Blog - Centered Massage

What have I learned the past 2 Weeks about Health & Wellness?

To tell you the truth there is so much information out there about what you should or shouldn’t do, eat or think. Here is what I have sifted through that makes sense to me and my experience.

1) One of the healthiest oils you can have is Cold pressed, Organic Sunflower Oil.
(about 3/4 tblsp./day) Guess what? If your oil is not cold pressed then it is processed which means it is unhealthy for your blood vessels and arteries. My favorite mid-afternoon snack is 1/2 tablespoon of Sunflower oil and a handful of raw pumpkin seeds w/ sea salt and a sprinkle Parmesan cheese.

2) That if you you are in front of the TV or computer for a good amount during the day you need to ground yourself by walking on the grass in your bare feet at least for a few minutes. Brand new research has come out on the effects of Electro Magnetic Field Energy on your body. The Earth’ energy seems to throw this field right out of you when you let it come through your body. The reason why people are walking around not grounded is because of their rubber soles. This simple step can slow the aging process and it is free and easy.

3) Whole wheat is a nutritious food but the vitamins and minerals dissipate quickly once the wheat has been ground into flour. IN fact, within the first 24 hours the flour has lost 45% of it’s nutrients and by the time 72 hours has passed it has lost a whopping 90%! 90% of nutritional value of the wholesome grain that does not make it in to your family’s bodies. Is it any wonder we have to take nutritional supplements? Anyone want a piece of “Dead Bread”?

4) The more raw food you eat the more nutrients you get. Cooking destroys a lot of nutrients and we as a people are not getting enough. The more raw food I eat the thinner and stronger I am becoming.

These 4 tips are very big in my world and hopefully you can see the merit in them and possibly take baby steps and become more aware of how you are feeling. Best, Dan

A well thought out study, Finally! 72 years in the Making!

We’ve all heard countless studies, articles and TV interviews on happiness. But the other day I stumbled upon something that is just now being revealed to the media for the first time.* It’s a 72 year old study that began all the way back in 1937 when 268 Harvard University sophomores were asked to participate in a study measuring “a formula-some mix of love, work, and adaptation-for a good life.” And while many of those who were college sophomores in 1937 are now dying or in their fading twilight, this study continues to be diligently maintained to this very day.

And never before has science been able to report such fascinating and thoroughly time-tested results on happiness. Following are 3 powerful lessons from this study.

1. Have a Healthy Outlet

So many of the people in this study seemed to have all their ducks in a row. In their prime years in the 1950’s and 1960’s, they were making big money in powerful careers. They had beautiful families and lived in idyllic neighborhoods. Oddly enough, later in life, many of these fortunate people ended up breaking down mentally and physically. Why? If one didn’t have a healthy outlet for their fears, nerves, and struggles, it was only a matter of time before repressed demons erupted to the surface. The happiest people in this study had a healthy outlet. They were altruistic or had a rich sense of humor. They funneled their issues into sport, “their lust into courtship.”

It’s something important to consider. As the study proves, a human being can get away with sustaining daily nerves, fears, and doubts for a number of years. But ultimately, such a nervous nelly will crack. If you haven’t already, develop an outlet…find a sport, commit to helping others, lighten up, and laugh more often. A wise one said, “A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs, jolted by every pebble in the road.”

2. Don’t Take Yourself Too Seriously

This study, as reported in Atlantic Magazine, was summed up beautifully by the journalist Joshua Shenk: “Herein lies the key to a good life–not rules to follow, nor problems to avoid– but an engaged humility, an earnest acceptance of life’s pains and promises.”

In other words, one can only carry the burden of a big ego and lots of pride for so long before your proverbial knees will buckle. Don’t take life too seriously. We all have weaknesses. Do you really want to battle your dark side year after year? Or might it just be time to lay down your arms, take a deep breath, and enjoy life. It’s shorter than you think.

3. Happiness Must be Shared

The other night I was watching the movie adaptation of Into the Wild, the true story of Chris McCandless (see above photo which is a self-portrait found undeveloped in McCandless’s camera after his death). Fed up with the rat race, McCandless graduated college in the early 1990’s, left his worried parents in the dust, sold all his belongings, and ventured deep into the Alaskan wilderness. Before dying of starvation, he seemed to regret his isolationist ways and wrote these last words in his journal, “Happiness only real when shared.” According to the 72 year old study, McCandless was spot on. In the study, those who spent too much alone time ultimately struggled. The happiest subjects in the study were those who sustained meaningful, healthy relationships with friends and family. One can never give enough hugs, say enough “I love you’s,” and send enough “I miss you’s.”

Here’s a Good Idea to Re-program Your Brain…

5 minutes before you go to bed at night go through all the things you are grateful for. Envision all your dreams; Your perfect place to live, the perfect mate, the perfect job, etc. Do this night after night for a few weeks. You cannot think of anything negative; what you did wrong during the day or the person who made you mad etc. If you are truly successful at this you will begin to see changes in your life for the positive. When you tell yourself positive things before you go into your subconscious (dreamland) then for the next 8 hours that is what you are marinating your self in. The choice is always yours to stop making excuses in your life on what you haven’t got and to turn it into what you have and what you will have! You need to say it, believe it, feel it and then you will experience it!

Very Potent Advice on How to keep your figure into your 90’s…

So I just read this powerful yet simple tip from a women in her 90’s that still has a good figure. She has always had a sweet tooth so she kept this immense craving under control by eating 2 pieces of hard candy right after she ate a meal. Now what sucking on these pieces did for her was to give her brain an extra 10 minutes to catch up to her stomach. The candy not only limited her need to overeat by hundreds of calories but satisfied her sweet tooth. Just think if it saved you from eating 300 cals a meal for lunch and dinner that is 600 cals a day 4200 calories per week. That is a saving of 62.4 pounds of fat a year. I think we should all try this because you can’t argue w/ a gal in her 90’s that still has her figure! Sugar is not the enemy, it is how much we eat of it that is the real danger. Moderation is the key w/ all things going into your mouth. As healthy people say “Eat from all colors of the rainbow then you will be of health.”