What the heck is an antioxidant!?

Hello everyone!

In today’s health and wellness , you hear a lot about antioxidants being good for you. You go into a smoothie shop and read the ingredients for the Morning Sunrise smoothie . It says it is “loaded with antioxidants”. Sure you’ll go ahead and order it since it seems like it’s probably the best thing for your body.

But what exactly is an anti-oxidant!?

Well first of all, what does “anti” mean? Anti usually means to act against something. To counter-act. Do the opposite. “Oxidize” is the process of interacting with oxygen or to combine with oxygen. Look up oxidize or oxidation under Google or a dictionary.

Therefore, antioxidant means to counter act against the oxidation process.

Here’s an example:

You open a banana or cut an apple. You leave it open for awhile and the color of the fruits begin to turn brown. That is the result of oxidation. That is basically what the skin is for; which is, to protect the fruit from being oxidized. When something is oxidized, damage occurs.

Taken from Wikepedia:

“An antioxidant is a molecule capable of inhibiting the oxidation of other molecules. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that transfers electrons from a substance to an oxidizing agent. Oxidation reactions can produce free radicals. In turn, these radicals can start chain reactions that damage cells. Antioxidants terminate these chain reactions by removing free radical intermediates, and inhibit other oxidation reactions.”

So when you hear that there are antioxidants in your food or vitamins, the antioxidants will help you fight against/prevent damage from free radicals.

“Free radicals, also known simply as radicals, are organic molecules responsible for aging, tissue damage, and possibly some diseases. These molecules are very unstable, therefore they look to bond with other molecules, destroying their vigor and perpetuating the detrimental process. Antioxidants, present in many foods, are molecules that prevent free radicals from harming healthy tissue.” Here is a list that Adam, founder of SuperFood Snacks, put together to get an understanding of the levels of some foods that are considered high in antioxidants. Cranberries               —————————-8,272 Blueberries               ————————- 5,660 Blackberries              ———————— 5,374 Rasberries                ———————– 4,609 Almonds                  ———————- 4,053 Red Wine                 ——————– 3,373 Incan Berry              ——————- 3,032 Goji Berries              —————— 2,994 Apples                     —————– 2,775 Pomegranate Juice    —————- 2,440 Oranges                   ————— 1,651 Spinach                   ————– 1,379 Green Tea                ————- 1,140 These results are based on 91 grams of each food. Results are courtesy of the Agricultural Research Service and the USDA.

That’s it for now everyone!!

My challenge for you is: Look in your kitchen to see what kinds of fruits and veggies that you have that are considered high in antioxidants? You will be surprised at what you find! =D

See ya later!!

Loving you all,

Cindy

Resources:

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-free-radicals.htm

http://www.healthcastle.com/antioxidant.shtml

Is living in a BIG city cancerous?

I sometimes wonder if living in a big city makes us sick. Cities can exude overpopulation, crime, heavy traffic, stress, anger, smog, dirty roads, and have constant flow of high paced living. Would that not effect your health? Of course people who do live in big cities might have to gain some balance through the use of positive activities such as exercise, going on vacation, attend social gatherings, or go to a dance class.

Take a look at two pictures I found online. One is a satellite image of Los Angeles and the other is an image of a liver cancer cell line:

 

How do these two images reflect each other?

 

My challenge for you is:  Reflect and write down the areas in your life that are out of balance. Brainstorm three possible solutions for each area that would help you come to balance again.

See ya soon everyone!!

 

Loving you all,

Cindy

 

Resources:

1. http://www.treatgene.com/hepg2-cell-line/

Living well is our primary world instinct..

To fully understand the human body one would have to read several books, take classes in human health, go to Medical school, talk to a personal trainer or nutritionist, talk to their doctor, be active in sports, seek a reiki healer, or suffer pain to learn how the human body functions through recovery. There are unlimited avenues to gaining knowledge. No matter where or how you seek information of the human body to stay in tip top health, I feel there are endless connections to new information being discovered every single day. We are ALWAYS striving for optimal health; and as we evolve through our modern life, the awareness of health and wellness is growing rapidly in our society. With modern western medicine, eastern medicine, integrative health, yoga, sports, improvement on organic agriculture, the growing of green practices in and around our cities, and with people waking up to the ideals of living healthy, I feel we are moving forward in a positive motion of overall wellness as a collective community.

(Pictured above: Yoga teacher Michael Carpenter assists a practitioner with a restorative healing pose. Taken by Cindy Manit at Hanuman Center, San Francisco)

For ages, humans have always been very open about sharing information on how to feel better and live better. The use of apple cider vinegar as a folk health tonic has been around since the 1950s (1). Yoga, developed in India about 5,000 years ago between 900 to 500 BCE (2), is now taking on its’ own trend in the Western world for health and wellness. If a friend finds that drinking coconut juice helps them with dehydration, they will share that information with others. Doctors as well have been passing down information on how to care for patients for hundreds of years, therefore we have Medical Schools.

The advancement of health and wellness never stops. It is ALWAYS developing and more people seem to be getting informed. Stem Cell research is a new technology that takes human cells and then are developed into other cell varietals in the human body which can hopefully cure some diseases (If someone would like to explain this better, you’re more than welcomed to). Organizations like The Water Project (3), are reaching out to places as Africa and India to promote and build better ways to providing clean water for better health. We are constantly seeing new health and wellness centers opening up, new power bars on store shelves, people getting certified in massage  therapy or yoga,  more organic food sections in grocery stores, and this trend is not going to stop.

Look back at our ancestors; about 1.9 million years ago, the homo erectus began cooking their food with fire. In theory, cooking food gave the homo erectus more energy without having to aggravate their digestive track nor chomp on poisonous foods all day, grow bigger brains, and created more time to convene in social gatherings which added to their wellness (4). I believe the cooking of food boosted the human evolution to where it is today.

So where am I going with this?

I wanted to bring the awareness to everyone that as humans, we are CONSTANTLY building waves of living better enriching lives and the core to that is through community building. I believe we are all here for the same reason on this planet, though have all different paths, but collectively we are supporting each other through health and wellness. This support is growing stronger and becoming more wide spread while we all become more educated and aware of the potential we have to being happy healthy humans. I am grateful for the wide advancements of our education, health practices, communication, and overall efforts of continued research to providing better lives for everyone.

We TRULY are UNITED as ONE. We need to support each other. I am definitely looking forward to the next five years of where our world community will be heading towards and how it will look. Perhaps in ten years there will be even more advancements in health research, and hopefully have discovered the ultimate cure for treating AIDS and cancer. I do believe that globally we are becoming more aware of our basic human needs, our values towards health, recovering destruction, helping those who are suffering, and understanding that we all just want to live happily. WE have been getting stronger and better as a species from the beginning of our time. Lets continue to share and live well together.

I do have one advice: Please do not criticize other people’s health practices. If it works…it works!!

My challenge for you is: Ask yourself in what way has your awareness grown and how it has made a positive shift in your life.

See ya!

Loving you all,

Cindy

Resources:

1. http://www.webmd.com/diet/apple-cider-vinegar

2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga

3. http://thewaterproject.org/

4. http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2009/06/invention-of-cooking-drove-evolution-of-the-human-species-new-book-argues/

Sunsets and Sunrises of Thailand…I am home in my heart.

Hi everyone!!

If you happen to travel through south east Asia and Thailand, make sure you experience a sunrise and a sunset! Catch these miracles of life in a country setting and at the beach! You will have a spiritual awakening! I was born and raised in America, I don’t get to see sunrises and sunsets like I had experienced in Thailand. Those moments reminded me that as a world of transitional beings, we truly reflect ONE sun. A feeling of cohesive union of life and liberty enthralled my heart with an energy of security.

I truly felt at home. Being that I am a Thai born American, traveling in a beautiful country where most of my family lives, where my parents were born, where my grand father had fought and worked so hard for, knowing there is a lot of family history where my pure roots were born, I know that Thailand is truly the motherland of my heart’s joy.

Sunrises and sunsets now remind me that within my being, home is truly inside my heart. No matter where I go, no matter what I do, home is always here in this special place. When we rise, we grow. When we set, we stir energy for our next transition of growth.

The magic of Thailand follows me wherever I go now. I feel complete.

Here is a video of a sunset I took on Baan Tai Beach, Koh Phangan-Thailand. At the end of the video you hear people in the background saying, “I LOVE YOU…!!” “I LOVE YOU TOO” Ahhh….Thailand, how lovely you truly are…

And of course, here are some pictures I took!! ENJOY!!!

Sunrise over limestone mountains at Khao Sok National Park, Cheow Lan Lake-Thailand

Sky during sunset on Koh Phi Phi, Thailand

Sunset behind the mountain on Koh Phi Phi. Taken from viewpoint.

Sunset, Gulf of Thailand, Koh Phangan

Long Tail boat and fisherman between me and Koh Somui.

Taken from Baan Tai Beach, Koh Phangan

Taken while standing in the ocean about 50 feet from shore, it never got deep!! =)

Taking a picture of myself in the ocean….what a blissed out moment!!

Thank you for taking a peak!!

You don’t have to be a “YOGI” to do yoga?

A yogi or yogin (Sanskrit: yogin-, nominative yogī (Devanagari योगी; feminine yoginī) is a term for a male practitioner of various forms of spiritual practice – Wikipedia

I love going to yoga classes. I love getting into a pigeon pose. I love breathing and balancing. I love the sound of “OM”. And I love seeing all the beautiful people in my life practice yoga with me too. Yoga has enhanced my life immensely.

Though I’m not exactly sure what it means to be a “yogi”. I feel the term can mean so many things. I do believe it means one who practices yoga. If you eat, sleep, breathe, and live as yoga, I might consider you a complete yogi. But how exactly do you define someone who is a yogi?

I do understand that yoga is not only a physical practice, but it is also a way of life. The union of myself and my world greatly impacts my well being into a reality of dreams. Yoga is a union allowing your soul, your body, your spirit, your mind, and your universe to become one balanced vehicle of high life altering enhancements.

What I have realized while practicing is that yoga has been my guide to allow me to become AWAKE. Yoga has allowed me to become AWARE of what there already IS. It is the unfolding of layers, boxes, and structure that opens my mind to see and feel how abundant and beautiful my life is. The opening of my body is interlinked with the opening of my mind; which results in a fulfillment of wellness. If I did not practice yoga, would I be able to get to this point of fulfillment? Perhaps.

I also do understand that within the culture of yoga, a lot of people connect their practice with the way they eat and the way they maintain heath.

Ayurveda (Sanskrit: आयुर्वेद; Āyurveda, the “science of life”) or ayurvedic medicine is a system of traditional medicine native to India^[1] and practiced in other parts of the world as a form of alternative medicine.^{[2] -Wikipedia}

Ayurveda and yoga is a common union for many people who associate themselves in the yoga community. Not everyone practices auyervedic living though. Some people will be inspired to eat much healthier in other ways that works for them. Good food does help with the overall health of your well being.

What about yoga clothes? I’ve noticed that brands like Lululemon and Hard Tail are making a scene into all the yoga studios. You’ll see a lot of women showing off the latest gear in the prettiest of colors, accentuating their curves of beauty. Nothing is wrong with that, it’s just a trend I’ve been noticing. The fashion world of yoga is coming into play.

A few months ago, I was talking to a woman in a tea lounge in San Francisco about hiking and yoga. She was really amazed that I practice yoga, hike, go to the Buddhist temples in the area and eat pretty healthy. The remark she made surprised me, “WOW you don’t seem like a spiritual person, you look like a hipster!” What surprises me is that there are a lot of expectations and stereotypes developing within the yoga and/or conscious community from my point of view, especially here in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Of course, there are MANY modules of practices out there available for us human beings to feel alive! Yoga just happened to be one of my vehicles to get me to that destination.

Now, do I have to eat like everyone else does? Do I have to follow what other yoga practitioners are doing? Do I have to look like how everyone else looks? Not at all. I have learned to accept myself the way I am a long time ago. I do not need to conform to other people’s ideals nor do I have to conform to anything I think may be “better” than who I am right now. I really don’t mind wearing shorts that I’ve had since I was thirteen years old in a yoga class. I don’t mind that I wear baggy pants and a t-shirt every day. If I look like a “hipster” to you, then great! I will still continue doing what I am doing. Being me.

I don’t classify myself as a “yogi” because I’m not someone who uses my practice of yoga to make me who I AM. I used to be a touring tennis player. Some people used to call me “Tennis”, as if that was what I was. Just tennis. I don’t want to label myself as anything. Yoga is a part of my daily practice. My daily practice is allowing myself to flow naturally. I do yoga, but I’m just Cindy. Cindy Manit.

My challenge for you is: Ask yourself what area in your life you feel you aren’t being your natural self? How does it make you feel? And what can you do to change that?

Always remember to be yourself! Your full natural self! And you are loved. =)

Loving you all.

See you soon!

-Cindy

Picture: Myself with Shiva Rea. Wanderlust Festival July 2010. Lake Tahoe. http://www.wanderlustfestival.com/

Choice, love, passion.

“The essential conditions of everything you do must be choice, love, passion”. — Nadia Boulanger

When making that first leap on your path, make sure you have made your choice to do so very clear. Ask yourself why you are making this choice and make sure you understand why. If it is important and clear cut, you are ready to take action and move forward.

Every action we embark on in life, do we do it because we have to? Do it because you love to do it. We naturally feel alive with our choices in life when we lead with love. Gain for yourself a sense of purpose while being guided by love.

With love, there is passion. Having a passion for everything you do in life makes for an even more exciting and fulfilling sense of well being. Without passion, your fire for life choices will tire you out. The passion will make choices more meaningful to you.

The greatest gift we have as humans is the gift of choice. We are able to choose at our own will. Choose wisely with love and passion and you will feel confident in your path. Good choices are made when we choose with love and passion.

In my life, I refuse to do anything if I don’t love it or if I don’t have a passion for it. This includes choosing a job. I once went in for an interview for a marketing position at a firm in San Francisco. After hearing an hour about what the company was all about, working 9-5, and what my job tasks would entail, I knew right away I didn’t have a passion for it. I used to have a job working for a private internet company as a marketing sales representative, and boy did I not like it. It was a money driven business that I had no passion for. Though both jobs provided pay that was pretty good, but I’m choosing my happiness over money. I am shooting for well being and having a job that isn’t going to help me get there, is not a good choice.

My challenge for you is: Pick a few things in your life that you are involved in right now or want to do in the near future. Are you doing it out of choice? Do you love it? Do you have a passion for it?

Asking yourself these questions daily will definitely help you make better decisions. You will start to notice how better you will feel about yourself.

Loving you all.

See you soon!

-Cindy

Do it! And do it DIRECTLY!

“For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them.” A quote by Aristotle.

This quote by Aristotle resonates with me very well.

I will share with you a funny story. My family took me up to Boreal in the Sierra Mountains to learn how to ski. I was seven years old at the time. They had entered me into a ski school with about twelve other kids. I believe after about twenty minutes of introduction to skiing and “pizzas” on a flat ground, I ditched the class with two girls of my age and headed to the chair lift by ourselves. We wanted to hit up the mountain!

Standing at the top of the mountain with my skis on, wearing my purple rainbow jacket, looking down at the snow, I did not hesitate at all and just went down the mountain! All I remember was, I was high on life.

I am still motivated just like I was on that day skiing, to continue to DO what I want to learn/do throughout my life. DOING is ACTION. ACTION is DOING.

To experience by doing, your learning becomes more valuable. Experiencing what it’s like to ride a skateboard for your first time creates a depth of open excitement that fills your soul. Compare it to watching someone else skateboarding, the experience is quite different.

When we put ourselves into direct experiences, we get a rush of all sorts of feelings. Our mind becomes expanded as we create our better selves. Direct experiences of doing becomes more personal for any individual.

I suggest for anyone out there to have LOTS of direct experiences. The possibilities are endless! This is an easy thing to accomplish while we as humans live in a reality of direct experiences all over the world! Don’t study about Thailand from a text book, why not GO to Thailand and learn directly! Don’t just listen to someone talk about how cool yoga is, go and try it for yourself!

This is where my life of experiential living comes into play with who I am and how satisfied I feel. I will go more into depth with experiential living in a different post and I’ll explain why it is effective.

My challenge for you is: GO and DO it! Whatever it is. Then tell me how it felt.

See you soon!

=)

-Cindy