My Blog

Adrenals Stress and Health

03/22/2012 16:36:00

Massage can help alleivate Adrenal Stress and improve your health.

The adrenals, those ever-so-important glands perched atop our kidneys, are our stress responders.

They respond by producing adrenaline, cortisol, DHEA, and aldorsterone. By design, they are meant to handle short-term stressors only and if stress is sustained, they can become overtired and depleted.

Adrenals under stress can become over or under-active. In the most extreme cases, this manifests as Cushing’s syndrome or Addison's Disease-- overproducing of cortisol or inability to secrete cortisol, respectively.

Stress comes in many different forms. Physical, emotional, psychological stress is just as real as environmental stresses, relationship, or employment stress. A lack of sleep, lack of proper nutrition, allergies, toxins, fears, and insecurity are also all stresses on the adrenals. The majority of the American population is, at any given time, in some state of adrenal response.

Because these are sustained stresses, many begin to experience some of the symptoms of adrenal stress, which include fatigue, PMS, increased appetite, poor sleep, slower wound healing, dizziness, high or low blood pressure, decreased immune function, thyroid stress, difficulty getting up in the morning, decreased libido, and many others.

While there are a number of adaptogenic herbs that can help return the adrenals to a healthy state, and supplements that support the health of these systems as well as the body as a whole, the only way to truly relieve the strain on the adrenals is to lower the stress factors in one's life. This is yet another case in which a lifestyle change is the one true way to heal the body and restore it to full health.

Massage More Effective Than Usual Care for Treating Chronic Low Back Pain

03/09/2012 12:43:00

Massage therapy may be more effective in dealing with low-back pain than other more traditional medical intervention as new research suggests.

The study comprised 401 patients aged 20 to 65 years old with nonspecific chronic low-back pain and compared the effectiveness of either relaxation or structural massage versus usual care, including medication and physical therapy. Participants were asked about their abilities to perform daily activities and then randomly assigned to receive one to three treatments.

One group received full-body relaxation massage, often called Swedish massage, and another received focused deep tissue massage, where specific pain-related tissues, ligaments and joints are targeted. The third group received therapies including pain killers, anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxants or physical therapy. Those receiving massage were given a one-hour massage once a week for 10 weeks.

The Results

After 10 weeks, the researchers again surveyed the participants about their symptoms and mobility, and again at six months and one year. The two groups of patients receiving massage therapy reported their back pain was significantly improved or gone altogether.

Although previous studies on massage therapy and low-back pain have concentrated primarily on effectiveness of deep tissue massage, researchers are hopeful about the success of relaxation massage modalities offering significant benefits. Two reasons are that relaxation massage is oftentimes more widely available and cost-effective.

Source: This article was excerpted from mtj® (Massage Therapy Journal®) Fall 2011

Will 2012 mean a great leap forward in consciousness?

02/29/2012 12:31:00

For many of us, the concept of time is of great interest.

The measurement of time, the illusion of time, time travel, time keepers, and more, have always been key to our journey.

Our lives are based on time being real, giving greater definition to events that pass in the streaming consciousness of the illusion.

Without time, there would be no need for emotions.

US Presidential elections take place on a leap year.

In Greece, marriage in a leap year is considered unlucky. One in five engaged couples in Greece will plan to avoid getting married in a leap year.

In the British Isles, it is a tradition that women may propose marriage only on leap years.

Fun With Foot Massage!

01/09/2012 13:35:00

Fun With Foot Massage

Feet! For some, they're a love-hate affair. Love to use them and often abuse them; hate paying the price after a day spent in inappropriate but fashionable footwear.

Give your feet a break with this four-step foot massage recommended by the American Massage Therapy Association.

You can do it with a partner or try the massage on your own.

Stroke the sole of your foot in a straight line from the heel to the base of your toes. Use your thumb or the heel of your hand. Use a motion that goes back and forth across the foot.
Massage the area between your toes using your fingers and your thumb. Wiggle and wriggle the toes and pull each one gently. Then move to the four metatarsal bones that run along the top and middle of the foot. Moving from the base of your toes to just above your ankle, slowly massage one area at a time.
Using your thumb, press a spot on your sole and make small, circular movements. Repeat until you've covered the entire sole of your foot.
Still working the sole, use your pointer and middle fingers to make crosswise movements, back and forth, from the heel to the ball of your foot.

Weight Loss

01/04/2012 14:06:00

It's 2012 and by this point in your life you have tried many diets - having lost and regained weight through the years.

Personally I believe a diet is an individual things based on one's available to prepare food, their lifestyle, it's psychological value, and even go as far as saying their astrological chart can reflect if a diet will work in any given year.

The brain as we know is an electrochemical machine that loves patterns. Once it adjusts to proper eating, it will allow the person to lose weight and get healthy.

You eat as your brain is programmed ... until emotional issues, especially stress, take over.

In today's world I find that many people have hypothyroid problems making it hard to lose weigh even with low caloric intake. Medical problems arise from emotions ... and there's no escaping them.

One can try various balancing techniques - massage, Qigong, yoga, meditation, etc. but in the end, if the brain has a chemical imbalance making it predispose to overeating, they will gain weight back.

So know it all. You read the books. You even those who never gain weight and eat what they want, so now in 2012, ponder your psychological and physical predisposition and decide if you can diet this year or not.

Chose a plan of your own or something you read about. Join a weight loss group. Follow the TV show "The Biggest Loser". Exercise. Go organic. Use whatever tools and techniques you need to make a diet work. Give it a few months and you will know if you will be successful this time around.

I personally use a small plate with smaller portions, i don't go back for seconds, swim three times a week, walk and use the stairs whenever i can, Qigong everyday and put myself first without feeling guilty.

Whatever your goals are stay with it, don't give up! Start slow and build upon that.

Merry Holidays

12/28/2011 16:32:00

I hope you're enjoying the holiday as much as I am. Christmas in the NW was perfect - the weather, food, family, a new baby born on the 23 making me a great aunt, fun, toys and new clothes.

Now is the time to act, open up this new years eve and tell that every person you come across even if it is a stranger, to spread love, affection and warmth around them. Make this new year special by planting a tree, feeding hungry people, adopting a lonesome street dog, by giving some warm clothes for children.

And when you are done, welcome the early sun of the new year with open arms and full vigor.

The NOAA slur graph must be wrong:

Christmas Solar Eruption to Hit Earth and Mars

Discovery - December 28, 2011

It's coming right at us! But don't worry, it shouldn't hurt too much when it hits. On Christmas Day, the sun decided to get into the festive mood by laying on some decorations. Lacking the tinsel and tacky glow-in-the-dark reindeer on its front lawn, our nearest star decided to create a humongous coronal mass ejection (CME) in the shape of an interplanetary bauble, firing it right at us. How cool!

So if you are lucky enough to witness the beautiful, dynamic aurora that may occur tonight or tomorrow, drop me a quick note telling me how awesome it was!

There is a quiet, almost eery stillness that people notice, which goes beyond the physical. Maybe it's the holiday season, but we seemed to be in a place of suspended animation or in a bubble. Some people have told me it heightened their psychic awareness, while others have experienced the grids and other paranormal activity. Very cool.

So, buckle up and welcome the new year! and beyond ... This is what you came here to experience. It's not scary. Enjoy the ride called 2012!

Oh My Aching Back!

12/09/2011 14:45:00

You never truly appreciate your back and all it does for you -- until it starts to hurt. Then every move brings a symphony of agony, until all you want to do is make your back pain stop.

The bones, muscles, and joints that make up your back are among your body's biggest support systems. When any part of that system is weakened or injured, it becomes harder for your back to bear your weight.

Up to 80% of adults have low back pain at some point in their lives. Instead of resorting to back pain treatment after the damage has already been done, be a little proactive.

Practice a few pain prevention strategies today, and you may not be sidelined by back pain tomorrow.

Don't Be a Slouch

When your mother scolded, "Don't slouch!" she was unwittingly giving you good medical advice. Holding your spine in an unnatural position or bending the wrong way can strain the muscles and ligaments that support it, leading to back pain. Maintain a healthy back by practicing good posture. Hold your stomach in, your head straight, and your shoulders and hips in one line. Keep your knees slightly bent and your weight balanced evenly on your feet. Stand up straight! Don't lean forward or backward.

Sit Up Straight

When you sit, raise your chair until you're at a comfortable distance from your desk without having to reach or slouch. Flatten your back and buttocks against the chair, keeping your knees slightly higher than your hips and your shoulders back. Choose a chair with good lumbar support, or put a rolled-up towel behind the small of your back. Sit in the same good posture whether you're working at your desk, watching TV, or driving in your car. If you have to sit for long periods of time, get up every 30 minutes or so to stretch your back.

Take a Load Off

Never try to lift anything that you know is too heavy for you. The only thing you'll accomplish is a sore back. To avoid low back pain later, use the right form when lifting. Kneel down and get close to the item you want to pick up. Tighten your abs so they support and protect your back. Then lift with your legs, not your back, and avoid twisting. Keep the object close to your body while you're carrying it.

Rest Easy

Get rid of your featherbed or waterbed and replace it with a firm mattress that offers plenty of back support. Avoid sleeping on your stomach or back, which can cause back pain. Lying on your side instead takes about 55 pounds of pressure off your back. Prop up your knees with a couple of pillows to reduce the pressure even more.

Strengthen Your Support System

Keep your back strong and limber by exercising it at least two or three times a week. Walk, swim, and do other low-impact exercises. Add some abdominal exercises and weight lifting to strengthen the muscles that support your back. Take 10 to 15 minutes to warm up before each exercise to prevent back injuries.

Also try yoga or tai chi to stretch your muscles and improve your balance so you're less likely to injure yourself and cause back pain. If you suffer from back pain, talk to your doctor before you start exercising, since some exercises may not be recommended and can be harmful.

These easy exercises can help strengthen the muscles of your back:

Lie on your back with your knees bent. Slowly lift each knee to your chest and hold for 5 seconds. Repeat 10 times on each leg.

Lie on your back with both knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Squeeze your buttocks and slowly raise your hips into the air. Hold for 5 seconds, and then slowly lower your buttocks back to the floor.

If you feel any back pain while exercising, stop what you're doing. See your doctor to talk about back pain treatments that will help you feel and function better.

Lose Weight

If you're several pounds heavier than your doctor recommends for your height, losing weight is an important part of pain prevention. Combine exercise with a healthy diet to get down to a lighter frame that will be easier for your back to support.

Bone Up

While you're changing the way you eat to lose weight, add in nutrients that build bones and prevent fractures. Make sure you're getting enough calcium, vitamin D, and phosphorous from a supplement and foods like skim milk, low-fat cheese, and lean chicken

Ditch the Stilettos

Ladies, high heels might make your legs look sleek, but they're murder on your back. Walking around on wobbly heels all day can destabilize your posture and leave you in some serious back pain. Leave the towering heels in your closet and instead wear low (1 inch or less), comfortable shoes that support and cushion each step.

Lighten Your Load

Humans weren't meant to be pack mules. When you leave your house in the morning, only carry what you need. Take a few books out of your backpack and remove all nonessential items from your purse. Carry your bag on both shoulders to even out the load on your back.

Stub Out Your Smokes

Nicotine, in addition to a long list of other health offenses, restricts blood flow to the discs that cushion and support your spine. If you're not going to do it to clear the air and prevent lung disease, then stop smoking to prevent back pain.

Spring Allergies

05/25/2011 10:49:00

Due to ecological and environmental changes, allergies season is longer, with new allergens discovered every year, sending people on a quest to find answers through over-the-counter remedies, those prescribed by doctors, or alternative therapies.

Spring is in the air ... literally. From weeds to spores to grass and tree pollens, the warm weather is almost here, driving airborne allergen levels through the roof. That means your allergy symptoms -- the sniffling, sneezing, and itchy eyes -- are in overdrive and apt to stay that way for months.

The spring allergy season is in full swing and doctors are saying allergy clinics are staying busy. The long winter, followed by a very wet spring, has made the tree pollen season more intense than usual, and the extra moisture has produced a greater amount of mold. So you get a double whammy. If you're mold-allergic all these spores are in the air. If you're tree-allergic all this pollen is in the air. It's making a lot of people very miserable. When you can't breathe you get dizzy, sleepy and can remain unfocused. Your eyes burn and you get sleepier.

Depression

05/04/2011 12:45:00

Take your pick: Swedish, Shiatsu and other massage types ease depression symptoms, a 2010 meta-analysis in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry found.

How?

Massages reduce stress hormone levels, heart rate and blood pressure. It boost mood and relaxation by triggering the release of Oxycotin and Serotonin.

Listen to Your Intuition

04/22/2011 12:49:00

Intuition is sometimes defined as the sense of knowing something without any empirical evidence. To some this is a divine source of knowing, while to others intuition is about listening to instinct. Everyone experiences flashes of their intuition from time to time – those are the “ah-ha” moments of understanding. In fact, most people walk around actively inviting their intuition to step in. This is what you are doing when you wonder, whether you are wondering about people, places, facts, ideas, decisions, etc

In order to allow your intuition to guide you, you simply need to relax and listen to yourself. What some refer to as a gut reaction is often your mind trying to tell you something. In fact, the term gut reaction is very telling – oftentimes, large emotions will have a physical affect on our bodies. Our experiences of joy, sorrow, elation, anger, and fear are all physical experiences. If you have a physical reaction to something, listen to what that tells you, rather than ignore it for what you rationally know is right. Oftentimes, if you take time to honor and examine your initial emotion, you'll find that what you intellectually desire isn't actually counter-indicated.

The more you practice opening to your intuition, the easier it will flow through you. When you first start consciously calling upon your intuition, make a time and space to do so. Find a place to sit quietly and close your eyes. Then, call up the idea that you want to find clarity on and allow thoughts and ideas to flow into your mind. You don't need to follow any given train of thought, simply be open to hearing what occurs to you.