Blog posts from Vital Body Osteopath Auckland and Massage Therapy Specialists, Milford, Auckland, New Zealand - Vital Body Osteopathy And Massage

Tuesday Tip – Socialise Your Way Out of Winter Colds & Blues

29/4/2014

Although we are still wearing our jandals, shorts and singlet’s (yay!), we are staring down the barrel of winter and I have been reading some really interesting research on the importance of social interaction to help get us through colder months in a healthier and happier state. I thought this was perfect timing as many of us will be lucky enough to spend the Easter break with friends and family, and here are just some of the proposed benefits of doing just that:

Tuesday Tip - Want To Get Skills Like Ours?

22/4/2014

I have just had the opportunity to be listed on New Zealand College of Massages graduates page and I thought it was a good time to share where I studied. If you have ever thought about learning what Claire and I do - or just have a taste with a weekend course, check out NZCM's link.

If you would like the opportunity to be taught by me (this is particularly targeted at the Physios and PTs with professional development points available) watch this space for tomorrows update!

Tuesday Tip - Benefits of Massage

15/4/2014

And you thought you only got massages to get fixed ;-)

Did you know studies show it also increases your ability to learn, reduces stress, improves sleep and helps you to be more happy! Pretty good reasons for you to start seeing massage as an important part of looking after yourself, and not just a 'treat'. So find a time that suits you and start looking after yourself.

Tuesday Tip - Chair Straddle for Better Posture

8/4/2014

A couple of weeks ago we talked about maintaining good head posture when at work. Following on from that, is one of my favourite and ridiculously easy tips on how to maintain good back posture when sitting at a desk. You will need to wear pants for this! (unless you are working from home and don’t care).

Here’s how you do it:

Sit normally on your chair
Bring your legs out to either side of the chair
That’s it ;-)

April Newsletter 2014 - Extended Hours, Jaw Pain & Snoring!

7/4/2014

What an awesome month we have coming up with Easter and ANZAC day holidays on the horizon. Make the most of them to re-charge your batteries and get you through the pending winter months. We will be open as usual over the Easter break and appointments are already filling.

If you are staying close to home this Easter and would like some treatment, get in fast to secure your spot. If you are travelling, stay safe and have a fabulous time away.

Tuesday Tip - Forward Head Posture

1/4/2014

You’d be hard pressed to find anyone these days that doesn't suffer from forward head posture. Our heads are already pretty heavy things (about 4.5- 5kg), and we double that load on our spine for every 2.5cm forward it sits. That’s a lot of extra work our neck, mid and lower back has to deal with. Expect to suffer from chronically tight shoulders, achy upper back and nasty headaches.

Tuesday Tip – Paleo Pesto Shrimp Fettuccine

1/4/2014

Happy April Fool’s Day! This weeks Tuesday Tip is kind of a trick in that it feels like you are having fettuccine, but without the pasta! I even managed to get this past my nephew…who was none the wiser.

This is one of my favourite recipes from the Practical Paleo cookbook (a fantastic book!). I make it with frozen shrimps because I am WAAAYY too scared of dealing with legs and heads and things. It’s really quick and easy to make, and you don’t notice the lack of pasta. Any leftover pesto gets eaten with scrambled eggs the next day or tossed through a salad (surprisingly yummy combination).

Click on the link below for details:
http://cookinformycaptain.blogspot.co.nz/2013/05/pesto-shrimp-squash-fettuccine-p.html

March Newsletter 2014 - Welcome Claire, New Home & Beating Lower Back Pain.

24/3/2014

Message from Mandy
Old New Digs
As most of you know, I am very excited to be in my 5th and final year of Masters in Osteopathy. It has been a long journey and not without its challenges, but I love it and am delighted that I have been able to enhance your treatments as my knowledge grows.

Tuesday Tip - Stop Slouchy Shoulders

18/3/2014

I have only met one person in all my years of treating that hasn’t had slumped shoulders, myself included. It goes with the territory of our lifestyles, with most of us sitting all day working on computers.

Key contributors to this are our often neglected pectoralis minor muscles. These little guys are directly connected to our shoulder blades and when tight, pull our shoulders forward. They get tight from sustained poor posture and from bad breathing habits, such as upper chest breathing that makes them work extra hard.

Tuesday Tip - Get Smarter!

18/3/2014

We have all heard the ‘term use it or lose it’ and this is very much the case with our brains. Many of us stop engaging in new activities and learning new things as we get older. We stick to things we already know well and more than ever we rely on the use of electronic reminders, so we simply don’t challenge ourselves like we use to.

Tuesday Tip - How Much Sugar Is In My Drink?

11/3/2014

I've been chatting to a few clients about this over the last week, so thought I would share an awesome little picture that shows the sugar content of common drinks, the food equivalent and how much exercise you would need to do to burn off the consumption.

It’s particularly topical with the World Health Organisation slashing our recommended daily intake of sugar this week to less than one can of fizzy drink a day…seriously!

I'm not saying never enjoy a drink of bubbles or that cold beer on a hot day…hey, I'm human! Just saying, have knowledge, be aware of what it is you’re consuming and enjoy in moderation.

Tuesday Tip - Basics of CPR

4/3/2014

February is all about heart health awareness and sadly we lose someone in our community every 90 minutes from heart disease.

I completed my 1st aid refresher course on Friday and thought I would share with you this brilliant video on the new must knows of CPR (remember in NZ we dial 111). It's 1.44mins long, it's funny and it could save the life of the person you are most likely to need to use it on...someone you love very much.

Make time to watch this, learn the basics & share it to spread the knowledge: Basics of CPR

Tuesday Tip – Paleo Banana Pikelets

25/2/2014

This is one of my favourite ‘sometime’ breakfasts and super easy. This usually makes enough for two breakfasts for me. All you need is:

1 free range egg
1 tbsp of almond butter
1 banana

Blitz it together and fry in coconut oil...and that’s it! While my pikelets are cooking I put about a cup of frozen berries in a pot with a blob of coconut cream, and let it reduce to my version of a coulis. They magically seem to be ready at the same time.

Serve pikelets with berry coulis, a sprinkle of LSA if you like it, and a dollop of coconut cream. Yum!!

Tuesday Tip - How Much Water?

13/2/2014

How much water should we drink in a day to stay healthy? The answer is there are no rules on this one. It depends on your body, if it’s summer, if you are kayaking to Rangitoto and back, how much water rich food you are eating like watermelon and tomatoes, and how many diuretics you consume such as tea and coffee.

The best way to know how much water is right for you is to know your body. Look for the signs of dehydration – dark, strong smelling urine, dry mouth, cracked lips, headaches & constipation. If you are producing about a litre and a half of light coloured urine a day, you are likely adequately hydrated.

Little and often is best - I aim for a small glass of water every hour when not exercising.

February Newsletter 2014 - Facebook Prize, Good Sort & Shin Pain

6/2/2014

Message from Mandy
Weekend Warriors
February is a busy month for us with all you weekend warriors enjoying the multitude of sports events on offer in our beautiful city. Massage is powerful tool in preparing your body for sports events, and speeding up recovery post event. We recommend you use massage as a preventive to injury and to assist in maximising your results, but if you do find yourself in pain, we have pretty much seen and treated it all, so book yourself in for an individualised treatment plan.

Tuesday Tip - Happy Days

30/1/2014

It’s really easy to get lost in the hum drum of life sometimes and I love this idea of posting a photo that makes you feel happy everyday for 100 days as a way of shifting your focus.

In a similar vein is the book The Happiness Project – which is less about being ‘happy’ and more about just breaking goals down into achievable bite size monthly pieces. So it may be that for one month you want to focus on getting your finances back on track or clearing out the garage or trying really hard not to pick at your loved ones. It’s amazing how good you feel at the end of the month for these incremental changes. Check out the link to 100 Happy Days.

Tuesday Tip - 5 keys to an awesome life

23/1/2014

5 Keys to an awesome life!

I stumbled across this the other day and I loved it. Five simple things that really can enhance your life. Make some time to watch this over the next week and be inspired!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaCrkkpjd0M

January Newsletter 2014 - Hours, Give-Aways & Tennis Elbow

1/1/2014

Exciting Year for Vital Body
Welcome to 2014! I expect by now most of you would have returned to work and I hope it’s treating you well. We have some exciting changes, events and opportunities planned this year for Vital Body. Get involved through our newsletters and Facebook page, starting with our Good Sort.

Tuesday Tip - Piriformis Stretch

12/12/2013

Piriformis Stretch

This is a super effective stretch that I have given many of you for tight gluteal muscles (specifically piriformis) to help maintain hip health and ease sciatic pain that can often manifest.

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