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Music Therapy for Stress Relief

Listening to music does wonders to alleviate stress.Research has shown that music has a profound effect on your body and psyche. In fact, there’s a growing field of health care known as "Music Therapy", which uses music to heal. Those who practice music therapy are finding a benefit in using music to help cancer patients, children with ADD, and others, and even hospitals are beginning to use music and music therapy to help with pain management, to help ward off depression, to promote movement, to calm patients, to ease muscle tension, and for many other benefits that music and music therapy can bring. This is not surprising, as music affects the body and mind in many powerful ways.

The following are some of effects of music, which help to explain the effectiveness of music therapy:

•Brain Waves: Research has shown that music with a strong beat can stimulate brainwaves to resonate in sync with the beat, with faster beats bringing sharper concentration and more alert thinking, and a slower tempo promoting a calm, meditative state. Also, research has found that the change in brainwave activity levels that music can bring can also enable the brain to shift speeds more easily on its own as needed, which means that music can bring lasting benefits to your state of mind, even after you’ve stopped listening.

•Breathing and Heart Rate: With alterations in brainwaves comes changes in other bodily functions. Those governed by the autonomic nervous system, such as breathing and heart rate can also be altered by the changes music can bring. This can mean slower breathing, slower heart rate, and an activation of the relaxation response, among other things. This is why music and music therapy can help counteract or prevent the damaging effects of chronic stress, greatly promoting not only relaxation, but health.

•State of Mind: Music can also be used to bring a more positive state of mind, helping to keep depression and anxiety at bay. This can help prevent the stress response from wreaking havoc on the body, and can help keep creativity and optimism levels higher, bringing manyother benefits.

•Other Benefits:Music has also been found to bring many other benefits, such as lowering blood pressure (which can also reduce the risk of stroke and other health problems over time), boost immunity, ease muscle tension, and more. With so many benefits and such profound physical effects, it’s no surprise that so many are seeing music as an important tool to help the body in staying (or becoming) healthy.

If you listen to music that has affirming lyrics you are feeding your brain positive thoughts. This may make music therapy twice as successful. It will surround you with positive energy instead of negative energy. The positive energy should decrease your stress levels.

Our energetic system is affected by the tone of music. This causes a physical reaction to certain sounds and frequencies. No one likes the same type of music. Whatever you choose to listen to should make you feel comfortable. Listen to your emotions. Make sure your nerves feels soothed. That way you'll know if it is a positive type of music for your individual taste. Fast paced beats can speed up your heart rate and cause difficulty in relaxing your mind. Slow beats or rhythms will slow down your thoughts and you will naturally relax.

Calm your Mind ~ Heal your Body

Thoughts are things. They can heal or harm. Beliefs mold your brain.

This is not just a figurative metaphor for what happens. Your brain literally stiffens, slows, and loses function in direct relationship to your thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes about you and your place in the world. How each of us responds to our life -- to our perceptions -- has enormous implications for how we feel, how we age, and the health of our brain.The most powerful pharmacy in the world is right between your ears!

In fact, every cell in your body listens to your thoughts.Your immune cells know your deepest feelings.Your stem cells are wired to your brain and help you repair and regenerate. But they ONLY turn on and make new brain cells when you relax! And you don’t need placental injections or embryos to get them to work.Research has shown over and over again that learning to relax is one of the most important keys to long-term health and vitality. In fact,relaxing helps your brain regenerate and renew itself.You need to learn how to hit your “pause button” if you want to heal your brain.But that doesn’t mean sipping a glass of Chardonnay while watching TV . You have to learn how to deeply relax and stimulate your vagus nerve.Your immune cells, your stem cells, and all of the other organs and tissues in your body are connected to your vagus nerve -- a long nerve that goes from your brain, through your chest and diaphragm, and throughout your body.Your vagus nerve is a very special part of your nervous system that helps you calm your mind and turn on a cascade of healing that can reverse depression and dementia and help sharpen your mind -- making old brains young again.It does this by turning off your stress response and activating your relaxation response -- “hitting the pause button” -- which most of us don’t know how to do.Most of us don’t need any help turning on the alarm system. Your stress response gets turned on automatically day after day.However, very few of us know how to calm this system down. We don’t know where our pause button is, and we don’t know how to push it.This is a serious health concern, because stress is very bad for your brain.

The effects of stress on brain health cannot be overstated. It shrinks the hippocampus, the memory center of the brain; reduces serotonin; lowers BDNF (brain derived neutrophic factor), which acts like Miracle-Gro for your brain cells; increases inflammation; increases belly fat; lowers thyroid function; and much more.It is one of the chief causes of our broken brains. Stress destroys our brains. But what is stress? Stress is defined as any real or imagined threat to your body or your ego. What does that mean? It means the part of your biochemistry that governs the stress response reacts the same when you are in real danger (for example, if you are about to be run down by an oncoming car) as it does when you perceive danger (for example, if your boss tells you he thinks you are doing a poor job at work). In both cases, a flood of cortisol and other chemicals, like epinephrine and norepinephrine, is released into your bloodstream. These chemicals send messages far and wide, telling your body—and brain—to get ready for the danger at hand.In the first instance, the stress response is adaptive. It prepares you physically and mentally to move out of the way of that oncoming vehicle.In the second instance, the stress response is worse than useless—your body prepares for real physical danger but there isn’t any. There is only the perceived danger of your boss’s disappointment. The result is that you stew in your stress juices, and they poison your body and brain.If you hadn’t perceived your boss’s frustration as a threat, this response would not have occurred.So how we think and what we believe make a huge difference in how healthy we are.There’s no doubt about it. Optimists live longer and are healthier!

In small and large ways, our sense of control, meaning, purpose, and connection in life is one of the most powerful factors that determine our health and well-being.What do you feel connected to? What gives you meaning and purpose in life? Answers to questions like these define who we are, not only mentally, but also physically. Disease is a disconnection from our sense of place in the world; a loss of control and meaning as we drift from television channel to television channel looking for a program to satisfy us; consume food disconnected from its origins, processed and unidentifiable from its natural state; as our families separate, disconnect, and communicate through text messaging and e-mail. Poverty alone does not increase disease. A lost sense of culture, control, and meaning is a major factor.How do you take a pill to fix that? And what about the stress of the food we eat? We now have identified a phenomena that comes from eating “stressed food”—food grown on agribusiness farms, animals raised in confined animal feeding operations, otherwise known as feedlots. This is called xenohormesis and means that when you eat stressed food, it produces stress molecules in your body that make you sick! Our bodies see this food as foreign and dangerous—it’s actually stressful to eat it. We have become so disconnected from feeling relaxed and at peace that many of us don’t even realize we are stressed out anymore. We aren’t awake to the fact that our beliefs have an impact on our health and we don’t realize the foods we eat make us feel even more stress.

So, how do you know if you are stressed? Well, you might crave salt and sugar, feel dizzy when you stand up, have trouble falling asleep, have sweaty palms or feel wiped out after exercise, or you might feel tired and wired. If so, you may have burned out your adrenal glands—the glands that kick into gear whenever there is stress. So what’s the cure for burn out? How do you turn off the stress response and begin to heal from its effects? The easiest way to start: just breathe! Here is a great Breathing Relaxation Exercise Video.

Another few more ideas on how to push your pause button—and heal your brain:

• Make choices that make your life balanced -- practice saying “NO” to others and “YES” to yourself.
• Try yoga or meditation and of course, a MASSAGE!.
• Get enough sleep.
• Eat whole foods that decrease the stress response.
• Avoid stressed foods. The next time you reach for that industrial packaged food product, or fast food lunch just ask yourself if your food is “relaxed.”
• You might even try some herbs that can balance out the stress response, such as ginseng or rhodiola.

Simple dietary changes, a few nutritional supplements, a little exercise, enough sleep, and a little time each day for activating the relaxation response can transform deep-seated symptoms that show up as altered mood, behavior, attention, and memory.

Your brain can thrive. You just have to provide the right conditions!

Thanks to Dr. Mark Hyman for this information and his great "Ultramind" Book.

Why Detox?

Do you know why detox dieting will help you achieve a healthy, vibrant body that feels and looks good more effectively than any conventional diet plan? Because most of your unhealthy weight gain, chronic diseases and unpleasant symptoms are caused by toxic build up in your body.

Just like your car needs a regular oil change to run well mile after mile, your body needs regular cleansing to feel well year after year. A gentle customized detox diet will alleviate many of your nagging symptoms, help you lose weight and give you more energy, clearer thinking, healthier skin and better digestion.

TOXINS AND OBESITY

Obesity and weight problems are not always related to what we eat or how much we exercise. New research points to the role that environmental toxins play in causing weight gain and preventing weight loss. That’s why learning to avoid toxins and to detoxify is a critical component to long-term health and weight loss.

What Makes Us Toxic?
Toxins in the broadest sense, is the sum of total of our poor diet, chronic stress, and environmental pollutants that overload and poison our bodies and minds. This includes toxic foods such as sugar, high fructose corn syrup, trans fats, food additives and preservatives, pesticides, hormones and antibiotics in our food supply and water supply, as well as mercury, lead and other heavy metals. Beware too from the toxins in your medicine cabinet. Certain drugs can have toxic effects and cause weight gain.

It also includes toxic thoughts, behaviors and beliefs that keep us chronically stressed. These thoughts produce a flood of hormones, such as cortisol, that promote weight gain around the middle, increase our blood sugar and blood pressure and even kill brain cells.

Detoxification is a natural and critical part of our biology. It is the process of eliminating toxins from your body and your life. By eliminating the major sources of toxins in your life -> addictive habits such as coffee, sugar, alcohol, processed foods, fast food, junk food, trans fats and HFCS, and reducing toxic stress, your body can renew and rejuvenate itself.

Take away the things that make you toxic and inflamed. Provide your body with foods and activities that help you detoxify and cool inflammation. Your body does the rest automatically. It has a natural ability to find balance and heal once you stop doing things that throw it off balance and provide things that put it back in balance. The real trick is that the same things that make people sick make them fat. In fact, being overweight is actually a symptom of an underlying health problem.

In summary:

-Toxins can cause weight gain and prevent weight loss.
-Toxins slow your metabolic rate, lower your thyroid hormones, increase inflammation, slow down fat and calorie burning, and damage your appetite control system.
-Sugar, stress, lack of exercise, toxins and food allergies all cause inflammation.
-Inflammation causes weight gain and prevents weight loss.
-Healing your digestive system can reduce the severity and number of your food allergies over the long term.

You can successfully eliminate toxins from your body through diet, exercise, supplements and sweating.If you want to enhance your detoxification process, I highly recommend the book "THE ULTRASIMPLE DIET" by Mark Hyman. Is a step-by-step program that gives you everything you need to know to completely free your system of these harmful chemicals. You can start now by downloading for free the “Ultrasimple Diet” guide of 184 pages which explains what to buy and what to do for a 1 week program of detoxification. Here is the link:

http://www.ultrawellness.com/files/USD-Guide.pdf

Most of us have no idea how our choice of foods and our behaviors influence how we feel. We have the power to transform our life forever by choosing to work with our body, rather than against it.

Taken from the amazing book "The ultrasimple diet" by Mark Hyman.

Get rid of Stress

It’s a crazy and hectic world in which we live! It may seem that there’s nothing you can do about your stress level. The bills aren’t going to stop coming, there will never be more hours in the day for all your errands, and your career or family responsibilities will always be demanding. But you have a lot more control than you might think. In fact, the simple realization that you’re in control of your life is the foundation of stress management.

Managing stress is all about taking charge: taking charge of your thoughts, your emotions, your schedule, your environment, and the way you deal with problems. The ultimate goal is a balanced life, with time for work, relationships, relaxation, and fun – plus the resilience to hold up under pressure and meet challenges head on.

Beyond a take-charge approach and a positive attitude, you can reduce stress in your life by nurturing yourself. If you regularly make time for fun and relaxation, you’ll be in a better place to handle life’s stressors when they inevitably come.

Healthy ways to relax and recharge

There are a multitude of ways of dealing with stress. Some have been borrowed from other cultures and religions. The Hindus have yoga and the Japenese have zen. Both of these methods are excellent ways of relieving stress. Yoga is a method of stretching the muscles of various body parts as well as use of positions to relax various parts of the body. Zen is more of a psychological approach to relaxation. It emphasizes relaxing the body through meditation. It can be very effective at relieving stress, especially if practiced on a daily basis.

Get a Massage

Our body is like a car engine. To function properly, it needs all the essential parts to perform efficiently. All the parts are subject to wear and tear. In order to survive, our body needs to have a regular maintenance. With today high stress lifestyle, our bodies are always in demand to perform optimally. If you don't take care of your body, it will break down in many ways and leave you unable to perform your daily activities.

It's ironic that many people who own cars do remember to send their cars for regular maintenance. Some even wash their cars everyday and give them a good wax so that they look shiny and brand new. But when it comes to taking care of their own bodies, they've somehow forgotten it. So if your car deserves your care, don't you think your body deserves more?

Getting a massage in a regular basis is part of having a good health.If you're a busy professional with hectic work schedule, find time to pamper your body by giving it a massage therapy.A massage could help you get rid of stress and keep you going for a whole week of hectic workloads.

Get a healthy lifestyle

You can increase your resistance to stress by strengthening your physical health.

Exercise regularly.. Physical activity plays a key role in reducing and preventing the effects of stress. Make time for at least 30 minutes of exercise, three times per week. Nothing beats aerobic exercise for releasing pent-up stress and tension.

Eat a healthy diet. Well-nourished bodies are better prepared to cope with stress, so be mindful of what you eat. Start your day right with breakfast, and keep your energy up and your mind clear with balanced, nutritious meals throughout the day.

Reduce caffeine and sugar. The temporary "highs" caffeine and sugar provide often end in with a crash in mood and energy. By reducing the amount of coffee, soft drinks, chocolate, and sugar snacks in your diet, you’ll feel more relaxed and you’ll sleep better.

Get enough sleep. Adequate sleep fuels your mind, as well as your body. Feeling tired will increase your stress because it may cause you to think irrationally.

Other ways to relax are:

Go for a walk.
Spend time in nature.
Take a long bath.
Light scented candles
Savor a warm of tea.
Play with a pet.
Work in your garden.
Curl up with a good book.
Listen to music.
Watch a comedy

Statistics show that the most common cause of todays health problems is stress. Aside from improper diet and unhealthy life style, prolonged periods of stress subconsciously affect many systems of the human body.

Don’t get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that you forget to take care of your own needs. Nurturing yourself is a necessity, not a luxury.Set aside relaxation time. Include rest and relaxation in your daily schedule. Don’t allow other obligations to encroach. This is your time to take a break from all responsibilities and recharge your batteries.

10 tips for Longevity

It is human instinct to want to live a youthful, long and healthy life. Some people are even blessed with a genetic predisposition for longevity. However, most of us must adopt a very healthy life style in order to live long satisfying lives. For the 99% of us that have to work for our longevity, here are ten tips to help keep us as healthy as possible for as long as possible.

Eating right
Your food intake is one of the most important aspects of a long and healthy life. Eat in moderation because overeating can lead to a number of diseases and problems that will shorten your life expectancy. You should also keep an eye on your fat intake and be sure that the foods you eat are generally high in fiber and overall nutrition. This means that you should eliminate empty calories like soda and sweets. Studies on animals have shown that calorie-restriction increases life expectancy quite significantly. As you grow in age, your body needs fewer calories but more vitamins. This means that you should eat more fruits and vegetables and select natural unprocessed foods rich in Vitamin C, E and beta-carotene. Also, select those foods containing antioxidants, which fight the free radicals that promote the ageing of your body. Include an intake of about 1500 mg of calcium in your diet to support your bone structure and in women to help avoid osteoporosis. A balanced and nutritious diet is a great contributing factor for long life.

Exercise regularly
Build into your daily routine a program of regular physical exercise that is appropriate to you. A regular 30-minute work out, five days a week, is the minimum requirement for most people. Incorporate some amount of weight training to help strengthen and maintain your muscles. A 20-minute program of lifting weights appropriate to your fitness level, at least twice a week, will also be helpful. The main idea of eating right and exercising right is to achieve and maintain your ideal body weight, which is a very important factor for long life.

Be physically active
Keep moving as frequently as you can throughout the day. Your daily activity should not just consist of going to the gym. Leading a sedentary life is not at all helpful to your health. If you can get an electronic pedometer, try to register a few thousand steps on it per day. 10,000 would be ideal. Try to get outside for your activity as your body needs the Vitamin D the sun’s rays provide.

Sleep well
Getting adequate sleep and rest is an essential aspect of healthy living. Sleep deprivation is detrimental to your goal of living long. Depending on age, a minimum of eight or nine of hours of sound sleep promotes good health and, naturally, long life. Also, learn good relaxation techniques that will prevent or control hypertension.

Reduce stress
Life is filled with problems of one type or another. Learn to face them without putting yourself under too much stress. Learn coping strategies to overcome the ill effects of traumatic events like accident, divorce, death and so on.

Have a positive attitude
Adopting a positive attitude is found to be conducive to good health, to the reduction of problems associated with ageing, and to longevity.

Learn something new
Remember, learning is a life-long activity. Learn a new hobby, activity, or even something strange, as long as it is something you have never attempted to learn. Engaging your mind like this keeps your mind young and active. Exercising your mind is as important for long life as exercising your body.

Avoid toxins
Studies on most people well into their nineties show that almost all of them do not smoke and drink. Some limit their consumption of alcohol. Almost all stimulants and intoxicants affect your health adversely so avoid them whenever possible. This means avoiding alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs, overuse of over-the-counter drugs and even processed foods.

Preventative health
Have regular health checks to help maintain good health. The age-old golden rule of prevention being better than cure is good for a long healthy life.

Connect with others
Healthy emotional and social connections contribute to long life. Have a goal or purpose in life and actively strive for it. Friends can be a wonderful way to stay young by providing a release from the stresses of everyday life and by bringing laughter and fun into your life.

Five easy steps for a cleaner,greener,safer home

1) MANAGE PESTS SAFELY: Choose nontoxic lawn and garden products for insecticides, pesticides, weed killers, fertilizers and flea/tick control. Remember to encourage good sanitation habits, such as washing hands after being outdoors and taking shoes off at the door.

2) USE NONTOXIC PRODUCTS: Remember to read the labels and ask questions. USE products labeled nontoxic, chlorine-free, phosphate-free, natural fragrance, paraben-free, hypoallergenic, vegetable/bio/water based, petroleum-free, organic, and low or zero VOC, recycled or reclaimed, and formaldehyde-free. AVOID using products that say poison, danger, warning or caution.

3) CLEAN UP INDOOR AIR: Ventilate your home, especially the bedrooms and nursery, by simply opening windows. Change the filters in your air-conditioning and heating units- and the bag in your vacuum cleaner- to greatly improve indoor air quality. Sanitize and cleanse air with help from indoor plants and air purifiers with approved HEPA filters. Look for low VOC paints and stains. Avoid synthetic carpets when possible.

4) SHOP SMART: Eat organic fruits and vegetables when available. Make wise protein choices with meat, poultry, seafood, eggs and milk products from animals raised on vegetarian feed without hormones or antibiotics. Avoid foods high in sugar, high in fat, or highly processed, as well as fast foods.

5) BE WISE WITH PLASTICS: Replace vinyl chew toys made of soft plastic, especially any labeled PVC, V, OR #3. Opt for toys and books made with natural wood, cloth, or metal. Avoid using plastic or containers and cling wrap in the microwave. Instead select reusable containers made of glass or ceramic (lead free). Choose safer plastics such as polyethylene (#1,#2,#4), and polypropylene(#5). Avoid use of polycarbonate plastics for baby and look for products that state no phthalates or No bisphenol A (BPA).

Source: "Healthy child, healthy world". Christopher Gavigan.

Alkaline & Ionic Water

Water, Ionic Water & Pure Water.

There are 4 different criteria that the water you drink should be judged by. 1. Purity 2. pH 3. Mineral Content 4. Oxygen content. If you're looking for the BEST water, it must pass the test of all four of these criteria!

Watch this revealing video, by www.PhionBalance.com

Self Care: How to prolong the positive effects of massage

Don't we all wish that the fuzzy, good feelings that we receive after a good massage could linger just a little bit longer? Well, with a little bit of homework and good self care, you can! Remember to refer to these important guidelines in the days/weeks following your massage:

Massage Frequency: Check-in with how you feel before the massage and then afterwards, pay attention to your body’s signals and get massage when your body reminds you that it needs it.

Be consistent with getting massage: Don’t go long periods without receiving massage if you can help it, your body and mind deserve the attention at regular intervals.

Drink Water!: Common guidelines state that we need 64oz. a day to help our body eliminate toxins and cleanse the circulatory system.

Stretch, Stretch, Stretch!: Another helpful habit is stretching between massages to maintain joint mobility, prevent muscles from tightening up again, and keeping the life energy flowing.

Exercise: Working out can also help maintain the benefits of massage, and this habit should be continually cultivated.

Body Awareness: After a massage, respect how your body feels. If your body seems to ask for rest, give in to that demand. After a massage, take a hot bath when you get home, you are reminding your body of the therapy you just received and you will further improve your sleep patterns.

Diet: Finally, since you've just rid the body of toxins, support the body's renewed state by adhering to a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables, which will continue the detoxification process. Lay off the espresso and all adrenaline-challenges for a time -- which would short-circuit relaxation anyway -- and enjoy the calm.

If having good health is a necessity, then a massage is not a luxury, it's a necessity!

Take time for yourself, take time for your health.

Angela Lind.LMT

www.therapeutic-hands.com

Breathing relaxation exercise

Breathing will cost you nothing. It does not require time. You can breathe while watching television, lying in bed, travelling to work, absolutely anywhere and anytime.The only place I do not recommend deep breathing is in a steam filled environment, not in the bath or shower as water often has chlorine and other chemicals in it.

Regular deep breathing minimizes stress.Deep breathing also relaxes muscles.The immune system needs oxygen to function effectively.Correct breathing helps to prevent premature aging and degenerative diseases.The best beauty treatment available is breathing.Deep breathing reduces pain. Anyone who has experienced childbirth can vouch for that.Deep breathing greatly influences emotions and general well-being. With deep breathing, we can calm ourselves when in a state of anxiety or fear.

I am highly recommending that you try deep, long, slow breathing as a daily exercise to improve health and well-being, release stress, and re-energize your mind and body. Hope you like this video and experience the benefits.

Angela Lind. LMT.
www.therapeutic-hands.com

Relax and lose weight

Thousands of years ago, stress was our friend and it serves us well. When we were confronted with danger, (like a predator that wanted to eat us), stress chemicals will quickly flood the body, enhancing our ability to either fight or flee.As soon as the danger dissipated, the stress-chemical levels would quickly-drop, and so would the feelings of stress.

Today, however, we're under constant stress. We're bombarded by inputs of the media,cell phones, pagers, computers, e-mail, voicemail, faxes, etc. We're inundated with bad news, bad relationships, stressful jobs and difficult living environments. Even worse, just thinking about negative things (wether they're real or not), can trigger the stress response. So understanding stress and how you can reduce it is critical to living a healthy and happy life.

Stress is fatiguing. Fatigue is demoralizing. And demoralization may lead us to seek quick highs from sugar, caffeine, alcohol and other drugs. So, what happen to your body when you are stressed?

The body responds to stress by releasing hormones, including one called cortisol. Cortisol levels are suposed to go up and down quickly. But when you're under chronic stress, cortisol continues to pump out. And it triggers a cascade of events. For example, cortisol causes fat to be stored around your middle. That belly fat causes most of the "silent inflammation" that leads to diabetes, heart disease, and virtually all other chronic conditions that humans suffer from. Cortisol is the principal hormone of stress, so when you are under stress, the brain starts responding chemically by slowing down your metabolism and everything gets slower, the body stores more fat, the blood sugar levels increases and you start suffering of acid reflux and constipation. So yes, stress makes you fat! being stressed won't help you to lose weight properly even if you are on a diet or doing exercise. So, in conclusion: being stressed makes you fat, being relaxed help you to lose weight!

Reducing stress requires ACTIVE relaxation. Most of us think relaxation is a passive "nonactivity" that requires a couch, a beer, and a Tv. But stress reduction requires profound, deep relaxation, which is not something that happens automatically.You have to ACTIVELY relax.And yes, the best way to relax is by getting a Massage! Doing deep breathing, meditation and yoga can help you to relax too.

By decreasing mental stress and noticing the profound benefits to your nervous system, sleep habits, and digestion, you will learn about the subtle but powerful connection between psychological, spiritual and physical toxins. When your nervous system is balanced,when your digestion is working properly, when you are relaxed and rested and when you are healthier inside and out, you may find you have much more energy and happiness for your everyday life.

Start rewarding and taking care of your body now! Getting a massage is not longer a luxury, it's a necessity, it's one of the keys for a healthier life.

Visit my website for my contact information,

http://www.therapeutic-hands.com/

Angela Lind. LMT

Source: "The Ultrasimple Diet" by Mark Hyman.

Is your body pH Balanced?

The pH of your internal fluids affects every cell in your body. Acicification can overwhelm your body.Proper pH balance is the foundation for optimal health.

Your body is alkaline by design. The fluids that make up 70% of your body must remain alkaline for you to experience optimal health. Your body is acidic by function. Every metabolic process that your body undergoes produces acid. Your body is always seeking to maintain proper pH balance-the balance between acid and alkaline.

When you become too acidic, your body becomes vulnerable to a whole host of health problems.Your body will go to such great lengths to maintain pH balance in the fluids that it will even create stress on cells, tissues, bones and organs in order to do so.

Chronic acidification will interrupt all cellular activities and functions -it interferes with life itself.When the pH of your body becomes too acidic, you may experience low energy, fatigue, excess weight, poor digestion, aches and pains, and even more serious disorders.

Your body becomes pH imbalanced and onverly acidic primarily as a result of three things: the ingestion of acids, the creation of acids, and the improper elimination of acids.

When you discover the magic of pH balance, you'll experience vibrant health and energy. When your body is pH balanced, it is full of vitality. You'll find that you have increased energy, metal clarify, and you'll even notice that your skin has regained that healthy glow. Simply put, a body in pH balance functions properly and operates optimally. The good news is that if you've suffered the negative impact of an overly acidic body, you can regain your health and you can regain balance. The process of re-establishing pH balance begins with proper diet and nutrition. This includes eating alkalizing foods (vegetable, low sugar fruits, etc.), hydrating properly (drinking plenty of alkaline, ionic, structured water), and integreating proper nutritional supplementation.

Proper hydration is the most crucial factor in establishing and maintaining proper pH. Since your body is 70% water, it is extremely important to constantly replenish your supply of it. Your body loses 2.5 liters of water every day just through normal bodily functions.

The QUALITY of the water that you drink is just as important as the QUANTITY of water that you drink. The water you put in your body must be able to prevent toxins and chemicals subtances from accumulation, thus preventing destructive influences on cells.

Water must also transport minerals and nutrients required for cell metabolism and remove any substances that can damage the cell. Ideally, the water you drink should have a pH between 9 and 10, and you should be drinking 3-4 liters of it daily.

In order to hydrate your body optimally, you need to drink water that is alkaline and ionized. Alkaline water helps to neutralize stored acid wastes. Once these acids are neutralized, they can then be removed by the body. Alkaline water containing ionic minerals also acts as a conductor of electrochemical activity from cell to cell.

There are plenty places on the internet you can find ionized/alkaline filters or natural products to help you get a balanced pH. I personally suggest this one:

http://www.phi-ion.com . The book "The acid-alkaline Diet" by Christopher Vasey is one of the best books I have read for optimum health.

Vibrant health and energy begins with a pH balance. Start changing your life now!

Source: pH ion.

Traveling for business or pleasure?

"Traveling can really take a toll on your body", says Lara Bracciante, online properties director for Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP). "Cramped airplane seating, extensive driving, lumpy hotel beds, and varying time zones can leave you feeling fatigued, stressed, and sore. In addition, your immune system can become depleted, leaving you susceptible to illness. Fortunately, massage in an excellent tool for restoring and reenergizing the body when traveling and getting you back to your normal, vital self."

Too much time spending in the same position on an airplane or car, can put more stress and tightness on your body. Your muscles need to continuously stretch in order to be soft and receive good source of oxygen through your blood.

Massage Therapy combined with passive stretching (thai-yoga) is the best choice to improve your circulation, move your muscles and prevent on getting future knots, cramps, numbness and tingling on your extremities, especially your legs.

Take care of your body and don't let traveling on an airplane or car affect your health and wellness.

Angela Lind. LMT
http://www.therapeutic-hands.com/

How do I know if I should put heat or ice on an injury?

One of my preferred educators is Art Riggs. He says that it's difficult to establish a fail-safe rule for what to apply ice or heat.

The general rule is to apply ice for the first forty-eight to seventy-two hours after an acute injury and then to switch to heat. It is important to have a thin covering of cloth or paper towel between the ice and your skin. Be careful of falling asleep while lying on a heating pad. Usually, ten to fifteen minutes should be the maximum amount of time of application. For ice, frequent applications are helpful. If alternating ice and heat:the heat will increase circulations and soften tissue, while the ice will flush out the blood and curtail inflammation. So it's best to end with the ice.

The reality is that many conditions are not necessarily the result of a specific injury. I call these conditions "recurrent acute" and find them by far the most common: sciatica that occurs when you drive a car; backs that flare up every time you garden, or tennis elbow from intense computer work. In these cases, consistent and frequent applications of ice may prove very helpful over long periods of time, particularly immediately after the event that causes problems.

On the other side, back or other muscle spasms that are caused by overexertion rather than injury, may benefit greatly from heat immediately upon the onset of symptoms or immediately after exercise in order to relax the muscles and increase circulation. Generally, muscle belly pain not resulting from acute and serious trauma responds well to heat, which can break the spasms and release the strain. Nerve and tendon pain, regardless of the duration of symptoms, even for months, benefit from ice.

Finally different individuals will constitutionally vary greatly in their reactions. Some people are more prone to the types of inflammation exarcerbated by heat, while others find their bodies contracting and tightening at just the mention of ice. Try each and see what works best for you.

Hydrotherapy

New research concludes:

In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.

Even mild dehydration will slow down one`s metabolism as much as 3 %.

One glass of water shuts down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a U-Washington study.

Lack of water is the number one trigger of daytime fatigue.

8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing ont the computer screen or on a printed page.

Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.

If you care about healthful eating, chances are you`re getting enough protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. But you may be forgetting one of the most important items of all: water!

Water accounts for 60% of body weight and is vital for all body functions. It`s used to generate energy, propel nerve impulses and drive muscle contractions.

You cannot funciton at peak capacity without enough water. Yet one third of all Americans suffer from chronic dehydration.

Over time, even mild dehydration poses numerous health risks.

In conclusion: If you feel tired, stressed, your body might be dehydrated because the body needs to be constantly flushing out toxins and water is the mediator for this to happen. If you are having joint pain, might be dehydrated because the joints in order to function normally need synovial fluid that is based of water. If you are having back pain, you might be dehydrated because the tissue dries and get tighter. The tight muscles are mostly caused by dehydration and water helps the muscles be maleable and more flexible. If you are under medication and you are having too many side effects, the cause might be lack of water, because dehydration concentrates drugs in the body, effectively raising the doses and this increases the risk of side effects and toxicity in your body.

So, please... DRINK WATER! =0)

Angela Lind. LMT

http://www.therapeutic-hands.com/

FEET: Foundation of your Body.

Your feet are the foundation of your body. They support you when you stand, walk, or run. And they help protect your spine, bones, and soft tissues from damaging stress as you move around. Your feet perform better when all their muscles, arches, and bones are in their ideal stable positions.The foot is constructed with three arches which, when properly maintained, give exceptional supportive strength. These three arches form a supporting vault that distributes the weight of the entire body.If there is compromise of one arch in the foot, the other arches must compensate and are subject to additional stresses, which usually leads to further compromise.

It’s a chain reaction.

Alleviating pain in one part of your body often requires treating a different part. The pain you feel in your neck could be caused by a misalignment in your spine that is caused by unbalanced positioning in your feet. See? It’s a chain reaction.

Call me and let me help you to recognize the specific muscles you need to be addressed and the specific measurement or thickness for your shoe inserts. By stabilizing and balancing your feet and performing the neuromuscular therapy, this together will enhance your body’s performance and efficiency, reduce pain and contribute to your total body wellness.

Angela Lind.LMT
www.therapeutic-hands.com

Source: Foot Levelers

Suffering of Hip Pain?

Facts about Hip Pain:

• Your hip is a weight-bearing joint, and all of your weight above the waistline has to be supported by your hips. Whenever you stand, walk, or run, your hip joints are subjected to stress and strain.


• If you haven`t experience a traumatic injury such a car accident or a fall on the hip, and your pain seems to lessen when you`re resting, your hip pain could be caused by imbalances in your feet.


• The feet are the foundation of your body: they support everything above them, including the hips. When your feet aren`t balanced, it puts more stress and pressure on your hips.


• Hip pain can occasionally be a symptom of a more serious problem, such as arthritis, osteoporosis, or an infection in the joint. If your hip pain doesn`t go away, you should make an appointment to be evaluated by a health care professional.

How can I help you?
In the beginning, I would suggest rest or cold packs to relieve pain and reduce inflammation.
I recommend custom-made, flexible spinal pelvic stabilizers, which are inserts that you place in your shoes. Stabilizers help your feet maintain their structural and functional balance as you move. Thay also absorb harmful shock.
I may also suggest that you do rehabilitative exercises to build muscle strength, stabilize the hip joint and reduce your risk of addtional injuries.

What can you do at home to recover faster?
Lifestyle changes such as exercising regularly and losing weight can help. Excess weight causes additional stress and strain on all of your joints, particularly the hips.
To avoid hip problems in the future, make sure that you get adequate amounts of calcium and vitamind D. This will heep your bones healthy and strong, and can even help prevent osteoporosis, a leading cause of hip fractures.

Take this test to see if feet stabilizers can help you:

Do you stand or walk on hard surfaces for more than 4 hours daily?
Do you participate regularly in any physical sport?
Are you age 40 or over?
Have you had a prior injury to your knee, back or neck?
Have you had a knee surgery?
Do your shoes wear unevenly?
Do you have joint pain while standing, walking, or running?
Is one of your legs shorter than the other?
Do you have knock-knees of bow legs?
Do you have obvious foot problems? (bunions, corns, flat feet, etc)

If you checked any of the above, Spinal Pelvic Stabilizers can help you. And I can help you find the best stabilizer for you, and customize specially for your feet.

Visit my website www.therapeutic-hands.com to know how to reach me.

Will be happy to help you!

Angela Lind. LMT.

Source: Foot Levelers.

Deep Tissue vs. Neuromuscular Therapy (aka. Trigger Point Therapy)

DEEP TISSUE MASSAGE is just what it sounds like. Very deep pressure, a good hurt, is applied to release tight taut muscle areas not touched by conventional pressure. Often the movements are directed against the grain of the muscles (cross fiber) using the fingers, thumbs and/or elbows. It is applied with greater pressure and at deeper levels than Swedish Massage. Deep Tissue is used only at your request and not generally part of a regular session unless you feel you need it and can take deep pressure. Deep Tissue Massage lends itself to being more focused on a problem area.

TRIGGER POINT THERAPY (also known as Neuromuscular Therapy) is the application of very deep, pin point finger pressure done on adhesions or knots in your muscles to break them down and disperse them. These intense knots of muscle tension are called Trigger Points, as they seem to trigger a pain pattern, or referred pain to other parts of the body. The points are located and "deactivated" and new blood flow to the area will reduce spasm of the muscle. Finger pressure is applied to individual muscles for a short time, which can be momentarily painful but is greatly relieving. Like Deep Tissue Massage, it is not performed unless you specifically request it or I recommend it and you consent to it.

Visit my website: www.therapeutic-hands.com . Maybe this is the best for you!

Angela Lind. LMT.

Source: Hardy Massage.

The Breath Therapy

A correct breathing improves body-awareness as well as improvement in postural control and low-back pain.But when the breath is incorrect, It can be a perpetuating factor for a number of pain syndromes, as well part and parcel of many stress-related disorders. It`s incorrect breathing reaising the chest and pulling in of the abdomen. So it`s very important that this type of breathing should be corrected. The following exercise can help retrain breathing patterns:

• Take a slow breath, allowing the musculature of the stomach and abdomen to expand somewaht with the breath. Breath in this way for a few moments, allowing the breath to move down into the lower portions of the thorax. As constrictions of abdominal and/or thoracic musculature are felt, intentionally relax the area. If the chest or shoulders rise up, return to the focus of dropping the breath into the lower areas of the body.


• Now inhale deeply. Allow the musculature of the thorax to relax. As the musculature relaxes the chest will expand slightly in an anterior direction, in a lateral direction and in a posterior direction. This will happen naturally in the relaxed body. Sense that a container is being filled: first the lower portion fills, then the upper portion.


• Now exhale, emptying the upper portion first and then the lower portion. Allow the body to deflate as a balloon deflates. It will do so evenly-anteriorly, posteriorly and laterally.


• Relax the breath and continue to breath fully and completely, paying attention to the pitfalls: the shoulders may want to rise up, the abdominal muscles may tighten. Keep them relaxed.

Try to practice in front of a mirror.
Remember: a correct breathing is part of your relaxation and healing process.

Take care!

Angela Lind. LMT

www.therapeutic-hands.com

Ambiance vs. Health

I have been working at the Red Door Spas, a great and nice place to be and get relaxed. Nice relaxation room, nice hallways, nice customer service, nice massage rooms, nice music, a large etcetera that converges in two words: great ambiance. I have seen how lots of people spends lot of money wanting to get relaxed, and they decide going to this kind of spas. They get relaxed for an hour or so with the massage, and then, have to step out the room,step out the spa, take the car and drive. Their relaxation state is almost completely gone, because have to be very alert to drive back again. The reflexes after the massage are not good because the body it`s been laying down on the table with the increasing of blood circulation. That`s why is highly recommended to drink plenty of water for not fainting or feeling dizzy. Are kind of the same symptoms when someone is under alcohol`s influence or when the person is very sleepy. Very dangerous for a person when is driving, but in this case, the person just drink water, and break the relaxation state voluntarily, and easily get alert and ready to drive back. So, why the people spend so much money for ambiance and to get relaxed just a short time?What I think, it`s much better receiving a massage at home. After the massage, I don`t have to worry about driving. After the massage, I jump to my shower, then jump to my bed, go to sleep, or just watch tv. But the relaxation state remains longer. I think that the best place to get relaxed is in my own house, my own shower, my own bed. This is how the money spent for massage has more value.It`s wonderful going to nice resorts with great ambiances and luxurious atmospheres, but that not happens all the time. You don`t live at these resorts the 365 days of the year. Health, is an every day matter.

Receiving a massage in a regular basis is part of your good health.Stress unfortunately is part of our lives, gravity that pull bones and muscles in a constant force that causes misalignments and therefore stiffness, pain and discomfort. Massage reduce stress, stiffness and pain.

If having good health is a necessity, then getting a massage is not a luxury, it`s a necessity.If you want to participate more in your own care rather than paying exorbitant amounts for ambiance, call me.I really look forward to giving you the opportunity to help with your healing and health improvement for now, tomorrow and the future.

Best wishes,

Angela Lind. LMT
www.therapeutic-hands.com