A Cup of Thankfulness

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; 

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

So I missed one week from being under the weather, but it did not get as bad as it could have. First note of thankfulness. So many people have been sick for weeks, so I made sure to respond quickly instead of pushing myself. I want to encourage those out there who battle sinus issues to use a sinus rinse with some regularity, especially when you are symptomatic. That means when you are actively experiencing congestion and/or drainage. The Nettie Pot is a sinus rinse system used by many people. But it did not work for me as I have high cheekbones, which lend themselves to being a large cavity for sinus drainage to accumulate. Yuk!  With that, the Nettie Pot does not provide a strong enough current to push out what is not suppose to accumulate. What has worked better for me is the Neil Med bottle. Here is the link. Second note of thankfulness. I received more confirmation on doing this after I broke my nose boogyboarding and had to go to a nose surgeon. I didn't have surgery, but he said he wished all his patients were as diligent as I was about sinus rinsing. Lol! It was by far the funniest compliment I have ever received.

I love being able to share health-related information, like the Neil Med, that works and it doesn't cost a fortune or require dependency on the medical system. Third note of thankfulness. This information does not come without having experienced some discomfort, but I am thankful that the discomfort has led to me being able to provide solutions for others to be more comfortable. If you try the Neil Med and find it works, I'd love to hear your experience with it. Feel free to leave a comment and share this information with others.

A fourth note of thankfulness came from the stiffness I experienced from sleeping so much. It was great that I was able to get the rest so my body could get better, but the tradeoff was that the body got stiff from not moving around. So why am I thankful? Well, I was able to do my stretching in bed as well as apply the Point Release Technique to different achy areas. What is the Point Release Technique? Here and here are some links that show a little about what it is and how it is applied.  What a blessing it has been to be educated in knowing stretches and therapeutic applications to reduce stiffness, aches and pains. It may not take the aches away completely, but it sure is nice to get even short term relief.  Then today, I was able to share some of these stretches and PRT applications with my students in class. Another note of thankfulness and I'm only at 12pm. Awesome! The list really goes on, but I will save it for another day. 

To say the least, it is a true blessing to focus on details that provide a heart of thankfulness. This makes our life more meaningful and purposeful. 

I would love to hear your own notes or cups of thankfulness. 

~ Stay blessed ~

Ashley

Leg Stretches in the Passenger Seat

Easy Leg Stretches in the Passenger Seat

by

Ashley Osier

MA, HHE, CPS, CSMT, CAMT, CAYT, CWHP

 ~ Holistic Wellness for Mind, Body, and Spirit ~

So this post is a safety message as much as it is for stretching. You will want to do these stretches when you are parked somewhere safe (given you are taking a road trip and are in the passenger seat). I had absolutely no idea that sitting in the passenger seat would be dangerous. YIKES! But I recently came across a video showing how unsafe it is to be a passenger with your legs stretched out as well as articles with photos of people who have been in accidents after sitting in this position. Not kidding! I'm not going to include the links I have seen, but you can Google it for yourself. Just think about what might happen when the airbag is deployed. Not good! So looking at my photos, know that this is the last time I will be sitting like this while in the passenger seat.

With that said, these stretches are fantastic before you leave, after you have arrived at your destination, or when you are stopped somewhere-like a rest stop. To all my readers who are students, if you are studying at home and are seated on the floor, you can stretch out your legs on the coffee table, couch, or ottoman (or just straight in front of you). If you are studying or reading in bed, you can put your feet up on stacked pillows to get the same kind of stretch. People who are able and are cleared to do so by your doctor, you can apply these same stretches while in your hospital bed. Just ask for a couple of pillows and place them under your knees and feet. For all my office workers, if you are at an office and you have a chair that is sturdy, you can stretch your legs out onto your desk (provided you are in a room by yourself or have a super cool boss). You could also use another chair, provided it is put against a wall for stability.

Posture Rules: make sure to sit up straight, engage your abdominal muscles, lift your sternum, pull those shoulders back and down, and draw the middle of your neck back. Now breathe and relax as you do the following...(to make these stretches deeper, lean forward with your chest without rounding your back or letting your abdominal muscles go)

Repeat Each Stretch 10 Times

    Pointing the Toes                                                    Flexing the Toes

                     

Pulling Toes In                                                           Pulling Toes Out

Single Toe Touch                                                        Double Toe Touch

You can stretch with one hand and then both hands, if you have the time. You can also point and flex and you extend your hands forward. Make sure to breathe deeply (exhalation is as important as inhalation) and follow the posture rules above.

I am adding my link here to the videos I made for gentle neck stretches and using PRT on the low back while in the car, here. Check them out and make sure to "like", "subscribe" and send a comment. If you are interested in other posts or videos, please make sure to let me know. 

Happy Stretching!

Ashley

Ashley Osier is a  holistic health educator and therapist, stress management therapist, corrective posture and exercise specialist, an acupressure and massage therapist, stretching, massage, acupressure, and self-acupressure instructor and creator of the Point Release™ Technique and StretchFit™ Method. She specializes in working with stress management, injury prevention and pain relief, therapeutic stretching for individuals and couples, and posture awareness. She also offers coaching in nutrition and support for women going through divorce. Appointments can be scheduled by contacting her at ewsomatherapy@gmail.com.

Disclaimer: The information on this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available on this blog is for general information purposes only. You agree that your use of this blog is at your sole risk. Consult your physician before beginning any stretch, exercise or self-acupressure suggestion. By using this site, you are agreeing to indemnify, defend and hold harmless Ashley Osier against any and all losses, expenses, damages and costs resulting from using the information contained within this blog. 

Warm Water vs. Cold Water Lobster

Warm Water vs. Cold Water Lobster

By 

Ashley Osier

MA, HHE, CPS, CSMT, CAMT, CAYT, CWHP

 ~ Holistic Wellness for Mind, Body, and Spirit ~

I was terribly disappointed and a bit embarrassed when I prepared a meal for my in-laws over the holiday. I had no idea that there were different kinds of lobster and that they would taste differently regardless of how you cook them or prepare them. When I purchased them, it was from a completely different store and location and no one said anything to me about them being different from the usual lobsters sold. I wanted to give you the scoop so you don't make the same costly mistake.

Cold water lobsters are what we usually get from restaurants and from most stores. These lobsters are from Maine and other areas in the North Atlantic as well as places like Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. They turn red when cooked. The warm water lobsters are usually found in the South Pacific, California, Florida, Caribbean, the Mediterranean. This will give a little more information about the cold and warm water lobsters. This site has more photos of a variety of lobster tails from different part, which I found pretty interesting. This site gives information on a variety of fish and the specific link I provide is about the pros and cons of warm water lobster vs. cold water lobster, and in particular, when it is frozen. You want to make sure to thaw your frozen lobster out prior to cooking. Leave yourself ample time. I have a couple of options explained below. 

Here are some of my photos

    Cold Water                                                                          Warm Water 

You can see the difference in the color of the lobster after they have been cooked. I thought the coloring of the warm water lobster was super cool, but did not think to ask if the taste would be different. Now I understand where the restaurant "Red Lobster" gets its name from!  Their lobsters must all be from cold water places, such as Maine.

Here are a couple more photos of the warm water lobster tail shell itself. Pretty cool coloring, right?

           

So what is the difference? Well, I am surprised at how easy and quick it is to cook a tasty lobster. In just about 9 minutes, given you have a 3-5 ounce tail, you have a  gorgeous lobster tail ready to eat. If you mix with rice and veggies, you really don't need to dip it in butter. You can get the recipe from my previous blog post here. I have additionally ways to cook below. But, watch out, if you get a warm water lobster! You and your guests will NOT be pleasantly surprised. It is soft and almost mushy in texture, regardless of how long you cook it. I actually put it back into the oven a couple of times and it did not change the texture of the lobster. When I was confused about what could possibly have gone wrong, I looked it up online and there it was in black and white with photos. You can clearly see the difference between the two lobsters. Now there are some people who say they prefer the softer texture of the warm water lobster. But based upon the articles I have read, the response from my guests, and the fact that most restaurants provide cold water lobsters, I would say that margin is quite small.

Thawing Out Frozen Tails

Slow Thaw: put in refrigerator the night prior to cooking.
Make sure to keep the lobster tails in their provided wrapping.

Quick Thaw: 30-60 minutes prior to cooking, place in a sealed bag and submerge in bowl of water. Change the water once. (I had to put a pan over the bowl as the lobster in the sealed bag rose to the top and didn't really fully submerge. It worked very well within 45 minutes)

Make sure to check out all the links I provided. You can read about the health benefits of lobster from my previous post here. I changed up the way I prep my lobster tail from the original as follows.

Originally            

1. Cut the shell down the middle with kitchen shears

2. Pulled the meat out and set on top of the shell

3. Poured melted butter on top

4. Gently cut a line down the middle of the tail

5. Drizzled a little butter down the new cut

6. Added paprika and salt

7. Put in oven after oven was pre-heating during my prep (pre-heat is suggested at 500, but not for all recipes)

Currently

1. Same (I have been pre-heating at 425)

2. Same

3. Liberally wash meat with olive oil (top and bottom)

4. N/A

5. N/A

6. Paprika but no salt

7. Same for 8 minutes 

8. After 8 minutes, apply a pad of butter to the top of each piece and broil on high for 1 minute.

I am adding an extra link here that shows another way to cook lobster tails quick and easy. They use butter instead of olive oil (I prefer olive oil) and keep the meat inside the shell instead of taking it out and laying the meat on top of the shell.  I thought it would be an interesting alternative to try. 

Let me know any experiences you have had with cooking lobster tails!

~ Stay healthy and blessed ~

Ashley

Ashley Osier is a  holistic health educator and therapist, stress management therapist, corrective posture and exercise specialist, an acupressure and massage therapist, stretching, massage, acupressure, and self-acupressure instructor and creator of the Point Release™ Technique and StretchFit™ Method. She specializes in working with stress management, injury prevention and pain relief, therapeutic stretching for individuals and couples, and posture awareness. She also offers coaching in nutrition and support for women going through divorce. Appointments can be scheduled by contacting her at ewsomatherapy@gmail.com.

Disclaimer: The information on this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available on this blog is for general information purposes only. You agree that your use of this blog is at your sole risk. Consult your physician before beginning any stretch, exercise or self-acupressure suggestion. By using this site, you are agreeing to indemnify, defend and hold harmless Ashley Osier against any and all losses, expenses, damages and costs resulting from using the information contained within this blog. 

Christmas Roadtrip Neck Stretches

Christmas Road Trip Neck Stretches

By 

Ashley Osier

MA, HHE, CPS, CSMT, CAMT, CAYT, CWHP

 ~ Holistic Wellness for Mind, Body, and Spirit ~

I thought I had posted the video on my blog, but it never went through. So though Christmas is over, road trips will always be taken and many of us will often wake up needing to do some neck stretches before we go on our road trip. These simple neck stretches can be done at any time, anywhere, and throughout the day. So enjoy the short video and help your neck to stay healthy and free of stiffness with these road trip neck stretches.

Joyfully,

           Ashley

Ashley Osier is a  holistic health educator and therapist, stress management therapist, corrective posture and exercise specialist, an acupressure and massage therapist, stretching, massage, acupressure, and self-acupressure instructor and creator of the Point Release™ Technique and StretchFit™ Method. She specializes in working with stress management, injury prevention and pain relief, therapeutic stretching for individuals and couples, and posture awareness. She also offers coaching in nutrition and support for women going through divorce. Appointments can be scheduled by contacting her at ewsomatherapy@gmail.com. 

Disclaimer: The information on this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available on this blog is for general information purposes only. You agree that your use of this blog is at your sole risk. Consult your physician before beginning any stretch, exercise or self-acupressure suggestion. By using this site, you are agreeing to indemnify, defend and hold harmless Ashley Osier against any and all losses, expenses, damages and costs resulting from using the information contained within this blog. 

A Cup of Thankfulness: Staying Thankful in the Midst of Difficulties

A Cup of Thankfulness

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; 

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Staying Thankful in the Midst of Difficulties

The holidays were truly a wonderful gift from God this year. However, things did not go as I had planned or hoped. It is amazing how God can take unwanted events and reshape them into something to treasure. Without going into great detail, it was my first Christmas without my children. And though I was heartbroken, I found myself filled with gratitude at the opportunity to spend extra time with my husband's mom and dad. I first had to take a deep long look at the pride in my heart over my children wanting to do something other than spend time with their fun and awesome mom, LOL! Once I was able to get over myself, I could look at the other opportunities God was placing before me and be joyful for my children who were having fun doing their thing. It certainly wasn't my plan, but God's plan has yet to disappoint me, so this time I was able to submit to His will and trust Him with all the details. He knows exactly what I need to grow and He has plans to use every inch of my life for His purpose. He also has a plan for my children. He loves them more than I ever could.
And how great the blessings have been. 

It is sometimes hard to know when to press in to take action and when to step back and let God work out the details. I'm one who doesn't want to be guilty of being lazy, so I tend to overdo. But I was recently reminded that God doesn't need my help in pretty much most situations. This being one of those, was the perfect example of stepping back, trusting God and letting Him work out the details. In the mean time, I was able to honestly look at my own pride, soften my heart to open to something else and experience God's plan at that time. So I wasn't actually doing nothing. Instead I was looking at the condition of my heart, which I find an essential and challenging task at times. And when I reconnected with my children, I had held onto nothing, so I was able to love without bitterness.

When I go through trials that seem unbearable or heartbreaking, I remind myself of the story of Joseph, Job and Jesus (not in that order). These are also my go-to-stories when people ask how God can allow bad things to happen. In the stories of Joseph and Job, God permitted family members to betray one another, Joseph was thrown into a well, sold into slavery, accused of something he didn't do and imprisoned for it. Job lost his children, all his possessions and his health. Both men were honorable men at the beginning and both men stayed true to God even though their life became truly unbearable. In the end, they were both vindicated and blessed beyond measure. The story of Jesus is the ultimate example as he was betrayed, accused, imprisoned, tortured and killed. His humble and gentle heart prevailed and His Father in heaven raised him up to reign as Lord over all of creation. 

We are not promised to have a smooth and easy life and even through our best efforts and integrity, life can still be incredibly difficult. But God promises, in Deuteronomy 31:6,
to never leave us nor forsake us. He is true to His word.

When you have a moment, read Genesis 45. It is Joseph's response to his brothers after all they had done to him. Joseph truly bloomed where he was planted. He was a blessing even in prison. If you find yourself in a kind of a prison with oppression, false accusations, mistreatment and the like, I pray the story of Joseph will encourage you to seek God more fully and His plan for your heart and for your life. It does not mean that we don't seek a better, healthier or more just situation, but when our efforts continually lead to a closed door, God may have opened another door
leading to blessings beyond measure. 

I pray you will be blessed with thankfulness no matter where you are planted.

~ thankfully ~

Ashley