Like many of us living in the twenty-first-century's equivalent of the Dust Bowl, I operate on a strict budget.  At the same time, health, exercise, organic and natural foods, and other facets of a holistically sound life are major priorities to me.  Unfortunately, basic things such as exercise, a balanced diet, and even proper health care are still largely viewed as being exclusive luxuries of the upper-middle-class and above.

Generally, I get by okay, and even tend to eat better and get more regular exercise than most of my friends who make several times as much money as I do.  (When you only work part-time, it leaves you room to cook your meals from scratch and make daily yoga and bike-riding part of your routine.  It's a trade-off, for sure.  I may not have an iPad, but I can do a mean king pigeon.)

But even if you work forty-hours a week or more, there are plenty of ways you can save money and still make healthy choices.  (Sometimes you can even save money by making healthy choices - riding a bike instead of taking a car or public transportation?  Score!)  All it takes is some ingenuity, creativity, research, and a little bit more work than walking into a store and swiping a credit card.  You don't get that momentary consumer high that so many of us grew up knowing as our societal cocaine, but you do get the satisfaction of having made something for yourself, which, honestly, is so, so, so much better for your overall mental well-being. 

My friend Jess, an NYU Nutrition and Dietetics grad student, recently shared a recipe for homemade Larabars on her blog.  Larabars are those no-added-sugar, all-natural, fruit-and-nut "energy" bars that boast only three or four ingredients, usually some type of nut and some type of dried fruit.  So simple!  So natural!  And about $2.50 per bar!

If you threw one in your bag as a mid-afternoon snack only four times a week, that would be FORTY DOLLARS per month on these simple, natural little goodies.  When you read the ingredients, it seems so easy.  Dates, cashews, maybe some coconut or chocolate chips thrown in.  Well, sometimes things ARE as easy as they appear to be.  If you have a food processor, you can make your own version of Larabars at home, save a ton of money, and experiment with different fruits and nuts.  (I had success with prunes and apricots.)

The insanely simple recipe?  Throw some nuts and dried fruit in a food processor and blend until you can roll it into balls.  It takes about five minutes.  Really.  That's it. 

These are Jess's photos, but when I did it at home, they came out looking about the same.

You may or may not have preconceived ideas when you hear the words "shamanic healing."  Up here in heady old New England, the norm is to mistrust things that are perceived as too... spiritual. "We're a society that heavily favors the left brain," Bob says.  "Imagination is considered a taboo." 

I admit, I too tend to go into these "energy healing" modalities with a healthy helping of skepticism.  On the other hand, assuming that everything that is "real" can be explained solely within the system of Western science is ignorant and myopic, so I also try to keep my externally-influenced attitudes in check and keep an open mind.

Bob Nemeth is a shamanic healer.  Before you start conjuring up mental images of ash-clad, staff-wielding, dreadlocked magicians, take a look at the picture above.  Bob is an experienced bodyworker and interfaith minister  from Worcester who also happens to be skilled in what he calls "the ability to track energy." 

I assume for demographics interested in Wellness Blogs, the idea that the body contains/is made of/is surrounded by fields of energy is not new.  Bob and other shamanic healers have the ability to isolate negative, destructive, or intrusive energy patterns and ease them into release and harmony. 

Bob did not grow up suspecting he had a gift for shamanic healing.  "It's something that's in all of us," he says.  "There are just some people are born having more access to it than others.  I never really considered I might be one of them."

Several years ago, a profound experience connected to a close friend's death caused him to reexamine his own innate abilities.  His interest eventually led him to study with Albeto Villoldo who had learned shamanic healing in Peru from the indigenous shamanic community.  Many of Villoldo's teachers hoped he would help carry the torch of their work to North America.  Fast-forward to his student Bob, practicing in Davis Square, 2010.

Of course, I wanted to try this out for myself.  Bob was kind enough to meet with me to give me a sample treatment.  When I showed up in his treatment room, there was a pile of rocks on the massage table.  I had no idea what I was in for.

The first thirty minutes or so we discussed what I felt like I wanted to accomplish during the session.  It was half-therapy, half-bodywork consultation.  Without getting too hippy-dippy on you starched-shirt Bostonians, we talked about a lot of emotional pain and blockages, both old and new, that were likely manifesting themselves in energetic holding-patterns.  I have had problems with my left leg, my knee and hip since I was seventeen.  We decided I was still carrying a lot of old emotional wounds in my hip. 

The treatment itself involved deep-spirit breathing, symbolic work with crystals, and chakra realignment.  I especially appreciated the ceremonial aspects of it.  "Our culture is starved for ceremony," Bob said during our initial interview. 

I agree with him.  There was something about standing with a crystal in my hand, about visualizing my past trauma as a black spiderweb of energy, envisioning that spiderweb flowing out of my body into a crystal, and having Bob "catch" it there, that shifted the way I was resting the weight on my hip-joint.  You can talk about the "placebo" effect all you want, but that's really just a word for something that works without our knowing exactly why.

A lot of emotional stuff was brought up for me during the treatment.  I even cried a little, but in a good, cathartic kind of way.  This was definitely more than I bargained for.

Afterward, I told him my hip did feel better.  I felt like I was standing on it right for the first time in ten years. 

"You may noticed that the things you used to do with physical therapy are more effective now," he told me.  "Your body shouldn't be as attached to those old negative patterns."

It's been a couple of weeks now, and while the pain in my leg (largely caused by structural knee issues) hasn't resolved completely, the horrible cramping and seizing in my left hip has seemed to be greatly assuaged.  As he suggested, the stretches and exercises I have been doing to help have seemed to have enhanced and longer-lasting effects.  No matter what the scientific "reasons" for this, I continue to be convinced of the power of ceremony, ritual, and paying attention to those parts of ourselves we can't see.

Aleksandra Magdziak Lopes was born in Poland.  She moved to the US when she was sixteen, and competed in tennis, track and field, horseback riding, dancing, and volleyball during her school-age years.  Upon starting high school in the US, she began wrestling on the boys’ team.  She grew to love the rush of combat sports, and after high school she began to kickbox.  During college, though, she started to fall out of the habit of competing.

After college, Magdziak Lopes was in search of a workout routine that would get her back into the shape she had been in in high school.  She joined a local gym and started taking boxing lessons.  The plan worked.  She dropped twenty-five pounds and regained her stamina.  Boxing was a great workout, and before long, she began itching to compete on an amateur level.

In 2007, she won the 140lb Rocky Marciano Tournament in the Novice Division and in 2008 she won the Southern New England Golden Gloves in the same class.  The following year, she decided to turn pro.

She lost her first pro fight in a very close decision to a female fighter whom she had beaten three times in the amateur division.  "I don't take losing well in general, but this particular loss was tough because it was a fight I could have and should have won," says Magdziak Lopes.  "It forced me to look at my training and figure out what needed to be done to rise to the top ranks of the game."  She asked her husband, who had an excellent training record, to take over her training camp.  “My husband and I are an awesome team and have a great time training,” she says.

The new team and training schedule worked.  Magdziak Lopes bounced back from that first loss by winning her next three fights in a row.  Her current record is 3-1, with one win by knockout.  In her most recent fight, she even defeated the fighter who had first beaten her.  “It was an amazing moment for me -- the rematch had been on my mind since the second I walked out of the ring after the first loss.  I took her undefeated record away.  I avenged the loss, and I feel good about winning a very challenging fight.”

Magdziak Lopes has been a loyal client at MTW for years.  She believes the bodywork she has received has helped her reach her goals and improve as a fighter.  “Boxing is extremely demanding on my body – I train as much as six days a week, and I run often on asphalt. Frankly, I’m not sure how I would get through training without Richard.”  Magdziak Lopes is also working with several old injuries - lower back problems from a car accident and a replaced ACL.  She has found bodywork to be extremely helpful in overcoming these challenges and improving her ability to train, and even to sharpen her performance during actual fights.  

“[Richard] knows how to loosen up certain muscle groups in my shoulders and legs to give me more speed and snap in my punches, or more spring in my legs.  When I come out of the appointment, I know I am 110% physically prepared for the fight ahead of me – and that’s an extremely comforting feeling.”

Magdziak Lopes, who admits she has never been a great team athlete, loves the solo nature of boxing.  She is also drawn to the strategy and creativity integral to the best boxing performances. 

“Despite people's perception of boxing being somewhat of a brutal contact sport, to me boxing is an art,” she says.  “It is a very intelligent sport and a lot goes into the making of a great boxer. It is all about timing, distance, creating the right angles, reflexes, athletic ability, staying cool under pressure, speed, smart strategy, and conditioning. Many of these concepts are almost too hard to explain; they are too intangible.”

Not nearly as tangible as, say, Magdziak Lopes’s fist in your face.

Matrix Energetics is a new form of energetic healing based on the theories of quantum physics.   Many patients have experienced immediate results without ever being physically touched.

Intrigued?  Skeptical?  You can experience this technique for yourselves when Matrix Energetics comes to Boston.

Our therapist Bob recommends the free seminar at the Boston Marriott tonight from 7-9.

Massage Therapy works is happy to be returning to the Art Beat Festival this Saturday in Davis Square.  All day long we will have a tent outside on Elm Street manned by some of our top therapists who will be giving chair and table massages for only a dollar-a-minute.  

If you don't know, Art Beat is the incredible summer festival put on every year by the Somerville Arts Council.  Davis Square is taken over by vendors and booths of local artists, artisans, and craftspeople, as well as local businesses.  There are three stages for local musicians and other performance artists to show their stuff, and even the local restaurants get in on the act.  Sample barbeque from Redbones, Tandoori from Diva, or some of Somerville's famous Kick-Ass Cupcakes.

We're looking forward to seeing you all on Saturday!

Our regular client, Duncan Stuart, just returned from an expedition to Denali (AKA Mt. Mickinly).  Below, he recounts his journey, and how bodywork helped him to make this incredible trip.


One of the most difficult and committing parts of a high-altitude mountaineering expedition is the training in the months leading up to the climb.  The training for Denali is especially time consuming, because the trip is so long, with many days of climbing in a row, and also requires each climber to carry a large amount of weight.  Not only do you need to be fit enough to carry a large backpack, but also to pull a sled behind you that's even heavier.

My training regimen often included two sessions per day, with at least one of them using a 60 pound backpack, for interval training.  While this helped me to make tremendous strides in terms of preparedness, it also caused me to injure my back about a month before leaving.  I was very distressed because I knew this meant there was a strong possibility that I may not be able to go on the climb at all.

That's when my wife recommended that I go to see Richard.  I had never had any type of massage therapy before, but decided I had nothing to lose.  Richard knew I needed time to recover, but also understood that I couldn't just do nothing for the last month prior to departure.  He helped me design an effective routine of stretching, exercise with some weight, and weekly sessions to try to lengthen the muscles which had been strained.

In addition, Richard noticed that I had other areas, like my legs, where the training had been taking it's toll.  The body is so good at using muscle groups to compensate for other muscle groups which are not working as well.  He helped me correct some of this overcompensation so my whole body began to function properly again.  By the time I left for the climb, I felt rested, strong, and ready to go.

After we flew in a ski plane to base camp (approximately 7,000 feet), I was slightly nervous about my back.  Nevertheless, there are plenty of other things to worry about on such a climb - crevasses, teammate fitness, avalanches, and cold weather.  As we left base camp heavily loaded, I felt great.  In fact, we traveled at night lower on the mountain in order to avoid the hot sun reflecting off the glacier during the day.  Even in subzero temperatures, with a heavy load, this can be sweltering work.  The weight of the group also weakens snow-bridges across crevasses - the last thing any of us wanted was to be crossing one of these when it collapses!

We made very good progress, in spectacular weather for the first 12 days or so.  In fact, we kept skipping what might have been a rest day because everyone felt so good, and the weather was cooperating.  We were somewhat concerned however, since weather does not usually stay good for very long on mountains like Denali.

As we left camp at 14,000 feet, we headed up a very steep headwall.  We then traversed along a narrow ridge, with a drop off on either side of several thousand feet.  Along this ridge, we climbed past Washburn's Thumb - named after Brad Washburn, the late, famous mountaineer from Cambridge, MA who is also very well known for having run the Museum of Science for many decades. 

This ridge led us to 17,000 camp.  It is between 14,000 and 17,000 camps that the sleds are left behind, requiring everything to be carried in a backpack.  On Denali, many people say you climb the mountain twice - between each camp you carry up a load of supplies, then go back down to sleep.  The following day (weather permitting) you head back up with another load of supplies and then establish camp.  My back was feeling as strong as ever at this point.

Up at high camp, we knew bad weather was on it's way.  We made a summit attempt, but only reached about 18,000 feet - an area called Denali Pass.  Here the winds had picked up considerably, and a few team members were struggling with the climbing.  We returned to camp, and decided to wait out the bad weather.  Many teams went down to 14,000 camp, since 17,000 camp is high enough that life there can be fairly uncomfortable.  With the lack of oxygen in the air at this altitude, even small tasks can be quite tiresome.  For example, building a snow wall around your tent to protect the tent from high winds during the storm - this task can take hours, and requires many breaks because of heavy breathing.  Add to this the typical loss of appetite at altitude, and the calorie deficit ensures that you lose weight.  I often tell people it's a great diet plan!

Mountain climbing is generally enough of an adventure by itself.  However, sometimes things just don't go as planned.  Up at high camp, one of my teammates, who I was sharing a tent with, ended up in trouble.  I woke up one night to find him suffering from hypothermia and Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS).  AMS can manifest itself in many different ways - from as mild as a headache, to as serious and sometimes fatal as either pulmonary or cerebral edema.  In this case, it was much worse than just a headache, but thankfully not yet life-threatening.  Nonetheless, it was clear that he needed to descend the mountain as quickly as possible.

One of our guides and I ended up taking him all the way down to basecamp.  We split much of his load between us.  So, lucky I had been working with Richard, because on the way down I carried even more weight than on the way up!  Happy to report that my back felt superb, once again.  If only the climb down had been easy.  First I had to navigate us along the ridge, then across some new crevasses on the headwall which weren't showing on the trip up several days earlier.  Next we had whiteout conditions which made route-finding quite tricky.  Last, but certainly not least, both the guide and I, at separate times, had our legs punch through snow bridges into crevasses.  It's quite an eerie feeling to know there is a deep, dark, black hole beneath you.  At the same time, since our team was always roped together while traveling, it's a safe feeling knowing you have good climbers with you to make sure you don't take a long plunge.

That's how our trip ended - with no shortage of adventure!  There was to be no second summit attempt.  The remainder of the team stayed up high a couple more days, but ultimately the weather did not clear.  Such is the way with mountain climbing - the mountain just does what it does, sometimes the weather cooperates and allows you to reach the top, and other times it does not.  As they say, as long as you enjoy the journey, it's all worth it.   - Duncan Stuart

Natural Ovens, Natural Buns

I was talking to Carrie and Elizabeth of Cambridge Naturals about what to do for their next guest spot on this blog, and we all agreed that since the end of winter, we've seen an improbable number of babies and pregnant bellies out and about in Cambridge and Somerville.  We decided that the apparent Cantabridgian/Somervillen micro-baby-boom could use a helpful, healthful guiding hand.

(Of course, you should definitely consult your doctor before taking anything during pregnancy and breast-feeding.)

Natural Product Recommendations for Expectant and New Mothers

by: Carrie

 

Lactation

Go-Lacta Malunggay

During pregnancy and while breast feeding, women produce lactation promoting substances called galactagogues.  Some women don’t produce enough for sufficient milk production, but help can often be found in herbal supplements such as Fennel and Red Raspberry Leaf.  Another lesser known yet highly effective herbal remedy comes from the leaves of the Malunggay tree.  These extremely nutritious leaves are natural galactagogues and have been shown in studies to significantly increase milk production when eaten during the last trimester of pregnancy and throughout breastfeeding.  Go-Lacta’s Malunggay capsules contain 350mg of high quality dried, powdered Malunggay leaves for a whopping daily dose of milk-promoting galactagogues.

Prenatal Vitamins

MegaFood Baby & Me

It’s common knowledge that nutrients in their whole food state are most easily recognized and efficiently utilized by the body.  However, it can be hard to eat the required amount of fruits, veggies and other healthy foods to satisfy a body’s needs.  What to do if you’re eating for two? A good prenatal vitamin is a must.  Made from organic whole foods and certified organic herbs, MegaFood’s vegetarian soy and gluten free prenatal supplement contains the vitamins and minerals necessary to keep moms and babies healthy. And since this supplement is food grown, mom and baby will more efficiently absorbed the nutrients provided to grow strong and stay healthy.

Minami MorDHA

The Omega 3 fatty acid DHA plays a major role in healthy brain and eye development rendering it a particularly essential nutrient for pregnant and breast-feeding women.  Unfortunately, getting the recommended amount of DHA through diet alone is difficult, to say the least, which makes a high quality fish oil supplement a smart addition to one’s diet.  MorDHA from Minami contains a highly concentrated dose of DHA in just one daily soft gel.  In addition, Minami’s unique filtering process assures a purity exceeding international standards for heavy metals, PCB’s, pesticides and dioxins so moms and moms-to-be can take this supplement without worry.
 

Morning Sickness

Mommy Bliss Morning Sickness Magic

Created by moms for moms, this soothing supplement contains ginger and vitamin B-6 to ease nausea as well as pregnancy-supporting folic acid and red raspberry leaf.  Morning Sickness Magic is safe to take throughout pregnancy to quell queasiness and ease discomfort.

Breast Feeding

Lansinoh

Made from 100% pure, medical grade lanolin, otherwise known as sheep wool oil, Lansinoh is a naturally effective remedy for sore, cracked nipples.  In fact, it’s so effective it’s the only topical remedy endorsed in the U.S. by La Leche League International.  Since it’s all natural and contains no preservatives, Lansinoh is safe for both mom and baby and doesn’t need to be removed before breast feeding.  Visit their website, www.lansinoh.com, for more information on breast feeding and breast feeding products.

Post Partum Care

WiseWays Merry Mother Sitz Bath

Merry Mother sitz bath is chock full of soothing herbs such as yarrow, slippery elm and cleansing witch hazel. To ease pain and discomfort after birth or sooth tears and episiotomy incisions, take a long, relaxing soak in a Merry Mother sitz bath.  If a soak isn’t for you, Merry Mother can also be used on tender areas as a hot compress.

Book and CD Selections

by: Elizabeth

Taking Charge of Your Fertility   by Toni Weschler

Fully illustrated with 8 pages of color graphics and filled with helpful examples and charts, this book provides a complete and fascinating window into your reproductive system. Weschler's groundbreaking "fertility awareness method" gives techniquesfor gaining greater control over your sexual and gynecological health.

Iyengar Yoga for Motherhood   by Geeta Iyengar

Iyengar Yoga for Motherhood offers guidance, reassurance, and easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions. More than 350 photographs carefully guide readers through every asana, highlighting variations on each for safe practice. Women will find safety rankings for each trimester of pregnancy, call-outs listing benefits and cautions, and detailed instructions for proper anatomical alignment -- a book that every mother-to-be and new mom will celebrate.

Spiritual Midwifery   by Ina May Gaskin

The most comprehensive book on home-birthing from the spiritual perspective. It includes clear, accurate information on all aspects of birth, as well as inspiring stories of successful home births. The Farm Midwife Team has helped in the birth of literally thousands of babies. This book is written with the authority of firsthand experience.

Oh Baby, Oh Baby: Bonding With Your Brilliant & Beautiful Baby through Infant Massage DVD 

Recommended by Lamaze International, this step by step guide is entertaining and informative with easy to follow demonstrations of baby massage.  Wonderful gift for parents of newborns as well as being very useful to new moms to communicate with their baby, and to build trust and confidence in themselves.

Baby Book   by William & Martha Sears

The baby bible of the post-Spock generation -- already embraced by hundreds of thousands of American parents -- now revised, expanded and brought thoroughly up to date. A practical, contemporary approach to parenting that reflects the way we live today with the latest information on everything from diapering to daycare. The Sears' offer the basic guidance and inspiration you need to develop the parenting style that best suits you and your child. A rich and invaluable resource.

Encyclopedia of Natural Healing for Children & Infants   by Mary Bove, ND

This book has all the information parents need to safeguard and improve the health of their babies and children -- utilizing proper diet, supplementation, and herbs.

I have killed and cleaned poultry before, but never a fish.  Nevertheless, I volunteered to help my dad clean Mr. Fish and prepare him for the grill.  Fortunately, with the magic that is You Tube, I was able to find a quick how-to (and how-not-to) that helped me gut and scale him with maximum respect and minimum trauma.

Every once in a while, those around me get patchouli-tinged waft of my hippy side.  I thanked Mr. Fish for giving his life so we could eat that night (and, it turned out, the next day - he was really big).

I'll spare you the bloody guts pictures, but the finished product was one of the most delicious fish meals I've ever had.