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Your Hands Tell Your Story!

6/9/2015

 
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To get us started on our topic of hands, here are some interesting facts about your hands. 
  • You have 54 bones in your wrists, hands and fingers!
  • There are no muscles found in the fingers. Fingers have tendons.  
  • The tendons in the fingers are connected to muscles in the palm and mid forearm.  That is how we are able to move our fingers.  
  • The touch receptors make our fingertips extremely sensitive to temperatures, texture, moisture, pressure and vibration.  

Most of us take our hands or granted, but our hands are much more complex than most of us think. Besides all of the wonderful thing we can do with our hands, they can also give us important clues about what may be happening in other parts of our bodies. In fact, traditional eastern medicine and the more recent practice of reflexology have mapped both the feet and hand to show a correlation between the hand and internal organs and other external areas of the body. For example:

  • The area between your fingertip and first knuckle refer to the head and neck.  By massaging between the knuckle and the tip of your finger you are able to help relief sinus congestion, headache, and other symptoms relating to the head. By massaging this area the receptors send a message to the muscles of the neck. 
  • Located right below the pinky is the area that refers to the arm and shoulder. Massage of the hand in this area may improve some soreness in the arm and shoulder – especially if it is combined with direct arm and shoulder massage. 
  • The right palm area of the hand refers to the ascending colon which helps break down the food. If there is soreness here on your hand you may want to chew your food a little longer! The left palm is your descending colon. If you find tenderness here it could be an indicator of constipation or diarrhea and not getting enough water during your busy day. Fun, right?

My Disclaimer. I am not a reflexologist! But through my studies I have learned just how connected the body is. Our hands, eyes, and feet can sometimes alert us to things that might be happening in our bodies. So if you catch me looking at your eyes or spending an extra minute on your hands or feet, you’ll know why! If you want to do some basic hand massage on yourself, check out this video by Dr. Oz.

My next post will talk about some of the things that our fingernails can tell us about our health.  

To your health!
Gail Grieger

Drink Up!

6/6/2014

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Water that is! It’s that time of year again where so many of us spend more time outdoors and in the sun and heat of the day. Even on cool summer days it is surprising how easy it is to become dehydrated.

Just as you water your garden or plants regularly, it is also critical that you water your body if you want it to stay healthy. The amount of water that you need might vary a bit from person to person and situation to situation. For example, a person who is outside in the heat or humidity might need more water to stay hydrated. A good rule of thumb is to consider drinking between eight and ten eight-ounce glasses per day.

Water affects your health in many ways. Did you know that your brain is about 80% water and your brain health depends on you staying properly hydrated? Dehydration can raise cortisol and other stress hormone levels, which can result in “foggy” thinking. Dehydration may also cause headaches, joint pain, and even memory loss!

You can get dehydrated even when it is not hot outside. If you drink caffeine, especially coffee, or consume alcohol you can become dehydrated. If you are going to enjoy a cup or two of coffee or a bit of alcoholic cheer, drink some extra water. My rule of thumb for this is to match every caffeine drink or alcoholic drink with an equal amount of water. This helps offset dehydration and keeps the brain and body healthier.

Dehydration can sneak up on us. In fact, by the time you actually feel thirsty, you are often in the first stages of dehydration. So be proactive and drink plenty of water. Real water! Not sugary drinks that contain sweeteners or other additives. Drinking a large glass of plain old cold water is healthy and refreshing. So, DRINK UP!

To your health!
Gail Grieger 

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Reducing Inflammation for Optimal Health

3/26/2014

 
Inflammation can cause very serious problems such as:

bad memory, depression, obesity, diabetes, infection, injury, cardio vascular disease, eye disorders, asthma, allergies, joint pain, colon, breast cancers, ulcerative colitis,  and inflammatory bowel disease. 

But here’s the good news! Some foods are great at reducing and preventing inflammation. Use these foods below in smoothies, soups, and salads:
alfalfa

alfalfa grass

almonds

almond butter

artichokes

avocado

barley grass

basil

bee pollen

bell peppers

boy choy

brussel sprouts

buckwheat

cabbage

caraway seeds

carrots

cauliflower

cayenne pepper

celery

cherries
chives

cilantro

cucumber

cumin seeds

egg plant

endive

fennel seeds

garlic-fresh

ginger-fresh

green cabbage

jicama

kale

kamut

leakes

lemon-fresh

lentils

lettuce

lime-fresh

mustard green

navy beans
onion

oregano

parsnips

peas-fresh

red cabbage

rutabaga

savory cabbage

sea vegetables

sesame seeds

spelt

spinach

sprouted seeds

squash

sweet potatoes

tomatoes

turnips

wheat grass

white radish

yam

zucchini
Incorporating these foods will add vitality and longevity to your life. So, here’s to your health and well being!

To print a PDF of this article, click here.

    Welcome to my Blog!

    Thanks for checking out my blog. I have had a life-long interest in all things related to health and wellness, which is part of the reason I became a massage therapist. I am constantly on a mission to increase my knowledge and I like to share what I learn with others. My hope is that these posts will be interesting and provide you with information and tips that can improve your health. If I can ever answer a question or if you think you might benefit from therapeutic massage, please give me a call or send me a note.

    Gail Grieger, CMT, CFH

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