Appalachian Medical Massage Associates

Schoolchildren in Washington, D.C. are set to benefit during the upcoming school year. The city’s schools will no longer serve flavored milks or sugary cereals.  We were surprised to learn that an 8 oz. serving of chocolate or strawberry flavored milk contains as much sugar as Coca Cola or Mountain Dew!  While the sodas have been banned from the school system since 2006, these sugary milk drinks have remained part of the children’s daily diet.  Combine it with standard items on the school breakfast menu (sugary cereals and pop tarts) and the kids consume consume a meal consisting of 60 grams of sugar before classes even begin. . .  That’s the same as 15 teaspoons of sugar - over 1/4 cup!  How was this ever considered a good idea?

Read the article at Better D.C. School Fund blog:

http://betterdcschoolfood.blogspot.com/2010/06/dc-schools-to-discontinue-flavored-milk.html

We all know that fructose isn’t exactly health food, but can lead to a world of ills. . . .

Thanks to Raj Mehta for this link that gives another reason to avoid high fructose corn syrup:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Life/Health-Fitness/Health/High-fructose-levels-make-fat-cells-fatter/articleshow/6078353.cms

Tamoxifen is frequently prescribed as treatment for estrogen-based cancers, but the Harvard Mental Health Letter reports that some antidepressants may interfere with the drug’s anti-cancer properties.

Three antidepressants—paroxetine (Paxil), fluoxetine (Prozac), and bupropion (Wellbutrin)—should be avoided while taking tamoxifen. These antidepressants are also used to treat hot flashes and aid with smoking cessation.

If you are taking both tamoxifen and one of these three drugs, please consult with your physician.  The article notes that other antidepressants are less likely to interfere with tamoxifen. Better options for women taking tamoxifen include venlafaxine (Effexor), desvenlafaxine (Pristiq), and mirtazapine (Remeron).

http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/some-antidepressants-interfere-with-breast-cancer-treatment?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=socialmedia&utm_campaign=061510_tw

For those who suffer from back pain, Dr. Andrew Weil extols the benefits of Dr. Ida Rolf’s Method of Structural Integration.

Local physicians agree.  Several regularly send their back pain patients to Paul to help them get long lasting relief!

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART03099/Low-Back-Pain.html

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Thanks to this news from the Washington Post’s Martha Thomas, we’re feelin’ good about improvements in hospital menus. . . .  Go, Georgetown!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/22/AR2010032202870.html

What do Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth and researcher Spike Lee at the University of Michigan have in common? They both realize that hand washing may help rinse away mental turmoil.

Find out more from NPR:

a few meaningful words:

“If you wonder what you were doing in the past, look at your body; to know what will happen to you in the future, look at your mind.” - the 14th Dalai Lama

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We’ve not posted anything for the past month. . . .  Things have been incredibly busy around here!  I (Amber) will now attempt to get back on a regular posting schedule. . . .

I’ve just got to set my mind to it.  Here we go!

Many of our clients have been interested in making a transition to more minimalist shoes, such as Vibram’s Five Fingers.  Here’s a link to some helpful tips for making that transition smoothly:

http://www.runbare.com/446/how-to-transition-into-vibram-five-fingers/

Five Fingers & Toes