Make Lemonade

The Lemonade Diet book states that lemons and limes are the richest source of minerals and vitamins of any food known to man. They are also available year round, in all parts of the world. maple syrup  is also very high in minerals and sugar, which helps to sustain the body through the cleansing process. cayenne pepper  helps to stimulate the body’s cleansing process, and also breaks up the mucus that is clogging the body.

The Master Cleanser book highlights the disastrous effects of eating meat on the body; eating flesh robs the body of the vital organic sodium compound (not to be confused with sea salt or table salt, organic sodium is ONLY available from food), which helps to buffer acids and poison. Once the body becomes deficient in organic sodium and other minerals, the body loses its natural PH balance and become weak.  At this point the body becomes susceptible to all kinds of diseases and infections. This is the primary cause of stomach ulcers, and almost all other diseases. The acid in the stomach needs organic minerals to create the mucous, which protects the precious stomach wall lining.

The Purpose of the Master Cleanse:

• To dissolve and remove toxins and mucous from the body.
• To clean the kidneys and digestive system.
• To cleanse the glands and cells of the body.
• To remove waste and hardened matter in the joints and muscles.
• To relieve pressure  and irritation in the nerves, arteries and blood vessels.
• To create a healthy blood stream.
• To return youthfulness to everybody, even the elderly.

When to use the Master Cleanse:

• When sickness has developed.
• When the digestive system needs a clean.
• When a person has become overweight.
• When the body needs to be rebuilt and better assimilation of nutrients and food is needed.

How often should one do the Master Cleanse?
The Master Cleanse can be performed three or four times a year to keep the body in a normal healthy condition.  But the diet may be undertaken more frequently for serious problems.

How long does one do the cleanse for?
The diet should be followed for a minimum of 10 days or more. Up to 40 days and beyond, may be safely followed for extreme cases.

How to prepare the Master Cleanse

Ingredients
-Two tablespoons of fresh organic lemon or lime juice, (approximately half a lemon). Do not use bottled or canned lemon juice.
-Two tablespoons of genuine maple syrup .  Not Maple flavored sugar syrup.
-1/10  teaspoon of cayenne pepper  or to taste
-8 ounces of water (250ml), at room temperature

Combine all the above ingredients in a jar and shake together.  Drink the mixture.

It is recommended to drink 6 to 12 glasses of the Cayenne , maple syrup  and lemon mixture per day.  

How much should I drink?

No other food or juice should be taken during the time of the Lemonade diet.
The lemonade mixture contains all the vitamins, minerals, nutrients and energy your body requires.  Do not take vitamin pills. Overweight people can use less maple syrup , and for people who are underweight they can use more.  Never vary the amount of lemon juice per glass.

Handprints for your heart

Hands are so useful, especially the opposable thumbs. He missed the ability to manipulate objects using his hands. It was a peculiar feeling to give a command, reach out to grab a book or a stuffed doll and miss the mark. He waited for attention, voicelessly, in his wheelchair. It wasn't electric since he lacked the coordination to operate any sort of control. He relied on the assistance of others to take him where they thought he wanted to go. Or, more correctly where they wanted him to be. Sometimes he felt like a sack of potatoes as he was wheeled around the school or in and out of medical appointments. He could see shapes but not enough to recognize the individual until they spoke. Luckily many people spoke to him directly, using his name so that he had an opportunity to a make a connection. If he was interested, and liked the person addressing him and the situation of contact, he made eye contact, and opened his soul. But more often than not, it was his biological mother or medical staff with needles and cold hands. They sounded nice but came with pain inducing tools. Then he shut down, looked away, or closed his eyes and feigned sleep. He could hear them, “Oh, I think he's asleep. Isn't he so cute when he's asleep.” He didn't care about being considered cute but he did want someone to read him books and sing to him. And he especially like to sing along as best he could. He couldn't form words so he tried to match the pitches he heard, sometimes with success. 

Go to your happy place

For some people it is the International Bazaar at the State Fair. 

running shirts

From the first year I worked in the massage tent after the Twin Cities Marathon I have been impressed and inspired by the devotion on the participants. They have approached the sport with the care of a scientist conducting research which could have a benevolent result for all of humanity. They maintain detailed records of their daily nutrition and mileage, the types of drills they include each week, thoughts, moods and results. It can be an expensive experiment once you add the protein supplements, shoes, clothes, medical support, gym fees, transportation and lodging for each event. So when an opportunity presented itself to sponsor a runner from my neighborhood I was happy to write a check. My logo printed of his compression shirt by Geez Teez is a great way to participate a little more than working the massage tent and it has been a happy arrangement which I would recommend to anyone.

Birthday Present Massage

It would be easy to drown in information detailing the benefits of massage. But there is less information regarding the frequency of massage. Some people will allow themselves once a month, others are in every week. And there are those who call only after being injured and worn down by the pain and discomfort of a chronic condition. The body responds best to a regular schedule whether it is exercise or eating or massage. It likes activities to occur in a predictable pattern, anticipating and preparing for the experience by becoming more receptive. When I don't see someone for a while I sometimes make the mistake of thinking they are receiving services somewhere else. Then, they call, injured or simply exhausted, and make an appointment confessing they have neglected self care. The soft tissue work appears to be a magical act in those cases because the damage is extensive. But it that kind of damage requires time and a methodical approach to completely release, in addition to a commitment to change habitual patterns which originally caused the injury. That doesn't mean you stop playing basketball 3 times a week. It means that you stretch for 15 minutes after the session, either at the side of the court or in the hot shower. Or it may mean taking a couple's massage class and committing to regular trades with your partner after identifying your problem areas.

Even 15 minutes, on a regular basis produces significant results. 

JS is a devoted runner. She received both Pilates reformer and massage sessions for restriction in her IT band, piriformis, and  hamstrings which were affecting her daily training sessions. After completing a series of sessions, she made a successful transition to Pilates mat work, which she could do on her own.  As her birthday approached she called me to  make an appointment, without significant concerns or injuries. We met on the morning of her birthday and after a brief intake we agreed her session would consist of a full body tune-up  with medium pressure unless I found some adhesion or more serious condition of which she was unaware. Like many of us, she carries a lot of her stress in the shoulders and neck areas. Difficult to release, those muscles become glued into a guarded, shortened position, sometimes causing migraine headaches. While I attempted to soften the dense tissues I could feel a grainy texture in the tiny muscle bellies under the traps. As I became more focused in my manipulation of the connective tissues the beads melted, leaving longer, more pliant muscle fibers. As I gently stretched her neck, the adhesion completely released. The area moved freely under my hands. Her body sighed involuntarily with relief. I held her in “stillpoint” position for a few moments to allow the release to move down her spine and into the rest of her body. From there the session proceeded without surprises. We finished with assisted stretches for her hip flexors which, in the past, had caused concern. She plans to run a 25K in the next month followed by the TC Marathon in October. 

She had arrived carrying something warm, wrapped in aluminum foil. As I waited in the reception area, I opened it, filling the room with the fragrance of sour cream, brown sugar streusel and chocolate. I handed her a glass of water as she came into the room. As she talked a little about her celebration plans for the rest of the day I sensed her body ground itself. Her skin was slightly pinker from the session and glowing with health. I reassured her that I had not found any skin conditions which might suggest melanoma, today's fastest growing cancer.  To celebrate her  commitment to ongoing self-care in the form of annual birthday massage I gifted her with a bottle of Columbia Crest Chardonnay. Our session was a present from her husband. What a great way to show someone how much you love them!

naked foot 5K

It was a quiet week at Mueller Massage and Pilates. During a brief break in the humidity I went for a much needed power walk. Moving deeper into menopause my desire has been to improve my self-care efforts. Massage is a physically demanding line of work, similar to weight training, and requires a strong training program to be effective as a therapist. Walking is my first choice in exercise options. I headed out the door with my ipod looking forward to a much needed break away from my office. Surprised by my own enthusiasm and inspired by the amazing front gardens on both sides of Garfield Ave,  I started to do intervals alternating between brisk walking and relaxed running. The process reminded me of  chi running.  A runner had come to me for beginning lessons in Tai Chi Sword introducing me to this unique method combining the principles of Tai Chi and long distance running to prevent injuries. Originally designed to eliminate typical running injuries , the creator discovered that it also maximized performance. As I applied the basic instructions I noticed how relaxed I felt. My breath was slow and even, I felt exhilarated rather than stressed. As I moved back and forth between running and walking the time flew by and my timer went off. I turned and headed back to my office for a quick shower before my next appointment. My son had invited me to join him for the Naked Foot 5K on August 20. In my endorphin drenched state I sent him a short text to sign me up! I have three weeks to train, but I am someone who likes to have a deadline in easy sight. I study for tests the night before it is on my desk, and I write final papers the week they are due.

massage for gardeners

July finds our gardens reaching abundance: radishes are still available, along with chard, cucumbers, strawberries and basil. I just harvested the last of my sour cherries and rhubarb. But the weeding and watering is never finished leaving me happy that I have a weekly session with a massage therapist on my calendar. Massage tailored specifically for gardeners provides therapeutic relief from gardening aches and pains. The techniques grew out of athletic massage. The treatment differs from Swedish massage and is a more specific form of soft tissue manipulation: techniques target the areas stressed in gardening activities: the lower back, shoulders and neck, hands and forearms, and the knees. Scientific research shows that massage relieves pain and stiffness, speeds recovery time and improves joint flexibility. It is effective before and after gardening. If done shortly before a strenuous day of garden cleanup, you can minimize soreness by boosting circulation to the muscles and loosening the joints. Massage is also used to reduce the chance of injury – especially from those at-risk tight spots prone to strain.   Massage can ease stiffness and soreness after gardening. Massage for gardeners can speed relief from those aches and spasms that show up the day after. A one hour massage is more effective at relieving soreness and stiffness than stationary rest of the same duration. It normally takes a muscle that has been stressed to a point of fatigue 48-72 hours to recuperate. Massage tailored for gardening and other strenuous physical activity can reduce the recuperation time by as much as 50 percent. Massage follows medication as the most sought-after form of pain relief. Over half of those 65 and older who got a massage within the past five years did so to reduce pain, for injury or muscle soreness, or to regain full usage of a muscle after an injury. Massage is more effective for chronic back pain than other complementary therapies. Massage as a pain management therapy has gone mainstream in the US. Massage therapists are viewed as health care professionals by more and more American consumers. Of those who discussed massage therapy with their health care providers, 70 percent of the providers strongly recommended or encouraged their patients to get a massage. (Facts are quoted from studies by the American Massage Therapy Association.) A massage session tailored for gardening starts with a brief medical history and identifying goals for the session with your massage therapist.  The massage session will include a variety of techniques such as compression to soften the muscles and increase the circulation to speed healing. Passive joint movements lubricate and open the joints for increased flexibility. Treating specific trouble spots may include releasing trigger points to relieve soreness and return the muscle to full function.  There are a few situations in which massage tailored forgardeners is not safe. The massage therapist will take a medical history to ensure that massage is safe for you. A heart condition, anemia, advanced diabetes, liver or lung conditions, cancer, or recent surgery all create situations in which the deep muscle work and increased circulation may overtax the client’s system. In cases where massage for gardeners is not recommended without a physician’s permission, there are gentler methods that can be helpful in these situations.  Skin conditions like poison ivy, open wounds, and varicose veins may limit the massage application to unaffected areas of the body. Massage tailored to gardeners requires some specific training. This is how the techniques used are taught in schools. Trained massage therapists are happy to share their credentials with clients. Ask if the massage therapist has any training in “sports or athletic massage”. It is helpful the massage therapist is familiar with gardening so she can focus on the specific muscles likely to be over-worked. Gardening is a joy, an exercise program and, for many of us, a spiritual practice. People who look forward to regular gardening activities can benefit from adding massage to their lives. Massage therapy is a proven solution to increase your comfort and enjoyment in the garden.

Grandma's Marathon

This is the view from the recovery side of the finish line, near the massage tent. By the time I decided to go with my son, the runner, the hotels and motels were full. Massage therapists are provided with lodging, so I signed on the dotted line, packed my massage table into my cherry red Beetle  and drove my son to DECC. I waited in the car while he ran in to pick up his registration packet containing the precious "chip" he would wear on his shoe. This chip would verify his registration as a legitimate participant vs an illegal "bandit" running for free. Bandits are banned from future participation in marathons if caught, a thought which makes serious runners blood run cold: a fate worse than injuries, which ultimately heal. The chip also registers a runner's official time which determines qualification to run special events such as the Boston Marathon. My son has been attempting to qualify for Boston since his first event, 4 marathons ago. It was his first time at Grandma's and the first time running in cold, rainy weather. I follow his progress from the massage tent via text updates. And during my occasional breaks from the half marathon participants and the elite full runners, I made my way to my side on the finish line hoping to see his face as he crossed. I caught up with him eventually waiting outside our tent in the massage tent. He was glowing with satisfaction, wrapped in his foil, and shivering. He was so happy he didn't realize he had mild symptoms of hypothermia. The purposes of the post race massage are to determine the runner's condition, to send them to the medical tent when necessary, to get them grounded and coherent, and encourage them to eat something. It is a mistake to perform deep tissue, rehabilitative work on a body that has been pushed to it's limit and held there for anywhere between 2 and 6 hours. I have found PNF  stretching techniques to be the most effective method for accelerating recovery. And while many of the other therapists in the tent exclusively utilize western methods massage, the difference between the approaches was quite dramatic. I could feel the trauma, lactic acid and excess tension melt away for the deepest tissues as I worked through the sequence for draining the legs, lengthening hamstrings and  illiotibial  band, releasing hip flexors and loosening muscles of the feet. One of the last runners I worked on commented that out of eleven years of marathons she had never experienced any bodywork that was more effective than our 20 minute session. Given the weather conditions, could not lay down outside and stretch after crossing the finish line. It was next to impossible to drain the lactic acid in your legs until you got to a table in the warm cozy massage tent. And I noticed that many runners came in and flopped belly down draining the lower leg to the upper leg instead for positioning themselves supine to drain the whole leg at once. As there was a maximum of 20 minutes to work on any one runner the sequence of the session became more important to recovery. All things considered, it was a wonderful afternoon, chatting with awesome, devoted participants, who were passionate about their training and devoted to the sport. When we closed down the massage tent at 2 pm, I was more than ready to head over to the beer and band area to sit down with my son. He gave me a mile by mile analysis of his race, and the excitement in his voice matched the glorious smile on his face. As we drove by beautiful Lake Superior on our way home, we were already planning for next year and hoping for kinder weather.

http://physical-therapy.advanceweb.com/Article/The-Truth-About-PNF-Techniques-1.aspx

balance of nature

Massage therapy is about nature, the natural balance of living creatures. Plants and animals living together in relationship. Some do better in the shade and some thrive in full sun. It is the same with the human animals, too. I work with so many people who are out of balance, it happens because we keep growing and evolving from who we are into who we can become, it isn't pathological until resistance sets in and we fight the unfolding into the process like a peony refusing to open.  I worked with a woman who had a kidney transplant. The surgery was successful, but she felt out of balance and there were symptoms contributing to her ongoing discomfort. By the 3rd massage sessions many of the symptoms were disappearing. Her back was more comfortable and she had greater range of motion. The combination of western techniques, acupressure and craniosacral therapy had worked to help her body accept the new organ with a minimum of discomfort. However there was still a piece missing, something, some part of her felt like it was holding back, reserved, resistant to the process. As I worked on her during our 4th session I tuned in more deeply to her new kidney. Previously I had focused my concern increasing on her body's willingness to accept the new organ. It was time to support the new organ accepting it's new home, it's new world. The kidney was grieving the loss of it's original system. It felt frightened, panic-stricken, but mostly it was just sad, longing for it's original home. And that was contributing to the dis-harmony. I held her kidney until nearly the end of our session, just witnessing it's  sadness and fear. The organ began to relax, and the relaxation spread throughout my patient's body like a wave. Closing the session, we said thank you and good by. We did a few gentle stretches to reinforce the length of the muscles, I stepped out while my patient took a moment to ground herself. She was wearing a peaceful smile as she drank a glass of water, still beyond words. Then she left, and I never saw her again. Our lives seemed to have crossed just for the purpose of that brief interaction, those few moments of open hearted, silent conversation. And it was enough.