You can't turn on the TV, drive down the road or go to a party without being confronted with America's hottest obsession: weight. Diets are a billion-dollar industry; companies spend millions and millions luring you to try the latest diet (low carb, high protein, low fat, no fat, you name it) with promises that this will (finally!) be the solution-your shortcut to a thinner body. Advertising efforts also deeply affect our children, who develop distorted body images and are often on diets as early as 9 or 10 years of age.

Our culture touts diet pills, celebrity workouts, convenience foods, and trendy diets to help us achieve our desired weight, but these quick fix solutions have backfired. America's populace has reached its highest weight in history. About half of Americans are overweight; one third are obese. Diets steer us away from our common sense and dip deeply into our pocketbooks while eliciting few, if any, lasting results.

Diets don't work because each person is unique, with different needs based on gender, age, ancestry and lifestyle; how could one diet be right for everyone? Diets don't work because they are extreme solutions. As in physics, if a pendulum swings to one extreme, it has to swing equally to the other. A diet might work for a short amount of time, but research shows that almost all diets result in a 10-pound gain once off the diet. Diets don't work because they are too restrictive. People who fail on diet plans are not flawed and weak. Diets by nature require discipline and restriction at levels that are unsustainable by a healthy human body.

Balance and a sustainable weight are your birthright. Given half a chance, your body will balance out by itself, but this is only possible by getting out of the diet mentality and listening to what you truly need. Imagine taking all of the outward energy you expend on diets, fads and gimmicks and turning it inward, so that you can listen to your heart and inner wisdom. There is no such thing as a quick fix; you already have everything you need within you. With careful thought and loving reflection, you can feed yourself wisely and purposefully and be completely nourished. Working with your body rather than against it will bring about increased energy, stabilized weight and sustainable health.

Most people are disconnected from why they gain weight, and see diet as the only culprit. For example, ignoring or discounting emotions is often the first thing to cause weight imbalances. In our fast paced world, we have lost sight of many aspects of life that truly nourish and balance our bodies, such as slowing down, eating a home-cooked meal, and spending quality time with loving people. Eating consciously and making simple lifestyle changes will create positive results and release you from the endless cycle of dieting.

Interested in getting support around your weight loss goals? Contact Pascale, board certified Holistic Health Counselor, at pascale@feedyoursoul.com.

In the spring and early summer, seeds flaunt their vitality and energy by sprouting. Sprouts of all varieties contain the building blocks of life in the form of vitamins, enzymes, amino acids and simple sugars. In their early growth state, sprouts are very easy to digest, allowing our bodies to access many wonderful nutrients. Recent research by the American Cancer Society has backed what holistic nutrition has known for years: that sprouts contain anti-cancer properties, high levels of active antioxidants, concentrated amounts of phytochemicals and significant amounts of vitamins A, C and D.

In their raw form, sprouts have a cooling effect on the body, and therefore are best consumed in warm weather or by robust, warm body types. Those who tend to feel cool can try steaming spouts or adding them to warm dishes such as stir-fries and soups, to reduce the cooling effect. There is a wide variety of edible and delicious sprouts, each with a different texture and flavor: alfalfa, mung bean, lentil, radish, clover, sunflower, broccoli, garbanzo and adzuki.

Here are some great ways to serve up sprouts:
· add to salads
· combine with other vegetables in wraps, roll-ups or stir-fries
· use as garnish on top of soups, stews, omelets or scrambled eggs
· add to rice or whole grain dishes
· use in sandwiches instead of lettuce.

This has always been a tricky subject. Yoga is not a weight loss technique per se. It is a tool to bring us into greater awareness of who we are in all dimensions - physical, emotional, spiritual, etc...

That said, the practice of both the physical aspects of yoga (asana) and the awareness practices can have incredibly powerful effects on the state of our physical health and the degree to which we can embrace our physical form. So, it's much more than sculpting that perfect yoga butt. It's about overlaying PEACE onto the feelings about your own body, and the steps you take to create a body that serves you and your life. Yes, do what you need to do. Yes, do it with love.

With the lengthening days, Mother Nature has given us more opportunities to move our bodies. Why not experiment with multiple options? Perhaps a walk in the morning, a yoga practice in the afternoon, and a meditation in the evening, will provide the means by which you can create lasting change in your own health.

In terms of the details of your asana practice, just follow the Earth's example. Bring on the sun! Now is the time to explore all the solar practices, based on Surya Namaskar, including Flow, Vinyasa and Astanga. At CenterSpace, we've got classes every day of the week to get your body moving, warm and glowing!

We have a few good Work-Study positions available during the week and on the weekends. What is work- study? We offer a variety of options including administrative, maintenance and inventory, in exchange for free yoga classes. Interested? Please contact Pascale at work@centerspacestudios.com.