Did you know.......

We are sharing information that we feel our clients will find useful, we are always on the look out for tips that vary from pain management to general health tips.  Thanks for sharing our blog :]

Did you know ..... Nov. 2010 womans Day article stated that a recent study found that women who biked two to three hrs per week (15 to 20 minutes per day) were 46% less likely to gain weight in the long run compared to women who didn't excercise.   Sounds like we need to get pedaling :]

Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center had 29 men and women recieve 45 minutes of Swedish massage, deep pressure kneading of the muscles, while another 24 subjects underwent only a light touch
massage.  All participants found the massage pleasant, but those who had the real thing also showed a boost to the immune cells that may help fight colds and flu :]

Bay leaf and migraine relief.....Bay leaf contains compounds called parthenolides, which are known to relieve headaches and migraines. Scientists beleive that this compound slows down the clumping of platelets, a main cause of headaches.  It also contains eugenol, a natural anti-inflammatory that can ease not only tension headaches but pain throughout the entire body :]

Eating dark chocolate has been shown to lower blood pressure in as little as two hrs  :]

More headache relief.....Paints, ammonia, and dry cleaning chemicals, plastics and cosmetics can all be headache causing culprits in many homes, but clearing them from the air is as easy as setting out an orchid. :]

Curry powder to send pain packing?????  Curry powders main substance, tumeric, works in a similiar way to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, "because it dampens the effect of COX-2, a chemical in the body that causes pain.  There are also at least 30 studies showing that tumeric's active ingredient has an ani-tumor effect and may even stop the growth of existing cancer cells.

For fast relief, massage the fleshy area between the fleshy area between your thumb and index finger for 20 to 30 seconds.  Accupressure can reduce stress by up to 39%, according to researchers :]

DEPRESSION
Women ages 40 to 64 are just as vunerable to developing mental health issues as teens and young adults.
A Woman's Day article Nov. 2010 by Cheryl Platzman Weinstock, states that the odds of being diagnosed with depression peaks at age 44, and more than 15% of women ages 45 to 54 experience frequent depression. Many cases go unreported according to the USA health and Human Services, so experts beleive in reality the  number is much higher.  The suicide rate is also highest at that same age bracket.

Experts believe that all the changes that we face at mid-life, kids going to college, caring for aging parents and our own health issues attribute to these high numbers.  This is also the age when divorce rates spike.
Not everyone who experiences these stressors will develop depression, a disorder that scientists believe has to do with problems in the brain circuitry and possibly an imbalance of mood chemicals.  Family history or genetics contribute substantially. 

Although the average age of menopause is 51, perimenopause- the period of several years leading it up to it, when estrogen and progesterone levels start to descrease-is actually considered riskier for mental health problems.  Recent research, including some conducted by Peter Schmidt, MD, a psychiatrist and head of behavorial endocrinology program at the Natl Institute of Mental Health, suggests that hormonal fluctuations may increase vulnerability to depression.
"When estorgen levels fluctuate, brain chemicals that regulate mood-serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine-also get disrupted, which can in turn lead to depression."  Stephan Stahl MD, PHD University of San Diego

So if the above article is of interest to you personally or for someone you love heres a list from the same article as to Who's At Risk:
-Have a family history of depression or other mental problems
-Are facing a major life stressor, losing a job, relocating, loss of a loved one, divorce, etc....
-Are going through hormonal changes (adolesence, after pregnancy, and perimenopause)

The above article included a survey of women and what they did to maintain their self-confidence.  Which made me think....... why don't you share with us how you stay positive and confident even during the toughest times in our hectic lives.

I believe that everything happens for a reason, we may not know why tomorrow or for years after, but it all will make sense someday.  Life is an adventure :]  Lisa

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The Therapeutic Touch 1 & 2 is now goin to start blogging!!!  More information will start to come once I show the ladies what is up!!!  Stay Tuned!!!