chakra khan

When I feel like rewarding myself, I have a number of go-to indulgences: organic dark chocolate and an espresso, a pedicure with nail art, a superfluous movie night (no substance, please), a leisurely afternoon in the hammock with a book. But one thing you don’t see on my “Indulgences List” is massage. That’s because, in my opinion, massage is not a treat or an indulgence, but actually an essential component of any preventative health routine.

I hired a new doctor this winter and had a pre-visit questionnaire prior to my first appointment. Among other questions about my health, the nurse’s aid asked me, “Do you get a least three servings of milk or milk products every day.” To which I responded very confidently, “Yes.” 

“That’s terrific!” she said. 

I had just lied to a health professional. 

Feeling overindulgent after a season of weddings, BBQs and backyard parties last summer, I started working on my wife, trying to convince her to join me in cleansing through the month of October. I have cleansed with varying levels of success over the past decade, always learning something new about myself and my relationship with my food. After much cajoling she agreed and we harangued a few more friends into doing it with us – strength in numbers, you know?! Our plan was to eliminate animal products, caffeine, alcohol, processed foods, gluten-containing grains, sugar…all the good stuff. The goal was to get really simple and find the “reset” button on our eating habits.