Archive | April, 2014

Ahhh! Ginger Baths…

This time of the year the weather changes so quickly from extreme heat to extreme wet, windy, and cold.

And then back again!

I notice people all around getting sick.  One woman called me having had a cold for two weeks now.

And like so many of us money is really tight and though she would love a Lymph Session, she just could not afford one at this moment.

So I recommended a Ginger Bath.  For under $10, she and you can do this home remedy and it works.

I first discovered Ginger Baths in the 80’s when I was studying karate.

I would come home so sore and my body needed to be ready for work the next day as well class again.

Though Ginger Baths are certainly not new I tweaked the recipe and here is a very powerful healing tool.

What You will Need:
Fresh Ginger Root
Epsom, Sea Salt, or any quality Bath Salt
A Tub to Soak In*
An Hour or more of Quiet Time
Chop up the Ginger (about a 1/2 – 1lb. depending on the size of your tub) and simmer it in a pot of water for about a half hour or so.  Strain the liquid and save.

Put about 2″ of very warm water into the tub.  You want to be able to get in so be sure it is not too hot.

Add the Ginger Solution and a cup of the salts.

Now Get in!

You might be saying, “Get into a basically empty tub?”

That is right!

It is nearly impossible to get into a tub filled with hot water.  But you can add hot water to a tub you are already in.

So you are in the tub and lying with your back soaking.

As the water begins to cool keep adding more hot water.  Stop adding when it feels too hot.

And then add some more as it cools again.

Gradually fill the tub with hot water as is comfortable.

At first the solution of Ginger and Bath Salts will be more concentrated.  Focus on parts of your body that might need extra care such as lower back or neck and shoulders.

Once the tub is filled just enjoy your bath as long as you want.  You can bring in your exfoliating gloves that I mentioned in an earlier newsletter and give your body a good massage at the same time.

This bath is excellent for sore muscles, stiff joints, arthritis, and general aches and pains.

And because you are going to get a good sweat going it is excellent for colds and the flu.

You get all the benefits of a wet sauna right at home.

Be sure to give yourself time afterwards to rest.  This bath is not lightweight and you may want to lie down afterwards for a rest or meditation.

If you have a heart condition, get light headed easily, any open wounds or sores, be sure to use caution and check with your health care provider if ginger baths are appropriate for you.

Also do not use this bath if you have a yeast infection, as the heat is not recommended.

I am off to do my own soak right now!
Ahhhhhh, Ginger Baths!!!!!

Together Our Hands Are Joined To Heal One Another…

Alexander Gardener
The Lymph Guy

Got Lymph?

thelymphguy@gmail.com

*No bath tub!  Ask a friend who has one and treat them to a Ginger Bath as a trade to use their tub.  They will love you for it!

Need A Little Pick Me Up!

If you are like me, you spend many hours during the day on your feet or perhaps sitting at a computer.

For me personally, one day I can be on my feet all day and the next sitting a lot.

I first learned about Cupping* many years ago as a treatment to help relieve lung congestion.

Not very long ago, while watching a seminar, the speaker had the whole audience get up and perform the same Cupping from leg to head.

It felt wonderful!

He wanted to keep his audience awake and alert and found that periodically throughout the day performing this simple routine did the trick.

I now incorporate this same technique, sometimes first thing in the morning to help my body wake up, and sometimes just as a pick-me-up during the day.

It is so simple and something you can do anywhere and anytime.  I know people who even do it while sitting at their computer without any one knowing.**

Here’s how to Cup!

Hold your fingers and thumbs together and then have your hand form a cup shape.

Beginning with your legs, use one hand for each leg.   With your hands in the cupped position start lightly slapping “cupping” yourself.

The cup shape of your hands creates a vibration that penetrates deep into the body with very little force needed.

In fact the lighter but faster you cup the better the results.

Gently move up your legs and then alternating doing the same for the arms, shoulders, chest, back (as far as you reach) and any other part of your body that it feels good on.

For those times when you need a little stimulation of your lymph and circulation nothing works better than Cupping!

Try it and see for yourself!

Cupping is also excellent to do before and after workouts to help minimize and relieve body aches.  It will help prepare your muscles for the workout and will help the joints and muscles after the workout.

So stand up (or stay seated) and let’s all Cup.
It will bring a smile to your face too as it stimulates the release of dopamine and endorphins.

Together Our Hands Are Joined To Heal One Another…

Alexander Gardener
The Lymph Guy

Got Lymph?

thelymphguy@gmail.com

*The cupping actually creates a slight vacuum with the body having a stimulating effect that penetrates much deeper than just using a flat hand.

**This is a great little trick to do on a long car ride or plane flight too.  You will arrive feeling more refreshed. You can always use a restroom for extra privacy since it takes very little space to perform.

The picture is of Wild Irises that fill the landscape this time of year in the Sierra Foothills in California.  Nature’s Pick-Me-Up gift for us all living here.

Spring Cleaning Is Fun!

The part of the Spring Cleaning Program that is most fun is treating yourself to a Lymphatic Massage!

When I first began my training in lymphatic massage in the early 70’s, my teacher Lauren Berry told us how our ancestors would have 2 treatments yearly.

One session in the Spring and one session in the Fall.  These sessions would normally be 8hrs long and would be the primary health care for the individual.

The philosophy was that if you got the body to fully relax any health concerns from spinal misalignments, to organ weakness, to general aches and pains would be relieved.

Though I have at times offered sessions as long as 4.5hrs, I have settled on the 2.5hr format to be the ideal treatment time for most of us.  I also offer a 1.5hr session.

Part of it, quite honestly, is that with all the stress and other factors coming at us so consistently most of us generally do need more than 2 sessions a year to keep our bodies health at its optimum levels.

That said the important times of years to include sessions are Spring and Fall when our bodies are transitioning between seasons.

Most of us do this seasonally with our vehicles.  We do a fall check up to get ready for winter and then again in spring to be sure all the systems are working correctly.

We do brake checks, oil changes, check the coolant system, wind wipers, etc.  In fact we tend to do more regular maintenance on our cars then we do on our own bodies (vehicles).

So do you think it is time for you to PURR for a spell while being pampered with a wonderful lymphatic session?

The Queue For Their Spring Sessions

For session information please visit www.thelymphguy.com
or call me at (530) 277-3127.

In the last newsletter I mentioned having found what I consider the best probiotic currently being offered.  It is called Probacto*.  Each capsule contains 3.4 Billion CFU’s of Bacillus subtilis, Lactobacillus helvecticus, Saccharomyces boulardii, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactococcus lactis, & Bifidobacterium.

It also includes 600mg of Isomalto-Oligosaccharide, a prebiotic.

What makes this product extra exceptional is the inclusion of a digestive yeast cleanse combination of Cellulase, Glucoamylase, Hemicellulase, Amylase, Protease, & Serrapeptase.  All designed to help break down yeast on a celluar level and minimizing die-off reactions.

Here you will find detailed information on Probacto as well as how to order.

I buy mine the same as you would.  I do not receive any referral discounts or any other compensation.  I just feel when I find the best of anything I would want to offer the same to you.

The product is sold primarily for Candida treatment but I am using it for my own probiotic support.  The Candida program calls for taking as many as 12 capsules a day.  For those of us using it as our general probiotic support, 1-2 capsules a day would be a recommended dose.

Together Our Hands Are Joined To Heal One Another…

Alexander Gardener
The Lymph Guy

Got Lymph?

thelymphguy@gmail.com

*Probacto must be taken on a empty stomach with 8oz. of water.  You can take an hour before eating and no sooner than 2hrs after eating.  This product is not to be refrigerated.

Spring Cleaning Options!

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There are many options for cleansing programs.

Some are very simple and are great for general detox support.

Then there are others that can be quite extensive in their cleansing effect on the body.  These cleansers are usually a disturbance to our day-to-day activities.

And there are now cleansing programs that some practitioners have set up to be a group process.  A number of people are doing the program at the same time and are there as a support for one another.  These are under the supervision of the practitioner and are a specifically outlined program.

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Here I want to offer two cleansing programs that are simple to use and can be done by you at any time on your own schedule.

I have found both of these to be less invasive on your day-to-day life.  You do not need to retreat to do them.

There have been cleansers I have done that the very thought of being too far from a bathroom for any amount of time is a concern.

There are certain health conditions that would need such an extensive and powerful program.  But these certainly need to be done under supervision of a qualified practitioner.

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The first program was brought to my attention by a client, Anna.  It is a self-contained kit by Integrative Therapeutics called Whole Body Integrative Cleansing System*.

It is a program that consists of 3 products all designed to work together to support and help stimulate and cleanse the liver and colon.  It is a great program that can offer wonderful results!  This is ideal for anyone who wants the ease of a complete system designed as a two-week program.

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The next is a general program that I recommend to many of my clients and one I do myself regularly.  It consists of Nature’s Way Super Thysilyn* and Nature’s Secret’s Super Cleanse*.

The general direction for these products is (1) Super Thysilyn (3) times a day with meals.  The Super Cleanse is one you adjust to your body’s needs.  I would recommend starting with 1 before bed and then in a day or two add 1 in the morning.  Increase or decrease depending on bowel stimulation and your day’s schedule.

This program can be used long term for those who are working with a specific health issue or for a short term cleanse.

Super Cleanse is a wonderful combination of western herbs, probiotic, and Ayurveda herbs.

The goal is to stimulate more bowel movements and at the same time have a cleansing action on the liver and colon.

.   .   .

Both of these cleansing programs can be used any time of the year for detox support as well as when you feel the need to have extra support for the liver and colon.

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Some basic guidelines when doing a cleansing program:
Drink plenty of water
Restrict your diet to simple healthy foods
Avoid alcohol, drugs, caffeine, sugars, & refined foods
Have your meal proportions lighter than normal
Focus on vegetables, greens, fruits, and simple proteins
Include light to moderate exercise
Skin Brushing and Exfoliating Showers
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A wonderful and very simple liver flush you can add to either program or on it’s own is:

First thing in the morning:
Juice of a lemon
1 TBS Olive Oil
Some water to mix
.    .   .

One very important detail is diet during the cleanser.  It is recommended to eat very lightly with meals consisting mostly of vegetables, greens, and fruits.

But it is also important to be aware of your protein needs.  Adding in foods like Kefir, yogurt, hemp seeds, and almonds can be very helpful.

Also it helps if the weather is supportive of the lighter diet.  In colder weather it is hard to restrict the diet to be too light.

I have recently been experimenting with a Candida diet and have found this one to be a wonderful basic diet that can be a support for this cleansing program as well as a base diet to use with many health benefits even if you do not think you have Candida.  For details on the diet you can visit the site here.  Please note that much of the information is given for free but for more information the books she offers are excellent.

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The last part I want to address is the possibility of having a colonic or doing your own high enema.  If this is new to you, you might want to begin with a colonic with a trained practitioner.

When you look at the diagram at the top of the page you can see how extensive the colon is and how useful a colonic or high enema might be to help cleanse the inside walls.

I offer a high enema kit for those of you that want to do this cleansing treatment at home.  Contact me if interested for more information.

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If you feel you need some individualized assistance and support on setting up your own cleansing program I now do offer personal consultations.  For more information!

.   .   .

In the next newsletter I will be focusing on a wonderful new probiotic I discovered that raises the bar on what a probiotic is meant to be!
.   .   .

Together Our Hands Are Joined To Heal One Another…

Alexander Gardener
The Lymph Guy

Got Lymph?

thelymphguy@gmail.com

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*I receive no compensation for any of the product recommendations or site referrals offered here.  The products I am listing here are easily available either through your local health food store or online at Amazon.

We will spend more time on colonics and enemas in another newsletter and why they are such a valuable healing tool.  If you have any immediate questions feel free to e-mail them to me.

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