FEATURED ARTICLES

• Brain injury prevention

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Written by Lisa Jillanza

(Continued from Part I…)

An acquired brain injury (ABI) is an “injury to the brain that is not hereditary, congenital, degenerative, or induced by birth trauma. Essentially, this type of brain injury is one that has occurred after birth. The injury results in a change to the brain’s neuronal activity, which affects the physical integrity, metabolic activity, or functional ability of nerve cells in the brain.” 

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is defined as an “alteration in brain function, or other evidence of brain pathology, caused by an external force. Traumatic impact injuries can be defined as closed (or non-penetrating) or open (penetrating).”

Often referred to as an acquired brain injury, a non-traumatic brain injury causes” damage to the brain by internal factors, such as a lack of oxygen, exposure to toxins, pressure from a tumor, etc.” falls, assaults, motor vehicle accidents, sports injuries, abusive head trauma, gunshot wounds, workplace injuries, child or domestic abuse, and military actions. 

Non-traumatic brain injuries include stroke, hemorrhage, blood clot, infectious disease, meningitis, seizure, electric shock, tumors, neurotoxic poisoning, lack of oxygen, drug overdose, and aneurysm. 

Just as no two people are exactly alike, no two brain injuries are exactly alike. For some, brain injury is the start of a lifelong disease process. Brain injury requires access to a full continuum of treatment and community-based supports provided by appropriately educated clinicians serving on an interdisciplinary treatment team.

The individual who sustains a brain injury and his or her family are the most important members of the treatment team. Their choices, goals, and backgrounds will be taken into consideration when it comes to the appropriate treatment.

• Brain injury awareness
• Brain injury prevention

Details

Written by Lisa Jillanza

Every March in the United States, we recognize Brain Injury Awareness. Brain injuries are unpredictable in its consequences and change everything about a person in a matter of seconds.

Here we look at some aspects, causes, and treatments of brain injuries and remind those that have either personally suffered a brain injury or are caring for a loved one with a brain injury, that you are not alone.

Understanding the brain.

The brain is divided into sections called lobes. Each lobe has an important and specific function. The lobes and some of their functions are:

Frontal Lobe: attention, concentration, organization, problem solving.

Temporal Lobe: memory, receptive language, hearing.

Parietal Lobe: sense of touch, depth perception, identification of shapes, sizes, colors.

Occipital Lobe: vision.

Cerebellum: balance and coordination.

Brain Stem: breathing, heart rate, sleep and wake cycles.

Damage to specific lobes.

An injury to the frontal lobes may affect an individual’s ability to control emotions, impulses, and behavior or may cause difficulty recalling events or speaking.

An injury to the temporal lobes may lead individuals to demonstrate difficulty with communication or memory.

Individuals who have injured their parietal lobes may have trouble with their five primary senses.

An injury to one’s occipital lobes may lead to trouble seeing or perceiving the size and shape of objects. 

An injury to the cerebellum may affect balance, movement, and coordination. 

The brain stem controls the body’s involuntary functions that are essential for survival, such as breathing and heart rate.

(Continued in Part II…)

• massage therapy
• benefits of massage therapy
• massage
• massage therapy benefits

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Written by Lisa Jillanza

For more than 125 years, experts have been researching the benefits of massage therapy, and besides the obvious stress-free feeling that people have following a massage, there are plenty of other benefits to this ancient healing procedure.

One major benefit of massage therapy that researchers have found is that people who get massages on a regular basis have noticed a decrease in their blood pressure. 

Massages also help to alleviate the pain of those who suffer from migraine headaches. 

Massage can also reduce your heart rate, increase blood circulation and lymph flow, relax your muscles, improve your range of motion, and increase endorphins. Some other physical benefits of massage therapy include relieving muscle tension and stiffness, alleviating discomfort during pregnancy, reducing muscle spasms, promoting deeper and easier breathing, enhancing the health and nourishment of your skin, and improving your posture. 

Massage therapy, while a physical act, is not all about physical benefits. There are plenty of mental benefits that having a massage can give you. 

Some of these mental benefits include promoting mental alertness, relieving mental stress, reducing levels of anxiety, improving motor skills, creating body awareness, and fostering a feeling of wellbeing. 

While this article only touches on a few benefits of massage therapy, both physical and mental, there are plenty more out there that researchers are learning about every day. 

So, go pamper yourself!

• March Madness exercises
• Marchn Madness Workout

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Written by Lisa Jillanza

It’s time to march into another month, so why not kick off this month with a 31-day Walking Challenge? This challenge can be done by itself or in addition to other exercises or workouts that you currently do each day.

Happy Walking!

Day 1: Walk 1 mile

Day 2: Walk 1 mile

Day 3: Walk 1 mile

Day 4: OFF

Day 5: Walk 1 mile

Day 6: Walk 1 mile

Day 7: Walk 1 mile

Day 8: OFF

Day 9: Walk 1.5 miles

Day 10: Walk 1.5 miles

Day 11: Walk 1.5 miles

Day 12: OFF

Day 13: Walk 1.5 miles

Day 14: Walk 1.5 miles

Day 15: Walk 2 miles

Day 16: OFF

Day 17: Walk 2 miles

Day 18: Walk 2 miles

Day 19: Walk 2 miles

Day 20: OFF

Day 21: Walk 2 miles

Day 22: Walk 2.5 miles

Day 23: Walk 2.5 miles

Day 24: OFF

Day 25: Walk 2.5 miles

Day 26: Walk 2.5 miles

Day 27: Walk 2.5 miles

Day 28: OFF

Day 29: Walk 3 miles

Day 30: Walk 3 miles

Day 31: Walk 3 miles

• spinach healthy recipes
• spinach recipes
• healthy spinach recipes

Details

Written by Lisa Jillanza

• The vitamin K in spinach provides 200% of the daily value in fresh spinach and nearly 1000% of the daily value in boiled spinach.
• Spinach is an excellent source of vitamin C and vitamin A, folate and magnesium.
• Cooked spinach is a great source of iron and is totally fat free.

Recipe: Wilted Spinach Salad

• 10 to 12 ounces spinach, washed and torn into pieces
• ¼ cup minced red onion
• 5 to 6 radishes, thinly sliced
• 2 hard-cooked eggs, 1 chopped and 1 sliced
• 2 to 4 slices bacon
• 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons bacon drippings
• 1 ½ tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons vinegar
• 1 tablespoon water
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper 

Place prepared spinach in a large bowl. Add onions and radishes. Refrigerate, tightly covered. Fry or microwave bacon until crisp; remove to paper towel and set aside. In a small jar or measuring cup combine drippings with sugar, vinegar, water, salt and pepper. Refrigerate all ingredients until just before serving. When ready to serve, microwave the dressing on high for 30 to 45 seconds, or until mixture boils. Toss the chopped egg with the greens then pour the hot dressing over greens mixture; toss again lightly. Top with sliced egg and crumbled bacon.

Recipe:  Spinach Lasagna

• 2 egg whites
• 26 oz of prepared spaghetti sauce
• 24 oz of ricotta cheese
• 10 oz of Lasagna noodles, cooked
• 10 oz of frozen spinach, thawed and chopped, then squeezed dry
• 2 cups of mozzarella cheese, grated, reserve ½ cup
• ¾ cup of Parmesan cheese, grated and divided, reserve 2 tablespoons
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• ½ teaspoon of black pepper
• Olive oil 

Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare a 9x13 dish. Cook lasagna noodles as directed on the package, then rinse and drain. Combine parmesan cheese, ricotta cheeses with the egg whites, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Pour ¼ cup of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of the baking dish and spread it out using a spatula. Cover the sauce with a single layer of lasagna noodles. Spread about half the cheese mixture over the noodles and then cover with about half of the spinach and shredded mozzarella cheese. Finish this layer with half of the remaining spaghetti sauce. Add a second layer of noodles, topping with the remaining cheese mixture, spinach, and mozzarella cheese. Top with the final layer of noodles and remaining spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle the reserved Parmesan cheese over the top and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and set for 10-12 minutes.