This morning I had breakfast at the Portage Bay Cafe on Terry Ave. in Seattle.  It's tagline is "Eat Like You Give a Damn" and "Local.  Organic.  Sustainable."  I loved this place, not because I ate something incredibly healthy - scrambled eggs, spinach, chicken sausage, potatoes and a thick piece of toasted whole wheat bread; it's that tagline that gets me.

Although there are times when my job or soccer have totally depleted me and I'm standing at my kitchen counter stuffing calories into me as fast as I can, most of the time I have an awareness of the food that I'm eating.  More importantly, I have an awareness of the energy of the food that I'm eating and the energy of the cook who has prepared it.

Did you know that food absorbs the energy of the cook?  That's my one big hang-up about eating out.  I want the cook to care about me or care about the food.  Either way, I'm going to benefit from those good vibes.

Most imporant is my awareness and attitude toward food.  Is it my enemy or my friend?  Am I living to eat or eating to live?  Am I more worried about how I look or about how I feel?  Is this energy efficient food or comforting, make me sleep food?  Am I eating with a sense of joy and appeciation or am I filled with guilt?

You cannot feed your body a local, organic, sustainable diet, and fuel your mind with toxic, negative thoughts and feelings.  So eating like you give a damn is more than the food you put into your mouth; it's what you think and feel about it too.

You know I like to share new things I've learned or tried.  One of my new favorite things is kinesiology tape.

Any one who follows me on Facebook knows that I was injured in the last soccer game I played.  An opposing player missed the ball and kicked me directly in the muscle that runs along the outside of your shin bone.  I went down like a felled tree and couldn't play the rest of the game.

The next day, I limped into the office. Dr. Cho peeked around the corner just to say "hi".  He saw me limping and immediately had me lay on a table so he could apply some RockTape (kinesiology tape) on the injury.  Dr. Cho knew exactly what happened, and even knew how it felt since he plays soccer as avidly as I do.  He's usually the one limping!

The kinesiology tape instantly made my leg feel better.  It wasn't perfect but the pain decreased.  At Dr. Cho's advice, I took two days off to let it heal.  His parting words to me were, "I always wear shin guards even when it's just a scrimmage because there's a lot of donkeys out there!"  Dr. Cho is my second new favorite thing.  It is a huge advantage to know a health care practitioner who plays the same sport.

Kinesiology tape has been around for years.  I was skeptical about it until this experience.  It can be used for compression or decompression of a specific area; for muscle strain/sprain, tendonitis, and a variety of other ailments.  If you're a runner, use it to support your IT band.  If you play tennis, use it to support your shoulder, elbow, or wrist.

Target sells a brand of kinesiology tape called KT Tape but it was out of stock.  Fortunately I purchased a roll of Rocktape from Dr. Cho's office.

Disclaimer: I am not an employee of Chosen Chiropractic nor a spokes person for kinesiology tape. Everything contained in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and is not to be construed as medical diagnosis or advice.

NEW PACKAGES & PRICES

After almost a decade of practicing massage, my prices have changed slightly; mostly so I an offer better discounts and packages.  Please visit the Massage Therapy - Packages & Deals page for more information.

FUEL FOOD, GOOD FOOD, MOOD FOOD . . .

Here's one of my all time favorite recipes for a high protein, low calories vegetarian soup - Chopra Center Vegetable Barley Soup.  It's healing to have hot soup, lovingly prepared.

Ingredients

Cook and prep times does not include chicken option.  A traditional barley soup is usually made with beef.  For added flavor without the additional fat, add 3/4 cups diced uncooked chicken.

Per 1 1/2 - cup serving

1/2 t. ghee or olive oil

1/2 t. musard seeds, yellow or bornw.

pinch red chili flakes

1/2 t. black pepper

1/2 c. chopped leeks or onions

Read more . . .

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MY FAVORITE FACEBOOK POST

Life is simple really:  decide what's important and act like it.

That was the simple message that came to me this morning as I was scanning airfare to spend Thanksgiving with family. 

If you asked me what my priorities are, family would be in the top three.  Money would be way down the list somewhere.  So why was I thinking more about money than family when I was looking at airfare?  Things may happen in the future that will require extra cash.  Can I afford it?  Can I not?

Too many times I ask my client what their priorities are and they usually put family as No. 1.  But in really their actions are all around job, career, bills, money, lifestyle . . . Even health falls way down on the list.  

If you evern wonder what your priorities are, look at your actions, watch your thoughts.  Are they what you thought they are?  Are they what you want them to be?

This morning I talked with a friend who said he had a "bone to pick" with "massage therapists". 

He had a  $25, "chop chop" foot massage that included a back massage.  Apparently, whoever worked on him "pummeled" him and "worked him over pretty good" to the point that his back was "thrown out" and he ended up at the doctor's office.

There's a few lessons in this story.

1) You get what you pay for.

2)  Make sure whoever is working on you is a licensed massage therapist.

3)  Deep tissue is not for every body.

I'm not a fan of deep tissue massage.  It is a myth that the massage must be deep and painful to do any good.  There are clients who have had better results simply by my laying a hand on their back rather than grinding an elbow into their tissue bone deep.

What I've found over the years is that much of the result is up to the client/patient. 

What do you believe?  Do you believe that you have to be hurt to heal?  Do you believe that the only good massage is a deep massage?  Do you want to give up your pain?

Do you have a pain in the butt?  It could be piriformis syndrome.

The piriformis muscle is a flat, band-like muscle located in the buttock near the top of the hip.  It's involved in almost every motion of the leg and hip.  Although Web MD says it's uncommon, I see it frequently.  When the piriformis muscle gets tight it presses against the sciatic nerve and can cause pain in the buttocks and down into the leg.  I've had piriformis syndrome.  I was in pain for about two years while sitting whether in a chair or driving in a car.  Driving was the worst.  It was so painful that I would sit on something to numb the nerve and make it bearable.

Massage does help by releasing trigger points in the area of the piriformis.  My technique involves massaging the hamstrings and glutes and then applying pressure to the piriformis and moving the leg to ask the muscle to release.  One of my clients laughs and says, "My physical therapist charges extra for this and you do it for free!"  I also discuss some self-help techniques such as rotating the foot and upper leg inward, sitting up straight with tightened abs . . .

As for the mind/body reason for piriformis, I knew that I developed it because I hated the driving.  I would make a 2 hour round-trip drive 1-3 times a day.   I had to give up that resistance.  At other times, it's that old cliche - someone is a "pain in the butt".   You'd be surprised how many times I've asked a client, "Is something or somebody a 'pain in the butt'?" And the client immediately responds with a resounding "yes!" which opens the door to new perceptions of that relationship and freedom from pain.

It was only by chance that I learned the benefits of Brewer's Yeast for my dog, Dharma, and myself.   Dharma recently had her tail and a patch of hair shaved because she chewed it raw.  The vet suggested a series of allergy tests, flea products, antibiotics, steroids . . . Dharma received everything except the allergy testing.  And still she was chewing on her tail.

As I was getting my teeth cleaned, the dental hygienist suggested giving her a teaspon of Brewer's Yeast with apple cider vinegar and honey.  I'm not sure what it does for Dharma but she has stopped chewing on her tail and rump; not to mention that she loves having honey on her dog food.

A little googling showed me that Brewer's Yeast is also beneficial for humans.  Yes, it is used to brew beer.  No, you can't drink beer and get the same effects.  I've been eating it sprinkled on toasted sprounted bread with two poached eggs.  In the evening I'll eat it on popcorn.  The dosage is about 3 tablespoons.  Sprinkle it on whatever you want.

Brewer's Yeast contains . . .

• Folic acid
• B12
• Potassium
• Thiamin
• Niacin
• Chromium

It is may be helpful for . . .

• Diabetes
• Hypoglycemia
• High cholesterol
• Eczema
• Nervousness
• Stress
• Carpal tunnel
• Anemia
• Fatigue
• Constipation
• Repels fleas when given to household pets

I'm not stressed or nervous.  I don't have eczema, carpal tunnel, anemia, fleas nor am I fatigued.  I do get hypoglycemic and have digestive problems.  Taking Brewer's Yeast has been more effective than taking other forms of probiotics like Straight Shot. 

Source:  Lovetoknow Vitamins

Pixie Stevenson does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. In the event you use any of the information in this column for yourself, neither Pixie Stevenson, contributors to this website, nor the publisher accepts responsibility for your actions. 

Thousands of Bodies

It's hard to believe but I've done the math, and I've touched about a thousand bodies a year for the past three and half years that I've been in Seattle, Washington.  Every body has a story; not necessarily the story its owner is telling!  What I've come to know is that your body doesn't lie.

Hundreds of Stories

There's the body telling me that the spirit in it is unhappy and doesn't believe it deserves to feel good or to be healthy while its owner is telling me how solid her self-esteem is yet she gets injured every time she exercises.

Another person whose body relaxes with the slightest encouragement and assistance yet she insists on focusing her mind on telling the story of how someone in her life isn't behaving.  As she tells the story, her body becomes more and more tense and within minutes she is lying on the table with both hands clasped to her forehead.  Gently I ask her to notice that one minute she is just fine and the next minute she talked herself into a red hot mess just by focusing on something in her life that she can't control or accept.

With many new clients, the first thing we do is breathe.  The breath pattern is always, "Slowely, deeply in through the nose.  Slowly exhaling from the back of the throat."  If a person is really stressed, they cannot take a deep slow breath.  They cannot breath slowly or deeply.  It's as if they're holding their breath, waiting for the other shoe to fall.

Then there are the clients with a mouth set in stone.  The lips are almost invisible and the lines have hardened her mouth into the permanent pursed lips of disapproval and anger.  With those clients, I save my own breath because I sense the courage it would take to let go of the judgement and criticism it takes to form that mouth is too great.

Your body tells the truth.  What is your body telling you?

Defending Your Life is a 1991 movie starring Albert Brooks, Meryl Streep and Riptorn.  Albert Brooks is a coward who falls in love with Meryl Streep who has lived a life of courage.  Rip Torn is the facilitator in this judgement day comedy.  What does all this have to do with vegetables?

One of my favorite scenes in the movie is when Albert Brooks is eating a meal with Rip Torn.  Torn is obviously enjoying his meal.  Albert is curious about trying Torn's dish but becomes totally discouraged when Torn tells Brooks he hasn't evolved enough to like it - its poo.

On to vegetables. 

To my friends, family and clients who claim not to like this or that, especially vegetables - you can like whatever you like if you make up your mind to like it.  You can evolve into liking something.  You can convince yourself that you don't like something and you won't.  And, you can convince yourself that you will like something and eventually you will.

I've done this with a few things.  Natto, fermented soy beans, for one.  Natto smells like old wet socks and has a stringy consistency.  I WANTED to like it though because it's horribly nutritious.  I just kept eating natto until I found a way that I liked it and now I eat every morning for breakfast.  The same thing goes for a "greens" drink I've recently started using. 

I had to chug the first glassful and truthfully, the second glass.  Then I decided to dilute it by using more water.  Now I drink it easily.  I mean really I learned to like the taste of beer and wine.  Why not something that's good for me.

Keep saying you don't like vegetables and you never will.  Make up your mind to find a way to like vegetables and you will. 

It's easier to stay in shape than get in shape.  When I tell people I decided to lose 10 lbs, they look at me like I'm crazy.  But I got on the scales that I bought to weight my weight loss and body contouring clients.  It wasn't good.  I weighed in at 130 lbs, just 5 lbs under my full term pregnancy weight. 

Now I know that's not a big deal and that they say at mid-life you gain weight.  Since when did I listen to what "they say?"  So I made up my mind to lose weight.  For met hat meant stop eating out and eating big meals at 8 or 9 o'clock at night; not only will I lose weight but I'll also save some money.

Off to Whole Foods I went to buy a week's worth of low sodium organic soup - lentil, minestrone, split pea, black bean . . . After just a few days I lost almost 4 lbs and was down to 126.5 lbs.  Little did I know that Catherine at Spa Chi was planning an employee appreciation dinner.

When Catherine cooks, it's pretty amazing.  There was pasta with meat and red sauce; thick New York steaks, baked salmon, salad, sushi, bread, corn on the cob, dessert - eclectic I know but totally delicious.  My appetite was already primed for spaghetti from watching the Korean series, Pasta, on Netflix.  I tried a little bit of everything but it was the spaghetti that killed me.  I ate two helpings of it that evening.  Not only did it make me have some pretty bizarre dreams but it also gave me back almost all the weight I lost!

Then the next night, I ate more noodles with black sauce & pickled cucumbers after work.  After two nights of noodles, I was back up to 129.5 lbs.  Damn!

Photo courtesy of Jun Seita on Flickr.com

Over the past few years my diet has changed.  It wasn't about losing weight or being healthy, it was about energy.  I chose to eat food that provided me the highest energy value which seemed to always be a meat, lots of fruits & vegetables and some carbs. 

Spaghetti with meat sauce eventually left my diet even though it was a staple while I was raising my children.  What happened? 

My approach to food has been the same for over decade now.  Eat it then pay attention to how my body feels.  As I've grown older and continued to abuse my body in various sundry ways, including playing soccer, I've had to pay attention to what makes my joints aches.  It soon became apparent that sugar and large amounts of gluten would make my hands and feet swell and make my joints feel like I had arthritis.  Ergo, spaghetti & meat sauce left my diet.

But sometimes pasta is worth the pain.  Sometimes it's worth feeling achy to eat a wonderfully rich dish of sweet pea ravioli in cream sauce.  Paying the price always seems like a good idea while I'm doing it.  When it's time to pay, I sometimes have regrets.

Like this morning.  Last night I ate two big servings of spaghetti with meat sauce.  I ate too much and felt too full.  My feet didn't swell.  I don't feel achy and I didn't get indigestion.  I just had weird, crazy dreams all through the night and woke up at least twice. 

So yes, I'm paying the price for the pasta, probably for over-eating pasta more than the pasta itself.  And, I'd like to tell you that I'll never do it again but I know it would just be a lie.  Somewhere down the road in a few months or maybe a year, something else will come along when I'm willing to pay the price!










Image courtesy of Vox Efx on Flicker.com