Powered by Gratitude

Most of you know that I made the move to Nashville a few months ago. I took a risk by packing my car and making the 9-hour trip alone. I wanted to see what it is like to live in the city. There have been some trying times. There have been some great times. I had to hit the ground running with my job search because let me tell you I came here on faith. I didn't have a job or a permanent place to live but I was faithful that things would work out and so they did.

I found a beautiful apartment to live in (mind you without guaranteed employment...now that is faith and favor) within a week and I found a job within a month.

These past few months have taught me to be even more grateful. Grateful even when I'm down to my last $20 and haven't went grocery shopping. Grateful when the picture on my Goodwill television klonked out on me. Grateful when only a few people showed up to my business open house. Grateful when the brakes on my car are screeching and I don't know how I will pay to fix them.

You must be powered by gratitude.
You have to say "thank you" even when things are so dark.
You have to remain optimistic when it appears things are falling apart.

I can say that I am powered by gratitude. Last week I decided to not just think about the things I'm grateful for....I would record them in my gratitude journal. This has been a great practice! I'm finding all kinds of cool stuff to be grateful for.

Power your life with gratitude!

Elmira Loftin
Stress Busting Therapist
Another Touch Massage

New in Nashville: Summer Massage Special

Another Touch Massage has recently relocated to Nashville, Tennessee.

We have a summer massage special just for you.
Get your 60-minute Stress-Buster Massage for only $75.
The regular price is $100.
This special is good through June 30, 2011.

To schedule your appointment, call Another Touch Massage
at (804) 240-3070. Ask for the "SUMMER SPECIAL"

Another Touch Massage
Massage and More at Your Door

Top 5 Things You Don't Know About Your Massage Therapist

For this post, I thought I would inject a little David Letterman flair with his top 10 list. Hey, in case you didn't know I can be funny too.

People always ask me questions about massage therapy, so here goes. These are the top 5 things you don't know about your massage therapist.

1. Your stinky feet are fine. As a massage therapist, we don't really care how your feet look or if they smell. We see your body as a set of muscles, tissues, and bones. Believe me, we've seen some ugly feet and we've smelled some awful feet as well. This statement does not give you clearance to come to your massage session with raunchy feet though. We do appreciate when you keep them neat and groomed.

2. We can see your pain before you do. Yes, we might be looking at you funny at the grocery store. Or we're paying attention to the way you sit. Don't forget that we're watching the way you walk as well. We notice that your hips are out of alignment and your right shoulder is elevated. Massage therapists can assess your posture and possible areas of pain in just a quick glance. It's second nature so don't look at us strange the next time you see a massage therapist observing you. It's not stalking, it's healing.

3. Massage therapists are not sex therapists. Massage therapy is not a fly by night profession. Certified therapists are required to complete at least 500 hours of training in most states. Nationally certified therapists are also required to sit for a grueling exam administered by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork. Training includes knowing anatomy and physiology, pathology, Asian theory and practice, treatment contraindications, numerous modalities, draping, and ethics. Massage is a medical profession and massage therapists are highly trained.


4. Part-time is Full-time. For most massage therapists, working 20 hours per week (which translates to 20 one-hour sessions) is considered full-time. It is not necessary or is it physically and mentally feasible for most therapists to work a typical 40-hour work week. Massage therapists make up the additional 20 hours with completing client paperwork, marketing, administrative tasks, accounting tasks, travel, and more.


5. We Must Detox Daily. When dealing with so many clients with different body ailments and issues, it is necessary for massage therapists to practice detoxification on a daily basis. Otherwise, we can take on the pain or discomfort from our clients without even thinking about it. Staying grounded is so necessary. Massage therapists could easily take on other people's problem, but they stay grounded by tossing the negative energy away. This detoxification is done through meditation, exercise, prayer and other techniques.

Spa Spring Rejuvenation Fundraiser

Kick Old Man Winter to the Curb

Get Ready for Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K

Renew Your Mind, Body, and Spirit

Say Goodbye to the Stressful Work Week

Kiss Stress Goodbye at the Spring Spa Rejuvenation Fundraiser
Another Touch Massage is sponsoring the Spring Spa Rejuvenation Fundraiser
to raise funds for the Magical Journey to Nashville. The event takes place on Friday, March 25, 2011 and Saturday, March 26, 2011.

Event Details
Friday, March 25, 2011 from 6pm-10pm AND
Saturday, March 26, 2011 from 10am-5pm

Jade Beauty Salon
19 W. Main Street
Richmond, VA 23220

Appointment Required
R.S.V.P. by March 22, 2011 by calling or texting (804) 240-3070
Only $50 person (Cash or PayPal)

Why Now?
-Prepare and Rejuvenate Yourself for the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K
-Kick Old Man Winter to the Curb
-Say Farewell to the Stressful Work Week
-To Renew Your Mind, Body, and Spirit to Welcome Spring

The cost is only $50 per person and all proceeds go to
the foundation. Additional information can be found at www.journeytonashville.com
Can't Make the Event?

You can still donate to Magical Journey to Nashville by visiting www.journeytonashville.com

Brad Jones: Dizzy, Me, and Vitamin D

Earlier this month,Another Touch Massage sat down with Brad Jones to get his personal story on Vitamin D deficiency. He tells a candid story and shares his advice for anyone who may be in the same situation.


Q: Recently, you had some strange symptoms. Explain those. When did they start? How often? How long did they last?
A: It started off months previously where I would just stay tired all the time. I would even get ten to twelve hours of sleep. When I went to sleep, it would take me like three hours to wake up and then I would deal with constant fatigue throughout the day. For a month and a half, I didn't think too much about it. So, about a month ago I started getting lightheaded. It felt like I was losing control of my body for a few seconds. It was happening pretty infrequently, which was about once every three to four days. It started happening more regularly and when I was driving or just sitting at my desk at work. That's when it hit me that this might be a problem. At one point, it hit me and I had a really bad episode while I was driving to work where I felt like I was going to pass out. That's when my symptoms started happening once a day and escalated to three times a day. From that point forward, I went to my doctor and got treatment.



Q: Did you have any idea what you were experiencing?
A: At first, I just thought it was nothing. Or maybe I was just stressing myself out or eating the wrong food. Once the lightheadedness kicked in, I was like something is wrong. So, I monitored it for a couple weeks before I went to a physician. I wanted to be able to explain how frequently my episodes were happening. At the point where I was thinking about going to the doctor, I was thinking that I could be anemic. But to me that didn't make sense because I get a ton of iron in my system. My biggest fear at the time was a blood pressure or cholesterol problem. That runs in my family. I drink quite a lot of soft drinks too, so I thought I could be diabetic. It turns out thankfully that none of these were the accurate diagnosis.



Q: What led you to visit your primary care doctor? Were you afraid to get the results?
A: The last straw, even though it lasted only three to four seconds, was that bad lightheaded spell I had while driving to work one morning. I was at a stop light and I literally thought I was going to pass out. I was even getting ready to pull over. Thankfully it passed and I said this is it. If this hit me this bad, I can't take any more chances.


Q: Were you afraid to get the results?
A: Actually, I was pretty eager to get the results. When I went in to my doctor, we ran through all the questions and my habits and such. We did the blood work as well. I wanted the results immediately.


Q: What was the testing like? What did you discover? Is there a history of Vitamin D deficiency in your family?
A: Based on dietary habits, height, weight, and family background my doctor initially checked for blood pressure issues which he ruled out. So, he did a series of blood tests. He wanted to see thyroid function, diabetes, anemia, cholesterol, and possibly any other vitamin deficiencies. It turned out it was a Vitamin D deficiency. He told me your healthy blood levels for Vitamin D 25 Hydroxy level should be between 32 and 100 ng/ml. I was actually down to 3.5 ng/ml. Up until recently; there was not a history of Vitamin D deficiency in my family. But about a couple months ago, my grandmother on my mother's side of the family and my father have been diagnosed with Vitamin D deficiency. I am not too sure what their levels were. One of the things I have read is that it is typically not a hereditary thing. It is a problem that is widespread.


Q: How do you feel now that you are being treated?
A: Now, I feel a lot better. The first two days of taking the Vitamin D-3 supplement were pretty rough. I was prescribed 10,000 IUs. Medically, that is about 500% of a normal person's daily Vitamin D intake. Those first couple of days I was getting the shakes. By the third day, I was back to normal. I am pretty sure my Vitamin D levels aren't back to where they should be. Health wise, I feel fine though. I can get seven or eight hours of sleep and wake up and not feel fatigued. I have plenty of energy and can think straight. Before I was treated, it felt like my brain was mush.

Q: Have you taken any extreme measures with your diet to get your body more balanced?
A: I guess I have made some drastic changes. I know beforehand I sparingly ate vegetables. Not to say that I am eating vegetables every day. I definitely make an effort and shoot for three to six servings of vegetables a week. I have cut back on some of my portions and that wasn't so much associated with the Vitamin D problem. I stepped up my fiber intake as well. I eat a cereal bar every morning. Before, I never ate breakfast. Now I eat four times a day. Before I only ate twice a day and I would kind of gorge myself. Also, I used to drink up to six Pepsis in a day. Now, I only have two or three. I am drinking more water now. This has definitely been a wakeup call. I am about to be thirty years old. You know, I am not eighteen anymore. For me, I probably wouldn't have taken this as seriously if I was eighteen, single and living the fun life. I had to look at the fact that I am married and I have people to support in my life.


Q: How does someone know if they are low on Vitamin D? What might they experience?A: Fatigue and lightheadedness are going to be the biggest symptoms. You can even start having bone weakness if your Vitamin D levels get extremely low. That would be a severe case. With men, one thing is Vitamin D regulates their testosterone levels. That will kill your sex drive and all that good stuff. If you're a guy, that is one key thing right there. So, men you may be tired for a reason.




Q: What advice can you share? When should someone check with their doctor?
A: Don't do what I did and wait around for almost a month to get checked. Everyone probably gets lightheaded from time to time. That alone is not an alarm to get checked for Vitamin D deficiency. After it happens three or four times in a short period, it might be time to visit the doctor. Going from a healthy level of Vitamin D to being too low can take a long time, but once you get too low your Vitamin D starts depleting more rapidly. It doesn't seem that serious, but it is something you don't want to take lightly either.


Q: We understand that the greatest source of Vitamin D is sunlight. Is Vitamin D deficiency a problem that can be repaired with increased exposure to sunlight?
A: Being outside in the sunlight will not fix the problem. It will help, but it won't repair anything. It is not really doing a whole lot even if you go and play outside for hours every day. This probably has something to do with my deficiency, but I did a long stretch where I wouldn't do any outside activities because when I was seventeen I got terrible sun poisoning. I was out in the sun too long without sunscreen and got really bad sun poisoning. My whole back was a blister. So, I wouldn't advise just going out in the sun to fix it. Some good food sources of Vitamin D are whole milk, fish, nuts, and leafy green vegetables. These things will give you more Vitamin D than going out in the sun.



Q: Are all supplements created equal? Should someone take over the counter Vitamin D supplements without consulting a physician?
A: No, not at all. Vitamin D can actually be toxic in your body, especially when you exceed the maximum level for your body. So you can't just take over the counter supplements. Get your blood work done, so that you know where your specific Vitamin D levels are.



Q: What is the most important lesson you have learned from this experience?
A: If something is wrong, don't let it lie and wait forever. I have a bad habit of doing that anyway. I'm not a person to go to the doctor at a moment's notice, but when it comes to something like the symptoms I had and I felt like I was about to lose consciousness you don't want to let it go. Don't wait.

New Discovery: Instant Manicure

I had the chance to try the Well Being SPA Instant Manicure by PartyLite last week. This stuff is amazing. It's perfect for those times when you are in between manicures or just want to keep your hands looking and feeling silky smooth.

The Well Being SPA Instant Manicure is scented with a variety of essential oils. Some of the ingredients are sugar, Vitamin E, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, shea butter, mango butter, olive oil, and jojoba oil.

It's a quick and easy process. You dab a small amount onto wet hands and rub all over for about 2 minutes. Then rinse off to reveal your instant manicure. This product does exactly what it says.

It comes in a neat 4 oz. container and you can even purchase as a set with the lotion. Get the whole set! Why not.


Elmira Loftin
Stress Busting Therapist
Another Touch Massage

Kiss, Kiss, Kiss and Don't You Miss

Celebrate Valentine's Day during the entire month of February
with Another Touch Massage.

You can choose a Reservation for One OR
a Reservation for Two


Special #1 Reservation for One ~
Buy For Yourself or Your Sweetie

60-minute Stress-Buster Massage
Aromatherapy
Sensuous Music
Signature Keepsake
Only $89



Special #2: Reservation for Two ~
Buy For You and Your Sweetie

60-minute Couples Retreat
Aromatherapy
Sensuous Music & Candles
Signature Keepsake
Only $189


Specials Available from February 1, 2011
through February 28, 2011
LIMITED SPACE AVAILABLE


Call Another Touch Massage at (804) 240-3070 to schedule your appointment.