Prenatal Massage

Last week I had a wonderful little treat! I was offered a complimentary hour long prenatal massage by a very skilled local masseuse. (See more about her below). With my crazy schedule right now and holiday season preparations in full swing, it was a little slice of heaven!

Shannan recently posted about the many benefits of massage so take a moment and read those if you have a chance. I thought I would take a minute to outline a few more benefits to having massages during pregnancy. We tend to think of massage as a treat or special indulgence and for most of us it is; but there are also so many great health benefits to be realized from a regular massage. Here are a few for us pregnant ladies...

• Carrying a baby inside you changes your center of gravity and puts a lot of stress on your back, neck, abdominal muscles, and shoulders. Pregnancy also relaxes your ligaments, so that your pelvic joints are less stable, and changes your posture, pulling your pelvis forward. Add to that the extra weight you're carrying and you've got yourself an aching lower back. Massage can actually relieve the stress on your joints and promote proper posture.


• A study conducted by Dr. Tiffany Field at the University of Miami School of Medicine showed that massage actually reduces stress hormones in the body. Other studies done in the past 10 years have shown that hormone levels associated with relaxation and stress are significantly altered, leading to mood regulation and improved cardiovascular health, when massage therapy was introduced to women’s prenatal care. Hormones such as norepinephrine and cortisol (“stress hormones”) were reduced and dopamine and serotonin levels (low levels of these hormones are associated with depression) were increased in women who received bi-weekly massages for only five weeks. These changes in hormone levels also led to fewer complications during birth and fewer instances of newborn complications, such as low birth weight. The evidence points strongly to maternal and newborn health benefits when relaxing, therapeutic massage is incorporated into regular prenatal care.


• Massage provides emotional support and a nurturing touch for stressed out mothers-to-be. Studies show that massage therapy performed during pregnancy can reduce anxiety and decrease symptoms of depression.


• Massage promotes relaxation and decreased insomnia.


• Massage can help prepare the muscles used during childbirth.


• Massage can reduce swelling in hands and feet. Edema, or swelling of the joints during pregnancy, is often caused by reduced circulation and increased pressure on the major blood vessels by the heavy uterus. Massage helps to stimulate soft tissues to reduce collection of fluids in swollen joints, which also improves the removal of tissue waste, carried by the body’s lymph system.
  
  

Important Note: Certified prenatal massage therapists are trained to avoid very specific and intentional pressure to these areas during pregnancy. Any woman who has experienced pre-term contractions or consistent Braxton-Hicks contractions should alert her therapist to that fact so that pressure points can be avoided completely.

If you live in Michigan in the Metro Detroit or Ann Arbor area let me recommend a wonderful massage therapist for prenatal or any other massage. Her name is Seva Aston. Seva has 15 years of experience in massage therapy and has studied and practiced in such areas as Swedish massage, Neuromuscular Modalities (pain relief specialization), Hot Stone Massage, Thai Yoga Massage, Thai Herbal Massage, Thai Foot Reflexology, Deep Tissue Massage, Geriatric Massage, and etc.

All that being said, you know when you are getting a good massage by a skilled professional and Seva gave me the best massage I have probably ever had! She has the touch for sure. You can also tell right away that she is very passionate about her practice of massage. Pregnant or not, give her a call and set up your own wonderful massage (indulgent, yet great for your health remember!) or better yet this Christmas give your friends or family the gift of an hour of relaxation and rejuvenation. You can reach Seva at (734) 660-3372.

Karla

Foods That Boost Immunity

I just ran across this article on Healthy Eats and thought it was worth passing on.

This winter, protect yourself from those cold or flu bugs going around. Eat more of these fresh foods to build up your immunity.

1) Nuts Snack on almonds, cashews or walnuts, which are packed with vitamin E. This antioxidant helps kick those pesky free-radicals out of your body. Vitamin E also helps create antibodies that fight bacteria that make you sick. Other healthy vitamin E-rich foods are seeds and whole grains.

2) Citrus Fruits The famous vitamin C helps fight infection and a good antioxidant to have — along with vitamin E. But there is more to citrus than just oranges — grapefruits, clementines, lemons, limes and tangerines are all part of this family, and they’re in season in winter so you can enjoy them at their juiciest. Citrus not your thing? Try bell peppers — they have more vitamin C than an orange! Potatoes, tomatoes and kiwi are also great sources.

3) Shrimp So you’ve heard shrimp has cholesterol, but it’s also extremely low in fat and contains the antioxidant selenium. Many foods have a combination of nutrients, and you need to weigh the “bad” with the “good.” Selenium is a mineral needed in small amounts and works to support a healthy immune system. Seafood and meat are great sources for it.

4) Yogurt The probiotics — or “good bacteria” found in yogurt and other foods — keep your digestive system up and running. According to research from the Journal of the American Dietetics Association, consuming foods with probiotics regularly may also help boost your immune system. Sauerkraut, miso and tempeh are other food sources to try.

5) Green Tea The polyphenols in green tea act as potent antioxidants. Research suggests that catechins, a specific type of polyphenol, may stimulate the immune system cells and hinder disease-promoting compounds. Although you may detect a bitter taste, you can disguise it with a bit of honey. Adding milk is a no-no as it will bind to the polyphenols and stop their immunity benefits. (See some of Dana’s ideas on enjoying tea.)

Immunity Downers Eating tons of high-fat foods and forgoing your daily fruits and veggies can also weaken the immune system. Smokers have an added disadvantage as smoking increases free-radicals, which definitely takes a toll on the immune system (another good reason to quit).

- Shannan

My Baby is Stealing My Iron

I had a check-up with my OB last week - I'm now 28 weeks along in my pregnancy. I was shocked to find out that my iron is low and that I'm technically anemic. I've felt so good this last trimester and starting into my third that I wouldn't have imagined that my labs would show anemia.

I did a little research on iron deficiency and surprise - surprise, infants in the womb begin to stock pile all the iron in their liver that they will need their first year of life prior to birth as breast milk is fairly low in iron. The little thief! :) I did a little research on iron's purpose in the body and how to supplement naturally with foods as that is always my first line of defense.

Functions in the Body

• Primary ingredient in the formation of hemoglobin the oxygen carrying component of blood.
• Iron attracts oxygen. Without an iron reserve, oxygen cannot be attracted to the body. With iron deficiency naturally comes oxygen deficiency.
• Increases vitality and energy.Improves circulation, digestion, elimination, respiration, and augments tissue oxidation.
• Helps prevent colds.
  
  

Signs of deficiency

• Depression and melancholy
• Low oxygenation and oxidation
• Susceptibility to colds
• Low blood pressure
• Anemia
• Slow speech
• Poor memory
• Poor respiration with shortness of breath

Women tend to need more iron anyway...

• Women also require more iron than men due to their menstrual cycles and consequent loss of blood.
• Interesting pregnancy and iron fact: Newborn infants and animals have four times the supply of iron in the body than adults. The mother supplies the offspring with enough iron, stored in the liver, for the entire first year of life. Milk lacks iron, therefore, newborns would suffer from anemia otherwise.

Highest Iron Foods: Agar, almonds, apricots, bananas (red are best), beet greens, blackberries, *black cherries, black strap molasses, black walnuts, butternuts, cashew nuts, dandelion greens, dates, *dried fruits, *dulse, eggs, English walnuts, fennel, figs, goat milk, *greens, Irish moss, kale, *kelp, lentils dried, lima beans dried, millet, mung beans dried, mustard greens, parsley, peaches dried, peas dried, pinto beans dried, prunes, pumpkin squash seeds, radishes, raisins, red beans, red peppers, *rice and bran polishings, rye, sesame seeds, sorrel, soybeans, spinach, sprouted seeds, sunflower seeds, Swiss chard, wheat bran and germ, and white beans.

*These are the foods highest in iron.

So I need to get busy increasing my iron intake. I'm thinking a bag of frozen black cherries or a spinach salad with sunflower seeds and dried cherries - Yum! I'm also going to start seasoning everything with a little dulse. I've kind of forgotten to do that lately.

Karla

Benefits of Fish Oil for Adults and Children

Fish oil is yielded from the cold water fish like mackerel, tuna, salmon, cod and many other fish. It has been recommended as part of a heart healthy diet for quite some time. Fish oil is a very effective nutrient as it contains two most important omega 3 fatty acids that can be absorbed easily. EPA and DHA are two most important fatty acids that have very crucial role in development of normal brain, proper functioning of nervous system and better eyesight. The EPA and DHA fatty acids derived from fish oil are considered to be the protective elements for the body as they are very effective to reduce the risk of developing arthritis. Among other fish oil benefit you can find:

Most of the recent searches regarding fish oil benefit to the heart diseases has proved the importance of omega 3 fatty acids in protection against the heart diseases. The recent study of American Dietetic Association revealed the factor that these acids are very effective to reduce the fatty deposits in arteries.

The consumption of fish oil reduces the chances of all forms of cancer including breast, colon and prostate. The fatty acids found in the fish oil is quite helpful to stop the development of cancerous mass from quite a healthy cell, it inhibits the unwanted growth of cell and causes apoptosis or death or cancer cells.

Fish oil has significance in preventing the pregnancy complication like premature delivery and low birth weight. The consumption of fish oil during pregnancy reduce allergy in the newborns, help in development of brain and reduce risk of post partum depression. It is better to take fish oil during the period of pregnancy.

Fish oil is very effective for the eyesight. It not only improves the eyesight but also decrease the dryness in the eyes. The fish oil helps to stop the eyesight decline with the increasing age.

Fish oil is very effective to prevent all types of depression including the schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, ADHD and anger caused depression.

It is also helpful in treatment of the Huntington’s disease. Fish oil is found effective in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, systemic lupus and other inflammatory conditions.

The recent scientific studies recognized the role of fish oil in weight regulation, it reduces craving caused by the fatty foods.

These are the most significant fish oil benefits. Fish oil not only reduces the risk of a number of incurable diseases but is also very helpful nutritional supplement. Eating fish is the basic way for the body to get enough fatty acids but if you want to get more, than try to get fish oil benefits directly from the fish oil that is extracted from the cold water fishes as its benefits are bigger and it is easer to digest.

In children, fish oil is also shown to helps improve:

Behavior
It was found that unruly children ingesting fish oil had improved behavior. Out of the 47 percent of children with "bad" behavior in the test group, only 4 percent remained unruly.

Concentration
The use of fish oil was shown to improve concentration in children. Within the study, many two-year-olds were able to speak in full sentences rather than just single words as before taking the fish oil.

Bonding
Interestingly, the use of fish oil in children improved bonding with their parents. Of course, this effect may be a side benefit for better behavior and concentration.

Accelerated Learning
In the scientific study, learning advanced a measurement of nine months in only a five-month period. This learning increase was primarily in expressive language and oral communication.

Dyslexia
Although it is not a cure, fish oil has been shown to improve dyslexia in children.

We are huge salmon fans around my house. Glad to see the health benefits for all of us!

- Shannan

Sources: Fish Oil Benefits, eHow

I'm Thankful for My First Year of Blogging

I had an informative post planned for this week about iron deficiency, but decided that it's a holiday week and time to lighten up and reflect a bit. I looked around our blog a bit and then it hit me. A year ago this Friday, November 27th, Shannan and I embarked on our Living A Whole Life journey. We've faithfully researched and written, about 4 posts a week, for an entire year.

This year learning to blog has been an interesting one for me. I've learned a lot about blogging. It's much harder than I imagined to keep researching, writing, and producing fresh content through all the ups and downs daily life has to offer. Beginning blogging is really a thankless, non-lucrative (smile) endeavor. More than that though, it's a stimulating way to fast forward your own learning on a topic. I'm very challenged to understand why something is true so that I can explain it to our readers with the utmost of integrity. Blogging is also a community where I have learned so much from reading others work and from interesting comments placed on our site.

So Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family this year. When we each stop and think of the individual struggles and accomplishments this year has brought, we have much to be thankful for. Thank you to all of you who faithfully read our blog and give Living A Whole Life a voice on the Internet. I leave you with some of our top reader-rated posts this year.

1. Is Raw Milk Safe



2. Coconut Oil: Good For You Inside and Out



3. Healthy Banana Bread Recipe



4. Goji Berries: Health Benefits and Side Effects



5. The Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration and Shannan and I will catch you back here Monday to start our second year blogging here on Living A Whole Life.

Karla

Gratitude and Health

Do you have an attitude of gratitude? I know that I need to be reminded every once in a while to count my blessings. So in the spirit of Thanksgiving, here is some information on how to actually practice gratitude to promote a more positive and healthy outlook.

Good Health and Gratitude
There are many variables affecting good health, but the notion that simple acts of gratitude, appreciation, and thankfulness — all free and relatively easy to implement — can have a positive impact on health is intriguing and merits attention.

What is Gratitude?
An International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA) Newsletter article of April 2008 described gratitude as an "orientation towards noticing and appreciating the positive in the world."

People naturally take for granted the routine things of life, becoming immune and unappreciative of the positives of daily life. Though this adaptation guards the senses against overload, it can also deprive a person of the ability to focus upon and appreciate a sunny day, a spring breeze, and a child's laughter. These are all opportunities for gratitude and an incumbent boost to good health.

Gratitude Exercises for Good Health
The following gratitude exercises are easy to do and will help you maintain an attitude of gratitude.

Gratitude Letter – Write a letter of gratitude to someone who has been a positive influence in your life describing how you were affected and what it meant to you. For even greater benefit deliver the letter in person.

Three Good Things – At the end of each day, recall three good things that happened that day, considering even the smallest positive event.

You at Your Best – Reflect on an experience that demonstrated you at your very best. Write about it and describe your feelings.

Novel Use of Signature Strengths – Understand your special skills and abilities often called your signature strengths. Each day find a new way to utilize one of your strengths.

Three Questions – At the end of each day, ask yourself these three questions: "What has surprised me?," "What has touched me?" and "What has inspired me?"

Happy Thanksgiving!

- Shannan

Delicious Nutritious Beef Bone Broth

Back before my days of studying holistic nutrition, I was a closet fan of Martha Stewart and was always impressed by her homemade soup stocks. (I say closet because with a part-time job and 2 small children - I really can't be Martha Stewart, but it was fun to watch her create). Although I thought after watching and reading her bone broth recommendations that a good stock should be made from scratch and use soup bones, I never really made the time to try it. Recently I've been reading a lot about the awesome healing benefits of a good bone broth/soup stock and decided it was time to try it for myself. I'm 27 weeks pregnant now and trying to prepare myself and the baby for delivery in -my goodness- 13 more weeks. Amazingly, it really wasn't that difficult - like anything else it's a matter of having the right ingredients on hand and knowing what to do. Why take the extra time? Why not buy some soup stock from the grocery store?

Benefits of a properly made bone broth

• By adding vinegar to the cooking broth it releases calcium, magnesium phosphorus, silicon, sulphur and other trace minerals from the bones. Held in a broth form, these minerals are so easy for the body to absorb and provide quick nourishment and healing. These minerals are also the basic building blocks for healing whether from the flu, broken bone, or surgery. Drinking a good bone broth will speed healing time.
• Broth also contains the broken down material from cartilage and tendons, like chondroitin sulphates and glucosamine - no more expensive supplements to take!!
• Bone broth is rich in collagen and gelatin which aids digestion of milk, beans, meat, and the proteins in wheat, oats, and barley. (Adding whole grains and beans into your favorite soup makes even more sense now!)
• Bone broth can be helpful in easing the following conditions: food allergies, dairy allergies, colic, bean maldigestion, grain maldigestion, irritable bowel syndrome, leaky gut syndrome, malnutrition, weight loss, muscle wasting, cancer, osteoporosis, calcium deficiency and anemia.
• Bone broth contains amino acids in a readily absorbable form that helps the body detoxify.

How to make Beef Bone Broth

6-7 pounds of various beef bones, including marrow, knuckle, meaty rib, and neck bones (Remember the quality of your broth will depend on the quality of the ingredients. I recommend spending a little more for grass-fed beef or organic and avoiding beef tainted with antibiotics or hormones).

4 quarts of cold filtered water

1/2 cup vinegar

3 onions, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

3 celery sticks, chopped

Several sprigs of thyme or other favorite herbs

1 bunch of parsley

4 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup of favorite red wine

Place the meaty bones on a cookie sheet and roast in the oven at 350 to 400 degrees until browned. Add bones, vegetables, vinegar, parsley, tomato paste, and red wine to pot and cover with water. Liquid should come no higher than within one inch of the rim of the pot, as the volume expands slightly during cooking.

Bring to a boil. A small amount of particulate matter may rise to the top and it is important to remove this with a spoon or small fine mesh sieve. Reduce heat and add thyme or other herbs.

Simmer the stock for at least 12 hours and as long as 72 hours.* Just before finishing, add the parsley and simmer another 10 minutes.

Strain the stock into a large bowl. Let cool in the refrigerator and remove the congealed fat that rises to the top. Transfer your delicious, nutritious broth into small glass jars and freeze for long term storage.

This broth can be used to make soups and stews; added to rice or other grains in place of water; freeze in small cubes and use when cooking vegetables; or just drink warm when feeling under the weather or in need of healing.

*Another idea is to make your stock on low in the crock pot. If you are like me and cannot be home for long periods of time and don't want to leave the stove-top on this works really well. Mine spent 2 days in the crock pot on my counter and turned out great. You may have to adjust the recipe depending on the size of your crock pot.

Stay tuned as I plan to experiment with Chicken Stock and for our vegan readers a delicious Vegetable Stock to make ahead, freeze, and have on hand when needed.

Karla