Husbands and wives, family members and friends tend to take each other for granted. I guess the feeling is that that person will always be there and that they know that they are loved. Yes, if you are fairly close especially in the case of married people or immediate family members they do probably know you care about them. Well, at least I hope they do! But it IS nice to hear it , isn’t it?

It’s great to be appreciated for all of our hard work and for the little things that we do for each other. When your husband, wife, mom, dad, (insert favorite person here) mows the lawn, makes you dinner or buys your favorite cereal it feels really great for them to hear that you noticed. Being thanked for doing a job well done makes you feel like you matter or are wanted, so why don’t we say it more often?

Being newly married verbalizing my appreciation is something I have been working on. We each are responsible for different household chores like the lawn, dishes, laundry etc. Even though we have agreed to do certain tasks, we both like that the other person has noticed that we have done them. That they appreciate US for doing them! It definitely is an easy way to foster some family intimacy. For example you could say, “Thank-you for taking the trash out. I really appreciate it and I appreciate you. I love you!” But if that type of language doesn’t roll off your tongue, you might need some practice.

Appreciating who you have in your life is definitely the key. You can show your loved ones your love with a simple hug or a custom statement that tells them that what they did for you mattered to you and made a positive difference in your life. Telling the person with words can help make the relationship you have with them a stronger and more meaningful one.

Sarah Gaudette
Paradise Therapy
Stress Relieving Tips

Massage & Wellness – Bradenton, Florida

Just like how a car needs regular maintenance in order to run properly, your body needs regular body maintenance. Your car needs fuel in order to get you from Point A to Point B and you need a healthy diet filled with nutritious meals and snacks to keep you going strong. It is important to fill your diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables. Bright and colorful fruits and veggies are best such as: spinach, sweet potatoes, carrots, beets, kale, oranges, berries and watermelon to name a few. You also need to balance in carbohydrates for energy as well as proteins and fats.

Besides the fuel your car needs its regular oil change. To keep your joints lubricated it is crucial to move around and exercise. A simple 30 minute walk every day can work wonders. I also take a joint supplement that contains glucosamine and chondroitin. As you age your body naturally produces less chondroitin so mine is starting to need some help. Chondroitin  keep your joints moving and can help prevent stiff joint movement and pain. Regular joint maintenance is a good idea and can help prevent joint replacements in the future just like regular oil changes can prevent having to replace the entire engine due to complete neglect.

Your muscles need TLC every day as well. Doing regular stretches or yoga poses can keep them strong and supple. Strength training is also a good idea to prevent muscle weakness and improve posture. I enjoy doing a 20 minute routine of about 10 different yoga poses to stretch the muscles in my back, sides, hips, arms and legs. It feels great to start your day with stretches and end it with some as well. To build up your muscles and strengthen weak muscle groups circuit training at your local gym is a good place to start.

Your body will keep running properly with the right exercises and fuel. So take care to keep yourself tuned up!

Sarah Gaudette
Paradise Therapy
Stress Relieving Tips

Massage & Wellness – Bradenton, Florida

Many factors contribute to the root cause of headaches. These include body constitution, emotional health, excessive work, social and exercise activities, improper diet, physical trauma and pregnancy.

Headaches are diagnosed and treated according to their symptoms, times of occurrence, location, type of pain, and triggers. Migraine sufferers respond well to acupuncture laser therapies.

Participate in your own healing to soothe or prevent head pain. Keep track when your headache starts and pinpoint the trigger, manage stress with breathing techniques or meditation, exercise, get adequate sleep, and try to eat healthy, organic foods. Some simple lifestyle changes can lead to a healthier and pain-free life.

Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine and Low Level Laser Therapy offer a safe and effective approach to resolving headaches without side effects. A comprehensive diagnostic protocol helps Cynthia Evans, a board certified acupuncture physician, understand and address the cause of the headaches. Complimentary consultations available. Call 941-751-8008 to schedule an appointment.

http://manateeacupuncture.com/

Sarah Gaudette
Paradise Therapy
Stress Relieving Tips

Massage & Wellness – Bradenton, Florida

A study published this month in the British Journal of Sports Medicine suggests that a penchant for exercise may have a lot to do with making it to work on a daily basis.

Dr. David Nieman, a professor in the College of Health Sciences at Appalachian State University, says, “Exercise is probably the most power thing you can do to reduce your sick days this winter.”

According to a news release from ASU, Nieman and his colleagues have spent more than 20 years studying the effects of exercise, diet, weight, gender and education levels on one’s health. Regular exercise was shown to have the greatest influence.

A brisk walk for 30-45 minutes a day increases the number of immune system cells that circulate in the body, Nieman says. Although these levels decline within a few hours, each bout of exercise is likely to enhance surveillance of harmful viruses and bacteria, and reduce the number and severity of upper respiratory infections, such as the common cold.

So get moving this winter season to ward off colds. Stay healthy!

Sarah Gaudette
Paradise Therapy
Stress Relieving Tips

Massage & Wellness – Bradenton, Florida

The days of driving to all the stores and dealing with the hectic crowds to get your holiday gifts are over. With the invention of the internet came an easier way to shop. Cyber Monday has become as popular as Black Friday. Cyber Monday is known as the Monday following Thanksgiving which allows online shoppers to get some great deals.

I don’t know about everyone else, but I really dislike shopping. You could even say I hate it. I abhor everything about it…crowds, lines, driving to the stores, agony of what to get..you name it.

This year I decided I would do little store shopping if any at all. My one favorite site is amazon.com. Amazon is perfect. You can subscribe to Amazon Prime and receive free two day shipping (this is well worth the subscription cost and I highly recommend it). You also don’t have to pay any sales tax which is awesome and can save you big bucks. Amazon will offer deals on different items at different times therefore it is important to check th site often if searching for certain things. For example I was able to buy some great BluRays for only $8 because they were offering certain titles on sale.

I also enjoy the comfort of shopping by myself in the comfort of my own home, on my own time. I don’t have to schedule in shopping during store hours or return to stores to keep checking to see if what I want is in stock. Most sites will alert you with an e-mail when what you want to buy is back in stock if they currently don’t have it. You may be hard pressed to find this kind of customer service at the mall stores.

So you can have the frantic rush of the crowds fighting over gifts. I’ll stay in my pajamas sipping my tea and browse the sales online.

Sarah Gaudette
Paradise Therapy
Stress Relieving Tips

Massage & Wellness – Bradenton, Florida

Ever wake up to your arms going numb or feeling heavy? Sometimes it is just caused by sleeping on your arm and compressing it, but not always. This strange pain in the arms is can be caused by a shoulder muscle that has tightened up and triggers this response. The Scalene muscle  group has a “trigger point” where your neck meets the shoulder. It is called a trigger point because it is an area on the body that is sending a pain signal or feeling to another area.

The Scalene muscle group is found deep in the lower neck. It flexes the neck to the side and helps to lift the rib cage when you inhale sharply. Trigger point induced tension in this muscle may entrap several nerves as they exit the neck region. This entrapment is likely to produce pain, numbness and tingling sensations down the arm. Because the Scalene muscle group functions to aid breathing, its trigger points can cause arm pain while coughing. It can feel knotted up and sore when it is engaged or stimulated.

So how do you relieve this spooky sensation? Often a good Deep Tissue Massage or Trigger Point Therapy massage can relieve this stressed muscle group. Your therapist with apply firm pressure often holding on the trigger point or knotted area until he or she feels the muscle release. It can be a little uncomfortable at first, but after the tight area is worked out and massaged this area won’t feel as sensitive.

Your massage therapist cares about your comfort and will ask you for feedback during and after the massage. Be honest about how your muscles are feeling. If it hurts, speak up because generally if the pressure is too great the muscles will react by tightening up. And tightening up is the opposite response that you want. Your goal is to get the muscles to relax so they stop triggering the pain or numbness response in the arms.

For more information about trigger points go to:

http://www.painwhisperer.com/ptpath/ptpath/trigger-point-pain/arm-pain-causes.html

Sarah Gaudette
Paradise Therapy
Stress Relieving Tips

Massage & Wellness – Bradenton, Florida

Relieving a painful headache can be very simple. Feeling better is in your hands, literally! There are a few pressure points you can utilize on your hands.

There is a pressure point in the fleshy part between the thumb and index finger. This acupressure point is called The Adjoining Valley. To press this point, squeeze the center of the webbing toward the bone on your index finger.  After one minute, release and repeat on the other hand. This technique is not recommended for pregnant women because by pressing this point it can cause uterine contractions which can cause premature labor.

In Reflexology, the thumb represents the head. You can also massage the pad of the thumb for 20-30 seconds to help relieve headache tension. If you feel a sore spot, massage it with circular pressure. Repeat on the other thumb.

So the next time you or your friend complains of a headache try your hand at massaging it out with these techniques. Don’t be a victim. You can take control of your pain and stress!

Sarah Gaudette
Paradise Therapy
Stress Relieving Tips

Massage & Wellness – Bradenton, Florida

Most of the drinks we all have are designed to rev-up, psych-up and pep-up. Enough caffeine already! Try something that will calm you instead.

Tea can help those relax from everyday stress. There are many different teas that can help. Three common kinds are: Passionflower tea, Chamomile and Peppermint tea.

Passion flower is known to have multiple uses: it has been given to children to aid concentration in school and is particularly effective for deep and restful sleep. The tea is used to relax muscles, calm nerves and ease pain. Passion flower tea can be made by infusing 1 tablespoon of dried herbs in 1 cup boiling water. Let the mixture steep for about 10 min. Drink the tea near bedtime to induce restful sleep. The tea is quite aromatic and flavorful.

Chamomile tea is a popular tea to help with relaxation before bedtime. Its flowers and leaves have been brewed for centuries and drank as a fragrant and flavorful tea. It can boost the immune system and fights infections associated with colds. Drinking it can relive muscle spasms, mentrual cramps in women as well as relaxing the nerves.

Peppermint tea is a favorite for those with stomaches. Peppermint has menthol, as it’s active ingredient. To relieve stomachaches drink one cup of peppermint tea after meals.  To help heal sore throats just gargle with it several times per day.

So instead of popping a pill to ease your stress and jitters, try a cup of tea! Your body will thank you. For more information on all kinds of teas please visit: http://www.teabenefits.com/

Sarah Gaudette
Paradise Therapy
Stress Relieving Tips

Massage & Wellness – Bradenton, Florida

Many of us feel like we are overworked and overtired and we are over it! It seems difficult to squeeze in the time to schlep to the gym or take a walk before you start the work grind all over again, but just a few minutes every day can increase your circulation, help with pain and improve your attitude.

The trick is to find ways to fit exercise in so it isn’t another stressful thing to do. The best way to exercise for those who lack time is to make time throughout the day in short intervals. Here are some easy ways to burn some calories.

1. Leave for work five minutes early. Park your car as far away in the lot as possible so that you have a little walk to the entrance.
2. If there are elevators at work or at meetings/appointments never take them. Always take the stairs. Use the stairs like you are late for something even if you aren’t. By moving a little faster than usual you will get your heart rate up so you will burn extra calories.
3. Take short breaks throughout the day. Instead of using your break to get coffee or play on facebook, pretend you left something important in your car. (Or leave something in there in the morning so you can get it later) Then go to your car to get it. The extra walking to your car and back is some extra cardio. Plus the fresh air will do you good.
4. If you work at a desk you will need to stretch. You can do this when you are reading/sending e-mails.  While sitting at your computer chair cross one leg over the other so that the lower part of your bent leg and knee form a 90 degree angle. Then bend over slightly. You will feel the stretch in the upper part of your hamstring. Repeat with the other leg.
5. If you have a lot of things to put in your car or to bring home from work you can take each one in individually. That way instead of being all over loaded with both arms full, you can save your back and shoulders and score some additional cardio time.

There are many ways to get exercise doing regular things. You might think of some other ones yourself when you consider errands or chores that you need to do for your household. All these movements will help you burn calories here and there and positively impact your health. Just refrain from eating any extra calories that will negate all your hard work.

Sarah Gaudette
Paradise Therapy
Stress Relieving Tips