How to Choose Which Style of Massage is Best for You

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Ann Bartlett

Style is something that is a personal preference. In addition to working as a massage therapist, I love fashion, and what some pick for style, is not mine, but does that make them wrong? Absolutely not! Different body types need certain style choices! And this is true of massage, too.

massage therapist getting under the shoulder blade.

massage therapist getting under the shoulder blade.

Most of my clients who come in for the first time, often choose Swedish/therapeutic. But what does that mean? Then they explain, they are in agony from a workout! Muscles cramping and deep fatigue from not sleeping well. In my mind (and experience), those two comments would warrant another choice. something that would be deeper, more pentrating to the muscles. The reason is that a cramp needs direct pressure to stop it, if you have a Charlie horse in your foot would you take a feather to relieve the cramp? No, in most cases your jamming your toes on the floor trying to stretch the bottom of the foot to relieve the cramp. Basically, deep tissue massages do the same thing.

In choosing a massage, I think a great place to start with is your head. Mental stress sometimes requires a lighter touch, while physical fatigue needs more deep penetrating pressure and most therapist can bridge those two needs.

How to determine the styles on a menu

Swedish/Therapeutic Massage – Therapeutic is the most common style of massage of all that are out there. Swedish involves soft strokes and kneading strokes in rhythmic motion, with light tapping on the top layers of muscles. There are four strokes that make up Swedish massage:
• Effleurage: a smooth, gliding stroke used to relax soft tissue.
• Petrissage: the squeezing, rolling, or kneading that follows effleurage.
• Friction: deep, circular movements that cause layers of tissue to rub against each other, helping to increase blood flow and break down scar tissue.
Tapotement: a short, alternating tap done with cupped hands, fingers, or the edge of the hand.
Every nationally certified massage therapist has been trained in Swedish/therapeutic. Certifications for other styles come under their own certification process.

Deep Tissue Massage – This, by far, is the most popular style at Body in Balance Center. Deep tissue is not a certified style, like Swedish, but it is really applied to amount of pressure. This request is best for those who have “trouble spots.” Pressure is applied slowly with deliberate strokes that focus on the areas of tension, or chronic pain.

Sports Massage is a certified style of massage. It is usually done with clothing on and without lotion, or with very little lotion. Sports massage is usually available at larger events and is very helpful post race, when muscles are more likely to see injury, or small tears. Products like tiger balm, or biofreeze to help manipulate the muscles to release.

Neuromuscular Therapy – Like deep tissue massage, NMT uses pressure, but specifically looking for trigger points to release the muscle. Once a trigger point is located in the muscle, pressure is placed on the TP, and held, until the point softens. Strokes are used to help with nerve compression, postural issues and repetitive movement injuries. It’s more medically oriented then other forms of massage and the results can be astonishing! Neuromuscular Therapy is a certified style.

Rolfing Structural Integration is a form of bodywork that focuses on the connective tissue, called fascia, of the entire body. Named after its founder Ida Rolf, Rolfing works on the web like complex of connective tissue to help release and realign and bring to balance the body’s structure and soft tissue to improve movement and restore flexibility. It should be noted that Rolfing is deep and can be uncomfortable at times, but the results can be amazing for something that has been a chronic problem!

Thai Yoga Massage is performed fully clothed and done on a mat, or futon. The client lies on the mat and the practitioner places the client into stretches, or poses, and then applies hand pressure to gently stretch and lengthen the body. Fabulously relaxing for body and mind. Over the last 8 years, Thai Yoga Massage has become very popular and more places are offering it. Don’t be shy to try it!

Like clothing, the best way to find your style of massage is to try it on, some you’ll like, some you’ll love and some won’t be a fit at all.

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Should You Get A Flu Vaccine?

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Ann Bartlett

What is flu anyway? Flu is influenza, an infectious disease that spreads from person to person. Symptoms are chiils and fever, muscle pain, sore throat, headache, coughing, weakness and fatigue and general discomfort. In some children, flu may have nausea and vomiting accompanying, but most often that is not a classic symptom of influenza. Many people confuse the stomach bug, gastroenteritis a 24 hour wipe your insides out kinda bug, which is unrelated to influenza.

Historically, one of the most horrific flu epidemics was Spanish flu of 1918. It was a particularly virulent and lethal pandemic, coming in three waves starting in 1918, 1919, ending in 1920, and it’s spread was amplified through troop movements and global transportation. Spanish flu was estimated to have killed 40 million people in Europe, with some scientists estimating 100 million globally. In the US, Spanish flu affected twenty five percent of the population, but more remarkably, in only one year the average life expectancy in the U.S. dropped by 12%.

flu1

The flu usually killed the very young and the very old, but this virus strain attacked teens and young adults with robust immune systems. Immune cells were activated by the virus, increasing the number of immune cells circulating in the blood and overwhelming the lungs with fluids. Healthy young adults essentially drowned from within. Patients would turn blue, suffocating from a lack of oxygen as their lungs filled with a frothy, bloody substance. Some patients died only a few hours after their first symptoms appeared; others died in a matter of days. Anyone watching Downton Abbey remembers the episode when the house comes down with Spanish flu.

flu

Flu vaccine is always controversial in a complimentary medicine practice. Naturopaths believe that you can avoid taking the vaccine by supplementing your diet with the right homeopathic remedies, or herbs. But I don’t believe it is that black and white.

This past fall, the flu hit early and it hit hard, killing a number of people and 2 children by early December. The CDC has said that early reports show 60% of those who got the flu shot stayed out of the doctor’s office.

Is it worth getting the flu vaccine then? In 2008 and 2009, I caught influenza from my unsuspecting clients, so in 2010, I decided I would get vaccinated. Since then, I have managed to avoid getting influenza for the last 2 years. For me, the biggest reason to get a flu shot is because I live with an autoimmune disease, diabetes, which means that my ability to fight off illness is impaired, even before I catch something. Other “normal” people don’t have to worry as much about being infected with the flu. Dr. Katz, an integrative MD and director of Yale Prevention Research, wrote this blog on his opinion of flu vaccine. ( For more on flu vaccine and seniors, go to flu.gov.)

But there is much more to staving off influenza with just a flu shot. We also need to avoid the common cold, strep, bacterial infections, which bring down the immune system and make you more vulnerable to such things as influenza. So we thought we would post some of our recommendations for consideration:

Dr. Henderson, DC:

A healthy diet is crucial for proper immune function, as are proper amounts of rest. Chronic sleep deprivation (or just several nights of not enough sleep) is a stress to the body, increasing cortisol, the main stress hormone, which lowers immune function. Alcohol in moderation.

Vitamins and supplements: Vitamins C and D are shown to improve immune function. More and more of my patients are showing up Vitamin D deficient. The increased use of sunscreens in warm weather and lack of sunlight in cold weather may play a role in Vitamin D deficiency. I, myself, take 5000i.u of D daily and my levels are right in the normal range.

Chiropractic adjustments: are scientifically proven to boost the function of the nervous system and the neuro-endocrine axis, which modulates immune function. The Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS), responsible for the “fight or flight” response to stress, directly innervates primary and secondary immune organs. This is another reason to keep a handle on stress, as well as keeping oneself structurally tuned-up, to maximize the positive effects of the SNS. Sedentary lifestyles, repetitive stress jobs and/or sports, less-than-ideal postural habits, and injury can lead to imbalances in structural function that can then lead to improper neural function, which can lead to impaired immune function. For more on the function of chiropractic care and your immune system, click here.

Njemile Jones, L.Ac

As a practitioner of Chinese Medicine, when my patients come in concerned about the flu, I use acupuncture, Chinese herbal formulas, moxibustion, along with the manual techniques cupping and gua sha to boost their ability to prevent the flu from settling in and taking hold of their immune systems. Our first line of defense is prevention. Seasonal treatments in late summer and fall prepare you to fight off the cold pathogens that take hold in winter. Herbal formulas, created hundreds of years ago, strengthens the “defensive qi” that is often depleted by poor diet, inadequate sleep, and stress.

But if you have a busy home and work life, disease prevention may not be a top priority. You may not have time for self-care, and it’s likely you’re more vulnerable to the flu virus. If you notice a headache, fever and chills and mild body aches, especially in your neck and upper back, make a call to your acupuncturist as soon as you can. We have simple, but refined systems, centuries old, that can assess what channel pathways, or levels of the body are most affected. If we have an opportunity to treat the flu at the early stages, when you first notice body aches or fever, there’s a good chance acupuncture, and herbal formulas and our other modalities can help you subdue the virus, and prevent it from taking hold and going deeper into your body.

On the other hand, if you’re experiencing a full fledged attack of the flu, our herbal formulas, along with acumoxa treatments help reduce the stuffy nose, sneezing, coughing, and clear up phlegm congestion, and often reduce the duration of the illness, even if you are constitutionally strong.

We can even help you in the later stages of flu. I often see patients who after days in bed, are coughing and sneezing and just don’t have the energy to fight the virus off. Here acupuncture, Chinese herbal formulas can boost your strength for resolving the last stages of the illness quickly.

Our treatment methods are safe and effective, and completely appropriate for adults and children, whether you’ve had the flu vaccine or not.

With or without the shot, the best advice is to be sure to take healthy precautions by bolstering your immune system! It’s good for you and good for everyone around you, too!

Addendum: to add to our conversation, 1/27/2013 CBS Sunday Morning lead story: Superbugs!

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Natural Medicine, Biodynamic Farming and Type 1 Diabetes

Posted on January 5, 2013 by Ann Bartlett

Recently, I wrote a blog about raw foods, and someone left a comment that they hated food Nazis on both sides of the fence. I started to think about the number of years I have spent living and breathing a holistic lifestyle and how my attitude, in the last 10 years, has changed to embrace the medical community and pharma in an effort to pull in more resources to understand more about the complex body. There is every reason to believe that there is room for both natural and conventional medicine to yeild the most extraordinary results.

Those who say that pharma makes poison and traps people into a life of using drugs to profit a company, clearly don’t understand that the compounds used are mostly derived from plants, just as naturopathy uses plant based compounds, too. It’s having the education to know how and when to couple holistic and conventional medicine for great health benefits.

In December, I flew to Key West with friends and spent a lovely weekend beachside, eating, riding our bikes down Duval St and exploring the sites. Later we relaxed by having massages. The massage therapist, who worked on me, tried to explain that he had reversed Alzheimer’s disease in 6 patients. With my eyes closed, I listened to his theory and realized his intentions were honorable, but his education limited and his real failure, as a healer, was that his was stuck in his own echo chamber.

John didn’t understand the microbiology of Alzheimer’s disease, nor did he understand autoimmune diseases. He believed that the only medicine for all that ails us comes from nature and a relaxed, non stressed life. John believed that by increasing blood flow, healthy nutrients reach the cells better and reverse all disease.

I’ve been a massage therapist for more than 25 years, and the difference between John and myself is that I have lived with an autoimmune disease that affects the microbiology of my body and it is not something you can fix through holistic medicine and certainly not massage. However, eating whole foods, acupuncture, massage and yoga have proven to be very helpful and warrant recognition for their part in my well-being.

To give you a deeper look into my experience with holistic health, and love for the healing arts, let’s start with my primary school education. Founded on the principles of Anthroposophy (that’s not a misspell), the curriculum incorporated spirituality in all things. Rudolf Steiner founded the Waldorf method.

What was fundamentally different about this private school was its benefactor, Mable Pew Marin. Mrs. Marin was a wealthy woman, whose fortune came from the Sun Oil co. She not only bought the school property, but she endowed the farm across the street to be part of the school and its curriculum. The farm was certified biodynamic and it’s farmers we’re not just guys who stuck seeds in the soil, or fed the cattle, the farmers each held degrees in chemical engineering and in sustainable agriculture, only add a John Deer hat to that picture.

Biodynamic farming is about seeing the earth as an Ecosystem, but also it uses spirituality in farming tactics. For biodynamic farmers, what is important is the timing of crops with celestial alignment. In other words, when is the sun and moon optimal for planting and harvesting.

Animals raised on biodynamic farms have a very unique, holistic approach. For example, during the full moon, cattle are given a mixture of seaweed and diatamatious earth, which is used as a natural wormer. Their belief is the basic functions of the animal’s body can be naturally enhanced to do the job of chemically engineered wormers.
cow1

Steer are given full time to grow and mature before slaughter. Farmers practice true animal husbandry, the way all of us that are not involved in farming would like to believe all farmers would choose to treat their animals. But to do this takes an education and time; therefore, not many farms are built on the practice of biodynamic.

For my 11 years at school, I spent every Friday afternoon working with the cows, goats, sheep and more often we were helping with the gardens of the school and learning composting. It was part of the curriculum and not something that was negotiable, everyone had to participate.

The little farm across the street from my school suffered under the burden of biodynamic farming. Committed as the farmers were, the revenues generated were not enough to sustain the farm. After Mrs. Marin died, the endowment for the school and the farm began to dwindle due to the heavy cost of running a unique primary school and running a biodynamic farm.
image-5965

In late 80s, parents from the school got together and developed a business plan to save the farm. They started to produce yogurt to sell to support both school and farm. There was plenty of milk to sell, but someone needed the business mind to push it into useful and rewarding production. It finally came together! Today, you can buy the yogurt, called Seven Stars Yogurt, in most Whole Foods store nationwide.

The success of the yogurt has required a larger production site, so the cows have left, but the farm property remains pristine with perfectly balanced soil, indigenous plants that have created a balanced ecosystem without the use of chemicals, or pesticides to maintain it. Just the way God intended.

Kimberton Waldorf School also offered parents, students and teachers access to Anthroposophical medicine and homeopathy, another of Steiner’s influences. Homeopathy is based in phytomedicinals, or plant based medicine, among other things. Steiner looked at the body as an ecosystem involving body, mind and soul and his treatments reflected each aspect of that ecosystem. For some, it was the remedy that enriched their life. But in 1920, at the height of Steiner’s career, Anthroposophical medicine would not have helped diseases like type 1 diabetes. But at the time, conventional medicine would not have saved someone like me, either. It was the creation of insulin, by Banting and Macleod, that saved people diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. While homeopathy has it’s place in helping diabetes, doctors of homeopathy and conventional medicine are often stuck in their echo chamber, seeing only one method for treatment.

As a result of the echo chambers, many docs miss great opportunity to work magic when it is most needed. And wouldn’t it better to love and embrace opportunity, then to sit in doubt and fear?

Medicine does not have to be alternative vs. conventional, it needs to be integrated. My life is richer by opening my mind and sifting through ideas looking for opportunity, wherever they may come from. It’s been a mentally exciting and emotionally satisfying journey and one that has kept me healthy and vibrant and engaged.

Some of my favorite research looks at simple natural strategies that might make a difference in my health and longevity. I have long sung the praises of integrated approaches and I’ll share some of my favorite blogs with you. Happy reading!:) (More blogs coming soon!)

Integrating natural and conventional medicine and diabetes

Yoga and Diabetes

Massage and Diabetes

Gyrotonic for Frozen Shoulder

Vitamin C and Diabetes complications

Hygiene hypothesis and Diabetes

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Delicious Smoothies. A Sweet Treat, or Shot in the Arm?

Posted on December 11, 2012 by Ann Bartlett

Smoothies are the buzzword for health food… or so people think. But if you walked into Tropical Smoothie or UBEX stores, I would rank them as junk food. Many of these stores, especially chains like UBEX, or Tropical Smoothie add more sugar to their fruit drinks, in addition to the additives used to keep fruit fresh.

Smoothies are one of two things, a healthier sweet treat, or for those die hard raw food fans, they are a healthful way of getting an intense shot of nutrients. One thing is clear; if you buy a smoothie, the nutritional value of your smoothie is muddy, at best. Therefore, it would be best to make your own smoothies at home, so I thought I would give a few helpful tips on the process.

Tools for making a smoothie.

When I started juicing, over 28 years ago, the gold standard was Champion brand juicers. Champion had two types, a non ejection centrifugal juicer (mine), or the masticating juicer, which is a twin gear juicer that can handle fruits veggies, but can also make pasta, nut butters and baby food! The drawback to my champion was the cleaning process; it took a lot of time to clean up. My juicer finally died, while I was writing this blog. RIP my fabulous friend! Today, there are lots more options; brands such as Breville, Omega and Hurom are some of the top rated.

To decide on a juicer, first look at your preference of smoothie, or juice. Juice is thinner in texture, while smoothies leaves more pulp from the fruit or veggie. For a true juice without the pulp, you need a juice extractor. These heavy-duty juicers are needed if you like more veggie based juices, like carrot, kale, and beet substance. The heavy-duty engine is needed to do the job, so don’t skimp and buy something based solely on price. If you are a true fruit smoothie fan, you can probably go with a less expensive idea, such as a simple blender, or hand blender.

I surfed the net looking for juicer reviews and I liked everythingkitchen.com best because it had plenty of options, customer reviews, but also had a customer question with company replies section.
However, this site had a nice explanation for the way juicers operate.

In the end, I chose the Omega Low Speed Vert 350, which uses an auger to crush the produce and what I love best; it is incredibly easy to clean!

When to Drink a Smoothie?

Most smoothie advocates suggest starting your day off with a smoothie, but many suggested smoothies high in sugar. When the body is getting it’s engine revved for the rest of the day, intense sweet in the AM is no different then a shot of espresso. It’s also hard on the digestion, because fruit empties quickly from the stomach, leaving you hungry for more food, a couple hours later. You see where I’m going with this? If you want to eat better, then you need to look at your energy output and add a smoothie at the right time.

Also, I use smoothies when I feel like I need to ease my digestive system from its hard work. The homemade liquid tends to calm my tummy, while at the same time, encouraging me to take better care, because I’m focused on food in quality and quantity.

What Ingredients?

Fresh is best! We shop at the farmers markets for veggies and fruits, because fresh is best. Try to buy locally grown for two very good reasons: support your local economy (also called “shop small”) and because organic is not always necessary. Small farms that border residential neighborhoods are forbidden to use pesticides and chemicals that large growers use. Know the dirty dozen, which is a list of fruits and veggies that you should buy organic.

Some food for thought.

When looking at ingredients for your juice, stop and think about your medications. For people with conditions like low thyroid, you need to be careful of too many phytoestrogens and cruciferous vegetables. These include fruits and veggies such as broccoli, soy, cauliflower, kale, wheat berries, alfalfa, mung beans, flax, oats, barley, carrots, apples, and pomegranates.

A Wall Street Journal article showed the medical worry for eating grapefruit, in 2010, then another article came out in England, last month, that said grapefruit has 85 different interactions with medications and 43 have serious side effects.

In other words, don’t just launch into smoothies. Review your health, you may need to limit some ingredients. For example, I have low thyroid, a common problem with people who have type1 diabetes. Today, I made a smoothie out of kale, spinach, avocado, carrot, apple, pomegranate and lemon.

While heavy on phytoestrogens, I still love the energy boost that it gives me, so I won’t have it more than once a week. And by limiting it to once a week, this forces me to try more fruits and veggies and balances my nutrition.

Living well starts with eating well, so juice and enjoy!

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Leftover Holiday Turkey? How About A Healthy Soup To Help You Slim Down!

Posted on November 26, 2012 by Ann Bartlett

I’m a huge fan of soup. In fact, I could eat soup everyday of the week! So when the thanksgiving rolls around, I start searching for a turkey soup that will be light in calories and fat, but chock full of fresh ingredients that help my digestion settle down, and my body to slim down.

Here is one of my favorite Turkey soup recipes and I modify it with whatever is in my fridge, like extra veggies, or root veggies that are left over from the holiday meal. The one modification I made was instead of cooking 2 turkey breasts, I used the breast meat from the leftover Thanksgiving turkey and shredded it into the broth and it is cooking in my slow cooker for the next 6 hours on high. Ease and convenience, after the holidays, come first.

Making the broth for Turkey Kale Soup

Turkey Kale Soup

Ingredients
• 1 whole Yellow onion, quartered
• 10 Cloves Garlic (Minced)
• 2 Stalks Leeks
• 3 Stalks Celery (Chopped)
• 3 Asparagus tips
• 1 Parsnip
• Handful of fresh thyme
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 Cubes Low sodium vegan bullion cubes
• 12 Cups Water
• Bunch of parsley, minced
• 2 lb Boneless, skinless turkey breast
• Soy sauce
• 1 lb Kale

Directions
1. Rub turkey with half of the garlic, half the Rosemary, half the thyme, soy sauce and half the parsley.
2. Cover with water and add bullion simmer about 3 hours so the veggies are cooked.
3. Strain broth, meanwhile place turkey with seasonings in a covered roasting pan into a 370 degree oven.
4. Roast about 1 1/2 hours or until cooked.
5. Take out of the oven uncover and let cool about an hour. Shred the turkey and add it to strained broth. Take stems out of the kale, chop and add to the broth and cook another hour.

Have you tried Tuscan Kale, also known as Dinosaur kale? Don’t be afraid, it’s wonderful!

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Diabetes. Is there A Cure?

Posted on November 20, 2012 by Ann Bartlett

Diabetes month (November) brings out tons of information on diabetes management. Pharmacies open their doors to testing people for diabetes and communities around the world show solidarity for the cause. This is all for the good, right?

As with any good and worthy cause, there are a few individuals who also take advantage and promote inaccurate information about diabetes. What wrinkles my nose is the concept that nature has a cure for diabetes. Why is this a myth? Let me explain.

First, which diabetes are they talking about that has a natural cure? Type1 diabetes does not have a cure, nor a natural cure! Type1 is an autoimmune disease, which attacks the insulin forming cells, called beta cells, leaving as little as 10% of the total amount needed to keep the body alive. The only way to treat type1 is injected insulin; you can’t eat better, take supplements, or drink medicinal teas to “reverse” it. The digestive system of someone with type1 can take a pounding from the nature of the disease, so eating well, taking antioxidants and adding acupuncture can help tremendously in beefing up the weakened immune system and aid in better digestion. Additionally, cutting down carbohydrates helps to not only manage blood sugar levels, but because of the way type1 diabetes affects the metabolism, lower carb intake also helps the stomach and small intestine digest food and absorb nutrients better.

For type2 diabetes natural is better, because learning to eat well and living a healthier life will decrease the risk for complications. But type2 diabetes has a definition problem. For years, type2 was categorized as a form of metabolic syndrome, primarily insulin resistance. But in recent years, type2 is being studied to determine if it really belongs in the autoimmune category, right along side type1 diabetes. The reason is that when people are diagnosed with type2 diabetes, they also show a decreased number of beta cells, those insulin producing cells; approximately 50% less then normal. For many, the beta cells replenish to about 80% of their total mass after a few changes are made to eating and health habits. (To me this is similar to the honeymoon period that happens with type1) What is not expressed well, even by the medical community is that for many with type2, their beta cells may eventually die off again, reducing the overall number of beta cells back to 50% or less permanently; and therein lies the problem with telling patients they can reverse their type2 diabetes. A well educated diabetes doctor, called an endocrinologist, should then say to his/her patients, “This is managing diabetes, not reversing it and it’s the most proven method to avoiding diabetes complications.”

For the alternative medicine groups, when trying to sell a product to help type 2 patients, they should never stake the claim that they can reverse, or cure diabetes, no supplement will ever cure diabetes.

Let me give you an example of the kind of advertising that hurts people. I got an email from Kris Carr of Crazy Sexy Kitchen, who sent out this ad for buying a “captivating documentary film, Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 days..” Carr goes on to say “The film follows the healing journeys of six beautiful souls who reverse their diabetes naturally by eating only organic, vegan, uncooked, raw foods. Brava! If you’ve been embracing the Crazy Sexy lifestyle for any time now, you can imagine the incredible transformations these courageous life changers go through.”

I’m so annoyed on so many levels. Raw foods is not reversing diabetes, it is simply a way to manage type2. Raw is also very extreme and not everyone is at their optimal health by living on a raw diet. The real truth is, for people with weight and health issues, a healthier diet with lots of veggies and balanced amounts of protein will help manage diabetes by decreasing blood sugar and weight. If you choose to eat raw, do it because it feels good to your body and gives you energy, then it’s the right fit for you. If you have never done raw, don’t start there. A diet low in processed foods and high in natural sources of fiber will be a great start to managing diabetes and helping your body help itself!

The second rub is Dr. Gabriel Cousens, who is used as the expert doctor in the video. Dr. Cousens is an MD who had his license to practice medicine revoked in AZ and censured in NY. And to think, you can buy this video at 50% off, because Kris Carr knows how tight budgets are. Really? You give viewers an expert doctor with a revoked medical license, and you want them to pay $161.20!?

I have loved using integrated medicine for a very long time, but there are alternative practitioners, who are not familiar with chronic illness, who profess to understand a health condition and advocate that they have the universal path to success. Know this: each body is individual and it’s cellular make up is also unique. Integrated approaches to a health problem can be unbelievably helpful, and I am a testament to that, but it will not be successful if you listen to alternative vs. conventional. In most cases, it takes both. So experiment with integrated medicine, study it and keep working at it until you feel amazing and health glows in your skin, your eyes and your smile!

In the meantime, if you see ads for reversing diabetes, do your homework and research the sources making the recommendations. Talk with your doctor, CDE (certified diabetes educator) or nutritionist, because that is healthy and safe for you!

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November is Diabetes Awareness Month!

Posted on November 13, 2012 by Ann Bartlett

Diabetes is around all of us, all the time and diabetes is a disease that affects 25.8 million Americans. Of those 25.8 million, 7 million don’t even know they have diabetes. Globally 366 Million people have diabetes and the projected increase will be 552 Million by 2030. But as a society, do we have a grasp on this disease? Do we give it the awareness it deserves?

Symbols are bright reminders of love, strength, health and life. In disease awareness, think pink ribbon. Does anyone have to think to hard to know what a pink ribbon stands for? It’s a symbol of breast cancer awreness, but also unity, education and fundraising. The blue circle does the same for diabetes, but the majority of the public are still confused about diabetes.

For most people without diabetes, the belief is that there is a cure through diet control, supplements, veganism, etc. For some, all diabetes is the same disease and sometimes reporters suffer the same misinterpretation.

Diabetes is defined as a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood sugar, either because the pancreas has stopped producing insulin or does not produce enough insulin, or because cells do not respond to insulin that is produced.

There are many forms of diabetes, but 2 major categories:

Type 2 Diabetes is the largest percentage of people living with diabetes. Type2 diabetes is caused by insulin resistance, a condition where the cells fail to use insulin properly, type 2 was also known as “non insulin dependent diabetes” (NIDDM) or adult onset diabetes, but as more teens and young adults developed this form it became known as type2.

Type1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease, in which the body cannot shut off the autoimmune attack that is focused on the beta cells that produce insulin. It is typically diagnosed in people younger then 20, so it was referred to as insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), or juvenile diabetes. In recent years, type one has been growing annually at about 3% and the age range for diagnosis is larger in the 25-35 population, then adolescents.

The two smaller subsets are gestational diabetes occurs when pregnant women, without a previous diagnosis of diabetes develop high blood sugar levels. Great 3 part series here. And Type1.5 diabetes, which is also known Latent Auto Immune Diabetes of Adults, or LADA.

In all cases, the problem is getting enough insulin for the body to function properly.

What is clear about diabetes is that eating healthy, and with proper portions, helps no matter which form you have. Exercise, a minimum of 10,000 steps per day is a meaningful way to help control diabetes. But one thing to know is that diet and exercise don’t reverse diabetes, it manages the condition, so that perhaps you won’t need medication, but diabetes is a progressive disease and at some point no matter how much you do, you might need to take some medication. After all, it is better to be healthy WITH medication, then very very sick, with no medication. It’s a simple truth! So click here to grab your blue circle and help spread diabetes education and awareness!

PS. I’m posting some of my favorite blogs on diabetes:

Huffingtonpost Riva has had diabetes a long time and I like her journalistic style.

Sixuntilme.com Kerri is one of my favorite writers, because she writes about her crazy life and dragging diabetes thru it!

The DX Full disclosure: I help with content ideas, but the reason, I have added it is because I like the fact that the site curates what’s happening in diabetes from all over the web.

Need a diabetes life coach?! Can’t beat my friend Ginger! Ginger is never without a positive word to help you feel empowered. Great person, great speaker, great explorer of life!

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Want To Create A Perfect Dinner Party? Here’s Food for Thought!

Posted on October 31, 2012 by Ann Bartlett

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.” ~ Melody Beattie

A girlfriend of mine, whose birthday is also in September, decided to hold a Virgo celebration for all her girlfriends with September birthdays, so six fabulous and diverse women arrived for dinner, each of us with a part in the evening.

To begin, put 6 Virgoan women in a room and the conversation will undoubtedly be interesting and diverse!

Virgo women by nature are intellectual. “Charming, perfect and intelligent, the Maiden seduces all that crosses her path, be it man, woman or unicorn. The Virgoan woman is very discerning, a natural critic and a sharp analyzer of everything and everyone. Highly intuitive, she has the ability to sense what is off-key about a person or situation, and hone in onto this with intent to improve.”

Add to the virgo traits, a nuclear physicist, a principal of a Catholic school, deputy director EPA, professor of military history and national security expert and ordained Buddhist nun, a school teacher and a massage therapist and the topics were endless!

But the richness that floated thru the air was not just conversational; it was also in the aroma of the food. With a Spanish flare, we had wine glasses filled with a tempranillo and slices of manchego goat cheese and started the introductions for the evening.  The conversations ranged from loving the container store to Lincoln’s micromanagement of the Union troops and the new movie about Lincoln.

Though we were different in many ways, we all valued our physical and mental health.  We, each, believed in the benefits of yoga, homeopathy, healing modalities, yet our careers were so different from our personal beliefs.  Each of us had sought to find the deepest part of ourselves through meditation and food was an extension of that experience; it needed to be healthy.

When we sat down for dinner, there was a moment of silence as we slid our forks into our mouths and tasted intense flavors that were just as rich and interesting as the conversation around the table.

Dinner was simple, but flavors were complex.  Our host had sautéed greens with garlic and Tempeh Marbella that had marinated all day in prune, olive and caper delishiness served on a bed of wild rice. The sweet and  salty flavor of the marinade was perfection!  Fall is a perfect time to hold a dinner for friends and this recipe is delicious and easy to make.

Tempeh Marbella

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Tempeh, sliced according to instructions
  • 1/8 Cup Capers
  • 1/4 Cup Pitted kalamata olives (can use stuffed green)
  • 1/3 Cup Prunes
  • 1/4 Cup olive oil
  • 1/4 Cup Tamari
  • 1/4 Cup Water
  • 1/8 Cup red wine vinegar
  • 8 tsp Cooking sherry (1/16 c)
  • 1/3 Bulbs of garlic, sliced
  • 8 tsp chopped marjoram
  • 8 tsp Basil, fresh, chopped, or dried
  • Salt pepper to taste

Directions

PREPARE THE TEMPEH

1. Steam the tempeh in whole blocks for 15 minutes.

2. Slice each block into 9 strips across short dimension of the block, then cut each strip into 4 equal pieces. Then halve the thickness of each piece, because if the pieces are too thick the marinade won’t sink in and the meal won’t have as much flavor.

3. Slice prunes into thirds. If using kalamata olives, slice them in half lengthwise. If using stuffed green olives, leave whole.

4. PREPARE THE MARINADE Combine olive oil, tamari, water, red wine vinegar, sherry, garlic, prunes, olives, capers (plus some of the caper juice), the herbs, salt and pepper. Check marinade flavor and adjust if needed.

5. Toss the marinade and let sit as long as possible. If it looks like it is soaking it up really fast, make up some more marinade and pour it on.

6. Put into 4 inch hotel pans for baking, then bake in 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes.

** marinade is enough for 1 package (1/2 lb)

(This could also be made with beef, chicken or fish.)

Tempeh Marbella

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Make Water More Appealing And Defy Aging

Posted on September 17, 2012 by Ann Bartlett

When we are young we want to be grown up.  When we reach a certain age, we want to be young.  And for some, the youthful look” is bought.

What do we really know about defying age?  Age is far more than skin deep; and, what I mean by that, is beauty starts within the cells.  Cellular activity adds to aging.  As we get older, our cells age and just aren’t able to regenerate as quickly. They don’t rebuff our physical insults (aka, intense exercise, rich foods, alcohol and other excesses) as well.

But what if I told you there was a magic pill, one that is free, healthy and helps to eradicate our indulgences? Know what it is?  Water. Agua. H2O. Believe me?

Our blood is comprised of 83% water, our brain is comprised of 74% water and our bones are comprised of 22% water. A 1% loss in body weight is due to loss of water, or dehydration.  And more than that you suffer serous illness.

The skin craves water.  With proper hydration, the skin looks healthier by reducing wrinkles.  Just like a plant, if skin does not have enough water, it withers. It helps to increase natural sweating, which clears the pores and helps to detoxify the skin from normal cell debris.

Water is also a appetite suppressant. Water helps the body metabolize fat better and naturally suppresses hunger. Weight watchers is an advocate for drinking more water.  They encourage one gallon a day to help decrease appetite.

But many hate the plain taste of water.  And plain may even be an exaggeration! Adding lemon can help, but suppose lemon isn’t your flavor.  What to do?  This summer, I came across this fantastic invention: Fruit Infused Water Pitcher from Prodyne, and I love it!!!

 

This pitcher allows you to choose the flavor of the water.  So ingenious! There is a central perforated tube that attaches to the lid that allows you to load in fruits, or any natural food idea you have and let the water steep.   We tried lemon, the obvious first choice, but we did raspberry and concord grape, watermelon, peach and concord grape, and orange.  The best tastes to me have been the citrus because they are more pungent, but the berries and peach, while  less intense, are just lovely.  I bought my pitcher on amazon.

I want to hang on to my inner health, so that my outward appearance looks radiant.  Age is mind over matter, in addition to being well hydrated.  I’ll drink to that!

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Lance Armstrong, the Thrill of Victory and Agony of Defeat

Posted on August 26, 2012 by Ann Bartlett

We all love to look up to athletes, they inspire us, motivate and make us believe that with hard work, we can reach beyond our own expectations. Perhaps, we won’t achieve their enormous physical success, but they teach us to dream and try harder.

Globally, few have been more inspiring then Lance Armstrong.  We cheered him on as a 15 year old triathlete, when he proved his amateur ranking to be better then the top five professional ranked triathletes. At 16, he became a professional triathlete and in his first year won the national sprint course champion title. His decision to leave the sport of triathlon was financial; he felt he needed to earn what his victories deserved. He was arrogant to a fault, but his talent was so awesome, it was hard not to be sucked in by it.

For me, Lance’s star power emerged after his emotional announcement that he had stage 3 testicular cancer, and it had already spread into vital organs.  The cancer appeared to be so aggressive that, in my mind, any hope was all but gone.  But he was unwavering in his belief in himself and he faced it like any other competition, he made calculated moves and educating himself on options. Here is what is written in wiki about his cancer treatment:

“On October 2, 1996, then aged 25, Armstrong was diagnosed as having developed stage three testicular cancer (Embryonal carcinoma).[16]The cancer spread to his lungs, abdomen and brain. On that first visit to a urologist in Austin, Texas, for his cancer symptoms he was coughing up blood and had a large, painful testicular tumor. Immediate surgery and chemotherapy were required to save his life. Armstrong had an orchiectomy to remove his diseased testicle. After his surgery, his doctor stated that he had less than a 40% survival chance.[17]

The standard chemotherapeutic regimen for the treatment of this type of cancer is a cocktail of the drugs bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin(or Platinol) (BEP). Armstrong, however, chose an alternative, etoposide, ifosfamide, and cisplatin (VIP), to avoid the lung toxicity associated with the drug bleomycin.[17] This decision may have saved his cycling career. His primary treatment was received at the Indiana University(IU), Indianapolis, Medical Center, where Lawrence Einhorn had pioneered the use of cisplatinum to treat testicular cancer. His primary oncologist there was Craig Nichols.[17] His brain tumors were surgically removed by Scott A. Shapiro, MD, Professor of Neurosurgery at Indiana University and Resident Director, and were found to contain extensive necrosis.[18] According to Armstrong’s first book, Shapiro convinced him that he was the right neurosurgeon for him by saying: “You’ll have to convince me you know what you’re doing,” said Armstrong. “Look, I’ve done a large number of these,” Shapiro said, “I’ve never had anyone die, and I’ve never made anyone worse.” “Yeah, but why should you be the person who operates on my head?” Armstrong responded. “Because as good as you are at cycling”-he paused-”I’m a lot better at brain surgery”.[17] His last chemotherapy treatment was received on December 13, 1996.

His cancer went into complete remission, and by January 1998 he was already engaged in serious training for racing, moving to Europe to race for the U.S. Postal team. A pivotal week (April 1998) in his comeback was one he spent training in the very challenging Appalachian terrain around Boone, North Carolina, with his racing friend Bob Roll.[17]“

Two years later, he wanted to return to professional cycling, but he had trouble finding a home. Cyclists and sponsors doubted he would have the physical strength that he had before cancer. His first Tour de France victory, in 1999, gave everyone a lump in their throat and he claimed an enormous emotional and financial victory, against the odds.

Cancer followed by a Tour de France win, how did he do it?  What we, ordinary people, failed to understand was the amazing physiology of the elite athlete’s body.  In Lance’s case, the cells of his body are highly efficient in clearing the debris that is accumulated from his training. He has the lowest lactate levels ever recorded, which means he processes his training so well that he recovers faster than everyone else.  Dr. Edward Coyle, an exercise physiologist who studied Armstrong’s body said, “Fewer than 20 people on earth have that capacity.”

I surmise that when Armstrong went through cancer treatment, his body was highly efficient and could consume, utilize and excrete the cancer treatment better than most of us.  As an athlete, he understood the process for what he would go through and he was an active participant in deciding his treatment plan that helped to bolster his successful outcome.

If any of us can learn one thing from Lance Armstrong, it is that the health of our cellular body is a primary factor in staying well and surviving health changes that we can’t anticipate.  The healthier we are going into a health change, the better the chance we will succeed.

A final word on the recent announcement, not all of Lance Armstrong’s Tour de France wins are in question.  The years 2009-2011 are what are in question.  The USADA would like to strip away all of the titles as punishment.  Whatever that decision may be, I believe that he should remain an inspiration for his tenacity to succeed in life and inspire so many who need to feel hope!

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