Spring 2006 Newsletter

FOCUS ON MASSAGE

Massage Therapy: Must Know Facts


Massage therapy is the assessment and treatment of the soft tissues of the body: skin, muscles, joints, tendons, ligaments, joints and connective tissue. Using a scientific and artful approach massage is the manual manipulation of these tissues. Massage therapy aims to increase function and decrease discomfort.

Types of Massage

Therapeutic or Clinical Massage is considered to be medical in nature. It focuses on the rehabilitation of soft tissue conditions and soft tissue injury.

Relaxation Massage targets stress management and general wellness.

Specialized massage includes pregnancy, infant and premature infant, geriatric, chronic care, and handicapping conditions, among others.

Sports massage is used to help enhance an athlete’s performance. It can help reduce the chance of tissue injury and increase the rate of tissue recovery from an injury.

Receiving massage therapy affects all of your major body systems.

Musculature: Increases mobility and flexibility, and decreases stiffness and spasm through the breakdown of scar tissue and muscle lengthening.

Skeletal (Bone): Increases nutrition supply, and assists in proper bone alignment through muscle relaxation.

Circulation: Increases blood and lymph flow, improves metabolic waste removal and detoxification.

Nervous System: increase nutrition to nervous tissue. Massage can either relax or stimulate the nervous system depending on the reason massage is being used.

Other: Massage also affects the respiratory and digestive systems and assists in the feeling of well being.
Source: Massage Therapy Canada Treatment Guide





Pain Relief Tip: Are you developing sore hands, wrists and arms from hours at your
computer? Switch Hands! If you’re a righty, shifting your computer’s mouse to the left of your keyboard and operating it with your left hand cuts muscle stress. When 27 right-handed Canadians tried it, researchers foundthey used smaller wrist, shoulder, and arm motions. Why? Extra keys on the right side of the keyboard mean your right arm must extend farther to work a mouse – not so on the left.
Developing blackberry thumb? Take a break from texting to stretch - clench and unclench your fists a few times. Rotate your thumbs in clockwise and counterclockwise circles.

Pain Relief Tip: Do your feet ache from a long walk, a hard workout or a tough day at the office? Try this soothing foot soak.

2 Tbsp fresh rosemary
2 Tbsp fresh thyme
4 peppermint tea bags
1 lemon, sliced
16 ice cubes

Place rosemary and thyme in a clean old stocking, and tie the end. Bring ½ gallon of water to boil in a large pot. Add herbs and tea bags, and steep for 10 minutes, then remove them. Add lemon. Transfer brew to a basin. Add 1 gallon of cool water and ice, and soak.




Walk into a Healthier Lifestyle

Walking is one of the most simple and effective exercises you can do. Just look at some of the
spectacular benefits:
- Burns almost as many calories as jogging
- Slims your waist and shapes your legs and butt
- Eases back pain
- Goes easy on your joints and strengthens your bones
- Can be done in short bouts
- Lowers blood pressure and cuts cholesterol
- Allows time with family and friends
- Requires no equipment and costs nothing
- Can be done when you’re traveling
- Reduces your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and more.

The Full Week Walking Program
To get the most out of your walking sessions alternate between a variety of walking routines.

Pratice easy walking on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Walk for 30 minutes at a good pace, as if you were five minutes late for an appointment.

Interval walk on Tuesday and Thursday. You’ll walk fast for four minutes and then at a slower pace for one minute allowing you to catch your breath. During the speed interval you should be breathing hard and you’ll burn more calories.

Speed walk an easy route on Saturday for20 minutes.

On Sunday take a long walk. This is your endurance training. Pace yourself for 45-60 minutes.

WEIGHT LOSS TIP: Trying to shed a few pounds by eliminating your favourite unhealthy foods? Resist all temptation and don’t even have a bite! Tasting foods you crave affects your brain the same way that thinking about cocaine affects an addict’s brain, researchers at Brookhaven National Laboratory have found. Brain scans done on 12 people while they sampled their
favourite foods, such as cinnamon buns and lasagna, showed that brain activity jumped by 24%, mostly in the same areas activated when addicts think about drugs. The risk: a calorie overdose!

Healthy Easter Recipe: Raspberry Lemon Muffins

An alternative to chocolate bunnies with lots of flavour and without much sugar!
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup plain yogurt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract (optional)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 cup frozen raspberries
2 tablespoons white sugar for decoration (optional)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a 12 cup muffin tin, or line with muffin cups.

In a large bowl, mix the yogurt, oil, lemon juice, egg whites, and, if using, lemon extract. In a separate bowl, stir the flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and mix until just blended. Gently stir in the frozen raspberries. Spoon batter evenly into the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle remaining sugar for decoration.

Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched. Cool muffins in the tin on a wire rack.

from www.allrecipes.com
Bulking up with Protein Shakes? Are you maximizing the
nutritional benefit? These five easy upgrades can give you a boost.

Evaporated Milk
A half cup of condensed milk adds nearly 400 milligrams (mg) of calcium. Stronger bones mean a stronger frame to hang muscle tissue on.

Vanilla Extract
It’s the secret ingredient that made nearly everything your mom baked taste better. A couple of drops will do the same for your smoothie.

Pumpkin
Canned pumpkin is already cooked to a smooth consistency, so it slips easily into a protein shake. And a cup of it delivers 7 grams (g) of fiber, that crucial nutrient that most muscle building, high protein diets lack.

Flaxseed
Dropping 1 tablespoon of flaxseed (available at any health-food store) into the blender adds nearly 1.5 grams of omega-3 fatty acids, which lock protein into your muscle fibers.

Stress Busting Tip: Find at least 20 minutes a day to do absolutely nothing, and schedule it in your calendar.

EPSOM SALTS

Sutherland-Chan massage therapists often recommend a bath in epsom salts after a
treatment to help futher the healing and relaxing process. For years people have known that when magnesium sulfate is absorbed through the skin, as it is in a bath, it draws toxins from the body, sedates the nervous system, reduces swelling, relaxes muscles, and is a natural emollient and exfoliator. A perfect compliment to massage therapy.

The Therapeutic Bath: Add 3-4 cups of epsom salts to a warm bath and soak. The amount you use is dependent on the size of your tub and how much water you use. Always drink an 8 ounce glass of water before, during and after the bath to ensure you do not become dehydrated.

The Relaxing Bath: Soak in warm water and 2 cups of epsom salts.

Other ways to use Epsom Salts...

Foot Bath: Soothes aching feet, removes odors and softens rough and calloused skin. Add 1/2 cup of epsom salt to a large pan of warm water. Soak, rinse and pat dry.

Soaking in epsom salts will draw out a splinter.

Face Cleanser: To cleanse your face at night mix 1/2 teaspoon of salt with your regular cleansing cream. Massage and rinse with cold water.

Skin Exfoliator: Massage handfuls of epsom salts over your wet skin. Start at your feet and work your way up to your face. Don’t scrub too hard. Have a bath or shower to rinse.

Source: Massage Therapy Canada Treatment Guide


Source for Health Tips: Prevention Magazines Healthy Women Guide 2006

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