Coffee, Anyone?

I'm having a giant cup as I type this. I love coffee. Cold coffee, hot coffee, flavored coffee, coffee with whipped cream on it...okay, I'l stop. You get the idea. So it's no surprise that I fell in love with this fabric which depicts...yeah, you guessed it...coffee. I couldn't resist making a hot/cold therapy pack from it. (Follow the link in the photo to my website)

  

Coffee Time!

But let's talk about coffee for a moment. Medical news vacillates in it's opinion; it's good for you, it's bad for you; it's good for you... Of course, we're talking in moderation. Fifteen cups a day is probably not so good. But in moderation, coffee has great health benefits. Here's one: I actually was told by my doctor to drink coffee daily  Why? Because it's good for liver disease. Finally, doctor's orders I can get on board with! Haha.  I'm a happy girl. What else is it good for? Check out some of the benefits: 

1. Reducing type 2 diabetes.
2. Helps to control Parkinson's disease movements.
3. Reduces risk for cirrhosis of the liver.
4. Helps prevent heart failure.
5. It can help you burn fat!
6. Gives you an energy boost.
7. May protect you from Alzheimer’s or dementia.
8. May help with depression.

Here's a great source of info on the topic. Here's another source .

So go ahead, grab a cup of coffee and better your health!

Ahh, Heat

Why use heat therapy for non-inflammatory pain?

When we hurt there's nothing so comforting as warmth, at least in my opinion. Ever notice when you go to the chiropractor, they put heat on you? There's actually a science behind it. By applying heat it stimulates your sensory receptors to block the pain signals traveling to the brain. Viola! Instant and effective pain relief.

 We can get pain from overuse of our muscles (muscle strain) muscle spasms, and trigger points (muscle knots). Then there's always the plain old fashioned 'tight' muscles, You know, the whole been-hunched-over-the-computer-all-day general neck and shoulder tension. That "clenched" feeling. Muscle pain is probably the source of more and worse pain than people realize and muscle responds very well to heat.

So what does heat actually do besides sooth?

• Beyond the comfort of warmth, applying heat to these muscles increases tissue elasticity. 
• Heat will reduce your muscle tension and helps relax away those pesky knots. 
• The sedation and soothing that comes from the heat will also soothe any irritated nerve endings. 
• Deep heating increases your blood flow to the area of pain. This brings nutrients to the injured or painful area while flushing out any injured debris.
• And last but not least, deep heat stimulates your natural metabolic rate. In plain English this means there is more energy available to heal the injury quicker. 

Having said that, a heat therapy pack is probably the best favor you can do yourself all year! And it just so happens I make them. Hop over to my website where you can design your own and choose the essential oil scent that appeals the most to you. I'll make it and you'll have it delivered to your doorstep to envelope you in soothing, healing warmth.