In this newsletter:
- The Amber Moon universe is expanding!!!
- All about the feet
- Everything under the Moon
- Specials
- Updated studio information
The Amber Moon Studio universe is expanding!!!
I’ve already introduced Hjalmar Perez, massage therapist, certified personal trainer, and lifestyle wellness coach. This newsletter I’d like to introduce Amanda Fearheiley, RD/LD (registered & licensed dietitian), and certified personal trainer. I first met Amanda at a health fair at the Northwest YMCA about 4 years ago. I was really struggling with my food allergies (gluten, soy & lactose to name a few), and was trying to become a triathlete. I knew I needed help… and ta-DA! Here she was. Over my 19 years of working in fitness, I’ve known several RDs, and Amanda is by far the most practical. She works with you so any food intake changes are practical for the way you live. Amber Moon Studio is offering a special on sessions with her through the end of the year… see Specials below for more details! Amanda is coming in initially as our Dietitian, and will begin moving into more personal training & pilates as we continue to expand.
“Hello Amber Moon Studio Fans!
I am excited to begin working with each and every one of you. My passion and interest in nutrition stems back to when I started competing in athletics. I realized that there was a strong link between what I ate and my performance. I would like to apply this link to your life. If I could take the word “diet” out of dietitian I would! I believe that life should include the enjoyment of food and food can be tailored to optimally fuel our bodies. That being said, I will never restrict any of your favorite foods. I promote feeding both the body and spirit for your personal goals. Whether you are wanting to decrease certain disease symptoms, improve your energy, or enhance your performance, I am here to help. I am confident that I can individually fit your nutrition needs with my well-rounded experience spanning from critical care nutrition/ medical nutrition therapy to wellness nutrition and personal training. In short, using the wise words of Hippocrates: Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food!” – Amanda
All about the feet
This month, Amber Moon Studio is taking a look at the feet, your physical ones as well as the figurative ones: the feet symbolize grounding, a base, travel. The feet themselves are fascinating – did you know there are 28 bones in each foot, comprising 33 joints? We have 2 arches in the feet – and when the transverse one falls (goes under the ball of your foot), the toes hurt. When the longitudinal one falls (your “arch”), there can be a cascade effect all the way to your spine. For this reason, we all need to take care of our feet. Several things we can do to help the feet stay healthy:
Work the intrinsic foot muscles. Yep, we have muscles in our feet as well. For those of you on Facebook, I’ll
be posting a video or 2 on specific exercises for strengthening these very small muscles. Until then… try: 1) scrunching your toes on a towel, this should result in bringing the towel toward you slowly; 2) curl just the toes under, and then pull your toes up and spread them as wide as you can – all while keeping your ankle flexed (pulling top of foot toward your shin); 3) lift your arch – put a little weight on the feet, then slowly bring the big toe in toward the heel – its a very small movement. Try to keep the ball of the foot & heel on the ground! 4) Draw the alphabet with your toes, trying to keep the movements as big as possible – move the ankles, the arch, and the toes. Get creative!
Check on the toe nails & skin on the bottom of the feet. Your massage therapist will really appreciate you for this! A lot of time we leave our feet in shoes all day – they need a chance to breathe. On the flip side, some people run around barefoot or in flipflops. Think about what that does for your feet – exposure to the elements, contact with varying surfaces, no structural support (though many people have good foot structure, some need help. Like me!) Try to take a few moments each day to pamper those feet – remember, they hurt, it goes up the rest of the body.
Give your feet a massage (or let us!). Your feet represent your body, and working on specific areas of thefeet can help alleviate tension in the corresponding areas of the body. For examples, the ends of your toes represent the top of your head. Have a headache? Try rubbing the ends of all your toes.
Also, take a figurative look at your feet. They represent your grounding,
your connection to the physical world. They give you a base from which to move. We have our physical feet, we also have our energetic feet. Ever feel like you just can’t get grounded, or that you’ve had your feet swept our from under you? That’s part of the energetic feet. Everyone grounds themselves differently, but standing in grass/dirt might be a help. Get those shoes off, and feel the connect. Feel with your feet. Wiggle your toes!
Amanda has also come up with some foundational info (grounding) for you -
The Foundation (Feet) of your Diet: Carbohydrates!
The Basics
Carbohydrates offer an immediate source of energy for your body. They provide the fuel for your muscles and organs, such as your brain.
The role of carbohydrates
Carbohydrates provide all the cells of the body with the energy they need for everyday tasks and physical activity.
Amount of carbohydrate to consume
If the foods you eat contain too many carbohydrates, the following occurs:
· Carbohydrates are stored in the liver and muscle cells, and are used when the body needs an extra burst of energy
· Anything leftover that is not stored in liver and muscle cells is turned into fat
If you don’t take in an ample supply of carbohydrates, the following can occur:
· Fatigue
· Muscle cramps
· Poor mental function
Fatigue easily results from deprivation of carbohydrates, which is seen in persons who fast, possibly interfering with activities of daily living.
Carbohydrates are your body’s first choice for fuel. If given a choice of several types of foods simultaneously, your body will use the energy from carbohydrates first.
Make sure you eat moderate amounts of carbohydrates to keep your body fueled properly—50%-55% of calories should come from carbohydrates.
Foods containing carbohydrates
Choose the following foods containing carbohydrates (the best ones to eat):
· Fruit, raw or canned in its own juice
· Whole grains (whole-wheat breads, brown rice, oatmeal, whole-grain cereals, and other starchy foods containing a minimum of 3 grams (g) fiber/100 calories)
· Lean dairy foods such as yogurt and milk
To learn more about foods that supply a good source of carbohydrate or meal planning ideas, please contact Amanda Fearheiley, RD/LD, cPT
From the other Realms of the Galaxy
Feet and Self Love: Conformity of “Perfection”; Costs Self Love, Self Expression and Ultimate Happiness
Did you know: The Chinese Art of Foot Binding is a 1000 year old practice that was highly revered in its day because tiny feet were a symbol of grace and beauty. Foot binding started in the 10th century and it continued to be practiced into the 20th century. It started in the Wealthy class and through the ages worked its way into the peasant class. If you had big feet as a women then it was said you were supposed to do mans work and many men shunned women with big feet so women worked at binding their feet so they could marry. The concept of tiny delicate feet was highly sought after in China (They even had distinctions of what best feet looked like: a three inch foot was known as a ‘golden lotus’ and became the most highly prized, the three and a half inch to 4 inch foot was a ‘silver lotus’, better than no binding, but second class.
Foot-binding, is the deformation of a woman’s foot by breaking and folding the four smaller toes down and pressing them against the soles of foot, essentially bowing the arch of the foot, and then binding it all tightly together from toes to ankle with strips of cloth. The goal of this binding was to stop growth and have 3 to 4inch feet. This procedure would result with horrible discomfort and intense deformity of the feet. It resulted in leaving the women with the unstable ability to walk which is called the Lotus Gait. They were essentially cripples (Levy, 1992). It is estimated that about 4.5 billion Chinese women were subjected to this ritual.
When we read these things we think that these are so barbaric, cruel and outrageous because they seem so strange in this day and age. Like how could a 3-inch cripple foot be beautiful? However before we smirk in that direction, we might need to look at where our society is and where we are headed.
We don’t need barbaric traditions, when we have technology. Yay Technology! We can take a pill to be the perfect or have the perfect: weight, body feature, lover, beauty queen, gentlemen, happiness, sleep, energy, healthiest, fittest, etc.
If we can’t take a pill yet, we can get surgery to fix any imperfections. Our craving for “looking good” has not changed throughout the years. The only thing that is different is our methods. We are still caught up in “binding” changing what we are; to be what we think we should be.
It begins with parents, peers, schools, society, etc. Then we do so much binding, re-arranging and changing to fit “that” picture, we begin to forget who we are and wonder why we are not happy.
So I ask you where in your life are you binding yourself/hiding who you are to fit in. Is that serving you? What would freedom look like?
Where in your life, is there an opportunity for more self-expression?
Louise L. Hay, the author of the international bestseller You Can Heal Your Life, says whatever problems you are facing in life, the place to start is with yourself; begin with self-acceptance and work to eliminate self-criticism.
“When we really love ourselves, everything in our life works”
And of course when we really love ourselves then there is no need for “binding” hiding our true selves to be someone else. Self Love and Acceptance is ground that is most powerful place to stand for a truly fulfilled life. You are the only you! Love it! Live it! You are a Gift!
For more information, or to schedule a Life Coaching session with Suzyn Barrientos, please email her.
Everything under the Moon
Feel free to schedule your appointment a few weeks in advance while our staff is slowly expanding; until we move into the new studio space (!!!), we’re limited to some degree on how many clients we can see at one time. We will do our best to accommodate you, but early bookings are good!
Mark your calendars - Thursday, November 11 @ 6:30p - Amber Moon Studio is hosting a PartyLite show. Start your holiday shopping & continue your Thanksgiving decorating with us. All my clients are welcome to come. Please RSVP.
Amber Moon Studio will be closed November 25, 2010, in observance of Thanksgiving. We will be open on Friday, November 26 on a limited basis.
Sharon’s Swimmers! I’ve got a separate email list going for those of you that swim, are learning to swim, and are thinking about learning to swim. I forward articles of interest, as well as helpful tips as I find them. Email me if you’re not already on the e-list and want to be. If you have Amber Moon Studio “Liked” on Facebook, I also post all of these articles & bits on there. Ok, I post them more frequently on there. Click here for a swimming related article I just sent out.
Upcoming Athletic Events (by no means all that’s going on) – Remember the Athlete’s Special when you are prepping for your race!
Please remember, and be kind to your massage therapist. We deal with several clients a day, and if someone comes in sick, this means not only the possibility of me getting sick, but my other clients as well. Even though I wash/sanitize my hands regularly before, during & after sessions, some germs just don’t give up. If I catch it, I will be unable to help those that need my services. Please be pro-active! Thanks.
If you need to cancel your appointment, please try to give at least 24 hours of notice, though I do understand that there are times last minute emergencies happen.
Water! I do have bottled water in the frig for all my clients when you come for your session – especially after massages. If I forget to offer you a bottle, please feel free to ask! You can also ask for one anytime you are here.
Specials
New Staff Introductory Specials
Hjalmar: Book your massage with him and pay only $40/session. New sessions only. May not be used in packages. Offer expires and all sessions must be used by 12/31/10.
Amanda: Book your nutrition counseling sessions and pay only $40/session. Offer expires and all sessions must be used by 12/31/10.
Athlete’s Special
Receive your 1st sports massage at the regular price within the 2 weeks prior to your event; your 2nd sports massage (in the week following the event) is 50% off. Book early!
For athlete’s just wanting to feel better after a race, I’ve got a special for you too! Enter the race – $5 off; Finish the race – a total of $10 off. May not be combined with other offers except Referral Credit.
Referral Credit
Refer a friend or acquaintance to Amber Moon Studio and receive a $20 credit on your account as a thank you! Regular referral credit is $10, but with our expansion, we want more people in our door, and since our best marketing tool is YOU… we want YOU to benefit!
Wh(eee)^3 Racing Team Sponsorship
If you pledge to come for a minimum of 1 session monthly (any service), each session is $45. If you come less frequently, $55/session. May not be combined with any other offers. Please contact me for more information regarding Wh(eee)^3 Racing.
Facebook Credit
For those of you that “Like” Amber Moon Studio on Facebook, I’ve now posted the $5 credit to your account. I’ll go through every quarter and get the new people credited. Remember – refer a friend to the Amber Moon Studio Facebook page and receive another $5 credit (just remember to tell me you sent them!).
Studio Information
Hours of service*:
Amber Moon Studio will be closed Thursday, November 25th, in observance of Thanksgiving.
| Monday |
12:00-7:00p |
| Tuesday |
8:30-11:30a & 3:00-8:00p |
| Wednesday |
8:30a-9:00p |
| Thursday |
18:30a-8:00p |
| Friday |
9:00a-5:00p |
All sessions are by appointment only. We’re still working on hours changes as we expand our staff. Each staff person dictates their own schedule. The above hours are when staff is typically available. Weekends are entirely up to the staff. I (Sharon) have worked weekends for the past 19 years (and still do 1x/mo); I want my weekends off.
Amber Moon Studio Services include:
- Private Yoga session
- Private Pilates Mat and Equipment sessions
- Massage Therapy (Swedish, Sport, Deep/precise & Medical)
- Myofascial Unwinding
- Energy Healing
- Personal Training
- Small Group Yoga and Pilates classes
- Yoga and Pilates Instructor Trainings
- Lifestyle Wellness Coaching
- Swim Lessons
- Triathlon Training
“Clean eating” is a practice of eating foods that are closest to the way they came out of the earth. Clean foods are natural, free of added sugars, hydrogenated fats, trans-fats and preservatives. Eating clean can help you feel healthy and energetic. Shopping around the perimeter of the grocery store to fill your cart with fresh fruits, vegetables, lean protein and dairy is a great place to start. If you do buy a food that is packaged, scan the ingredient list. Aim to buy foods with 5 ingredients or less and skip foods with ingredients you can’t pronounce! Remember, the foods you put in your body should both nourish and satisfy you.
My Lonestar Ironman 70.3 is now done! I hadn’t realized when I started just how much it would take me away from the little things I do for Amber Moon Studio, such as the writing of this newsletter! I’m back now, and slowly getting caught up on the little things. I’ve got a blog about my race experience if anyone wants to go along for the actual race day journey! Photos are available on the Amber Moon Studio facebook page.
