Finding Your Chi

Happy Foods

Learning the prevention and treatment of chronic

disease through tai chi

Foods to mend your mood

US $3.99 / CAN $4.99

Raw Food Challenge

How to make a smooth transition from processed

to raw foods

Benefits of Avocadosah

Vision Quest:Creating Your Own Spiritual

Odyssey

Auxiliary Health

April 4, 2011www.ah.com

Yoga for the Mind & Body

Skin DetoxThe guide to eating better

for radiant and soft skin

Healthy Living

Ask The Doctor

Inner Balance

Skincare

Contents

04.2011DEPARTMENTS

Happy Foods

7 was to Ignite Your Immune System. From exercise to sleeping learn ways to make yourself more healthy and stronger. by serenity aberdour

Suffering from the heat ? From break outs to heat exhaustion, Nancy Lonsdorf, MD has all of the answers by gary lewist

Holistic approaches to getting fit for the summer seasonsby samira lal

Spring cleaning for your body. Everything you need to know about doing a detox right as well as different kinds of detoxifications.by sarah walsh

More then just a delicious fruit, avocadoes has many benifits for your skin. Learn just how useful they are. by diane kusunose

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30Healthy EatingReciepies and things to consider to help taking the raw food plungeby sydney wilson

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Finding Your Chi 21

When we launched this business in October 2001 and began publishing the magazine on April 16, 2002, it was with two goals. There was an editorial — an idealistic — goal of providing an alternative to medicine coverage of inner balance, skin care, and foods. We have always been, and still are, of the view that the magazine needs to achieve

Letter From The Editor both goals to be a success. After more than six years of publication, Auxilary Health is now at a crossroads. It has succeeded in establishing journalistic credibility and a reputation for quality and verve, and in becoming a part of the local, national, and international conversation. It is read daily by tens of thousands of citizens, including the political, policy, and cultural leadership in the city. It is read in the nation’s capital — in the White House, the Congress, and in the foreign chancelleries.

February 2010 / / 3

FEATURED

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Delicious Raw Alternatives

Ingredients2 zucchini squash, shaved thinly2 yellow summer squash, shaved thinly lengthwise with a vegetable peeler Sea salt and pepper to taste1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved5 oil-packed sundried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced1 clove garlic, finely chopped1 tablespoon finely chopped basilServes 6

Directions:In a large bowl, gently toss together all ingredients.

Changing your diet doesnt have to be so difficult and cumbersome. Enjoy these quick and easy recipies to aid in your diet!

Vegetable Pasta with Tomatoes and Herbs Carrot Ginger Soup

IngredientsJuice from 10 carrots and 1 green apple1 avocadoJuice from 1/2 a lemon1/2 tsp. sea salt1/2 tsp. chopped ginger1/4 tsp. allspiceIn a large bowl, gently toss together all ingredients. Transfer to a platter and serve immediately.

Directions:Blend and serve slightly warm

Raw food is usually defined as that which is not cooked, applied to fire or fragmented. Doctor Uday Chotai, a naturohygienist from Mumbai, adds: “According to naturopathy, there are two types of food—suncooked and uncooked. Fruits that ripen in the sun fall into the category of suncooked food. Uncooked or raw food have not ripened at all.” But both types have high pranic value and meet every requirement of the body.

In their book Doctor Prakritik Vyanjan, Doctor Nand Kishore and Savita Sharma affirm that nature is a most effective resource manager. During summer, we get juicy fruits and vegetables such as watermelon, muskmelon, mint and cucumber, which have a cooling effect. The authors discourage having non-seasonal fruits and vegetables since they have low nutrition value.

However, despite such a foolproof natural system, man tends to experiment with nature-often with adverse results. We eat peeled fruits and vegetables because they taste better and are easier to chew. But in doing so, we rid them of their vitamins, minerals and fiber. Chewing has its own advantages say Rocine.

going raw?by sydney wilson

Dr Victor G. Rocine, a Norwegian homeopath, advises eating food “the way God manufactured it”. According to him, we must preserve the organic chemical salts in food because once we remove them, we are likely to alter other chemicals as well. Dr. Rocine also discourages adding artificial ingredients to food, especially if their natural forms are available. He cites the example of common salt. Table salt, accorxding to him, is an inorganic substance and hence not of much value for us organic beings. Dr. Rocine suggests taking sodium from organic substances such as spinach, strawberries and carrots. Foods rich in sodium are often rich in chlorine and oxygen also.

Dr Sharma agrees: “Man needs perhaps one per cent salt. This he can easily get from fruits and vegetables.” Going a step further, A.P. Dewan, in his book Food for Health, says too much salt. body’s alkalinity. This can result in cancer. The notion that cooking destroys food has many supporters. “Natural foods,” points out Ma Urvashi, “contain sun energy in the cellulose.

18 / / Auxiliary Health

healthy eating

Face Mask

for the love of AVOCADOS

Besides tasting delicious vocados act as a “nutrient booster” by enabling the body to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients, such as alpha and beta-carotene and lutein, in foods that are eaten with the fruit. Avocado, known as the “alligator pear”, originally hailed from southern Mexico. The avocado tree is an evergreen tree that sometimes grows as tall as 80-feet high. Its flowers are small in size and yellow-green in color. The avocado grows to its full potential in mild climates such as Florida, California and Hawaii.

Avocado is frequently used in rich spa products because it’s provides a rich source of vitamin A, B, D and E. Unknown to most; avocado contains more potassium than a banana (approximately 60 percent more). Therefore, skin care products infused with avocado penetrate the skin evenly and quickly, making the skin smooth and moisturized as a result. . You can turn a regular day at home into a spa day if you have avocado on hand in your kitchen. Avocado is an ideal remedy for eczema, red skin, sensitive skin and aging skin.

1 teaspoon of pure acacia honey

2 ounces of ripe avocado

1 teaspoon of molasses

1 ounce of orange juice

+

+

+

Omega 3

Monounsaturated Fatty Acids

Potassium

Alpha and Beta-Carotene

AmaZene’s new all natural line of avocado products. Available at amazene.com

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skin care

find your chi

Whether you’d like to conquer fear and anxiety, develop a more compassionate mode of communication with others, or simply learn to be utterly happy wherever you may be, Joseph Cardillo packs a big message. What exactly is it we’re all driven to achieve, possess, and know? How can we be happy and nurturing individuals? Cardillo’s book Be Like Water uses the philsophy of chi to examine these questions, and offers spiritual exercises and written “resolutions” to serve as mantras in order to help readers improvetheir lives.

By Estil Martin

Joseph Cardillo-a black belt in Kenpo karate-draws on 16 core principles that all martial artists rely on being strong yet supple, agile yet fluid, sensitive yet powerful. Capturing the essence of these qualities in clear, simple prose, Cardillo illustrates how even the most mundane tasks at home and at work can become Zen-like exercises. Here you’ll learn that summoning chi is about finding one’s center, seeing with your skin means developing sensitivity and intuition, and wrestling an empty jacket teaches us how to overcome force with softness. Be Like Water speaks volumes to all of us negotiating the hectic pace and seemingly empty drive for a “better life.”

The entire universe is condensed in the body. The Chinese word chi (or ki in Japanese) refers to our internal life-force energy, as well as to the energy of the entire Universe, the Infinite, which is present in all things. Everyone is born with a certain amount of chi, and we all have the ability to gather even more. Chi is the core of all existence. It plays into all martial arts concepts and exercises, and forms the ideological foundation of all the ideas in this book.

In everyday life, chi supplies us with the power to break through areas of our lives where we feel stuck, trapped, or limited-either mentally, physically, or spiritually. Chi is the force behind good health, confidence, happiness, strength, power, self-esteem, focus, virility, increased mental effectiveness, and success. It is that thing inside us that cannot be seen; the energy behind all change and self-improvement. It is the power that gives us all a sense of safety and fluidity and healing. Ultimately, chi is beyond description, but not beyond feeling or applying. The major location of chi in the body is within the Lower Dan Tien, a space located just a few inches below the navel, and, interestingly, your body’s center point of gravity. Thus, within each of us is a profoundly nutritious energy, which is the energy of the Universe, the Infinite, and our connection to all things, for everything contains chi.

In martial arts, most of us practitioners will eventually shift our attention from external self-defense movements to softer

internal practices of cultivating more chi when we begin to understand that our ability to get things done on the mats and in our lives is directly proportionate to our ability to invoke internal strength.

The more we train, the more we heighten our awareness of chi, the more we begin to glimpse its thrilling potential. The power of chi is unlimited. And so, like millions of others, I am enraptured by this phenomenon and have placed it at the center of my training, for martial arts is a way of unlocking the door to chi.

First, you have to find your center. When I began my studies in martial arts, my Karate and Kung Fu teacher introduced our class to the notion of chi early on. I remember he told us to position our hands in front of us as though we were holding a basketball, our right hand on top, left on the bottom, fingers pointed sideways. “Now,” he said, “relax and concentrate on your Lower Dan Tien.”

He was teaching us how to center. Centering is believed to help harmonize the body, mind, and spirit, as well as help in the development of chi “Relax completely,” he emphasized. “But hold your concentration.” He told us to close our eyes. “Let your weight follow its course downward. Feel the gravity without giving in to it. Relax each joint and muscle. Feel the ground below you. Feel your feet becoming one with it. This is called rooting.”

Some people like to visualize a cord attached to their spine and rooted into the earth, drawing energy up into their body. “Let the earth’s energy enter you. Breathe deeply through your nose and exhale through your mouth,” he explained. “Let the air travel through your entire body-throat, abdomen, limbs.” He asked us to keep our eyes closed and to visualize our breath as pure white, nurturing and healing everything it touched. We began to regulate (measure) our breathing. “When I clap my hands, inhale,” he said. “Slowly.” And with that, he gave us a brisk ten-count. “Now hold your breath.” He counted another ten. “Okay, now exhale, slowly.”

He again gave us a count of ten. He told us to follow our breath downward and to continue focusing on our Lower Dan Tien. This is the body’s hub of energy.

Dating back to the Shaolin monks in a.d. 525, regulated breathing has been taught as a way of increasing concentration during prayer and strength in the fight. “Our bodies are vessels,”

23 / / Auxiliary Health

Photos from left to right are of Joseph Cardillo’s tai chi classes where students learned how to gather and feel the chi energy that is surrounding us everyday.

featured article

my instructor said. “And they can hold only a limited amount of energy, good and bad.” He asked us to continue focusing on our Lower Dan Tien and to visualize our chi as a white light, pulsing vibrantly with each breath. “Try to extend your chi outward,” he said. “Feel it enter your hands. Feel it with your hands.”Regulated breathing, coordinated with the summoning and releasing of chi, helps cleanse the body of bad energy and replenish it with good.

My notion of martial arts up to that point had been focused on external movements and exercises that could be used for building confidence and self-defense and, perhaps, de-stressing. But here was my instructor wanting me to breathe differently, telling me that “internal” concentration would increase not only

my overall power of focus, but also my external strength. I was fascinated.

He asked us all to open our eyes. He looked at me. “What did you feel?” he asked. “I’m not sure.” I added, “I felt a slight sense of heat . . . like a warm current.” “That’s it,” he said.

Many of the other students experienced something similar. “I want you to remember that feeling. We are going to do a lot with it,” he said. “But for now, there is more to learn.” What he was referring to was the assimilation of several other techniques we had yet to be taught that would increase our ability to feel chi and to know when and how to best channel it into our movements.

“For now,” he concluded, “just feel it and remember this: Where the mind goes, your chi will go.” Some time after that, I had to stack several cords of firewood in preparation for winter. It was early evening. The golden autumn light had just started to drain from the sky. The air was crisp and cidery and sweetened with the scent of bonfires. I had set a goal for myself of one cord. It had been a long day, and I would have much rather put the job aside, but there was rain in the forecast. I knew it would be best to stack the wood before the weather made mud of everything. I remember that with nearly half a cord to go, I decided to humor myself and put one of had told us. I regulated my breathing. I centered, concentrating on my Lower Dan Tien and envisioning it blazing with energy. I imaged my breath downward, white and healing, flowing through my body.

My labor transformed into a meditation of sorts-not that I thought of it that way. It just happened that way. I soon forgot about being tired and worked spiritedly, continuing the martial arts exercise as I went along. Rather than begrudging my work, I felt comforted by it. When I finished stacking, I felt restored. Instead of feeling beat, I was animated. Not only had I completed the job with much less effort than usual, but what’s more, I felt generally happy. I had learned that positive energy helps us through tasks and creates joy. Better yet, I had experienced it. I

was excited. I started thinking of where else I might apply these same skills. I was confident that I would make use of them in many circumstances yet to come.

Since then, whether I am attempting to strengthen my movements on the mats, conduct martial arts or creative writing classes at the college where I teach, or just increase my energy output for walking, jogging, housework, or gardening, I have used this method of cultivating healthy, positive energy on a daily basis.

Our bodies are vessels. They can hold only a limited amount of energy, either good or bad. Find your center. Cleanse your body of bad energy and replenish it with good. Feel restored. Feel animated. Let your daily work energize you rather than deplete your energy.

Whether you’d like to conquer fear and anxiety, develop a more compassionate mode of communication with others, or simply learn to be utterly happy wherever you may be, this little book packs a big message. What exactly is it we’re all driven to achieve, possess, and know? How can we be happy and nurturing individuals? Be Like Water uses the philosophy of martial arts to examine these questions, and offers spiritual exercises and written “resolutions” to serve as mantras in order to help readers improve their lives.

Author Joseph Cardillo-a black belt in Kenpo karate-draws on 16 core principles that all martial artists rely on to be strong yet supple, agile yet fluid, sensitive yet powerful. Capturing the essence of these qualities in clear, simple prose, Cardillo illustrates how even the most mundane tasks at home and at work become Zen-like exercises. Here you’ll learn that summoning chi is about finding one’s center, seeing with your skin means developing sensitivity and intuition, and wrestling an empty jacket teaches us how to

“where the mind goes, your chi will go”

February 2011 / / 24

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healing. Ultimately, chi is beyond description, but not beyond feel-ing or applying.The major location of chi in the body is within the Lower Dan Tien, a space located just a few inches below the navel, and, interestingly, your body’s center point of gravity. Thus, within each of us is a profoundly nutritious energy, which is the energy of the Universe, the Infinite, and our connection to all things, for everything contains chi.In martial arts, most of us practitioners will eventually shift our attention from external self-defense movements to softer internal practices of cultivating more chi when we begin to understand that our ability to get things done on the mats and in our lives is directly proportionate to our ability to invoke internal strength. chi, the more we begin to glimpse its thrilling potential. With chi, you have

featured article

overcome force with softness. Be Like Water speaks volumes to all of us negotiating the hectic pace and seemingly empty drive for a “better life”. The entire universe is condensed in the body.

The Chinese word chi (or ki in Japanese) refers to our internal life-force energy, as well as to the energy of the Universe, the Infinite, which is present in all things. Everyone is born with a certain amount of chi, and we all have the ability to gather even more. Chi is the core of all existence. It plays into all martial arts concepts and exercises, and forms the ideological foundation of all the ideas in this book.

In everyday life, chi supplies us with the power to break through areas of our lives where we feel stuck, trapped, or limited-either mentally, physically, or spiritually. Chi is the force behind good health, confidence, happiness, strength, power, self-esteem, focus, virility, increased mental effectiveness, and success. It is that thing inside us that cannot be seen; the energy behind all change and self-improvement. It is the power that gives us a sense of safety and fluidity The more we train, the more we heighten our awareness of And so, like millions of others, I am enraptured by this phenomenon and have placed it at the center of my training, for martial arts

to find your center. When I began my studies in martial arts, my Karate and Kung Fu teacher introduced our class to the notion of chi early on. I remember he told all of to position our hands in front of us as though we were holding a basketball, our right hand on top, left on the bottom, fingers pointed sideways. “Now,” he said, “relax and concentrate on your Lower Dan Tien.”

He was teaching us how to center. Centering is believed to harmonize the body, mind, and spirit, as well as help in the

development of chi “Relax completely,” he emphasized. “But hold your concentration.” He told us to close our eyes. “Let your weight follow its course downward. Feel the gravity without giving in to it. Relax each joint and muscle. Feel the ground below you. Feel your feet becoming one with it. This is called rooting.”

Some people like to visualize a cord attached to their spine and rooted into the earth, drawing energy up into their body. “Let the earth’s energy enter you. Breathe deeply through your nose and exhale through your mouth,” he explained. “Let the air travel through your entire body-throat, abdomen, limbs.” He then asked us to keep our eyes closed and to visualize our breath as pure white, nurturing and healing everything it touched. We began to regulate (measure) our breathing. “When I clap my hands, inhale,” he said. “Slowly.” And with that, he gave us a brisk ten-count. “Now hold your breath.” He counted another ten. “Okay, now exhale, slowly.” He again gave us a count of ten. He told us to follow our breath downward and to continue focusing on our Lower Dan Tien. This is the body’s hub of energy.

Dating back to the Shaolin monks in a.d. 525, regulated breathing has been taught as a way of increasing concentration during prayer and strength in the fight. “Our bodies are vessels,” my instructor said. “And they can hold only a limited amount of energy, good and bad.” He asked us to continue focusing on our Lower Dan Tien and to visualize our chi as a white light, pulsing vibrantly with each breath. “Try to extend your chi outward,” he said. “Feel it enter your hands. Feel it with your hands.”Regulated breathing, coordinated with the summoning and releasing of chi, helps cleanse the body of bad energy and replenish it with good.

My notion of martial arts up to that point had been focused

Know Your EngeryCROWN

BROW

THROAT

HEART

SOLARPLEXUS

SPLEEN

ROOT

Imagination and Intuition

Expansionand Healing

Purpose andSunshine

PassionsPhysical exercise and restful sleeps,gardening, pottery and clay. Using red oils such as ylang ylang or sandalwood essential oils.

Hot aromatic baths, water aerobics, massage. Embracing sensation (suchas di�erent food tastes). Using oils such as melissa or orange essential oils.

Taking classes, reading informative books, doing mind puzzles. Sunshineand Detoxication programs. Using oils such as lemon or rosemary essential oils.

Nature walks, time spent with family or friends. Eating green foods & drink. Using green such as eucalyptus or pine treeessential oils.

Singing, poetry, stamp or art collecting. Having meaningful conversations. Using oils such as chamomile or geraniumessential oils.

Star gazing and Mediation. Indigo gem-stones and indigo clothing. Using oils such as patchouli or frankincense essential oils.

Bliss andSpirituality

Focusing on dreams. Writing down one’svisions and inventions. Violet gemstones and using violet oils such as lavender or jasmineessential oils.

Balanceand Love

Emotionsand Desires

There are seven major energy centers, commonly referred to as “chakras” in our human body. Chakras are centers of force located within our etheric body, through which we receive, transmit, and process life energies. Each chakra in the body is recog-nized as a focal point for life-force relating to spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental energies. Through different practices one can learn how to balance thier energy/ chakras.

CHAKRASBy Lora Lennon

25 / / Auxiliary Health

featured article

on external movements and exercises that could be used for building confidence and self-defense and, perhaps, de-stressing. But here was my instructor wanting me to breathe differently, telling me that “internal” concentration would increase not only my overall power of focus, but also my external strength. I was fascinated.

He asked us all to open our eyes. He looked at me. “What did you feel?” he asked. “I’m not sure.” I added, “I felt a slight sense of heat . . . like a warm current.” “That’s it,” he said.

Many of the other students experienced something similar. “I want you to remember that feeling. We are going to do a lot with it,” he said. “But for now, there is more to learn.” What he was referring to was the assimilation of several other techniques we had yet to be taught that would increase our ability to feel chi and to know when and how to best channel it into our movements.

“For now,” he concluded, “just feel it and remember this: Where the mind goes, your chi will go.” Some time after that, I had to stack several cords of firewood in preparation for winter. It was early evening. The golden autumn light had just started to drain from the sky. The air was crisp and cidery and sweetened with the scent of bonfires. I had set a goal for myself of one cord. It had been a long day, and I would have much rather put the job aside, but there was rain in the forecast. I knew it would be best to stack the wood before the weather made mud of everything. I remember that with nearly half a cord to go, I decided to humor myself and put one of my martial arts lessons to the test. I relaxed myself, as my instructor had told us. I regulated my breathing. I centered, concentrating on my Lower Dan Tien and envisioning it blazing with energy. I imaged my breath downward, white and healing, flowing through my body.

My labor transformed into a meditation of sorts-not that I thought of it that way. It just happened that way. I soon forgot about being tired and worked spiritedly, continuing the martial arts exercise as I went along. Rather than begrudging my work, I felt comforted by it. When I finished stacking, I felt restored. Instead of feeling beat, I was animated. Not only had I finally completed the job with much less effort than usual, but what’s more, I felt generally happy.

I had learned that positive energy helps us through tasks as well as creates joy. Better yet, I had experienced it. I was excited. I started thinking of where else I might apply these same skills. I was confident that I would make use of them in many circumstances yet to come.

Since then, whether I am attempting to strengthen my movements on the mats, conduct martial arts or creative writing classes at the college where I teach, or just increase my energy output for walking, jogging, housework, or gardening, I have used this method of cultivating healthy, positive energy on a daily basis.

Our bodies are vessels. They can hold only a limited amount of energy, both good or bad. Find your center. Cleanse your body of bad energy and replenish it with good. Feel restored and feel animated. Let your daily work energize you rather than deplete your energy. Create joy.

Whether you’d like to conquer fear and anxiety, develop a more compassionate mode of communication with others, or simply learn to be utterly happy wherever you may be, this little book packs a big message. What exactly is it we’re all driven to

achieve, possess, and know? How can we be happy and nurturing individuals? Be Like Water uses the philosophy of martial arts to examine these questions, and offers spiritual exercises and written “resolutions” to serve as mantras in order to help readers improve their lives.

Author Joseph Cardillo-a black belt in Kenpo karate-draws on 16 core principles that all martial artists rely on to be strong yet supple, agile yet fluid, sensitive yet powerful. Capturing the

essence of these qualities in clear, simple prose, Cardillo was able to illustrates how even the most mundane tasks at home and at work become Zen-like exercises. Here you’ll learn that summoning chi is about finding one’s center, seeing with your skin means developing sensitivity and intuition, and wrestling an empty jacket teaches us how to overcome force with softness. Be Like Water speaks volumes to all of us negotiating the hectic pace and seemingly empty drive for a “better life.”

The Chinese word chi (or ki in Japanese) refers to our internal life-force energy, as well as to the energy of the Universe, the Infinite, which is present in all things. Everyone is born with a certain amount of chi, and we all have the ability to gather even more. Chi is the core of all existence. It plays into all martial arts concepts and exercises, and forms the ideological foundation of all the ideas in this book.

In everyday life, chi supplies us with the power to break through areas of our lives where we feel stuck, trapped, or limited-either mentally, physically, or spiritually. Chi is the force behind good health, confidence, happiness, strength, power, self-esteem, focus, virility, increased mental effectiveness, and success. It is that thing inside us that cannot be seen; the energy behind all change and self-improvement. It is the power that gives us a sense of safety and fluidity and healing. Ultimately, chi is even beyond description, but not beyond feeling or applying.The major location of chi in the body is within the Lower Dan Tien, a space located just a few inches below the navel, and, interestingly, your body’s center point of gravity. Thus, within each of us is a profoundly nutritious energy, which is the energy of the entire Universe, the Infinite, and our connection to all things, for everything in the world contains chi.

In martial arts, most of us practitioners will eventually shift most of our attention from external self-defense movements to softer internal practices of cultivating more chi when we begin to understand that our ability to get things done on the mats and in our lives is directly proportionate to the ability to invoke our internal strength.

February 2011 / / 26

“Let your daily work energize you rather than

deplete your energy”

featured article

If the long, bleak winter has you feeling blue, cheer up—a sunnier disposition could be as close as your refrigerator.

While the effect food has on our physical health is un-deniable, research is connecting food to our emotional health as well.

The following 10 foods have mood-lifting properties that may help you shake off the winter blahs.

Happy FoodsBy Sharron Thackret

1: salmonThis heart-healthy fish is packed full of omega-3 fatty acid and vitamin D, two nutrients that have been shown to in-crease levels of the feel-good neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain.

A clinical study found that over the course of five years, indi-viduals suffering from depression significantly reduced their feelings of sadness and hostility by eating a healthy diet that included fatty fish two to three times per week.

3: walnutsThis antioxidant-rich nut is an excellent source of serotonin-boosting omega-3 fatty acids and magnesium, a mineral that helps stabilize mood by regulating blood sugar levels.

Clinical studies have found that a dietary deficiency of mag-nesium combined with excess calcium and stress may cause symptoms associated with depression including agitation, anxiety, and insomnia. swings associated with PMS.

2: yogurtFor women experiencing PMS-associated moodiness, a cup of yogourt may be just the pick-me-up they need.

A small study found that women suffering from PMS were less irritable and depressed when they ate yogurt.

4:popcornCarbs cause serotonin levels to soar, making us feel happy and relaxed. Unfortunately, not all carbs are created equal. The best carbs are the ones that are both low-glycemic and high in fibre. This includes carbs from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains such as popcorn.

As the brain runs on glucose, slow-absorbing complex carbs provide a fuel source that is more sustainable.

How Food Affects The Human Brain

Your brain is like a car. A car needs gas, oil, brake fluid and other materials to run properly. Your brain also needs a lot of special materials to run properly: glucose, vitamins, minerals and other essential chemicals. For example, the fuel (energy) for your brain is glucose. Your brain must manufacture the right proteins and fats to do things such as grow new connections or

add myelin, the fatty sheath to axons. You do this by digesting proteins and fats in your food and using the pieces, that is, the amino acids, the fatty acids, to make new brain proteins and fats. Without the correct amount and balance of particular building blocks, your brain will not work properly. Too little or too much of the necessary nutrient can affect the nervous system.

Your brain is like a car. A car needs gas, oil, brake fluid and other materials to run properly. Your brain also needs special materials to run properly: glucose,

vitamins, minerals and other essential chemicals. For example, the fuel (energy) for your brain is glucose. You can get glucose by eating carbohydrates or other foods that can be converted to glucose.

Your brain must manufacture the right proteins and fats to do things such as grow new connections or add myelin, the fatty sheath to axons. Fatty acids need to make the new brain proteins and fats.

32 / / Auxiliary Health

By Dr. James Nikken

featured article

5: bananasRich in energy-producing potassium, mood-elevating magne-sium, and vitamin B6, a banana with breakfast will get your day off to a good start.

Vitamin B6 is essential for the synthesis of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine in the brain and may reduce symptoms of depression. Vitamin B6 is also a popular remedy for treating the symptoms of PMS.

6: dark chocolateThe ultimate comfort food, dark chocolate contains high levels of the amino acid phenylalanine.

Clinical evidence has suggested that phenylalanine may be an effective treatment for depression, as it enhances production of the mood-elevating chemicals dopamine in the brain.

7: oystersConsidered by many to be an aphrodisiac, oysters not only create feelings of love in some, but also are exceptionally high in zinc, a trace mineral that calms the body and stabilizes mood.

When under stress, zinc reserves in the body can become depleted. Lower levels of zinc can lead to mood swings and agitation.

9: brazil nutsIf you’re stuck in a foul mood, a handful of Brazil nuts may be just the thing needed to cheer you up. Brazil nuts are one of the most concentrated food sources of free radical-fighting selenium, a trace mineral that when deficient can lead to feelings of hostility, irritability, anxiety, and depression.

In one study, participants who ate a diet high in selenium for 15 weeks reported feeling more confident and clear-headed.

10: spinachIt may have been the abundance of iron in this leafy green that made Popeye strong, but it was most likely the folate that kept him happy.

Several clinical studies have linked depression to folate deficiency, as low levels of this essential B vitamin appear to reduce the amount of mood-regulating serotonin.

8: turkeyAt the centre of many festive feasts, turkey is not just for the holidays anymore. It’s high in protein, low in fat, and is a good source of selenium, vitamin B6, and tryptophan.

Tryptophan is essential for the production of mood-enhancing niacin and serotonin, and acts as a mild sedative that promotes sleep. Try to choose organic turkey whenever it is possible.

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