metro » Nutritionally Speaking By Barbara Beznos, RD/LD/N Integrated Nutrition, LLC Dear Barb, A Pillar Of Vibrancy Longtime yoga instructor to be honored in Birmingham. PART 2 What are Oxalates? Judy Greenwald | Contributing Writer Gratefully, Marcie PART 2 Oxalate content of a single food group varies based on the time of year, the type of soil it is grown in and a host of other IDFWRUVVSHFLÀFWRWKHJURZLQJ conditions of the plant. When calcium and oxalate are together in the kidney, they can bind together to form crystals. These crystals can join together to form calcium oxalate kidney stones. For patients who suffer from small bowel disease or malabsorption, it is recommended that dietary fat intake be controlled. Excess fat will bind with calcium in food, thus leaving oxalate by itself to be reabsorbed by the colon and back into the blood stream. If too much oxalate is absorbed, it will combine with calcium in the kidney and can lead to calcium oxalate stones. The drug prescribed is called Cholestyramine. This is a drug taken at each meal that binds fatty acids, bile and oxalate so all three can leave the body. Your diet should have between 800 and 1,200 mg of calcium per day. Eating a diet low in calcium is not advised. In fact, studies have shown that eating low calcium diets will increase calcium oxalate stone risk. Oxalate and calcium bind together in your intestine and leave the body together. If you eat a low calcium diet ,then oxalate has no partner to leave the body with. Contact Barb At: Integrated Nutrition, L.L.C. 31731 Northwestern Hwy., Suite 105 E Farmington Hills, Mi 48334 Phone: (248) 538-8050 E-Mail: rds@integratednutrition.com Web: www.integratednutrition.com 2056890 16 January 28 • 2016 R oyal Oak resident Sandra Krafsur is one of 10 people who will be honored as a “Pillar of Vibrancy” during the Community House of Birmingham’s (TCH) first annual Bates Street Society dinner, to be held at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30. She will be recognized for her many years of promoting wellness through teaching yoga at TCH, and for her dedication of time and talent to help build a more vibrant community. But for the petite, energetic 78-year-old, her teaching wellness through the healing and strengthening practice of yoga is much more than sim- ply instructing students — it’s a real labor of love. “I’ve been teaching yoga at the Community House for 30 years,” Krafsur said. “When I Sandra Krafsur first started, I had two classes a week. Over the years I kept adding and adding classes, instructors: “You’re ready to teach.” and now I teach 14!” “A group of us who were teaching Originally from outside of Boston, about 40 years ago got together and Krafsur was a public school teacher formed the Yoga Association of Greater when she first came to Michigan. She Detroit, an educational organization still noted how it was a health problem that in existence today,” she said. “There, led her to study and then teach yoga. teachers can engage in professional “I attended my first yoga ses- development, attending classes to learn sion in 1967 — at the Detroit Jewish to become better instructors.” Community Center at Curtis and Krafsur’s students at TCH range in Meyers — because I had chronic back age from their 30s to 80s, and she even pain. I started to feel better immedi- has one woman who’s 95. She teaches ately. Yoga has always been very popular Hatha yoga, which is traditional yoga, in the Jewish community. It’s a thinking and varies the levels of difficulty to person’s exercise; and even more than meet her students’ needs. She even an exercise, it’s a philosophy. You have showed off some well-known poses, to understand what you’re doing and including the “down dog,” one of the how you’re doing it. I always say ‘You most familiar. practice yoga smart’.” Her students, some of whom have She taught classes at both the Oak been in her classes for years, attend for Park and West Bloomfield JCCs during medical reasons, she said, or to recover the 1980s and at many Metro Detroit after surgery and even for stress relief. YMCAs and YWCAs over the years. Krafsur’s hour- to hour-and-a-half-long Krafsur explained that yoga teachers classes range from gentle to quite chal- now must be certified, which, when she lenging, where poses get more compli- began, was not a requirement. She is cated and are held for longer periods. certified by the Yoga Alliance, a national She said she really stresses safety in all accreditation association, and received of her classes, which range in size from her certification through review of her 10 to 35 students. teaching background. She had trained “Yoga is good for your body, your for some five years and was told by her heart, your brain … it’s about learning how to listen to your body, how to center, how to calm down and relax and to take a pause. And I love being able to teach these things at the Community House.” The event, which will feature live entertainment and a three- course seated dinner, is spon- sored by PNC Bank and hosted by the Community House’s board of directors. It’s being held to both induct donors who have made significant charitable contributions into the newly formed “Bates Street Society,” as well as to recognize Krafsur and nine others deemed “Pillars of Vibrancy” in the areas of educa- tion, culture, wellness and phi- lanthropy. “We’re delighted to recog- nize Sandra as a 2016 ‘Pillar of Wellness’ for her compassion, healing touch and quiet advocacy for a peaceful and healthy mind, body and soul,” said William Seklar, TCH president and CEO. “For 30 years, Sandra has instructed thousands of students, impacting the lives of others in an extraordinary and meaningful way. We’re truly grateful for her many years of faithful, selfless service.” “I love what I do,” Krafsur said with a proud smile. “My students have become good friends, like a family to me and to each other. Yoga is about practic- ing kindness and trying to be careful in words, actions and deeds. Its focus is on ‘Ahimsa,’ which is Sanskrit for non-violence. It means working toward becoming a better person. “These are all certainly traditional Jewish values — really, they’re every- one’s values. We take care of ourselves when we practice yoga, and we recog- nize everyone’s individuality. And best of all — yoga is fun!” * details Tickets for the Bates Street Society dinner, a black-tie-optional event, 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30, at the Community House, are $150. Seating is limited. For more information, call TCH at (248) 644- 5832 or visit www.tchserves.org/ special-events.