Decreased fat = decreased inflammation

Here is a link to an article I found in Science Daily:
http://www.sciencedaily.com

The article explains that modest weight loss, especially abdominal fat loss, reduces inflammatory cells that attack the body. Excess fat essentially creates a perma-inflammation response systemically which contributes to all sorts of un-fun side effects that can include gastric inflammations (which can cause severe abdominal pain) and inflammation of skin and joint systems.

Helpful distance calculator...

here is a site a friend sent me to:

http://www.daftlogic.com/projects-google-maps-distance-calculator.htm

Use it to calculate distances for running, biking...my favorite part is that it allows you to go through parks, where there are no municipal roads :)

Communists in the Funhouse....

Here is a quick and funny link

http://thegloss.com/sex-and-dating/what-to-call-your-period-in-other-countries/

And if you are to lazy to click on it, here is the multicultural list of phrases meaning menstruation:

• The Netherlands: “The tomato soup is overcooked”
• Brazil: “I’m with Chico”
• China: “Little Sister has come”
• many parts of Latin America: “Jenny has a red dress on”
• Australia: “I’ve got the flags out”
• Denmark: “There are Communists in the funhouse”
• Ireland: “I’m wearing a jam rag”
• England: “I’m flying the Japanese flag”
• Japan: “Little Miss Strawberry”
• France: “The English have arrived”
• Germany: “The cranberry woman is coming”
• Puerto Rico: “Did the rooster already sing?”
• South Africa: “Granny’s stuck in traffic”

The Gear Mistress Says...

Here is an-ever growing list of things that will make bike-commuting more palatable for the average newbie:

• Know your route: unless you like the sensation of being a scared bunny rabbit surrounded by wolves, then you should do a little research before you set out to ride to work. Look at maps online (google maps now has bike routes in beta; also check out bycycle.org; or download a pdf map from the city of Portland here)
• Dress appropriately: layer with materials such as wool, cotton, and technical fabrics. I personally hate fleece, so you're on your own with that crap. My personal faves are short pants (jeans that I have cut to mid calf so there is no interference from Le chain) with knee high wool socks, a long cut undershirt that will stay tucked into my pants and prevent the peek-a-boo ass crack breeze, a wool sweater+softshell jacket+rain shell if it is pretty cold outside. A good rule of thumb: when you first set out to ride you will feel a bit chilly, and then you will warm up. If you start out too warm you will be soaked with sweat, and then you will be REALLY cold when you get off your bike. Boo to that. Carry one of your layers in a bag if you are unsure, that way you stay less sweaty and have the option of adding a layer if you need to.
• always bring a hat/ear band+gloves. I seriously bring these with me all the time except in the extreme heat of summer, and even then I bring my INGENIOUS invention of Cheap Arm Warmers (take a pair of cotton/poly opaque tights and cut the legs right at the base of the crotch, and then cut one large and one small hole for you fingers and thumb, respectively. Congratulations, you just made a pair of arm warmers/leg warmers that take up zero space, even in a small purse, for less than 5 bucks. ) These will keep you remarkably warmer on a cool summer night, right at that moment when you step out of the bar/restaurant/movie and realize it is not so hot when the wind picks up and the sun is gone, all without lugging a jacket with you :)
• Know your bicycle. You should at least know these things: what your brakes look and feel like when they are working properly; how to change a flat; and how to check that your wheel's axles are indeed locked into your bike's frame. Better to know these things before you set out for work and discover that your brakes weren't connected while coming to a red light, or down a hill. This seriously happens to people all the time. HI-larious for me to watch, terrifying for you to experience. So know how to assess your brakes, lube your chain, put air in your tires and you should be pretty good to go.
• Give yourself enough time. Being in a hurry is the surest way to make dumb and unsafe decisions on the road. See "know your route" above to help you figure out the length of time you'll need to safely get to your destination. Practice your route on a Sunday, when you aren't in a hurry, and you aren't thinking about your 9 am meeting with a client, for instance.
• Don't spend an arm and a leg for gear you may not need. You want gloves and a hat? Try Andy&Bax they have plenty of bike friendly products at wallet friendly prices. (I especially like my Marcella wool gloves for 10 bucks, their selection of "survival" socks, handkerchiefs (I'm no fan of the "farmer-blow" technique), army issue wool sweaters that stay warm even when wet....) Some other faves of mine: Nau, Rei (check out their outlet online), Sanderson Safety Supply has great "bike" sunglasses for a buck and reflective fabrics, etc. Another place that has been invaluable to me is GoodWill: some of my best gear has been second hand.
• Panniers and baskets are great for those of us that have wimpy shoulders and don't like to feel like a sweaty pack mule. Bikefarm and City Bikes sell these at very reasonable prices. These will make you not hate commuting. I promise.

A good place to start with Pushups, sit-ups, etc

Here is a site that my friend shared with me: (bonus points because his entire work team is doing it!)

http://hundredpushups.com/

The site provides a really clear program with alternatives so you don't have to think, just start doing push-ups. Beginners and veterans alike will benefit from this program...

The "Practice What I Preach" Exercise

So here is a little Practice What I Preach data:

Since I've been working from home recently it's been harder to get enough exercise, because I have to think about it, and motivate myself to do some cardio that isn't part of my transportation via bicycle.

I am a firm believer that long term changes begin with small incremental steps, and my small step is to log the number of minutes of cardio/exercise I get in a day. This isn't meant to be a guilt ridden step, just an objective measurement tool to see how I'm doing from week to week.

I will try to also log a brief body-mind entry, to monitor how my average mood for the day, because that is a big part of why I exercise- the endorphins. You can play along, tracking your daily activity levels and adding whatever body-mind aspect matters to you here:

Cheers to your health!

Don't get bent Over the Counter

Interesting fact about drugs? They have effects. Some are good (pain relief, euphoria, etc) some are bad (liver damage, stripped stomach lining) and here are some things to know:

(generic disclaimer that I am NOT A DOCTOR, and I am not DIAGNOSING or PRESCRIBING anything on my site. Do not try this at home, etc.)

Tylenol= acetaminophen

Pain/fever reducer and preferred choice during pregnancy. These are hard on your liver so lay off the alcohol when you take this and do NOT exceed the recommended dose.  Works by increasing the threshold for pain signals/chemicals necessary to make your brain recognize pain in your body, and inhibits the Center for Fever in your brain (hypothalamus). 

Advil/ibuprofen, Aspirin/Bayer, Aleve/naproxen

Hard on your stomach lining and bowels, ie they make your gut hurt. Not good if you have problems with ulcers; these guys can make your gut bleed, and that would be VERY BAD if you have an ulcer. These are best taken with food, usually. These are good for reducing inflammation (which is why they work for arthritis, muscle pain, bursitis) and work by preventing the formation of inflammation-related chemicals (prostaglandins, if you care), which are also connected to body temperature (hello again, hypothalamus).

More thoughts on pain-killers:

You cannot kill pain in the body with drugs without a cost to one or more systems of the body; you can turn off the "pain noise" in your brain, but you want to be careful not to actually damage your body while you can't feel pain. Pain is, after all, the main form of communication your brain has with your body. You can turn off the chemicals that cause inflammation, but you aren't turning off the CAUSE of the inflammation, so it is a temporary fix. 

That being said, pain has destructive effects on our body, and are not usually well tolerated; most people lose some function when they are in pain whether it is concentration, the ability to move normally, or complete necessary tasks (think of tying your shoes when your back goes out or trying to sleep after you've twisted an ankle, for instance). Sometimes we need relief from the immediate symptoms in order to heal from the cause- just be mindful of how you achieve that relief.

Oh yeah, says who?

Here are some links to further reading:

I want to know a little: 

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/painrelievers.html

I want to know more: 

http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=4592

 

http://www.medicinenet.com/acetaminophen/article.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-steroidal_anti-inflammatory_drug#Mechanism_of_action

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetaminophen

 (oh yes, i went there. wikipedia has great general information and great bibliographic links- bite me.)

I am a nerd:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1188892/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1188892/?tool=pubmed

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2194329/?tool=pubmed

But that's not where it hurts...

Over the years I have come to realize that there are some basic communication glitches that plague my industry, and I am hoping to clear up some of these frequently asked questions, and address some of the questions we SHOULD be asking:

Q "Why have you come for a massage?"

A This should be the first question, and periodically you need to ask even your regulars this question. I focus on sports massage, nuts and bolts stuff, but I can provide a great relaxation massage as well. If my client tells me they need a massage to unwind, recover energetically from a stressful event, heal some emotional wounds bound up in their muscles, whatever- I can help with that too. I can't presume to know why my clients are in my studio on any given day, as obvious as it may seem to them, and I want to provide the best service possible, which means something different from one client to the next, or one appointment to the next with the same client.

Q "Why did my therapist talk during my massage?" I recently worked on a friend, and it had been a while since we saw each other socially and I ended up talking with her through most of the massage. In the last 10 minutes she asked- "Do you normally talk during massages?" I felt terribly sheepish and told her the truth, which is that is depends on what the client wants. But I hadn't asked what she wanted, and she hadn't told me she wanted silence, so we chatted more than she wanted. Maybe she didn't know she wanted silence until she experienced the massage, and that is totally fair- I should have been more diligent in checking in and will in the future (total Fail, on my part), and now she knows to tell me when she wants to just zone out, and leave planet Chit-Chat far far away. Not everyone wants the same thing (some people need the talking to let go of emotional stuff, for instance) so please, please, please let your therapist know your preferences.

Q "Massage can help with _____?!"

A Most people don't realize how far reaching the benefits of massage can be- you can use massage as a treatment for a long list of symptoms, including, but not limited to:

insomnia

anxiety

stress/hypertension

fibromyalgia

scar reduction/post operative rehabilitation

arthritis

lymph drainage/inflammation control

releasing spasmed muscles/muscle tension

increasing circulation

scoliosis pain-management

TMJ (temporal mandibular joint) syndrome/jaw pain

headaches

carpal tunnel

disc herniation/bulging/etc

sciatica

and on and on.

The point is: Tell your therapist all the things that are bugging you in your daily life, and you may be pleasantly surprised to find that we have a handy remedy for that particular ailment.

Q "Does it have to hurt?"

A No, it doesn't have to hurt. Usually this question is referring to deep tissue, sports massage, and myofascial release. These particular techniques are very goal oriented, which is to say that the immediate discomfort they cause is less important than the overall gains. I am of the opinion that if my client is fearful, or truly uncomfortable, they don't have a very good experience, no matter how well I perform the task at hand. Our bodies naturally tense up to pain, or sudden increases in pressure, movement, stretching, etc. Gradual increases in pressure, movement, and stretch, tend to bypass the knee-jerk reaction of the brain to protect the area by tensing up, and this makes it easier for the therapist to get to deeper muscle groups, or achieve a deeper stretch while simultaneously allowing the client to relax more deeply, and fully.

There is an element of consent that is often neglected in these conversations: Even if you sign up for a deep tissue massage, you are still in full control. If at ANY POINT in the massage you are uncomfortable (something feels pinchy, or sharply painful, or makes you gasp/hold your breath/curse at the therapist) you should only need to say "can you go lighter right there, that is really tender" or "I need less pressure" or "You need to back off a second so I can catch my breath." Together we can get to all those deeper spots that are troubling you, without agony. The difference between torture and a good sports massage is consent, communication, and a running dialog that informs the client of what is happening at all times and gives them a change to cry "uncle."

Q "Why do massage therapists always ask so many questions about medical history if they aren't a doctor?"

A As an example: While your recent appendectomy may not seem related to your low back pain, trust me that it very well could be. The connective tissues of the abdomen don't especially like being cut into, even for the "easy" laproscopic surgical procedures. When there is intense internal pain in our abdomen we hunch forward in the classic "fetal" position, even when standing. After a while of this posture, with a contracted front and overstretched backside, you feel pretty sore. If the therapist has no reason to believe there is any shortening of the abdominal muscles or connective tissue, they may only focus on what hurts at that moment, and neglect to release the portion of your body that is overly contracted. In short, we'll miss the cause of your pain and send you home half-treated. Boo. Also, the pain you are feeling in your back could very well BE the appendicitis, or kidney infection, or endometriosis, that you need medical attention for. You may give us clues, and we may be able to refer you to a doctor for further diagnostics sooner rather than later, if only you tell us your story.

That's all for now, I'll add more as they happen. Cheers!

Making Changes Last...

Making lasting changes to our diets and activity levels is no easy matter- here are 5 common problems and solutions to a new routine:

1) Too much too soon. You start a running routine, running as hard and fast as you can; you come home feeling sick to your stomach, with cramping muscles, a headache, and a hunger that won't quit. It can be quite humbling to start a new activity- walking quickly may bring you to your ideal aerobic heart rate without ever breaking into a run for the first day, or week. Progress needs to measured for the long term, not the short term, if you are trying to make lasting changes. A realistic goal may not sound very challenging- walking for 30 minutes a day at a brisk pace, for instance- but the benefits to your heart, lungs, muscles, and mental health are incredible, if subtle at the onset.

2) Too many variables. If you are starting a new running routine, don't cut back your calories drastically in the beginning- your body needs a chance to acclimate to the new activity before you reduce your food intake. By cutting calories and working out at the same time, you can throw off your metabolism for the worse, not the better, and your body will actually try to hang on to the calories you do provide.

3) Extra weight is hard on your body. We don't normally consider our joints when we think about the dangers of obesity and overweight, but each extra pound is creating much more pressure on our knees, ankles and hips than you might think. Choose a workout that will be manageable for your body, otherwise you may be discouraged by pain and injuries, and that will only slow down your efforts.

4) No pain, no gain. This just isn't the truth; discomfort may occur during an intense workout, but pain is your body's way of communicating potential injury. When you feel sharp pain, you need to stop what you are doing, or lower the intensity until you reach a pain-free threshold. Pain should be a red flag that something isn't quite right, whether it is body mechanics, intensity level, or an injury. Cross training reduces your risks of repetitive injury, and provides you with alternatives if one activity is aggravating a particular joint, for instance.

5) Weight is only one measurement. Many people check their weight every day, only to be disappointed that the number hasn't changed very much, or worse that it has increased slightly. Typically we think of losing weight as losing fat, but they are not the same thing. Tracking your activity levels, your waist size, your food intake AND your weight gives you a better picture of how well you are achieving your goals as well as help you define a healthier lifestyle, overall.