The Skinny on Your Skin: Part 2

Nearly everybody has moles, skin discolorations, and imperfections. But do you know when it’s time to see the dermatologist?

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During your self-exam (you’re doing those monthly, right?) let’s say you find a mark or mole you’re curious about. Read on for tips on what to look for:

Asymmetry: Look at the mark in question, and draw an imaginary line through the middle. Is it equal on both sides?

Border: Look for uneven, scalloped, or notched edges.

Color: Look for more than one color. You may see a number of different shades of brown, black or tan. A melanoma may also become red, blue or some other color.

Diameter: Measure the size of the mark in question. Is it larger than ¼ inch? Or about the size of a pencil eraser?

Evolving: Over time, your marks that show new characteristics, such as size changes, color changes, or itchiness.

As with anything health related, it’s important to share your findings and address questions to your doctor and/or dermatologist. Don’t wait too long if you do find something of concern. It’s always better to be safe than sorry!

Enjoy the beautiful weather you can only find here in the northwest! Just remember your sunscreen, and your ABCDE’s.

The Skinny on Your Skin: Part 1

Recent information from the Skin Cancer Foundation (as published in the Journal of American Medical Association) shows definitive proof that sunscreen helps prevent melanoma.

Last year, a group of Australian researchers conducted a randomized controlled human trial involving 1,621 adults in subtropical Nambour, Australia. They were divided into two groups: the first were given sunscreen and trained on daily use; the second were allowed to choose whether or not to use sunscreen. The results? The daily-use sunscreen group had 50 percent fewer melanomas!

So what’s the best sunscreen to use? It depends. The average person will benefit greatly from using a simple SPF (sun protection factor) 15, because it blocks out approximately 93% of all incoming UVB rays. SPF 30 blocks 97%, and SPF 50 blocks 98%. It seems like there is little difference, but for the light-sensitive person, or those with family history of skin cancer – the higher SPF’s may be a better choice.

The term “broad-spectrum” has been used a lot in recent years. It simply means the sunscreen has ingredients that protect against both UVA and UVB rays. UVB causes sunburn, while UVA rays are associated with effects of aging such as wrinkles and skin sagging.

Key things to remember: when you apply sunscreen, you need to use at least 1 oz – a full shot glass – and apply it at least 30 minutes prior to sun exposure, to allow the ingredients to bind to the skin. Reapply every two hours, or more if you’re sweating or swimming!

Bottom line? Skin type, family history, and living in or visiting sunny climates are the factors that most contribute to the occurrence of skin cancer. No sunscreen can block all UV rays. But combining a high-quality broad-spectrum sunscreen with protective clothing, hats, and limited sun exposure time is one of the most effective ways of protection.

Did you know?

*Did you know fingernails grow faster than toenails

* Did you know humans shed and regrow outer skin cells every 27 days (almost 1,000 new skins in a lifetime)

* Did you know it takes 17 muscles to smile and 43 to frown

* Did you know the human body has over 600 muscles (40% of the body’s weight)

* Did you know in 1900 the average life span in the US was 47

* Did you know DNA stands for Deoxyribonucleicacid

* Did you know the average person walks the equivalent of twice around the world in a lifetime

* Did you know laughing lowers levels of stress and strengthens your immune system

* Did you know once a women reaches the age of 30 they lose 1% of their bone mass every year thereafter (by the time a women is 50 she will have lost 20%

* Did you know the surface area of your lungs is roughly the same size as a tennis court

* Did you know you have over 600 muscles

* Did you know after you have eaten it takes approximately 12 hours for food to entirely digest

* Did you know the human eye blinks over 4,200,000 times a year

* Did you know a person produces enough saliva to fill 2 average size swimming pools during their lifetime

* Did you know the average person sheds .7kg (1.5 pounds) of skin each year

* Did you know the human body creates 2,500,000 new red blood cells every second

* Did you know a soap bubble is 10,000 times thinner than the average human hair

* Did you know an astronaut can be up to 2 inches taller returning from space (the cartilage disks in the spine expand in the absence of gravity)

* Did you know there are over 97,000 km (60,000 miles) of blood vessels in the average person

Eating from your garden year round: Part 2

Denise’s Top 5 Edible Plant Picks:

1.  An artichoke plant to put in any border. Low maintenance, tropical looking foliage, up to 15 delicious artichokes a year on 1 plant. My 8 year old twins like these better then candy. I steam them for 30-40 minutes with lemons…then they dip them in a sea salted butter sauce. If our garden could keep up, they would eat 3 a day.

2.  Chard is beautiful, low maintenance, full of vitamins and enzymes and also delicious. My favorites are Perpetual which is green and can be used in anything calling for spinach in my house, and Rainbow Chard which is stunning in the garden, and tastes pretty awesome. You can finely dice this plant and hide it in picky eaters dishes such as Chile, bolognese sauce, soups, cream sauces, salads, etc.

3.  Parsley is filled with iron, enzymes and vitamins and grows year round in the northwest unless the winter conditions are exceptionally bad. If you roll it into a cigar and very finely dice that, you can put it on top of anything savory. Adds freshness and extra flavor to so much. You can hide this in a lot of food similar to chard examples.

4.  Plant Garlic in the fall…so easy and pest free. Overwinters and is ready for harvest in June, or July. Cure it in a dry spot for a week or two to keep longer. Then slice off scape’s, stems, and roots and store in a ventilated area up to 6 months or more depending on the type.

5.  Put 3 Blueberry bushes  in your landscape.  Plant them 3 feet apart so they can easily pollinate each other. My favorite is Legacy. In my garden it has leaves all season, but puts on a beautiful show in the fall. I also have 2 Sunshines, and Elliott, and a Darrow. They love acid…coffee, pine needles, Rhodie food. We freeze them and use them all winter but mostly my kids snack on them all day in the garden.

All plants start loosing enzymes and vitamins as soon as they are picked. Some fruits and veggies are over a week old when you buy them at the store. They are essentially fiber at that point with little of the nutrients and enzymes they started out with. It is easy to pick something from your garden every day and put it in your meals. Try to add some live food to your menu whenever you can. Add some sage to your pasta….thyme, cilantro, rosemary, tarragon, chard, kale, cabbage, chives, etc. It is so awesome to go out while the pasta water is boiling and pick some herbs and veggies to go into that nights dinner. It is so easy and satisfying.

Eating from your garden year round: Part 1

Denise’s advice for starting a veggie garden:

. The soil is the most important thing. Being weed free and full of organic matter and nutrients.

. Must have the most sun possible.

. If possible make 4 beds so you can rotate crops to prevent disease.

. Keep a journal to keep track of what you did, how it worked, and what you planted where, and when.

How to do this….

1. Do your homework.

    Read: “Vegetable gardening West of the Cascades” by Steve Solomen.

    Go to the West Seattle Nursery and ask them questions. They are smart.

    Use the internet, Maritime Northwest Planting Calender, and Territorial Seed handbooks. Have a plan.

2. Choose a sunny site. or sign up for a P-patch in your area.

    . If possible make a plan for 4 beds.

    . In the fall put down cardboard. (can easily be collected from stores, recycle bins, and craig’s list.) over the whole area and let it lay there all winter.

    . In March…..build your beds…..with wooden sides no more then 4 feet wide for easy access to picking and weeding. Or you can easily make a temporary bed by putting manure and compost, or topsoil onto 4 beds. Do this on top of existing cardboard but do it up to 1 foot deep on top. Plant in this.

    . Wood chip or somehow cover the path, ie: coffee bags, to help with weeds. Also, this helps children and animals keep track of where the path is and where the garden is.

    . Amend the beds with Coffee Grounds from Admiral Starbucks…Which bags it up for gardeners…or find another source.

    . Try for Zoo Doo or another form of manure, or fertilizer.  A guy from the Delridge P-patch had huge Walla Walla Sweets and attributed it to the Zoo Doo.

    . Bury anything worms might like deeply in the bed….(ie: food scraps.)

3. Have fun. Gardening is therapy for a dirty mind!!!!

Personal Injury Protection Insurance (PIP)

Here is some important information about the benefits of your Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage.

1.  PIP is used to cover your medical bills in the event you are in a motor vehicle collision.  You pay for it as part of your car insurance bill and most coverage is $35,000 PER INCIDENT.

2.  Your PIP will cover you even you are a passenger in someone else’s car.

3.  Your insurance company CAN NOT cancel your policy if you use your PIP.

4.  PIP is a NO FAULT INSURANCE, so it doesn’t matter who caused the accident, you are still covered.

5.  PIP does not have a deductible.  You have no out-of-pocket expense.

6.  In the State of Washington massage IS covered under your PIP insurance, regardless of your insurance carrier.  You may or may not need to obtain an Rx from a doctor or chiropractor.

Call your car insurance company to verify if you pay for PIP coverage.  If so, it is YOUR RIGHT to use it.  Unfortunately, you may encounter insurance adjusters (even from your own insurance company) who try to bully you into closing your medical claim prematurely.  DO NOT BE INTIMIDATED you have 3 years before you are required to close any medical claims associated with a motor vehicle collision.  If you are being denied coverage consider hiring a personal injury attorney.

A quick description of Positional Release & Structural Integration

Positional release is a manual therapy technique to release sore and painful muscles.  The bodyworker places the painful muscle into a position of ease, usually by shortening it, and waits for the clients body to allow healing.  This can be a very effective, non damaging technique to use on muscles that will not release with compression treatments.

Structural integration is a bodywork technique which involves working with the fascia to improve posture and general health.  The idea behind structural integration is that as the tissues of the body contract and the body ages, posture declines, becoming uneven and droopy; by realigning the body, the practitioner can address chronic pain.

What is Intraoral Massage?

Intraoral massage works on muscles both internal and external around the mouth, neck and throat.  This form of manual therapy will focus treatment on your chewing muscles, eliminating any trigger points, and pain referral areas by releasing tension in the fascia around the jaw, neck, head and face. This treatment also includes massage inside the mouth to the masseter muscles to reduce the stress it can put on the jaw and temporomandibular joints.  This technique can be very helpful in relieving tension from headaches, clenching/grinding, head injuries, whiplash and strains from orthodontia. Washington State opened intra-oral therapy certification to massage therapists in 2009.

Prenatal, Sports and NMT Massage

Prenatal Massage

Pregnancy massage is massage therapy specifically tailored for the expectant mother’s needs. It is also called pre-natal massage.  Pregnancy massage has been found to reduce stress, decrease swelling in the arms and legs, and relieve aches and pains in muscles and joints.

Sports Massage

Sports massage is a special form of massage and is typically used before, during and after athletic events.  The purpose of the massage is to prepare the athlete for peak performance, reduce tension & swelling, increase flexibility and prevent injuries.

Neuro-Muscular Technique (NMT)

Neuro-muscular therapy, or NMT, is a specialized form of manual therapy that uses mostly static pressure on trigger points to relieve pain.

 

Myofascial Release

What is Myofascial Release?

Myofascial Release is a specific form of treatment massage that specifically addresses bound up fascia in areas of chronic pain. Fascia is connective tissue found in every space of the body. Fascia forms the framework for our body’s shape. A bound up framework can impinge every structure that it grows through contorting posture and creating chronic conditions that get worse with time. Pain can be an indication of bound up fascia thus causing constriction and decrease range of motion in other areas of the body, e.g. A rotated hip can lead to knee, ankle, and/or low back pain. Unwinding fascia can be methodical and occasionally uncomfortable to receive and is considered clinical massage, not relaxation although there are some people who find the experience quite enjoyable.