December 2009, Vol 1, No 4

Happy Holidays
 to all our
clients and friends!

 In this Issue:

• Need Last Minute Gifts?
• Pain in Your Heels?
• A Powerful Ally
• Holiday Survival Guide
• 2009 Flex Spending Finished?
• Holiday Cooking Tip
• Specials
• Good To Know

Need Last Minute Gifts?

All you procrastinators can simplify your lives with the purchase of Restoring Health & Wellness Center Gift Certificates! Certificates are available in various denominations or for specific services. But, the best part is that you can treat yourself too! Purchase any gift certificate for $50 or more and take $10 off your next visit!*

Have Pain In Your Heels?

Many clients report pain in the heel with their first steps upon getting out of bed in the morning.  This is a classic symptom of plantar fasciitis, also sometimes called "heel spurs" or "arch pain". The plantar fascia (pf)is a tight, inelastic ligament that runs from the toes along the arch of the foot and inserts into the heel bone. When the pf pulls on the bone, micro-tears can be created resulting in pain and inflammation. Activities that increase the pull of the pf on the heel, as well as uncorrected over-pronation conditions may worsen the problem.

In their book, Foot!, Care, Prevention and Treatment, Doctors Matthew B. Werd and E. Leslie Knight recommend initial steps (pun intended!) for plantar fasciitis folks can take to help alleviate the problem before it worsens to the point it needs serious medical attention.  These include:

• Well-fitted and properly supported footwear.  Arch supports, heel lifts or custom orthotics should be worn if necessary. (Ladies, note that wearing flats or flip-flops with no arch support may be making your problem worse!)
• Stretching and strengthening exercises before stepping out of bed in the morning.  (See the simple pf stretch instructions below.)
• Roll a frozen water bottle along the arch of your foot for ten minutes, three times per day.
• Lose weight if necessary to help alleviate pressure on your heels.
• Choose lower impact sports activities, for instance walking or swimming instead of running.
• Avoid standing or walking barefoot, especially on hard surfaces.

Doctors Werd and Knight also specifically recommend Ingham Method® Reflexology in their book. They state "Reflexologists do an excellent job relieving tension in the feet, as well as stimulating blood flow and circulation. Additionally, Reflexologists are often able to pinpoint specific areas in the foot that relate to symptoms in other parts of the body."  

If you need to lose weight to reduce the pressure on your heels, you may be interested in our fitness sessions or the detox options described in this issue, plus we also have the capability to make custom orthotics for you!

Stretch for Plantar Fascia
This is recommended first thing in the morning, in bare feet, while still seated on the bed, before walking. 

Cross left ankle over right knee. Grab base of all five toes on left foot with left hand and pull toes back toward left shin until feeling a stretch in the arch ligament (the plantar fascia). The plantar fascia will be prominent along the length of the arch of the foot being stretched and should be massaged with the right hand while keeping toes flexed. 

Repeat for right foot.

A Powerful Ally 

2009 Flexible Spending Finished?

The end of the calendar year is coming up fast!  If you haven't fully used your healthcare flexible spending account, don't forget you need to spend those dollars BEFORE you celebrate the new year!  You can use our pre-pay programs to spend excess amounts in your flex account rather than lose those funds. You'll get more for your money this way since all our pre-pay plans provide additional discounts on our services!

Toxins and Fat
This is the season where we come together to celebrate the holidays and set goals for the New Year. It's a joyful and emotional time, but for many also a time when we pollute our bodies with harmful toxins from overeating sugar and large portions which our bodies cannot breakdown easily. It's important to rid your body of toxins and control your intake. The average body breaks down mostly sugar due to a high intake. This can lead to issues such as blood insulin increases, high cortisol levels, and GI tract complications. To avoid these issues, we need to break down fat storage cells.

One way to stop the body from burning sugar and get it to burn fat, is by fasting. Fasting to cleanse doesn't mean only drinking water or lemon juice for two weeks! It means holding off on solid foods for 48 hours while providing your body with the proper vitamins and nutrients to speed up reactions that breakdown impurities and extract them. It takes 24 hours for your body to utilize all the sugar in your system and then your body begins to breakdown fat and excrete toxins. 

Dr. Campbell and I used a safe, healthy program to release toxins, burn fat cells, ingest essential nutrients, and snack! Products by Isagenix helped us cleanse our bodies and lose weight through an 11 day process. An 11 day or 30 day program combined with meals, fasting, and supplementing, helps maintain the benefits of a two day cleanse: more energy, healthy organ function, and fat loss. I'm a fit 120 pounds, but I was tired and storing excess fat. Take some time and think about why you may be overeating or eating the wrong foods. During the holidays I am in high spirits but I'm also stressed and I overeat.

Assess why you overeat and how you can replace comfort food with something that is less stressful on your body, such as a bath or good book. Then find a way to cleanse your body of harmful toxins and begin eating cleanly. This way you'll be more likely to maintain a healthful diet to kick off the New Year. Call or come in for more information about using Isagenix products for a New Year's cleanse.

By Christina Bobonski, Fitness Trainer and Specialist (I've lost 5 pounds and counting!)
 
Heavy Metals
Recent research devoted to the impact of environmental toxins and heavy metals on our bodies continues to reveal our external environment has a major impact on our health and that high levels of heavy metals may be cause for concern. While there is not a consensus within the medical community to date, some research indicates that heavy metal toxicity may be linked to certain types of cancer and cognitive disorders. Heavy metals is the term used for a group of elements on the "heavier" end of the periodic table. It's essential that we have certain metals in our systems in trace amounts such as iron and zinc; however, other metals such as cadmium, mercury and lead can be toxic in excess amounts. Common symptoms of heavy metal toxicity include muscle and joint pain, headaches, short-term memory issues, mental confusion, gastro-intestinal upsets, allergies, food intolerances, vision problems and fatigue.

Even if you lead a healthy lifestyle, you may still suffer from heavy metal toxicity. This can result from eating certain types of fish high in mercury in the past, living in an older home that was painted with lead-based paint, being downwind from our frequent wildfires, using an anti-perspirant, even drinking water in certain areas! There are many ways that we are exposed and it's almost impossible to avoid exposure, so it's smart to be aware of the toxicity symptoms.

The IonCleanse® foot bath can help reduce mild levels of heavy metals and can even provide an indication you may need to see a doctor regarding heavy metals in your system. In testing the water in the IonCleanse® foot bath before and after sessions showed as much as a 55% increase in arsenic, a 233% increase in lead and a 339% increase in aluminum in the water after a cleanse. Reading the water after IonCleanse® footbaths for my husband and finding an extreme amount of heavy metal "flecks" in the water, led us to consult his doctor and have him tested for heavy metal toxicity. The IonCleanse® indications were confirmed by the doctor's tests and we were able to work with his doctor to do further cleansing for the heavy metals. We now routinely perform the IonCleanse® and monitor the heavy metal flecks to report to his doctor.

Most clients also find the IonCleanse® to be invigorating and a great antidote to the mid-winter blues. The benefits of an ionic footbath include helping to promote alkalinity and also to more quickly remove those buildups from your holiday indulgences! 

By Susan Mix, Certified Reflexologist and IonCleanse® Practitioner 

Instead of honey baked ham, try this healthy alternative instead! It has fewer calories and only 1g of fat per serving! You still get the sweet savory honey taste that we love so much this time of year.

Honey Roasted Turkey.
1 bone-in turkey breast half (2 ½ pounds)
1/3 cup honey
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat roasting pan with nonstick spray. Trim visible fat and excess skin from turkey breast, leaving just enough skin to cover the top of the breast. Place skin side up in prepared basking dish. Pour honey over the turkey lifting skin and spreading with a spatula to evenly coat. Sprinkle with the cinnamon, rubbing it under skin. Pour 2/3 cup broth into baking dish. Roast 40 minutes. Remove skin and discard. Add up to 1/3 cup more broth, if needed, to prevent glaze in pan from burning. Roast 20 minutes longer until thermometer inserted in thickest portion registers 170°F.
Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes. Pour pan juices into a serving dish. Skim off and discard fat. Slice and serve with pan juices.

Specials

Fitness - Why wait until the New Year? Get a jump start on your New Year's resolution to lose weight and get in shape! Anyone who purchases a pre-pay for a fitness program before the end of 2008 will receive 20% off the package and a bonus training session free!

Detox - Start your New Year with IonCleanse®. During the month of January, our normal $40 IonCleanse® session is specially priced at $30!** Get started with the special price and continue for a full series of cleanses with our pre-pay program pricing!

Good to Know

Health News Digest reports that a new study by the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) shows there is direct correlation between the heel height of your shoes and the amount of pain, pressure and strain it puts on your feet. The study found a significant increase in pressure on the heads of the metatarsal bones (the ends that connect to the toes) when heel height was raised.  This increased pressure contributes to pain, callouses and bony deformities.  The study recommends limiting heel height to no greater than 2 centimeters (0.8 inches) and insuring there is good padding at the ball of the foot.