USE YOUR HSA OR FSA accounts for MASSAGE

Did you know that your HSA (health savings account) and/or your FSA (flexible spending account) may cover you for massage therapy?

Check with your provider about coverage and then contact your local massage therapist (or me www.longwellmassagetherapy.com).

#healthsavingsaccount #flexiblespendingaccount #hsa #fsa #longwellmassage 

Massage Therapy Should Be Covered by Insurance - Custom Craftworks by Pivotal Health Solutions

Massage Therapy Should Be Covered by Insurance - Custom Craftworks by Pivotal Health Solutions

#massagebenefits #massageinsurance #longwellmassage

Why Yogis Need Regular Massage

Why Yogis Need Regular Massage
We all could benefit from massage for many different reasons. Often it is those of us who tend to give to others and share our energies (or carry others', if boundaries aren't clear), that need bodywork the most. It is NOT a cure-all or fix-all, but it is another way to connect to that which is deep within us, as well as our physical selves.
#mindbody #massagebenefits #massageandyoga #longwellmassage

Healing the mind, body and spirit may help you to lose some of excess pounds you're carrying around

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-13838/how-i-lost-more-than-60-pounds-with-these-healing-secrets.html

How I Lost More Than 60 Pounds With These Healing Secrets by Katrina Love Senn

 

Do you suffer from excess weight? Would you like to lose 10 pounds, 20 pounds or a lot more? Are you sick of dieting or food restrictions? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then please know that that you are not alone. All over the world, the dieting game has been purposefully created and expanded by the exact same companies that profit from the millions of dollars that dieters spend, year after year.
Today I want to share with you four powerful weight loss secrets that transformed my life. These secrets helped me to lose over 60 pounds naturally (no diets, drugs or deprivation) and I have kept the weight off for over 14 years now. In the process I naturally healed eczema, asthma, thyroid dysfunction, adrenal exhaustion and chronic fatigue syndrome and stopped taking prescription medications.
The four secrets that made all the difference were:
1. Start a healing journey.
Losing weight is a healing journey. It is not about going on a diet, as is commonly believed. Permanent weight loss is about realizing that the only person responsible for your health is you. Losing weight naturally is about actively choosing to go on your own healing journey of self-discovery and transformation.
In my classes and workshops, I always like to say that you are the person you have been looking for! The answers to all the questions you have lives inside of you. Going on a healing journey allows you to turn down the distractions in your life, so that you can tune in and hear the answers that live within.

2. Heal your body.
Food not only has the ability to change what you look like, but it can also shift how you think and feel. Healing foods are low in toxicity and therefore encourage the body to thrive. Eating healing foods will give you the ability to self-heal and experience having high energy levels.
So what are healing foods? Healing foods are real foods. These foods are how nature intended for them to be eaten. They are free from artificial flavorings, additives, colorings and preservatives.
Everyone eats food but the key thing here is to ensure that you are eating the right types of foods that are yummy but also full of nutrition.

3. Heal your mind.
Your thoughts are part of your inner world and must be taken into account if you are to lose weight for good.
Simply begin by noticing which thoughts support you on your weight loss journey of healing. Pay attention to the thoughts that make you feel good, along with the ones that don't. The more supportive the thoughts you have, the healthier, kinder and more loving your mind will be. Cultivating the practice of thinking supportive healing thoughts will help you to change your old habits and patterns in a joyful manner.
There are many simple exercises that you can use to change how you think about your body. Some of my favorite ones to use for weight loss are engaging your imagination, visualization, meditation, yoga, affirmations, noticing your self-talk and paying attention to your language patterns.

4. Heal your emotions.
Building a healthy emotional world is the foundation of not only losing weight but of keeping it off for good.
Healing your emotions means to do the inner work so that you can experience joyful emotions such as happiness, love, health, energy, trust, forgiveness, courage and strength. When filled with these types of emotions, your ability to believe in yourself to achieve your goals becomes resolute and rock solid. As a result you will feel better and your self image, self esteem and self confidence will improve.
You can lose weight naturally, if instead of focusing on 'losing weight' begin to shift your focus to healing your body, your mind and your emotions!
Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com

Gluten Intolerance

By Dr. Amy Myers

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-7482/10-signs-youre-gluten-intolerant.html

More than 55 diseases have been linked to gluten, the protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. It's estimated that 99% of the people who have either gluten intolerance or celiac disease are never diagnosed.
It is also estimated that as much as 15% of the US population is gluten intolerant. Could you be one of them?
If you have any of the following symptoms it could be a sign that you have gluten intolerance:
1. Digestive issues such as gas, bloating, diarrhea and even constipation. I see the constipation particularly in children after eating gluten.
2. Keratosis Pilaris, (also known as 'chicken skin' on the back of your arms). This tends be as a result of a fatty acid deficiency and vitamin A deficiency secondary to fat-malabsorption caused by gluten damaging the gut.
3. Fatigue, brain fog or feeling tired after eating a meal that contains gluten.
4. Diagnosis of an autoimmune disease such as Hashimoto's thyroiditis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Ulcerative colitis, Lupus, Psoriasis, Scleroderma or Multiple sclerosis.
5. Neurologic symptoms such as dizziness or feeling of being off balance.
6. Hormone imbalances such as PMS, PCOS or unexplained infertility.
7. Migraine headaches.
8. Diagnosis of chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia. These diagnoses simply indicate your conventional doctor cannot pin point the cause of your fatigue or pain.
9. Inflammation, swelling or pain in your joints such as fingers, knees or hips.
10. Mood issues such as anxiety, depression, mood swings and ADD.
How to test for gluten intolerance?
I have found the single best ways to determine if you have an issue with gluten is to do an elimination diet and take it out of your diet for at least 2 to 3 weeks and then reintroduce it. Please note that gluten is a very large protein and it can take months and even years to clear from your system so the longer you can eliminate it from your diet before reintroducing it, the better.
The best advice that I share with my patients is that if they feel significantly better off of gluten or feel worse when they reintroduce it, then gluten is likely a problem for them. In order to get accurate results from this testing method you must eliminate 100% of the gluten from your diet.
How to treat gluten intolerance?
Eliminating gluten 100% from your diet means 100%. Even trace amounts of gluten from cross contamination or medications or supplements can be enough to cause an immune reaction in your body.
The 80/20 rule or "we don't eat it in our house, just when we eat out" is a complete misconception. An article published in 2001 states that for those with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity eating gluten just once a month increased the relative risk of death by 600%.
Still unsure?
Seek out an integrative practitioner or functional medicine physician to help to guide you, or check out my Guide to Gluten-Free Living.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Lymphedema

How To Wrap: EZ Medical Wraps - Full Leg

Watch as I wrap my leg with EZ Medical Wraps (in under 5 minutes)

#ezmedicalwrap #lymphedema #compressionbandage #lymphbandage #longwellmassage