Another massage? Yes please!

All of the physical massage that I provide helps with circulation. However, the hot stone massage I had last week was really beneficial. The days after the treatment I felt less physically cold, generally less lethargic and my whole body felt freer and lighter.

I am having another massage this week, an aromatherapy massage using turmeric, ginger, orange and carrot seed. The therapist asked if there were any particular essential oils I would like used, and I chose these because they are warming and good for muscle stiffness.

Carrot seed is rich in Carotene and Vitamin A, both of which are powerful antioxidants. The benefits of orange oil are to release inflammation and relieve depression. Ginger rubbed topically with a carrier oil can help with a specific area of pain. And the turmeric oil provides relief from joint pains, muscle pains, cramps and arthritis because of its rich anti-inflammatory properties.

I found two new green teas! The first is a Tetley Tea brand honey and lemon, which smells very fragrant and uplifting. The other is green tea and passion fruit. The passion fruit is my favourite. I hadn’t realised that green tea is caffeinated so if you are wanting a caffeine hit, you won’t be losing out. However, if you want to go caffeine free you can get a decaf version. I am still convinced that drinking green tea is helping me towards my healthy weight goal.

To make the most out of the pumpkin seeds we made a stew made from turkey, seeds, butternut squash, swede, parsnip, sweet potato, celery and carrots – it was amazing! I’d like to say we saved some for the freezer, but it was so good and healthy we managed to finish it all off!

Exercise

The last bike ride of the season was last weekend and was 16 miles. I don’t usually sign up for a relatively short distance (for a tandem it is short) but as it was the last of the season I wanted to make the most of it.

As the sailing and cycling season is coming to an end I want to make sure I have some dates in the diary for walking – it’s important to get out in the fresh air, and I find that if I make plans with friends I feel less inclined to let them down by changing my mind. It really helps your motivation – and you always feel better for it afterwards with all the good endorphins.

Until next time,

Sally