Nutrition

In the unforgettable words of Jack LaLanne, “. . . exercise is the king and nutrition is the queen.”  He nailed that comparison.  In life, as in the game of chess, Regina is much more influential than Rex.
Nutrition can compensate for sloth much better than exercise can overcome bad food.  In today’s world, how much of which foods you put in your mouth determines roughly 60% of your level of health.  Even the American Medical Association estimates that two of every three deaths in this country are essentially self-inflicted, i.e. “the direct result of lifestyle choices.”
In these days of declining life spans – sure, infant mortality rates are way down but adult mortality rates are worsening – it’s hard to stay optimistic about our species.  At the same time that research is revealing more about which foods really nourish us, our tastebuds are busy leading us farther astray.   Since the end of the 19th century, health-nuts have been warning us that we are “digging our graves with our forks.”  Why do we act this way?
Through countless generations, human beings became physically adapted to unpredictable, even intermittent, food supplies.  Long before our ancestors learned to store excess food in granaries, icy caves or airtight containers, their bodies learned to store excess food as energy (body fat).  Without that layer of protection, they would not have survived long winters or bad times, and we would not be here now.
In effect, our bodies are programmed to store fat as quickly as possible.  Every day, as we consume more than we burn by moving, we get bigger.  That’s the way we’re built.
Now that we are faced with a mind-boggling variety and availability of goodies, from complete junk to superfood concentrates, even adults act like Pinocchio’s friend Lampwick on Pleasure Island.  This “problem” of abundance is aggravated by the fact that our guts, including every one of our digestive organs, are not yet adapted to modern foods or to modern cooking.
While the most dangerous cooking techniques (microwaving, frying, baking) clearly wreak havoc on our bodies, they are just the tip of a threatening iceberg.  Problems such as soil depletion, soil distortion, pesticide and insecticide contamination, loss of vital factors over time and in processing, and intentional adulteration grow larger with every passing day.

What can an intelligent eater do?  Consider the following observations.

1.  Good digestion is the key to lasting health.  Cultured and fermented foods are crucial for this.

2.  Synthetic vitamin supplements can very easily upset normal, healthy metabolic processes
(including digestion).

3.  Human beings digest proteins from animal foods better than proteins from plant foods.

4.  Bone strength and kidney health both suffer as protein intake drops.

5.  Most people are not physically equipped to be strict vegetarians.  Our ancestors were highly
carnivorous and plants do not supply all the nutrients our bodies require.

6.  Food cooked right is healthier than most raw foods.  [Up to the boiling point is fine.]

7.  Most overheated food is worse than indigestible; it is toxic and/or carcinogenic.

8.  “Organic” foods are not just less contaminated than commercial foods, they have more
nutritional value and more flavor.

9.  Cholesterol in unprocessed food is less dangerous than the chemicals and rancid fats
in packaged food.

10.  For the entire world population, the most widespread food intolerances (aka “allergies”) are
to cereal grains.
John  Ogle has owned health food stores, taught nutrition, and health, and currently teaches anatomy and physiology at ASIS Massage Education in Prescott. He resides in Northern Arizona.  For more information about ASIS Massage, go to www.asismassage.com

Hydrotherapy

The primary effects of local heat applications can be pretty predicable.  First there will be an increase in cellular metabolism, and a vasodilation directly under the skin, resulting in an increase in sweat (diaphoresis), and reddening of the skin (hyperemia), and a relaxation of the tissue.  Even though the heat does not penetrate deeply, it has a systemic warming of the body because the newly warmed blood’s circulation.   Because of the vasodilation, blood is rushed into the area, drawing blood from other areas, (hydrostatic effect), draining congested fluids from deeper areas in what is called derivation.
An increase in cellular matabolism usually decreases musclular tone, which in turn, decreases any muscular pain, therefore, working as an analgesic.  An increase in blood supply, also creates an increase in white blood cells called leukocytosis.

The Primary effects of local cold applications can also be predicable, in that it is nearly opposite the result of heat.  First there will be an increasing of the muscle tonisity, followed by an immediate vasoconstriction of the vessels.  The vasoconstriction will create a decrease in circulation, resulting in less oxygen and cellular transport, known as Ischemia.  This response is essential if we are looking to reduce, or limit swelling, while blocking the body’s over zealous histamine response.  This effect essentially pushes the fluid away from this area (retrostasis).   All this leads to a decrease in swelling, a decrease in cellular matabolism, a decrease in body temperature, and also a decrease in pain sensory input called anesthetic.

Hydrotherapy

HYDROTHERAPY has long been a staple in European spas. It’s the generic term for water therapies using jets, underwater massage and mineral baths (e.g. Balneotherapy, Kneipp Treatments, Scotch Hose, Swiss Shower, Thalassotherapy) and others. Whirlpool bath, hot Roman pool, hot tub, Jacuzzi, cold plunge, ice packs and mineral baths are also included. Essentially, hydrotherapy uses physical water properties, such as temperature and pressure, for therapeutic purposes, to stimulate blood circulation and treat the symptoms of certain diseases.
Hydrotherapy’s use has been recorded in ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman civilizations. Egyptians bathed with essential oils and flowers, while Romans had communal public baths for their citizens. Hippocrates prescribed bathing in spring water for sickness. A Dominican monk, Sebastian Kneipp, again revived it during the 19th century. His book My Water Cure in 1886 was published and translated into many languages. The use of water to treat rheumatic diseases has a long history.  In older texts, hydrotherapy was also called hydropathy.
Today, hydrotherapy is used to treat musculoskeletal disorders such as arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, or spinal cord injuries and in patients suffering burns, spasticity, stroke or paralysis.   Sports therapists and physical therapists rely on hydrotherapy as an important therapy. It is also used to treat orthopedic and neurological conditions in dogs and horses and to improve fitness.
HelioTherapy is the term used when temperatures are accessed through light, rather than water.

massage therapy helps you love yourself

Indian Summer, a period of ripening and harvest. In Chinese medicine it is the
season of the Earth element. Earth is associated with the center, the stomach, and how we
nourish ourselves. It is a powerful season during which much transformation takes place
in a very short span of time. But we may not reap the full benefits of the season if we are
not in harmony with ourselves.
When we are out of balance, we experience disease on various levels. Physically,
we may have discomfort in the form of muscle aches, colds or inefficient functioning of
organs. Emotionally, we may be worried, unclear, and unable to come to decisions.
Spiritually, we may find ourselves disengaging from our life’s purpose, & becoming self-
centered.
In ancient times, people lived close to the earth and followed “sun time” (the 24
hour clock). We got up with the daylight to work, took siestas when the sun was too
strong, finished our day at sunset, then retired at night when the darkness fell upon us.
We looked to Nature and used her for direction.
Today, our pace of life has quickened. Advanced technology has enabled us to
function without regard to sunlight. We have separated from sun time and attunement to
our natural body rhythm. Our guide, the internal clock, has been pushed aside, & ignored.
We have cut ourselves off from a valuable source of information. Our minds have taken
over; we have lost touch with our center.
The belly is not only a physical center that joins the upper and lower halves
together. It represents a spiritual center that contains an abundant source of information
that can serve as an internal guide to creativity and self-healing. In Oriental medicine it is
known as the hara, which literally translates into “belly” or “root.”
Many of us have judgments and shame associated with this area of our body. We
certainly have not been encouraged to listen to our bellies.  As a culture, we believe that a
hard, flat belly represents health. Only when a woman is pregnant is it acceptable to have a belly. Even then, many women struggle to enjoy this expansion of life in their body.
We place a great deal of importance on body image and the external “look”. I ask,
“What does it feel like to hold in your gut? What would it be like to soften the belly?”
When we harden the belly, our energy moves up into our heads. This can result in
physical imbalances such as headaches and upper back tension. The thinking, rational
mind becomes the focus of our consciousness and we ignore the belly’s wisdom. Holding
the belly in numbs us to the sensations or feelings that once guided us. We may
experience constipation, low back ache, or menstrual disorders. An open belly connects
us to our sensuous nature, our creativity and intuition. We are inclined to focus on the
inner processes and develop a strong relationship with our higher self when we bring our
consciousness down into the belly.
We often look for the answers outside of ourselves when we already have what
we need within. That inner knowledge is asleep inside our bellies. So the next time an
aerobics instructor tells you to suck in your gut, take a breath deep into your abdomen
and listen to what your feel. It takes time to discard the myths to which we’ve grown
accustomed. Staying open keeps us alive to the possibility of discovering the mysteries!
Gina Bader, Published 1997  Gina is a Chicago Illinois native and an instructor at ASIS Massage Education.  For more
information, go to http://asismassage.com/staff_directory_list.htm

perinatalpic