Is it Heartburn or Something More Serious?

Despite the name, heartburn has nothing to do with your ticker. However, the fiery pain it causes in your chest can mimic the pain of a
heart attack. How can you tell the two apart?

When your heart is on the line.
Although not everyone having a heart attack has chest pain, it's the most common symptom. The pain of a heart attack:

Usually starts in the center of the chest
Can range from mild to severe
Lasts more than a few minutes
May go away and come back
Could feel more like squeezing, fullness or pressure

When it's something you ate.
Heartburn happens when acid from your stomach backs up into your esophagus. When frequent, it's a sign of gatroesophageal reflux disease and can be with lifestyle changes such as avoiding "trigger foods."

Chest pain from heartburn:
May occur in the abdomen in addition to the chest
Is often aggravated by spicy foods or overeating
May be worse while lying down, bending over or after meals.

The Back Rub Company offers a course called Nutrition for a Healthy Heart. Schedule by March 5th and get 1/2 off!

A Quick and Healthy Recipe to Warm the Heart!

Here in Phoenix, we're already seeing rising temps. There is probably less than a month left before we're donning shorts and flip-flops again. Here is a great recipe just in the nick of time.

Hearty Minestrone Soup

The veggies in this recipe are available year-round so they're always fresh! Enjoy now or freeze and save for later.

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 stalk celery
1 clove garlic
1 Tbsp pot herbs
1 14-1/2-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 14-1/2-ounce can no-salt diced tomatoes, plus one can water
1 19-ounce can cannellini (white kidney) beans, no salt added
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 cup cooked elbow macaroni

In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, garlic and pot herbs. Cook, stirring just until onions look slightly wilted. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, water, and beans. Bring just to a boil, then turn heat to low and simmer about 10-minutes. Add peas and macaroni and serve.

Serves four (2 cups each).

Nutrition facts per serving: 250 calories, 10 grams protein, 4 grams fat, 41 grams carbs, 10 grams fiber, 404 mg sodium.

The Back Rub Company offers a variety of Healthy Cooking Classes. Keep your employees healthy all year! Contact us at 480-330-2066.

This Valentine's Day Give the Gift of Health

Flowers and chocolates just don't cut it anymore. Give your beloved something unique and personal.

The Gift of ENERGY - Job stress, family tasks and everyday life can leave your loved on feeling depleted, grabbing a cup o' joe for a quick energy fix. Caffeine can actually contribute to persistent fatigue. Offer gifts that provide sustained energy:

Green Foods in tasty nutrition bars, smoothie mixes and supplements supply readily absorbable B vitamins, magnesium, beta-carotene and other good stuff to support detoxification. Instead of flowers, create a festive "bouquet" of green foods products!

Fruit and veggie juices provide a rainbow of health benefits and keep energy and immunity high. Ditch the earrings and "pair" a compact juicer with a cookbook of fast recipes, such as The Everything Juicing Book.

Teas contain a variety of flavors and beneficial properties. Lose the chocolates and put together a gift basket of loose leaf teas. For energy, try yerba mate or detoxifying green tea. Check out Souvia for more than 140 flavors!

The Gift of RELAXATION - Getting much-needed "me" time does more than help you unwind after a long day. Research shows that meditation can increase activity of telomerase, an enzyme that protects DNA sequences. This has been linked to a longer lifespan! Give that special someone a reminder to take time out from everyday stressors with these natural options:

Herbal, botanical and aromatherapy remedies reduce anxiety, promote sound sleep and quell stress-related inflammation. Squash the stuffed animal idea and shop for calming aromatic gifts like bath teas/bombs, tinctures, massage oils, misters and all-natural candles. Try lavender and chamomile to calm the nervous system or invigorating peppermint and rosemary.

Massage is the ultimate melt-away moment. The benefits are far-reaching and include relief of chronic pain, muscle tension, nerve impingement, headaches and migraines, reduced stress, decreased anxiety and depression, induced sleep and increased body awareness and self-esteem. Do away with dinner and schedule a relaxing Couples Massage with The Back Rub Company. We can come to your home or you can join us at our Central Phoenix Wellness Center.

A good night's sleep is vital to health and well-being. When you’re getting less than the optimal six to eight hours per night, you’ll notice you’re hungrier and thirstier. Too little sleep means your body produces less rejuvenating human growth hormone (HGH), which affects your mood and energy level. Low levels of HGH trigger sugar cravings, as well as a desire for salty foods. Of course, all of these side effects are also signs of depression. Can the candy and create your own handmade soothing eye pillow. Stitch two 8x5-inch rectangles of organic fabric together, leaving one end open. In a small bowl, blend flaxseeds with chamomile and sweet basil leaf, or any other dried herb of your choice. Add the mixture to the bag and sew closed.


Valentine's Day at work:
Treat your employees this Valentine's Day with on-site chair massage or a wellness workshop right in the office.

Contact us for more information about scheduling services for your organization.