Massage Study Tops Charts At NYT.com

The new research findings are wildly supportive of massage therapy but what's even more amazing is that this story has been the number one "most popular emailed article" on The New York Times website for the past three days. I say move over tea party and midterm elections coverage!

This is great news for the healing arts community because the study is obviously resonating with the general public while clearly stating the benefits of a single massage session such as increasing immune function and decreasing the stress hormone cortisol.

The research was sponsored by the NIH/NCCAM and you've got to love the quote from the lead author, Dr. Mark Hyman Rapaport, Chairman of Behavioral Neurosciences at Cedars-Sinai, who said the findings were "very, very intriguing and very, very exciting and I'm a skeptic."



The New York Times article

The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine

Forest Bathing, Anyone?

Who knew a walk in the woods could have so many health benefits? After a surprising study involving nature walks - the Japanese coined the term shinrin-yoku or forest bathing.

Scientists found that plants release phytoncides, naturally occurring airborne chemicals that benefit humans by increasing immune function, raising white blood cell counts, lowering pulse rate and also lowering blood pressure.

Or as John Muir said in the late 1800's, "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."

For more on the study, click here.

Hooked on Gadgets, and Paying a Mental Price

After reading this wildly illuminating New York Times article about digital overload and what it does to your brain (ie the stimulation provides a dopamine squirt than can be addictive) i decided to test my own addictions by simply leaving my apartment without the cell phone - big whoop you might say - but it was surprisingly hard at first. After getting past the initial pangs of being "disconnected" it started to feel liberating and even kind of refreshingly rebellious. Read on...

Are Some of Us Born With A Desire To Exercise?

A fascinating case study and the latest read from Gretchen Reynolds of the Phys Ed column in The New York Times...

How To Save Your Hip or Knee

In 2009 more than 400, 000 Americans had either their hip or knee replaced! Last Saturday, The New York Times featured an article with some simple preventative steps on keeping the joints healthy:

1) control weight - women who lost 10 pounds, cut osteoarthritis risk in half.

2) go low impact - if you're a runner, consider cross training with a low impact sport like swimming, yoga or tai chi.

3) avoid injury - injuries like a torn ACL can increase arthritis by 50%.

4) get fit - strengthening muscles around the joint can act like a "shock absorber".

5) be skeptical - of supplements like shark cartilage where studies are inconclusive.

Full article, click here.

Have You Had Your "Body Break" Today?

This is why you will do your body a HUGE favor and put a post-it on your office computer tomorrow morning entitled, "take body break, every 20 minutes."

How does one define a "body break"? By taking the name literally and giving your body a well deserved break from static sitting during the day. The break could be walking to your water cooler or taking the stairs down for some fresh air. The point here is to move your body - plain & simple.

After studying two years worth of anatomy & physiology, I knew that the fluids in the body do not circulate as efficiently when the body is stationary. But recent studies, show long-term sitting also increases our risk of diabetes, heart disease and obesity. (Link to NY Times article)

Lastly, sitting at a desk is a relatively new concept for our sophisticated machine - not so long ago we were hunting & gathering for a whole lifetime. In the meantime, long live the body break!

BODY BREAK TOOLS

In addition to the lo-tech post-it idea mentioned above, following are some additional tools to consider:

-reminder bells: a free program to download to your computer, that can remind you to take a body break

-freedom for macs: a free program that disables your internet connection

-personal Om: a 99 cent app for your iphone, that can serve as a timer/reminder

Wondering How Smartphones Will Be Your Doctor Of The Future?

Beam me up Scotty. That's what I felt like after watching Dr. Eric Topol's fascinating speech from the recent TedMed Conference. Take a look at the new frontier, where digital technology converges with healthcare - all in the palm of your hand...