I recently broke up with refined sugar again. I wasn't eating much, but it's not the kind of thing I really want in my diet. Refined sugar and gluten were the last "bad" foods in my diet and I am happy to say they've been gone from my life for a month now. I'm a member of the Produce Section Challenge on Facebook and other members had been posting pictures of delicious barbecue. None of their sauces were compliant with the challenge, so I turned to Google. This recipe has bee

We all get sick, and you will get better much faster by taking care of your needs and resting! A few tips: Ask for help from your spouse and child if they are old enough. Have some easy meals in the cabinet or freezer in case you're not up to cooking (healthy canned soup, frozen veggies, and quick rice are great). Eliminate what you can from your workload. Many things, such as housework can wait! As far as going to work, it's much better to call in for a day or two than to tr

A client recently discovered that, while massage is great and alcohol is great, these are two things that do not go great together. Alcohol is a vasodilator, causing blood vessels to relax and expand. This increases blood flow, making the body more susceptible to bruising. In addition, alcohol interferes with the body's ability to make new muscle proteins, disrupts the production of Vitamin E in the liver, and interferes with vitamin absorption, all of which decrease recovery

No two bodies are alike. So it stands to reason that no two massage sessions should be alike, either. I pride myself on my ability to listen to each client and tailor the massage session to fit the needs of each individual. While I do practice deep tissue massage, the pressure of the massage can be modified and still have great benefits. Sometimes, less is more. During the course of your massage session, if I notice you're tensing up, I will inquire about the pressure. I also

I’m currently taking microbiology as a prerequisite for the nursing program. Monday I got to test my essential oils against E. coli. This plate shows the organism was susceptible to palmarosa, basil, peppermint, and geranium! Yay for natural remedies!

Just a reminder to take care of yourself!

Short answer: Yes, please. Long Answer: Yes, please. Massage is great. You know this. But it’s not always a great idea. As cold and flu season approaches again, it’s important that you know when it may be necessary to cancel your appointment. Why? When you are sick, your body needs rest. It’s strange to think about it this way, but receiving massage is an active task, it is not entirely rest. Massage causes change in the body, and your body has to work to maintain stability.

I am a big advocate of self-massage, utilizing tools you likely already have at home. Some of the tools I use at home include tennis balls, foam rollers, the theracane, a Chinese soup spoon, and even a car buffer! The book I always recommend to my clients for self-massage is The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook, by Clair Davies. One of the great things about the book is that it separates the body into sections, then lists all the potential muscles which might have trigger point

Cayenne is a potent stimulant for the whole body, and is especially useful for aiding digestion, normalizing circulation, toning the nervous system and relieving pain and inflammation The capsaicin contained in the peppers promotes the secretion of important digestive enzymes. Cayenne contains a great deal of vitamin C and beta-carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in the body and is important to eyesight. In terms of the healing arts, the pepper’s most important compon

4 weeks ago I decided to finally make my first batch of soap. It's beautiful and my kitchen smells amazing! Unfortunately, the soap takes 6 weeks to cure. I'm curious about what scents you would enjoy. I bought 35 pounds of oil so I can make more! Are you interested in soaps made with fragrance oils or do you prefer essential oils? Would you like to know the difference?