CHOCOLATE: The Wonder Food

What is sometimes brown and sometimes white? You can sip it, swirl it; you can freeze it, melt it; you can bite it and even lick it. If you haven’t guessed it, let us tell you. The wonder food we are talking about is Chocolate. This multi faceted food item has been man’s best friend since time immemorial. Every culture in the world has directly and indirectly been associated with two food items at some point of time. The first being coffee and the second being chocolate.

Now what is it that makes this commodity such an important aspect of our food patterns and our cultural identities? Well to begin with a brief history of chocolate is required. The first documented use of chocolate has been seen in the history books during the 1100 BC. Coming from the Cocoa tree, chocolate was first produced in parts of Mexico, South America and even Africa. Many cultures call it the “bitter water” because of the cocoa beans’ bitter taste. It is only after fermentation and drying that it gets the typical chocolaty taste that we love. But what is hurtful to know is that due to modern dynamics of trade and commerce poor chocolate has fallen prey to many health and market myths. But do not worry we are here to bust them and help you and chocolate clean up the mess. Here are a few REAL health benefits of eating chocolate, and by Chocolate we do not mean the highly attractively packaged chocolates packed with a myriad of chemicals and preservatives that nullify all the goodness of it.

1. Sometimes all the complex chemical compounds and chains can be really obscuring , so without giving you the names let us tell you that chocolate contains certain chemical ( naturally present of course) that kill depression and help you feel better. Now, you know why is chocolate so good for heart breaks in all ROM-COMS.
2. A bar of dark chocolate a day lowers down blood pressure in high blood pressure patients.
3. It even lowers down LDL i.e. Bad cholesterol by up to 10%
4. Ironically Chocolate in its purest form prevents tooth decay which of course is balanced by the high sugar content we find in the readily available packs.
5. With many anti-oxidants, chocolate is an Anti-aging product. So it makes you look younger even when you eat it and melt it cool it and rub it on your face with some honey and a few crushed almonds.

Well nothing comes without its share of negatives as well , but chocolate becomes a “ lazy food” only is it is consumed like a many course meal ; in quantities where chocolate as a positive food takes a backseat only to give way to the calorie mounting and fat accumulating sugars that modern companies pack it with. So, be it a heart break or a happy occasion, chocolates have always been our best partners. If you still do not believe us just roll your tongues in your mouths which are for sure wet by your desire to bite a bit of chocolate.

This article is brought to you by YogacaraShop.com – your source for special Yoga Apparel, yoga inspired clothing, comfort clothing clothing designed according to the Colors of the Chakras and the best trendy, high quality and comfortable  Fitness Apparel do visit YogacaraShop.com

PHOTO CREDIT: distopiandreamgirl and mrsraggle on  (www.flickr.com)

UNIFYING YOGA

In the rapidity of modern times we have lost an important aspect of our lives i.e. the innocence and harmony of community and its spirit. The most essential and important social weapon in our hands which has always protected and sheltered us from all adversities is our ability to bond. Unfortunately, these times do not give us the mental, physical and social space to forge bonds with the ease of the days gone by. Today the associations are either business oriented or fed by specific motives in mind.

But there is an ancient weapon that can help us demolish the walls dividing us all. This weapon is not of mass destruction but what we at www.comfortinstylemag.com call “The weapon of mass construction” and that is YOGA. It is only recently that yoga has entered into the personal spaces of our balconies and bedrooms, which is rather deflating to see because by bringing yoga to our personal spaces we are unable to reap the benefits of the many adjunct advantages that come associated with it. Since its inception Yoga has been a group activity promoting a spirit of togetherness. By performing yoga in a group, you too can inculcate certain values which are the moorings for a balanced future. It not only teaches you physical and mental balance but infuses in you a spirit of respect and ability to understand people around you. But most importantly by helping each other attain the perfect balance by being a part of the same space you not only influence others but also become more receptive towards seeking and receiving help from others, making you a socially more responsible person. Whether it is a complex series Asanas or a plain simple breathing exercise, by doing it together in a rhythm you learn to follow a pattern becoming harmonious people in this rhythm lost world.

Being fed by each others’ energies you can learn the essentials of team spirit thus becoming more confident individuals ready to accept new challenges everyday and working together with people to overcome them. This may sound too ambitious to a lot of people who would say “dear friend, life doesn’t run that way”. But our answer to them is “dear friends, take care of the small things, and the big ones will fall into place.”So we urge you all to take some time off of your busy schedules and take yoga out of your bedrooms to a more social plane in order to understand and absorb the true essence of the art.

This article is brought to you by YogacaraShop.com – your source for special Yoga Apparel, yoga inspired clothing, comfort clothing clothing designed according to the Colors of the Chakras and the best trendy, high quality and comfortable  Fitness Apparel do visit YogacaraShop.com

Photo credits: Matt J. Olsen (www.flickr.com)

THE ALLOY OF FITNESS: YOGILATES

Gone are those days when we gathered wild berries and hunted deer in the forest to help calm a growling tummy. We have reached a stage where we can pop open a can of soda, with a nice precooked meal and have a blasting evening. Ever wondered why? It is rather simple; because we are a race of inventors. We possess exceptional mental capabilities which can be seen in the ingenuity with which we try to make our lives simpler. Just like we developed stainless steel by mixing two metals, we have also created a new fitness regime called YOGILATES or YOGALATES.

A perfect amalgamation of the age old practice of yoga, which was born inIndiaand the modern miracle developed by the German Joseph Pilates, Yogilates is a rage among the new age fitness freaks. Despite being criticized by the so called purist groups who believe in the sanctity of the two different forms of exercise Yogilates is fast emerging as the first choice fitness mantra. Now, what makes this a revolution and how is it different from Yoga and Pilates individually? Do not worry. The vast amount of data on the internet can be rather confusing. We bring it to you in a simple step by step point form. Here it goes:-

1. Yogilates comprises of the essential elements of yoga and Pilates, as the name suggest.
2. Using the posture techniques from the Yogi school and the muscle building techniques from the Pilates school it blends the two very similar activities together.
3. It borrows the aim of strengthening the core of the body i.e. the spine, abs, pelvic muscles and those of lower back without bulking them up.
4. It promotes muscle strength without compromising on the flexibility of the body, which it promotes through various yogic practices.
5. Since yoga does not pay much attention to specific muscle groups, yogilates uses various elements from Pilates to concentrate on specific muscle groups.
6. Most importantly , what allows this perfect fusion are the basic principles on which the two activities are grounded i.e. those of breathing and concentration
7. Both Pilates and yoga believe in the power of the mind to affect changes in and on the body.

PEACEFUL …HOLIDAY

This poem is a holiday gift from Jaclyn Ianetti

I come to you when you’re relaxed

A true, serene state

Cool, calm, collected

No room for hate

I’m with you when you’re lounging

Nap, sleep, and dreams

 No worries for tomorrow

Living in the moment is what it seems

Quit the fights, I keep the harmony

On a light hearted scale

No heightened colors

I’d call me quite pale

No air of complexity, simple and plain

Easy going nature

Trouble free, no pain

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Wintery white, shoe prints

Sink in the plush texture

Hides the green bottom layer

Blankets over like a brand new white bedspread

Stained window glare of poinsettias, grapes, gold

Pearly pink, burgundy balls hang

White lights, cinnamon bronzed pinecone

Stuck, intertwined in holly green branches

Enthralled in festive décor

Stand for a moment in silence

In awe, of the magic this season brings

Take small steps, walking slowly to the door

Closer to the window of the spirited symbol spins

Value the beauty from far away

Carry it with me as I approach

Open doors invite in to warmth of loved ones

Cider Soaked Pears with a Vanilla Cinnamon Sauce

·         4 medium and firm Bosc pears peeled

·         Juice of one lemon

·         ¼ cup cranberries

·         ½ cup toasted walnuts

·         1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

·         2 cinnamon sticks

·         ½ cup apple cider

·         2 teaspoons vanilla extract

TWIN FLAMES

By Jaclyn Ianetti

Whether it be for friendship or for love

Apparent will be your compatibility

Like you turned a corner and hit a wall

A feeling of deep and natural affinity

You feel closer to this certain soul

Attraction into each other’s lives

Sharing a spot on the same scale of frequency

Chasing this idea as it is in full wheel drive

That is the most favorable type

To be one of romantic

Some one, somewhere

Will put you away from the wondering frantic

Butterflies flutter in the stomach

Feeling sick with excitement

Sparksfly into a two way connection

The mystery solved into enlightenment

Once you find your soul mate

It is something you will not miss

For it will be your heart’s true love

And your true love’s kiss

This article is brought to you by YogacaraShop.com – your source for special Yoga Apparel, yoga inspired clothing, comfort clothing clothing designed according to the Colors of the Chakras and the best trendy, high quality and comfortable  Fitness Apparel do visit YogacaraShop.com

Photo credits: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wolfsoul/2076655775/sizes/m/in/photostream/

Summer Fish

by Jaclyn Ianetti

Solstice goddess

Silver Mist

Domain is hearth, home, and bliss

Winter I freeze over solid ice

Waiting for the summer’s blaze to melt my

Element, and myself, back into a puddle of happiness

A dancing mermaid in the waves that crash

Lure you in closer, siren singing to entrance

Like a magnet’s pull is your curiosity

Brings you deeper to my spot in the sea

Otherworldly in nature

 Don’t be afraid of this Pisces stranger

Come swim with me, be as free

Glide with the currents of the deep blue sea

Freedom down to the sun fading gray

The sandy shore, as calm, no words to say

I’ll be the moonshine, never leave the sunlight

Stars are dying into each ripple in the night

I teach you to live, have no direction

Shows wonder in the face of your reflection

Overwhelming sense to liberate

No boundaries, no walls, a chance to follow fate

Now you see for what my fin allows no restriction

To float in a world with no gravity, no friction

Boundless and open, go with the flow

Awash in happiness, a blissful glow

I pity as I watch your feet hit the land

Such delight before you reached sand

While I stay playful in the whirling water’s foam

How lucky to call this place, my home

This article is brought to you by YogacaraShop.com – your source for special Yoga Apparel, yoga inspired clothing, comfort clothing clothing designed according to the Colors of the Chakras and the best trendy, high quality and comfortable  Fitness Apparel do visit YogacaraShop.com

Photo credits: to http://www.flickr.com/photos/evnhunter

STRESS: is it killing you too?

Every time the stock market wavers, do you feel your heart beat going through the roof? While sitting alone and thinking about your child’s masters degree program, do you shake your foot wildly? Well if the answer is yes, then this article is for you because it will help you avert many impending health disasters.

In terms of science, stress is the measure of the amount of internal forces acting within a body. it was only in 1930’s that is term started being used for biological purposes and today it is one of the most widely used and known terms in mechanics and biology as well. In its true application the mechanical term isn’t very different from its biological counterpart. Stress actually is a term used to account for the forces that operate in the mind and wreak havoc in other parts and systems of the body. Now we all know what stress is, it is very important to understand the dynamics of stress and its effects on our minds so as to debunk the weakest links of our most common adversary. Stress is nothing but a condition where we overwork our brains to an extent where our body stops responding to the quick fire messages being sent by the brain therefore making the nervous system go berserk. For every person the causes and reasons for stress can be different depending on his or her concerns and problems. While for somebody a hamburger without a cheese slice can be a cause of stress and for someone the cause of stress can be the deteriorating health condition of his friend. But if one can incorporate certain lifestyle changes and follow some of our tips and tricks as we like to call them, stress will be no more than an obsolete definition that will we resent to the abyss of mechanics.

Lifestyle Changes:

1. Simplify life: we humans sometimes make excessive use of our ability to understand future and remember the past. It is a direct consequence of this exercise that we live life with stress while thinking about the future and railing about the past.

Tip number one,

Don’t think about the future or the past,

Live life in the present and have some fun!

1. Make mistakes: well if you analyze, the question to every impulse of stress going through your body is: “have I made a mistake” from career choices to investment plans, everything comes with its probability of backfiring, but if we become negative and take stress, it surely will backfire. So do not think about going wrong, and even if you do , have faith in yourself.

Do your best,

Leave the rest.

1. Yoga to help you: it is well known that yoga is the best treatment for stress. With so many forms of yoga being developed you can combine your unrequited passion for dance and can go Hip-hop yoga (please read our article on the same) or plain simple yoga to bust the stress.
2. Therapy: you can also give many adjunct therapies a shot like aromatherapy that will help to relax your mental muscles thus helping you get rid of your stress. Acupuncture can also help your spine get rid of unnecessary stress that bows you down. Our articles on aromatherapy and acupuncture can help!
3. Stress busting foods: well this is our trump card! If you like many of us do not have the time to follow any of the abovementioned tips; it is important to accommodate these foods in your daily diet to help you kick the stress out of your life.

• Asparagus: with its high folic acid content, asparagus will help you balance your mood and relieve you of unnecessary stress.
• · Guava: as a fruit it has the highest antioxidant count will bust stress for you with a punch of flavor too.
• · Banana: it helps fight depression as is helps secrete serotonin, which is happy hormone.
• · Blueberries: packed with fiber and stress fighting vitamin C blueberries help you get rid of the Stress Blues!

COLOURTHERAPY FOR OUR COLOR CODED LIVES

Our eyes see red and our feet hit the brakes; our eyes see green we say “oh! This is vegetarian, good to eat”. Everything around us color coded. Colors have become so important that they are important symbols of cultural and social machinery. For every person each color has its own significance; for an American child sitting in his bedroom red may be the color of his favorite toy but for an African kid caught raging civil storms red may be the color of blood. It is thus very important to understand the significance of colors and their effect on us.

The history of colors, as funny as it sounds, predates human history. Plants around us were always green, branches were brown; nature unlike our recent visual inventions like the colored TV, has always been colorful. Despite trying to break the mysterious color codes we are unable to replicate the color schemes of nature. The beautiful hint of green on a pigeon’s neck is befitting example of what a great artist nature is and always will be. But with our insatiable thirst for newer and better discoveries, we have been able to harvest the true potential of colors by developing something called COLOURTHERAPY. For those who are unaware of this interesting sounding therapy, Colourtherapy is an adjunct therapy that has today, become an industry in itself. It involves the process of exposing the body to light rays of different colors to help address various physical, mental and spiritual problems. But before going into the details it is imperative to enumerate certain key facts about colors and light.

1. THE SPECTRUM: The white light as we see it is composed of 7 colors which together constitute the spectrum.
2. VIBGYOR: violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange and red; do not need to say more.
3. REFLECTION AND ABSORPTION: the objects that we see around ourselves are so colored because they reflect that particular color from the spectrum and the rest are absorbed by it.
4. VIBRATION: every color has a wavelength in the spectrum at which it vibrates, thus participating with different functions of the body and mind.

Well now that we know the rudimentary laws of composition and dynamics of colors, it will become very easy to understand Colortherapy. When the body is exposed to a beam of light, every color vibrating at different rates called wavelengths is absorbed physically by different parts of the body. The effect of those colors is discernable. While blue and pink calm us and sooth us, sometimes bright and loud colors irritate us. Thus colors have a strong influence on our nervous system. They also help us attain a natural balance by balancing our inner energies. Colortherapy is present in various other adjunct therapies like aromatherapy and gemstone therapy. Every color affects a specific chakra of the body and helps it attain balance which in turn helps us gain mental calmness.

(Read our articles on chakras for more information)

Unlike many other therapies for which one has to go to specialized centers to practice or follow them, colortherapy is something which can change your life while you work at office or eat at home. By paying just one visit to a certified colortherapy practitioner who can advise you to incorporate and omit certain colors from your life, you can  transform yourself and become a more well balanced individual and never be “green” with envy or “red” with anger!!

This article is brought to you by YogacaraShop.com – your source for special Yoga Apparel, yoga inspired clothing, comfort clothing clothing designed according to the Colors of the Chakras and the best trendy, high quality and comfortable  Fitness Apparel do visit YogacaraShop.com

Credits to Ozyman (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ozyman/168266287/)

Back Pain Blues: Get Rid of It

Everything in life today seems so unchanging. The same sandwiches in the morning, the same cereal bowl, the same coffee and even the same radio jockeys on the stations while on your way to the office. Isn’t this monotony making our lives dull and boring? Well we are not asking you to leave your bread churning ways to become a wild spirit and go to sky diving or bungee jumping; but try and search for one important element in your life.

When we find our toasts a little chewy in the morning or the coffee at the work place rather insipid it is not the flavor that we crave for but a much more complex thing. BALANCE is what we are looking for. One of the most prominent places of our bodies today which lack that balance is our backs!! How many of you sleep with the final turning on the pillow accompanied with a painful “aah” or “ouch”? How many of you get up in the morning and bend to wash your face in the basin only to get back up with a crooked contortion of your lovely face? Today millions of people suffer from back pain. Unlike the yester years where back problems were generically associated to old age, today these issues are being seen in people as young as in their early twenties and even late teens!! So the bane of back pain does not knock at the doors of the old anymore.  The reasons for the same can be attributed to mainly two reasons namely the changes in lifestyle and increasing stress levels. The introduction of heavy weights in the life of the youngsters of today and the craze to have a ripped body is driving them insane. Lifting heavy weights without proper supervision, taking supplements to get quicker results is making them seem beautiful on the outside but very hollow from the inside. Also with so much pressure about getting into the right job to achieve goals which have been dumped onto them by their parents or peers students do not have the time to think about how to sit while studying or what to eat when. For middle aged people it is the same, unchanging routines and pressures about increasing fuel prices or the crashing stock markets which is affecting their backs. Well here are a few tips on how to keep your back healthy and strong.

TIME: there is nothing that is quick and instant. So the following routine will need 15 minutes from your daily schedule. Ok remember it like this

15 minutes a day,

Keeps the Back pain away!

1. Lie down flat facing downwards and keep your hands flat next to your rib cage. On the count of three inhale slowly and raise your chest and upper body. Hold this raised position for a few second and exhale and come down. Repeat in sets of 3 with 10-12 repetitions in every set.
2. You can also try and life your chest and legs slightly at the same time. Stop when your back muscles send a shiver up your spine. Repeat in sets of 3 with 6-8 reps in each set.
3. You can also lie down flat on the ground with your back and bum touching the ground. Raise your legs from your knees with your feet touching the ground. Twist this pyramid to one side of the body while trying to face the other side. This helps greatly to align the spins and avoid unnatural twisting.
4. The same exercise can be repeated with one leg straightened out and the other led going over it.
5. Avoid lifting heavy weights if absolutely unavoidable. Also whenever bending to do so, bend your knees to avoid any strain getting to your back.
6. Take constant breaks while sitting in office or any other high stress environment.
7. Go for regular checkups and other treatments like Chakra healing, acupuncture and yoga sessions for long lasting relief.
8. In extreme cases homeopathy can also be a boon.

Nothing is more important than your back because it serves as the link between your upper body and lower body. So do not neglect your back, for it is very important to keep your backbone happy and stress free!!

This article is brought to you by YogacaraShop.com – your source for special Yoga Apparel, yoga inspired clothing, comfort clothing clothing designed according to the Colors of the Chakras and the best trendy, high quality and comfortable  Fitness Apparel do visit YogacaraShop.com

Credits to Jez Page  (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jezpage/4441180935/sizes/l/in/photostream/ )

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