2 blood oranges or tangerines

1 pink grapefruit

1 navel orange

Salt

1/2 small red onion or 1 shallot, chopped

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

1/2 teaspoon honey

Lime or lemon juice to taste

1/4 teaspoon freshly chopped tarragon or a pinch dried.

Yield: 4 servings.

1. Peel citrus, removing as much pith as possible, and slice into wheels. Remove any pits, layer fruit on a serving dish, sprinkle with salt and garnish with chopped onion.
2. Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, honey, lime juice and tarragon until well combined; taste, adjust seasoning as needed and drizzle over salad.

I made it and it is delicious!  You can make it, too, and help fight the end of Winter blahs!

And what else is great at the end of Winter?  A nice relaxing and energizing “Fast Swedish” massage.  Using the traditional strokes of Swedish massage, but performed with speed and energy, this massage will both relax you and shake up your blah mood and really lift your spirits!  Book now!

Twenty-nine gay men (20 HIV+, 9 HIV-) received daily massages for one month. A subset of 11 of the HIV+ subjects served as a within subject control group (one month with and without massages). Major immune findings for the effects of the month of massage included a significant increase in Natural Killer Cell number, Natural Killer Cell Cytotoxicity, soluble CD8, and the cytotoxic subset of CD8 cells. There were no changes in HIV disease progression markers (CD4, CD4/CD8 ratio, Beta-2 microglobulin, neopterin). Major neuroendocrine findings, measured via 24 hour urines included a significant decrease in cortisol, and nonsignificant trends toward decrease of catecholamines. There were also significant decreases in anxiety and increases in relaxation which were significantly correlated with increases in NK cell number.

In another study, HIV-positive adolescents reported feeling less anxious and depressed, and also had improved immune response:

Immune changes included increased Natural Killer cell number (CD56) and CD56+CD3-. In addition, the HIV disease progression markers CD4/CD8 ratio and CD4 number showed an increase for the massage therapy group only.

In other words, the study participants were less stressed and felt much less anxious and depressed, and had more Natural Killer Cells, which are a major component of the immune system.  Cortisol is a necessary body hormone, but excessive cortisol has a negative effect on the immune system, weakening it.  Lower cortisol levels help the immune system, while NK cells attack viruses, among other things, and as we enter cold and flu season, having a stronger immune system can lead to a healthier you!

Book a Massage Today!

1. Have a regular time for sleep. Spend the final hour of your day preparing for sleep. Have a sleep ritual that includes things like brushing your hair and teeth, massaging your feet, hands and shoulders, taking a warm shower, spend a short amount of time reading. These things done nightly will start to prepare the body and mind for sleep.
2. Prepare a quiet, dark, distraction-free place to sleep. Make the environment in the room where you sleep as relaxing as possible. Quiet is a relative term, of course, as some people like white noise in the background while some like no noise at all. White noise can be the ocean, a fan blowing, the sound of cars on the highway, anything that provides a general regular background sound.
3. Avoid caffeine at least a few hours before sleep. Even if a person can sleep while stimulated by caffeine, its action on the body is disruptive to the regular cycles of sleep (moving from stage 1 > 2 > 3 > 4 > 3 > 2 > REM > repeat). Each stage of NREM and REM sleep is important to the proper functioning of our body, and moving from the various stages in order allows for sleep to have the most beneficial effects.
4. Receive regular massage. Massage and other bodywork like Reflexology and energy work like Reiki, have been shown in studies by the Touch Research Institute and other organizations to improve the quality of sleep. The mechanism of this is not fully understood, but some think that massage calms the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) and activates the parasympathetic nervous system (relaxation response), and that the decrease in cortisol levels in the body contributes to better movement through the stages of sleep cycle.
5. Exercise regularly. Having a regular exercise program, or even doing something like taking a walk for between 30 minutes to an hour a few hours before sleep is not only good for your physical fitness, it also can improve the quality and length of your sleep. Note here that exercising immediately before sleep is not recommended, as the body needs the time to come back from the stimulated state of exercise to properly sleep.
6. Light evening meal. The lightest meal of the day should be the dinner/supper meal in the evening. Several small meals throughout the day is best, but if you are going to eat three meals a day, then start big and end light. Breakfast should be the largest meal, then lunch, and finally dinner. Our bodies use a tremendous amount of energy in digestion, which distracts us from repairing and resting and processing our brain’s work while we sleep.

As you can see, these things are not just a part of good sleep hygiene, but they are also a good part of a healthy lifestyle.

In the study, 239 patients were evaluated – these patients either had not improved after diagnosis or treatment for a herniated or damaged disc. 7 of the patients were found to have torn disc related conditions, such as annular tears, and were successfully treated with spine surgery.

The 232 patients who remained underwent a new kind of magnetic resonance technology called magnetic resonance neurography to evaluate the sciatic nerve. 69 percent of the patients – 162 – were found to have piriformis syndrome (where the piriformis muscle traps or irritates the sciatic nerve), and the remaining 31 percent had a number of other nerve, muscle, or joint conditions in varying locations that were not seen by a standard MRI.

Only 62 patients needed surgery to correct the piriformis syndrome – such surgery included Open MRI guided imagery, where the MRI scanner guides a deep injection of a pain medication into the muscle or nerve. This treatment corresponds with what Janet Travell and David Simons recommend in their groundbreaking book, Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction – the Trigger Point Manual. In the book, they recommend a physician inject a local anesthetic into the location of a trigger point, causing its release.

The other patients in the study received manual therapies, such as physical therapy and exercise, and had successful outcomes as well.

A massage therapist who is trained in releasing trigger points can effect the kinds of changes brought on by the Open MRI guided imagery, as well, by using ischemic compression and other techniques. The beauty of science research is that for over 70 years, medical professionals thought that sciatica was caused by damaged or herniated discs. Now we know that the vast majority of cases are muscular in origin, and that other methods of treatment are as or more effective than surgery.

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (2005, February 2). New Way To Diagnose Sciatica May Point To A Different Cause. ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 12, 2007, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2005/02/050201192443.htm

• Exercise: regular exercise, from a brisk walk around the neighborhood to more strenuous workouts at the gym, to everything in between can help keep one feeling alive and perky! The euphoric feelings that working out provides carry over into the rest of one’s life and can definitely help with feelings of depression and anxiety.
• Nutrition: The Harvard School of Public Health published its Food Pyramid as an alternative to the flawed USDA pyramid. At the bottom of the pyramid is Daily Exercise and Weight Control as the key to good nutrition, but right above that is a diet full of whole grains, plant oils, fruits and vegetables. Good nutrition helps the body function at its optimal state and staves off the winter blues.
• Care of the spirit: A practice of meditation or self-reflection can stimulate the body’s systems to lift mood and elevate one’s spirit.
• Massage: You knew I couldn’t leave this one out, right? Being touched in a caring and compassionate way soothes the body and calms the mind. It’s very good for both client and therapist. Studies by the Touch Research Institute show that massage can “enhance attentiveness, alleviate depressive symptoms, reduce pain, reduce stress hormones, and improve immune functions.”

Receiving regular massage can help keep you feeling at your peak!