Started in 2000 by Los Angeles-based trainer Cameron Shayne, the word Budokon is Japanese for “Way of the Spiritual Warrior” and Shayne is its embodiment. Budokon isn’t just a hyped-about new workout that has celebrities praising his name, but is more about accuracy and procedure while being true to the mind and spirit and tending to the body’s health requirements.

Shayne states that Budokon is really a “living art.”  He goes on to say that it includes the complete being, “It is your waking and your sleeping, your walking and your sitting, your living and your dying.” Shayne promises that there are no gimmicks with Budokon, there exists only something he calls “The Way.” Despite the fact that “The Way” sounds like an association to a religion or another structured principle, Shayne highlights that it is just a zen way of getting close to your life and is not meant to be taken as enlightenment.

There is a unique philosophy attached to practicing Budokon as a means of connecting spirituality to the physical and mental levels of the art, but it mostly centers on the individual and letting go of attachments and being true to oneself.

There’s three steps to Budokon. Number one, study the practices and do them regularly, keeping a fluid motion within your body and an open communication with your mind.

Second, learn the ten cultivations of Budokon and study the food recommendations in order to attain the highest level of success and to completely bring balance to your health. The cultivations are basic and consist of going from simple and direct to the more complex. Food guidelines are also straightforward and simple to follow by advising against eating or drinking much before practice and sticking with light foods, maintaining a diet of leafy vegetables during the day, eating meat sparingly, staying away from dense foods, and trying to consume only natural sweeteners like honey, agave and stevia.

The third and last step to acquiring full Budokon is to keep a flow going from the relaxing yoga poses to fast moving cardio kicks to the sitting meditation as the final section of a class. Of course, the steps are aquired over time and inexperienced persons aren’t obliged to be graceful immediately.

Try out a class or two and challenge your body to work outside of its comfort zone. Budokon may end up being another fad exercise trend that celebrities will wear out soon, but it is very much gaining strength for now. As long as it makes you feel good, makes your body attain a higher level of fitness, and brings you in closer connection to your spirit, more power to founder Cameron Shayne and the refreshing style called Budokon.

Budokon: Flow & Flexibility Yoga
Budokon: Power & Agility Yoga
Budokon: Strength & Balance Yoga

Filed under: Aerobic, Anti Aging, Budokon, Organic, Relaxation, Yoga, vegetarian by Healthman
No Comments »

One of the questions that comes up consistently from athletes and very active people is what is best for refueling following a workout.

There are two keys to successful refueling. The first one is timing and the second is what you consume.

As far as timing is concerned, within 30 minutes of your workout, you should be consuming a recovery drink. Within 2 hours of your workout, you will want to consume a well-balanced meal and/or drink.

The ratio of carbohydrates, proteins, fats and electrolytes are crucial to optimizing your body’s need for these ingredients as well as its ability to absorb and utilize them. What do you drink within 30 minutes of completing your workout? A drink consisting of a carbs to protein ratio of 4:1, added electrolytes including potassium, sodium, magnesium and calcium and low in fat. You can get a commercial preparation or you can make your own. Endurox is an example of a commercial preparation.

An example of a post recovery drink is:
Perfect Empowered Drinking Water (oxygen and electrolytes are included)
Primorye (adaptogens are great for muscle recovery)
Organic orange juice
Organic Lemonade
A pinch of organic sea salt
A bit of protein powder

if you don’t use Perfect Empowered Drinking Water, then I would suggest water and an electrolyte powder instead. Some examples are Ultima, Refresh and Elete.

A great resource we recommend is the book Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life by triathlete Brendan Brazier.

As far as your post-workout meal, it should include carbs, more protein, healthy fats (especially Omega-3s) and fiber. The reason we mention drink as an option is that a smoothie is a good post workout drink. Include a healthy protein powder like Vega, organic bananas, organic berries, Primorye, Lifeshots, organic flax oil, organic non-fat yogurt and organic orange juice (or other juice of your choice). You can play around with this recipe according to your taste preferences.

Also, make sure you continually drink plenty of water and include electrolytes during the day as well. Perfect Empowered Drinking Water is great because the electrolytes are already included in the water itself, not to mention added oxygen. Make sure you stay well hydrated and don’t overtrain.

Filed under: Drinking Water, Drinks, Exercise, Food, Nutrition Supplements, Organic, Recovery, Sports Drinks by Healthman
No Comments »

Ingredients:
1 organic orange
½ cup of non-fat organic milk
2 tbsp poppy seeds
1 organic egg
¼ cup organic canola oil
1 ½ cups plain organic flour
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 tsp organic baking powder
1 tsp organic baking soda
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a small bowl, soak 2 tbsp poppy seeds in ½ cup of organic milk and let it stand for about 20 minutes.

Cut the organic orange into 8 pieces and remove any seeds. Place the whole organic orange (including skin), the organic milk with poppy seeds, the organic egg and organic canola oil in a blender and blend until smooth.

In a large bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and add the wet mix to the dry and stir carefully until just mixed.

Fill mixture into muffin tins and bake for about 15 – 20 minutes. Check regularly to ensure you don’t burn them.

Enjoy for breakfast or with a nice cup of organic coffee or tea in the afternoon.

Filed under: Dessert, Food, Organic, Recipes, vegetarian by Healthman
No Comments »

Ingredients:
6 oz red lentils
12 fl oz water
4 oz organic white cheddar cheese, grated
1 organic onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh organic parsley, chopped
½ tsp organic cayenne pepper
Dash of organic lemon juice
1 large organic egg
3 tbsp organic cream
Sea salt and organic black pepper
1 tsp organic butter

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 1 lb loaf tin with 1 tsp of organic butter.

In a large covered pot, cook the lentils in boiling water for about 10 – 15 minutes. Check the water level so the lentils don’t burn! If necessary, add a bit of boiling water. The mixture should resemble a heavy puree when it is done. Take the pot off the heat and stir in the organic cheese, organic onion, organic parsley, organic cayenne pepper and organic lemon juice. Add sea salt and organic pepper to taste.

In a small bowl, beat a large organic egg and mix in the organic cream. Pour the mixture over the lentil puree. Press the lentil puree into the prepared loaf tin and put it in the oven for about 45 – 50 minutes. The top of the lentil loaf should be golden brown. Let the lentil loaf cool down a bit before taking it out of the loaf tin.

Enjoy this healthy vegetarian meal with a nice tossed salad!

Filed under: Food, Main Dish, Organic, Recipes, vegetarian by Healthman
No Comments »

As you may or may not be aware, the agri-food business works against small-scale local food producers and marketers, especially organic producers, giving them less than 20 cents of every retail food dollar. In these uncertain economic times, the odds are further stacked against them as retailers shift to cheaper products from Central America, South America and Asia.

Because of their superior nutritional content, we suggest you buy organic produce whenever possible. The other main factor in retaining as much of the naturally occurring nutrients in fruits and vegetables is the time between harvest and consumption. So, the shorter the time between the picking of fruits and vegetables and you eatng them, the better they will be for you.

For this reason, it is a great idea to buy local organic produce whenever possible. Many services that deliver organics right to your door, do attempt to support local producers as much as possible. For more information, contact your local organic delivery service or look for farmer’s markets in your area.

Filed under: Food, Organic by Healthman
No Comments »