Boost Your Relationship and Your Mood

You already know that certain habits, such as expressing gratitude, learning to compromise, and cuddling, are key for maintaining a happy and healthy relationship. But there's one more surprising habit you might want to add to the list: According to new research presented at the British Psychological Society's Annual Conference this week, giving and receiving massages might be just what you and your partner need to boost your moods and strengthen your relationship.

In the May 2017 study, Northumbria University researchers asked 38 participants (19 couples) to complete a three-week massage course. After massage sessions, the participants filled out questionnaires about their physical and mental well-being, stress, coping, and relationship satisfaction.

Ultimately, the researchers found that the couples' overall sense of well-being, perception of stress, and coping abilities had all improved over the three-week course, with the participants reporting increased feelings of physical and mental well-being immediately following each session, regardless of whether they gave or received the massage.

The best part? Three-quarters of the participants continued exchanging massages regularly after the course was over, and even another three weeks after the class had ended, none of the participants' feelings of well-being had decreased significantly.

Of course, this study was small and relied on self-reported data, so more research is needed to prove the direct effects of mutual massage on relationships. But if there's a chance your relationship might benefit from a little extra physical contact and care... what's the harm in giving it a try?

"These findings show that massage can be a simple and effective way for couples to improve their physical and mental well-being whilst showing affection for one another," said researcher Sayuri Naruse in a press release. "Massage is a cost-effective and pleasant intervention that isn't just for a therapeutic setting, but can be easily incorporated into a healthy couple's daily routine."

This article originally appeared on drozthegoodlife.com and was written by Heather Finn.

Stress: It’s Not in Your Head, it’s in Your Nervous System

Traumatic Memory and How to Heal it

Have you ever been told when you’re stressed to stop worrying and just relax? That it’s all in your head? It would be nice if it were that simple. But it’s not.

Physiology research shows that the stress response memory lives in your nervous system. Take for example exposure to a stressful event. One in which you felt helpless, hopeless, and lacked control. In this case your autonomic nervous system (ANS) is engaged. This is the part of the nervous system responsible for controlling unconscious bodily actions like breathing. To be more specific, it was the sympathetic branch (fight or flight) of the ANS that kicked in while you were strained. In addition, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis of the midbrain began firing. In which a signal from your hypothalamus sends a hormonal message to your pituitary gland that stimulates to your adrenal glands.

To activate this fight or flight response, stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline are released from your adrenal glands. They help our body suddenly mobilize to flee danger. According to Peter A. Levine, trauma expert in the field of psychotherapy, trauma occurs when this biological process is overwhelmed and a person is unable to release and process the stressful event. It is possible to avoid a traumatic response by discharging the energy generated. For example, shaking, crying, and screaming can allow the individual to physically process the stress.

Stress is not all in your head.

However, if the stress response is not processed, it remains in the tissues of the body. When a subsequent stressful event that does not pose a serious threat occurs, the traumatic memory is recalled. A large amount of stress hormones are released. Blood rushes to extremities, pupils dilate, muscle tone increases presenting as tension, breathing rate increases, the heartbeats faster, and sweating occurs. Hence, the nervous system responds as if this small incident is life threatening.

This biological response is clearly beyond the ability to rationally control. You can’t think your way out of it. Chronic stress leads to dissociation or immobility, a state of sympathetic charge and hormonal release, which is health damaging. The brainstem (the primitive part of the brain) governs emotional experience and biological response. When the brainstem is activated by the fight or flight response, it trumps the more developed front of the brain, the prefrontal cortex. It is therefore not possible to be in the primitive state of fight or flight and also to think rationally and critically (as the prefrontal cortex would have us do).

Levine elaborates:

The question is: how can humans become unstuck from immobility? Moving out of this frozen state can be a fiercely energetic experience. Without a rational brain animals don’t give it a second thought, they just do it. When humans begin to move out of the immobility response, however, we are often frightened by the intensity of our own energy and latent aggression, and we brace ourselves against the power of the sensations. This bracing prevents complete discharge of energy necessary to restore normal functioning.

Unprocessed stress is stored in the body as traumatic memory.

Unprocessed stress becomes traumatic memory that lies dormant in the body. A present day trigger can cause the stored memory to resurface. Understanding what is happening inside our body and brain, gives us compassion. Learning why our body responds the way it does, leads to awareness and empowerment. It moves us out of being isolated, fearful, victims. By caring for our bodies and understanding their self-protective responses, we can release shame.

When we comprehend the physiologic process that is trying to keep us safe, from an old memory or trauma, we can replace inner judgement with kindness. Self-love becomes possible. It may not be serving us in the present but in the past it did. In fact, this same response helped us survive.

The work is then to re-train the body. This can be done by invoking practices such as felt sense oriented meditation, deep breathing, vocal toning, spontaneous movement and dance, yoga, listening to soothing music, spending time in nature, running, or hiking. Or simply receiving a hug from a loved one, which releases oxytocin, a natural hormone produced by the pituitary gland that promotes bonding and connection.

Practices such as yoga and time in nature help to release stored trauma. 

These are tools to deactivate the sympathetic response and activate the opposing parasympathetic response, called the rest and digest mechanism. The goal is to feel safe. To regulate breathing, slow the heartbeat, and circulate blood back to the vital organs

These powerful practices change our physiology and affect our mood. The next time someone suggests it’s all in your head, you will have a different response. This knowledge empowers us to heal past wounds. Through acknowledging the power trauma plays in your life and understanding the mechanisms by which healing occurs, you can create a more embodied, joyful life.

This article originally appeared on upliftconnect.com and was written by Melody Walford.

Why Gua Sha Is The New Cupping

I first learned about the traditional Chinese therapy called gua sha on Instagram, of all places. I was looking at photos of cupping and accidentally clicked on someone’s photo that was labeled with #guasha. FYI, if you ever want to be terrified, click on that hashtag; it’s all images of people who look like they’ve been mauled by tigers. And yes, I was instantly intrigued.

As with most things Traditional Chinese Medicine-related, I turned to my longtime acupuncturist, Paul Kempisty, for insight. While lying face-down on a table, waiting for him to turn me into a human pin cushion, I casually asked him, “So, what’s the deal with this gua sha thing?”

“It’s a traditional treatment for pain relief similar to cupping,” he answered. “But way more intense.” The next question out of my mouth: “When can we do it?”

Scraping skin surface for better health

In Chinese, “gua” means “to scrape” and “sha” loosely translates to “sand” and refers to the rough, sand-like rash and bruises created by the treatment. The technique itself pretty much consists of intense scraping of specific areas of pain or discomfort, usually on (but not limited to) the back, neck, or shoulders. The centuries-old practice is typically used to help us modern urbanities with chronic pain, extreme muscle tightness, or musculoskeletal injuries.

During a gua sha treatment, your practitioner uses various hard-edged tools to break up tough knots or problem areas in the fascia (aka muscle tissue). According to Chinese medicine, not only does this help relieve pain, but it also increases blood flow, which can clear toxins, reduce chronic inflammation, and increase immune response in the body. A small number of studies—like this one (which focused on neck pain)—have shown gua sha to be effective in short-term relief from chronic pain, but the long-term effects have yet to get the full scientific workup.

That said, Western medicine also embraces the technique. Of course, you’ll hear it called instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (or Graston Technique, which counts none other than Justin Bieber among its converts) instead of gua sha, but the treatment is remarkably similar, confirms Dr. Jay Greenstein, CEO of Sport and Spine Rehab in Maryland and a certified Graston Technique practitioner, who typically uses it for acute or chronic conditions from muscle spasms to plantar fasciitis.

What gua sha really feels like

I personally suffer from chronic neck and shoulder pain. I’ve tried acupuncture, massage, craniosacral therapy, chiropractic work, and energy healing to work it out, all to no avail. Gua sha has been rumored to have miraculous effects for some people with long-term pain—would it work for me?

When I arrived for my treatment, Kempisty showed me the tools he would be using. One looked like the spoon you’d eat a soup dumplings with, and the other looked like a thick shoe horn. Not exactly high-tech, but I remained optimistic.

As I settled onto the table, Kempisty nonchalantly asked, “So, you don’t have to be in a bathing suit anytime soon, right?” I assured him I did not and he responded, “Okay good, because you’re going to look pretty… crazy.” Famous last words.

The treatment was brief but intense. It took no more than six or seven minutes of Kempisty aggressively scraping his tools along my neck, back, and shoulder (with plenty of body oil to keep my skin from totally tearing) before I could no longer stand the sensation. Afterwards, my back felt hot—more like a sunburn than anything else.

Hickeys and healing?

I went home without thinking much more about it. My shoulder wasn’t really hurting (although the pain typically comes and goes, so that didn’t mean much at the time). I forgot all about the treatment until I was changing into my pajamas that night and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. My whole back was covered in what can only be described as giant hickeys. True to my acupuncturist’s words, a bikini would be a bad idea right now.

A few days later, Kempisty texted, “So how’s your shoulder?” I realized I hadn’t thought about it for the better part of four days (which hasn’t happened in years). “Better!” I responded excitedly. “When can I come back?”

He told me to be patient. “I recommend that someone only do a second treatment after the ‘sha’ bruises have completely healed and faded,” he explained. So, I’m tapping my foot waiting for my next appointment—and scaring everyone in my yoga classes with my crazy bruises in the meantime. But it’s been almost a week now, with pretty much no pain in my neck at all—and for that alone, I’d say the bruises are absolutely worth it.

This article originally appeared on Well + Good & written by Victoria Lewis.

A Doctor's Top 5 Foods For Better Sleep

Proteins from the food we eat are the building blocks of tryptophan, which is why the best bedtime snack is one that contains both a carbohydrate and protein, such as cereal with milk, nut butter on toast, or cheese and crackers. Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone that regulates sleepiness.

Does what we eat really affect our sleep? Short answer: yes. Just as a triple-shot Frappuccino at 9 p.m. would be destructive for your sleep, there are also foods that can help support a good night's rest.

Here are five great ones I recommend to patients:

1. Fermented foods

What the heck do fermented foods have to do with sleep? Fermented foods promote a healthy gut, and a healthy gut is a prerequisite for our bodies to feel at ease. In fact, there's a direct line of communication between our gut and our brain, called the vagus nerve. When the brain is relaxed, it gives the gut permission to devote energy toward digestion. Conversely, if we're running from a tiger and in a panic, it tells the gut, Hold off on that for now; we have other things to worry about.

Meanwhile, the vagus nerve also carries information from the gut to the brain. If the gut is inflamed (maybe you've eating something you don't tolerate, or the gut ecosystem has gotten out of balance after a course of antibiotics), then the vagus nerve tells the brain: feel uneasy. This can make us feel anxious or depressed during the day and sleepless at night. Perhaps it's designed to motivate us to change our behavior. Ate pizza → felt uneasy → maybe I shouldn't eat pizza. Unfortunately, pizza hits our brains like a drug, so as with any other drug, cravings can trump our awareness that something is making us sick.

Examples of fermented foods include sauerkraut, kimchi, apple cider vinegar, beet kvass, miso paste, lactofermented pickles, yogurt, and kefir (if you tolerate dairy).

2. Starchy tubers

To improve your gut flora, you need the one-two punch of fermented foods plus starchy tubers. Tubers are the food that healthy bacteria like to eat, so when we eat them, we help those bacteria survive in our guts.

Examples of starchy tubers: sweet potatoes, white potatoes, potato starch, plantains, taro, and yucca

3. Tart cherries

I put frozen organic cherries in my smoothie every morning. Cherries are a good source of B vitamins and magnesium, and they even contain melatonin (the hormone that makes us sleepy at night). Research suggests that the melatonin in cherries is bioavailable and acts as useful melatonin in the body.

4. Almond butter

Almond butter is a superb snack to have right before bed. It has a high fat and protein content, so it's slow to digest and will be absorbed into your bloodstream gradually overnight, giving you a safety net of blood sugar. Steady blood sugar supports deep, consolidated sleep by preventing blood sugar dips, which can wake your body up. Almonds also contain magnesium and tryptophan to promote sleep.

If you can spring for it, sprouted organic almond butter is the most nutritious choice.

5. Coconut oil

I prescribe coconut oil to my patients as if it were medication. Coconut oil is anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial, and it contains medium-chain triglycerides, which support cognition and stable mood. I especially like it for sleep because it's a clean, easy fuel source. Like almond butter, it can keep your blood sugar steady overnight.

I have my patients keep a jar of coconut oil and a spoon next to their bed. I recommend a spoonful before bed and spoonful when they wake up in the middle of the night.

This article originally appeared on MindBodyGreen & was written by Ellen Vora.