How Craniosacral Therapy can help with facial pain or problems.

After spending 3 days in the company of one of the most advanced and progressive Craniosacral Therapists in the world, Don Ash, PT, I am reinvigorated to share how CST can help you.

In my latest class we covered the facial structures and even ventured into mouth work. This can be particularly effective for people who have

• TMJ
• History of significant dental work or dental trauma
• Headaches
• Chronic Sinusitis or ear infections
• Facial trauma
• Whiplash injuries
• Vision changes or eye pain
• Vertigo or Tinnitus
• Difficulty swallowing

Craniosacral Therapy is based in a strong understanding of anatomy and the power of light touch and intention to create changes in the structure of our bodies. Often this is the missing link to restoring health and balance in the body. Come see how this gentle work can make a profound difference for you.

Questions?  Email me – emelia@allwellnessvt.com

Oh. What’s that? It IS about her boobs?!! 

I must admit, dear reader, I’ve never had strong feelings one way or another for Angelina, or BrAngelina or any other ‘Lina’. I know that she has had her detractors and her loyal fans, and I am neither. But today I will say four words I

Angelina Jolie

never imagined I would have occasion to say: Thank you Angelina Jolie.

Angelina opened herself up to a firestorm of comments, both good and bad, by making the announcement that she had prophylactic mastectomies. She also insinuated that she will undergo an oophorectomy to have her ovaries removed. (At least that may end the incessant paparazzi chatter about if she is, or is not, pregnant.)

Her courage to voluntarily take the barrage of criticism is incredibly selfless. For that, I applaud her.

As a PT with a specialization in Breast Cancer care, these are issues I frequently discuss with my patients, and therefore feel it’s important to clarify a few critical items that may be murky in the wake of all this media attention.

1. Angelina’s risk for Breast Cancer is was extremely high. She represents a very small minority of women who carry the BRCA1 (pronounced Brack-Ah one) gene.  Her course of treatment is not recommended for women with “normal” breast cancer risk.

2. Having a positive BRCA1 or BRCA2 test does not mean that you have cancer, however, your chances of developing breast or ovarian cancer are as much as 90% higher than the general population.

3. Mastectomies and oophrectomies are currently the treatment of choice for women who are unable to tolerate the high risk of developing breast cancer. Angelina chose this route, but many women follow a very close screening protocol and catch cancer early. As the excellent marketing team at Komen have so clearly instilled in us, early detection saves lives.

4. Men can carry this genetic mutation and develop breast cancer too. Genetic testing will reveal their risk just the same way it would in a woman. Many oncology centers now have genetic counselors who can help you decide if you need to have genetic testing.

5.  And finally, a point about the ever-present hot buttons, cost and insurance coverage. Some insurance companies will cover the cost of BRCA screening if you have a family history of breast cancer. Others will not. The coverage of prophylactic surgery also varies from one insurance company to the next. Check with your insurance company regarding coverage.  Talk with your doctor if you have questions about your risk for developing any type of cancer.

We all make different choices about our health care. And there is not a “right” answer here. I am grateful that we are able to talk about this and proud that Angelina (a woman who’s breasts have been in the spotlight before) has been able to openly discuss her decision. Although she has lost some mammary tissue, in my mind, she is more of a woman now than ever before.

If you have any questions, feel free to call our office at 802.863.9900 or email Emelia at emelia@allwellnessvt.com.  Both of our Physical Therapists, Joan Shaplin and Emelia Brogna,  have specializations in working with women who have breast cancer.

I, like most people, am frequently asked what I do for work. The easy (though at times risky) response is “I’m a Physical Therapist.” The risk is the typical reaction of “Oh, you know, my knee has been hurting a lot when I ride my bike” and  before I know it, my evening is over and all I have had the pleasure of discussing is aches, pains and bodily functions.

Please, dear reader, don’t get me wrong. I love discussing IBS as much as the next girl. But theresaplaceandtimeforeverything.  And usually the place and time is in my office, not over a charcuterie board.

So, what exactly do I do?  Well, it’s complicated.

As a Doctor of Physical Therapy, I am equal parts coach, cheerleader, educator, anatomist, manual therapist, exercise guru and guide to connecting the BIG THREE: Body, Mind and Spirit. I walk with my patients on the fine line of pushing to just-before-its-too-much, or other days, less-is-more.  Some sessions we find our edge together (“what was happening in your life when you started to have this severe neck pain?” or “Ten more, come on you can do it!”) and other days we explore how the body may heal itself through passive activities or meditation.

Some think of me as a Myofascial Release practitioner, others as a Craniosacral Therapist. For most I am an orthopedic PT and for many I have been an aquatic therapist. For everyone I am a critical thinker and a partner.

Regardless of which approach we take (and every session is different) together we achieve healing, understanding and progress. Make no mistake: we do hard work.

But it’s worth it.

~ Emelia, DPT

Read more about Emelia, HERE!

About the Main Detox Ingredients:

Beets: full of Vitamin B3, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Magnesium, Iron, Zinc, and Beta Carotene. Beets support the liver and gallbladder- both of which are vital in the destruction and elimination of toxins.  Beets are also rich in fiber and act as a GI lubricant- helping to move waste through the intestines and supporting a healthy digestion.

Cabbage: a strong source of vitamin C, iodine, calcium and vitamin E. Cabbage, along with most other cruciferous vegetables contains antioxidants and sulforaphane compounds that help the body fight and break down toxins.  Along with beets, cabbage is also used for moistening the intestines and improving digestion.  It’s sulfur compounds purifies the blood and destroys parasites.  In Chinese medicine, cabbage is used to treat mental depression and irritability.

Lemon: packed with vitamin C,  Lemon juice helps destroys bacteria in both the mouth and intestines and for this reason is used to purify the breath.  It cleanses the blood, improves circulation, aids the liver, and  helps in the formation of bile.  Lemons help to alleviate flatulence and indigestion in general. It has an alkaline effect on the body, helping to restore the body’s PH balance.

The Recipe

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons sunflower oil
3/4 pound potatoes, peeled, chopped
2 1/2 cups chopped cabbage (about 1/4 of small head)
1 large onion, chopped
8 cups (or more) canned vegetable broth
6 2-inch-diameter beets, peeled, chopped
1 cup drained canned chopped tomatoes or frozen tomato puree (thawed)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Low-fat sour cream or plain yogurt
Chopped fresh parsley
Lemon wedges

Directions:

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add potatoes, cabbage and onion and saute until cabbage softens, about 5 minutes. Add 8 cups broth, beets and tomatoes. Bring soup to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

Working in small batches, puree 4 cups of soup in blender; return to remaining soup in pot. If desired, add more broth by 1/2 cupfuls to thin soup. Add lemon juice; season with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls. Top with dollop of sour cream or yogurt; sprinkle with parsley. Serve, passing lemon wedges separately.

A tasty, delicious way to incorporate local food and spring detoxing into our normal routine. 

Ingredients:

Ingredients:

1 Tbs Olive Oil
1 medium chopped onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp ground chili powder
1 can of tomatoes
2 cans (15.5 ounces each) or equivalent of kidney beans, black beans or white beans rinsed and drained
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 can sweet corn or 1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
3 cups coarsely chopped spinach
2 cups shredded cheddar or monetary jack cheese
4, 8-ounce flour tortillas
Optional fresh cilantro for garnish
Optional Sour Cream and Salsa for serving

Additional Vegetable Suggestions:
Bell Peppers, Broccoli, or Kale

Directions:
1. preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Lightly oil a 9 inch cake pan or large glass pan
3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat
4. Add onion and any of additional vegetables and sauté for three minutes
5. Add cumin, chili powder, and garlic and sauté for three minutes
6. stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, and beans
7. season with salt and pepper to taste and stir for three minutes
8. add corn and spinach and stir another three minutes
9. place 1 tortilla in the prepared pan
10. spread 1/4 of the sautéed mixture on the tortilla and sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese
11. Cover with a tortilla and repeat 3 more times until you have a four layered “lasagna”
12. Bake the tortilla casserole until it is hot throughout and the cheese is lightly browned on top, about 20 minutes
13. take out of the oven and let the casserole sit for about five minutes to cool
14. Cut into wedges with a sharp knife and serve with a spatula or pie server
15. sprinkle with cilantro and serve with salsa and/or sour cream

It’s March: grey, muddy, cloudy, barren, and lonely.  It’s easy for our emotional life to feel the same.  After three months of winter and the succession of melting snow and muddy sidewalks, when will the warmth and rejuvenation arrive?  How can we transform our sluggish bodies and minds, our moodiness, and our hibernation into feelings of satisfaction, liveliness, lightness, and joyfulness?  Here are a few ways to turn those winter blues around.

Diet: Winter induces cravings of heavy and rich foods and it offers many occasions and holidays to indulge and overeat.  After eating protein rich meals and fatty foods, our bodies are ready to clean out and rejuvenate.  Try slowly weaning off the heavier foods, sugars, and dairy and let your body clean out it’s winter storage.  Avoid refined and processed foods, caffeine, and alcohol.  Try incorporating more fresh vegetables, fruits, and sprouts.  Drink as much water as you can throughout your day.  Aim for at least eight 8oz glasses of water per day.

Exercise:  Exercising will not only help shed those few extra pounds you’ve accumulated over winter, but it will help bring joy and peace to your mind. It’s been proven time and time again that exercise helps to release the body’s endogenous endorphins, or the “feel good” chemicals in the brain.   A regular routine will help create more energy throughout the day and even out any emotional swings.  If you have a hard time sticking to a routine, try committing to two or three weekly classes to help you stay motivated.  Burlington’s All Wellness is here to help offering Katonah yoga class with Lauren Godes, a fun and upbeat Pilates class with Suzy Shulman, or a high energy barsculpt class with Hermine Flanigan and Naomi Deyoe.

Herbal Boosts:

St. John’s Wort

St. John’s Wort: Can be taken as tea or tincture.  It is a well-known mood enhancer and will help you sleep better too.  St. Johns Wort can be used as an herbal antidepressant for mild to moderate depression.

Ashwaganda: Taken in tincture form it can be used to treat anxiety, for long-term energy enhancement, and as a general adaptogen, meaning it regulates your metabolism and your ability to adapt to stress and other environmental factors.

Maca Powder: Can be found in tincture form, powdered, or as an additive in snacks or treats.  In a powder it can be used in smoothies or sprinkled on top of any dish.  It is said to increase stamina, boost libido and combat fatigue.

Support:  Winter is a natural time for introspection.  It’s a time where we want to stay in with a warm glass of tea, curl up in front of the fireplace, and watch the snowfall outside.  Even if we are still obligated to our jobs, family needs, and other commitments, our energy naturally turns inwards.  After a long and dark winter, this can feel isolating and lonely.  So now is the time to reach out to a friend or two.  Break out of your shell and ask a friend out for lunch, go for a walk with a loved one, or simply enjoy new company.  Don’t underestimate the power of friends, loved ones, coworkers, neighbors, or even strangers.

Get some fresh air and sunshine! Don’t wait for those seventy-degree days to get outside and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine.  Sometimes bundling up and going for a walk around the block can give you that extra pick-me-up you need to get through the day.   The natural Vitamin D from the sun will also help improve your mood and prepare your skin for summer.  And when the snow comes back, as it always does in Vermont, take advantage of it and go to the ski mountain, take out those snowshoes, or go sledding with your kids.  Taking advantage of the season will help you get through those last lingering snowfalls.

Weather you choose to incorporate a couple, a few, or all of these suggestions into your daily routine, trust that any amount of effort you put into your self care will make a difference.  Try to start out slow, wait until you feel the positive affect, and then keep going until you feel yourself stabilizing.  Know that spring is in the air and the tulips will soon peak their heads from the cold, defrosting ground to reassure you that all will be well.

Serves 4-6

Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

2 Tbs olive oil

1 small onion

2 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tbs coriander seeds, crushed

several pinches of ground black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1 Tbs tomato paste

1 cup quinoa

2 cups or one can cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 cups vegetable broth

Directions:

In a small stockpot over medium heat, saute the onions in olive oil for about 7 minutes or until translucent.  Add the garlic and saute for about 2 more minutes.  Add the tomato paste, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper; saute for another  minute.  Add the quinoa, saute another 2 minutes.

Add the chickpeas and broth, cover and bring to a boil.  Once the  mixture is boiling, lower heat to very low, cover and simmer for about 18 minutes or until the quinoa has absorbed the water, stir occassionally.  Fluff with fork and serve!

Ingredients for the Salad: 

3 small beets

3 small sweet potatoes

3 small purple potatoes

6 cups arugula (or other greens)

Directions:

1. Scrub the beets well and slice into bite sized slivers
2. place a steamer basket into a medium sized pot and fill with water just up to (but not touching) the steamer basket
3. bring water to a boil, add the beets, cover, and steam for about 20 minutes
4. meanwhile, slice the sweet potatoes and regular potatoes into about 1/2 inch thick pieces
5.  after 20 minutes, add the potatoes to the beets and steam until tender, but not mushy (about 10-15 more minutes)
6. remove from heat

Ingredients for the Dressing:

1 Tbs olive oil

2 cloves minced garlic

1/2 cup sliced shallots

1 cup chopped dried or fresh figs

1/4 cup white cooking wine

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1 Tbs dijon mustard

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Directions:

1. Saute the garlic and shallots in oil for about 3 minutes
2. Add figs and wine, cover, and simmer
3. When the wine has mostly evaporated (around 4 minutes) add salt, water, and maple syrup
4. turn off heat and mix in mustard and vinegar
5. allow to cool for about 5 minutes, and puree until smooth (add more water if too thick to blend)

Arrange steamed vegetables on top of the greens (in circles, alternating colors, etc) and drizzle with the warm dressing.

Based off recipe from VEGANMOICON by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero

You survived the holidays, Congratulations!   You made it through all the preparation, conversing, cleaning, managing relatives, and most of all, digesting decadent meals.  If you are at all like me during this festive season and tend to overeat, poorly combine food, and delight in sugary treats, you will be relieved to find out that help is on the way.

When aiding complex digestion, I turn to the trusted and Ancient Ayurvedic tradition that incorporates bitter foods and plants into the diet.  Bitter foods are important because they stimulate digestion and cause an increase in metabolism, thus helping move food through the gastrointestinal system.  This helps avoid unwanted bloating, congestion, constipation and all around sluggishness. Most of the natural world consists of bitter foods and plants, yet they are mostly excluded from the average American plate.  Here are a few simple suggestions on how to incorporate bitter foods into the diet to counteract a sluggish system.

Bitter Salads

Many are familiar with the tradition of serving a salad as the first course to a meal. Salads traditionally included bitter greens that prepare the GI tract for digestion. Some of these greens include chard, mustard greens, arugula, cabbage, kale, dandelion, and chicory (a common “weed”).  So while your preparing your mesclun and spinach salad, throw in a few of these greens and prime your stomach for the meal to come.

Ginger

Ginger keeps intestinal muscles toned which enables easier transportation of food particles through the digestive tract.  This lessens the irritation to the intestinal walls and moves food efficiently through the GI tract. Ginger also improves the production and secretion of bile from the liver and the gallbladder.  These secretions also include enzymes that aid in digestion of fats and help to lower the cholesterol in the bloodstream.

Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate is one of my favorite bitter (and medicinal) treats.  And by dark, I mean at least 70% cocoa content.  Darker chocolate typically has less sugar and milk added and a higher cocoa content providing more bitter power.  City Market and Healthy Living carry a variety of dark, tasty, organic, and fairly traded chocolate bars.  If you don’t enjoy dark chocolate, try incorporating baking cocoa into your baked goods.

Bitter Tonics

If you prefer an easier, simpler way of naturally tuning your digestion, try bitter tonics or tinctures.  There are a variety of tinctured bitter herbs that can be taken 30 minutes before or after meals.  Some bitter medicinal herbs include Gentian, Angelica, Hyssop, Anise, Oregon Grape Root, Dandelion, and Yarrow.  If you’d like to add a little more fun and flavor to your bitter tonics, try Burlington based company, Urban Moonshine’s, famous Maple Bitter Tonic.

Bitter foods and tonics can be taken for immediate indigestion relief or as a long-term GI tonic. The essence of physical and mental health is rooted in good digestion.  All the fuel, energy, and material needed to support a healthy body begins with the digestion of our food. So get the most of your New Years Resolution diet and start the year off right by incorporating bitters into your lifestyle.