Skilled touch from a trained massage therapist is not the only way to enjoy the therapeutic benefits of human contact. Recent studies show that supportive and caring touch lower stress hormones and blood pressure, while also enhancing oxytocin, a hormone thought to calm and counter stress. To read more about the study, visit read the article on usatoday.com.
A couple weeks ago, I was prepping a bucket of SWEET peppers to roast on the grill. Yum, roasted red & yellow peppers, my favorite summer bounty. Suddenly, my hands start to burn. It occurs to be that I had a bucket of Anaheim (hot) peppers next to a bucket of Carne del Toro (sweet) peppers in my truck. A hot pepper or two must have tumbled over. Unfortunately, once the “pain” kicks in, its too late to wash - the oil has already absorbed. Capsaicin is the oil in peppers that causes the burning (pain) reaction and is known to take about 2 or 3 days to naturally come out of the skin. This is time that I did not have to wait…
An exciting new study from the University of California, San Diego, Oncology-trained Licensed Massage Therapists brought relief to those suffering from advanced cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, massage is “thought almost universally to be a beneficial therapy. It is helpful not only physically but emotionally as well, because it soothes the soul and the mind.” Massage cannot cure cancer, but it has been shown in several studies to improve quality of life and well-being.
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