AU Blogspot

              Thanks to timtinman for permission to use this Photo.                 

Even though you massage only one body part at a time, it’s critical that you keep the body’s “wholeness” in mind.  The book explains this concept well.  For example, when someone has a headache, you know that they will benefit from a head massage.  That’s obvious.  But if you have a good understanding of the body’s wholeness, you’ll know that you need to massage the neck and shoulders as well.  As we’ve discussed in previous lessons, it’s all connected.  Everything!  I know you’ll be absolutely amazed as you begin to experience for yourself the interconnectedness of bodily regions and parts.   

You’ll probably find that the majority of the massages you give focus on relaxing the neck or back.  These are the two most common “problem areas.”  Both of these regions affect posture, which can be dramatically improved with massage.  I’m sure you know someone who spends a good part of the day sitting hunched over a computer or desk.  Prolonged sitting with a forward head position is by far the most common cause for bad posture.  Again, consider the body’s wholeness.  Work the neck and back, but don’t forget about the chest.  By loosening up the chest and the front of the shoulders, you can “open up” the upper body, bringing shoulders and neck back into proper positioning.  Stretch the neck, shoulders, and chest on a regular basis, and you will improve posture. 

Kristy Carter
Massage Techniques Program Instructor
Ashworth University

Photo courtesy of Jo Guldi

It is truly alarming the number of people around the world who are overweight these days, and it is really no wonder. After all, we as a people have become so lazy and so dependent on sugary, fatty foods and beverages. There are also other reasons why people are overweight however, such as to control their emotions or make themselves feel better. Emotional eating is perhaps one of the most dangerous problems in terms of your weight, especially if you live a very emotional or hectic life.

Sometimes the strongest longings for food happen when you are at your weakest point emotionally. If you are sad or lonely, angry or depressed, you may notice that you begin craving certain foods, perhaps some of which you never even really considered before. Eating as a way to suppress your feelings, such as stress, anxiety, boredom and even confusion, can really sabotage your weight loss efforts. The good news is that if you are someone who is prone to emotional eating, there are things that you can do to get over these habits and get back to eating healthy and looking and feeling your very best.

Find the Problem

It is important that you take the time to try and determine the actual root cause of your emotional eating. Sure you know that you are eating as a way to help yourself deal through the tough times, but there must be a more significant underlying cause. Major live events such as unemployment and health problems, for instance, may have triggered the onset of your emotional eating problem and this is what you are going to have to deal with.

Also know that there are certain foods which seem to have particularly addictive qualities. These are the foods that most people tend to crave when they are down or upset, and which you should be especially careful with. This includes chocolate and candy, and when you eat these foods what happens is that your body releases trace amounts of mood hormones which is why the foods seem like a sort of reward, because you think that they are making you feel better. They may help temporarily to relieve the feelings of tension or stress that you are experiencing, but even just a few moments after you eat them you will feel even worse than you did to begin with. (more…)

              Thanks to Lee Gillen for permission to use this Photo.

A recent episode of 60 Minutes featured a timely report on the possible link between lack of sleep and obesity.  I describe the report as timely because it’s been widely documented that human beings are getting less sleep than ever, a particularly troubling fact when you consider that we’re also working more intensive schedules, and balancing this imbalance with drive through diet practices.  The resultant obesity effect is simply another in a long line of health problems related to sleep deprivation; the most dangerous being heart disease and diabetes.  Alright, so this isn’t the sunniest subject to discuss at the dinner table, but it’s a dialogue that must begin between families if this crisis is to be scaled back before reaching the epidemic stage.  Check out the following “Science Of Sleep” video to learn more about the implications of your potentially harmful sleep patterns.  Go to bed early tonight!  Take a nap tomorrow!

Ryan Rode
Interactive Services Manager
Ashworth University Health Care Program

Wellsphere is an online community devoted to fitness, exercise, and the overall promotion of a healthy lifestyle.  Think of Wellsphere as a social network for people interested in discussing the latest in health matters from a personal perspective.  I’ve actually developed a lot of good relationships there and learned a lot of useful tips along the way.  From weight loss advice to nutrition plans, there are informative discussions going on all the time.  Take a few minutes to check it out.  Perhaps there are elements of the Wellsphere community that you’d like to see included in our Ashworth Health Care community?  If so, please share your suggestions in the comments section.  Let’s open up the possibilities!

Carla Hardy MS, CSCS
Fitness and Exercise Instructor
Ashworth University

 
                   Thanks to Akuan for permission to use this Photo.

You’ve probably heard countless times how exercise is “good for you.” But did you know that it can actually help you feel good, too? Getting the right amount of exercise can rev up your energy levels and even help improve your mood.

Rewards and Benefits

Experts recommend that teens get 60 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day. Here are some of the reasons:

Exercise benefits every part of the body, including the mind.

Exercising causes the body to produce endorphins, chemicals that can help a person to feel more peaceful and happy. Exercise can help some people sleep better. It can also help some people who have mild depression and low self-esteem. Plus, exercise can give people a real sense of accomplishment and pride at having achieved a certain goal — like beating an old time in the 100-meter dash.

Exercising can help you look better.

People who exercise burn more calories and look more toned than those who don’t. In fact, exercise is one of the most important parts of keeping your body at a healthy weight.

Exercise helps people lose weight and lower the risk of some diseases.

Exercising to maintain a healthy weight decreases a person’s risk of developing certain diseases, including type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. These diseases, which used to be found mostly in adults, are becoming more common in teens. (more…)

            Thanks to Anita Bezanzon for permission to use this Photo.

Whether you are having troubles with your weight or health in general or not, healthy eating is one New Year’s resolution that will be beneficial to everyone.  Healthy eating is incredibly important, and necessary if you want to get and stay in shape and feel at your very best. There are many things that you need to think about when it comes to healthy eating, and if you want to get fit and feel great, here are a few things in particular that you are going to want to keep in mind.

Making Healthy Meals Happen

Sure we all want to eat healthy and especially if we have a family, make sure that they are getting the nutrition and vitamins that they need. But this is not always as easy as it sounds. Especially in the crazy hectic and busy world that we live in today it seems as though there is never enough time to get everything we need done, and the same goes for meals. Taking a few minutes each week to plan your meals is really going to help you out here and make things a great deal easier on you.

The first step is to get ready, and this should involve the whole family. After all, everyone is different and so everyone is going to have different food preferences, of which you are going to want to take into consideration when planning your meals. Involve all family members in all aspects of meal planning, and give each person in the family a chance to talk about what they like and dislike, and what recipes they would like to have included here.

Putting this down in writing is also very important, not only to help keep you organized but so that you can remember everything you have gone over. Especially if you have a larger family you are going to find that you have troubles remembering everyone’s opinion. You should always start with the main attraction when you are planning your meals, and so this means that you should decide on the main course for each meal of the week first, before thinking about sides and desserts. This is important because not only is the main course the most important part of the meal, but also by choosing the main dish first you will find it a great deal easier to add on and finish off each meal. (more…)

                 Thanks to Natalie for permission to use this Photo.

We Americans are proud of our work ethic. We work longer hours, and more productively, than any other nation. Our industriousness has long been cited as a source of strength of our economy—but it just might be a source of some of our health care woes as well. 

According to a just-released study from Wake Forest University, professional flexibility is an important contributor to better health. Employees at all levels who have, or feel they have, more job flexibility (e.g. the ability to work from home, choose their hours, etc.) engage in healthier behavior than those that don’t. The study found that employees with flexible schedules exercised more, attended more employer-sponsored health classes, were more likely to describe themselves as living a healthy lifestyle, and reported getting more sleep. When the researchers checked in a year later, they found that as job flexibility improved, so did healthy habits: more flexibility meant more sleep, more health classes, and a healthier lifestyle.

This study deserves attention. Changing behavior is the single most powerful way to prevent health problems. As experts from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation noted in a Health Affairs article earlier this year, “behavioral issues represent the greatest single domain of influence on the health of the U.S. population,” with 40 percent of early deaths in the U.S. due to behavioral patterns. Anything that promotes health behavior needs to be seriously considered as a strategy for making America healthier—and by extension, health care costs lower. 

Obviously, somehow ensuring that everyone in America had more flexible hours wouldn’t cut early deaths by 40 percent. And there’s no guarantee that more flexible hours will translate into better sleep, more exercise, or more education on a national scale. Any movement for universal job flexibility would have to be coupled with a concerted effort to translate free time into healthy time. (more…)

Every fall we look forward to the delightful treat of gaining an hour of sleep during daylight savings time. Wouldn’t it be rejuvenating to sleep like you had an extra hour every night?

Dr. Rubin Naiman, Director of Sleep Programs at the award winning destination spa, Miraval Resort, Tucson, offers expert advice on creating an optimal sleeping sanctuary. Having devoted the last 25 years to promoting sleep health, Dr. Naiman is a distinguished source on approaching the sleep issue comprehensively, from a body, mind and spirit perspective.

Here are some of Dr. Naiman’s unique tips for how to fall back to a healthy sleep this autumn by creating a sleeping sanctuary in your own bedroom:

        Thanks to vieilles_annonces’ for permission to use this Photo.

• Sleep in a warm-colored, darkly painted room to ease into darkness.        
• Awaken to a Circadian Alarm Clock. As it nears the time you has set to wake, the light will slowly grow brighter, starting the body’s natural wake-up process. Once fully awakened to the sunny glow, you will feel refreshed, positive and prepared rather than drowsy and confused as often happens with a blaring, buzzing alarm clock.         
• Replace regular Edison light bulbs with ‘blueblockers’ bulbs. These special light bulbs block the blue components of light allowing melatonin (the sleep inducing hormone) to be produced naturally.         
• Remove the television and all LED lights from the bedroom as these are distractions from falling asleep naturally.         
• Pro Sleep Atmosphere: Use a HEPA Filtration/Humidifier system to circulate the cleanest air which will disseminate allergies and promote healthy breathing.         
• Optimal Bed & Bedding: Dress your bed with organic Pure bedding that is manufactured without dyes and is hypoallergenic that does not contain harmful toxins like cotton sheets.

Now that you’ve made your bedroom, go sleep in it!

Borzack Crave
Creator of Healthy.Lifestyle
Ashworth University Contributing Blogger 

*We are honored to introduce the progressive health perspectives of Borzack Crave to the AU Health Care community.  Borzack’s Healthy.Lifestyle site is one of the most comprehensive resources for health related research, practices, and advice on the Web.  We would like to extend a special thanks to Borzack Crave for giving us the opportunity to share her terrific insights with our student community.