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Daily life can grind you down. Worse, you might not notice it until your body rebels in a big way.

One way to beat back the stress is through a massage every week or two. It takes 30 minutes to an hour and you will feel like a million bucks. Of course, you have to know what you are getting into, so here is a breakdown of the more popular massages.

At the top of the list, we have the Swedish massage. This is the default massage for most therapists. If you ask for a massage, it is what you get. It is undertaken using a lotion or oil which is applied to the body as sections are worked on. Long, smooth strokes are made over muscles with a nominal amount of pressure. The Swedish massage will relax you for a few hours, but not much beyond that.

The deep tissue massage can be found on the other end of the massage scale. The point of this massage is not to provide you with a peaceful, relaxing massage experience. It is to get at those deep knots of tension. This is done through the application of a lot of pressure on areas of tension. You will grimace and groan. So, why get it? Well, you will feel much better afterwards and the effects will last for days.

For something a bit different, a traditional thai massage is recommended. A real thai massage is a dozy. It takes place with you on your back on a padded floor. The thai therapist then begins twisting and bending your body this way and that. The stated purpose is to align your energy meridians. You can think of it as forced yoga. You will feel 20 years younger after a month of these massages.

Similar to the thai massage, we have the Shiatsu massage. Originating in Japan, this massage also has the stated purpose of aligning your energy points. The primary difference is the method used by the therapist to do this. Instead of bending you like a pretzel, the therapist will use their fingers to dig in at positions of energy. It can smart a bit, but the results are usually very relaxing.

There are many other massages that one can find to fill your particular need. If you feet are killing you, a reflexology foot massage can do wonders. Heck, there are even massages tailored to the pregnant, a Godsend if ever there was! To get the benefits of any of these massages, you just have to get out there and try them.

Get spa information for your area at ResortSpaDestinations.com.

posted by 10022  # 3:49 PM 0 comments

Many people wonder how they can stay well this winter, considering the onset of the flu season and the fear of a possible influenza epidemic. Fortunately, acupuncture and Oriental medicine provide proven steps toward preventing illness and maintaining good health in cold weather.

We hear about so many people catching the flu - but in reality it is only a portion of those exposed to a virus that get sick. Why? According to Oriental medicine's teachings, our bodies get sick when we are in a weakened state. It is only when our immune systems are weakened and our bodies are out of balance that we are vulnerable to sickness.

Acupuncture originated in china between 3,000 and 5,000 years ago. It corrects imbalances in the body's energy systems that cause illness. Practitioners of Oriental medicine identify Qi (pronounced "chee") as the life giving energy that needs to flow freely through the body for good health. Integrated with a wise lifestyle, Oriental medicine can help prevent illness.

Here are Five Tips for Avoiding Illness This Flu Season:

1. Exercise a little bit everyday. Exercise moves the lymphatic system, thereby helping to detoxify the poisons in your body.

2. Keep warm. Make sure your neck and chest are protected from wind, drafts and cold. Use a scarf around your neck when going outside and wear turtle neck shirts or sweaters. The neck is an area where wind can invade the body and cause sickness. The Oriental medical perspective is that wind invasions make people more vulnerable to developing colds and flu. Always keep your feet warm and dry.

3. Get adequate sleep and relaxation. Your body is vulnerable to stress without enough rest. Think about doing some deep breathing exercises to help relax and unwind at the end of the day. Use stress-reduction methods like Qi Gong meditation or yoga.

4. Eat smart. Avoid refined sugars (processed food and baked goods, alcohol, etc.). A diet of refined or simple carbohydrates (white sugar, white bread) raises the body's Ph and allows bacteria, mold, yeast and fungi to thrive. Simple carbohydrates suck up the nutrition your body needs to detoxify, nourish and build new cells and antibodies. This makes you MORE susceptible to illness. Vitalize your nutrition by eating more fresh, organic foods and less processed food. This food has more "Qi" in it.

5. Get Acupuncture. When you get regular acupuncture treatments (as little as once per month) it actually boosts your immune system. Acupuncture strengthen the "Wei Qi" or the protective energy that safeguards us against colds and flu.

Use these Five Tips for Avoiding Illness to keep your body strong and healthy this winter. You can resist illness, the flu or the common cold.

For more than 19 years Steven Sonmore helped people transform their health problems into solutions for attaining better health. Steven is a licensed acupuncturist, Oriental bodywork therapist and herbalist. He offers complete health care with acupuncture, Chinese herbs, nutritional counseling, Oriental massage, and facial rejuvenation. He is licensed by the minnesota board of Medical Practice and certified by the national Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. For more information visit http://www.orientalmedcare.com or write to info@orientalmedcare.com or call 612-866-4000. Copyright 2005 by Steven Sonmore. All rights reserved.

posted by 10022  # 3:03 PM 0 comments

Oddsmakers have had plenty of time to carefully scrutinize the last game of the football season, therefore the side and total are likely to be good numbers. You rarely see much line movement on super bowls. However, proposition bets offer bettors an excellent opportunity to find good bets and soft numbers. But you cant do guesswork, you have to do some homework.

Lets go through a prop and do some research on it. For instance, theres a line offered on the Steelers/Seahawks super Bowl this weekend that reads: What half will the most points be scored in? The second half opened +110. Is this a good number? Just thinking about what might happen, it seems to reason that both coaches, mike Holmgren and Bill Cowher, are primarily ball control gurus. They look to establish their running games and control the clock. Perhaps the first half will be more conservative, with the second half more wide-open as the trailing team looks to catch up. But lets not stop there. Is there anything in recent history to support this?

Last season, the Patriots and Eagles were tied 7-7 at the half, then there were 31 points scored in the second half. As we reasoned above, the Patriots jumped ahead 24-14 forcing the Eagles to pass more in the fourth quarter to get back in the game. Chalk one up for the second half having more scoring.

Two years ago, the Patriots and Panthers scored 24 first half points. Then they tallied 35 in the second half. Actually, there was no scoring in the third quarter and then the teams erupted for 35 points in the wildest fourth quarter in super Bowl memory.

Three years ago, the Buccaneers led the Raiders 20-3 at the half. Thats 23 point. The Bucs went on to win 48-21, so there were 46 second half points! Four years ago, the Patriots led the Rams 14-3 at the half, then the teams combined for 20 second half points.

Before that, the Ravens were up 10-0 on the giants at the half, then the teams combined for 31 second half points. Before that, the Rams led 9-0 at the half over Tennessee. The teams combined for 30 second half points.

Before that, denver led atlanta 17-6 at the half, a combined 23 points. Like the Patriots/Panthers super Bowl, there was no scoring in the third quarter, and then the teams erupted for 30 fourth quarter points! If youre keeping score, thats 7-0 the last seven years where there has been more scoring in the second half than the first half.

In the Broncos/Packers super Bowl before that, the teams combined for 31 first half points, then 24 second half points. So we have to go back to 1998 to find the last time the first half won that wager. This doesnt guarantee that there will be more second half scoring this sunday, of course, but my point is to show you what handicappers do when assessing whether a prop bet is worth a wager or not. There are dozens of interesting prop bets to examine this sunday. So get out there and find ones you think may be worth wagering on. But dont stop there: Do your homework to support your findings!

posted by 10022  # 2:39 PM 0 comments