Fermented Foods: Why They’re Amazing For Your Health

This article is taken from Blisstree, and can be found here.

If you’re at all interested in health or nutrition, you’ve probably heard people raving about the benefits of fermented foods. Though I’m a fan of ferments (things like yogurt, kimchi, kombucha, pickles and miso), I’ve never felt like I had a good, thorough understanding why fermented foods are so good for you. Sure, they contain probiotics, which are good for the immune system—but what...

Martha Whitney returns to VTCIT for a Restorative Yoga and Reiki Workshop: Relax and Ease Into a Deeper Place of Renewal. Lead with Mary Beth Cacciola, you're invited to experience the healing practices of these two modalities. Martha will guide a Restorative Yoga practice that uses supportive props to allow you to gently sustain poses, encouraging a healing state of relaxation, meditative calm and renewed energy. Mary Beth will offer Reiki for those who would like to receive this subtle and effective form of energy healing that balances and enhances the body’s natural energy level. When...

The Sensitive Gal's Almanac: A Manual for the Overeater, Over thinker and Overwhelmed is a newly released e-book by food coach Kate Stefans. The book discusses: 

What it means to be a Highly Sensitive Person and why it's perfectly normal that you are reaching for food

Insight into waking and sleeping routines which keeps morning anxiety and sleepless nights at bay

The best way to fight cravings and heal depression (hint: it's not what you think)

How to ground yourself through guided meditations and breathing exercises

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Margaret Russell and Deb Sherrer are leading a Yoga & Mindfulness for Infertility workshop on Saturday May 4, from 9:00am - 12:00pm at the Vermont Center for Integrative Therapy. The workshop is a great introduction to their Yoga & Mindfulness for Infertility Series, which starts May 23.  Yoga can be a wonderful tool for stress relief during the process of infertility. Using restorative poses, the yoga practice gently allows the mind and body to open up and receive support. Catherine St. Louis writes about yoga's therapeutic...

This New York Times article highlights the fact that eating disorders don't just strike during adolescence. It's a disorder that can affect any age group at any time. Many treatment centers are starting ED programs geared towards the middle-aged. See the full article here: http://www.nytimes.com/ref/health/healthguide/esn-eating-disorders-ess.html

The benefits of yoga are being recognized in schools and mental health facilities across the U.S.A. Here at VTCIT, we are holding our second Yoga for Anxiety and Addiction series. This series explores the union of body, mind and breath to ultimately bring ease to one's self. Our series starts Weds, April 10 - May 29 from 5:15 - 6:45pm. To register for this series, please visit our Calendar & Events page.

This Yoga Journal article by Dr. Timothy McCall discusses yoga's effect on anxiety and panic attacks. http://www.yogajournal.com/for_teachers/2390

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Chronic stress can cause a fight-flight-freeze response. The effects of fright/fight/freeze can take a long time to wear off.

Muscles that have tensed are left shortened and do not automatically go back to their former length. On the contrary, spinal reflexes make them contract if they begin to lengthen. After the danger has passed and the brain lets the muscles relax a little, the spinal cord immediately tells them to tense up again. The sympathetic nervous system triggers most of these responses by releasing a major chemical messenger called noradrenaline at nerve endings. It also...

Eating Disorder Awareness Week, February 24 – March 2   You’ve probably heard the expression, “It takes a village,” right? As Eating Disorder Awareness Week approaches, we should consider that our whole village needs to support and care for those who are suffering with eating disorders.   Eating Disorders affect roughly 7 million Americans. That’s more people than suffer from Alzheimers Disease, for example. And yet, there is very little talk about these devastating illnesses, because they so often happen in private and are hidden from loved ones.   More and more, the ‘village’ of...