Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/77424
EMBRACE SELF-CARE Nutrition is the perfect place to start when it comes to self-care for therapists. Not only do you need to properly fuel yourself for the massage sessions scheduled in your day, but you also should give thoughtful consideration to what exactly that fuel is. Let's start with some basics. There Decode Labels • Organic produce gets a five-digit number that starts with 9 (ex. 94103). To recognize genetically modified organisms (fruits and vegetables) at your grocery store, check out the little sticker on the produce and find the number code. Here's what those numbers mean (ex. braeburn apple): • Conventional produce gets a four-digit number (ex. 4103). • Genetically modified items also get a five-digit code that starts with 8 (ex. 84103). are a few things that I recommend cutting out of the diet completely. Soda is one. Diet or regular soda has no health benefits or nutritional value and may actually cause health problems. High fructose corn syrup consumption has strong correlations to the obesity epidemic and artificial sweeteners used in diet sodas may cause problems such as headaches, anxiety, multiple sclerosis, and brain tumors. Studies show that artificial sweeteners may shut down leptin production in the brain, which is the chemical that tells us when we're full.1 Soda is also high in phosphorus, which can leech calcium and other needed nutrients from our bodies. Stick to water, teas, and natural juices. When it comes to artificial sweeteners, I strongly recommend eliminating them from all aspects of your life. There are many natural options for sweetening your beverages, like stevia, luo han guo, xylitol, and even just plain sugar. I don't believe sugar is as bad as it's been made out to be. In excess, it's an issue as with certain preexisting conditions like diabetes, but I still feel it's healthier than the man- made chemicals we've been ingesting. I also recommend avoiding artificial colorings and preservatives. Many people are sensitive to these compounds and they may be contributing to asthma and other inflammatory diseases.2 found that having a handful of M&Ms I would cause me to have an asthma attack a few hours later. It took me days to see the connection. And, with a little experimenting, I discovered that only two of the colors caused a problem. If I need a fix, I only eat the brown ones, as they seem to be less problematic for me. Your experience may be different than mine though. Sometimes we have to be detectives to figure out what might be causing our issues. It's easy when we can hold things in our hands and investigate, but some things are hidden from us, making it harder to avoid these culprits. MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE A good example of such a culprit is monosodium glutamate (MSG). It is pervasive in our food, yet the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn't require it to be included on product labels unless found in high quantities. MSG acts as an excitotoxin, or stimulant, on the brain and can cause numerous physical and neurological symptoms. Many people are sensitive to MSG and it's frustrating that their diet has to be a trial and error to see what foods may contain this ingredient. MSG is a flavor enhancer that was commonly found in Chinese food, but it's also prevalent in many of the packaged foods we consume today. GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS Another thing getting tougher to avoid in our foods are genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Only a few crops are approved for modification, which is good news. The bad news, however, is that those crops are in the majority of our packaged and processed foods, and they do not have to be labeled as having been genetically altered. By law, organic 38 massage & bodywork january/february 2011