By: Dr. Hoon C. Kim, Tao of Medicine and Human Touch Wellness Council Member
What is Rheumatoid Arthritis or RA? According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, RA is a long-term autoimmune disorder that primarily affects and results joints to become warm, swollen and painful. Most commonly, the wrist and hands are involved, but it also affects other parts of the body. This may result in a low red blood cell count, inflammation around the lungs, and inflammation around the heart. Fever and low energy may also be present. Often, symptoms come on gradually over weeks to months.
While the cause of RA is not clear, it is believed to involve a combination of genetic and environmental factors. The underlying mechanism involves the body's immune system attacking the joints. This results in inflammation and thickening of the joint capsule. It also affects the underlying bone and cartilage.
RA is a common chronic disease that affects about 1% of the world population. The prevalence of RA in the US, based on rates of RA from a 1995 Minnesota study and 2005 Census data, is currently estimated at approximately 1.29 million people or 0.6% of the population. Onset is most frequent during middle age and women are affected 2.5 times as frequently as men.
A class of plant chemicals known as bioflavonoids has been found to dramatically reduce inflammation and improve symptoms associated with autoimmune disorders, including RA.
Here are 6 nutrients to support your immune system, which can also be found in everyday foods:
Carotenoids - A family of plant pigments that include beta-carotene. A lack of carotenoids in the diet is thought to promote inflammation. Good sources of carotenoids include apricots, carrots, pumpkin, sweet potato, spinach, kale, butternut squash, and collard greens.
Prebiotic (water soluble fiber) - A healthy and active colon can decrease food sensitivity, which, in turn, can lighten the burden on your immune system. For maximum autoimmune health, increase the fiber in your diet.
Flavonoids - Found in green and black teas both catechins and theaflavins are beneficial in autoimmune disease.
Ginger - Recent studies show that ginger reduces inflammation by inhibiting prostaglandin and suppresses the immune system's production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, reducing disease severity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Omega-3 - These essential fatty acids found in cold water fish such as salmon or mackerel and flaxseed oil can counter the formation of chemicals that cause inflammation.
Quercetin - Found naturally in certain foods quercetin can reduce allergic reactions and decrease inflammation. Foods rich in quercetin include apples (skin on), berries, red grapes, red onions, capers, and black tea.
Photo by Joshua Earle on Unsplash
By: Dr. James Rouse, Naturopathic Physician and Human Touch Wellness Council Member
You most likely have heard this ad slogan encouraging us to keep what happens in “Sin City” to ourselves, but I am of the belief that we need to shout what happens out loud, in relationship to our Vagus Nerve and its truly awesome benefits.
The Vagus Nerve is often called the wandering nerve, as it winds from the base of our brainstem to the abdomen by way of multiple organs, including the lungs and heart. The Vagus Nerve runs the show in your inner nerve center - specifically the parasympathetic nervous system which I love to refer to the house of Peace, Power and Positivity. Ahhhh, just that? let wash over you!
Do you long for Peace, Power and Positivity? You are not alone. This is most likely due to the fact that most everyone is suffering from being stuck on the sympathetic side of our nervous system where we feel wired and tired, a hair trigger away from the stress response of “flight or fight,” and all too ready to overly react to the small stuff. All this “stuff” left unchecked can lead to a whole host of challenges from depression, anxiety, sleep issues, immune dysfunction, heart challenges and possibly even shorter life expectancy…YIKES!
So what can we do? GO TO VAGUS!
When you actively engage with your Vagus Nerve you are on the road to recovery, and here’s how you can do it:
1) Create and sustain positive, loving, safe relationships
2) Meditate
3) Finish your shower with ice cold water
4) Sing
5) Laugh
6) Breathe from your belly
7) Exercise
8) Get a massage
We got this…right? I work on incorporating each of these daily, including massage. Any of the Human Touch massage chairs to the Massage Anywhere will do the trick. For me, I always finish my working day by engaging with my Novo XT. I use the “manual” program and click on “breathe”. It serves my mind, body and soul as I release my human doing and claim my human being…staying in Vagus as long as I can.
Dr. James Rouse, Human Touch Wellness Council Member and Naturopathic Physician, shares tips and tricks to allow you to improve your daily life using insight from social psychologist, Roy Baumeister.
Image by: Nick Duell
Are you ever feeling like you are too tired to keep running…but you are also too scared to stop?
You are not alone, and research suggests that literally anyone who has a job is experiencing a rise in stress-related challenges and the not-too-subtle decline in performance, personal peace and overall quality of life. In my own life as a dad, husband, doctor, entrepreneur and over-committed sprinter in the daily decathlon of life, I needed to find a solution to proactively reclaiming my energy and my life.
So as I always do, I looked to science to find a proactive strategy that we can implement to shift from stressed to blessed!
One answer lies in the new wave of human potential, personal performance and enlightened energy management - the rise of ULTRADIAN RHYTHMS. You are most likely very familiar with circadian rhythms, which is basically the 24-hour clock that our bodies run to align our sleep-wake cycles. Ultradian Rhythms are more of an interval-based way of approaching each day, to optimize every aspect of performance by honoring the natural way our mind and bodies function in 90 minute cycles of work and 20 minutes of rest/recovery.
What we are learning is that we do not perform optimally well after 90 minutes of work. In fact, we experience a sharp decline as we try and push thru and keep going. But, if we are courageous enough to STOP…fully “dismount” from our Human Doing and allow our Human Being to step in - we will be met with an awesome upgrade in productivity, happiness, creativity, strength, focus and just about every “upgrade” we could ask for ourselves.
What should you do for 20 minutes? Here’s what you should not do: do not surf the internet, do not get on your phone, or check social media feeds....I know…hard
Here’s what you can do: nap, get outside, have a great snack, do a series of planks, or get a massage. Yup, that is what I do 2 x per day. I grab my iJOY Massage Anywhere by Human Touch, and give myself an instant mind-body-self love and care intervention. Massage gives me a beautifully unfair advantage when I come back to work, it increases key neurotransmitters associated with creativity and focus along with a re-set with stress hormones and allows me to feel more peace and balance…the ability to reclaim the rhythm of the good life!
Learn more about how to use massage to align your body with the new time changes in Dr. Rouse's newest video post:
iJOY® Massage Anywhere™ is the perfect solution for those searching for a portable massage chair.
I just received my new Human Touch NOVO XT, and so far am loving it!
It was shipped from the company “White Glove,” which means the shipping came with set up and placement in my home via a contracted shipper. The shippers called me to schedule a time that was convenient for me. When they arrived, they scoped out the location in the house that it was going to be placed, and unboxed the chair outside and carried it into my home cautiously. The two men completed the placement and invited me to sit in the chair. They showed me all of the programing and made sure all the components where working to perfection. I sat in the chair for nearly an hour after they left with all the packaging.
It is a complex chair with rollers and airbags all around you, and many massaging components happening simultaneously. I feel enveloped into this chair, even more than any of the other Human Touch chairs I have owned since 2004. It is refined, luxurious, and relaxing, yet offers the most comfortably deep (or sensitive) massage programs I have experienced in the Human touch evolution of products.
I am constantly finding and trying all the programs and listening components of this chair. One aspect that was fascinating was that the chair would create a massage based on the Bluetooth music you are playing through the chair…TRULY an AMAZING FEATURE with unlimited potential of listening to a cool jazz song or a legendary rock song and experiencing a different feel and sensation for each. It has been an amazing month of learning and experimenting with all the ideas of programming assemble in the new NOVO XT, and I look forward to sharing more about my experience with the chair- as well as my professional insight into its benefits- soon.
Gannis to Enhance Human Touch Wellness Council with Insight into both High-Impact Sports Recovery and a Personal Journey through Scoliosis Rehabilitation
Long Beach, CA – Human Touch®, the U.S. market leader of innovative massage chairs, Perfect Chair Recliners, and other wellness solutions, is pleased to announce that it has formed a partnership with professional racecar driver with experience in the ARCA and NASCAR Camping World Trucks, Cassie Gannis. Miss Gannis, also a motivational speaker with a powerful scoliosis recovery story, will join the Human Touch Wellness Council to provide insight into the importance of wellness and recovery in high-performance sports.
The Human Touch Wellness Council is a recognized and universally respected team of experts with insight into a variety of wellness practices, from professional athletes to medical practitioners and natural healers. This council helps to shape and guide the development of Human Touch products, with a mission to create solutions that inform and benefit professionals, sports-enthusiasts, back pain sufferers, and consumers alike. Human Touch is pleased to have Cassie Gannis join with several other professional athletes on the Wellness Council, including 3-Time Olympic Gold medalist, Misty May-Treanor; two-time U.S. Open Champion, Retief Goosen; and World Champion Ironman, Andy Potts.
“I’m thrilled to join the Human Touch Wellness Council,” said Cassie Gannis. “I know firsthand the power of recovery when it comes to both high-impact sports and bouncing back from major health issues. My scoliosis surgery in 2006 could have been a career-ending experience, but instead I chose to battle recovery challenges and get back on the race track. I think that a lot of people share my passion for doing the things they love, and I hope to reach out to them through the Wellness Council to share my experience with Human Touch products and recovery.”
At just 26 years old, Cassie Gannis already has an impressive list of accomplishments. She began racing in 1999, and achieved 15 top five placements in her first 18 races. By 2003, she was named the Arizona State Champion for the INEX Bandolero Series races. After taking just 8 months off in 2006 to have surgery for scoliosis, Cassie worked through her rehabilitation and from 2009-2011 was named a member of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program. In 2012 she was named “Most Popular Driver” at the NASCAR Night of Champions Gala in North Carolina. In 2014 she was approved the ARCA Racing Series at Daytona International Speedway, and made her NASCAR Camping World Truck debut in November 2015 at Phoenix International Raceway.
Cassie also serves as a spokesperson for people who suffer from scoliosis and require surgical correction. Her personal journey with scoliosis began long before her official diagnosis at age 12, which required her to wear a back brace to attempt to correct the 15% left thoracic curvature of her spine. After several years, the curvature had progressed to a 50% left thoracic curve, and it was determined that Cassie would require surgery. Her surgery was a success, and Cassie dedicated herself to recovery so that she could get back to the race track. Making a full recovery in just 8 months, Cassie’s story has served as a huge inspiration for others who suffer from scoliosis and are left with surgery as the only solution.
“We’re excited to have Cassie join our Wellness Council,” said David Wood, CEO of Human Touch. “Her experience with surgery rehabilitation, as well as in meeting the demands of a physically demanding career, speak to a wide range of people. Her story is an inspiration, and she brings with her a wealth of information on recovery. We’re eager to share that with the following of people we have who are seeking to find a balance between wellness and an active lifestyle.”
About Human Touch
Human Touch is the leading provider of high-quality, innovative lifestyle products, massage chairs, and experiences that have been delivering indispensable, life-changing benefits to an ever-growing number of consumers for almost 40 years. Human Touch has been making people feel better by developing state-of-the-art massage products containing patented massage systems that replicate the hands and techniques used by massage professionals, thereby helping to reduce pain and stress caused by today’s hectic lifestyle. Products are available at fine furniture stores, back care specialty stores, and mass-market retailers across the U.S., through international retailers and distributors in more than 40 countries, and online at www.humantouch.com.
Media Contact:
Megan Harvey
Direct Ph: 562-733-7317
Direct Fax: 562-424-7846
Corp. Ph: 562-426-8700
mharvey@humantouch.com
www.humantouch.com
Human Touch booth line-up to include three new massage chairs
and four new targeted massage products
Human Touch®, the U.S. market leader of innovative massage chairs, Perfect Chair® recliners, and other wellness solutions, is pleased to announce that they will be sharing several new wellness solutions at the International Home + Housewares Show in Chicago from March 10-13. This marks the third consecutive year that Human Touch will be exhibiting at the show, and they will be introducing several new products at this year’s event. The 2018 International Home + Housewares Show is expected to draw more than 62,000 attendees from over 125 countries, and Human Touch will be exhibiting this year in Booth L12759.
“We’re excited to introduce a multitude of new massage solutions at this year’s International Home and Housewares Show,” said David Wood, CEO of Human Touch. “We’ve been developing several new products that will launch in 2018, each unique in its offering of innovative benefits and features to consumers. This show has always been a great event for Human Touch, and we look forward to delighting attendees with an array of wellness solutions to help them be and feel their best.”
New products on display in the Human Touch booth will include:
* A sneak preview of the Novo XT2 massage chair, which will launch later in 2018. New features include an Altec Lansing Premium Sound System, built-in Sound Soothe to provide immersive sounds of nature and a downloadable app that allows you to control the chair from an Android or iOS device.
The Novo XT2’s distinctive unibody design follows a unique 3D L-track and massages the entire back, from the top of the shoulders all the way down to the glutes. The chair also features full-body stretch, lumbar heat, cloud touch acupressure, zero-gravity massage, and an extending foot and calf massager. With 34 auto wellness programs and a brand new, easy to use LCD tile controller, the Novo XT2 massage chair is endorsed by the World Federation of Chiropractic as an optimal way to improve spinal health and relieve overall stress.
* The iJOY® Massage Chair 2.1 and iJOY® Massage Chair 4.0 by Human Touch will also make their grand debut at the 2018 Home + Housewares show. These compact massage chairs update the best-selling iJOY massage chair collection that consumers have already grown to love. Both chairs are designed to have you instantly relaxed, refreshed, and ready to face the world again, and feature FlexGlide® orbital technology, a patent-pending massage technology that delivers a stress-reducing experience like no other. The iJOY Massage Chair 4.0 provides the same great relief as the iJOY Massage Chair 2.1, but also offers FlexGlide Duo 360, an advanced robot that simultaneously massages the back and seat area, and a convenient Tech Cradle with a USB power port to charge your favorite devices.
* The iJOY® Foot & Calf Massager delivers life-like reflexology using the very latest in massage technology. The patented robotic mechanism uses powerful under-foot rollers and two auto-massage program options to rejuvenate tired feet, forcing blood away from the feet and toward the core of the body to improve circulation. This easy-to-use foot massager incorporates reflexology, a popular holistic and complementary therapy that benefits and improves general health as well as relieving stress and pain in other parts of the body.
* The iJOY® Massage Anywhere is a powerful and portable solution for the perfect massage anytime you need to recharge and soothe tired muscles. Delivering the same powerful FlexGlide orbital massage that is used in our iJOY massage chairs, the Massage Anywhere replicates techniques used by massage professionals to relax and recharge your body. Its cordless portability allows you to enjoy a great massage whether at work, at home, or even on the go. Use it to enjoy any of three professionally designed, invigorating auto-massage programs, or customize your experience for the perfect massage, no matter where the day takes you.
* The Reflex SOOTHE and Reflex SOL Foot and Calf Massagers. These foot and calf massagers both incorporate CirQlation® and Figure-Eight Technologies® that are designed to emulate those of a professional masseuse. Massaging the feet and calves in an upward, rolling or wave-like motion, and forcing blood away from the feet and toward the core of the body, helps to improve circulation and warm Air technology adds to an even more relaxing massage experience.
With an adjustable tilt base to find the perfect massage angle, along with adjustable massage intensity and removable and washable sleeve inserts for a fresh massage every time, they are each perfect for a calming massage at the home or office. The Reflex SOL offers the same amazing features as the Reflex SOOTHE, but also delivers heat and an under-foot vibration massage to enhance the calming effects of the massager.
About Human Touch
Human Touch is the leading provider of high-quality, innovative lifestyle products, massage chairs, and experiences that have been delivering indispensable, life-changing benefits to an ever-growing number of consumers for almost 40 years. Human Touch has been making people feel better by developing state-of-the-art massage products containing patented massage systems that replicate the hands and techniques used by massage professionals, thereby helping to reduce pain and stress caused by today’s hectic lifestyle. Products are available at fine furniture stores, back care specialty stores, and mass-market retailers across the U.S., through international retailers and distributors in more than 40 countries, and online at www.humantouch.com.
Media Contact:
Megan Harvey
Direct Ph: 562-733-7317
Direct Fax: 562-424-7846
Corp. Ph: 562-426-8700
mharvey@humantouch.com
www.humantouch.com
Human Touch recently welcomed two-time U.S. Open Champion, Retief Goosen, to our Wellness Council. Mr. Goosen’s long list of professional accomplishments include being in the top ten of the Official World Golf Ranking for over 250 weeks, titles of 2001 and 2004 US Open Champion, and 34 professional wins. In 2019, Mr. Reteif Goosen was also elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Known to his fans as "The Goose," Retief is married and has 2 children. Off the course Retief is passionate about his award-winning Goose Wine collection and also his passion for golf course design.
A long-time advocate of Human Touch massage chairs, Retief Goosen was a natural fit for the Human Touch Wellness Council. We spoke to him briefly about his experience with his new Novo XT Massage Chair so far, and he was excited to share this feedback:
“I have been using massage chairs from Human Touch for a number of years, and just recently upgraded to the Novo XT which offers a higher performance of massage and stretching than any other massage chair out there.
I feel that use of the Novo XT helps me with flexibility and relaxation; not only after a week of playing professional golf, but also with the general stresses and strains that day to day life often brings. The therapeutic massage can also fit with any requirements as it can be customized to exactly where and what pressure suit your current lifestyle.
When I am at home, I use my Novo XT every day. It helps to recharge my body and fits in perfectly with daily life. With being a professional golfer, I feel that one of the most important parts of my training is stretching, and the Novo XT is able to help with keeping me supple. It definitely helps me recover when I come back from a week of traveling and playing golf.
Thank You Human Touch,
-Retief”
Written by: Dr. Hoon C Kim, Acupuncturist and Human Touch Wellness Council Member
Image by: Henri Pham
No matter how much I emphasize the importance of breathing, it won’t be enough. Breathing is the base of our bodily engine system and enables us to live. Therefore, most people think they know how to breathe and it is then easily neglected, but here I want you to know of the right way of breathing, and the benefit of it.
In Chinese, the air is called kong qi – which is a spatial energy or energy from the space. Ancient Chinese must have known the importance of breathing; breathing is absorbing the vital energy from the universe.
There are plenty of books and articles of lower chakra, or Dan Tian breathing in Indian yogic practice and qigong; both put an enormous emphasis on abdominal breathing, or deep breathing.
Look at a baby or your dogs. How do they breathe? They breathe deep and comfortable with stomach region, and it seems so natural and easy.
Then why do most people forget this breathing, which we once all did?
As we grow old with stresses - anger, frustration, fear or anxiety- we became a shallow chest breather because of fight-or-flight response, which depends on chest breathing for quick, short bursts of oxygen. Eventually the body gets used to this shallow breathing.
What is this stress?
This type of stress is an animal instinct of fight or flight response, and acts as a self-defense system.
Under this type of stress, your body will need more energy so that heart beats will become faster and your breathing also will become faster and shorter to supply more blood to the muscles of limbs, and not the brain and digestive system. Therefore this stress can cause you to have headaches, stomachaches, muscle pain, sleep disorders, fatigue and so on.
So now imagine you have a body that perceives itself to be in stress all the time… your body will need that short breathing and sometime later your body will keep that breathing pattern, and this activates the body’s stress response system unnecessarily, emitting stress-related hormones.
How to evaluate your stress level:
1. Your head feels heavy and cloudy, and you get tired frequently
2. You get dizzy frequently
3. You have stiffness and pain in the neck
4. Your tongue has more white coating on it than usual
5. You have indigestion such as bloating, gas, belching and so on
6. Shoulders feel heavy, and you have tension with upper back and knee pain
7. When you get up in the morning, you still feel tired and heavy so your day starts sluggish
8. It is hard to focus on the work
9. It is hard to fall asleep
10. You have heart palpitations and cold extremities
11. You tend to avoid social meetings and a crowd of people
Normal: 0-3;
Moderate: 4-6;
Serious: 7+ (Necessitates a change in your lifestyle)
How to remove stress by changing your breathing pattern:
1. First take two-three deep breaths, exhaling fully through the mouth. Then slowly breathe in while expanding your lower abdomen to the count of 4. Then slowly breathe out while contracting your lower abdomen to the count of 4. Focus on breathing rhythmically and try not to move your chest.
2. Inhale through your nose to a count of 4 and exhale either through your mouth or the nose to a count of 4 and then pause for a count of 2.
As you become more comfortable with this breathing, you can increase the length of time of inhalation, exhalation and the pauses between them.
Practice this breathing for 10-15 minutes twice a day in the morning after you wake up, and in the evening before you go to bed and also at any time during the day (except immediately after meals). Though simple, if practiced regularly, this exercise can greatly benefit the health of your mind and body.
Bernadette Johnson, Director of the Integrative Medicine Program at Greenwich hospital, also offers these four easy steps to break the stress cycle:
1. Stop what you’re doing.
2. Breathe using your stomach (abdominal breathing) for a few deep breaths, allowing your gut to expand with air. Do not breathe using the chest, which most of us do normally. Count 1 to 4 while inhaling, then count down from 4 to 1. You should inhale through the nose and exhale from the mouth, but you can do whatever is comfortable.
3. Think about the cause of your stress, deliberating its importance in the scheme of things. For example, a computer crashes and you get angry. Clearly, seething won’t change or resolve the situation.
4. Rectify the problem with a viable solution.
Learn how 3-time Olympic Gold Medalist, Misty May-Treanor, uses her Novo XT massage chair to relax.