Health Expert Ivy Markaity shares health management news and commentary at HealthCentral.com. HealthCentral.com is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/223360/index http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/223360/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/223360/index http://www.healthcentral.com/diet-exercise/c/223360/139321/arthritis Thu, 02 Jun 2011 16:53:00 -0400 Ivy Markaity According to treatment guidelines published by the American College of Rheumatology, physical activity is a key component to the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Regular exercise is recommended for people with arthritis, as it increases muscle strength, physical energy and endurance. Being sedentary can increase pain and lead to greater disability. The psychological benefits of regular exercise are stress... http://www.healthcentral.com/diet-exercise/c/223360/139321/arthritis http://www.healthcentral.com/diet-exercise/c/223360/138102/strength Tue, 10 May 2011 17:48:00 -0400 Ivy Markaity Yoga can help protect and strengthen your knees when practiced properly and with precise alignment. Yoga strengthens the thigh muscles, which in turn helps protect and stabilize the knees. If practiced with proper alignment it will help make the knees less susceptible to injury.   When practiced without proper alignment, instruction and mindfulness, yoga can actually injure the knees as well as aggravate existing injuries. Many students... http://www.healthcentral.com/diet-exercise/c/223360/138102/strength http://www.healthcentral.com/diet-exercise/c/223360/135985/mojo-back Tue, 05 Apr 2011 17:16:00 -0400 Ivy Markaity Mojo is defined in the urban dictionary as self-confidence, ability to bounce back from a challenging period, sex appeal, charm, talent, and personal magnetism.   One may feel as if they've lost their "Mojo" when they are blue, under the weather, recovering from a loss, feeling insecure, tired, unmotivated, depressed, suffering from low sex drive, or stressed out. These shifts in your personal energy are natural especially when going... http://www.healthcentral.com/diet-exercise/c/223360/135985/mojo-back http://www.healthcentral.com/diet-exercise/c/223360/134686/practicing Wed, 23 Mar 2011 22:29:00 -0400 Ivy Markaity I am so grateful to have been and continue to be inspired by all the wonderful teachers, practitioners and students who practice yoga at all ages!   One of the first people to introduce me to the art of yoga was an 80 year-old man named Kinkar. I was a teenager at the time. He was a practicing yogi who had traveled to India several times and was able to hold a headstand for what seemed to me an eternity. He had such a peaceful, relaxed,... http://www.healthcentral.com/diet-exercise/c/223360/134686/practicing http://www.healthcentral.com/diet-exercise/c/223360/134683/yoga-image Wed, 23 Mar 2011 15:42:00 -0400 Ivy Markaity What is Body Image? The textbook definition is: the inner perception of physical appearance, or size and shape. When you have developed a healthy body image you feel good about yourself no matter how you look. Our body image influences our mental health. When we feel bad about our bodies our self-esteem plummets as well as our moods affecting every part of our lives from intimacy and relationships to careers. A healthy body image on the other... http://www.healthcentral.com/diet-exercise/c/223360/134683/yoga-image http://www.healthcentral.com/diet-exercise/c/223360/133127/affects Wed, 02 Mar 2011 12:33:00 -0500 Ivy Markaity Over the last ten years I have taught yoga in many different countries around the world. A few years ago I spent several months teaching at a healing and detox center in Thailand where many people were trying to lose weight and would fast anywhere from one week to one month. One of my students fasted for three weeks, spent a lot of money, did not lose a pound, and ended up feeling worse about herself than when she began. She was even accused of... http://www.healthcentral.com/diet-exercise/c/223360/133127/affects http://www.healthcentral.com/diet-exercise/c/223360/130519/debate Mon, 31 Jan 2011 12:17:00 -0500 Ivy Markaity I recently posted on facebook that I was doing a five-day detox using colon cleansing products and juice fasting. I also posted a link to the website of the products I was using. I have always believed in detoxing and periodic colon cleansing. I have had many professional colonics over the years and used colon-cleansing kits twice. I also taught yoga at a detox retreat center in Thailand where I fasted and self-administered colonics for a week,... http://www.healthcentral.com/diet-exercise/c/223360/130519/debate http://www.healthcentral.com/diet-exercise/c/223360/127731/yoga-twist Thu, 30 Dec 2010 10:38:00 -0500 Ivy Markaity Recover from the holiday season by putting yoga on your New Years resolution list! Yoga is a great way to improve digestion and detoxify the body! It's also a great way to lose and maintain weight.   If you are like most of us you may have overdone it a "tad" over the holiday season. Hopefully, you enjoyed all that the holiday season had to offer and had your fill of delicious food, ample libations, decadent treats and wonderful memories.... http://www.healthcentral.com/diet-exercise/c/223360/127731/yoga-twist http://www.healthcentral.com/diet-exercise/c/223360/124821/sciatica Wed, 29 Dec 2010 14:02:00 -0500 Ivy Markaity Sciatica is pain that radiates along the path of the sciatic nerve and it's branches. Your sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in your body. It runs from your spinal cord to your buttock and hip area and down the back of each leg. Sciatica is a symptom not a disorder. The pain associated with sciatica signals another problem involving the nerve, the most common being a herniated disc. Another common cause of sciatica is called periformis... http://www.healthcentral.com/diet-exercise/c/223360/124821/sciatica http://www.healthcentral.com/diet-exercise/c/223360/127081/mindful Mon, 20 Dec 2010 23:01:00 -0500 Ivy Markaity Yoga may not be the first thing on your mind while nibbling yummy canapés and enjoying festive holiday cocktails however, it might serve you to invite a bit of yogic wisdom along for the fun. The holidays are a time to enjoy, not a time to count calories but by incorporating mindful eating we may be able to appreciate the festivities even more this year! In yoga philosophy we try to slow everything down. We connect our minds with our... http://www.healthcentral.com/diet-exercise/c/223360/127081/mindful