It’s the strangest thing I’ve ever bought but I have to tell you, I think it does what it promises to do ….
The concept is based on the ancient bed of nails and the idea is that the mat presses thousands of spikes (6000) into your skin to stimulate your nerve endings and muscles… so the end result is that your muscles relax and your body releases those feel good endorphins.
I thought the dealer price was a bit high and sure enough, I found knock off brands on ebay for cheaper. The mat came last week and I’ve laid on it every day at least 2-3x. What I’m purporting is purely anecdotal and highly unscientific but I believe that it does really work.
Apparently these were being sold in Sweden in 2009 and they sold 300,000 of them – they are becoming wildly popular in that area.
Disclaimer: If you actually try this mat, you need to know that the first two minutes are pure agony. Not fun, not relaxing, not even sane. It feels like 6000 sharp points poking you simultaneously, which is exactly what it is. You will hate me for even telling you about these mats and you will feel like you’ve wasted time and money. However, if you can breath deep through those first two minutes, you actually start feeling comfortable, breathing deeply, and getting very relaxed. I seriously have fallen asleep on this mat which surprises no one more than me.
You can google for more info or start here with your quest on all things shakti.
For what it’s worth, I don’t do yoga but I do see an acupuncturist and have for years. This hurts more than acupuncture (initially) but seems to have great results once you get beyond the first couple of minutes.
You’ll have to let me know if you do your own Shakti Experiment!
courtesy of flickr user gnomesmam, creative commons
From a workshop celebrating the 10th anniversary of the NIH’s National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Bethesda, Md.:
Believe it or not, the National Institutes of Health has had a National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine for 10 years. To celebrate, they hosted a workshop with several speakers who addressed some big topics in complementary and alternative medicine.
What stuck out for me (pun intended) was Dr. Bruce R. Rosen of Harvard Medical School, who spoke about “Acupuncture, Pain, and Placebo.” Dr. Rosen cited some studies that showed a significant impact of acupuncture vs. no acupuncture for relieving chronic pain and pain associated with carpal tunnel syndrome, to name a few examples.
In one study (I didn’t get the citation) sham acupunture was as effective as the real thing, and both were significantly more effective than no acupuncture.
I’m not suggesting that real acupunture doesn’t have benefits. But this particular study reminded me of a similar study a few years ago in which sham knee surgery was as effective as the real thing. Looks like more evidence for the power of the placebo effect, or in this case, maybe just a more “hands-on” approach to pain management.
Answered by Liz Richards and Rylen Feeney of Blossom Clinic
Q: I have been feeling really nauseous the last few days – not throwing up but hungry and nauseous at the same time, no food seems appetizing and nothing seems to satisfy me. My mom is sending me one of those sea sickness bands that sends little electric pulses. Do you know if they are any good? Any other tips? I’m having trouble just getting myself going. Did I mention I’m exhausted too?
A: Congratulations on your pregnancy! Everything you are expressing is normal. It is very important for you to eat every 1 1/2- 2 hours to prevent the nausea from getting worse. I know it seems counter-intuitive, but it is important to eat small, high protein meals even if your appetite is low. This includes the bedtime hours as well; It really helps to get in the habit of grabbing a small protein snack if you wake up in the night. Often this alone will prevent morning sickness. In general, it is also very important to stay well hydrated.
Some examples of high protein snacks:
almonds and dried apricots
almond butter and rice cakes
apple with almond butter
avocado and sprout or cucumber on toast
boiled eggs
chicken soup
egg drop soup
hummus and crackers
nuts
protein bars
trail mix
When looking for high protein snacks, it is important not only to look for foods high in grams of protein, but also foods that are relatively low in sugar. Often people think that yogurt is a high protein food but in fact, most yogurt has about 6 grams of protein per serving and 83-97% of the carbohydrates coming from sugar. Recently, we were able to find only one brand of yogurt that belied this statistic and had 16 grams of protein to offset the sugar content!
To reduce nausea, you can also split your prenatal vitamin in a half and take 1/2 in the morning and 1/2 at night, or take it at night before bed. The iron and the zinc in the vitamins tend to cause nausea. You can also supplement with B-6 but you should talk to your midwife or complementary health care provider about that first. You might be able to find B6 lollipops and lozenges for morning sickness, which delivers small doses over the day.
Other useful home remedies include increasing or including “sour” foods into your daily diet. Because the flavor sour is astringent – it helps alleviate nausea. Many women crave sour foods during the first trimester, perhaps for this very reason.
Some “sour” foods include:
Papaya with lemon juice
1/2 a grapefruit
Cranberry
Lemon
Berries
Olives
Trout
Sauerkraut
Pickles
Aduki Bean
Kefir
Umeboshi Plum
The last two food items on the list are of special value, as they have further benefits in addition to being sour. Kefir is a cultured dairy product that contains healthy probiotic cultures, protein and is easier to digest than milk or yogurt. Umeboshi plum is a pickled plum related to the apricot that is a specific Japanese remedy for nausea and digestive complaints. Umeboshi plum can be be purchased whole or as a paste and added to foods in place of salt for flavor or soaked and nibbled on. You only need a little bit as they are high in sodium. Umeboshi is traditionally eaten with rice and in the Japanese equivalent to having an apple a day!
Acupuncture and Amma therapy can help too. A point frequently used by a licensed acupuncturist is Pc6 on the inside of the forearm close to the wrist. This is the same point that the sea-bands stimulate. I have had mixed reports about the bracelets and have never heard of one with electric current. To learn the location of some other points, please visit Debra Betts’ website by clicking here.
There are multiple Chinese herbal formulas that could help reduce nausea as well. These formulas need to be prescribed by a licensed practitioner. For an easy home remedy you can make Ginger tea with honey. To make ginger tea, boil a small handful of fresh ginger in water for 10 minutes. You can add more water if it is too strong. You can also buy crystallized ginger chews or Ginger peoples – ginger chews in the natural candy section of your grocery store or in the bulk section.
For exhaustion, you can supplement with Floradix iron and herbs (this iron doesn’t make one nauseous, I know this from personal experience). Also, napping is a MUST. I remember being shocked by the fatigue during pregnancy; there is nothing like it. Even though the fetus is tiny, your body is working really hard. Your blood volume needs to increase significantly already and this is exhausting. Other good sources of iron and B-6 are unsulfered blackstrap molasses in a grain beverage such as Inka or Pero. Rooibas tea is also mineral rich and can offer a warm drink alternative.
If you have more questions, please feel free to email Liz and Rylen at theblossomclinic@gmail.com
And that’s not me in the photo.
Answered by Liz Richards and Rylen Feeney of Blossom Clinic