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Happy February to all ! Valentines Day is coming next week and Essential Healing and Massage will have a special gift for our clients who book and are currently booked for the week of Valentines, Feb 10th through Feb 16th. You will receive a small box of local chocolates from Graham's Chocolates in Wheaton, and a lovely rose in a floral water tube. ( picture above from last year's giveaway) Our clients are the best, you are all our valentines!
Special event:
This weekend on Sunday February 9th Susan Francis will be offering
A new series , Spiritual Sundays with Starting with
Readings for the Heart, A Great Valentine’s Start with Input on How to BeLove Smart!
Find out more about the event on our webpage
Susan fills up fast!
Please email Susan with the words Essential Readings in the subject line to set up an appointment, call us at 630 863 4712, OR
Schedule online now from our website - scroll to the bottom of our service page for Susan’s Sunday event
RSVP on the Facebook Event listing
Location: 2100 Manchester Road Suite 940 Wheaton IL 60187 ( across from Essential healing and Massage)
Phone: 630.863.4712
Cancellation for March Health Lecture:
Our March Health Lecture with Dr. Schultz on managing cholesterol has been cancelled. We will let you know when we have a reschedule date, many people are interested in this topic.
For your Health:
(adapted from an article from Ancient Minerals Magnesium) Read entire article here
Magnesium Levels and Premenstrual Syndrome
Studies have revealed that women who suffer from premenstrual symptoms have significantly lower magnesium levels by comparison. This is a pretty significant discovery given the sheer amount of women suffering through PMS on a monthly basis.
If we take a step back and consider how critical magnesium is to virtually every process in the human body, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that deficiency can lead to such a painful and exhausting outcome for those who aren’t getting sufficient amounts.
In fact, magnesium deficiency has been linked to an impressive number of women’s health issues including preeclampsia, bone disorders, depression, cramping, low energy, migraines, and mood swings. Not surprisingly, magnesium has also been tied to hormone secretion and balance, which can severely impact our entire fertility cycle, including menstruation.
I’m sure that all of us have experienced the emotional roller coaster at one point or another – that uncomfortable mix of irritability and depression, with a dash of stress and hint of brain fog thrown in. Medical science has been aware for quite some time now that magnesium deficiency is associated with dysfunctions of the nervous system ̶ including those of the brain, such as mood disorders. Case in point, a 2006 study published in Medical Hypothesis entitled Rapid Recovery From Major Depression Using Magnesium Treatment stated:
"Magnesium ions regulate calcium ion flow in neuronal calcium channels, helping to regulate neuronal nitric oxide production. In magnesium deficiency, neuronal requirements for magnesium may not be met, causing neuronal damage which could manifest as depression.”
But the benefits don’t stop there!
If you are one of many who frequently find themselves doubled over by agonizing cramps, it may interest you to know that research has also indicated that magnesium supplementation can help greatly reduce their severity. Another area where magnesium performs a complementary role to calcium is in our muscles, as magnesium is required for our muscles to relax, while calcium is needed for contraction. Cramping of any type, whether it be a women’s health issue, or simply one of our many muscles acting up, can benefit from magnesium as a natural muscle relaxant and anti-inflammatory agent.
And to solidify magnesium’s place as the ultimate female essential, it’s also been proven to help with:
- Migraine
- Fluid retention
- Fatigue & low energy
- Muscle weakness
- Brain fog
- Cravings (deficiency-related)
Losing Your Magnesium
Women, I would say, statistically have the cards stacked against them when it comes to maintaining sufficient magnesium levels. Fluctuations in hormones, increased irritability and stress, pain, and the entire circus of symptoms that accompany our cycle are all factors that exacerbate already low levels of this crucial mineral.
Of course, as females, we also have to contend with those additional hurdles such as hormone-based birth control methods, calcium supplements for “strong bones,” and pregnancy & breastfeeding ̶ all of which cause an excessive loss of magnesium from the body.
But more than that, we as a society are having more and more difficulty achieving adequate magnesium levels as a whole. Low magnesium in our soil translates to low magnesium in our food… which adds a hurdle for even the most conscientious eaters. Then of course, processing further reduces magnesium levels.
And these are only a few of numerous components that may cause magnesium deficiency.
Did you also know , – that chocolate is a great source of magnesium, as well ?
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February Recipe
Grilled Chicken Cherry Salad
For those romantics out there, this month holds a special holiday. But rather than venturing out amongst the masses to enjoy a night with your loved one, we highly recommend an intimate evening in with a light, delicious meal and perhaps a nice glass of wine to go with it!
Ingredients:
· 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
· 5 oz mixed greens
· 1 1/2 tbsp minced shallot
· 2 cups cherries, pitted and halved
· 2 tsp honey mustard
· 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
· 2 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
· 2 oz goat cheese, crumbled
· 3/4 tsp Himalayan salt
· black pepper to taste
Preparation:
Preheat grill pan to medium high (or barbecue, if you wish).
Separate chicken breasts and place between two sheets of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, flatten chicken until it is about ½ inch thick (you can also use the flat side of a meat mallet to beat it, if you wish). Remove chicken and sprinkle both sides with around 1/4 tsp salt.
Grill chicken until no longer pink in the center (around 5 min per side). Let cool slightly before slicing into 1/2-inch-thick strips.
While the chicken is cooking, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, shallot, mustard and remaining salt in a small bowl. Arrange mixed greens, cherries, goat cheese and chicken on a large platter. Drizzle dressing over salad, and serve.*
Grind pepper over top to taste.
*If presentation isn’t crucial, try simply tossing salad in a large bowl with dressing to coat thoroughly before serving.
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 Health Benefits of Turnips
by Tracey Roizman, D.C.
Read entire article here
Humble turnips, members of the cruciferous family of vegetables, along with broccoli, collards, kale and Brussels sprouts, grow in temperate climates throughout the world. Most commonly grown for their white bulbous roots, turnip leaves and sprouts are also edible and highly nutritious. Turnips are a valuable addition to your healthy diet and provide a wide range of health benefits.
Nutritional Content
A 1-cup serving of boiled, mashed turnips contains 51 calories and provides 76 milligrams of calcium, 21 milligrams of magnesium and 407 milligrams of potassium. The same serving size also provides 26 milligrams of vitamin C. A 1-cup serving of raw turnip greens provides 104 milligrams of calcium, or 13 percent of your daily requirement, and 163 milligrams of potassium. Turnip greens are also a good source of vitamin C, with 33 milligrams per cup, vitamin A, with 6,373 International Units, or IUs, per cup -- about 64 percent of your daily requirement -- and vitamin K, with 318 IUs per cup -- about three times the daily adult requirement. While the turnip root is considered a starchy vegetable, it contains only a third of the calories in a potato.
Glucosinolate Antimicrobial and Anti-Inflammatory Benefits
Turnip sprouts provide high levels of glucosinolates, sulfur-containing compounds that may help protect against some forms of cancer and provide antifungal, antibacterial and antiparasitic benefits. Researchers of a study published in the August 2012 issue of the journal "BJU International" found that glucosinolates provided some protection against benign prostatic hypertrophy, an inflammatory condition that can lead to prostate cancer.
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 Mindfulness Meditation: A Silver Bullet?
By Lara Evans Bracciante, Massage and Bodywork Magazine
What if there was a single pill you could take to reduce blood pressure, ease anxiety, improve concentration, and make you happier -- all with no side effects? Chances are, everyone would be clamoring for it. While not in pill form, mindfulness meditation -- the act of sitting quietly for 20 to 30 minutes once or twice a day and emptying your mind -- appears to initiate these significant results.
An ancient and fundamental principle in many religions and worldviews, mindfulness meditation is nothing new, but the controlled studies scientifically outlining the effects are. In the past year, various researchers have concluded that the practice contributes to a greater sense of well-being (happiness, optimism, and life satisfaction), less negativity, greater immunity, enhanced sleep, and improved behavioral and emotional disorders (anxiety, panic attacks, depression, eating disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder).
With practice, mindfulness meditation can become a part of everyday experiences, helping you to become more present in each moment and activity, be a better listener, deal more effectively with your own emotional responses, and slow down long enough to smell the proverbial roses.
While meditating with a group can help you cultivate the discipline, the practice can also be done alone. Numerous books and audiotapes/CDs are available to help with this endeavor. For more information on mindfulness meditation, visit www.meditationcenter.com.
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