Detox Programs That Actually Work.

The word detox carries a lot of meaning. To a health practitioner, it’s an intervention much more complicated then a 5-day juice cleanse. The hardcore practitioner will scoff at the idea of a juice cleanse and say that detox protocols are much more intense and calculated.

For the purposes of this blog post, let's just use the word detox and reset interchangeably and not get into the debate about what is a true detox. Alright, let's go…The body has 6 organs of elimination. These organs include the bowel, liver, gallbladder, kidneys, skin and the lymphatic system. Whatever we can do to upregulate and strengthen these organs should be the aim of any introductory cleanse or detox. 

With this being said, I’m going to outline some recommendations that will press the reset button and strengthen these organs.

1.     Open the doors. If we sweep a house, let us open the doors so that we’re not just recirculating the dust. In this case, toxins. Make sure you have enough fiber. 

2.     Make sure antioxidant intake is high. When mobilizing toxins, we need antioxidants to combat circulating free radicals. Antioxidants that I’ve used include spirulina and chlorella. A quality greens powder will do. 

3.     Drink plenty of water. If we want to take it to the next level, invest in some clean filtered water. High-end grocery stores like Whole Foods Market carry filtration systems that allow you to take home filtered water. Drinking contaminated tap water contradicts the idea of a detox. 

4.     Cut out stimulants like caffeine and alcohol (sorry wine and coffee drinkers). The word here is reset/detox. Let’s not build on dysfunction and allow our body’s signaling pathways to get a break.

5.     Get plenty of sleep. People often believe that since they are doing one thing right, they can afford to neglect another. Sleep will always be important regardless of you doing a detox or not.

6.     Utilize whole foods to reset. The explanation is easy. Without fibre, were not able to mobilize and excrete excess toxins and hormones. Quality and moderate protein is needed for most detoxification pathways.

If I was to invest in something buzz-worthy at the moment, it would be a meal plan service that would set me on the right track. Recently I utilized Living Kitchen, a collective of holistic nutritionists, chefs, and cooks that specialize in making people feel their best.

Not only did they save me the time of preparing my food, but they also offered a detox aimed at jumpstarting the body into a healthier lifestyle. Pssst. In case you didn't know, You can meet your macros with high quality/nutrient-dense foods too. 

Here's a picture of last weeks meal plan from Living Kitchen

"Another One" **Dj Khaled voice**

An Intro Into Probiotics (Part 1)

This post is inspired by two good friends who just had a beautiful baby (Congrats guys!) We were having dinner and the topic of gut flora came up and sparked me to share a little info for new and expecting mothers and fathers regarding gut health.

We’ve all been told that a good probiotic can be beneficial to us, but how much do we actually know about how the gut microbiome develops? Most of us will blindly say “I need more beneficial bacteria in my gut therefore I’ll take these probiotic pills”. While this does hold some truth, it’s not the whole truth nor is it a definite statement.

The truth is that the microbiome (community of pathogenic organisms) is so complex that we’re still learning about its functions and its effects on the body. I’ll break one myth right off the bat. It’s false to assume that we have an infinite number of strains of bacteria that we could find in a bottle, ingest and inoculate our body with. It’s not that simple. At least not yet.

Our gut microbiome and subsequently our immunity is determined at birth. Here’s a quick rundown…

• The gut microbiome is a post-natal organ. Just like any other organ in our body, it has metabolic functions and has the ability to develop until the age of 3. The first microflora is given to the child via the rectal and vaginal canal of the mother. Thereafter, the next exposure to beneficial bacteria is made through the nipple and skin of the mother.

This makes a case for new mothers to avoid a C-Section when possible. Babies who were birthed via C-section may not see the effects of a compromised gut microbiome until later in life.  

• Breast milk produces an oligosaccharide (a kind of indigestible carbohydrate that is fermented by the gut microflora). This is the baby’s first introduction to a prebiotic. For anyone not familiar, a prebiotic is food for our beneficial bacteria. This indigestible fiber is used to feed the gut bacteria of the baby.

I’m often asked what the best baby formula is? My answer. Breast milk. You can’t find it at Whole Foods and it’s never on sale and that’s ok because it’s free! Awesome joke right? I’ll go home now…

• Bacteria have developed a bad reputation over the years and in response, most children are being raised in an environment that’s too hygienic. Of course, lets not go over board and throw our little one into the downtown streets and say “be free”, but mothers should be more open to allowing their children to have their immune system and flora stimulated and challenged. This extends into the adult population as were also far too hygienic for our own good.

The takeaway? Let’s not be too quick to grab the disinfectant cleaners every time the little ones play with their toys. Play in the dirt!

Okay, we’ve all learned that the gut microbiome is this organ that develops until the age of three and its development is determined by initial exposure from a natural birth and supported by this prebiotic substance that breast milk produces. If you’re an adult now and weren’t able to reap the benefits of natural birth and breast milk then you’re probably sarcastically saying “Thanks Mom”.

At the end of the day, circumstances may cause us to grow up with a less than optimal gut microbiome but we’re not all doomed.  As I mentioned before, research is still concurrent and looking for new ways to strengthen our gut microbiome. From what we know so far, probiotics aren’t the sole answer to all our problems but studies have shown positive effects on probiotic supplementation and a solid diet.

We won’t necessarily be able to create new strains by ingesting a pill, but we can create an environment for weak strains of beneficial bacteria to flourish again. There’s even some evidence to the possibility of inoculating new strains into our body from fecal matter transplant (yes, that means putting strains up your butt via pill), but research is still young and the dangers of bacterial transplant are still not fully known.

With this all being said, I am a fan of probiotic supplementation and have had good results with probiotics. Since bacteria is so unpredictable it’s hard to measure the number of bacteria in a bottle of kombucha or sauerkraut, but we do know they have a variety of strains in them (probably even more than the average probiotic supplement). 

As of right now, I’m simply allowing myself to consume a variety of fermentable foods and supplementing with a reputable probiotic (when needed) while trying my best to avoid household disinfectants and avoiding antibiotics when they’re not necessary.

Get more probiotics and prebiotics in your diet via:

Probiotic Food Sources: Kombucha, Sauerkraut, Kimchi, Yogurt, Kefir (Coconut Kefir if dairy-free), Natto, Miso Soup.

Prebiotic Food Sources: Artichoke, Asparagus, Beans (if tolerated), Any Leafy Greens (Kale Spinach, Chard), Onions, Garlic.

Stay tuned for part 2 where I'll go through specific brands for supplementation and possibly a recipe for fermented food. 

Thoughts on Ketosis (and a little explanation)

Ketosis. It’s a pretty sexy topic right now and just about everyone’s friend, aunt and uncle seem to be an expert on being fat adapted. Lately I've been asking myself "shouldn't I eat carbs when I want to perform a high powered sport or exercise?"

This post isn’t meant to be a focus on what ketosis is, but for the sake of context, I’ll give you the main points.

Ketosis is a metabolic state where our body switches from glucose to ketone bodies (which are derived from acetyl CoA) when we deplete our body of glucose and glycogen. Ketone bodies are produced as a result of our body breaking down fat.

If the brain prefers glucose as fuel, then how are we able to survive on prolonged fasts? That’s because those ketones take the place of glucose and can fuel the brain. In a clinical setting, ketogenic diets have been utilized for the treatment of MS, diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer’s.

*** Quick note: MS and Alzheimer’s have been tied in with mitochondrial dysfunction and the brain cell’s inability to use glucose to fuel the brain. The idea is that switching to ketone bodies will serve as an alternative fuel source instead of glucose.

Aside from its effects on MS and Alzheimer’s, endurance athletes have started to adopt a more ketogenic based diet in order to take advantage of the fact that fat, as a substrate is vast and almost endless. Think about it, we can store more fat than glycogen bro! Note that there is something called nutritional ketosis (keeping carbohydrates under 50g) and fasting ketosis (when were eating almost nothing).

If you're geeked out on body metabolism and want some cold hard facts…Just know that ketosis is measured by the number of ketone bodies present in our blood. True ketosis can fluctuate but should be at about 0.2-0.5 mm of BHB (hydroxybutyrate is just one measurable ketone). Anything over this means you've been "kicked out of ketosis". 

Main Points

• Ketones can be used as an alternative source of fuel for the body.

• Ketones are produced when our body metabolizes fat.

• Ketosis is used as an alternative fuel source in clinical settings when mitochondria (energy producing area) are not using glucose effectively.

• We can store more fat than glycogen.

• Ketone bodies made from acetyl CoA.

Since we’re all experts on ketosis, let’s tackle the real question. Is ketosis good for athletes who require short bursts of power? Is it for everyone?

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Here's a typical ketogenic breakfast. Organic turkey burger patty with some guacamole on the side.

I remember having a conversation with a naturopath and asking him what his thoughts were on performance and running on mostly fat aka ketosis. I remember his exact words “yeah fat would be an ideal energy source if the sport was fighting to the death”. What he meant was, fat is ideal when its our last option, but for shorter more powerful sports, we’d be best served with some high quality carbohydrates. 

I also remember talking to a colleague of mine and debating whether or not being fat-fueled was the ideal state an athlete should be in. The outcome was an agreement that endurance athletes would be best served using fats as fuel because it enables the athlete to be more metabolically flexible and tap into an almost unending source of fuel.

However, in order for this to work the athlete would have to be “fat adapted” at least 3 months before. We can’t just have the athlete attempt to get into ketosis 3 weeks before a triathlon.

My own personal experience? Ketosis was the easiest and least painful way for me to improve body composition (aka lose fat). However, I can’t lie to you, if power is needed on a specific day, then clean carbohydrates work well for me.

I follow a diet that's high in fat and protein but not exclusive to other macronutrients. I'll still eat carbohydrates and I'll eat them closer on days where I've played hockey or lifted something heavy. If I were to take part in a triathlon, then ketosis would make sense, but I'm not signed up for any at the moment. 

There’s an up and coming market for exogenous ketones on the rise and they’ll say that you can reap the benefits of ketosis by ingesting ketones which will allow you to use ketones without going into fasting or nutritional ketosis. I’ve tried this as a sample and it was tasty, but I’d have to use it longer to feel the performance-enhancing effects.

Should we drink our water hot or cold?

I remember the time an Ayurvedic practitioner told me that hot water was a simple way of losing fat. I never forgot when he said this because of his reasoning for fat loss. He asked me “have you ever tried cleaning grease/fat off a stove with hot water instead of using cold water?”

At the time I was skeptical because I kept saying that adipose tissue was different from grease on someone’s stove and the mechanism of shedding fat had to be a little different. It was like someone telling me eating “mussels” lead to more muscle in the body.

Obviously I’ve changed my stance on this. There is definitely truth to this warm to hot water on fat loss theory. It’s by no means an aggressive approach to fat loss, but it’s a routine worth throwing into the mix if fat loss is a goal. This extends to overall health, as warm water should be consumed over cold water.

So what are the benefits?

1.     Warm water increases metabolism by heating the body, which leads to calorie expenditure.

2.     Warm to hot water actually breaks down excess phlegm and in the case you’re suffering from congestion, it can help eliminate excess phlegm. This also aids in digestion and bowel movement.

3.     Warm water supports digestive enzyme activity. What happens when we put food in the fridge? It slows down its rate of breakdown because we slowed down the enzymatic activity of that food. The same happens when we’re chewing our food and drinking cold water at the same time.  Digestive enzymes are slowed down.

Let’s not overthink this and forget that proper hydration is a staple to overall health and supports the body during movement and exercise, which (under the right conditions) leads to fat loss. The reason it was worth making a blog post about drinking warm water is that we seem to have it backwards in North America.

Usually, we take our showers hot and drink our water cold. The effects of a cold shower include improved circulation, immunity and recovery from intense workouts. Not to mention the practice of being uncomfortable which, can build some beneficial psychological benefits.

This, of course, is a guideline and drinking cold water will not make you a bad person. Putting Perrier in your vodka will.

Jokes aside, it would be hard to follow through with this as refraining from a hot shower and ice water both feels and tastes good. Let’s just think twice before we ask for ice in our water while at a buffet and utilize contrast (hot/cold) showers more often.

Remember: Drink your water warm and take your showers cold.

5 Universal Tips of Dieting.

Nutrition is easy. Of course, this is easier said than done and the wide array of health issues can attest to the idea that nutrition is anything but simple. There is one thing that we can make easier for us, and that’s the stress that we should be eating one way and one way only.

Everyone seems to have his or her own way of eating and at times it can get confusing. This post isn’t meant to steer you into one way of eating, In fact, the bulk of this post is based around the idea that diets should adapt to seasons, conditions and health factors.

To add to this, we need to find a way of eating that is sustainable for us without having any negative emotional effect on us. There are preferred styles of eating, but these styles should be able to adapt based on what the body needs.

Before I go any further, let me be clear that I’m not simply saying that nutrition is free for all and that we should binge on whatever we crave. There are definitely metabolic, hormonal, fungal and psychological issues that need to be addressed in the right context.

For the purposes of this blog, let’s say that we are simply trying to find our place in the class systems of food that have been created. Should you be on a Ketogenic diet? How about a strict Paleo diet? Should I count Macros?

As I said earlier, it can get confusing and fast. With that being said, let me tell you that if the perfect diet is the destination and you’re on this journey, then stop and realize that the destination is the journey. Enjoy the foods that come your way and share it with the ones you love (just don’t overdo the macaroons that your sister’s best friend brought over).

You can count your macros down to a science and I guarantee that some days your body may call out for you to eat outside your macros. Why? Because our relationship with food is much deeper than calorie counting. Were complicated beings and if the area of nutrition were mastered than we would have no such thing as diabetes, obesity or eating disorders.

Did I just get deep? If I did, then I apologize for going down the rabbit hole. To re-establish the purpose of this post, just remember that there are preferred and optimal ways of eating but there is no diet that is the be all end all of diets. It just won’t happen.

Here are my most basic food rules that everyone should build upon. After these rules are established, then our “style” or preferred way of eating can be established off of these staples.

1.     Eat your veggies (if the meal is a show…then the vegetables are the stars of the show).

2.     Manage blood sugar. In the type of world we live in today, we don’t realize how important this point is.

3.     Don’t neglect protein intake. The bros may overdo the protein thing from time to time, but this macronutrient is key to eating optimally.

4.     Don’t neglect your fats. Ever heard of sex hormones? You’ll need fat for those bro.

5. Train. From a metabolic standpoint, lifting something heavy allows helps the body to be more metabolically flexible. This is mostly due to its insulin sensitivity benefits.

No matter what type of diet you choose to follow, these rules will always apply…

Build upon healthy habits, not diets. 

Things to consider when attempting a detox

Did I ever tell you of the time I attempted to do a green juice detox in the middle of December?

It wasn’t good news. I should’ve made a rap song and dedicate the song around my experience with the detox. It would be a remix to Drake’s “0 to 100” except my song would be called “100 to 0” because that was basically what happened to my body temperature at the time. Boom! Who ever said Drake and the world of nutrition wouldn’t meet?

Jokes aside, my body fat percentage dropped, which many may believe, is indicative of health, but with all things, we have to look at the body in its entirety. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a firm believer of detoxification but I strongly advise against prolonged detoxes, especially in the winter.

Today, many people get caught up in the idea of detoxification and elimination, but forget about the tonification and rejuvenation that needs to happen after the detox. Think of it as “over-cleaning” your room.

Picture this…

Once you’ve finished cleaning your room, you start scrubbing the floors. Once you’ve finished scrubbing the floors, you look around, then you start scrubbing the walls. You look at the walls and say “I think there’s mold, let me bleach this rag and start wiping a little more. Eventually you start peeling the paint off the wall and what was once a fresh clean room, becomes a bare stripped down space of nothing. A little extreme, but you get the picture.

I remember in my undergrad, my cousin was getting ready for a trip to the West Coast. In her attempts to lose weight, she started a 1 week cleanse consisting primarily of cayenne, lemon, maple syrup, and water (known as the master cleanse). Once she completed her cleanse, the first introductory meal she had was at an Indian restaurant where she indulged in everything the menu had to offer. To say her body was shocked, was an understatement. She broke out in hives and she felt pretty bad for the next 3 days. The takeaway here is that the tonification stage in which you introduce foods that you were off of during your detox should be calculated and concise.

Here’s your most basic and/or reasonable detox:

• Detoxification happens on a daily basis. Understand that your body (particularly your lungs, liver and kidneys) is constantly working at detoxifying your body from toxins that you’re exposed to on a daily basis. Providing your body with the antioxidants and nutrients needed to support these organs is your best method of supporting detoxification.

• Support gut health with plenty of vegetables and fruits. A diet higher in fibre will facilitate the excretion of toxins while providing supporting nutrients to your liver and kidneys. Ideally, we should look to eat more seasonally. This means we shouldn’t be knocking back kale and spinach smoothies 4 times a day, 7 days a week. If anyone has tried a detox in the middle of the winter, they can back me up when I say, YOU WILL BE COLD.

• Reduce toxic exposure when possible. Reducing your toxic exposure allows your body to properly detox on a daily basis. If our body was a barrel, then look at toxic load as something that overfills our barrel.

• Don’t forget about tonification. Once you’ve completed a detox protocol, listen to your body. If you start to feel overly tired, try adding more healthy fats (avocado, olive oil, fish oil) back into your diet.

Routine can be good sometimes

I used to think routine was boring. Instagram is littered with inspirational quotes telling you to quit your job and move to Thailand while living amongst nature and all its abundance. The thing is, without some aspect of routine, our lives are a mess. Jobs are routine, but they provide financial stability. Dietary structure is boring, but in some circumstances they’re required in order to bring your health back to a baseline. Where am I going with this? It’s actually unrelated to a job or diet, but rather how you carry yourself when working out. I have a couple rules that I try to enforce for myself when it comes to movement and exercise.

What to do:

1. Always pickup the barbell and dumbbell off the floor the same way you would as if it were 500lbs. That means your somewhat braced and aware at all times. I’ll even utilize this rule when doing something as simple as picking groceries up off the floor (the brace is a little unnecessary, but the movement mechanics should be the same).
2. Put your weights away. It’s the principle that matters. It creates a lifelong habit of simplicity. Use a weight, put it back. Eat from the plate, wash that plate. The habit eliminates unnecessary excess and keeps you from looking like a douche at the gym.
3. Drink water like a draught is coming. Obviously this rule can be taken to an extreme, but I’ve never found myself on the verge of over consuming water.
4. Eat after your workout. I’m not concerned with timing, but I’ll shoot for that 1-hour window after your workout.

My point here is that there are two types of routines. One is the type that keeps you stagnant and comfortable while the other type of routine keeps you consistent and accountable.

Video: Why Deep Squats are Good For You

How to Properly Deadlift: Video Movement Series #1

In this video, I’m hanging put with powerlifting coach Paul Hynes. Watch the full video for cues on how to properly set up, hinge and pull for a safe and powerful deadlift.

How to start Meditating

I remember being in a meditation class in St Lucia where the experience was so relaxing that it made me unaware that people started leaving the room while I lay unaware of my surroundings. I remember the meditation instructor nudging me.

I wasn’t asleep, I knew we were in class, but I had to be physically nudged to get out of that zone. Meditation isn’t necessarily a process where it gives you anything. Rather, it’s a process that takes away. The process brings you back to a balanced place where you become aware of your body, it’s sensations and it all starts with your breath.

By no means have I studied the art long enough to call myself an expert, but that’s the beauty in meditation. Its practice isn’t owned by any school of thought nor is it exclusive to anyone who has reached the “Super Saiyan” level. The experience and benefit are created by the individual.

Where to start: 

The process and experience may be different for everyone, but here’s where I started.

1. Lay a mat down on the floor and lay in a supine position. Don’t lie on your bed. It doesn’t create the grounding feeling and connectedness that the bare ground will.

2. Set up in a quiet room or spot. Lighting a candle could be an awesome way of setting the mood/environment. Depending on how forward-thinking your workplace is, some companies have even invested in meditation/prayer rooms.

3. Close your eyes and start focusing on your breath. Your mind may run and you might start using this time to think about all the things you need to do, but let those thoughts pass and keep coming back to your breath focusing on the depth of your breath (how hard you inhale) and the rhythm of your breath.

4. As you breathe pull the air into your belly and let it expand and contract as you exhale.

Practice:

Don’t get too hard on yourself if the process seems pointless at first. The art of meditation takes practice. The biggest struggle will be your ability to truly let go of unnecessary thoughts during meditation. As I said before, don’t stress about this, it will only create an overactive environment in your mind. Focus on the sound, rate, and depth of your breath.

Benefits of an Oil Massage

Let me paint a picture for you… As I write this, I have my foot elevated with some 90’s hip hop playing in the back and I’m covered in a mixture of coconut oil, almond oil and castor oil. I had just finished a hot bath soaked in an Epsom salt before I proceeded to oil myself up. Diva much? I have good reason though. I recently irritated my knee. It’s nothing major, but when little physical hiccups like this happen I turn to oils. I’ve recently taken this routine up as a result of a little research and trial. If I happen to have an acute injury where I simply need to give the body a chance to reset and heal itself, I’ll implement an oil rub to assist in the healing process. The process is nothing complicated. I’ll simply warm up oil to a comfortable temperature and rub it in to the affected area.

What about menthol and peppermint creams? For the oil rub, I’d stick to a natural oil and add an essential oil to customize the scent if needed. As a side note, the cooling or burning effect you might get from a Bengay or Icy Hot isn’t necessarily speeding the healing process up, but instead, it’s distracting you from the pain that your experiencing in that particular area that you’ve rubbed the menthol cream on (It distracts your brain from the pain and focuses on the cooling effect of the menthol). So in this case, I’d take it off the suggested oils as the smell can get a little heavy on you and your household, especially if your planning on making an oil rub a part of your everyday routine. If you’re trying to recreate grandma’s room on a Thursday night while the Blue Jays and Yankees play on T.V, then by all means, apply some Tiger Balm.

The reasoning behind the oil rub isn’t instantaneous nor will it provide immediate relief, but it will definitely speed up the healing process. If you come across anyone that disregards the application of oil and its exposure to the joints and/or blood stream, try asking them to apply some toxic waste to their skin and see how quickly they change their tune about how external applications do not have an effect on the internal system. The oil rub has a holistic effect that improves circulation and promotes relaxation. These are both extremely important factors when dealing with stress or inflammatory conditions.

What oils to use:

As a general rule, any natural oil is better than no oil, but if you wanted to be more specific, you can choose oil more appropriate for what you want out of the process. Here are some recommendations…`

Coconut Oil – best used as cooling oil, possibly before or after a yoga session or an inflamed area.

Castor Oil – This is very heat intensive oil and can be applied in cases where the individual is extremely dry or looking for something with a warming effect.

Sesame Oil – This is a good neutral option. It’s also been associated with anti-inflammatory properties.

How to apply the oil:

1. Heat the oil by putting it in small bowl or cup, and then put it into a small pot of heated water. Do not microwave it! You speed up the oxidation process and kill the beneficial factors of the oil.

1. After warming the oil proceed to rub it into your scalp working your way down just the same way you’d apply lotion (be sure to avoid the face if your skin is more sensitive). You can focus on a particular area that may be inflamed due to injury and focus on that area. Use a circular motion on the joint your working on.

1. Take a warm shower and rinse off the excess oil and enjoy the feeling of relaxation and improved circulation.

Enjoy all the benefits of an oil massage and let me know how it goes!

Massage Therapy Session Etiquette

For some reason, the topic of RMT's and massages come up from time to time and I've found myself surprised with the amount of people who find the experience foreign to them. I've never been one to shy away from a visit and it doesn't necessarily have to happen when I'm hurt. I'm a big advocate for soft tissue work being a great way to prevent injury while improving performance.

Booking the appointment...

It's fairly simple. You call the clinic and you book a time that works for you. Usually clinics will have a page on their website dedicated to who their massage therapists are, what they specialize in and what they enjoy eating on weekends (seriously, there are some unnecessary profiles out there). Anyways, see who you think would be a good match and request that therapist. It's not creepy to request a woman or man and it's also not creepy to ask who has a heavier hand (that means who massages hard or who will rub your back like your at a spa that you got a Groupon for that so happens to be in a plaza next to Walmart (just in case you didn't quite get my sarcasm, I'm saying they give pretty shitty massages).

When you get to the clinic...

Hopefully by the time you get to the clinic you're fully hydrated. That's a general rule. I've been told by many therapist whether there a chiropractor or RMT, that the muscle is a lot easier to work with when hydrated. Come to the front desk, check in and sit down. Pretty easy.

The massage therapists talks too much...

Here's the interesting stuff and the motivation behind this post. You're massage therapist comes out and she's clearly a chatterbox. She'll have to ask you general questions like, how's you're day going? What brings you in? Where would you like to primarily focus on today? The problem occurs when she starts asking you where you work, what you drive and have you seen the latest episode of Orange is the new black (because she and her girlfriends stayed in this weekend to watch a marathon because "she's so over the clubbing scene" and she's "just too mature for that stuff now") If you're up for conversation and enjoy it, by all means continue to engage he or she, but beware that some people will not shut up. I've learned that the hard way and it kind of takes away from the massage for me.  I used to have this mentality that an RMT would probably prefer someone talk to them because who wants to stand for an hour in silence? However, how do you know they feel obligated to talk to you, meanwhile they just want to focus on the massage and not talk. At the end of the day, keep in mind that you're a paying client and that the hour is for you and you can choose to be quiet if you prefer.

Requesting them to massage harder...

Do not feel bad about asking them to focus more on a particular body part or asking them to massage harder during the massage. I think far too often people forget that massage therapists take their job seriously. For the most part, the therapists that I've come across generally want to provide relief. I used to think that I would offend them by requesting a heavier massage (implying that he or she was weak), but they most likely want to know as well. Also, be weary of RMT's who diagnose you. Everyone in the healthcare field plays a role and some are better suited to diagnose and asses any physiological issues better than others. If you're sick, see a doctor, if you're hurt see a chiropractor, if you're sad, see your mom. Pretty simple.

On providing a tip at the end of the session...

You don't have to. If they seem like there expecting one, then you didn't go to a massage therapist but instead you went to nail spa where they rubbed your neck while you soaked your feet (be honest with yourself). Another tip... If the clinic is stays open later than 11pm, walk away.

This was a post based on my experiences. Hopefully it was helpful. I'm going for a massage now. Till next time.