Good Morning, ColoRADo...and the benefits of massage

After a so/so gym sesh, I served myself up a nice bowl of ColoRADo deliciousness this morning :) Oh wait, FIRST, I mixed my protein powder into chocolate milk....meh. It felt like too much of a cheat to enjoy it. I don't entirely buy the whole "chocolate milk after exercise" gig. Not because I'm anti-milk, just because I haven't researched it enough yet and I'm a big fan of water. Anyways, back to my bowl of cool, crisp Good Morning, ColoRADo!

cantaloupe, peaches, hazlenuts, pecans, coconut, and plain greek yogurt :)

Breakfast was awesome, and lunch was last night's Spaghetti Squash and Steak Brschetta, so it was an awesome food day. But all day I fought a tension headache something fierce. I finally caved and got myself in for a massage after work. I feel whole again!!!! Listen to your bodies, folks ;)

Here is why massage is so awesome:

• Improves lymph flow (the defense sysstem in our bodies), therefore boosting immunity
• Promotes tissue regeneration (remember when I said working out is a process of wearing down muscles and letting them heal themselves?)
• Releases endoprhins, therefore reducing pain
• And doesn't it just plain feel good to push all the crud out of those sore muscles!?

"For centuries, human touch has been shown to be emotionally and physically healing. Particular massage techniques may either stimulate or calm the body's muscles and tissues to create a desired effect. When a practitioner massages soft tissue, electrical signals are transmitted both to the local area and throughout the body. These signals, in combination with the healing properties of touch, help heal damaged muscle, stimulate circulation, clear waste products via the lymphatic system, boost the activity of the immune system, reduce pain and tension, and induce a calming effect. Massage may also enhance well being by stimulating the release of endorphins (natural painkillers and mood elevators) and reducing levels of certain stress hormones."

 source