Winterize Your Body!

Hello!  I hope you are enjoying the weather we are having lately.  What a beautiful fall!  But we all know what comes after fall - we can't avoid it, so we need to prepare for it.  I'm sure you winterize your house, and probably your car, too.  But what about your body?  Did you know that we need to winterize our bodies, too?

Maybe that's a new idea for you.  But every year, people get colds and other viruses, get the winter blues, and even "cabin fever."  It's not new, it's not unexpected, it's very common, but is it NORMAL?  Do you have to suffer every winter?  The answer, of course, is NO!!!

Most of us do know that, ideally, we will still get outside and be relatively active during the winter.  But practically, that doesn't always happen.  It's hard to get outside in the sunshine when the sun isn't shining!  And when temperatures are subzero, it can even be dangerous to be outside too long.  

That's why supplements are so important.  That's why we are offering a special "Winterize Your Body" Pack!

Purchase Fenugreek & Thyme and VS-C, and get a bottle of Vitamin D3 FREE

Fenugreek & Thyme helps relieve respiratory congestion, inflammation and infection.  It helps thin mucus and acts as an expectorant, relaxes muscle spasms (such as when coughing), fights infections and reduces fevers.  It is a fantastic product to take regularly to prevent these problems, too.  In the winter, we tend to get "dried out" due to heaters and being stuck inside.  Fenugreek & Thyme  helps moisturize our respiratory system.  As few as 3 per day may help keep you feeling great all winter!  If symptoms start, you can LOAD UP on the Fenugreek & Thyme by taking 10, 12, even 16 per day for 2 or 3 days!  Take 1 or 2 every 1 or 2 hours as soon as symptoms start.

VS-C is designed to strengthen the body's immune system against bacterial and viral infections.  It can be used to relieve symptoms, but is best for prevention.  It can be used to combat all types of microorganisms that cause infections including colds, flu, respiratory infections, and much more (all types of viruses).  Combined with the Fenugreek & Thyme, just one per day can keep you on your feet all winter!  If symptoms start, LOAD UP on the VS-C, too.  Take 1 every 2 hours as soon as you feel symptoms start.

Vitamin D3 is considered the sunshine vitamin.  That's because the primary source of vitamin D is from the sun, and not from diet.  That's why vitamin D deficiency has become an epidemic in the US!  Many of us wear sunscreen during the summer to protect us, but that prevents our body from being able to make vitamin D.  So supplementing is very important, but even more so during the winter, when the days are shorter.  The most well-known function of vitamin D is to regulate calcium absorption and metabolism for bone health.  However, vitamin D is also profoundly important for immune function!  Vitamin D deficiency can have serious consequences on overall health, and has been linked to numerous diseases.  Safe doses have been increased in recent years, with the average adult requiring about 4,000 units per day.  Just 2 tablets per day will fulfill this requirement.

Some other suggestions to protect yourself and your family this winter:

Cut an onion into a few pieces and leave it on your kitchen table.  Onions absorb all sorts of toxins, including bacteria and viruses.  During the spread of the Spanish Influenza, many families who didn't come down with the flu had several onions around their homes.  If anyone in your family gets sick, cut an onion up and let it sit next to his bed.  Never eat an onion that has been cut and set aside for more than a few hours!  They can potentially absorb enough toxins to become poisonous!  But eating onions, especially raw onions, can also help boost your immune system through the winter.

Eat garlic!  Like onions, garlic has properties in it that help fight off infections.  I think the "bugs" hate the smell as much as we do! 

Get plenty of exercise, even if you have to do it inside.  But we have lots of nice days before winter, and even during winter, so get outside and be active while you can!

Get plenty of sleep.  It's darker earlier, so it's even easier to fall asleep.  Our bodies heal and repair themselves while we sleep, so sleep is most important when we are fighting something or healing from an injury or illness.

Drink plenty of water - especially with your herbs!!  When our tissues are well hydrated, our blood and oxygen flows most efficiently, bringing plenty of nutrients, and removing all the waste products.  Also, drink at least 8 ounces whenever you take your herbs and supplements.  We've had people tell us some herbs upset their stomach, then to find out they aren't drinking enough water when they take them.  Need to drink enough water!

Get plenty of vitamin C.  Interestingly, Thyme and many of the herbs in VS-C are high in vitamin C.  That's because vitamin C is one of the primary supplements that help fight off infection.  If you need more, we have lots of varieties.

Eat plenty of fresh fruits and veggies - especially ones that are in season (squash, pumpkin, etc).

Get massage therapy.  Stress is one of the biggest factors in your health, and even one massage session per month can reduce your stress hormones significantly.  Don't think of it as "pampering," think of it as prevention.

Go easy on the sugar, alcohol, processed foods, and other "junk" foods.  These things cause inflammation in the body, and inflammation lowers our resistance to illnesses. 

Drink plenty of herb teas with lemon and local honey.  A great "comfort" remedy when you are sick, too!

Essential oils are another fantastic tool you can use.  Many tend to be antimicrobial, so find the blend you like best.  You can clean with essential oils or apply them topically (with caution, please ask if you are unsure how to use them).  Nature's Sunshine's Guardian blend was formulated to support your immune system and help fight off infection.  And it smells divine :-)

Take good care of yourself and your family!  Plenty of love and hugs and kisses make everyone feel better!

Can massage therapy help with the symptoms of PMS and menopause?

Hi everyone!  The following is an article I wrote about a year ago for the newsletter the chiropractor's office I work at sends out.  I was pleased with it, so I thought I'd share it here, too.  Hope you like it!:

Can Massage Therapy Help With the Symptoms of PMS and Menopause?

You might be surprised to know that the answer is yes!  In fact, massage therapy has shown amazing benefits for many issues of hormone imbalance, including PMS and menopause, but also more advanced conditions such as endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and even infertility.

Like many disorders, hormonal problems are often triggered by stress.  When we are under stress, our adrenal glands begin working overtime producing, for one thing, cortisol.  The hormone progesterone is used to make cortisol.  It is also used in the production of estrogen, testosterone, and to support pregnancy.  But when too much progesterone is used up in the production of cortisol, not enough is left to make the reproductive system function properly.  Furthermore, when a body is under stress and cortisol levels are high, functions of the body not associated with dealing with stress slow down or stop.  This includes reproductive cycles, such as ovulation and menstruation.   Studies have shown that massage therapy can significantly reduce the levels of cortisol in the body for up to two weeks.  Without excess cortisol, other functions are able to return to a more normal state.

Even if you believe your symptoms are “normal,” please understand that there is a difference between normal and common.  Your symptoms might be very common: cramps, breast tenderness, irritability, or mood swings, without more serious concerns.  But imagine how your life would improve if you were uncommon; if you did not have to suffer these common symptoms every month.

Specific techniques can be used to further improve hormone imbalances.  Deep massage to the pelvic region increases blood flow to the internal organs and helps reduce scar tissue, adhesions, and even fibroids and endometriosis.  Excellent circulation is so important, as it brings vital nutrients to the tissues, and helps remove excess metabolic waste products (“toxins”).  The accumulation of these toxins often leads to an increase in inflammation and pain, including cramping.  Please keep in mind that, as with all massage techniques, this work is always done to the client’s comfort level, and modesty is always respected.

Of course, there is much more to hormone balance than what goes on in the pelvis.  That is why it is important to maintain a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and receive chiropractic care, along with massage therapy.  Specific supplements are also often necessary for optimal benefit.  As a final thought, in an interview in the Massage Therapy Journal, internationally known research pharmacologist and Professor Dr. Candace Pert spoke about the power of massage therapy saying, "I think we could replace 90% of mainstream medicine with a weekly massage."

Massage therapy experience 1: Client from St. Charles told me "I have NO MORE BACK PAIN!" (and day 2 of my cleanse)

This happened about a year ago.  It was with a client who I had been seeing for just about a year.  She started out with sciatica.  Her job was mostly sitting most of the day, and before that she'd been a nurse for about 20 years or so.  She was seeing the chiropractor for about 14 years, and had been dealing with the sciatica for about 3 or 4 years.  It bothered her almost constantly, and was getting worse as time went on.

So I was working on her every week for several  months (probably 8 or 9 months), then every 2 weeks.  Then after a while, I noticed it had been several weeks since I'd seen her.  When I saw her again, she said "I have NO back pain anymore!  It's like a miracle."  She was so happy, but had to stop seeing me regularly because she had lost her job, and since she wasn't in pain anymore, she thought it was a good time to stop.

She did end up getting a new job, and she now sees me irregularly, about every couple months or so.  She still sees the chiropractor about once a month, too.  But her back pain hasn't come back.  She has other problems, which I help her with, but none of it is as much of a problem for her as her back pain was.

That's one of my favorite things about being a Massage Therapist.  I could massage people and make them feel relaxed and pampered, but I choose to help people with real problems.  I do both, actually, since stress is a major factor in REAL problems.  But the goal, the intention, is to keep people WELL, or get them there.  Massage - the massage that I do - is NOT pampering (although it may feel like it).  Because it is caring for your wellness and your health, and not anything selfish.

So while I understand my client's stopping her care with me, because she was out of work, I don't consider massage therapy something to only do because of pain.  It helps prevent pain, too.  It improves circulation and immunity, so you will have fewer illnesses and even injuries.  Something to think about, especially if you are an athlete or, even more important, if you are NOT an athlete!

Cleanse Day 2:  Nothing significant today!  This is a good cleanse.  If you are worried about being glued to the toilet if you do a cleanse, let me put your mind at ease.  I've only "gone" three times today, and I never felt like I had to rush.  Three times might sound like a lot to some people, but when you think about the fact that we eat three times a day, it makes sense.

Ok, that's all for today!  Thanks for reading :-)