Thursday, December 30, 2010

CALM, FIT AND JOYFUL by Valerie Hould-Marchand

For most of us the Holidays are an exciting time of the year. While the season brings cheer and joy, it can also cause high stress levels for many people.
The constant worry over meals, parties and presents can really zap our energy levels.

Here are a few tips to reduce stress and stay calm, fit and joyful this holiday season:

Take supplements- Give your body the extra support and add a vitamin C, D and B complex to your diet. As an antioxidant, vitamin C protects the body from all forms of stress as well as from the harmful effects of toxic chemicals in the environment, food, water, and air. Vitamin D helps balance mood and counteracts the effects of low exposure to sunlight. The Vitamin B complex helps manage stress and works as an excellent energy booster.

Water- Going to numerous parties often means drinking more alcohol which causes your body to lose water. So drink lots of water during the party and you will feel much better the next morning. Water also assists in the flushing of harmful toxins from the body.

Leafy greens- Dark green leafy vegetables are a great sources of many vitamins and minerals your body needs to stay healthy, such as vitamins A, C, and K, folate, iron and calcium. They are also great sources of fiber. Arugula, kale, spinach and swiss chard are just a few examples. They are tasty and easy to add to any salad, stir-fry, wrap or soup.

Don't skip the exercise- Your “to do list” is full this time of year and exercise is probably the last thing on your mind. This is a mistake... You must keep moving! Exercise is essential to your immune system and your overall well-being. It will help you retain muscle memory, balance blood sugar and maintain your weight. 30 minutes, once or twice a week is still better than no exercise at al.

Enjoy- Do not deprive yourself of the foods you love - you are more likely to binge this way! Instead, just treat yourself to small portions of your favorites.

FUN FACT:
Staples like eggnog are sure to show up at seasonal soirees, so before you sip, do a little planning.

One cup of regular Eggnog adds up to approximately 343 calories and nearly 20 grams of fat. Why not serve a lighter alternative like soy nog or rice nog. They all contain less fat and nearly half the calories!

1 cup of eggnog: 343 calories, 19 grams of fat
1 cup of Rice Dream Nog: 180 calories, 2 grams of fat
1 cup of Vitasoy's Holly Nog: 120 calories, 2 grams of fat
1 cup of Silk's Soymilk Nog: 180 calories, 4 grams of fat

Yes, the Holidays can be stressful! but remember that it is also a time for sharing, giving and spending time with loved ones.

Wishing you all a safe, healthy and happy holiday season!

Until next year,

Heal yourself
Heal the planet

Sources:
Alive Academy, Applied Nutrition

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

About Tony Judt Auditorium

We wish to create a place where local grass-roots activism meets international agenda of building a new truly democratic society. In order to plant seeds of a better world we need to advance our knowledge and understanding of History and the human cultural heritage. However, understanding our history, in particularly the recent political events that led to the present disaster, is not enough. Many believe that since the voting process has gone completely foul and the working class is disappearing in America, there is an urgent need for local organizing. So this is it!
There an equally urgent need to revive the comatose Left, while also distancing oneself form all its spectacular failures and illusions. Brilliant historian and social commentator, Tony Judt, who passed away this August, left behind a plea that there was an alternative to two conceivable ways the history can develop: either capitalism or Bolshevism. He, and others, believe there is another way out. Let us find it!
It is also imperative that we have fun in the process. Music concerts, comedy, and history and political lectures and seminars are going to be schedules regularly beginning in the New Year.
PLEASE, GET INVOLVED, help us create the momentum, we are running out of time!

The Auditorium is located at 333 Danforth Ave. in Toronto

http://www.meetup.com/Tony-Judt-Auditorium/about/