Table Talk: Do we prefer to be called a masseuse or a massage therapist?

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As massage therapy becomes more popular and widely received across many different socioeconomic areas, I noticed that many respecting and good intentioned clients still refer to me as their masseuse or I’ve noticed someone will talk very positively about massage before I’ll frown when they refer to their therapist as their masseuse or masseur.

A masseuse or a masseur are both French terms for female massage therapist and male massage therapist.  The more you learn about massage therapy, the more you’ll realize or find yourself turning to massage for other reasons besides a day at the spa or because of a medical referral. The more you’ll hopefully start to realize the accumulation of professional education, training and professional credentials that your therapist went through for not only themselves but you.After knowing this, lesser terms to call your massage therapist tend to connotate lower education and even those in the sex trade, which professional massage therapy is clearly not.

Acceptable terms to call us:

• Massage therapist
• Muscle therapist
• Pain relief specialist
• “Massager” – OK but massage therapist is better.

 

To choose the path of a massage therapist is the road less taken but it’s not that your professional massage therapist had to forgo his/her education, training and national and perhaps state credentials which is no different, in the general sense, that any self-respecting professional in other professional industries has to strive for as well.

 

 

Is massage safe for…a sunburn?

One of the main functions of the integumentary system is protection – biologically, physically and chemically. The skin is waterproof and provides some protection from UVA protection but you’re not completely covered. The sun’s rays are getting stronger which reduces the amount of double takes when you see a bottle of broad spectrum SPF 100 spilling out from your friend’s beach tote bag. However, according to the Consumer Reports National Report Center, 31% of Americans still don’t use sunscreen let alone use sunscreen regularly. And that’s only 31% of Americans that have been asked in the poll if they do or not.

Regardless of whether it’s infrequent use, using the wrong kind or not using it period, the all too common sunburn is sure to be a popular trend next to this summer’s sundresses and swimsuits along the shoreline this summer. What do you do if you get burned before you schedule a massage appointment at the resort spa?  Who is to blame – the sun?! Do you have to cancel the appointment you were eagerly anticipating and maybe telling your friends about?

A sunburn is exactly that – a first degree or second degree burn. A first degree burn contains redness and swelling and usually heals in one to three days before it fades into a tan or begins to flake off. . A first degree burn is merely a precaution, as far as massage goes, until the skin is past the sub-acute stages of healing and a smooth, making gentle Swedish massage is best compared to a deep tissue which involves more vigorous strokes that can compromise the skin or underlying tissue. A second degree burn, which contains more redness and blisters, can take one week to one month to heal. and a third degree burn where both the epidermis and dermis are compromised should certainly not be massaged.

A third degree burn requires swift intervention by a medical team. To help the healing process of a first degree or second degree burn, remember to drink plenty of water to reduce hydration, improve circulation and flush out toxins throughout the body. Apply cool water or take a cold bath if you can stand it. Apply aloe vera but aloe vera products containing alcohol may sting so use caution. Use jojoba, almond or olive oil to to keep the skin moisturized and reduce the possibility of skin aging. Wet, cooled tea bags will draw the heat out of a first degree burn.

Women, feel better every month.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

race report: Girls on the Run 5k

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Note: I did take pictures. I just need to order the USB cord or memory card which has taken me on a bit of a whirlwind tour than I unexpected so when I finally accomplish that little victory, I will edit this post.

For now, you just have to believe in my words. You just have to believe which is ironic in the faith that we put running especially a race benefitting an awesome charity like Girls on the Run!

the spew: Girls on the Run is a health-oriented program that inspires young girls from third grade until eighth grade on how to be healthy and confident where running is integrated. After the program, the girls graduate by running their first 5k with their running buddies that help motivate them along the way. Junior high students can enroll in the track program which allows for more mature processing on real issues like eating disorders, internet safety, bullying, tobacco and alcohol use. The girls learn to be aware and wise very early in life.  Striving to be healthy and confident in life is important to the image I want to portray for myself and my clients which interested me to run this race in Lancaster, a place I can never tire of even post race!

course overview: a mostly flat and fast terrain down college avenue and up race street being the longest hauls, a little trek down the Pike, down to walnut and west end avenue and a zig zag through franklin and marshall college where we finished around the track. low to moderate intensity hills.  in a nutshell, the perfect course for a novice 5k race.

highlights: first 5k race. ran all the way through only stopping for a few steps but the amazing energy of the crowd made me pick up the pace.  the weather couldn’t have been more picturesque for a 5k or any outdoor activity. the spirit and overall enthusiasm of the running buddies, coaches and the crowd. 5k was organized well and had a nice itinerary planned that I saw online. Many, many people came out to watch the races and kept applauding and cheering for us in support of their families or just to watch. beautiful college campus to run around in. It almost made running without my iPod  running among new scenary makes a less boring run. A LOT of community-wide and some big time sponsors. a cool racing shirt and another bib for the collection.

lowlights: google fail. but that’s what happens when races are farther away. getting lost five minutes outside of the college and getting taken down a dead end and into a new neighborhood which is always fun but never when I’m supposed to be somewhere!  being late to the race missing registration so I had to run without a bib and I didn’t get my chip time which is OK for my first 5k. I just wanted to relish in the pride of the run. iPodless (Technology has not been on my side lately.) - but wasn’t so bad as I fixated my gaze on the scenary of running a new course which was just as exciting!

Although I didn’t medal, it was a great race that I’d love to participate in again whether it’s to run and/or to conduct chair massages for the sore racers post race. I packed in a decent breakfast before the start of the race: a bagel with egg and kale on one side and peanut butter on the other side with a kale smoothie and a fruit flavored water plus my water bottle. Energy level was good. Afterwards, I went downtown to indulge in a delicious salmon salad at the cafe on Prince Street while reading the most recent issue of Fine Living Lancaster minus an iced chai that I usually like to order from there because I was saving myself for a blackberry sorbert from Carmen and David’s ice cream parlor a few doors up which hit the spot after a morning run.

What I’ve learned from the race:

1. You’ll never know until you try - I may have run 3.1 many times on both my home course and the ‘mill but I’ve always asked What if or was worried that 3.1 on race day would go differently. It did not. Just race and go at your happy pace!  It’s still a competition but there’s no winners or losers. Just the victory in a finish.

2.googling course map is good, googling the directions is better - It’s not that I didn’t do both – but Google isn’t necessarily God either. Mistakes happen. That’s why it’s best to get accustomed to the area. Memorize street names and landmarks that pop up as you’re getting directions so when a street name you’re looking for doesn’t pop up, you can try looking for nearby landmarks. Become familiar with the area. Who knows? You might have to give directions some day if you come there more than enough!

3. eat a decent breakfast before, treat yourself later – eating a decent breakfast is key but don’t overdo it.  save that for after the race. If you’re in a new area, this invites you to explore some of the local restaurants as I did!

When asked if I would run another 5k, I said “definitely!” – but maybe with my new iPod next time. The spirit is great but combined with my beat, I would have been in my element.

 

“The finish line is just the beginning.” (Caught that hanging on a banner in the athletic field. What a great quote!)

 

Why I want to run this race

the race: When it comes to taking care of yourself, it is better to start young and the Girls on the Run is a testament of that. Girls on the Run is a physical education program that aims to inspire and empower young girls from grammar school to junior high to be healthy and optimistic throughout a running based curriculum with extra special sponsors such as Athleta, Secret and Garmin so it’s pretty well known across the nation. The program inevitably adds a boost to self-esteem, a healthy body image and good eating habits. After the girls successfully complete their curriculum, they are ready to run their first 5k race. And this Spring, Girls of the Run of Lancaster is opening registration up to the general public in the community.

how the race impacts me: I only wish they had a program like this when I was young. I grew up in northeastern pennsylvania which is an area that isn’t exactly densely populated with 5k races. I am hoping to change that with my business. That’s one of the reasons why I liked areas such as Lancaster so much because even though it was an hour’s drive away, it was a health oriented community and appeals to my morals and values. I wish I was more athletic in my youth.  I didn’t start running shortly after I graduated from massage school and loved it. Plus, aside from the GOTR graduates, I’m celebrating a victory myself: My graduation from the Couch to 5k program on the date of my first 5k race. The course map looks like the perfect trek for a new runner ready to take on the 5k!

 

why I procrastinated on my first 5k: Aside from not being athletic in high school, I’m dipping my toes into running. My first first race was this Winter which helped me gain the feel and euphoria of a competition run but a 5k is much longer. What if course maps were deceiving? What if I finished last? How fast do I have to run?  Can I stop for a drink of water in between mileage? Can I stop and walk a few steps at all?  The more I kept training and running for pleasure, the more I realized how common these questions can be and the more I am starting to develop answers.

Points to remember:

• It’s an hour away so that means waking up super early.
• Make sure I eat more of a fulfilling breakfast.  I heard that it’s not good to have a big breakfast before a race but I can’t necessarily on empty. For my last race, I was a little too cautious and only peeled open a banana and drank a bottle of water. I was fine but endured a headache afterwards.
• I like googling things so I was excited to see the course map before I arrive on Saturday. I memorized the streets and know where the mile markers are set up. Mile markers are my little victories and prides of accomplishment!
• After running a 3.1 stretch for years comfortably with my iPod, my iPod is dead after four years. So, I’ll be iPodless. Reallllly interesting as to how tha’ts going to go but I also feel confident that things will be just as fine. The joy of running is that every run is not as nearly the same as the last.
• I really want to run this race under thirty but at the same time, I won’t be surprised if I average between 30 and 33. I run at my happy pace.
• Race day is finally here. I can’t wait for Saturday!!

Do you remember your first 5k?  Which race was it? How did it go?

What is nightshade produce and how can it affect my health?

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We can diverge on an abundance of fascinating and insightful conversation that always stimulates more conversation or research at our potlucks, one of them being about nightshade produce. For a group composed of knowledgeable, friendly and insightful mostly vegans and vegetarians, I’m surprised that very few of them seem to knew about the detrimental affects of nightshade produce to their health. Of course, there’s still not enough research but if you suspect you can be sick, it could save your life. One of them perked up when she recalled that a family member had a history with heart disease because he ate a lot of nightshade produce.

Firstly, what is nightshade produce exactly?

A) It’s produce that prefers a lamp with a nightshade to hang over it, duh!

B) It’s a medley of produce, herbs, shrubs and trees that grow at night.

C) It’s a drug that is grown at night. Some of the most common are mandrake, tobacco and belladonna (among the most deadly.)

D) Both B and C.

D is correct. 

 

Nightshade produce consists of 2,800 species of plants, many with different properties. There’s a group of compounds in nightshade produce called alkaloids which are used for understanding adverse effects when nightshade produce is eaten as food. In chemical terms, alkaloids are easy to identify because they all have at least one ring-like structure that contains the element nitrogen. Plants produce alkaloids as a regular part of their biochemical activity, and the purpose of alkaloids are to help protect the plants from insects that would eat them.

Four basic types of alkaloids are found in nightshade plants. These types are: the steroid alkaloids, the tropane alkaloids, the pyrrolizidine alkaloid and  the indole alkaloids.

Types of nightshade produce and their effects -

Potatoes (not sweet potatoes), tomatoes, many species of sweet and hot peppers,eggplant, ground cherries, garden huckleberry, tamarillos, pepinos, naranjillas, pimimentos, cayenne pepper and paprika.

The steroid alkaloids in potato – primarily solanine and chaonine - have been studied for their health effects in two areas. First is their ability to block activity of an enzyme in nerve cells called cholintesterase. Many of the alkaloids found in nightshades possess this kind of activity, called cholinesterase inhibition. If the activity is blocked,  the nervous system control of muscle movement becomes disrupted. Symptoms of muscle twitching, trembling, paralyzed breathing, or convulsions can result.

 Some researchers have speculated that nightshade alkaloids can contribute to excessive loss of calcium from bone and excessive depositing of calcium in soft tissue. For this reason, these researchers have recommended elimination of nightshade foods from the meal plans of all individuals with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, or other joint problems like gout to determine if these foods are contributing to the problem.

This isnt’ to say that you should start eliminating nightshade produce from your pantry and shopping list as you would those nasty food additives like high fructose corn syrup. The health benefits of some nightshade produce should be encouraged to eat not avoided as they are all great sources of fiber - tomatoes contain antioxidents, potatoes contain Vitamin C and eggplant can be a source of Vitamin K. However, if you suspect you have a neuromuscular or concern with your bones and joints, consult your physician or nutritionist abot eliminating nightshade produce temporarily. Alkaloids can be reduced by nearly half or half just by cooking for them but it is suggested you avoid them completely if you are particularly sensitive to cooking or eat them in moderation if you prepare mostly raw foods.

Weekly Motivation

 ”Industry, perseverance and frugality make fortune yield.” – Benjamin Franklin

A freak accident destroyed my laptop this weekend. For the first few days, I felt a strange ambivalance about my sudden disconnection from the outside world. It felt good to unplug so I can focus on life outside of my window but those feelings did not last long when I quickly discovered how reliant we are and need to be on technology no matter how much one “hates it” or tries to avoid it. I’m not saying that I “hate it” – I am just stating by example.

As for my laptop? Thank goodness for my flash drive and reliable IT personnel for the time being during this temporary transition. I’ve been borrowing someone else’s technology and using the public library to try to update my website regularly for those of you that look forward to my entries but don’t be surprised if my entries will be less than consistant as throughout this temporary transition until I get my new laptop.  I have a Powerpoint presentation due next week on massage therapy for employee wellness which I am still excited to present that afternoon.  Technology might be a big part of our lives but there’s no such thing as a perfect day every day nor does it have to be the end of the road.  With this mindset, it helped me construct this week’s motivation.

When your day is less than perfect….

• You already have the tools. Money, vision and optimism are the three tools that can help build your foundation.  However, when one from that list is unavailable, one of them generally is not. Remember how you felt on Day 1 when you had that idea.
• Have a support system. Network with those that can help you. Anyone can listen (even your dog), but can they give you the long-term results you’re looking for to achieving the goals you want?
• Consult your to-do list  – If you don’t find a joy in writing out daily to-do lists, you really should consider it. The feeling of crossing off even the most mundane tasks can help put you back in ship shape again and can make you feel better to realize you’ve accomplished sometihng else even if the former task that put you down in the first place did not work out as planned.
• Jog your memory -There’s a reason why people say that – because a jog can really improve your memory because of angiogenesis, or the production of new brain cells, which improves your brain’s function along with sharpening memory and cognitive thinking. Running also increases dopamine, a chemical substance that increases feelings of pleasure.
• You cannot control others but you can control what you do. One of the most frustrating and even depressing facts of life is we can’t change something or even someone in life that isn’t quite right.  But if we can keep taking care of ourselves, we can lead by example to be the best we can be.
• You’re still alive in good reason. It’s not the end of the world. Period.

Weekly Hot Links

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Some sources that couldn’t have said it (or did it) better this week:

• To lower your risk of diabetes, eat breakfast. 
• Another reason why breakfast may be touted the most important meal of the day!
• In case my last entry wasn’t enough, here’s more evidence as to why exercise will put you in an instant good mood. 
• Fit Chick in the City on shin splints.
• If businesses haven’t started investing in employee wellness programs on germs for business travelers, who will start? We can start taking small steps. 
• 10 costly job search mistakes.
• One way to a healthy work environment? Culture matters. 

Which is better: Static Stretching or Dynamic Stretching?

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Stretching is one of the best solutions to prevent a muscular cramp which is relatively common in athletes as the active muscular group, single active muscle or even part of the muscle that’s activated is shortened and constantly stimulated. The muscle becomes fatigued and becomes a reflex arc which is made up of the muscle, the nerves carrying signals to your CNS (or brain and spinal cord) and the nerves carrying signals from the CNS back to the muscle to keep signaling your muscles to contract otherwise a sustained contraction which leads to a painful muscular cramp.

Stretching breaks the reflex arc found most often in muscles that cross two joints in most exercise-induced cases. It’s as crucial as taking a bottle of water (or a Gatorade if you’re an athlete) with you on your workouts because stretching can help lengthen the muscle and surrounding connective tissue in a safe manner without contributing to injury and pain down the line. If you continue to ignore stretching techniques, your risk of “muscular knotting” (trigger points), injury, pain and even loss of movement doubles down the line.

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Dynamic stretching is the stretches that you may remember from gym class (Big and little arm circles, anyone?)  When performed correctly, dynamic stretches warms up joints, improves ROM (or range of motion) and reduced muscle tension making it more ideal for warming up. It may not, however, be recommended for everyone especially if you don’t know the proper movement.

Static stretching is best done to wind down after a workout. It’s best done when you want to break the reflex arc that I’ve mentioned earlier. Hold the stretch for 20-30 seconds or until you start to feel less resistance. Usually about 20 seconds.

How to prevent muscle cramps and maintain muscle flexibility:

• Take a good multivitamin pill, one with zinc and magnesium.
• Self-massage the muscle or get regular massages from a sports massage therapist.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Maintain your electrolyte balance (like salt and potassium)
• Stretch before and after workouts.
• See a physcian or nutritionist to correct imbalances in your diet.
• If you have any questions about your workout (or correcting your form), ask a trainer!

I have been asked to conduct another speaking engagement in a few weeks. This time, I will be speaking at a huge retailer for their employee wellness week so next week I’ll be devoting posts especially tailored to employee wellness so look out for that!

Why I Love To Exercise (and why you should too!)

“Sweat is fat crying!”

Why I love to exercise:

• Whether it’s Zumba class, a run or a walk after work, it’s the quickest way you’re going to reduce stress especially when a friend or relative might not always be a phone call away. We all know exercise reduces endorphins by now but that’s because they act as analgesics which helps reduce the perception of pain. They are produced in your brain and spinal cord and many parts of the body that are released as brain chemicals called neurotransmitters. It’s your “me” time!
• It’s rare that someone will be in a bad mood at the gym, have you ever noticed that? (unless you are a treadmill hog, maybe!)  Endorphins trigger a positive response in the brain making you feel at your personal best for up to an hour. It doesn’t seem long but I generally feel so long that I want to maintain that sense of good. It puts me in an optimistic mindset. 
• The sense of support system - Everyone is so nice at the gym. They all have their own goals and some last longer than others but regardless, everyone knows that the hardest part is getting started. You’ll see a mix of “befores” and “afters” at the gym. The more you go, the more you’ll want to strive to become an after too.
• Exercise (especially running) makes me hungrier but I eat reasonable portions. I know that  eating a ton of calories is going to make me work out a whole ton making me so sore that I can’t even lift a finger the next day…and I don’t want that. I just want to feel energized and refreshed so I’m reminded to choose the salmon with herbs instead of the sugar glazed salmon when I eat out.
• Sticking to a regimen like Arms n’ Abs that I’ve been doing as helped me knock out as much 80 crunches in a single day. Sticking to a regimen can help you be consistent.
• Starting to work distance runs into my schedule on Saturdays!
• Every morning when you get ready and look in the mirror to check your appearance, it’s easier to appreciate what you have instead of what you don’t have.

What about you? What’s been motivating you to exercise this week?  :)