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Massage Therapy Provides Migraine Relief

Who doesn’t love a good head and neck massage? Did you know that receiving a massage at the onset of a migraine can drastically reduce the severity of the headache? According to this article migraine sufferers should have their massage therapist on speed dial.

Massage is helpful in addressing migraine headaches. If you can receive massage therapy quick enough, you can avoid hours, perhaps days, of discomfort. Massage can relieve the muscular tension caused by stress or the pain itself…

…Relieve pain by releasing the body’s natural pain relievers known as endorphins. Hot or cold packs can be applied to the base of the skull to calm the vacillation between dilation and constriction of blood vessels. Cold numbs and constricts, while heat opens vessels and soothes the muscles and nerves. Tension headaches respond best to heat.

I love watching my clients’ reaction when I begin to work on their occiput (drooling…mouth hanging open, eyes rolling into the backs of their heads) 🙂 I have been known to spend a whole hour on just the head, neck and jaw. My favorite combo is Swedish massage – long gliding strokes, followed by deep Neuromuscular Therapy and Myofascial Release. I finish up with soothing Cranio Sacral work and my client floats out of the room feeling like a whole new person!

Other remedies for migraines that you could try at home include monitoring your diet and knowing which foods my be triggers and avoiding them, managing your stress, application of heat and cold, and aromatherapy.

Do you suffer from migraines? What has brought you relief in the past?

Let Them Eat (Gluten Free) Apple Cake!

Ok last month I gave you a salad recipe so this month – cake!

Apple Cake ice cream 3.13

My buddy Rachel is a self proclaimed “megan” meaning she is gluten free, dairy free and consumes mostly meat, veggies, fruit and some grains. So my sweetie Jack found this cake recipe for her birthday dinner last month. It was a big hit!

I love that  (besides being delicious) the recipe is fairly easy to put together and contains ingredients you should be able to pick up at any grocery store. While I would hardly consider cake health food, the apples provide vitamin C, soluble fiber and powerful antioxidants that have been shown to lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, Alzheimers, cancers and other diseases. Cinnamon has been shown to regulate blood sugar and walnuts are linked to improved brain function. So have an occasional piece of homemade cake and enjoy!

We experimented with sweet vs tart apples and I favored the sweet. The original recipe called for Golden Delicious. The cake has a chewy, brownie like consistency and you really do need to cook it for an hour to get it cooked all the way through. Try this recipe and let me know what you think.

Apple cake 3.13 (2)

 

Rachel’s Gluten Free Apple Cake

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup buckwheat flour
  • 3/4 cup almond flour
  • 1/4 cup rice flour
  • 1/4 cup tapioca flour
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 3/4 cups white sugar
  • 1 cup light olive oil
  • 3 eggs
  • 4 small apples – peeled, cored and chopped
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 X 13 inch pan (I recommend butter) and lightly flour (I used rice flour).

2. Whisk first seven ingredients (flours to salt) in a bowl.

3. Whisk sugar, oil and eggs in a separate bowl.

4. Stir sugar mixture into flour mixture and combine well. Fold in apples and walnuts.

5. Pour and press batter into pan. The batter will be very thick – use your hands to mush it into the pan.

6. Bake in the preheated oven for one hour, or until a knife inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

 

Apple Cake whole 3.13

 

April Five Exercises To STRETCH The Front Of Your Body

Here are The April Five!

See if you can go through one minute of each of these every day this week. Contact me if I can answer any questions for you. Who wants to volunteer to pose for a photo of one of these this week?

1) Crescent Lunge:

(Front knee bent, back knee straight)

  • From standing, step your left foot back into a lunge with your left heel off the ground.  Press into the ball of your back foot as you lift your left inner thigh towards the ceiling.  Right knee stays over your right ankle. Bend your right knee to a 45 degree angle if possible.
  • Lift arms up towards the ceiling and lift your chest to come into a small back bend.
  • Hold for one minute then switch sides.
  • Hip stretch, balance, leg and back strength.

2) Leg Pull Back:

(Reverse plank with leg lift)

  • From seated, lift hips up into a reverse plank with hands under your shoulders and fingers facing forward.
  • Exhale as you lift one leg; inhale as you lower your leg back to the ground.  Switch sides.
  • Shoulder stretch, core strength, hip stabilization.

3) Swan Dive:

(Roll down the front side of your body)

  • Start from a plank with knees down.
  • Slowly roll down through your spine onto your legs, pelvis, lower belly then lower ribs.
  • Press through your hands and lift your belly to come back up to a flat back position.
  • Keep abdominals turned on; think of getting longer instead of gripping with your glutes.
  • Strengthens spine extensors, arms, and tummy.

4) Double Leg Kick:

(Kick both heels to your bum, then extend arms, legs, back and chest)

  • On your tummy, hands behind your back, rest elbows on the ground.
  • Exhale as you kick both legs in, then inhale as you extend arms and legs and reach out through your chest.
  • Back extension, shoulder stretch.

 

5) Bow:

(Prone quad, hip flexor, ab stretch)

  • Lying on your tummy.  Grab your right foot with your right hand (or a strap) and pull your foot towards your hip.
  • Slowly start to lift your foot up to the ceiling.  Hold here for five breaths then switch sides.
  • Quad/ hip flexor stretch.

Easter Yoga This Sunday March 31st, 2013

Headed to Easter Brunch tomorrow? Why not pop down for a relaxing gentle yoga session first. Really brunch doesn’t start til 11 right?

 

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I’m subbing Yoga Basics for Rosey this Sunday 9:15 – 10:30 am at Sellwood Yoga. Preregister here or just show up at 9:15. Come stretch and de-stress with us! This class is suitable for all levels, and especially good for those new to yoga.

Happy Easter!

F.I.T. Functional Interval Training Class This Friday at 9 am

Are you off this week? Come on down to FIT Class Friday at 9 am at Sellwood Yoga’s Align Fitness Studio.

 

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The hour will fly by as we start with Pam’s signature warm up, followed by quick one minute intervals using weights, bands, kettlebells and our own body weight (think lunge rows, burpies, squat kicks..). We finish with core work (of course) and long luxurious stretches for your hips, shoulders, back and legs.  A fun and fast workout that will leave you feeling sweaty, strong and stretched!

Who: You

What: FIT Class – cardio and strength intervals

When: Friday March 29th, 9 am to 10 am

Where: Align Fitness Studio *(see note below)

Why: To look and feel your best!

 

Preregister for class here: http://sellwoodyoga.com/

This is a one time gig for me not a regular class that I teach. I am subbing for Pam who is on vacation this week.

 

About Align Fitness studio: This is the newly opened sister studio to Sellwood Yoga. It is located upstairs in the same building as the bike shop, Sellwood Cycle Repair. You enter the building through a door on North Side using a key code. (If you stand on the southwest corner of 13th and Miller and turn around and look back at the big brick red colored building behind you it is the door on the right).

 

Call Anne for the code or with any questions about the class (503) 705-4762.