Hallie Miller, WUSA 2:17 PM. EDT June 06, 2017

Free range chickens (Photo: Jupiterimages, Getty Images)

More aisles, more choices and more unfamiliar terminology: grocery stores housing organic foods may appear more foreign and confusing than ever before.

Eliminate the stress and confusion that accompanies the weekly voyage with this simple guide to all things organic!

The pros and cons

The term 'organic' generally refers to the way farmers grow, produce and process food. Typically lower in artificial chemicals, fertilizers, hormones and bioengineered genes (GMOs), organic crops tend to cost more. The same goes for conventional meat, poultry, dairy and eggs: while the animals tend to enjoy more access to the outdoors, healthier feed and little-to-no hormone or antibiotic treatment, the products tend to sell for higher than their non-organic counterparts.

Evidence also exists that indicates organic foods may taste fresher than non-organic since they do not contain the same preservatives designed to make them last longer. Yet, by the same logic, organic products may spoil quicker.

A 'good egg?'

From 'cage free' to 'all natural,' the typical egg aisle boasts a breadth of options. However, these jargon-laden termsoften misrepresent true hen-raising practices. Cartons with the 'Certified Humane' seal tend to abide by the highest egg-production standards.

Self-sustaining practices

Since organic farms cannot use standard fertilizers, pesticides, antibiotics or genetic modifications, instead they rely on plant-based soil enhancers, frequent field rotation, insect traps, natural pesticides and healthier living conditions for animals. The added labor and resources help to explain why organic products prove more expensive.

Beware of the "halo effect"

Organic foods do not necessarily improve health or contribute to a diet. Organic products (or those made with organic ingredients) may still contain high counts in calories, sugars, carbohydrates and unhealthy fats. Likewise, food labeled as 'all-natural' or 'farm fresh' may not derive from organic farms or originate via humane practices.

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The essentials of organic food shopping - W*USA 9

I first triedmeditationin my office about three years ago, when a group of colleagues met in a conference room for a quick guided session.

I remember that firstsimple meditationso well:After about 10 minutes of sitting with my eyes closed, in a circle of plastic chairs, I felt like Id been in a spa for hours. My mind was quiet and my body moved slowly. I walked back to my desk bleary-eyed and relaxed, like I had just consumed a glass of wine.

What was this, magic? I was hooked.

Meditation, in its simplest form, is the practice ofobserving your breath. It canreshape behavior, change brain compositionand permanently boost your ability to regulate emotions. Studies have also shown meditationreduces inflammation in the brain, thus lowering your risk for cancer and other diseases. Additionally, itsets you up to feel awe, relieves pain and protects the brain from aging. Meditation can help withanxiety, depression, insomnia and fatigue.Its no wonder the humble practice has grown into a billion-dollar industry.

Despite the benefits, I hadnt continued to meditate on my own outside of those office sessions. So I decided to try it out for a month. I set a modest goal to meditate for five minutes, three times per day.

I failed miserably. On average, Id say I meditated for five minutes only once per day. But I still noticed results. Theyre by no means scientific and just my personal experience. However, if I feel that Ive changed this much from a relatively small dose of meditation, then just imagine what a consistent practicecould accomplish.

Heres how my month of meditation made a mark on my life:

Since starting my meditation experiment, it feels like my brain works more slowly and rationally. This becomes most apparent when Im speaking. You know how podcast hosts soothingly enunciate every word and outline their thoughts deliberately? Thats how I talk now.

It also helped me stay more aware in the moment. I used to struggle with staying focused in conversations. While my mouth moved, my brain would wander to my to-do list or fall into cyclical thoughts about upcoming plans. Since learning to live in the present with meditation, those issues dont crop up as often.

Experts say meditation canhelp you become more self-aware of your thoughts as they come, which Ive found to be true. I feel like I inherently know whats important to me and what I should focus on in a given moment or conversation. And Im better at letting those other random thoughts go.

Suzy Strutner

Situations that used to make my face burn with anxiety (traffic jams, tightly-packed elevators and time crunches, just to name a few) dont fluster me as much since I started meditating. Without even needing to remind myself, I feel my attention drift toward my breath and it becomes an anchor that keeps me calm until the frustrating event ends.

Yes, Im aware this sounds like mindfulness mumbo-jumbo, and I wouldnt have believed it could happen a mere month ago. But it has. And its backed by science: Research hascontinually shownthat mindfulness can ease stress.

Now that I know meditation improves my mental state, Im hyper-interested in any activity that can spark that feeling. Yogais one of those practices.

I find it easier to stay focused in a yoga class than when Im meditating alone, because its guided and other people are there to keep me on task. Its longer than a typical five-minute meditation session, so my brain feels calmer afterward. I can also write it off as my workout for the day: Research shows it certainly is a healthy form of physical activity. Win, win, win.

Suzy Strutner

Ive learned that taking time to just be is not only permissible, its necessary if I want to feel my best. I dont need to constantly be doing something, going somewhere or achieving some goal in order to feel like Im spending my time wisely.

Sometimes its hard for me to believe that five minutes of forgetting about my to-do list is more productive than five minutes of working on it. But after I take a meditation break, the tasks simply dont feel as urgent or stressful anymore. Ive realized that just being is an okay place to be.

Those five minutes are a small investment that pays off in big ways.

More here:

I Meditated Every Day For A Month And Here's What Happened - HuffPost

In our next installment of the Meditation How-Tos marriage advice series, the Kundalini guide behind Benshen , Desiree Pais, gives you the step-by-step methods you need to practice to stay focused and calm before, during, and after you tie the knot.

A woman is really only as happy as her hormones are balanced. Hormones, the chemical messengers of our bodies, are what keep us looking and feeling beautiful, vibrant, and healthy. They govern everything from how clear our skin is to how toned our body is to how well we sleep at night. Unfortunately, one of the quickest ways to throw our hormones off is stress and, for many, planning a wedding is not exactly a walk in the park.

As I mentioned in our first article of this series, meditation is a simple and powerful way to not only de-stress, but to also bring your body and mind back into balance. Personally, after trying many different flavors of meditation, I have found Kundalini yoga and meditation to be extremely effective. And trust me, the last thing you want to worry about when planning a wedding is hormonal imbalance ( breakouts , bloat, tired eyes) when your main goal is to look and feel your absolute best on one of the most memorable days of your life.

One of my favorite Kundalini yoga meditations is a very easy practice called Kirtan Kriya . Its simple and only takes 11 minutes a day of practice to experience profound results. Dont be fooled by its simplicitythe benefits are numerous and include reducing stress, improving sleep, balancing pituitary and pineal glands (master glands for hormones, meaning it balances your hormones), helping to break addictions and cravings, and, most importantly for long term, it keeps your brain functioning optimally.

See more: How to Stay Present with a Kundalini Guide

This meditation uses a mantra but dont be weirded out! Broken down, "mantra" comes from man, which means "mind," and trang, which means projection. It's just using sound to direct your mind into a positive direction. The mantra used in the meditation, Sa Ta Na Ma, uses the basic primal sounds which act like an atomic bomb in your subconscious mind, breaking up old patterns and creating the space for new positive patterns to develop.

Kirtan Kriya is a gem of a meditation and is a powerful tool to help you feel your absolute best on your wedding day.

How To Do Kirtan Kriya

Find a comfortable seat.

Close your eyes and roll them to the space in between your eyebrows.

The mantra is Sa Ta Na Ma (the A sounds like when you open your mouth and say AH).

On the sound SA: touch your index finger and thumb together.

On the sound TA: touch your middle finger and thumb together.

On the sound NA: touch your ring finger and thumb together.

On the sound MA: touch your pinky finger and thumb together.

Begin in a normal voice for two minutes, then whisper for two minutes, then silently for three minutes. Then come back to a whisper for two minutes, then aloud for two minutes.

To end: inhale deeply, and exhale.

For ease, you can practice this meditation along with this video !

Desiree Pais is a meditation and Kundalini yoga guide, and a natural beauty alchemist. She is currently pursuing a master's degree at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine and studied Daoist Healing with Grandmaster Sung Baek. She teaches Kundalini yoga and meditation classes and workshops around New York City. She aims to make these ancient methods available to anyone who is interested in using this profound practice to create the life they want to experience.

Continued here:

Meditation How-Tos with a Kundalini Guide - Brides.com

Hugh Jackman's secret to his long-lasting relationship with Deborra-Lee Furness is meditation.

The 'Logan' star believes mediating with his wife and their friends helps keep their romance strong.

Asked what makes their relationship work, Hugh said: "Meditation!"

Whilst Deborra-Lee added to People magazine: "We meditate together. And sometimes we have friends over to do it, too. It's a lovely Sunday-morning thing. Everyone comes over, and then we have breakfast."

Meanwhile, the 48-year-old actor previously praised his wife, calling her "the greatest thing" that has ever happened to him.

He said: "It gets better and better, I can honestly say that. She's the greatest thing that ever happened to me. She was the star and I had this major crush on her. Everyone did. The whole crew had a crush on her and I was so embarrassed by that, I didn't talk to her for about a week.

"I had a dinner party and I invited her over and about 20 other people. And she said, 'What's a matter, have I annoyed you? You're not talking to me anymore. What have I done wrong?' and I said - I'd had a couple - and I said 'oh look, I've got a crush on you, I'll get over it.' And she went, 'Oh really,' " and I was like, 'Oh, this is bad.' And she goes, 'Yeah, I got one on you. too.' And I'm like, 'Oh, great!' So that was it.'"

And Hugh previously quipped his slogan in life is "happy wife, happy life".

Asked if he has a slogan he lives by, he said: "Have a go. The other one, the most important one, is drummed into me every day. Happy wife, happy life. That's the slogan. We're about to celebrate our 20th."

Continue reading here:

Hugh Jackman: Meditation is the secret to my successful relationship - Salamanca Press

PEOPLE.com

Kerry Washington's Go-to Pregnancy Workout Was '70s-Style Water Aerobics: 'It's Harder Than You Think' PEOPLE.com Kerry Washington swore by pool workouts when it came to staying in shape throughout her pregnancies. The mom to daughter Isabelle, 3, and son Caleb, 8 months, said on The Ellen DeGeneres Show that she loved doing 70s-style water aerobics with the ... Kerry Washington Did Water Aerobics When She Was Pregnant: It's ...E! Online Kerry Washington Did Prenatal Water Aerobics | Celebrity Baby ScoopCelebrity Baby Scoop Kerry Washington gifts her parents on HER birthday | Daily Mail OnlineDaily Mail all 9 news articles »

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Kerry Washington's Go-to Pregnancy Workout Was '70s-Style Water Aerobics: 'It's Harder Than You Think' - PEOPLE.com

PUBLISHED: 17:55 06 June 2017 | UPDATED: 23:06 06 June 2017

Karen Bethell

Splash fitness instructor Kate Thomas (centre) puts Sidestrand Hall School students Tom, 18, and Tiarney, 17, through their paces. The Sheringham centre, which already runs sessions for young people with complex needs, is launching a new series of exercise classes for adults with autistic spectrum disorders. Photo: Karen Bethell

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With upbeat, low volume music, the stress-free sessions have been designed to take into account the challenges faced by people with autism or Aspergers syndrome.

Stephen Mews, who is general manager at the Weybourne Road centre, said that after the centre ran ASD training courses for gym and poolside staff, he was keen to hold classes for people who might find traditional, fast-paced, high volume sessions difficult.

After speaking to customers, we did feel there was a need in the north Norfolk area, he explained. Regular classes can definitely be off-putting for people with autism and Aspergers, so what we have tried to do is to design classes which are small, where people know what to expect, and which give people more time to follow directions.

Splash already runs regular studio-based sessions for students with complex needs from Sidestrand Hall School and Sheringham Woodfields School, where groups of teenagers and their teachers are put through their paces by trained instructors.

Those taking part in the new classes will be given a welcome pack with photographs and information about the class instructor and details about exercises.

Splash staff have also created traffic light-style flash cards, so that people with more severe communication problems will be able to let the instructor know if they are finding any aspect of the session too stressful or difficult.

A quiet room has also been set aside for those needing a break from sessions.

I think the training really highlighted for us that there are changes we need to make to classes in order for them to be successful for people who need something slightly different, Mr Mews said. We have designed them to be suitable for all abilities and hope that by doing this, we can help more people find a way in to fitness.

Autism-friendly classes for adults aged 18 and over will run weekly on Tuesdays between midday and 1pm from June 13. Fees are free for centre members or 3.50 for non-members. For more information, or to book, phone 01263 825675.

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New autism-friendly aerobics classes launched at Sheringham - Norfolk Eastern Daily Press

I step into cool water from the shallow end, knowing the quicker I submerge, the easier it is to acclimate to this different world.

On this Tuesday morning, 12 of us stride in rows, pushing through the water to warm up. Floating lane dividers are moved aside for our aerobics class. More ambitious non-class exercisers swim in two lanes reserved for them in this 25 - yard indoor pool at the Morganton Aquatics Center.

Sunshine filters through colored glass window panes. It might be enough light, but far overhead, fluorescent tubes brighten the cavernous space. Sound insulation pads hang from the ceiling reminding me of Mardi Gras with their colors of gold, purple and green.

I suspect all of us envy our instructor's physique. She calls out commands that we aspire to obey, but often cannot. Maybe if I were paying more attention instead of enjoying others' company, I'd do better.

A pal, whom I'll call May, stands a few feet away as we grapple with Styrofoam dumbbells in collarbone-deep water. She tells me about a married couple she knows.

"They used to be so affectionate all the time, even in public."

"No, it was annoying as hell."

We push and pull the weights through the water, stirring up the clean, chlorine scent.

May gives me a look and says, "Now, that same couple is in a Mexican stand-off. Maybe headed for a divorce."

Ah, marriage. We joke about young people not understanding how hard it is.

"Don't they know you want to kill each other half the time? Why, that's what marriage IS."

May is trying to make me feel better because I've told her that loved ones close to me have signed for a legal separation.

The instructor calls out, "Tighten that tummy! Don't arch your back!"

May says, "Another couple I know was so miserable they decided to separate, then wound up violating the separation one night, if you know what I mean."

Pumping my legs in a slow-motion jog, I ask, "Then what?"

May shrugged. "They got back together. Made it work. The child is over 20 years old now."

We both know how unusual such a situation is and are silent for a reverent moment.

Another conversation on the other side of the pool catches my ear, difficult in the echoing space filled with splashes and the instructor's oldies music.

"Did you hear about Mimosa Hills Country Club closing their pool?" one of our classmates asks.

Someone answers, "Yes, they found out it would cost a quarter million dollars to repair it." And with the noise, I can't hear anything else. Was the pool a victim of sudden crisis? Or simply neglected over time so that little by little it came apart?

Sometimes things can't be repaired no matter how hard you try.

I tell May about my loved ones seeing three marriage counselors. She shakes her head.

"Sometimes it's just not meant to be."

Our instructor says, "Listen y'all, I'm sorry about the Mimosa pool situation, but the city of Morganton's outdoor pool is a great resource. We're taking the cover off soon. That's a massive undertaking, by the way, and that pool doesn't get used as much as it could be. When the day cares leave at 3:30, it's deserted."

She brings me back to present hopefulness, back to the possibilities that remain.

Gwen Veazey is a member of the Morganton Writers' Group.

What: The Collett Street Outdoor Pool summer swimming

When: Summer hours start on Friday June 9. The hours will be Monday through Friday from 1-5 p.m. and 7:30-9 p.m., Saturday from 1-7 p.m. and Sunday from 1-5 p.m.

Where: The pool is located at 401 N. King St. in Morganton

Daily Cost for city residents

Summer Season Pass for city residents

More here:

Another day at water aerobics - Burke County Notebook - Morganton News Herald

LISA GUTIERREZ

Last updated10:54, June 6 2017

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Some bloggers claim heavy periods are a sign of toxins in the body - and a vegan diet can help you get rid of them.

Freelee the Banana Girl seemed so excited to tell her YouTube following how she lost her monthly period.

It happened "when I first came to a 100 per cent raw vegan diet," the popular Australian health blogger said in a 2013 video called "How I lost my period on a RAW VEGAN diet".

"And as soon as I came into the lifestyle, like, within the first month, I lost my period. It was gone.

"And I was like, 'Yes, get out of here. I don't want to see you ever again. Don't come back now, you hear?'"

READ MORE: *An early first period poses health risks for women - study *Vegan diet may let you lose a few kilos *I spent $909 on a juice diet and survived

She was happy to be rid of all the nastiness that make many women hate their periods - the heavy blood flow, the cramps, the depression.

"At the end of the day if you're having a heavy period, then get on a 100 per cent high carb raw vegan diet as soon as you can," she said in the video.

FREELEETHEBANANAGIRL / INSTAGRAM

Australian blogger Freelee the Banana Girl claimed in 2013 that she lost her monthly period by following a 100 per cent raw vegan diet.

But some physicians are not happy that vegan and raw food bloggers such as Banana Girl are telling their online followers that extremely tweaking their diets will release them from the "curse" of painful periods.

Some bloggers claim that heavy periods are a sign of toxins in the body.

"A non-menstruating body indicates the body is clean," raw vegan blogger Miliany Bonet recently told Broadly, Vice's women's interest channel.

"If a woman or young girl decided she wanted to stop menstruating or lighten up her heavy periods, then I would recommend a raw foods diet to help them with that.

"The industry has done a great job of brainwashing too many women into thinking that if they do not get their periods on a monthly basis, that something is wrong with their body and hormones."

Bonet, who is 19, runs the Raw Vegan Living blog.

There is no scientific basis to the idea that a period indicates the body is shedding toxins, Lauren Streicher, associate clinical professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, told Shape magazine.

"A menstrual cycle is natural - the purpose of it is to achieve a pregnancy. That's it. Period," Streicher said.

Dreamstime

Physicians beg to differ with vegan bloggers who are telling women how to halt their periods with extreme dietary changes.

Obstetrician-gynaecologist Jen Gunter, author of The Preemie Primer,also pushed back against the notion that periods are toxic.

"This is a very dangerous idea and displays a complete lack of understanding of female biology and the human body in general," Gunter told The Daily Mail.

"Periods are not bad or filled with toxins. This trend is alarming because it comes from someone who clearly has no understanding of periods or even biology in general and is just another form of body shaming.

"Dieting to get rid of your period is unhealthy and anyone promoting this should be ashamed of themselves and take a first year biology course."

Followers of these bloggers challenging conventional thinking about menses are receptive to the idea of ditching their periods.

Several commenters, for instance, on a 2015 YouTube video called "I lost my period on a vegan diet", wrote how they, too, hadn't had a period - or had lighter periods - after switching to a vegan lifestyle.

"After eating a well-balanced vegan-diet for one year, I have not had my period for a year," wrote one woman.

For many women, however, not having a period is a medical problem, Jacques Moritz, an obstetrician-gynaecologist at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, told Self magazine.

He said many of his patients see him because they're not having periods on a regular basis. "Aiming for no periods makes no sense," Mortiz told Self.

Missing a period can put a woman at risk for bone loss and other problems, including an abnormal buildup in the lining of the uterus that "can become cancerous down the road," Streicher told Shape. "There's nothing good about not getting your period."

-The Kansas City Star

Originally posted here:

Doctors warn against vegan bloggers who say their diets can stop menstrual 'toxins' - Stuff.co.nz

Monday, June 5, 2017 at 4 a.m.

The Ballpark Vegan stand at Globe Life Park proved so popular last year that it came back with even more dishes. PETA recently named Globe Life Park the most vegan-friendly ballpark in the U.S.

Leah Pickett

In what likely came as a surprise to meat-loving Texans, PETA recently named Globe Life Park in Arlington the most vegan-friendly Major League Baseball stadium in the country.

It earned that designation thanks to the Ballpark Vegan cart in Section 16, which serves a surprisingly large array of plant-based ballpark eats like black bean tamales,Mediterranean nachos (i.e. a heap ofStacy's Pita Chipstopped with olives), a vegan Southwest burger and meatless hot dog.

The hot dog has proven most popular, saysCasey Rapp, general manager ofDelaware North Sportservice, which oversees food, beverage and retail services at the ballpark. The burger and vegan nachos have also been popular among meat-free baseball fans.

The cart was launched, Rapp says, because guest Twalla Grant reached out to request more vegan options at the ballpark.

She helped us pick out some of the items and suggested what might go well together, Rapp says. And sure enough, last year, when we created it, it did well enough to keep.

Grant, who runs vegan Rangers fan pages on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, said her correspondence with Rapp began three years ago, when she discovered that the one vegan hot dog at the stadium already difficult to find in the Center Field Market came in a nonvegan bun.

We stayed in contact through email, and they started going to Whole Foods to get vegan buns, Grant says.

She also assured Rapp and his concessions team, none of whom is vegan, that if they built a space for the vegan community at the ballpark, the vegans would come.

I told them even people that arent baseball fans will come support it, Grant says. Thats how cool we are. We support vegan places. Judging by the #ballparkvegan hashtag on social media, indeed they do.

But how good is the food? Is it tasty and substantial enough for nonvegans to enjoy? Here's our take.

The bun is the highlight of Ballpark Vegan's Southwest burger ($10).

Leah Pickett

The Southwest Burger,$10 A Lightlife veggie patty, wedged between an Rudis bun, is dressed with onions, lettuce and tomato and served with Stacys pita chips. The bun is the highlight of this otherwise average burger because its both fluffy and sturdy enough to contain its fillings, even when the well-cooked patty inevitably crumbles.

The "chili" makes these vegan nachos well worth the splurge.

Leah Pickett

The Vegan Ballpark Nachos,$10 Tostitos tortilla chips are loaded with house-made vegan chili (a stewed mix of Beyond Beef Feisty crumbles with pinto, kidney, black and garbanzo beans and spices), Teese cheese and jalapeos. Unremarkable chips aside, the spicy, hearty and bean-diverse chili makes these nachos divine. The cheese, meanwhile, is an impressively smooth and creamy facsimile of the real thing.

The ballpark's most popular vegan item is the meatless hot dog.

Leah Pickett

The Vegan Hot Dog,$7.50 A Lightlife Smart Dog on an Rudis bun served with Stacys pita chips. Pro tip: Ask for onions, Teese cheese and chili on top. Actually, ask for chili on everything. My carnivorous dining companion, who tried the vegan dog and a standard hot dog, said he actually preferred the meat-free version.The dog itself is a plump and juicy delight, but the chili, once again, is the crowning glory. You can order it separately for $7, but we suggest slathering it on the dog for the ultimate experience.

Originally posted here:

We Tried the Vegan Food at Globe Life Park, PETA's 'Most Vegan-Friendly Ballpark' in the U.S. - Dallas Observer

How To Make Vegan Mac And CheeseNo Fake Cheese Required Women's Health While seemingly restrictive, a vegan diet is actually pretty straightforward: lots of fruits, veggies, grains, and legumes. And that can lend to a lot of deliciousness...until you're really, really craving a bowl of mac and cheese. "Vegan cheese can ...

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How To Make Vegan Mac And CheeseNo Fake Cheese Required - Women's Health