IntegratedB O D Y T H E R A P Y

Let the Countdown begin to the WNBA 2024 Season.

TUBI SHINES A SPOTLIGHT ON THE SPIRIT AND STRENGTH OF WNBA PLAYERS WITH NEW DOCUMENTARY “SHATTERED GLASS: A WNBPA STORY” - TubiTV Corporate TUBI SHINES A SPOTLIGHT ON THE SPIRIT AND STRENGTH OF WNBA PLAYERS WITH NEW DOCUMENTARY “SHATTERED GLASS: A WNBPA STORY” Produced by MALKA in Partnership with the WNBPA and PUMA, The Documentary Goes Behind the Curtain with Four MVPs, Jonquel Jones, Nneka Ogwumike, Breanna Stewart and Sheryl Swo...

Perspective.

A Whole Person Focus on Heart Disease For the 2023 Stephen E. Straus Distinguished Lecture in the Science of Complementary Therapies, Ahmed Tawakol, M.D., presented research on the neural and immune mechanisms through which stress, lifestyle, and resilience influence the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Perspective.

Wellness and Well-Being Some people use complementary health approaches in an effort to promote general well-being or wellness, rather than to help manage symptoms of a health problem.

Acupuncture: What You Need To Know Information about acupuncture, including its safety and effectiveness in treating pain and other conditions.

Stress Information and resources about complementary and integrative approaches for stress.

As pickleball continues to gain popularity, we will begin seeing more of this sport-related injuries occur. There are many tips to provide relief for common signs and symptoms of playing.

Pickleball Injuries Are On the Rise Along pickleball's popularity have come injuries, especially in the feet, knees, hips, shoulders and arms, which may respond well to massage.

Happy Monday.

The WNBA is Back! 💙🏀🙌

During , find out what the science is telling us about how the body responds to stress. Explore the behind-the-scenes effects of stress and how massage can help, while discovering tips to stress-proof your practice: https://bit.ly/3LqVXJv

Happy Monday.

Laughter is the Best Medicine - HelpGuide.org When it comes to keeping you healthy, laughter is up there with a nutritious diet and exercise. Learn how to harness its powerful health benefits.

TUESDAYTidbit:
Finding your Flexibility. Bending without breaking. Increase your range of motion to be your best. Move it or lose it, so push your boundaries. Reach for the stars.

“The Chinese scraping method of gua sha has many used including benefitting the skin, muscles, fascia, and various body systems including impact on the lymphatic system.”

Gua Sha: Ancient Practice Promotes Health The Chinese scraping method of gua sha is rooted in traditional Chinese medicine, and is becoming better known and utilized by Western health care practitioners. There are many uses for this method…

F L E X I B I L I T Y • Finding Your Balance.

Bending without Breaking.

“…several impressive benefits from practicing hatha yoga, including reduced anxiety levels and improvements in balance, strength, and endurance.”

What Is Hatha Yoga? Expect to see impressive benefits from practicing hatha yoga, including reduced anxiety and improvements in balance, strength and endurance.

Flexibility is physical. It is mental. It is emotional. A willingness to change. Bending without breaking. Increase your range of motion to be your best. Move it or lose it, so push your boundaries. Reach for the stars.

BREATHE.
HYDRATE.
GROW.

Finding Your Balance.

…And don’t forget about the health benefits of massage therapy and acupuncture to maintain your body’s balance.

Recent studies have shown the effect kinesiology taping can have on improving mobility with reducing pain and swelling.

Kinesio Taping the Achilles Tendon - MASSAGE Magazine In this article, we introduce elastic therapeutic taping for acute pain and rehabilitation of the Achilles tendon, chronic conditions and prevention.

You are what you eat.

Leafy Greens -- Ranked and Rated
By Cari Nierenberg, WebMD
Reviewed By Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD
"Greens are the No. 1 food you can eat regularly to help improve your health," says Jill Nussinow, MS, RD, a culinary educator in Northern California and the author of The Veggie Queen. That's because leafy vegetables are brimming with fiber along with vitamins, minerals, and plant-based substances that may help protect you from heart disease, diabetes, and perhaps even cancer. Even so, Americans are not eating as many vegetables each day as dietary experts recommend.

To encourage you to put more leafy vegetables on your plate, WebMD asked Nussinow to rank the country's most widely-eaten greens from most nutritious to least. Here's our top 10 list:

Kale: This nutrition powerhouse "offers everything you want in a leafy green," says Nussinow, who gave it her first-place ranking. It's an excellent source of vitamins A C, and K, has a good amount of calcium for a vegetable, and also supplies folate and potassium. Kale's ruffle-edged leaves may range in color from cream to purple to black depending on the variety.

Before cooking with kale, collards, turnips, and chard, Nussinow recommends swishing the greens in a water-filled sink, draining the sink, then repeating this rinse until the leaves are dirt-free. Her favorite cooking method for these four greens is to rub the leaves in olive oil or tahini (sesame paste) and cook them for five minutes with garlic, olive oil, and broth.

Collards: Used in Southern-style cooking, collard greens are similar in nutrition to kale. But they have a heartier and chewier texture and a stronger cabbage-like taste. "Collards are an under-appreciated vegetable and most people don't know about them," suggests Nussinow. She says they're also popular with the raw food movement because the wide leaves are used as a wrapper instead of tortillas or bread. Down South, collards are typically slow cooked with either a ham hock or smoked turkey leg. A half cup has 25 calories.

Turnip greens: "If you buy turnips with the tops on, you get two vegetables in one," Nussinow tells WebMD. Turnip leaves are another Southern favorite traditionally made with pork. More tender than other greens and needing less cooking, this sharp-flavored leaf is low in calories yet loaded with vitamins A,C, and K as well as calcium.

Swiss chard: With red stems, stalks, and veins on its leaves, Swiss chard has a beet-like taste and soft texture that's perfect for sauteeing. Both Swiss chard and spinach contain oxalates, which are slightly reduced by cooking and can bind to calcium, a concern for people prone to kidney stones. Chard contains 15 calories in one-half cup and is a good source of vitamins A and C. Nussinow likes to make a sweet-and-sour chard by adding raisins and vinegar to the cooked greens.

Spinach: Popeye's favorite vegetable has 20 calories per serving, plus it's packed with vitamins A and C, as well as folate. And because heat reduces the green's oxalate content, freeing up its dietary calcium, "cooked spinach gives you more nutrition than raw," says Nussinow. Spinach leaves can be cooked quickly in the water that remains on them after rinsing, or they can be eaten raw in salads. Bags of frozen chopped spinach are more convenient to use than block kinds, and this mild-flavored vegetable can be added to soups, pasta dishes, and casseroles.

Mustard greens: Another Southern green with a similar nutrition profile to turnip leaves and collards, mustard greens have scalloped edges and come in red and green varieties. They have a peppery taste and give off a mustardy smell during cooking. Their spiciness can be toned down by adding an acid, such as vinegar or lemon juice, toward the end of cooking, suggests Nussinow. Cooked mustard greens have 10 calories in one-half cup.

Broccoli: With 25 calories a serving, broccoli is rich in vitamin C and is also a good source of vitamin A, potassium, and folate. Americans eat about 6 pounds of it a year. Its stalks and florets add both crunch and color to stir-fries. While some kids may call this veggie "trees," they often like it best raw or steamed with a yogurt-based dip. Nussinow mixes fresh broccoli into her pasta during the last three minutes of cooking so both are ready at the same time.

Red and Green Leaf and Romaine Lettuce: A familiar sight in salad bowls, these lettuces are high in vitamin A and offer some folate. Leaf lettuces have a softer texture than romaine, a crunchy variety used in Caesar salads. Fans of Iceberg lettuce may go for romaine, a crispy green that's better for you. Nussinow points out "the darker the lettuce leaf, the more nutrition it has," making red leaf slightly healthier than green. If you don't drown lettuce in a creamy dressing, one cup contains 10 calories.

Cabbage: Although paler in color than other leafy greens, this cruciferous vegetable is a great source of cancer-fighting compounds and vitamin C. Nussinow considers thisversatile green "the workhorse of the kitchen." Available in red and green varieties, cabbage can be cooked, added raw to salads or stir fries, shredded into a slaw, or made into sauerkraut. It's also a staple of St. Patrick's Day boiled suppers and can give off a strong smell when cooking. One-half cup cooked has 15 calories.

Iceberg Lettuce: This bland-tasting head lettuce is mostly water. But it's the country's most popular leafy green and each of us eats about 17 pounds of iceberg a year. While tops in consumption, it's last on our list for its health benefits. "It's not devoid of all nutrition, but it's pretty close," Nussinow tells WebMD. Although we're eating less iceberg than we did two decades ago, it's still a common ingredient on hamburgers and in taco salads. "It can be a starter green," says Nussinow, to draw people into a broader array of salad greens.

Imgae found at Zen & Genki

A good start to the New Year. Food is GOOD medicine.

Eating for Healing: Pears Three Ways Pears are one of TCM's superfoods. They add moisture to the Lung and help relieve coughing and congestion. Give one of these recipes a try!

This is a good start.
Don’t forget to ‘Stay hydrated’ to maintain proper function of your body’s internal systems. This is your list, so add anything else that brings balance for you.

Taking care of YOU.

TUESDAYTidbit:
Laughter is good medicine.

You know that feeling when your body is shaking uncontrollably and sometimes end up with tears streaming down your face from something triggering that priceless emotion. In fact, it’s a family motto to have a good laugh each day.

Studies indicate many benefits of laughter:

• Relaxes your whole body
• Enhances your oxygen intake
• Stimulates your heart, lungs, and muscles
• Boosts immunity
• Triggers the release of endorphins
• Lowers stress hormones
• Decreases pain
• Eases anxiety and tension
• Improves your mood
• Supports mental and emotional health

The bottom line is laughter makes you feel good.

Happy Monday.

Endurance is physical. It is mental. It is emotional. Find your determination to keep going the distance. There are no shortcuts. There are no secrets. Do the work. Be strong. Be fearless. Believe that anything is possible.

E N D U R A N C E • Find Your Balance.

U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team (USMNT) in World Cup 2022.

TUESDAYTidbit:
The Power of Acupressure

The Pressure Point LI-4, also called Hegu, is located between the base of your thumb and index finger. Acupressure on this point relieves pain and headaches. Using your opposite hand, find the space with your thumb and index finger, then squeeze together from the front and back of your hand.

Repeat on the other hand. Find your balance.

TUESDAYTidbit:
You ARE what you eat.

Your Eating-for-Energy Meal Plan Most massage therapists know about healthy eating—yet, while the idea is always there, the implementation of an eating-for-energy meal plan is sometimes the problem. Here are five simple ways to im…

In Gratitude to embrace all that is yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

The Power of Touch

• Stimulates the immune system
• Lowers blood pressure
• Decreases the level of stress hormones such as cortisol
• Triggers the release of endorphins, serotonin and dopamine to reduce anxiety and encourages your overall health and well-being.