It is already December and holiday cheer is in the air! We at Zuma Massage want to wish everyone a happy holiday season and a wonderful new year. We also want to spread our support for the families in our community who cannot afford a holiday celebration. We have compiled a list of events and charities available in the Treasure Valley this year, so when you are out shopping for your own family remember to pick up a little something extra for those in need.

• 7 Cares Day – Saturday December 8 – 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. For the sixth annual 7 Cares Day KTVB Channel 7 will broadcast live and accept non-perishable food items and cash donations to help Idaho families in need. donations at the Idaho Center in Nampa, KTVB Studio in Boise, and Fred Meyer stores in Twin Falls and Eagle. All donations will be split between the Idaho Foodbank, Salvation Army, Jubilee House, and Boise Rescue Mission Ministries.
• Hope for the Holidays Turkey Drive – November-December. Turkeys and other food donations to The Idaho Foodbank can be dropped off at several Les Schwab Treasure Valley locations.
• Local Musicians and Moxie Java Come Together Once Again to Benefit The Idaho Foodbank. For the third year, Moxie Java and Idaho musicians have combined efforts to support The Idaho Foodbank. IdaHo-Ho-Ho with Moxie Java is a holiday celebration with music from 13 Idaho artists including Carole King and Micky & The Motorcars. The limited-edition CD is available at the Record Exchange and participating Moxie Java locations throughout the Treasure Valley for $15.00. Profits will go directly to help fund the efforts of The Idaho Foodbank.
• Shop On-Line via the Social Good Network. Socialgoodnetwork.com – Cause Shopping & Community: Do some good whenever you shop at over 350 major online retailers. Purchases don’t cost a penny extra, you can designate the Idaho Foodbank as the nonprofit you would like your donation to benefit from your purchases. It’s free to join and can help make a difference.
• Want to help? An easy and fun way you can help is to hold a food drive.  Food drives not only help provided much-needed items such as soups, meals, pastas, and other shelf stable food items, but provide an easy way for everyone in our community to get involved in hunger relief. Hold a food drive today and help make a positive impact in your community. Or see a list of current food drives.
• What’s a virtual food drive? A Virtual Food Drive is a great alternative or addition to a traditional “physical” food drive. Virtual Food drives are hosted on our website and enable a way for your work, business, organization or neighborhood to host a customizable food drive online.
• Toys For Tots. The mission of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is to collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community in which the campaign is conducted.
• Holiday Giving Tree. Take a Tag from the Holiday Giving Tree and take a stand to help the WCA re-build lives. Return gifts with the tags or financial contributions to the WCA at 720 W. Washington Street or any Zions Bank Branch. The Women’s and Children’s Alliance (WCA) provides safety, shelter and support to women and their children escaping the trauma of domestic violence and/or sexual abuse. Your donation will provide hope -the most precious gift of all!

Thanksgiving is less than a week away, but there are still many families in Idaho who cannot afford to have a Thanksgiving dinner. This is the season for the community to come together and support each other in this time of need. We here at Zuma have compiled a list of organizations who are conducting food drives and who can use your help. So when you are at the grocery store this weekend pick up an extra set of groceries to donate!

Organizations Accepting Food:

• The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is supporting the 2012 Thanksgiving Family Food Box Project. With this project volunteers are assigned a box for a family and they will fill each box with a complete Thanksgiving dinner. To be assigned a box call 919-9215, or visit http://www.svdpid.org/pages/Thanksgiving.php for more info. If you don’t have time to shop they are also accepting monetary donations, $50 buys a dinner for an entire family!
• Calvary Chapal is putting on Thanksgiving Food Baskets. Due to lack of storage space, rather than collecting food they are collecting monetary donations and will purchase the food baskets directly from Albertsons. A Thanksgiving basket for a family of 5 costs about $70. To donate, you can take a leaf from the tree in the Lobby and take your donation to the Receptionist Desk. For more information visit http://www.ccboise.org/event/thanksgiving-food-baskets.
• The Boise Rescue Mission is asking for help to fight holiday hunger and they are in need of more Turkeys. The mission has registered more than 4,000 families for holiday food boxes – complete with turkeys. That’s on top of the annual Thanksgiving banquets next week in Boise and Nampa. If you’d like to help, you’re encouraged to donate a turkey or other non-perishable food at any mission facility, including the mission warehouse on South 24th Street, the River of Life Mission at 13th and River streets, or City Light Home for Women and Children at 14th and Jefferson streets in Boise, or the Lighthouse Mission in Nampa.

Where to Get a Turkey

Many grocery stores are having special deals for their turkeys. Below are some of the best deals in the area, so go score yourself a cheap turkey and donate it to one of the above organizations!

• At WinCo you can get a whole frozen turkey for $0.39/lb. with a $50 purchase of other groceries(0.88/lb. otherwise)
• At Albertson’s there is a deal for Butterball Turkey that you can get through 11/22! Whenever you buy any Frozen or Fresh Butterball Turkey, Lil’ Butterball, Breast or Breast Roast AND Participating Products, you’ll get back a $10 Catalina coupon to use on your next purchase. See a list of participating products HERE.
• At Fred Meyer you can get a FREE turkey with a $150 grocery purchase.

Where to Volunteer on Thanksgiving

If you have extra time between second helpings on Thanksgiving you can go to one of the following organization to volunteer to hand out meals to families in need.

• Boise Rescue Mission Ministries, P.O. Box 1494, Boise, ID, 208-343-2389. Email revbill@Boiserm.org for more information.
• Idaho Food Bank, 3562 South T.K. Avenue, Boise, ID, 208-336-9643. Email dproctor@idahofoodbank.org for more information.
• The Idaho Foodbank: Whitney United Methodist Church, 3315 Overland Road, Boise, ID, 208-343-2892.  Visit the website http://www.idahofoodbank.org/ for more information.

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy and the devastation she caused on the East coast many of you might be wondering how you would fare in a similar situation. We at Zuma have compiled a list of some emergency supplies you should stock in the event of a disaster as well as a list of places you can donate to the victims of Hurricane Sandy.

Emergency Food Supplies:

• Water:  You should stock a 2 week supply for each person in your household. Most experts recommend a gallon of water, per person for each day.
• Non-Perishable Foods: Instant oatmeal, canned meat or fish, crackers, rice cakes, cookies, canned soups, canned vegetables and fruits, canned ravioli or spaghetti, cereals, peanut butter, juices, instant coffee, energy bars, granola, trail mix, instant rice, tea are some examples of food you should have on hand.
• For Babies: Infant formula, disposable bottle liners, extra bottles and nipples. Spare pacifier. At least three weeks of diapers and wipes. Canned baby food and boxed baby cereal. Depending on the age of your child, you can adjust accordingly. At least 2 weeks of items, as these are heavily in demand once stores open.

Emergency Supply Essentials:

• Extra batteries
• A battery powered radio
• Flashlights
• Camping lantern along with matches and candles
• Manual can and bottle opener
• Disposable plates, cups and utensils
• Camping stove
• Plain household bleach
• Paper towels, small cooler, large black trash bags, work gloves, zippered quart or gallon bags, rope, a large tarp, duct tape, scissors, utility knife and needle and thread
• At least one soft, lightweight backpack or pillowcase in case you have to evacuate
• First aid kit
• Personal care items- toothbrushes, toothpaste, hair brush, soap, shampoo, conditioner, towels, feminine products, toilet and tissue paper
• At least one change of clothes for each family member, plus light jackets, closed-toe shoes and socks
• Storage containers for water and fuel. You should also have a tool kit, crescent wrench and ax

Entertainment

Without electricity and internet you will have to resort to “old school” forms of entertainment. Bring a deck of cards, some board games, books  and puzzles.

How Can I Help Hurricane Sandy Victims?

If you would like to donate to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy there are many organizations you can support.

According to FEMA:

Cash is the most efficient method of donating – Cash offers voluntary agencies the most flexibility in obtaining the most-needed resources and pumps money into the local economy to help businesses recover. Remember, unsolicited donated goods such as used clothing, miscellaneous household items, and mixed or perishable foodstuffs require helping agencies to redirect valuable resources away from providing services to sort, package, transport, warehouse, and distribute items that may not meet the needs of disaster survivors.

If you need help in determining who to give to, National Voluntary Organization Active in Disaster website has a list of major non-profits that are active in disaster work or you can make your offer through the National Donations Management Network.

Here are some volunteer groups FEMA recommends:
www.nvoad.org
www.serve.gov
www.citizencorps.gov
www.networkforgood.org

The Red Cross on what kind of donations are needed?

Unfortunately we are not ableto accept individual donations or collections of items such as clothing, food or cleaning supplies. The cost to sort, package and distribute these types of donations to disaster victims is usually greater than the cost of purchasing the items locally, and it is logistically impossible to distribute a wide variety of individual items in a meaningful and equitable way.

The best way to donate is to make a financial gift. Visit www.redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Your gift enables the Red Cross to get prepared and provide shelter, food, emotional support and other assistance to those affected.

You can also donate directly via Amazon.

The weather is cooling down leaves are falling from trees and your co-workers are starting to snivel. That’s right, flu season is upon us and we at Zuma Massage want to make sure you are prepared to avoid catching it.

What is the Flu?

The flu is caused by the influenza virus and is a form of respiratory illness. When the influenza virus enters the body it moves to the respiratory tract where it binds to surface cells where the virus will replicate and take over function of the cells. This causes respiratory tissue to become inflamed and this is when you will begin to notice the first symptoms of the flu.

What are symptoms of the flu?

The flu shares symptoms very similar to the common cold such as sore throat, coughing, runny and stuffy nose, headaches and fatigue. With the flu, however, you can also expect to experience a high fever, chills, body aches and even nausea and vomiting.

How do you treat flu symptoms?

If you have been unlucky enough to catch the flu you should stay home from work or school for at least 24 hours to ensure you are no longer contagious. You should take this time to get plenty of rest and drink lots of fluids. Eat nourishing foods such as soup and crackers.

There are also a number of over-the-counter medicines you can take which will reduce fever, decongest sinuses and help with coughing. It is important to be careful about which medications you buy since many of these medicines contain antihistamines which make many people drowsy. You should also consult your physician if you have heart problems or high blood pressure.

There are also natural ways to relieve the symptoms of the flu, such as gargling salt water. This helps to reduce the little tickle in the back of your throat. Honey, lemon and apple cider vinegar can also be dissolved into a water solution and gargled to sooth a sore throat. Drink some hot liquids such as herbal tea, the steam can help with nasal congestion and keep you hydrated. Take a long steamy shower or hot bath which will also help with congestion and help you relax.

How can you avoid getting the flu?

Be extra careful to maintain proper hygiene during flu season. Starting with the very basic you should wash your hands with soap and water on a regular basis, if you don’t have access to a bathroom use hand sanitizer. Avoid touching your face, particularly your eyes, nose and mouth. Sneeze and cough into the sleeve of your shirt to avoid spreading germs with your hands and if you blow your nose in a tissue throw it away and wash your hands. The CDC also recommends getting a flu vaccine which are available from your physician or pharmacist.

Everything You Need To Know About Treating and Preventing a Migraines.

What is a migraine? A migraine is a type of severe headache caused by enlargement of blood vessels, a process also known as vasodilatation.  When the blood vessels are enlarged it stretches the nerves around them, the nerves then release chemicals which can cause pain and inflammation. Further inflammation increases the pain of the headache and creates the super painful head pounding we know as a migraine.

Migraines can be a huge problem and there are currently 28 million Americans who suffer from the frequently. Besides being cripplingly painful, other symptoms of a migraine include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cold extremities and sensitivity to sound and light. Migraines can last a few hours to several days.

How can I treat a migraine? There are several ways to treat a migraine or at least reduce the severity of a migraine. You can use non-medication therapies, medication or a combination of both, here are some popular treatments:

• Get a massage. Massages can relax the body and reduce the pain caused by migraines. Getting massages on a regular basis can also reduce the occurrence of migraines.
• Get some sleep! Try to keep a regular sleep schedule, and if you have a migraine get to bed and try to sleep off the headache! An erratic sleep schedule or lack of sleep can trigger migraines or make them worse.
• Drink some caffeine. Drinking too much caffeine can often give you a headache, but if you have just a little it can actually help with the pain. Some studies even show that ibuprofen or aspirin are more effective when taken with caffeine.
• Watch what you eat. There are certain foods that can lead to a migraine, so it is important to note what you were eating before your headache started because it might be a food that triggers your migraines. Some common migraine inducing foods are red wine and chocolate.
• Add some spice to your life. Red pepper actually contains a chemical, capsaicin, which is known to relive pain and prevent it. If you have a hard time eating spicy foods you can also buy cayenne pepper capsules which have a similar effect.
• Ice packs. Often times applying an ice pack or cold compress to your head will help to relieve the pain of a migraine.
• Take a bath. Taking a bath and letting your body relax can also help to break up your migraine.
• Over-the-counter painkillers. When in doubt you can always try an over-the-counter pain killer such as ibuprofen or aspirin.

We are currently experiencing the largest West Nile virus outbreak in the history of the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 41 deaths across 38 states.  So what is West Nile virus and how do you know if you have been infected?

West Nile virus is spread by mosquitoes who have contracted the disease from infected birds. It is not known how the virus found its way into the United States, and there is currently no cure or vaccine. West Nile virus contains symptoms that are very similar to the flu such as headache, body aches, fatigue, fever, swollen lymph nodes and sometimes a rash.  The West Nile virus causes inflammation of the brain, although the CDC estimates that only 1% of those bitten will become seriously ill.

West Nile Prevention

There are many ways that you can protect you and your family from becoming infected with West Nile virus. Most prevention measure are based on simply protecting yourself from being bitten by a mosquito. Some basic prevention tips are:

• Double check the screens on your windows and doors to make sure they are able to keep mosquitoes out of the house.
• Mosquitoes are drawn to and breed in still standing water. So empty any buckets, barrels or flower pots that have sitting water and change the water in wading pools, pet bowls and bird baths regularly.
• Use an insect repellent when you are outdoors, especially near water.
• Mosquitoes are most active at dusk and dawn, so if you find yourself outside during these times make sure to use insect repellent and wear long sleeves and pants to protect yourself.

We are Zuma hope these tips help you safely enjoy the rest of your Summer!

Overview

Physical therapy is a treatment aimed at curing ailments while also preventing reoccurrences. The goal of physical therapy is to free the patient of any pain and return their bodies to normal. Many people who utilize physical therapy are those with permanent disabilities, those recuperating from a major injury or accident, and those who have a crippling disease such as arthritis or lower back pain. Regular physical therapy can also help improve overall fitness and health.

The benefits of working with a Physical Therapist

Patients may think that they do not need a physical therapist and that they can find and perform exercises on their own. A Physical Therapist has been trained and educated in finding the proper exercises for the best rehabilitation. A Physical Therapist will be able to determine which exercises and program is most appropriate for you, your body type and your specific ailment. A Physical Therapist will also be able to monitor your improvement and adjust exercises accordingly.

What to expect during a physical therapy session

Physical Therapy encompasses strength and flexibility training, pain relief, postural alignment, range of motion, endurance training, balance and coordination, and stress relief. Because everyone suffers from a different ailment exercises are quite varied and tailored to individual needs

Time frame for improvement

Everyone wants to get better as soon as possible, but each person recovers differently at a different rate. Progress can be evaluated within a couple of weeks, but full recovery can take much longer.