Harbor Health and Massage

 The hazy days of summer are here

There is beauty in the perfect summer day, isn't there?  Warm and friendly but with enough air moving to encourage us to do the same.  I love summer days like that, and we're lucky to have so many of them in Michigan!  This weekend though, we're got that weather I remember from living in the south ... hazy, hot and humid.  Perfect for going to the beach or seeing a movie in air conditioned comfort! 
As you are out enjoying the summer, keep your health in mind please.  Do remember to stay hydrated especially on those humid days.  Enjoy the bounty of summer of local produce.  And, whatever your choice of outdoor activity, be sure that you don't overdo it, that you stretch and that you enjoy!
Call us if you need help with muscle aches and pains. We're here for you ... summer, fall, winter and spring!

Why have multiple massages in a short time period?

Thanks to massage therapist, Penny Edmison, for writing this article for us. 

Muscles fibers, when healthy, are like a weave of a fabric: smooth, parallel and evenly woven. A chronic, or old and reoccuring, injury is when the muscle fibers have healed too quickly and/or too often over time. This quick healing causes fibrosis, commonly known as knots, which causes decreased blood flow and pain to the injured muscle.

The reason we often recommend three consecutive appointments that are 48 hours apart for these old injuries is that it gives the massage therapist three opportunities to break up the "knots," allowing just enough healing time before the next treatment to keep the muscle(s) injured.

By the end treatment, the healing process has been slowed down and the fibers of the muscle are healthy and smooth, allowing increased blood flow, less pain and increased range of motion. Stretching after exercise is highly recommended because stretching too helps slow down the healing of the injured muscle.

And of course, regular massage is a great way to maintain the health of active muscles...or because of foreshortening (a muscle that is in the same position repeatedly shortens to be more efficient) inactive muscles too!

Find us on Facebook

We now have 150 people who like us on Facebook!  We appreciate all of you!  When we reach 200 fans, we'll be giving away another one hour massage.  If you haven't checked us out yet, please do. We're at facebook.com/harborhealth.  If you have friend whom you think would be interested in tips on natural living, organics, muscle fitness and overall wellness, please suggest they like us too.  We'd love to get to know them too!

Summertime products

Don't forget we have Bug Bands, natural insect repellant with no chemicals.  And, we've been using them and carrying them for three years now, so we know they work!  We can give you a number of great testimonials. 
We also have high quality sunscreen that ranks well on the ewg.org/sunscreen list and doesn't contain any of the chemicals that Dr. Mercola says are harmful.  Not only that, we've been testing that out a lot this summer too!  We now have two outdoor festivals on bright, hot, sunny weekends under our belts with no sunburns!  Not to mention trips to the beach and general outside play using it too.  Stop in when you're downtown and check out what we have available.

Summer Supplies

Seems like it arrived over night, but warm summer weather is upon us as I write this.  Every year, when I'm still freezing in March and waiting for that last snow fall (that might not arrive until April), I promise anyone who will listen that I won't complain once about it being too warm out. 
Actually, we're pretty lucky in Michigan.  I've lived in five states, and we have some of the nicest summers around.  How many times have you told someone that you live here because the summers are so beautiful?  Pretty easy to see that I like Michigan this time of year!
With the arrival of warm weather, we do need to do a bit of summer planning.  For example, when is the last time you bought sunscreen?  Sunscreen does expire (often in a year) and you do want to make sure you are using a high quality sunscreen that actually does what it's supposed to do. 
If you aren't sure about yours, visit the Environmental Working Group's website (ewg.org) to see their review of sunscreens.  I did read about sunscreens on Dr. Mercola's site recently as well.  He lists a number of chemicals that are often in sunscreen that should be avoided.  I looked over the brand we sell, and it doesn't contain any of the chemicals he mentions.  There are many good products out there, but it's important to do your homework before choosing one. You'd be surprised to know how poorly some of the most popular brands do when EWG tests them. 
Gnats, mosquitos and other insects love this time of year too!  Instead of covering your family with chemicals such as DEET this year, why not try a natural method? 
We sell BugBands.  These bracelet-style bands can be worn on a wrist or ankle, on a backpack or beltloop.  They are safe for infants (although it's best if they are placed out of chewing distance).  We've sold them for three years now and we've heard a lot of great stories from clients who swear by them.  Golf courses where you can't use sprays, fishing in the U.P., and just pushing baby around town.  They work great!  We sell individual bands and a family pack of four that saves you 25%.  The bands have a shelf life of 120 hours when stored in the plastic case that comes with them.  Stop in or give us a call for more information.

Welcome our newest therapist!

Kelcy Heerspink is our newest team member.  She is a massage therapist who will be working on Saturdays for us.  She is a graduate of Kalamazoo Center for the Healing Arts.  She gives a great relaxation massage and I think you'll enjoy meeting her.  Please help us make her feel welcome!

High Fructose Corn Syrup

Those of you who like us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/harborhealth) know that we've been talking about products that you might be using that might be better to avoid.  One that is currently receiving a lot of attention is high fructose corn syrup.  This product is an inexpensive sweetener that extends the shelf life of packaged foods.

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) has been linked to obesity, diabetes and other illnesses.  Our bodies don't recognize it as a food, so the mechanism that tells our body we're full doesn't function.  That means that when we eat products containing HFCS, our bodies don't acknowledge that we're full, so we often end up overeating. 

Here's what Dr. Mehmet Oz (Of Oprah fame) has to say:

"Most anything with a sweetener in it that's preserved has high fructose corn syrup in it, because [regular] sugar won't preserve," said Dr. Mehmet Oz.

 "It was so inexpensive and had such a long shelf life, it became a very efficient and inexpensive way to sweeten food, and began to be added to all foods," noted Dr. Oz. Why does this matter?  "It's very difficult not to correlate the increase in HFCS over the last 50 years directly to the increase of obesity," says Dr. Oz. "It's not the only reason we have an obesity problem, but it's one of the top reasons."

The fructose in HFCS seems to overwhelm your liver's ability to process it. "The liver doesn't particularly like it when there's fructose in there," Dr. Oz said. "It's irritating and the liver responds by producing inflammatory compounds." Among other things, like laying the groundwork for artery damage and heart disease, these compounds also encourage your body to store more fat. "You're literally turning the major organ responsible for detoxifying you into fat, which is hindering your ability to get thin," he said. "Fat people have a tougher time getting thin than thin people have staying thin. The odds are stacked against them because their livers can't keep up."

 Dr. Oz suggests four ways to start limiting your consumption of HFCS:

Limit processed foods. "If you eat whole foods, real foods, foods that don't come in colorful packages, that come out of the ground looking the way they look when you eat them, they won't sabotage your natural ability to regulate your weight," Dr. Oz said.

Read your labels. If HFCS is one of the first five ingredients in a particular product (or there's more than 4 grams of sugar per serving), skip it. "Natural versions of condiments don't have HFCS; but the inexpensive, more customarily eaten versions usually do," he said.

Try natural sweeteners. Raw honey, agave syrup, or stevia (a powdery natural sweetener that you can use like regular sugar), are good options. "Natural sugar in natural form is the best way to get it," said Dr. Oz.

If you drink soda, switch to 100 percent fruit juice. Even though juice has sugar, it at least offers valuable nutrients. Or better yet, opt for water. If plain water is too boring, add some fizzy seltzer and a squeeze of lemon or lime. Or try no-calorie flavored waters.

Welcome to Spring!
I think I’ve told you before that when I was a child, my dad said it wasn’t officially Spring until it hailed. I haven’t seen the hail yet, but the calendar says Spring is here. And, most everyone I’ve talked to is ready for it. So, let it hail!
As you start your spring projects, keep in mind that you might be using muscles you haven’t used in a while. Start slowly, breathe deeply and listen when your body says it’s had enough.
If you do find that you’ve done too much, we’d love to help you recover. Give us a call to set up your next appointment!

Tulip Time

It’s not here yet, but it’s just around the corner. We thought we’d give you some advance notice of what we’ll be doing this year. Since this is the first year in Suite 230, we’ll be closed during the parades this year. We want to gauge the parade volume and see what to expect before we book people during those times. We will, however, be open around the parades and our regular hours on non-parade days. Why not come down early so you can get a parking spot, get a massage and stick around to see the parade?

We’ll also be offering our annual Tulip Time special. Take $10 off any service of one hour or more from May 3 to May 7. These appointments fill up quickly, so book yours today!

Facebook and Customer Survey

If you haven’t fanned us on Facebook yet, you’ve missed tips on natural cleaning products, breathing, ways to reduce muscle aches and more. Why not check us out and sign up today? Go to facebook.com/harborhealth.

Also, if you haven’t filled out our customer survey, or if you have something new to tell us, please visit our survey link at: http:’’survey.harborhealthandmassage.com.

Anatomy Trains comes to West Michigan

We’re thrilled to be hosting Tom Myers’ Anatomy Trains in October! This is a class for movement therapists of all sorts who want to learn more about fascial anatomy and how it affects the body. It’s part lecture, part hands-on work and there are CEUs available for massage therapists. If you’re interested, please drop us an email (receptionist@harborhealthandmassage.com) to be added to the mailing list.