Ginger Snap Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 cups white whole-wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 3/4 coconut oil, softened or melted
• 1 cup coconut palm sugar, plus a little more for rolling
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup molasses or sorghum
• 1 teaspoon water

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or use a nonstick cookie sheet.
Sift together flour, salt, and spices in medium bowl, set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat coconut oil and sugar until a creamy consistency and well combined. Add in egg, molasses, and water and beat just until combined. Stir in the dry ingredients and mix with a large spoon until incorporated. Allow dough to rest 10 minutes at room temperature before shaping.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls, roll balls in additional sugar, place on parchment paper, and slightly flatten with fingers or bottom of a glass. Leave about 1-inch between cookies.
TIP: For more festive cookies roll in Turbinado sugar which has larger crystals.
Bake for 10 minutes for softer cookies and 12 minutes for crispier cookies. Leave on cookie sheet about 4-5 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container. For best results, do not refrigerate.

Gluten Friendly Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter (not natural)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup semi sweet or milk chocolate chips*
  • If dairy free, use dairy free chocolate chips like Enjoy Life’s Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, using a large spoon, mix together peanut butter, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, egg and baking soda until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop dough by the rounded tablespoonfuls onto Silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheets, spacing cookies 2-inches apart. Flatten each slightly. Bake in preheated oven 10 – 12 minutes. Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Avoid Slips and Falls: Walk Like a Penguin

The waddle keeps your center of gravity over your front leg and will help keep you upright. Spread your feet out slightly, to increase your center of gravity, and take small steps.Also, keep your hands out of your pockets while walking — that decreases your center of gravity and balance, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. You need your arms for balance.

Snow Shoveling Safety

Nationwide, snow shoveling is responsible for thousands of injuries and as many as 100 deaths each year. National Safety Council recommends the following tips to shovel safely:

• Do not shovel after eating or while smoking
• Take it slow and stretch out before you begin
• Shovel only fresh, powdery snow; it’s lighter
• Push the snow rather than lifting it
• If you do lift it, use a small shovel or only partially fill the shovel
• Lift with your legs, not your back

Snow Blower Safety

Avoiding Frostbite and Hypothermia

Even skin that is protected can be subject to frostbite.Superficial frostbite affects the skin surface, while the underlying tissue remains soft. The skin appears white, waxy or grayish-yellow and is cold and numb.

If the condition is allowed to progress to deep frostbite, all layers of the skin are affected and the outcome likely will be more serious. The skin will become completely numb, blisters may form and eventually the skin tissue dies and turns black.

Hypothermia occurs when the body’s temperature drops below 95 degrees. Severe shivering, one of the first signs of hypothermia, is beneficial in keeping the body warm. But as hypothermia progresses, shivering gives way to drowsiness or exhaustion, confusion, shallow breathing, irregular heartbeat, slurred speech, loss of coordination and, eventually, unconsciousness and even death.

IT’S BACK!!!

The Body Logic Holiday Massage Contest is back! Entering is easy! Click here to enter for a chance to win a FREE 60 minute monthly massage membership of your choosing for the ENTIRE YEAR of 2016! Contest ends December 21st and the winner will be announced no later than December 23rd.

With winter weather quickly approaching, the dreaded “flu season” often follows shortly thereafter.  Interestingly, “flu season” is most often a result of poor health habits, increased sugar intake, and stress preventing the body from fighting off the germs on its own.  To help prevent falling victim to the germs, Standard Process and Mediherb have multiple products that help to boost your immune system both long term and short term.  Here’s a little info about the two products Body Logic is promoting during the month of December to help you and your loved ones stay healthy.  (Hint: special pricing available in office!)

IMMUPLEX

Taken daily, Immuplex can support a healthy immune response by helping maintain normal white blood cell activity and function.  It also supports the body’s normal response to inflammation.  Additionally, Immuplex provides phytochemicals with antioxidant activity as well as a mineral base to support every day biochemical function in the body. Click here to see the ingredient list!

ANDROGRAPHIS COMPLEX

This herbal supplement is most often used to support acute immune responses like when you first feel that tickle in the back of the throat. The complex contains a combination of Echinacea root, Holy Basil, and Andrographis to enhance immune function. Click here to learn more!  Note: Andrographis is a strong herb and may be contraindicated in certain cases.  Please consult with the doctors to find out if it’s a good fit for you!

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Happy Holidays!

Give the gift of relaxation to the ones you care for most….and yourself!

For the month of December:

Buy 2 Massage Gift Certificates, Get the 3rd HALF OFF!

Buy 4 Massage Gift Certificates, Get the 5th FREE

* Valid on gift certificates purchases only. Limit 1 per transaction per gift certificate type. 

Body Logic will be open on Christmas Eve from 9-1 for last minute gift certificate sales!

When snow, ice and frigid weather blast into town, watch out, says the American Chiropractic Association (ACA). Winter recreational activities and chores can pose problems for the outdoor enthusiast whose body is not in condition. Winter sports like skating, skiing and sledding can cause painful muscle spasms, strains or tears if you’re not in shape. Even shoveling snow the wrong way, clambering awkwardly over snow banks, slipping on sidewalks and wearing the wrong kinds of clothing can all pose the potential for spasms, strains and sprains.

The ACA suggest that you start with some light aerobic activity (jogging, biking, fast walking) for about 7-10 minutes. Then follow these tips to help you fight back the winter weather:

• Skiing – do 10 to 15 squats. Stand with your legs shoulder width apart, knees aligned over your feet. Slowly lower your buttocks as you bend your knees over your feet. Stand up straight again.
• Skating – do several lunges. Take a moderately advanced step with one foot. Let your back knee come down to the floor while keeping your shoulders in position over your hips. Repeat the process with your other foot.
• Sledding/tobogganing – do knee-to-chest stretches to fight compression injuries caused by repetitive bouncing over the snow. Either sitting or lying on your back, pull your knees to your chest and hold for up to 30 seconds.
• Don’t forget cool-down stretching for all of these sports – At the bottom of the sledding hill, for instance, before trudging back up, do some more knees-to-chest stretches, or repetitive squatting movements to restore flexibility.

Shoveling snow can also wreak havoc on the musculoskeletal system. The ACA suggests the following tips for exercise of the snow shoveling variety:

• If you must shovel snow, be careful. Listen to weather forecasts so you can rise early and have time to shovel before work.
• Layer clothing to keep your muscles warm and flexible.
• Shoveling can strain “de-conditioned” muscles between your shoulders, in your upper back, lower back, buttocks and legs. So, do some warm-up stretching before you grab that shovel.
• When you do shovel, push the snow straight ahead. Don’t try to throw it. Walk it to the snow bank. Avoid sudden twisting and turning motions.
• Bend your knees to lift when shoveling. Let the muscles of your legs and arms do the work, not your back.
• Take frequent rest breaks to take the strain off your muscles. A fatigued body asks for injury.
• Stop if you feel chest pain, or get really tired or have shortness of breath. You may need immediate professional help.

After any of these activities, if you are sore, apply an ice bag to the affected area for 20 minutes, then take it off for a couple of hours. Repeat a couple of times each day over the next day or two.

If you continue to feel soreness, pain or strain after following these tips, it may be time to come visit us at Body Logic!

Credit:  Adapted from the American Chiropractic Association