Easiest, Healthiest, Most Delicious Chocolate Pudding

Whether you’re celebrating yourself or spoiling a loved one this Valentine’s Day, you are definitely in need of something sweet, chocolate and delicious. And, if you’re like me - you need it to be dairy free, grain free and made with the smallest amount of sugar possible. Thanks to Paleo Running Momma for this incredibly simple, delicious and healthy Chocolate Pudding. The only challenge is not eating it all in one sitting. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups organic coconut cream from a can*

• 1/2 cup raw cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

• 6 Tbsp pure maple syrup 6-8 Tbsp depending on how sweet you want it

• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

• generous pinch fine grain sea salt

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan over low heat, whisk together the coconut cream, cacao, and maple syrup (start with 6 Tbsp, or even less if you want a very dark chocolate pudding) until smooth. I used a small whisk to get everything nice and smooth.

2. The coconut cream will melt and the maple and cacao should combine well to create a smooth silky mixture. Continue to cook and stir over low/med heat for about 2 minutes, or until the mixture just begins to come to a boil with small bubbles.

3. Remove from heat at this point, and stir in the salt and vanilla. Taste, and add a bit more maple if you'd like a sweeter pudding. You can pour the mixture into individual containers/bowls to chill and set, or simply in one larger bowl only and divide later on.

4. Cover and refrigerate until set, or overnight for a thick creamy pudding. Makes about 4 servings. I love my pudding with a big dollop of coconut whipped cream on top! Enjoy!

Happy New Year - Year of the Ox

Chinese Lunar New year is upon us!

It falls on Friday, February 12th and we are moving into a year of the metal ox. This is a time to honor the members of our household as well as our extended friends and family as we wish them much hope and prosperity during the coming year.

The ox is the second animal of the Chinese zodiac in a sequence of twelve. The Ox symbolizes the hard work, positivity, and honesty that will be manifested in all of us in the coming 12 months, while the metal element speaks to the toughness and endurance that we will continue to show this coming year.

The lucky colors for the year of the ox are white, yellow, and green, but remember to wear red this coming Friday, February 12th to attract good fortune. The lucky numbers this year are 1 and 4 and auspicious directions are to the north and the south.

We have many hopes for this year, most of all to bring wellness to as many beings as possible.

Let's let this year be a year of renewal for all humankind.

Fondly,

Christina Trieste, L.Ac., MAOM

Cultivate More Self-Love

February is all about celebrating LOVE and in the last few years a growing trend, (and one we fully support), has focused on self-love.

The truth is, all love starts with self-love. Loving ourselves is the prerequisite to receiving and giving the abundant flow of love around us.

But how do we cultivate more self-love? The answer is simple.

You start with a commitment to yourself - every single day. We call it one daily promise.

You see, self-love is both an act and an attitude. It takes practice and patience and builds out of our thoughts and actions. So, the more we prioritize ourselves - we send a single to our subconscious that we are important, we are worthy of LOVE. Your brain is always watching what you do in order to decide how to feel. If you behave like you love yourself, your brain will follow suit and generate feelings to match your actions.

One simple, daily promise to yourself. It doesn’t have to be fancy or sophisticated, but it has to be an action of being kind to yourself and it has to be intentional and consistent.

A few examples of a daily promise:

-cooking yourself a delicious and nutritious meal

-drinking a little more water/herbal tea every day

-going to bed 15 minutes earlier

-shutting your phone off after dinner

-taking yourself for a walk in nature

-giving yourself 10 minutes to drink your coffee, quietly, in your favorite spot in your home

-taking a bath or having a foot soak

-lotioning your body after a shower

Self-love isn’t about making a decision to love yourself. It’s simply acting like you love yourself - over and over again. Actions speak louder than words and soon you will find that self-love will flow though you.

And that is how you cultivate self-love. What will be your daily promise today?

CranioSacral Therapy - for Anxiety and Pain

It is normal to feel stressed or overwhelmed during uncertain times. Emotions in response to uncertainty may include anxiety, fear, anger and sadness. Physical responses may include headache, muscle tension, fatigue and sleeplessness.

We all have been profoundly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.  The stress it has caused in our society is having real consequences on our minds and bodies.

The 2020 American Psychological Association survey has reported that across the United States stress is at an all time high and is leading to a national mental health crisis.  One of the findings is that nearly 8 in 10 adults (78%) say the coronavirus pandemic is a significant source of stress in their life.  https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2020/sia-mental-health-crisis.pdf

CranioSacral Therapy (CST) is one of a number of complementary therapies available at Therapeutic Bodywork which has shown to reduce anxiety and pain.

It is a gentle treatment method used to release restrictions in the tissues effecting the nervous system and encourage the body’s natural capacity for self-repair. Given that the craniosacral system includes structures of the central nervous system — the skull, cerebrospinal fluid, the membranes of the brain and the spinal cord — CST can have a positive impact on mood regulation, pain tolerance, stress response and relaxation.

A study that was published in the Journal of Alternative and Complimentary Medicine reviewed the effectiveness of Upledger CranioSacral Therapy (UCST) treatments received by 157 patients. Patients sought help for reasons including dealing with headaches and migraine, neck and back pain, or anxiety and depression. The results showed that 74 percent of patients reported a “valuable improvement in their presenting problem.”

Taking care of yourself is especially important during these challenging times. If you haven’t experienced a CranioSacral Therapy session with us at Therapeutic Bodywork, we invite you to take advantage of our exclusive new client offering. Please take $10 off any 75 or 90 minute CranioSacral session on Mondays + Wednesdays for a limited time. We look forward to helping you enhance both your mental and physical well-being.

offer expires February 26th, 2021. mention ‘new client special’ at time of session.

Palma Puzzuoli has received her education in CranioSacral Therapy through the Upledger Institute. She offers a caring touch and customizes each session to help clients relax, restore balance and facilitate the body’s healing process. Palma is available for sessions on Mondays + Wednesdays.

Our Collective Responsibility

With COVID on the rise in our community and the holiday season upon us, we wanted to take a moment and remind you of our collective responsibility at this vulnerable time.

While we continue to prioritize the health and safety of our entire team and community, we ask for your full cooperation with our protocols.

Please take a moment to review the protocols set on us by the Commonwealth of MA and take the following into consideration:

-if you have traveled from outside of the MA area within the last 14 days, you must present a negative COVID test result.

-if you have participated in a 'high-risk Holiday Celebration' please consider forfeiting your scheduled appointment for 2 weeks past your gathering.

-if you are experiencing any COVID related symptoms, or have been exposed to COVID, please do not come for your appointment.

-if you are awaiting results for a COVID test, please reschedule your appointment.

-our waiting area is temporarily closed. You may shop in the Wellness Shop (limited to 2 at a time), but please do not linger in our reception area.

-a reminder to wait in your car for your scheduled appointment until we call to grant you access.

-masks are required for entry.

-upon entry, please use the hand sanitizer or use the restroom to wash your hands before your session.

We thank you for your continued support and your efforts in keeping our community safe.

-The Therapeutic Bodywork Team