healthy body tips

All my friends know that I get a massage weekly. My preference is deep tissue which focuses on my upper back, shoulders and tight chest muscles which get tense and tighten from stress. Massage is an essential part of your whole health regime as well as illness recovery program. It maintains your physical, mental and emotional well being, especially when it is a regular routine.

Our muscles protect our bones and our organs and are often out of wack due to stress, accidents, and even psychological matters like stress, anxiety and fear. My massage therapist always tells me that she can diagnose what is going on in someone's life by the shape and level of tenseness in a person's muscles.

The Health Benefits of Massage

* Calms the nervous system and promotes a sense of relaxation and well being.

* Reduces tension and anxiety.

* Increases circulation, allowing the body to pump more oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs.

* Stimulates the flow of lymph, the body's natural defense system, against toxic invaders. For example, in breast cancer patients, massage has been shown to increase the cells that fight cancer.

* Increased circulation of blood and lymph systems improves the condition of the body's largest organ - the skin.

* Relaxes and softens injured and overused muscles

* Increases joint flexibility.

* Reduces recovery time, helps prepare for strenuous workouts and eliminates subsequent pains of the athlete at any level.

* Releases endorphins - the body's natural painkiller - and is being used in chronic illness, injury and recovery from surgery to control and relieve pain.

* Reduces post-surgery adhesions and edema and can be used to reduce and realign scar tissue after healing has occurred.

* Improves range-of-motion and decreases discomfort for patients with low back pain.

* Relieves pain for migraine sufferers and decreases the need for medication.

* Provides exercise and stretching for atrophied muscles and reduces shortening of the muscles for those with restricted range of motion.

* Assists with shorter labor for expectant mothers, as well as less need for medication, less depression and anxiety, and shorter hospital stays.

* Prevents and relieve muscles cramps and spasms.

* Massage therapy can also help with pain management in conditions such as arthritis, sciatica, muscle spasms.

Many people who suffer from lupus, arthritis, migraines, high stress jobs, anxiety and even cancer can help reduce stress, improve lymphatic drainage and promote healthy muscles and skin tone.

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Have a question about massage and other forms of body work to relieve pain?

Want to recommend a great massage technique or practitioner?

For a free health consultation feel free to email (wellness@healthybeingproducts.com) or call
Melissa Gallagher at 727-954-8968.

Visit our On-Line Store to save over 65% and get free shipping on Vitamins and Supplements at theHealthy Being Products Store

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Valentines Day has passed, yet it's also a Heart Healthy focused month. Too many women die of heart disease each year and if you are reading this one of your family members has been impacted by this disease. I'm very conscious of my risks and desire to not fall victim to this often silent killer in my family.

We may not be able to alter out genes, yet...but we can take the appropriate precautions and measures to improve our heart health at any age.

I'm completely behind the need to create awareness and support Go Red for Women month.

I love their campaign and wanted to share it with my readers. I'll have additional heart disease and heart health related articles and recipes this month.



The ABCs of Heart Disease Prevention


Stop smoking. If you smoke, quit. If someone in your household smokes, encourage them to quit. We know it’s tough. But it’s tougher to recover from a heart attack or stroke or to live with chronic heart disease. Commit to quit. We’re here to help if you need it.


Reduce blood cholesterol. Fat lodged in your arteries is a disaster waiting to happen. Sooner or later it could trigger a heart attack or stroke. You’ve got to reduce your intake of saturated and trans fat and get moving. If diet and exercise alone don’t get those numbers down, then medication is the key. Take it just like the doctor orders. Here’s the lowdown on where those numbers need to be:

Total Cholesterol – Less than 200 mg/dL
LDL (bad) Cholesterol – LDL cholesterol goals vary.

* Low risk for heart disease – Less than 160 mg/dL
* Intermediate risk for heart disease – Less than 130 mg/dL
* High risk for heart disease including those with heart disease or diabetes – Less than 100mg/dL

HDL (good) Cholesterol – 40 mg/dL or higher for men and 50 mg/dL or higher for women
Triglycerides – Less than 150 mg/dL

Lower high blood pressure. It’s the single largest risk factor for stroke. Stroke is the No. 3 killer and one of the leading causes of disability in the United States. Stroke recovery is difficult at best and you could be disabled for life. Shake that salt habit, take any medication the doctor recommends exactly as prescribed and get moving. Those numbers need to get down and stay down. Your goal is less than 120/80 mmHg.

Be physically active every day. Research has shown that getting 30–60 minutes of physical activity on most days of the week can help lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol and keep your weight at a healthy level. But something IS better than nothing. If you’re doing nothing now, start out slow. Studies show that people who have achieved even a moderate level of fitness are much less likely to die early than those with a low fitness level.

Aim for a healthy weight. Obesity is an epidemic in America, not only for adults but also for children. Fad diets and supplements are not the answer. Good nutrition and physical activity are the only way to maintain a healthy weight. Obesity places you at risk for high cholesterol, high blood pressure and insulin resistance, a precursor of type 2 diabetes — the very factors that heighten your risk of cardiovascular disease. Your Body Mass Index (BMI) will tell you if your weight is healthy. more

Manage diabetes. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of diabetes-related death. People with diabetes are two to four times more likely to develop cardiovascular disease due to a variety of risk factors, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, obesity and lack of physical activity.

Reduce stress. Some scientists have noted a relationship between coronary heart disease risk and stress in a person's life that may affect the risk factors for heart disease and stroke. For example, people under stress may overeat, start smoking or smoke more than they otherwise would. Research has even shown that stress reaction in young adults predicts middle-age blood pressure risk.

Limit alcohol. Drinking too much alcohol can raise blood pressure, cause heart failure and lead to stroke. It can contribute to high triglycerides, produce irregular heartbeats and affect cancer and other diseases. It contributes to obesity, alcoholism, suicide and accidents. The risk of heart disease in people who drink moderate amounts of alcohol (an average of one drink for women or two drinks for men per day) is lower than in nondrinkers. However, it’s not recommended that nondrinkers start using alcohol or that drinkers increase the amount they drink.

Info provided by: (www.goredforwomen.com)

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Have a question about heart disease or how to prevent cardiovascular disease?

For a free health consultation feel free to email (wellness@healthybeingproducts.com) or call
Melissa Gallagher at 727-954-8968.

Visit our On-Line Store to save over 65% and get free shipping on Heart Healthy Vitamins and Supplements at theHealthy Being Products Store

Your email address:


Powered by FeedBlitz