Preventing or reducing inflammation is a key goal of friends, colleagues and clients, so I am sharing Beverly’s recommendations here.  They are NOT in any particular order, and are based on extensive research she has either studied or conducted herself:

• Exercise 30 minutes per day to increase your health and reduce inflammation, 60 minutes a day if you are a child or want to lose weight, and 90 minutes a day if you have recently lost a lot of weight and want to change your metabolism to keep the weight off.  Stay away from high-impact aerobics because the intense pounding can cause inflammation.
• Follow The MIND Diet which is based on the DASH Diet and Mediterranean Diet, and is great for your brain.  Here is a WebMD article giving info on The MIND Diet, and a website with information on The Mediterranean Diet.
• Eat small amounts of cheese (not included in The MIND Diet.) Recent studies are showing that cheese can help reduce inflammation.
• Don’t use more than 2 T of coconut oil per day.  Because of its high saturated fat content, the popular oil can actually increase inflammation.
• Use olive and avocado oils.  (Side note from me: don’t feed your dog anything cooked in avocado oil – avocados are toxic to dogs.)
• Eat at least 1/3 cup of yogurt a day.  Choose a yogurt that has 6 or more strains of good bacteria.  Tillamook Greek Yogurt has 7 or 8 strains, and tastes tolerable to people who aren’t big yogurt fans.
• You must eat foods that are considered PREBIOTICS for your probiotics to work.  The following foods are prebiotics: chicory root, whole grains, leafy greens, onions and garlic, berries, bananas, legumes (including soy), honey, red wine, and artichokes.
• Take or eat PROBIOTICS.  This can include fermented cabbage, yogurt, buttermilk or supplements.
• Get at least 7 hours of sleep per night.  Some people need more.  Here is a website that specializes in sleep: GET SLEEP
• Reduce stress.  Stress causes inflammation.  Beverly singled me out in class since I was the only LMT present, and thanked me for helping people reduce their stress 🙂
• Eat a lot of fish.  If you are worried about radiation or mercury, check with SEAFOOD WATCH or EWG GUIDELINES for help in choosing safer kinds.
• Eat a lot of protein with lunch.  (I failed to take notes on why…based on the next tip, protein must affect sleep when you eat it later in the day.)
• Don’t drink milk at night – it won’t help you sleep because it’s a protein.
• Sugar slows down your brain, and can create inflammation.  Stay away from it and other forms of fructose as much as you can.  Don’t worry about the fructose in fruit, though…you would never be able to eat enough fruit to go over healthy levels of fructose.  Omega-3’s can help counteract sugar’s ill effects.
• “Eat as many fruits and vegetables as you can choke down.”
• Large amounts of Stevia can change DNA.  “Don’t go crazy with it.”
• Lose extra fat, especially belly fat which can contribute to systemic inflammation and disease because of the type of fat (visceral) contained there.
• Here’s a fun fact:  When you lose weight, 80% of your fat is exhaled as CO2.  The other 20% is excreted through urine as water.  Who knew?
• “Quit listening to Dr. Oz and go for a walk instead.”  Beverly said his cleanse and fasting recommendations are ruining people’s metabolisms.

Beverly ended the seminar with a quote from Jack LaLanne, “If it’s man-made, don’t eat it, and if it tastes good, spit it out.”  She was only half-joking!  I hope you find helpful tidbits in her inflammation information.  Thanks for reading!

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I recently saw Twelfth Night at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland and found myself laughing out loud, repeatedly, at the belly level!! The experience felt foreign and wonderful, and I looked around at one point, half-expecting to get shushed. Sadly, I realized that the last time I had laughed uncontrollably was a couple of years ago after surgery when I noticed a hummingbird whose face looked like my little terrier 🙂  I’m not sure that one even counted because it was Vicodan-induced! My experience at Twelfth Night was like getting an inner massage, and I’ve been laughing more and harder since.  Here are three of my favorite videos just for humor’s sake:

1. This one was sent to me by a friend after throwing my low back out while sneezing, Emergency Room Story
2. This one is hilarious because Stopping It is impossible, Bob Newhart – Stop It
3. This one is just so well-done and enjoyable, A Thanksgiving Miracle – SNL

I found a little blog/article that contains suggestions and resources for adding humor to one’s life, and mentions how laughter and humor can even change someone’s destiny – check it out:  Laughter is the Best Medicine.  If you’re in the area, go see Twelfth Night which is the funniest and most skillful production of the play I’ve seen, and I’ve seen many.  Wishing you intense LOL moments.  Here’s to laughing our asses off!

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One thing to do is listen to Geneen Roth.  She is a teacher, speaker, author and body-love advocate whose words I often find inspiring.  I’ve shared her blog entry, “Love The One You’re With”, with so many clients that I decided to post the link here for anyone else who might benefit.  Trying to change things while loving and accepting where we are is a paradox that I haven’t cracked yet.  Geneen’s words definitely helped me and maybe they will help you, too.  Click here to read her blog:  Love The One You’re With

And author and self-professed “Queen of Self-Love”, Christine Arylo, says this :

You see, you have this body and it’s counting on you to love it, to remember it is sacred, to adore it, adorn it, appreciate it, LOVE it.  And in today’s image centric, glossed over, photoshopped, comparison-driven culture, it can be way easier to treat your body like a workhorse, a slave, a neglected child, a project, something to fix, to whip into shape, to compare, to judge, to ignore until it screams for your attention, to stuff full of something just so you don’t have to feel the emptiness and loneliness.

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Barre 3 was started by Sadie Lincoln (a high school friend of my brother) in Portland, but there are now studios popping up around the country.  For areas without a studio or for people who prefer to exercise at home, there is an online program which costs only $10/month if you sign up for the whole year, or $15/month if paid monthly.  The beauty of the online program is that there are workouts that last from 10 to 60 minutes, and you can choose the style and length that fits your day.  The workouts are stored, so you can choose any work out, any time – day or night.  All workouts are done barefoot – no expensive equipment is needed, only a squishy ball, stretchy band, yoga mat and optional light hand weights.  The welcome kit of equipment (ball & band) is only $30, and you can do every workout without the equipment if that’s not your thing.  Also, the workouts are no-impact which is nice for the joints.

What’s really extraordinary is that I’m following the program and seeing results after only one month.  I started with the 10 minute workouts and have only in my 4th week graduated to the 30 minute.  The exercises are challenging and strengthening, and I’m very happy that I do them and fit them into my schedule.  The proof is in the pudding, as they say.  Oh dear, pudding…sounds good.

If you’d like to learn more, go to Barre 3’s website HERE.  For a healthy-for-you pudding recipe, go HERE.

🙂

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“The psoas major muscle (pronounced “so-as”) is often referred to as the deepest core, or as yoga therapist and film-maker Danielle Olson states, the “muscle of the soul.” This core-stabilizing muscle located near the hip bone affects mobility, structural balance, joint function, flexibility, and much more. In addition to its function to help keep the body upright and moving, the psoas is believed to allow you to connect with the present moment especially when it is stretched out and tension is released from the body.”

“Research indicates that the psoas is vital to our psychological wellbeing in addition to structural health. Liz Koch, author of The Psoas Book, states that our psoas “literally embodies our deepest urge for survival, and more profoundly, our elemental desire to flourish.” This means that there is a lot more to the psoas than one might initially think. It is entirely possible to harness healing pranic energy and improve mental health by keeping the psoas healthy.”

To continue reading the article, use the following link:  Muscle of the Soul

Psoas work can be a little painful and invasive, but the results are worth it.  If you have any massage therapists you feel comfortable with, ask them to include the psoas next time if they normally don’t, or to show you how to find the muscle yourself.  You will only be able to feel a small section, but that section is mighty and will most likely be tender or tight.  Another option is to google “psoas stretches” or “psoas palpation” if you want to explore the psoas on your own.

Our psoas are soulful!  Who knew?

The post A Tight Psoas Can Cause More Than Back Pain appeared first on Eden McCarthy | Ashland Massage.

I am on vacation right now, ringing in the New Year at a tango festival in San Diego.  Talk about sore and tired feet!!  I am taking 12 tango classes over four days and dancing every night.  When I booked a hotel that was “within walking distance”, I didn’t realize that meant just under a mile from the venue.  During a break, I mentioned to a fellow dancer how bummed I was that massaging one’s own feet doesn’t feel the same as having someone else do it…I wasn’t hinting, I swear!  Thankfully, I picked an informed person to complain to.  He showed me how to sit with my leg curled back in the chair or couch and to use my body pressure to press my thumbs into my feet.  It ALMOST feels like a professional massage. I also came across the following blog post from the LA Tango Academy website that suggests foot stretches to counteract high heels:  Happy Feet

Well, I’m off for more dancing.  I hope that 2016 brings you everything your heart desires…and a few wonderful surprises, too.  Thanks for reading!

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New research shows that a specific kind of Echinacea effectively treats many kinds of anxiety.  Check out the details here:  Echinacea Angustifolia.

To find the approved 20 mg dose, follow this link, and click on “Store Search”:  Where can I buy it?

For more information on anxiety and its physiological effects, track down the Newsweek cover article, “Anxiety & Your Brain – How Living With Fear Affects the Mind and Body” (Feb 24, 2003),  which came out a little more than a year after 9/11 when the nation was on high alert and dealing with the effects of extreme stress.  The article is still relevant today and contains good information concerning the changes that take place in your body, the differences between fear and anxiety, and what you can do to help yourself.  If you can’t locate a copy, contact me to borrow.

I’ve got the 1974 John Lennon song lyrics stuck in my head:  “Whatever gets you through the night, it’s alright, it’s alright.”  Hoping you have something healthy that gets you through.  If not, try the Echinacea.  Peace out!

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If you can’t make it to a professional massage therapist for treatment for your sciatica or low back pain, try some of these hip flexor stretches and exercises on your own and discover the connection for yourself:

12 Stretches for Hip Flexors

Flex Those Flexors – 3 Steps to Powerful Hips

You might also want to check out this newsletter article on the link between tight hip flexors and lower back pain:

How Tight Hip Flexors & Hamstrings Can Contribute to Lower Back Pain

If you would like to experience an effective massage treatment for sciatica and lower back pain, contact me for a session.  I would be happy to share these new techniques with you so you can feel better soon!

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Since all things sweet are on my mind, I jumped on the following articles.  Check them out.  The jury is still out on honey, as far as I’m concerned, but perhaps this natural sweetener can work for you 🙂  Back on the Whole30 I go…

Are Natural Sugars Better than Refined Sugar?

“Life-Giving” Sugar = Honey

The post Flying Solo After the Whole30: My “Sugar Dragon” is Alive appeared first on Eden McCarthy | Ashland Massage.

I ended up doing a Whole43, and then starting the reintroduction with a “slow-roll”.  This is where you basically continue doing the Whole30 plan, and only reintroduce non-plan foods once and awhile.  There is also a “fast-track” option that can be completed in 10 days.  I chose the slow-roll because my system is finally doing well on the diet and I hesitate to switch things up.  Melissa and Dallas Hartwig, the creators of the Whole30, were right.  At the end of my 43 days, I didn’t want to go out and eat everything in sight (or in their words “Eat All the Things”).  On the contrary, my new relationship with food feels so precious that I don’t want to jeopardize my progress.  In June’s blog, I list all of the positive results from my Whole30 experience.  My reduced food cravings, eliminated body and joint pain, and improved sleep are still at the top.  I’ve lost another 2 pounds since beginning the reintroduction phase, too, which means a total weight loss of 8 pounds.  The best part is that I never have to count calories or restrict my portions; I lose weight and get healthy while feeling full.

The Hartwigs recommend starting the reintroduction with alcohol if you drink it normally.  I’m not a big drinker, but it sounded fun, so I had a gin & tonic with tons of lime and watched Whiplash!  Besides feeling tipsy quickly because of my clean system and tripping out on the movie, my body responded well to the alcohol.  Next re-intro was grains.  So far, I have tried rice, quinoa and corn.  If I don’t have too much, my system is okay – but if I eat grains with every meal, my digestion suffers.  The reintroduction of sugar does not have its own category – instead, you start eating things that have tiny amounts of added sweetener throughout the entire reintroduction phase, like ketchup, sausage, and bacon.  The idea is to be less restrictive about added sweeteners without waking the “Sugar Dragon” dormant in everyone’s system.  I have felt my dragon opening an eye, so I will watch myself here.  After reintroducing a food, or if your system gets out of whack, the authors suggest going back on the Whole30 plan for a couple of days to recalibrate.  I am still in the middle of this Whole process.

Below, I’ve included links to recent online articles related to the Whole30.  I advise buying the book, and then when you know your start date, sign up for the Whole30 Daily for extra support during your elimination phase.  The tag line for the daily email service reads, “Support, Advice, and Tough Love in your email.  Every day for 30 days.”  Click here for information and to sign up: Daily Email Support

Please call me if you want cheerleading during your Whole30!  Wishing you the best as you take this life-changing step!  Or not, but I hope you do 🙂

Two more July 2015 articles (other good ones are found at the end of June’s blog):

PopSugar Magazine

Shape Magazine

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