Using the Forecast to Get Ahead of Your Aches & Pains

Leave a Comment / Massage, Self-Care /
Woman holding a compress to her cheek

Have you been following these new Aches & Pains forecasts the weather reporters have been doing? I started noticing them last spring and they just keep on coming. What a smart idea to let folks know when the barometric pressure is going to take us on a ride, when the pollen counts become rude, and when the temperatures get downright disrespectful.

I thought I would take a minute and share with you why the things they talk about on the Aches & Pains forecast matter and something simple you can do to help yourself when the weather piles on.

Barometric Pressure

You know how your grandparents used to talk about how they could feel it was going to rain in their joints? It probably wasn’t the rain; it was probably the barometric pressure. When storms and rainy days come they’re usually escorted in by a change in barometric pressure.

Some people experience joint pain. Others sinus pain and pressure. And others get migraines from it.

It’s also hard to predict who will have symptoms and who won’t because barometric pressure has an interesting effect on human tissues. Dropping barometric pressure causes tissues to expand which can result in tissues, bones, and nerves pressing on each other. Increasing barometric pressure causes tissues to contract in on itself causing the opposite effect, but sometimes no less painful. Sometimes the same person will have issues from any significant change in pressure.

Something a lot of people don’t understand is that it’s not how high or low barometric pressure gets, it’s more the fluctuation or the change that causes problems. Our tissues adjust to whatever the pressure is, then when there’s a change there can be discomfort. Think about the last time you felt like your ears needed to pop. Maybe you were on a flight or driving up a mountain. The quick change in pressure is what causes that discomfort.

Pollen Counts

The first time I saw pollen counts on the Aches & Pains forecast I was puzzled. After a bit of thinking it became apparent that periods of high pollen, especially at the beginning of spring when the trees and shrubs are leafing out, mid-summer when all the flowers are blooming, and then again in the fall as leaves and compost starts to mold people are experiencing a lot of issues. Sinus pain and pressure, respiratory allergies, ear pain, and watery eyes are the more minor symptoms. The respiratory problems really ramp up in the spring and summer here in Alabama. And that’s just the seasonal, outdoor air quality.

Indoor air quality can also cause a lot of allergies and sinus pain and pressure. Of course, there’s not a lot a meteorologist can do about indoor air quality.

Extreme Temperatures

You usually see an Aches & Pains forecast when the weather is about to snap off much colder than what it has been. Cold weather is never much fun, but when we go from 60’s to below freezing overnight a lot of folks experience pain.

This is because muscles, tendons, and ligaments stiffen with the cold which makes it harder to move. Depending on the health and wellness of your tissues, moving around in the cold with cold tissues oftentimes causes increased inflammation and pain.

What Can We Do?

Well, first we can follow the forecasts to make sure that we’re prepared with our preferred comfort items. Some folks need medication to control allergies, some need anti-inflammatory medications, others just need warmth and movement.

Never Underestimate the Power of a Warm Compress

Simplest Compress

The simplest warm compress is a warm washrag pressed to the offending area. But we all know how that goes. It cools off very quickly and you end up with cold droplets everywhere. Pretty unsatisfying when you’re looking for a heat source to help with an aching joint. This method is pretty effective though if your eyes are glued shut because of allergic reactions or worse, pink eye.

The next simplest warm compress I’ve found is a tube sock filled with rice, tied off, and nuked in the microwave. It’s quick, holds heat, and works great for small areas. Heat for 30 seconds at a time until it’s warm to the touch and make sure the fabric isn’t touching the sides of the microwave. They can catch fire if microwaved too long.

Reusable Compress

Another more involved, but reusable and longer lasting compress is a rice bag (pictured above). You’ll need a sewing machine, scissors, thread, cotton fabric, a funnel, and rice*. Cut a rectangle 17” x 6.5” or 20” x 6.5” for a larger bag. Sewing on the wrong side of the fabric, sew two sides of the rectangle together forming a tube. Turn the tube right side out, fill with rice, and sew the opening closed.

They can be used hot from the microwave or cold from the freezer. Unfortunately, it can only be spot washed so avoid spilling or placing over open wounds (that’s always a bad idea anyway). If you know me, you know how I evangelize these things for keeping my toes warm during the winter. They get the bed down where my feet go nice and warm before my toes get assaulted. You can also drag them onto your body if you have pain during the night.

Anyway…

I used to have a video showing how to make these things, but I think Facebook ate it. I’ll make another one soon and link it to this post.

Is this comprehensive coverage of the weather and how it might make your body feel? Nope! But I hope it’s given you more information than you had before reading it and that it has been helpful for you. Now get out there and make a rice pack or sock compress so it’s ready when you need it!

* I use rice in my compress bags, but there are a lot of other natural materials that can be used. Several years ago and found a blog post where a lady compared all different kinds of material in these bags. Her findings were essentially that untreated dried corn was the best material for holding heat the longest. I already had a bag of old sticky rice that we didn’t like to eat so that’s what I used and it’s fine.

A Word of Warning

If you are diabetic, suffer with neuropathy or have any condition that makes it difficult to sense heat or cold please consult with your doctor before using any kind of compress.

♥

THIS WEBSITE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE
The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.

♥

Sharon Bryant at Harvest Moon Massage Therapy
is Decatur’s Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage Therapist!

Using the Forecast to Get Ahead of Your Aches & Pains Read More »

How to Advocate for the Massage Therapy Profession

Community, Massage /
nine black and white panels of two people talking to each other

Do you find massage therapy a helpful tool in your personal wellness journey?

If so, we need your help with some simple public relations tasks.

In the past I’ve asked clients and followers to use their voices through email to support or oppose legislative efforts. I think it’s wrong when unfair proposals have been made by people who don’t know much about our profession but still want to legislate us. Usually these people are trying to legislate according to their perceptions of the massage therapy industry without educating themselves. This article is going to be related, but a little bit different.

Recently, within the past six months or so the cultural climate concerning women and women’s rights in the U.S. has shifted. And with these shifts, certain individuals in our community have become emboldened to ask for services that legitimate, professional, licensed massage therapists do not offer.

Used to, I’d get a phone call from someone testing the waters or an inappropriate text message once or twice a year. In 2025, inappropriate phone calls and text messages seem to have become an almost weekly occurrence. Then in December, men began boldly walking into my establishment and asking for illegal services in person.

The audacity!

They couch requests behind code words and Asian-sounding modality names, I suppose so they have plausible deniability in case someone calls them on their bullshit. But we all know what they’re asking for.

I’m not one to shame people, but I need you to know what’s going on. And, if you’re willing, give you some pointers on how you can help raise awareness about the professionalism of our industry and eventually avoid having to deal with these folks. Most of them are harmless, but try a simple search online for “massage violence.” The results are terrifying.

Anyway, on to what you can do…

Speak up about your massage therapy experience

If you use massage therapy as a tool in your wellness strategy, tell people. Use words like “therapy,” “maintenance,” and “quality of life.” Tell folks how massage therapy helps you manage stress, pain, and sleep issues. Whatever your massage therapist improves for you, let people know.

Use the right words

Gently educate your friends on the correct use of massage-related terms.

Masseuse/Masseur is an antiquated term (except in France). Common and acceptable terms are massage therapist or bodyworker. The differences are subtle and mostly interchangeable.

Massage parlor is another outdated term that carries a lot of baggage. The correct terms might be massage establishment, massage studio, spa, day spa, wellness co-op, etc. Ask your massage therapist how to professionally and/or respectfully refer to their business.

Massage table is the preferred term in the United States. Sometimes in other countries you will see the table called a couch, but that’s not common here. There is an epidemic of laypeople and professionals in our industry who still call it a bed and will argue with you about the term. Professional massage therapy isn’t received or performed on a bed except in very specific circumstances where the client cannot get out of the bed to get onto a massage table.

While not specifically a term, you might be presented with concerns about having to get naked. To these you can explain that you’re always covered by a sheet or blanket (what we call a drape) and never inappropriately exposed. It’s actually in our laws and standards that clients must be appropriately covered during their treatments.

Don’t tolerate gossip and misinformation

Gossip and speculation can kill a therpists career

If you’ve run into a gossipy situation where people are speculating on what kinds of services (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) are being offered, you can hit them with a, “Have you reported that massage therapist to the Massage Therapy Board?” That usually shuts down this kind of speculation because most people know they’re just being mean when they say these kinds of things. When you start pulling legislative oversight into the conversation most people move on. They’re probably not going to like you for doing it, because mean people sometimes enjoy being mean.

If they don’t know there is a massage therapy board or that the services they’re alluding to are illegal, they now know there’s some sort of regulation involved just from the question. They should also be able to infer from your question that legitimate massage consumers assume those offering illegal services are reported and removed from their massage therapy positions. Public safety is a valid concern in the massage therapy community after all.

Those who want to call your bluff and say they’re going to report someone (even though they’re just speculating) won’t actually be able to unless they have had a personal experience with the particular therapist they’re speculating about. So, no matter what the speculator was going on about you have now pointed out that they need to put a sock in it and perhaps next time they’ll think twice about slandering someone.

Oh, and you could also use the, “That’s slander. You need to be careful how you talk about allied health professionals.” It’s direct and aggressive, but sometimes that’s what’s called for. Speculation has destroyed more than a few therapist’s careers.

What about if you’ve run into someone who believes massage therapy causes uncontrollable urges in people (usually men)?

In this case, I would refer you to the real, lived experiences of gay men who seem to be able to control their urges even when in locker rooms with men in various stages of undress. This problem of uncontrollable urges only seems to apply to straight men when it comes to women and children. This is a personal problem for the person experiencing these urges. They need to grow up and learn to control themselves. See patriarchal privilege…

If you have the unfortunate luck to be talking to a person who experiences uncontrollable urges, you want to encourage them to stay away from the massage therapy industry. These are not ideal clients for your massage therapist.

What about if you’ve run into someone who believes massage therapy summons demons?

Yes, I’ve had people say this to me. It’s hard to take them seriously, but if pressed I usually respond with something along the lines of having never seen any proof of it. In this day and age most people walk around with photo/video capabilities in their pockets so how come we’ve never seen a massage that produced a demon out of thin air? And believe me, if someone was on my table and a demon came out, I’d be grabbing proof. Wouldn’t you?

You might also find this article I wrote about critical thinking helpful.

Locker room talk & happy ending jokes aren’t funny

Can you imagine how you would feel if after years of college and entering a chosen profession someone started making jokes and treating you like a s*x worker? It’s really degrading and insulting. And it’s just adding insult to injury when your chosen profession is one of healing.

How do we combat this? I tend to tell people that they’re talking about professionals who spend thousands of dollars on education and meeting national and state requirements to be able to offer a valuable service to our community.

Sometimes I explain that massage therapy is a legitimate allied health discipline that helps millions of people every year. Then I’d back it up with a personal experience.

Most of us would never insinuate these things about doctors, nurses, PTs, OTs, or other healthcare professionals. Though I have recently been made aware of an ongoing epidemic of sexual harassment in the nursing field.

Quick History Break

Did you know that massage therapy used to be a part of a nurse’s education and standard of care? Massage skills (comfort care) fell out of nursing’s area of expertise as medical care was formalized and began utilizing manufactured medications instead of the plant medicines and herbal and folk knowledge that sustained our species for thousands of generations.

In addition to the rejection of historical knowledge, medicine demanded a higher level of education to do hands-on, soft tissue work and then restriced medical schools and physiotherapy education to men. This effectively pushed out the women healers who had carried at least half of the folk medicine and knowledge from the beginning of time. To firmly hammer the nail into the coffin, legislation then made it illegal in many places for folk healers to practice. As we’re rediscovering with most professions that shut women out, there’s a lot of patriarchy and consumerism tied up in the history of massage therapy, nursing and medicine.

Anyway…

I know it can sometimes be difficult to swim upstream when you meet people with big, loud opinions. But I hope this article will help you have more thoughtful and factual conversations about massage therapy in general. I hope it also gives you a few interesting facts you can put in your pocket to use as conversation starters at your next dinner party.

If you have questions or suggestions, you can leave a comment or contact me directly. And, as always, ensure your safety before you bump chests with a bully. We appreciate your support, but we don’t need anyone getting hurt over this.

Other Helpful Resources

Witches, Midwives and Nurses: A History of Women Healers by Ehrenreich & English
Things I Should Have Learned in Massage School
Polaris Project
A Client’s Bill of Rights
Things I Hate to See: Issues in Massage Therapy

Sharon Bryant at Harvest Moon Massage Therapy
is Decatur’s Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage Therapist!

How to Advocate for the Massage Therapy Profession Read More »

Body Observations: Can You Feel It?

Massage /
A woman holding her head with her back turned to the camera

I’ve always believed that repetitive habits make our bodies into what they are. Because I was taught this and because I’ve lived inside a human body for more than five decades. When you’ve been around for a while and are a nerd for bodywork and weird body stuff, you learn a thing or two. And if you’re lucky, you get to use your very own body as a proving ground.

When I worked at a desk for 40+ hours per week, my body didn’t feel good. My butt muscles were dead which made it difficult to walk long distances without experiencing hip, knee, ankle and foot pain. My neck and shoulders were a constant mess from leaning my head forward over empty space while computering. I had a fair number of days when my hands were numb, again from the head dangling over space putting ungodly amounts of pressure on my neck and back, which in turn created problems throughout the thoracic outlet.

When I stopped sitting at a desk and applied some of the knowledge from becoming a massage therapist, things began to change. My body started feeling better. Did pain stop altogether? In some spots, but mostly it just shifted to other places.

Over the years I’ve worked with people who have transitioned jobs or gone from full time work into retirement. And what we notice together is startling. The first and most obvious difference is stress levels drop almost immediately. Then we start to notice that the physical complaints begin to change rather quickly. For example, if they’d been driving a lot in their job, their sciatica, lateral knee pain, or plantar fasciitis symptoms began improving.

Sitting Was the New Smoking

Remember when sitting became the new smoking and everyone wanted a standing desk? People’s pain changed. Most of it didn’t go away, it just moved to reveal the new patterns of pain caused by standing.

Similarly, even after you retire or change jobs, you could have pain. It will most likely be different depending on how you’re using your body for the majority of your time. The good news is, if you’re not locked into an activity that your livelihood depends on, most likely you’ll have control over when you can get up and move around or change the way you’re participating in a given activity that might be generating pain down the line.

Pain isn’t usually so much about how you’re moving, but your inability to vary your movement. There’s a saying in the massage industry, “Motion is lotion.” I think it’s a gross analogy, but it makes the point and most people understand it. You have to move to get/stay pain free.

Can You Feel It

If you’re retired, has your pain patterns or pain intensity levels changed with your changes in physical activity? Do you still feel the same discomforts, or did they go away or change?

If you’re still working, what happens when you go on vacation or away to a conference for several days? Outside of sleeping in a strange bed and perhaps on a strange pillow, how does your body react? Specifically, how does your pain react?

The Big Question

When you’re away from your chosen activity, do your complaints change?

Food for Thought

Not always, but most of the time using your own body as a science lab can lead to better overall health. I think it’s because you’re paying closer attention to your body over a concentrated period of time. I challenge you to start troubleshooting one painful area, see what works to relieve/exacerbate pain. It’s always good news when the pain changes or moves, that means it can respond and eventually go away.

If you need help or suggestions, give me a call!

Sharon Bryant at Harvest Moon Massage Therapy
is Decatur’s Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage Therapist!

Body Observations: Can You Feel It? Read More »

7 Things You Should Tell Your Massage Therapist

Massage /
Tell your massage therapist about these 7 things that relate to your health and well-being. A woman and man shake hands in a casual business setting.

I don’t know if it’s the change in the weather recently, but I’ve noticed with my clients and even with myself there seems to be a lot of evolving medical stuff going on. This summer my table was filled with people recovering from dermatological surgeries. More recently, new and different prescription medications seem to be making the rounds as well as a spate of heart catheterizations. Go figure…

In talking with colleagues about this recent trend, my friend Hillary Arrieta from The Heeling Hut Barefoot Massage made a relevant suggestion, “…I’ve decided to have client’s fill out new paperwork every two years so I can keep up with changes that slip through the cracks. It’s my hope that we will uncover some new adds (additions) to their medical and prescription history.”

It’s been a while since I’ve gone through the exercise of having everyone fill out new health history and intake forms. In lieu of adding that undertaking to my plate throughout this holiday season, I thought instead I would just set out to remind everyone about some health-related things that you should be prepared to discuss with your massage therapist during or before your next appointment.

Medication Changes

If you’ve had changes to your medication since the last time you had a massage, it’s important to let your massage therapist know. New medicines, stopping medications, and dosage changes are of interest to your massage therapist because some medications affect your tissues directly, some can reduce sensation making deep pressure massage dangerous, and others can affect your mindset and attitude which might translate into tissue issues. Always let your MT know if your medical team has made any changes to your prescriptions. If you’re using herbs as medicine, you will also want to let your MT know about starting or stopping any herbal helpers as well.

Medical Issues

Medical issues you’ve had since the last time you came in are going to be a hot topic with your massage therapist. Anything from a mole removal to a stroke, surgery, or blood clot, we want to know. More than that, we NEED to know. If it’s a medical issue that sent you to the doctor, emergency room, or a hospital stay, it’s important enough to tell your MT. And it’s not always to keep you from getting a massage, it’s so that we can design a treatment for you that is safe and won’t exacerbate any existing or developing problems.

This also applies to previous medical issues that may be changing. For example, you were previously diagnosed with osteopenia, the precursor to osteoporosis, but your last scans show that it’s no longer in the beginning stages. We also need to know if a diagnosis has been reversed. There’s a whole host of medication changes and lifestyle changes, that may be happening when a disease or condition advances or retreats and we need to know about it to keep you safe on our table.

Colds, Flus, & Stomach Bugs

If you’ve recently had a cold or other respiratory virus like flu, RSV, or Covid we like to know. It’s important for us to factor into your treatment the effects of coughing, extended time spent in bed, or unexpected sedentarism. Viruses or food poisoning that cause vomiting and other gastric distress pose different issues and should be discussed after symptoms have subsided.

Injuries

Injuries of all types should be reported to your MT. Remember when you were a kid and you got sunburned and your brother would run by and slap you real hard on the shoulder that was extra crispy and it hurt like H-E-double hockeysticks? We don’t want to be like your brother. Tell us when something is injured or just hurting. I promise, a good massage therapist is going to be rubbing their hands (and feet) together, maybe drooling a little, and will probably be thinking, “I got you, Boo!” Be prepared for us to ask a lot of questions about activities leading up to, during, and since the injury so we can figure out what structures need attention and which ones to avoid. Also, please be honest about how you hurt yourself. It helps us help you!

Your Last Massage

Tell us how you felt after your last massage. Did you get results? How long did they last? Did you notice anything in particular that flared the issues back up? If you’re seeing the same massage therapist, they will be able to adjust the treatment to make this massage even better than the last when you let us know the results of your previous massage.

Emotional Upsets

Let us know if you had something emotionally upsetting happen within a few hours or days of your appointment. It could be anything from a disagreement with your significant other to the news of your favorite aunt passing to unfavorable current events. Long-term commitments as caretakers of children and elders can also cause chronic stress and should be shared with your MT. We don’t want to know the details, but it’s important for us to figure out why your body is holding so much stress. Yes, we can feel your stress in your tissues!

Emotional releases during massage are also more likely to happen when you’ve had an upsetting experience or suffering from ongoing, chronic stress. Giving us a head’s up will help us help you. Some people cry, others get angry and talk (or shout) about it. While most of us are not trained to handle psychological issues, we’re not robots either and can empathize. We are trained to help put your body in a state where it can downregulate so knowing where you are before we begin can be helpful.

Planes, Trains & Automobiles

If you’ve been traveling since your last massage, you might want to tell your massage therapist. Especially if you spent time on a strange bed and with an odd pillow. Traveling can be hard physically as well as emotionally. Between hours and hours of sitting, sleeping in places that wouldn’t be your first choice, manhandling heavy bags, herding uncooperative family members, and dealing with hordes of people stress levels definitely go up during travel, even when you’re relaxed and traveling for pleasure. Add to this that as we age it becomes more difficult to physically recover from bad chairs and beds and your MT can help make a big difference in how you feel after arriving back home from a trip.

In Closing

Hopefully this gives you a short list of the things your massage therapist really needs to know during your ongoing relationship. The initial health intake is great, but people change, accidents happen, and stress can sometimes be unrelenting. We need to keep open lines of communication during our time together.

As always, if you need medical care, please consult a doctor first. Then let your massage therapist know at your next appointment or give a heads up with a call or text if you think it might be something that prevents us from working safely together. It’s never about denial of service. We always want to work with you, we just need to be sure everyone is safe.

Other Helpful Articles

Tips For a Better Massage
Not Once in a Blue Moon

♥

Sharon Bryant at Harvest Moon Massage Therapy
is Decatur’s Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage Therapist!

7 Things You Should Tell Your Massage Therapist Read More »

What is an Oxymel?

Self-Care /

“What is an oxymel?” This is always the first question I get when I mention oxymels. An oxymel is an ancient type of herbal remedy or tonic. It features an herb or blend of herbs, vinegar, and honey. It takes a while to make (4-6 weeks) as the liquids slowly extract the properties from the herbs.

Oxymels are my favorite way of using herbs for medicine or health tonics. Because they’re a long extraction they contain much more of the herbal constituents than a cup of tea. I find the blend of sweet and vinegar irresistible so even if the herbs taste like medicine the sweet tart flavor helps take the edge off.

I like to mix my oxymel into club soda, sparkling water, juice, or a cup of hot tea. Sometimes if I’m in a hurry I just shoot it down and chase it with water. You can also use them in salad dressings to infuse herbal flavors to your salad. They can be used as a preventative, to support or bolster your system after an illness, or when you feel something coming on. Dosage for each goal is highly personal and you should talk to an herbalist if you want to use oxymels for health purposes.

What Kind of Herbs Do You Put in an Oxymel?

I don’t know of any herbs that don’t go well with oxymels, but I try to be strategic. If I have some herbs that I want to try in an oxymel, I’ll make one and try it. But, if I have a specific system that I want a bit of extra support for I’ll select a specific herb that is good for that type of support. Some herbs that I find great to use in an oxymel and try to keep on hand are below.

Elderberry

Elderberry has been shown to be a powerful anti-viral herb. I like to keep some on hand for immune support throughout cold and flu season. Here in the U.S. it has been enjoying a resurgence of popularity over the last few years, but some people still find the flavor off-putting as it tends to be a bit more earthy than most fruit flavors we are exposed to. Thus, I like to introduce friends and family to elderberry with a sweet-tart oxymel or a sweetened elderberry syrup.

Bee Balm

Bee balm, sometimes called monarda or wild bergamot, is a member of the mint family. But before you think it’s like our comforting little cup of mint herbal tea, know that it smells and tastes of very strong oregano. I use it often as an oregano substitute, but being so strong I feel it’s better suited for plant medicine. It’s easy to sip in a sweet oxymel straight or with a little water added. It does wonders for a gassy belly and is a versatile herb that can stand in for many remedies and deserves it’s own article.

Sage

While a cup of sage tea is really nice and reminiscent of Thanksgiving, I find the herb itself very helpful in cough and throat remedies. In an oxymel the combination of the acid and the honey help clear phlegm and then soothe the throat. It also helps keep your remedy non-alcoholic with similar benefits to the old Appalachian cough remedies my uncles make which feature whiskey, honey, and lemon. Delicious, but not for everyone.

Words of Caution

Oxymels contain honey and should never be given to infants under the age of one year. Please consult with your doctor to determine when honey products are safe for your baby.

We also want to be very careful about the herbs we use in our oxymels. You should ensure you’re not allergic to the herbs used to make the oxymel. Because the process of extraction brings out the essential constituents of the plant, it can and often does bring out the constituents people find allergenic. The solution is to pick another herb. There are lots of perfectly acceptable substitutions when working with herbs.

Other Helpful Articles

Ask an Herbalist: Herbal Tonics 101
Herbal Basics: Tonics 101
Herbal Oxymel Recipes & Benefits

*As always, this is not meant to replace medical advice.  

♥

Sharon Bryant at Harvest Moon Massage Therapy
is Decatur’s Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage Therapist!

What is an Oxymel? Read More »

A Summertime Cooler Recipe

Self-Care /
a quart mason jar filled with garnet colored tea with a sprig of mint in the foreground

I know I talk a lot about warm drinks and how helpful they can be during times of sickness or when you need to hydrate mucous membrane tissues. Warm beverages are very comforting during the colder months, but with the extreme heat we experience in an Alabama August, it’s really difficult to get on board with hot beverages. I still have my morning cup of tea or coffee, depending on my mood, but through the rest of the day in this heat I want something cool and refreshing. A summertime cooler is always in my fridge these days so I thought I would share a recipe.

There’s a lot of stuff on the market that fits the bill for cool and refreshing. Everything from sodas to fruity kids drinks to adult beverages. And while there’s a place for all of them for different folks, some of it is too taxing on our system for day-to-day consumption.

For a healthier option, I look to herbal coolers. They’re customizable to your taste or herbal needs, they can be really easy to make, and you are in complete control of what’s in them. Here’s a simple and delicious summertime herbal cooler recipe just for you!

Mint+Hibiscus Summertime Cooler Recipe

A super simple mint hibiscus cooler can be made with tea bags you can get from the grocery store.

What you’ll need:

– Hibiscus herbal tea bags
– Mint herbal tea bags or 2 tsp. fresh or 1 tsp. dried from your garden
– A quart jar or pitcher
– Boiling water
– Sweetener of your choice

How to do it:

  1. Plop one of each tea kind of tea into the quart jar
  2. Carefully fill your quart jar almost full of boiling water
  3. Steep for 5-10 minutes
  4. Enjoy the beautiful color development from the hibiscus
  5. Remove the tea bags, strain out any loose herbs if necessary
  6. Let the tea cool completely
  7. Sweeten to taste
  8. Pour over ice, garnish with fresh mint if you have it and enjoy!

Who knew a couple of tea bags, some boiling water and a little bit of time could create such a cooling and enjoyable experience? Want to take it a little further? You can always make your tea then freeze it in icepop forms for a frozen treat.

It’s best to enjoy herbal teas within 48 hours of brewing so turning your leftovers into icepops or even ice cubes are a great way to lengthen it’s benefits if you don’t have time to consume it all right away.

Why does it work as a cooler?

Hibiscus

In addition to its sweet-tart astringency, it’s packed with Vitamin C, minerals, and antioxidants. Ayurvedic medicine considers hibiscus a cooling herb and cultures around the world have long used it to normalize body temperatures. Studies in recent years have identified cardiac health and blood sugar regulation benefits. Those taking medications for cardiac or blood sugar issues should consult with a health professional or pharmacist before consuming large amounts of hibiscus.

In addition to this tea’s taste, nutrients, and other benefits, it’s one of the most beautiful teas. You’ll enjoy watching the water turn a lovely garnet color while brewing with hibiscus.

Mint

Mint is a classic cooling herb in the southeastern united states. We all grew up with the iconic expectation of family on the large, shaded front porch, rocking the afternoon away while sipping a condensation-covered glass of iced tea with a fancy sprig of mint garnishing the glass. The scene is so often repeated in movies and television that we all think we grew up that way. We didn’t, my family’s house faced west, it was more a stoop than a porch and it sure wasn’t covered, but I have an image in my head. One that I’ve been fortunate enough to create on my own adult front porch that I sometimes use to sip teas and mint-infused adult beverages while visiting with friends.

But what does all that have to do with mint? Well, tradition teaches us a lot about herbs and their uses. Old wives’ tales, while rooted in tradition and not so much science has so much more to offer the way we care for ourselves than doctors and lawyers would have us believe. Our native peoples have a whole system of using herbs and foods as medicine.

Physically, though, consuming mint makes you sweat which has the effect of cooling the body down. It also feels cool to the skin which is why so many muscle rubs and creams contain menthol (the active cooling ingredient in mint). Mint toothpastes and mouthwashes have antimicrobial properties which is why it’s used so often in the mouth. It’s also good for tummy issues as it helps relax the smooth muscle tissue providing relief for gas, bloating, and indigestion.

Mint is a powerhouse of an herb and is gentle enough for everyone, even kids! If you want to start trying herbal teas, mint is where it’s at.

A tray of homemade icepops with pink liquid in a quart jar sitting behind the tray

So there you go, a simple and tasty summertime cooler. I hope you try it and if you do I hope you let me know how you liked it!

Interested in more summertime cooler recipes? Let’s talk about putting a tasting together!

♥

Sharon Bryant at Harvest Moon Massage Therapy
is Decatur’s Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage Therapist!

A Summertime Cooler Recipe Read More »

Dirty Skin? Clean It Up!

Self-Care /

Oil Cleansing for Dirty Skin

More than once in the past few days I’ve seen people on social media desperately trying to scrub something off of another human’s face. In each of the videos the scrubber was going to town on their kids face with a dry Kleenex. I’m still cringing thinking about how painful it seemed to be. Lots of crying kids…

As I’m feeling sorry for these poor kids who have markered up or smeared lipstick across their entire face, I’m wondering why their adult doesn’t know about using oil to take all sorts of things off human skin.

Have you ever heard of oil cleansing? It works on the simple concept that like dissolves like. So anything that is lipid-based or oil-based should take off most skin-safe products that are on the skin or in the hair. There’s a lot of information online about oil cleansing along with what products to use as a skincare routine, this is not what I’m talking about here.

I’m talking about using oil to clean up the occasional skin-based messes. Makeup, stage makeup, Aunt Myrna’s lip prints on your forehead, grease smears from fixing the kid’s bicycle chain that keeps falling off, adhesives, tree sap…anything that has oil in it should respond. And because our skin has a layer of oil on it, even messes that don’t have a lot of oil content might come off (at least partially) as the cleaning oil combines with the oil on the skin. Depending on what you’re working with will depend on the time and number of applications required to remove it.

What Kind of Oil Should You Use?

For skin-based use, I usually opt for a food grade oil. I think using an oil you can eat is going to ensure safety overall and it reduces the chances that you may have a reaction. If you can eat it with no problem, you should be able to tolerate it on your skin for a short period of time.

Coconut oil is probably going to be the most economical option. You just need to let it warm in your hand to use if it’s still solid. The downside of coconut oil is that it’s a drying oil. Sounds counterintuitive, but it’s best to try one of the others if you already have dry skin.

Olive oil is also a great option. The molecules are large, and they float across the skin making this a better choice if you’ve got a big mess on your hands (or face). Olive oil will stay active long enough to dissolve the mess and give you the opportunity to wipe and then wash your skin clean. I once used olive oil to remove adhesive from a wood floor. It worked perfectly leaving the floor pristine.

Avocado oil is a good option. It’s a little on the expensive end of the spectrum, but it’s really nice for the skin. The molecules are smaller than olive oil and depending on your skin may absorb rather quickly not staying open long enough to clean up without having to reapply.

Non Food-Based Products

Jojoba oil (ho-ho-bah) is an excellent option for skin but is a specialty oil that is harder to obtain in many areas and much more expensive ounce for ounce. Also, it’s not really an oil, but a wax and it’s best to not to eat it as it is non-digestible to humans. That being said, I’d probably opt for one of the above oils for cleaning and reserve the jojoba for an after-cleansing moisturizer. You would choose jojoba if you’re sensitive or allergic to the others. Jojoba is one of the very least sensitizing products we have available for skin-based use.

You could also use a made-for-skin mineral oil or oil-based cream if you prefer. These are definitely not safe to use as food though.

How to Use Oil to Clean Your Skin

Gather all your supplies:

  • oil of your choice
  • cotton balls
  • paper towels
  • facecloth
  • your everyday facial cleanser or soap

Set up your cleaning station near a sink or tub. When you’re ready, start by brushing off the big chunks. Next, use as many cotton balls as necessary to dab a liberal amount of oil onto the soiled areas or for large areas just pour some oil in your hand and rub it on. Depending on where and what you’ve got going on you can gently rub the oils around to lift and dissolve the grime. Once the gunk starts to move around, use a paper towel to gently wipe it away. When you’ve got most of it off you can wash with soap and water. Rinse and repeat the oil application and the washing until you’re as clean as you want to be. Don’t forget to follow up with your favorite moisturizer or rub a few drops of oil onto your skin.

Caution!!!

You may be tempted to just get in the shower and do this, but oil on a shower floor is extra slippery so I don’t recommend it. Do all your oil-based cleaning first, then get in the shower. And there’s always the risk of clogging up pipes with an oil that solidifies when not warm. It’s best to throw as much oil in the trash can before rinsing it down the drain.

If you’ve never used oil to clean your skin before and it sounds like something you’d like to try, take a minute to consider any allergens or skin sensitivities you might have. The last thing you want is to irritate the skin further than it might already be. Select an oil that you know you’re not allergic to. I mentioned earlier how I like edible oils for this job. That’s because I know my chance of reaction is low if I already eat the oil.

Also, consider what kind of product you’re trying to remove from your skin. Makeups with glitter or reflective particles may be sharp and a dab, wait, dab technique might work better than rubbing. I once bought a specialty lipstick for a Mardi Gras party that finished with a glitter application. That stuff was like glass and was not only unwearable, but ruined my lips trying to get it off. Tree saps and adhesives can also be difficult to remove. No matter what method you try to remove stuff from your skin use your best judgement to not damage yourself.

I’ve not tried this method on fabric, only skin, glass, and finished wood. Fabrics will definitely absorb the oil and you may never get it out. Other surfaces may also not react well to this method. Take care not to damage your treasures.

A Word About Essential Oils

Essential oils are a different beast, and though we have all seen how they can be used to clean everything under the sun, I never recommend using an undiluted essential oil on the skin. This can cause skin-based reactions on many people. Always ensure the essential oil you’re going to use is safe for skin-based use, then dilute your essential oils before putting them on your skin for any reason.

Okay, I hope this has been helpful. Mostly just remember that like dissolves like and if you’re looking for a safe and gentle cleaner for your skin, oil may be just what you’re looking for.

♥

Sharon Bryant at Harvest Moon Massage Therapy
is Decatur’s Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage Therapist!

Dirty Skin? Clean It Up! Read More »

It’s Never Too Late!

Massage /

I suppose it’s never too late to incarnate and transform. Just look at the lowly cicada bug. They spend 13 or 17 years (depending on their genes) lying about underground nibbling at roots before they emerge from their subterranean den, immediately molt their exoskeleton, and head off in search of a partner with which to reproduce. They’re not particularly attractive unless you’re a bug expert and they don’t seem to have any type of baggage keeping them from their mission.

It’s cicada season in Alabama. We have the 13-year variety and this year is one of the big waves. We get a few every year because some get confused, but this year there’s more than I’ve ever seen. They’re currently crawling out of the ground across the yard, porch, my laundry room. I can’t step outside without stepping onto their molted exoskeletons. They leave their creepy husks on the porches, hanging from the plants in my garden and the exterior walls of the house and shed. Some are even molting in the grass and clover. My dogs have taken to snacking on the larvae as they crawl through the yard, but they just keep coming. I am beginning to wonder if the whole swarm of locusts thing wasn’t cicadas.

My mom’s favorite weatherman, James Spann, has become the clearing house for people showing their favorite cicada-based dishes. I think that’s a little too close to crickets. No thanks. Yuck!

Fun Fact!

Cicadas are arthropods and in the same phylum as shellfish. So, if you have a shellfish allergy, best to avoid them. How do I know this? Facebook. Specifically, two really smart guys I went to high school with. One learned the shellfish fact from one of the science teachers he works with. The other one confirms that they taste like a cross between shrimp and crawfish. Being deathly allergic to shellfish, I will take their words for it.

What do cicadas have to do with massage? Well, hopefully not a lot inside the treatment room, but they do seem to be causing quite a bit of stress in my area so that could be a tie in. I find them somewhat inspirational. Stick with me. I think we could all be a bit more like the cicadas, sitting in the top of a tree screaming about what we want and ignoring all the haters.

Do something new, it’s good for your mental health! Just do it inside if you don’t like big, red-eyed flying bugs. Eek! And if the screaming is wearing on you as much as it is on me, why not try some binaural beats music to drown out the noise.

♥

Sharon Bryant at Harvest Moon Massage Therapy
is Decatur’s Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage Therapist!

It’s Never Too Late! Read More »

Continuing Education: The Nerve Tour

Massage /

I spent Saturday road-tripping to Birmingham to catch this fantastic continuing education. This dude, Gil Hedley, is RV’ing across the U.S. and Canada to teach massage therapists, yoga and Pilates teachers, medical folks, and any other interested party about the physical and emotional nervous system in the human body.

Cadaver studies have never been my thing but working with the human body for the last 15+ years has apparently tempered my squeamishness into curiosity. What an amazing experience and such a gift getting to learn from people who have donated their bodies to science. The reverence Gil has for the people and their families is so heartening and gives me hope that the best of humanity is still out there waiting for us to find them.

Can I say that there was one particular thing I learned that will translate into my work that you’ll recognize as immediately different? No, maybe not yet, but it’s actually the most thorough exploration of the nerve bodies I’ve ever been exposed to. It was amazing how he was able to show the nerves where and how they presented physically inside the body and then tie them to movement, sensory, and even emotions. My explanation doesn’t even do justice to his presentation, you just have to experience it for yourself.

As far as layering this into my current work, it will be another body of information I have access to sift through when making decisions about appropriate treatment strategies. This class also gives me a reference point as to where to start looking with certain issues. Hello, sciatic nerve! And again, this is the most thorough education I’ve ever been through for the nervous system. It’s something I’ve been actively missing and trying to fill in for years. We’ll see how it manifests together.

For Bodyworkers

If you’re here looking for more information about Gil, he was everything I’d hoped for and probably more if I’m being honest. Warm, funny, witty, and of course so, so intelligent. This is not a class I’ll forget any time soon and to be honest, I’ll probably take it again when it’s available on the website. If you’re thinking of taking it, do it! No regrets!

Sharon Bryant at Harvest Moon Massage Therapy
is Decatur’s Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage Therapist!

Continuing Education: The Nerve Tour Read More »

Observations of Life with No Stove

Self-Care /
person holding a frying pan over an outdoor woodfire demonstrating cooking and life with no stove

Back in February I arrived home from work one evening and was greeted by a really stinky house and the news that the stove tried to self-immolate while I was gone. It seems the broiler wouldn’t turn off and had to be killed at the breaker. After a bit of troubleshooting and testing the broiler continued to not want to turn off and we decided to unplug Old Crusty forever leaving us to a life with no stove.

He was over 26 years old and had served us well for many years. He helped feed our family breakfasts, lunches, suppers and snacks not to mention other friends and family through countless meal trains, holidays, church suppers, and parties. Old Crusty was a faithful servant. I felt a little bad about his demise.

Technology Changes Were Shocking

When I started shopping, I was surprised to find the dramatic changes in cookstove technologies. It took way longer to research and decide on a new appliance. I thought the job was done when I finally ordered the unit, sight unseen, because no one was carrying the one that would best fit our needs.

That’s when we got slapped with delivery a month out from the order date. I panicked a little, but immediately started planning on how we could do this without a fully functional kitchen for a month. It would be a learning experience, I reasoned, and possibly fun in a stressful sort of way. Being fortunate, we have access to a microwave, hot pot, coffee pot, electric griddle, a grill, an Instant Pot, Crockpot, a steamer, a toaster, and a toaster oven. Surely, we could make this work.

The decision fatigue was the first thing that hit. How to boil an egg with all of these small electric appliances? The answer, not very easily. And so it went for every meal, decision after decision after creative problem solving session. After a couple of days, the depression started to set in. I don’t do well with constant change. I need a stable, repeatable environment for certain things. Food seems to be one of them.

Then while we’re still struggling, trying to establish some repeatable processes that will help us put food on the table in a reasonable time frame, I receive another email stating that not only would we not be receiving our new stove as promised, they were estimating a new delivery date six more weeks out from the original delivery date. Some tears were shed over that one.

What I’m Learning

  • We are eating out way too much from sheer fatigue
  • The quality of foods we are eating at home has decreased and are by far much more processed than our normal diet because they are no-cook or don’t require an in-depth cooking process
  • We are generating much more garbage
  • We are generating next to nothing for the compost bin
  • Our food budget has increased dramatically while nutritional value has tanked
  • You can use a steamer to “boil” a lot of things. Rice, eggs, veggies, etc.
  • Safety issues with small electrics increase the chance of accidents and injuries
  • I have a perpetual stomachache, brain fog, low motivation, and am overall more emotional than normal

How Do You Deal With the Stress?

So, as you may have guessed by now, this not having a stove thing is turning into quite the catastrophe. The effects of not being able to feed myself and my family in the manner we’re accustomed is turning into a larger discussion in my household about food insecurity and the lack of access to the equipment needed to prepare healthy foods. How do people do it? I literally threatened to build a fire in the backyard at one point just so I could boil a pot of water.

I’ve learned how to use a toaster oven and am happy to say I have a better idea of my strengths when it comes to cooking. I did finally break down and purchase a hot plate because I am primarily a stovetop cook for satisfying the day-to-day nutritional needs of the family. The hot plate eliminated a lot of stress because I could finally cook in a way that made more sense to me than trying to press a bunch of small electrics into a job they really weren’t designed for. It also gives everyone a tool that is familiar enough that I’m not having to do all the cooking.

Through this exercise, I have also learned that I have way too many tools in my kitchen arsenal that I won’t use, even in this semi-emergency situation. I’ll be doing a cleanout of those soon though I will probably wait until the new stove eventually arrives. Just in case…meanwhile I’m trying to manage the stress of a sub-functioning kitchen while dealing with sub-optimal nutrition. It’s a lot.

Have you ever dealt with a lengthy repair process? What kind of stress did you experience and what helped? Drop a comment and let’s talk about this.

♥

Sharon Bryant at Harvest Moon Massage Therapy
is Decatur’s Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage Therapist!

Observations of Life with No Stove Read More »