This is Massage Therapy Awareness Week!
Angi Davidson, Licensed Massage Therapist with Knox Community Hospital, stopped by The Morning Thing to talk about the benefits of massage. Marcy Rinehart and Jenna Potts each got a chance to sit in the chair and receive massages!  (Joe Rinehart of The Afternoon Drive also stopped in to take advantage of this chance to decrease his stress!)

Angi talked to us about the benefits of massage. Click HERE to listen to the conversation.

You can reach Angi at the KCH Center for Rehabilitation & Wellness, 740-393-9670.

Jenna and Marcy decided to focus on the amazing benefits of massage for our Morning Thing Fave 5. Click HERE to hear the ladies talk about how much they love massage.

The Benefits Of Massage (from www.massagetherapy.com)
What exactly are the benefits of receiving massage or bodywork treatments? Useful for all of the conditions listed below and more, massage can:

• Alleviate low-back pain and improve range of motion.
• Assist with shorter, easier labor for expectant mothers and shorten maternity hospital stays.
• Ease medication dependence.
• Enhance immunity by stimulating lymph flow—the body’s natural defense system.
• Exercise and stretch weak, tight, or atrophied muscles.
• Help athletes of any level prepare for, and recover from, strenuous workouts.
• Improve the condition of the body’s largest organ—the skin.
• Increase joint flexibility.
• Lessen depression and anxiety.
• Promote tissue regeneration, reducing scar tissue and stretch marks.
• Pump oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs, improving circulation.
• Reduce postsurgery adhesions and swelling.
• Reduce spasms and cramping.
• Relax and soften injured, tired, and overused muscles.
• Release endorphins—amino acids that work as the body’s natural painkiller.
• Relieve migraine pain.

A Powerful Ally
There’s no denying the power of bodywork. Regardless of the adjectives we assign to it (pampering, rejuvenating, therapeutic) or the reasons we seek it out (a luxurious treat, stress relief, pain management), massage therapy can be a powerful ally in your healthcare regimen.

Experts estimate that upwards of ninety percent of disease is stress related. And perhaps nothing ages us faster, internally and externally, than high stress. While eliminating anxiety and pressure altogether in this fast-paced world may be idealistic, massage can, without a doubt, help manage stress. This translates into:

• Decreased anxiety.
• Enhanced sleep quality.
• Greater energy.
• Improved concentration.
• Increased circulation.
• Reduced fatigue.

Furthermore, clients often report a sense of perspective and clarity after receiving a massage. The emotional balance bodywork provides can often be just as vital and valuable as the more tangible physical benefits.

Profound Effects
In response to massage, specific physiological and chemical changes cascade throughout the body, with profound effects. Research shows that with massage:

• Arthritis sufferers note fewer aches and less stiffness and pain.
• Asthmatic children show better pulmonary function and increased peak air flow.
• Burn injury patients report reduced pain, itching, and anxiety.
• High blood pressure patients demonstrate lower diastolic blood pressure, anxiety, and stress hormones.
• Premenstrual syndrome sufferers have decreased water retention and cramping.
• Preterm infants have improved weight gain.

Research continues to show the enormous benefits of touch—which range from treating chronic diseases, neurological disorders, and injuries, to alleviating the tensions of modern lifestyles. Consequently, the medical community is actively embracing bodywork, and massage is becoming an integral part of hospice care and neonatal intensive care units. Many hospitals are also incorporating on-site massage practitioners and even spas to treat post-surgery or pain patients as part of the recovery process.

Increase the Benefits with Frequent Visits
Getting a massage can do you a world of good. And getting massage frequently can do even more. This is the beauty of bodywork. Taking part in this form of regularly scheduled self-care can play a huge part in how healthy you’ll be and how youthful you’ll remain with each passing year. Budgeting time and money for bodywork at consistent intervals is truly an investment in your health. And remember: just because massage feels like a pampering treat doesn’t mean it is any less therapeutic. Consider massage appointments a necessary piece of your health and wellness plan, and work with your practitioner to establish a treatment schedule that best meets your needs.

Review the clinical research studies examining the benefits of massage.

Review massage information from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a division of the National Institutes of Health.

ITS NATIONAL PUMPKIN DAY!!!!

Next to Thanksgiving, this may be the best day of the season! (Yes, Jenna is a little more than excited!) But, how can you not be? This is the perfect day to stop and grab pumpkin spice latte, pumpkin bread and roasted pumpkin seeds on your way to work! And, when you head home, don’t hesitate to grab pumpkin ice cream or a pumpkin pie to celebrate with the family! #NationalPumpkinDay is the official hashtag for today!

The Morning Thing is ready to celebrate pumpkins with you! On the show we talked about surprising and interesting facts about this amazing fall fruit. Here are a few of our favorite.

1. Did you know a 2,145-pound pumpkin from Streator, Illinois holds the current North American record? It was grown by Gene McMullen in 2015. The world record is held by Switzerland and it weighed  2,323-pounds!
2. The word “pumpkin” showed up for the first time in the fairy tale Cinderella.
3. A French explorer in 1584 first called them “gros melons,” which translates into Latin as “pepon,” which means large melon. It wasn’t until the 17th century that they were first referred to as pumpkins.
4. The largest pumpkin pie ever baked weighed 2,020 pounds
5. Canned pumpkin may be recommended by veterinarians as a dietary supplement for dogs and cats that are experiencing certain digestive ailments.
6. Pumpkins are 90% water (THAT MEANS THEY ARE GOOD FOR YOU AND LOW CALORIE)! One cup of canned pumpkin only has 83 calories and only half a gram of fat. They also have more fiber than kale, more potassium than bananas, and are full of heart-healthy magnesium and iron.
7. There are over 45 different varieties of pumpkin. They range in color like white, yellow and green, and have names like Hooligan, Cotton Candy, and Orange Smoothie.

For more fun facts, click HERE!

Tonight, you can make your own pumpkin themed dinner! We found 50 different recipes that are perfect for the holiday, HERE!

(picture from www.clipartkid.com)

It’s Friday!!! Can you feel it? Even though it’s a rainy day, there is a cheerful feeling in the air. We know that the weekend will start soon.
We talked about a lot of different topics today on the show.

We’ll start with PIZZA. Every Friday, The Morning Thing crew shares our Fave 5 – some of our favorite things. This week, we celebrated Pizza Month by sharing our 5 favorite toppings. Click HERE to hear our co-hosts talk about their favorite way to eat pizza. (Joe Rinehart is pinch-hitting for Kelsey Bryte).

We also shared some important news about a Drug Take Back Day happening in Knox County on Saturday 10/22. Click HERE to hear from Knox County Sheriff, David Shaffer.
There are 4 locations open on 10/22 from 10am – 2pm where you can drop off unused or expired medications.
Mount Vernon – Knox County Health Department
Fredericktown – Police Station, 182 S. Main St.
Centerburg – Foster’s HealthMart Pharmacy
Danville – Police Department, Municipal Building, Market St.

It’s also Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We talked about what the NFL is doing to support the American Cancer Society. Click HERE to read more about “A Crucial Catch”. Now we know why we have been seeing pink on the football field all month!

Want to join the fight against breast cancer?

Five Ways to Fight Breast Cancer

Article date: October 10, 2016 (from the American Cancer Society)

Here are 5 ways to do a lot of good with a little – or a lot – of your time, your skills, and your voice.

1. Volunteer your time

The American Cancer Society offers many programs that focus on the physical, social, and emotional needs of people facing breast cancer.

• Reach To Recovery® – If you have survived breast cancer, you can train to become a Reach To Recovery® volunteer who provides education and emotional support to other women – and men – facing a breast cancer diagnosis.
• Look Good Feel Better® – This free, community-based service teaches patients beauty techniques to help restore their appearance and self-image during cancer treatment. Programs are available in English and Spanish. Look Good Feel Better is a collaboration among the American Cancer Society, the Personal Care Products Council, and the Professional Beauty Association/National Cosmetology Association.
• Road To Recovery® – Volunteer drivers in this program help cancer patients get to and from treatments. Last year, the American Cancer Society matched thousands of patients with volunteer drivers who donated their time and use of their cars.

2. Take part in research

As a breast cancer patient, you can seek out a clinical trial or sign up to be part of a research project that could help those diagnosed with breast cancer in the future. People who have never had cancer can help, too. For example, the American Cancer Society has conducted multiple studies over the past several decades that examine cancer causes, prevention, and survivorship issues in large groups of people. The latest of these is Cancer Prevention Study-3. By sharing information about their lifestyle and health status, participants in these studies give scientists the data they need to battle cancer at the world-wide level.

3. Make your voice heard

Many battles in the fight against breast cancer happen in your local legislature as well as in Washington, DC. The American Cancer Society’s advocacy organization, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), can help you become informed about cancer issues and exercise your rights as a citizen to support the causes you feel passionate about. For example, you can sign a petition to support the federal program that helps ensure all women have access to lifesaving mammograms.

4. Participate in Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

The American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event raises millions of dollars every year to fund breast cancer research and provide information, services, and access to mammograms for women who need them. You can help by walking in a Making Strides event and raising donations, sponsoring another Making Strides walker, or volunteering your time and talent at an event. Nationwide, nearly 300 walks occur each year to honor breast cancer survivors, raise awareness, and raise money.

5. Take charge of your health

Although there’s no sure-fire way to prevent breast cancer, certain lifestyle habits are linked to a lower risk of it developing or returning.

• Be physically active. Evidence is growing that regular physical activity helps reduce your breast cancer risk. It also helps keep your weight under control, which may also lower your risk.
• Eat a healthy diet. Studies link a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, poultry, fish, and low-fat dairy products to a reduced breast cancer risk. A healthy diet also helps you stay at a healthy weight.
• If you drink alcohol, limit how much you drink. Research has shown that women who have 2 or more alcoholic drinks daily have a higher risk of breast cancer than women who drink only 1 drink a day or not at all