, fight heart disease, and improve bone density.”

Tempeh is a fermented Indonesian protein substitute made from cultured grains or soy and a fungus starter called Rhizopus oligosporus. It is pressed into a block, packaged, and sold in health-food stores. Because it is the least processed among soy products, it is more digestible. Soy tempeh can be very low in carbohydrates, especially when you subtract the substantial amounts of fiber it provides. Tempeh is a complete protein food that contains all the essential amino acids. It is a very versatile food and a great vegetarian substitute for animal protein.

The fermentation process for tempeh also reduces levels of phytoestrogens and substances in soybeans that block thyroid function, mineral absorption, and glucose uptake in the brain. If homemade, tempeh can also be a valuable source of vitamin B₁₂.

YES, YOU CAN MAKE IT AT HOME!

It’s easy to make tempeh at home at a very low cost. Dehulled soybeans are soaked overnight, cooked for about 30 minutes, and mixed with tempeh starter (available at health-food stores). After thirty-six to forty-eight hours incubation you have delicious fresh tempeh. Tempeh starter contains spores of Rhizopus oligosporus or Rhizopus oryzae which makes it vitamin B₁₂ rich.

“I have always had good strength in my legs from working out with weights. I have also been riding a bike of some sort for most of my life and have good agility.”

To add variety to your jumps, and to strengthen your leg muscles even farther, add lateral jumps to your workout. Lateral means to move away from the midline. So this exercise is done moving right to left in a continuous, smooth fashion. Begin by standing with most of your weight supported on your left leg. Wait until you have stabilized your weight on your left leg, and then begin extending your right leg outward. As your right foot moves to your right, push off with your left leg to cover as much distance as you can. You want to land softly and firmly on your right leg, with the ability to push off again in the opposite direction. Remember to absorb the landing by bending at your hips and knees. Keep moving from side to side, each time doing so with a bend and push from your supporting leg. You may find that a slight swing of your arms is helpful in developing a little more power. Your arms will also help stabilize your landing.

Go slowly until you have the ability to land squarely on each foot, with knees slightly bent. As your skill improves, you can add continuous motion and a fluid leap from one leg to the other to heighten the exercise. However, the lateral push is not meant to develop your speed. So going faster than is necessary or safe is not going to help you improve. Take your time so that you can really develop a nice strong pushoff that can cover an acceptable and challenging distance.

“When I do get time, I like to hike and I take lots of vitamins and powders to keep healthy.”

This mineral is an absolute must for proper brain function in that it aids neuron metabolism, helps reduce brain damage from ischemia (a lack of blood flow to the brain), and boosts the effectiveness of certain antioxidants. Magnesium may also play a role in the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease, since studies show that the brains of most AD patients are magnesium-deficient, but excessively high in calcium. (In healthy brains, the two minerals have a relatively equal ratio.) Every cell in the body needs magnesium. Magnesium is a requirement for more than 300 body enzymes, body chemicals that regulate all kinds of body functions. This mineral helps maintain normal nerve and muscle function, keeps heart rhythm steady, and helps keep bones strong. Deficiency can result from an increase in urine output—like that caused by diuretics—poorly controlled diabetes, and alcoholism. The UL (Tolerable Upper Intake Level) for magnesium is 350 mg per day for adults over eighteen, and too much is not harmful unless the mineral is not excreted properly due to disorders such as kidney disease.

Magnesium can be found in a wide variety of foods. The best sources include legumes, almonds, avocados, toasted wheat germ, wheat bran, fish, seafood, fruits, fruit juice, pumpkin seeds, and whole grains. Green vegetables, especially cooked spinach, can be good sources too.

“Through my illness I learned rejection. I was written off. That was the moment I thought, Okay, game on. No prisoners. Everybody’s going down.”

Cycling is a great way to build endurance, but why not have fun while pedaling your way to health? Plus, there’s safety in numbers, particularly when you are cycling along a roadway. Our best advice: Do your bicycle training in group rides as often as possible. Besides being more enjoyable because of the social aspect, a group ride is safer. For example, a group of fifteen to twenty cyclists is easier for drivers to see than one or two on their own. Besides, your fellow riders are likely to push you harder to keep up with them, to encourage you when you think you’re too tired to go one more mile, and to inspire you to greater heights. When it comes to cycle training, cycling outdoors with friends is a great way to stay motivated—and to have fun.

A FEW TIPS

When selecting a course for your cycling workouts, safety is the number one concern. Consult your local bicycle shop for information on riding courses. The bike shop owners will know several, and they will probably have some organized rides you can take part in as well.

When searching on your own, look for wide roads without heavy traffic. In many areas, roads and city streets have bike lanes. At the very least, look for wide roads with good-sized shoulders or breakdown lanes. Avoid two-lane roads with no shoulders.

“The last time I opened my chakra so I could feel my peace, I got thrown right out of the pub.”

To do the legs-up-the-wall pose (Viparita Karani) place a bolster or one to three horizontally folded blankets against a wall. Lie on your side with your left hip on the support, buttocks close to the wall, and your knees bent. Roll onto your back and swing your legs up the wall. Your legs should be resting against the wall, your lower back and sacrum on the support, and the rest of your torso flat on the floor. Stretch your arms out horizontally, with your palms facing up. Your eyes may close and soften. Breathe naturally and enjoy the relaxation and revitalization of the pose. To come out of the pose, bend your knees and roll over onto your right side. Using your hands, press yourself up to a seated position. You can also practice Viparita Karani with your legs separated wide apart. Or you can bend your knees slightly if it is too intense a stretch for the hamstring muscles. The benefits of legs-up-the-wall pose include the following:

“I never saw a discontented tree. They grip the ground as though they liked it, and though fast rooted they travel about as far as we do. They go wandering forth in all directions with every wind, going and coming like ourselves, traveling with us around the sun two million miles a day, and through space heaven knows how fast and far!”

What better way to enjoy a day than to spend one planting a tree? Trees are not only beautiful, they absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen into the atmosphere. As such, all urban areas can benefit from having more trees. One tree gives enough oxygen back through photosynthesis to support two human beings. To discover other interesting facts about trees, go to www.coloradotrees.org/benefits.

If you don’t have space on your property for a new tree, call your city government to see if they’d welcome one in the park or other common areas. Offer to plant the tree in honor of a citizen who has served the city or the country well, such as town founders, mayors, or anyone who died while in the armed forces.

TAKE A FLIGHT, PLANT A TREE

It can be hard to avoid taking flights, especially if you need to get from one side of the world to another. However, those long flights have a negative impact on our environment. Luckily, there is a way you can offset the damage caused by the fuel used. Treeflights will plant trees to help offset the damage caused to the environment by your flight (www.treeflights.com).

“Stillness and action are relative, not absolute, principles. It is important to find a balance of yin and yang, not just in Qigong, but in everyday life. In movement, seek stillness and rest. In rest, be mindful and attentive.”

—Ken Cohen, The Way of Qigong: The Art and Science of Chinese Energy Healing

Qigong is an ancient Chinese Taoist martial arts form dating back at least 2,500 years. (Some Chinese archeologists have found references to Qigong-like techniques at least 5,000 years old.) Like its successor, Tai Chi, Qigong involves specific, fluid, dance-like movements and postures, as well as massage, meditation, and gentle breathing to maintain and improve overall health and balance the body’s internal energy (called chi in China).

While it’s considered a supplementary form of healing, Qigong has been shown to improve posture and respiration, induce the relaxation response, cause favorable changes in blood chemistry, and improve self-awareness and concentration. Research suggests that Qigong may be beneficial for asthma, arthritis, cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, headaches, pain, and a wide variety of common ailments.