Avaricious

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Buenos Aires: the Gold Standard of Argentinian Food Learn How Yoga Saved a Life: The Incredible Story of Marsha Mann Zumba: Inside the Fast Traveling Workout Fad.

Art by capl@washjeff.edu, Karissa Libson, and Poolie

Table of Contents Letter From the Editor

4

Bios

5

Shopping for pop? Time to Stop.

10

Buenos Aires Cafe: The Gold Standard of Argentine Cuisine.

8

Bright and Early

12

Marsha Mann: How Yoga Saved Her Life

14

Penalties of Processed

20

The Zumba Movement

22

Dedication Page

26

Cover Art by Karissa Libson

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This could be you.

So what are you

waiting for?

Letter from the Editor

Art by Karissa Libson

If you live in Austin, you’ve got it good.

Austin has so much to offer its residents, such as the famed Town Lake, miles of hike and bike trails, a jogger and biker friendly downtown, plenty of spas and yoga workshops, and countless organic locally owned restaurants. At Avaricious, our mission is to let you know about new A local kayaks on Town Lake places in Austin, and update you on the latest in health. We created this magazine to enrich your daily life so that you can be Avaricious.

Enjoy,

Your Avaricious Godesses

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Meet the

AVARICIOUS Girls

Art by Melissa Porter

Written by Melissa Porter

Melissa Porter

Karissa Libson

Melissa loves the outdoors. Ever since she was little, she would go outside in her free time to the woods behind her house and build forts out of what she found. As she grew older, that love turned into anything and everything outdoors, including swimming, hiking, biking, kayaking/canoeing, fishing, camping, and more. Her dad knew she loved these things so much he took her to the Grand Canyon with two of her best friends where they backpacked down into the canyon and spent a couple of days exploring and sleeping under the stars. Speaking of traveling, she loves it and wants to see the world when she gets older. But for now, she’s content with her first international trip to the Bahamas via cruise ship. She contributes her experience and connections to the world of healthy living to the magazine.

I don’t just say this about everyone, but if Karissa was made into a movie, she would be better than the Lord of the Rings, which (obviously) is saying something. Her dog, Tex, adores her and always has to ride in the car to pick Karissa up from school. One of her favorite things to do on a weekend is go to the farmers market, as it has so many “unusual and unique” items just waiting to be found. She enjoys little cafe restaurants and goes to a couple on a regular basis. She even knows the owners of them. Always the sporty girl, she likes tennis and horseback riding. To add to all this awesomeness seems almost impossible, but it keeps coming, like the fact that she enjoys being outdoors and goes camping every summer. She brings her specialty and expertise of healthy foods to the table of this magazine.

Nikki Krebbs

This girl scout cannot stop the love.

Between caring for animals and volunteering, it’s a wonder how she has time for so many friends. But she does, and she’s one of the most funny and nice people I know. Her favorite thing to volunteer for is little kids, and currently helps out at a vacation bible school. Her favorite season is summer, and no wonder because every summer she goes down to the beach with her family. She likes to walk barefoot in the sun and pick out the biggest seashells she can find, and afterwards she likes taking a dip in the cool ocean water and boogie boarding on the small waves that are close to shore. She has a keen interest in herbal medicine and eastern practice. She makes a great addition to the Avaricious team with her knowledge of yoga and other practices.

Sh�p��n�

T��� to STOP

for POP

Written by Melissa Porter

Art By Melissa Porter

S

itting down at a table with about ten of my friends on a hot summer day in 2011, a waiter asked us what we would like to drink. About three people asked for Pepsi, another for a Coke, two for a diet coke, and the rest mountain dew. When the waiter turned to me and asked what I wanted, I smiled and replied simply, “Water please.” My friends laughed and jeered about how I don’t drink soda, but I just shrugged and told them that it wasn’t healthy. “That’s only if you drink like, a liter a day.” they responded with laughs of disbelief.

“No,” I replied. “You’re wrong”. I want this article to reach people out there who believe that in order for soda to affect your health you have to drink it like an addict. This type of mindset makes America obese in my opinion: the mindset that only associates unhealthy with overindulgence. In my opinion, no one should drink soda at all, but for most people that’s asking too much.

So instead I suggest taking precautions before and after drinking soda.

Soda can affect our health in many ways. It contains high fructose corn syrup, additive dyes, carbonic or phosphoric acid, and most times caffeine. For one, soda ruins your teeth; the carbonic or phosphoric acid dissolves the calcium enamel in your teeth, leaving them weak and open for bacteria to destroy. The sugar also works against the teeth because the bacterium converts it to acid, resulting in even more calcium degrading. Soda has an average pH of about 2.5, the same as vinegar. To give you an idea of how acidic this is, battery acid has a pH of 1.0, according to the Minnesota Dental Association. This low level of pH oxidizes (ages) everything it touches. For example, if you pour soda onto metal, it will rust very fast. Drinking soda will also leach the calcium from your bones. Dr. Michael Murray from the Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine says, “It appears that increased soft drink consumption is a major factor that contributes to osteoporosis.” Osteoporosis is the most common type of bone disease, occurring when the body

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“The relation between soft drink consumption and body weight is so strong that researchers calculate that for each additional soda consumed, the risk of obesity increases 1.6 times” fails to make enough new bone. Even children are at risk for this disease. “Adolescents who consume soft drinks display a risk of bone fractures three to four-fold higher than those who do not.” states Dr. Marion Nestle, from 8 Ways to Fizzle Your Health October 23, 2010 on Water For Life USA. Excessive calories and sugar in soda can cause weight gain. The large amounts of sugar found in soda are absorbable and contribute to obesity and type 2 diabetes. “Sodas and other energy-providing drinks may lead to an over-consumption of energy that would lead to obesity and weight gain,” says Matthias B. Schluze, who presented the Harvard School of Public Health research at the American Diabetes Association’s 64th scientific session. Dr. Nestle also claims that, “The relation between soft drink consumption and body weight is so strong that researchers calculate that for each additional soda consumed, the risk of obesity increases 1.6 times.” in his book “Food Politics”. A study done by Harvard called the Nurses’ Health Study found that women who drink at least one sugary soda a day found that they were 85% more likely to develop type two diabetes then women who drank less.

Soda addiction is a problem many people don’t know they have. Soda addiction can also be a very controversial topic, especially when debating who is addicted. However, 61-year old Ellen Talles and 44-year old Steve Bagi who were interviewed by Denise Mann in Can You Get Hooked On Diet Soda can shed some light on the subject.

Ellen drinks an average of 2 liters a day. “I just love it.” she says. “I crave it, need it. My food tastes better with it.” I admit this is a large overindulgence, and note that not everyone with an addiction to soda will drink this much. Caffeine would be the easiest way to explain how someone becomes addicted, but soda doesn’t have much caffeine (the average amount of caffeine in a soda is about the amount in a small Starbucks coffee). Steve has a large cup of coffee in the morning, drinks caffeine free diet soda, and downs six cans a day “easy”. His soda cravings come from his prior addiction to nicotine, which explains why he started drinking diet soda: to mask the effects of cigarettes on his breath. He quit the nicotine, but the diet soda stayed. This is a clue as to where addiction to soda comes from. It could stem from previous addictions or routines, or even more common: dieting. People who are trying to lose weight or cut back on calories would turn to diet soda’s sweetness as a response to cutting back on carbohydrates, sugars, or other satisfying foods. This may

not be the only way people become addicted to diet soda, as research shows that the fake sugars in the soda prompt people to refill their glasses because the fake sugars don’t satisfy the real thing, according to Quing Yang in Gain weight by “going diet?” Atrifical sweeteners and the nuerobiology of sugar cravings in the Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine.

Bisphenol-A (or BPA), the lining in cans that preserves the product so that it doesn’t absorb any metal, can be extremely dangerous. This lining is found in most cans and in some plastic bottles. BPA developed in the 1930’s a synthetic estrogen. According to Just How Harmful Are Biphenol-A Plastics? by Adam Hinterthuer, scientists then combined BPA with phosgene, a substance used in World War II as a toxic gas to create a hard, shatterresistant polycarbonate plastic. Used in many things around us such as eyeglasses, headlights, and DVDs, we are surrounded by BPA. During the manufacturing process, not all BPA lock in bonds; meaning that some could escape or leak when heated, such as in a dishwasher or a microwave. Scientific studies show that BPA links to low sperm count, breast, testicle, and prostate cancers, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, miscarriage, and problems with reproductive development. Many companies banned the use of BPA in children’s products, including Gerber, Platex, Disney First Years, Evenflo, and Avent America. New York, Chicago, and Connecticut all banned the use of BPA in children’s products. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration say that BPA is still safe, and points towards two studies funded by the chemical industry published on Questionable Chemical Could Leak Into Your Soda show claim that BPA is safe, but those studies were by the chemical industry who does not want BPA banned, and therefore in my opinion not plausible.

Overall, soda is very bad for your health. I recommend to not drink it at all, but for those out there who cannot live without their soda, take precautions! Don’t buy canned soda, and when buying bottles look at the little number in the triangle at the bottom. According to BPA, Chemical Used To Make Plastics, Found To Leach From Polycarbonate Drinking Bottles Into Humans by ScienceDaily. If it says three or seven, put it back on the shelf, as those are the bottles known to leak BPA. Limit your consumption to as little as one 24-ounce soda a week. Drink lots of milk and take calcium supplements to reduce the side effects of soda, and brush your teeth as soon as possible after you drink it.

Buenos Aires Café The Gold Standard of Argentine Cuisine

Written by Karissa Libson

satisfaction.

In 2009, Claudia wrote in her review of the restaurant. “ Buenos Aires Cafe should not be overlooked as one of the best dining options in the neighborhood.”

Like Claudia, many customers are captivated by its authenticity and superb dishes. To provide more options for customers, Buenos Aires Cafe has two locations in Austin, in the Hill Country Galleria and on East 6th Street.

Buenos Aires Cafe was founded by Reina Morris, a native to Buenos Aires, Argentina. When Reina moved to Austin, her cooking quickly brought her

Art by Karissa Libson

Walking into Buenos Aires Cafe, customers are immediately greeted by the distant aroma of spices and the murmur of customers. Waiters bustle around the tables, taking orders and welcoming customers. An array of flowers sit on the tables, next to faintly glowing candles. Above, dazzling glass chandeliers hang from the ceiling, enchanting diners below. Murals on the walls paint pictures of far away Argentina.

From all around Austin, hundreds of satisfied customers come to Buenos Aires Cafe to sample delicacies Argentina is well known for in the comfort of their own city. Fond reviews from critics, like the Austin Chronicle’s Claudia Alarcon, reflect this

The outdoor patio at Buenos Aires Cafe in the Hill Country Galleria.

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medicated tangerine

Art by Karissa Libson

fame among her new friends When possible, local food is also at dinner parties and frequent used. Customers know about the get-togethers. She enrolled in the ingredient choices, but that is not Texas Culinary Academy so she the only thing that keeps them could share her Argentine culture coming back. The cafe’s most and cooking with the city of Auspopular dish is the Chilean Sea tin. Finally, she opened Buenos Bass. It is a 7 oz., pan seared sea Aires Cafe in 2005. bass, served with prosciutto. The Customers may be drawn to customers love this dish, and it is Buenos Aires Cafe because of its consistently sold out. versatile and foreign atmosphere, “We start dinner at 6 and it’s sold which may be best described by a out by 7:15 or so. We have about waiter there, CJ Robles.

30 units.” CJ says.

CJ describes the restaurant’s Despite its popularity, the Chilmood by saying “It’s fine dining ean Sea Bass is not the focus of even though it has a laid back the menu. Beef is present in most sense to it.” items on the menu, as it would be CJ is part of a small “family” of in Argentina. waiters, who try to make Buenos CJ makes it apparent Buenos Aires Cafe a pleasant experience Aires Cafe is an ideal restaurant for all customers. He loves workfor a number or reasons, such as ing at Buenos Aires Cafe. customer service and cuisine, but He enjoys many things about nothing is perfect. The waiters the restaurant but he describes have to make a large commitment his favorites. “The authenticwhen they decide to work there. ity, the people, the management.

“We are a small family [of staff] Especially the food. I gotta say the and we do a lot on our own, so food is one of the best things I like it’s not like a big corporation with here.”

8 servers per section, it is all one “It’s comida amor, which means food of love, so it starts with the energy right from the chef. If the chef is in a really good mood the food tastes a little bit sweeter. If the chef is in a bad mood, the food tastes a little bit spicier.” CJ says, describing the food. f one is unfamiliar with Argentine cuisine, CJ recommends trying a dish with beef for their first impression of Buenos Aires Cafe. “All of our meat here is hormone free, grass fed, and free range.” he adds.

In fact, all of their food Locals eat dinner at Buenos Aires Cafe is organic and natural.

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server per section. And we really try to give the experience of Argentina, so it’s definitely a challenge.” says CJ. CJ tries his best to give the customer an an experience they will remember by “knowing everything I possibly can about what I’m serving.”

Customers appreciate the hard work the waiters put in, and CJ says there are always regulars eating at the bar.

But what makes Buenos Aires Cafe different from other restaurants in the area? CJ offers an answer.

“Well for one, it’s not Tex-Mex.” he says jokingly. He goes on to explain how he and his co-workers must understand what they are serving, and be knowledgeable about Argentine cuisine to best serve their customers. Before they are allowed to work, they must go through a training program which includes tasting all of the food and wine to better familiarize themselves with the food they are

Art by Karissa Libson

serving.

You can tell CJ takes his job seriously by the way he attends to the customers, taking orders and offering information about the menu.

Customers notice this diligent work in not only CJ, but in his fel-

low waiters as well. All to most of the customers eating there loved their food, and all of them had either been there a time before or said that they would come back in the near future.

A content customer wrote on Yelp “I can’t wait to come back!”

These impressions are most important in the restaurant business, and if service continues as it is at, it’s clear to see Buenos Aires Cafe will be serving customers for years to come.

Written by Nikki Krebs

O

nce her enormous eyes finished examining each crack and indentation of the ceiling above her, 15-year-old Janet sighed. She glanced to her left at the clock to discover it was 10:00 PM, and that she had been lying in bed for about an hour now.

Janet simply could not drift into a slumber tonight, as usual. Everyone has found themselves in Janet’s position before, but according to the National Sleep Foundation, teenagers end up like this much more often, because their biological clocks aren’t telling them to fall asleep earlier than 11:00 PM. The solution to this issue, causing sleep deprivation in the majority of American tens, is to merely push back the school start times.

Sleep resides far down on the list of modern teenagers’ priorities compared to things such as homework, social life and exercise. Many teenagers, and even hardworking adults, believe it can be ignored, while they can still remain both physically and mentally fit. This idea is utterly fallacious, and in reality, countless negative consequences result from lack of sleep. Thanks to our nonstop-working, 24-7- based society, people of all ages have to deal with the dilemma of sleep deprivation, but teenagers struggle the most because they tend to fall asleep naturally later than adults, and their rapidly developing brains and growing bodies require plenty of sleep. In fact, teenagers need a minimum of 9 hours of sleep every night, and according to the Mayo Clinic, 9 out of 10 teens are unable to reach the amount of sleep needed. Of those 9 teens, 1 teen acquires less than six hours of sleep, which can cause serious problems. It gets even worse depending on the distance of the bus routes to and from school, and in the Austin Independent School District, the budget crisis caused the bus rides

to be excruciatingly long, especially for the high school students attending magnet schools. Another factor would be how far away people live from their high school, if the student were to drive to school by car. Altogether, these issues make sleep deprivation an epidemic for the majority of teens in America.

I think it’s time I let you know the harmful effects that could potentially happen, or might already be happening to those teenagers who aren’t sleeping enough. Michelle Trudeau states in her article on NPR’s website that “at least 20 percent of high school students fall asleep in class on a typical day,” causing the whole purpose of school, learning, to be reduced during class time. Daytime sleepiness affects teenagers’ academic performance, along with their performance in extracurricular activities, such as sports. Although that is a greatly troublesome situation, it doesn’t stop there.

A study led by Mahmood Siddique, a sleep remedy specialist at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and his colleagues reported a year ago that more than 50% of the students participating claiming to be “excessively sleepy” only got about 6 hours of sleep on an average school night, and their chances of having strong depression symptoms were triple that of their well-rested classmates. 62 percent of them had symptoms of depression, and nearly half of those teenagers had strong symptoms. In one of the National Sleep Foundation’s Sleep in America polls, the results show that 73 percent of the people saying that they were not as enthusiastic and happy about life reported not sleeping enough.

In addition, the National Sleep Foundation stated that, “drowsy driving causes over 100,000 crashes each year,”

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Art by Nikki Krebs

“[When] you are sleep deprived [and driving], you are as impaired as driving with a blood alcohol content of .08%,” which is illegal in Texas, and many other states. and “[When] you are sleep deprived [and driving], you are as impaired as driving with a blood alcohol content of .08%,” which is illegal in Texas, and many other states.

Researchers at the University of Bristol observed in a population-based study on the association between sleep deprivation and obesity that as a person gets less sleep regularly, the more a hormone called ghrelin, which makes people feel hungrier, is released. On top of that, the body sends out less of leptin, a hormone that holds your appetite in check. With the combined effects of these hormones, when one sleeps less, the more they’re likely to eat. Furthermore, a worldwide study carried out by Francesco P. Cappuccio, MD, of Warwick Medical School in the United Kingdom, and colleagues proved 4 years ago that there is a significant inverse relationship of hours of sleep and BMI. Sleep deprivation increases the number of overweight and depressed teenagers, and people in general. So, what can we do about it?

In making our school start times earlier, the results will mirror those of the Rhode Island boarding school, which only shifted their school start times by 30 minutes. Researchers found from this half hour change in school schedule that the percentage of students getting at least 8 hours of sleep was 16% and boosted up to early 55%.

The initial 49 percent of students reporting daytime drowsiness decreased to 20 percent, on top of that.

Beyond these significant improvements, the number of times students was almost split in half, and the students reported feeling less moody during the day.

In Minneapolis school district, they changed their school start time to 8:40 AM, 10 minutes later than the previous example, and their benefits were all the same, and the parents raising the teens said that ever since the time change, their kids became easier to live with at home, too.

The typical high school in Austin starts at about 9:00 in the morning, which barely gives the students 9 hours of sleep, and an hour to get ready for and go to school, that is if they fall asleep at the natural time of 11:00 PM. In other schools this isn’t the case, such as the Liberal Arts and Science Academy, in Austin. Their school starting time is at 8:15 in the morning, earlier than most other high schools, and students from all over Austin are enrolled at this school, making the longest possible bus or car ride to school. Now, others might argue that this start time is to avoid the morning traffic, but I must say that in order to make LASA, and all schools in Austin, reach their best learning quality, is to push the school times later, regardless of whatever traffic there might be. Within these schools are Austin’s future teachers, CEOs, lawyers and so on, and as we give them less sleep, the less they will learn for their lives ahead of them. The most reasonable way of prioritizing the school start schedules for high school students depends on the time it takes them to get to school, so the students going to their neighborhood schools leave a bit earlier than those who attend magnet schools, because they don’t have as much homework, it doesn’t take as long and their schools already start moderately late. All it takes is a school start time change.

MARSHA MANN How Yoga Saved her

Art by: Franny Mclarty

W

Written by Melissa Porter

Life

alking in the front door, the first thing you see is Marsha Mann’s cat Luna, who comes and rubs your lower legs warm like she gets paid to do it. Turning right and walking down a narrow hall, you come to a medium sized open room with a slanted roof.

Windows at the top of the roof illuminate the bamboo floor with natural light, and a built in ladder of dark wood climbs to the top of the highest point on the ceiling to take you to a loft above the closet and bathroom. A niche on one side of the room makes room for a small desk and two bookshelves, books about the body and yoga filled neatly. Six yoga mats folded carefully sit between the desk and a bookshelf, and a small box with lavender and orange scented eye bags and a couple of miscellaneous pads and ropes occupy a corner. The walls have few decorations and remain painted a plain white color. Of the few pictures she does have, one is a Buddhist in a temple, the other a person herding cattle along a bright dirt road. Marsha took these pictures in India, one of the many places she has been able to visit in her lifetime because of yoga.

This is Marsha’s yoga sanctuary, where she holds classes at least twice a week and practices yoga every day. The reason she was able to go all these places and become a great yoga master is simple, because yoga saved her life.

Gazing off into the distance at an abstract painting of many shapes, she recalls a time when she was pregnant with her first baby and started yoga because she heard it was a good form of exercise for pregnant women.

Then the “unexpected and tragic” event happened: the baby was lost at birth. Marsha found herself in what most doctors would explain as postpartum depression, a depression following childbirth. However, her emergency C-section had physical consequences on her as well, which caused her to suffer bad health such as vomiting and fatigue for six months afterwards. During this time she did not continue the yoga, as she affiliated it with the

pregnancy. She did, nevertheless get better, and a year later found herself pregnant again.

This time though, there was something obviously wrong with her pregnancy. “I started getting ill, very powerful symptoms, [like] being numb on the left side of my body, and having convulsive tremors from the waist down.”

Marsha said. She would become “veraciously” hungry, but when she tried to eat, she would vomit it back up. She could not sleep, and yet with all these symptoms, when she went to the doctors monitoring her pregnancy, they could not find anything wrong. She saw some specialists but even they could not help her. “Western medicine had all these ideas about what was wrong with me,” Marsha said.

Finally, at about nine and a half weeks Marsha lost her second baby. Once again, she went back to the doctors, they told her that her body must have rejected the embryo, but now her body should get better; except she kept getting worse, and her symptoms became exaggerated.

Marsha started seeing a woman named Bernice Danelchuck, the woman who would go on to put Greg Louganis back on the Olympic trail. After extensive work to Marsha’s abdominal area, she noticed something that the doctors hadn’t. “Marsha,” Bernice said, “I’m feeling around here in your abdominal area and there’s still something in your uterus, you’re not done.” Marsha recalls. Later that night Marsha went home and had a second spontaneous miscarriage. She had had a double pregnancy. That’s when two eggs are fertilized, and yet only one baby can survive, which means the two embryos battle for rights to live. Usually the first fertilized egg will survive and the second will miscarriage, and then the pregnancy will go on as normal.

Marsha kept getting worse and worse. The doctors tried to put her on drugs for her inability to sleep. “They gave me Zanex, and Halcium, and I think I was addicted within a week or something to the Zanex.” If she didn’t

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Two of Marsha’s yoga students work at perfecting their handstands.

take the medicine within twenty minutes of when she was supposed to, she began to fall apart. “The same symptoms I had been having but exaggerated.” Marsha said.

Life wasn’t easy when she tried to come off of the drugs. “I’ve seen people withdraw from heroine and it was worse. It lasted two weeks, my withdrawal, with supervision from a local hospital over the phone, and it was just one of the most nightmarish things I’ve ever been through in my life.” Marsha said.

Marsha was in a desperate situation, her husband worked most days, and she was too weak to even get out of bed and make a simple meal, let alone eat it and hold it down.

“A little voice said to me, yoga; start doing yoga again, yoga will help you. I don’t know where that voice came from, but I started thinking about it.” Marsha said. She reasoned that yoga worked with the internal system, and since hers was so haywire perhaps it would help to retry yoga.

Calling up an old friend and current yoga instructor, they talked about her symptoms. To Marsha’s surprise, her friend was actually familiar with the symptomology.

Marsha first went in for some private lessons, so the instructor could eventually bring her into a group setting.

The teacher gave her some simple poses to practice on her own at home.

“I started, religiously, doing those things, because it was the first thing that I could grab hold of; that gave me some hope: that I might be able to reclaim my body, my health, my life.” Marsha said.

She started doing yoga for hours every day, often with very little clothes on. “One of the things that had happened to me, is that I had lost a conscious awareness of being in a body. I couldn’t feel my body, and when I would look in the mirror I would just see two dark eyes staring at myself, I couldn’t see my body very well.”

Marsha said.

At that moment, she felt her own transparency, and described it as “Just floating on the planet.” While doing the poses she could feel every time her bones made contact with the wooden floor, reassuring her and making her realize, “Oh yes, I’m in a body, I can feel my body.”

In doing yoga Marsha was introduced to options she had never considered of before. Barely able to, she drove herself to the nearby Chinatown and asked around for the name of a good doctor. Hearing the same name from a few people, she decided to visit this doctor, named Doctor Ng. His shop was filled to the brim of hundreds of jars with all kinds of herbs and there was lots of hustle and bustle. At one end of the store, a long wooden counter with pharmacists stood, filling out prescriptions. Only the prescriptions were different from what one would normally find, the ingredients consisted of a variety of twigs, seeds, and roots. The pharmacists would measure out the needed amount, then put them in packages and seal them with tape.

Weaving her way to the back of the store, she found a line of people leading to a small room with a curtain door. Waiting in line, before she went in she was given some advice from someone waiting behind her: Don’t tell the doctor what’s wrong with you, he will tell you.

The doctor was a Chinese Vietnamese doctor by the name of doctor Ng, pronounced ‘Ing’. He spoke very simple English, enough to say simple phrases like hello, how are you, can I help you. “He looked very nice, and he looked very concerned and very dedicated, and he [looked like he was] wanting to help people.” Marsha said.

Starting his examination, she said it wasn’t a typical western experience. By most doctors, his tests were simple and useless: feeling Marsha’s pulse, looking into her eyes, opening and examining her mouth, looking at her tongue, touching her fingertips. “All of a sudden he starts saying to me, you no sleep, you no eat, you numb. He starts telling me all these things that are my symptoms; six, seven, eight things and they were exactly what was happening to me, what had been happening to me for weeks!” Marsha said.

Doctor Ng gave Marsha pills, called Quibewan, to take for three days, and sent her home. These were pills made specially for people who came to him and were not yet ready to take packages of twigs and leaves home, but had the same ingredients. The first night after taking those pills, she said she slept for the first time in weeks and when she woke up, she ate some food and didn’t throw it up. Going back to Dr Ng, Marsha received more pills.

This went on for a while, her going back in a couple of days to see the doctor, and him giving her another variation of the medicine. “Each day I could tell that I

her healing to the combination of continuous yoga practice paired with her herbal medicine. “It took me probably a couple of years, to really feel like I could function again in the normal world, meaning that I could do some kind of work, you know, and I could take care of all the chores I needed to, you know, driving and shopping, marketing and taking care of the house and all that.” Marsha said. Her first job after this was selling art over the phone, so she wouldn’t have to travel anywhere.

These days Marsha spends her time teaching private classes in the comfort of her home. Because of her aging physique, she tends to spread her practice out to twenty or thirty minutes, multiple times throughout the day. She can wake up every morning because she actually went to sleep the night before, eat a healthy vegetarian breakfast, and go out into Austin to perform daily tasks, thanks to yoga.

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quality |’kwäl te noun (pl. -ties) 1. The standard of something measured against other things of a similar kind; the degree of excellence of something. e

Art by Rafael Chamorro

superior quality without the dollars and cents.

What’s Your 1) Your hair is:

A. Thick, slightly wavy hair, a little oily, dark, brown, lusterous.

B. Dry hair, lusterless, split ends, dark, rough, wiry, or kinky.

C. Fine, light, oily, blonde, red, or early gray hair.

2)When working you:

A. Prefer to follow a plan or idea.

B. Like to do many projects all at once.

C. Are constantly organizing, likes to proceed in an orderly fashion.

3) When studying, i find:

A. I take time to learn things, but once learned, I never forget.

Please remember: This test is a very basic representation of a real test, in depth phycological and physical study of the body that is done by a professional. If you find you cannot fit into one category specifically, not to worry. It is very uncommon for anyone to be Kapha, Pitta, or Vata completely, and its even more are to be all three of them evenly. For more information or a more in-depth assesment, please go to http://tridosha.com/self-test.

B. My concentration is short, short-term memory is good, but I forget quickly.

C. I have good short and long term memory, logical, rational thoughts.

4)Your eyes are:

A. Large, shiney, sometimes blue, often chocolate eyes.

8) You can sometimes have: A. A tendency to fear.

B. Small, dark, active eyes.

B. A tendency towards apathy.

C. Medium size, light green, gray, amber, or blue eyes.

C. A tendency to hate.

5) To be comfortable, the room: A. Can be any climate, but dislikes humidity.

B. Should be warm, dislikes dryness and coldness.

C. Should be cool and well ventillated, not warm.

6)My eatiing lifestyle goes something like this:

9) People say you are: A. Sweet, calm, peaceful

B. Enthusiastic, energetic, perceptive.

C. Warm, inspiring, competative.

A. Loves sweets, dairy, breads, and pastries.

B. Either indulges in rich foods or diets strictly.

10) Your Body can be described as: A. Big boned.

C. Loves proteins, caffeines, and hot, spicy, and salty foods.

B. Skinney, with prominent joints.

7) You find you:

C. Well proportioned.

A. Have a dark conplection, relative to family.

B. Can tan easily.

C. Fair skin that is easily sunburned.

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Body Type ?

If you got mostly A’s, then you fall into the KAPHA category.

The three main describing words for Kapha would be moist, cool, and stable energy. Kapha people tend to be big people with large bones. They may be short, tall, or medium, but are always well developed. Kaphas have thick, dark, wavy hair on top of a large forehead. They are the people you see with large, shiney eyes that might be compared to anime drawings.

You perfer routine to change, and at your best you are sweet, calm, peaceful, content, and nurturing.

Other times you might find yourself insensitive, lazy, materialistic, and controlling. Kapha can suffer from things water related, especially things like retaining water.

If you are Kapha, you need to be careful not to become lazy. The best way to do this is to get active and not sleep in.

If you got mostly B’s, then you fall into the

VATA category.

The three main describing words for Vata would be cold, dry, and irratic energy. Vata people tend to be thin and wirey, with prominant joints. Typically, Vata’s are not of medium height, but are either short or tall. Some physical features to look for in Vata are dark, kinky hair; thin eyebrows; cold to the touch; and dark, course body hair that tends to be overabundant or scanty. Emotionally, you might have a hard time making decisions and sticking to them. When at your best, you can be enthusiastic, energetic, adaptable, and perceptive, though sometimes you can be superficial, unreliable, talkative, and restless. If you are Vata, you should stay away from cold things like ice water, as it upsets your digestive system, and eat lots of warm things, like soup and stew.

If you got mostly C’s, the you fall into the PITTA category.

The three main describing words for Pitta would be hot, oily, and combustable energy. Pitta people tend to be medium height with a well-proportioned body. They have thin, fine hair that is often light brown, blonde, or red. Pittas lose weight easily and when gaining weight it deposits evenly around their body. You probably have lots of moles or freckles, and can sunburn easily. One very prominant characteristic of Pittas is a strong digestive system. At your best, you are warm, couragous, inspiring, and perceptive. Other times you might find yourself agressive, controlling, malevolent, and vain. If you are Pitta, you have a problem with overindulgence. In other words, just stop overdoing things. You might drink some cold water or take a swim.

Penalties of

PROCESSED

Written by Karissa Libson

E

very day, people consume unnatural processed food because of its cheap price and addicting taste. But what makes this food so appealing and cheap? About two years ago, I too ate processed food, until I asked the same question. I discovered it contained large amounts of chemically induced substances, like high-fructose corn syrup, with serious side effects. A fine line exists between acceptable and unacceptable processed products, as most processed food companies adulterate the food with cheap chemicals to lower the cost of production. Obviously, not all food characterizes perfection; however, organic food contains no harmful chemicals, making it an admirable choice for a healthy lifestyle.

To start, most farmers grow their crops with harmful pesticides, chemicals used to keep undesirable insects away from crops. When the farmers harvest and sell the crop, traces of the pesticide remain in the crop, which buyers then consumes. Any unnatural processed meal with vegetables or fruits could harbor small amounts of pesticides. According the US Department of Health and Human Services in February of 2011, “People who use the pesticides rotenone and paraquat have a 2.5 times increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease”.

Parkinson’s disease causes dementia and trembling, and no known cure exists, making it extremely dangerous. In comparison, sacrificing a certain food, or paying extra for organic food no longer seems like such a big price. Most pesticides allowed for organic farming come from natural things.

A second problem caused by unnatural foods goes by the name of high-fructose corn syrup. Food companies add unnecessary amounts of this sweetener to make the product taste more desirable. Reported in 2009, by The Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School

of Medicine, “It is well established that fructose is more lipogenic than glucose, and high-fructose diets have been linked to hypertriglyceridemia, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and insulin resistance.” Nothing has changed since then to prove otherwise, despite recent advertising campaigns by the Corn Refinery Association. To add to the epidemic, high-fructose corn syrup exists in everything from bread to ketchup. Food Industries cause this to happen because of its cheapness and concentrated sweetness. However, food companies include more of it

“People who use the pesticides rotenone and paraquat have a 2.5 times increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.” than they did with the sugar before. For example, it takes responsibility for 39 grams of sugar in a 12 oz. can of Coca Cola. If one consumes too much, sugar can lead to health problems. However, excess amounts of sugar do not abide in many non-sweet organic products, such as bread or ketchup.

As a final issue that remains: the government allows processed foods to contain preservatives to give the food

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“High-fructose corn syrup exists in everything from bread to ketchup.” osteopathic physician, writes on his website in July of 2009, “...sodium nitrite is a preservative added most commonly to bacon, ham, hot dogs, sandwich meats, and smoked fish.

BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) are other preservatives added to foods like cereal, gum, potato chips, and vegetable oils. Propyl gallate is found in meats, chicken soup base, and gum. All of these preservatives have been linked to cancer.” The government does not allow organic foods to contain any preservatives, which may cause them to perish quicker, but also result in quality and freshness.

America’s profit based economy can make avoiding these three healthhazards difficult. Overall, organic food is better for you than processed

food because of its fresh quality and lack of disease causing products.

The easiest way to feel confident in the food you eat is to shop at organic markets, such as Whole Foods. If you remain unsure about what you eat, try looking at the nutrition facts on food products before you eat them.

This still makes a noticeable change in my diet, because it gives me the information I need to determine whether I should eat the product. You may be surprised to find dangerous ingredients listed on foods that seem harmless.

WATCH OUT for these foods with HFCSYoplait Yogurt Ritz Crackers Capri Sun Drinks Nutrigrain Bars Wonderbread

Art by Karissa Libson

Oreo Cookies A1 Steak Sauce High Fructose Corn Syrup is the second ingridient after carbonatbonated water in a can of CocaCola.

Written by Nikki Krebs Art by Joan LegĂŠ

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ibrations of the thunderous beat pulsated through the walls of the dance studio as the five women shimmied to the Latinized version of “Hotel California.” The hour long class wasn’t halfway finished, yet sweat trickled down each of their reddened faces. Not one person lacked a rapid heartbeat, and not one body part remained still. This is Zumba, a revolutionary accident.

The class was invented by a man named Beto from Cuba, who originally taught a step-aerobics class.

“When [Beto] got to class one day, and he realized that he forgot all his music, so he just pulled out some of his Latin music from his car and did this little Latin fitness class, where it wasn’t step-aerobics at all, and they were doing dances like the Samba. He tried to go back to his regular jazzercise but his classmates said, ‘No! We liked what we did last week,’ and that’s how Zumba got started.” explained Corley Sims, one of the Zumba dance instructors at Galaxy Dance Studio.

That “little Latin fitness class” wasn’t the only one who loved it. Zumba instuctor Corley Sims stated that she gets up to twenty people in her classes, and fitness centers such as the YMCA have an even higher attendance. Sims believes a big reason for Zumba’s recent soar in popularity is simply because the “cardio is incredibly intense.”

“For me, I used to be a runner, but I would get too many injuries from running, and this works better for me because I still get the same cardio, but now I don’t get the injuries that I did. I mean, we don’t stop much during that class. If you do that for an hour a day, 6 or 7 days a week, then you’ll just see results immediately,” Sims informed.

Elizabeth Nichols, who used to do Zumba three times a week with her sister over a long period of time, proved Sims right when she reported that she “definitely saw some weight come off” and that she “felt way more physically fit than I’ve ever been.”

In addition, Joan Legé, a woman who has attended multiple Zumba classes, found herself unable to stop repeating the word “fun” in her explanation of the new Zumba craze.

“A lot of exercises can kind of get to be the same thing or they’re not that exciting and you have to talk yourself into going. For many women, you’re working all day, and you have children and a busy family, so you want to release [your stress], have fun, dance and get your exercise all at the same time, so it’s kind of a fun way to get your exercise. Dancing in general has become more popular right now, and that might be a part of the

renewed interest.” Legé declared.

“I looked forward to the classes and it also became a social event with some of the girls that took the classes.

The music was fun, and after I got the hang of some moves it was more like a dance party than a real workout.

Any time a workout is fun and you forget how hard you are working, it’s totally worth the commitment. I think everyone that I turned on to the class instantly became hooked!” Nichols agreed.

Even Sims couldn’t resist mentioning the enjoyable, sociable aspect of Zumba.

“It’s a community thing, just like any group dance class.

You’re in there with a bunch of other people, which is always inspiring and always gets you motivated to keep going, and the music really gets you motivated, I think.

Working out without music, I just think that’s really silly. I don’t know how people do that.” Corley Sims expounded.

One would think after enduring such a demanding workout, made up of numerous repetitive moves, that every last drop of energy would have been drained out of each participant.

Legé argues the opposite, for she claims after each Zumba class she takes part in, she feels “refreshed” and she says she leaves “with a little smile on my face!”

Elizabeth Nichols describes a similar outcome from going to a Zumba class.

“I feel great after a class, I’m sweaty and exhausted but it puts me in a great mood! My exhaustion only lasts a bit, after an hour or so I have plenty of energy to finish my evening!”

Like many other things, Zumba has made these women’s lives better. Unlike many other things, Sims knows of several situations where Zumba has given people the chance to U-turn their pathway of being morbidly obese or being stuck in the hospital.

For example, Sims reported knowing a girl in her training class who unfortunately suffered from Cystic Fibrosis.

“Three or four times a week, she would have to get therapy with doctors beating on her chest, and she started doing Zumba twice a day and she didn’t have to do the treatments anymore. There are lots of stories where people have lost hundreds of pounds doing Zumba.”

Joan Legé affirmed without the existence of Zumba, that she would be stuck with the other bland options of exercise, and that her life would simply not be the same.

“I think everyone that I turned on to the class instantly became hooked!”

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Gluten Free- Kitchen Sink Cookies (aka-The Best Cookies You’ll Ever Eat) These cookies are not only delicious, but glutenfree too. Being gluten-free, I’ve always had trouble finding good products I can eat and enjoy, but with this recipe I can’t go wrong. Even my non gluten-free friends love them because of their coconut accent.

-Karissa Ingredients: (Makes 12 cookies) 6 tbsp coconut oil (you can subsitute with butter) 1 egg 1/3 cup brown sugar 2 tbsp peanut butter/ almond butter 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp cinnamon 2/3 cup of oat flower 1/4 cup quinoa flour 1/3 cup coconut 3/4 cup oatmeal 1/2 cup chocolate chips (you can add more or less, despending on how much you like)

Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees 2. Melt coconut oil (If you are using coconut oil).

3. Beat the coconit oil (or butter), brown andwhite sugars, and egg.

4. Add in the peanut/almond butter, vanilla, and cinnamon.

5. Add baking soda, and baking powder.

6. Add quinoa flour and oat flour.

7. Add oats, chocolate chips, and coconut.

8. Put about 1tbsp of cookie dough on an ungreased cookie sheet 9. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Dedication: To all of those who helped make Avaricious happen.

Once upon a time, there were three girls. These three girls didnt know each other well, but one day, when they happened to be in the same place at the same time, fate happened upon them and commanded a book of secrets for a healthy and happy life be made. Without much experience, they began the journey of a lifetime that would include twisted beings, scarce food resources, and even the great Beasts, known for their extremely long legs and big feet, and until the girls defeated them they would stomp their victims to death. Finally, the book of secrets was finished and there was much rejoicing in the land.

Ms Richey: She helped us create all of our pages, from the front cover to our last page, she was always there to give us advice and support. Not to mention she helped make our articles interesting and effective. She put up with all of our questions and we owe a lot to her. Thanks so much Ms. Richey!

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Dennis: He was our designer. He makes his own magazine and we appriciate that he took time out of his busy schedual to see us. Good luck with In the Cirlce! (His magazine) All of Our Interview Subjects: These people helped make Avaricious’s feature stories come to life with their accounts and quotes. They gave the story an aspect it wouldn’t have had without them. We want to thank them for giving us their time and patients while we wrote our stories. A special thanks to CJ Robels, Marsha Mann, Corley Sims, Joan Legé, and Elizabeth Nichols.

Once again, Thank you!

Your Avaricious Goddesses