The breakdown of cartilage that causes the pain and stiffness associated with osteoarthritis is usually considered an unavoidable part of aging. Other factors that contribute to joint pain can be weight, injuries and genetic disposition. But recent osteoarthritis studies suggest that, due to our increased participation in high-impact activities, we may be developing the condition much earlier in life – sometimes as young as 25! So what can you do to help prevent osteoarthritis?
1. Low impact exercise. An inactive lifestyle will weaken the muscles and joints, so it’s important to keep moving. Exercise keeps muscles strong, increases blood flow to your joints and nourishes the cartilage, which can help slow the progession of the disease. Studies have shown that low impact exercise won’t make arthritis worse and will help actually decrease discomfort and inflamation. Try cycling, walking or swimming and include exercises to improve core strength and coordination.
2. Alternative therapies. Studies have shown that acupuncture, yoga and tai chi reduce the pain and inflamation, and even the depression, caused by arthritis. Behavioral scientists who studied arthritic patients suffering with depression found that those who practiced yoga, not only increased their strength and physical ability, but increased their levels of mental well-being, as well.
3. Natural Pain Relievers. Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate supplements have been shown to reduce severe osteoarthritis pain. Steffany Haaz, Ph.D., a behavioral researcher at the Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center, says “about half the people that we work with seem to experience an improvement in symptoms. It can take a few months of use, but the side effects are low.” Other natural anti-inflammatories that have been shown to ease pain and inflamation are ginger and cat’s claw.
Did you know that all of us, men and women alike, begin losing bone mass around the age of 30? Bones are composed of living tissue that constantly breaks down and reforms. Up until age 30, your body produces more bone tissue than is destroyed, but once you hit the big 3-O, it’s all down hill. The good news is that whatever your age, the right exercise and diet can help prevent bone loss and keep you healthy and strong.
Exercise Equals Strong Bones
Just as exercising your muscles makes them stronger, exercising your bones makes them stronger and denser. Health professionals suggest movement for 30 minutes every day of weight-bearing exercise So, include daily activities that will keep you moving like walking, biking, hiking, climbing stairs, dancing, even cleaning the house. Lifting weights is especially important. “Anything that puts stress on the bones strengthens them,” says Lanou.
Bone Nutrition
Strong bones require lots of calcium. The recommended daily allowance for calcium is 1,000 milligrams. Try to include foods that are calcium rich in your diet. Milk and milk products are high in calcium but as we age, we lose the ability to absorb calcium from these foods. Many of us become lactose intolerant as we age.
But, no worries, there are plenty of other calcium-rich foods to choose from. A diet of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and fish will provide plenty of calcium. Green leafy vegetables are a great source and a lot of fruit juices now come fortified with calcium.
In supplement form, it’s best to take two 500 mg dosages at different times during the day with vitamin D and magnesium to help absorption.
Don’t Forget Vitamin D
Our bodies can’t absorb calcium without vitamin D. There is also research that suggests that vitamin D may play a key role in reducing the risk of osteoporosis.
Known as the “sunshine vitamin,” D is naturally produced in the skin when exposed to ultraviolet rays. Because of the fear of skin cancer and the aging affects of sun exposure, we tend to avoid direct sun or slather on sunscreen when do spend time outside. But sunscreen blocks the skin’s natural production of the vitamin and the end result is that many of us are D deficient.
It doesn’t take frying on the beach to produce sufficient amounts of Vitamin D. Consider getting outside for 10 to 15 minutes daily without sunscreen. Foods that provide calcium and vitamin D include almonds, beans, fortified cereal and oily fish, like tuna and salmon. Vitamin D can also be taken in supplement form, although scientists and nutritionists recommendations vary anywhere from 200 IUs to 1500 IUs a day.
Vitamin D requires fat to stay in the body, so be sure to include healthful fats in your diet, like extra-virgin olive oil, unrefined sesame oil and organic coconut oil, as well as omega-3 fats from fish and flaxseed. A recent study showed that increased intake of omega-3 fatty acids may also result in stronger bones.
Our bones give us the freedom to do the things we want to do. They help us stand up straight, to run, to jump and to play. Make sure you take care of your bones so they can take care of you.
Get your day off to an invigorating start with an energy-boosting breakfast that’s high in Vitamins A, C, E & B group; calcium, iron, magnesium, selenium, zinc and essential fatty acids. This dish is also great for your immune and digestive systems. Top off your breakfast bowl with any seasonal fruit you prefer, like antioxidant-rich raspberries, blueberries or blackberries.
Ingredients:
1 portion sugar-free muesli base (a mixture of oat, wheat, barley, rice and rye)
2 tbsps chopped nuts mixed with seeds (e.g. walnuts, filberts, almonds, sunflower seeds)
2 dates chopped
2 dried apricots, chopped
1 tbsp dried coconut
5 tbsps seasonal fresh fruit or berries
Soy, almond, rice or oat milk to taste
Instructions:
1. Mix the muesli base with the nuts, seeds, dried fruit and coconut
2. Sprinkle the fresh fruit or berries on top
3. Serve with your chosen milk to taste and a glass of freshly squeezed grapefruit or orange juice.
Ease a tummy-ache … relieve arthritis pain … cure cancer?
If I had an upset stomach when I was young, my mom would give me ginger ale. As a child, I thought the reason that it made me feel better was because of the bubbles. I always assumed that 7-Up and Coke would work just as well. Well, I was sort of right … the carbonation in soda pop helps dilute acid in the stomach and that can provide some relief. But it’s the “ginger” in ginger ale that actually relaxes and soothes the intestinal tract and heals the tummy.
According to Suzanna Zick, N.D., MPH, research investigator in family medicine at the University of Michigan Health System, ginger helps settle the stomach in three ways: First, its main component, gingerol, a strong free-radical that acts as an antioxidant, decreases oxidative products made in the digestive tract that cause nausea to occur. Second, ginger causes the blood vessels to dilate which causes a warming effect. And third, ginger blocks serotonin receptors in the stomach that cause nausea. “What it actually does is blocks those receptors so serotonin can’t go into them and cause more nausea,” Zick says. Currently, Zick is studying ginger to see if it can be used to prevent the nausea caused by chemotherapy.
Surprisingly, researchers are discovering that ginger is an effective remedy for more than upset tummies. Ginger is being used to treat everything from migraines to cancer. Read on for some of the most recent findings:
Gastrointestinal Aid
Studies have shown that ginger prevents the symptoms of motion sickness, especially seasickness. One study showed that ginger is far superior to Dramamine, a commonly used over-the-counter and prescription drug used for motion sickness. Ginger has been shown to reduce all the symptoms associated with motion sickness in addition to nausea, including dizziness, vomiting and cold sweats.
Studies also show that ginger is useful in reducing morning sickness, the nausea and vomiting often suffered during pregnancy, even in its most severe form. And ginger is safe for the fetus, unlike anti-vomiting drugs.
Ginger has also been shown to ease the painful cramping and nausea caused by food poisoning and relieve the discomfort of heartburn.
Anti-Inflammatory Properties
People suffering with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis have experienced a reduction in pain levels and improvement in mobility when consuming ginger regularly. Researchers have found that the anti-oxidant gingerol compound is also a very potent anti-inflammatory. An issue of Osteoarthritis Cartilage Journal published a 12-month study in which patients with painful arthritis in the knee who were given ginger not only experienced a considerable reduction in pain, but the swelling in their knees was reduced significantly, as well.
Researchers at Odense University in Denmark believe that ginger blocks the action of prostaglandins, substances that cause pain and inflammation in blood vessels. This characteristic may also be the reason that ginger tea with brown sugar has been used as a treatment for menstrual cramps in Chinese medicine.
A recent article in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology reported a case study in which ginger (600 mg doses with plain water, four times a day, for four days, beginning with first signs of migraine) was effectively substituted for conventional anti-migraine drugs (aspirin, dihydroergotamine). The capsules prevented the onset of the migraine attack if taken at the first onset of symptoms. The patient also introduced fresh ginger into her daily diet and had a marked decline in the number of attacks over a year. Bergner, Paul. “Nervous – Remedy Differentials in Migraine.” medherb.com • 2001.
The results of a study conducted at the University of Minnesota showed promise in using ginger (specifically, gingerol) to inhibit the growth of colon cancer cells.
Immune Booster
The warming affects of ginger are believed to stimulate the body’s natural defenses, warding off diseases like cold and flu. But if you do catch a cold or the flu, try ginger juice mixed with honey to relieve a sore throat or suppress a cough.
When it comes to the ginger ale you find on supermarket shelves, it’s hard to know how much of the healing herb is actually in the bottle. And you really don’t need all that added sugar and corn syrup, anyway. To fully benefit from ginger’s healing properties, it’s best to go with fresh. Try brewing up some ginger tea by steeping some fresh ginger slices in a cup of hot water. For arthritis relief, add some fresh ginger to your favorite recipes.
We’ve all heard it from our mothers, who heard it from their mothers, who heard it from … well, you get the picture … “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Have you ever wondered, though, where that saying came from and if there’s any truth behind it? Do apples have healing properties?
Here are a few bits of apple trivia, core facts and nutritional info to sink your teeth into!
“An apple a day …” was first proclaimed by JT Stinson at the St Louis World’s Fair in 1904 — adapted from an old English saying “Ate an apfel avore gwain to bed Makes the doctor beg his bread.”
In medieval times, physicians were taught that cooked apples could relieve disturbances of the bowels, lungs and nervous system.
In ancient Greece, Hippocrates recommended sweet apples with meals to aid digestion and sour apples for fainting and constipation.
Archaeological findings show that humans have been eating apples as far back as 6500 BC.
There are actually 7,500 of varieties of apples grown worldwide. They range in size from slightly larger than a cherry to the size of a grapefruit and vary widely in flavor. Apples can have an aftertaste of citrus, pears, cinnamon, strawberries, coconut, cloves, pineapple or grapes.
A medium apple is about 80 calories and contains about five grams of fiber. Fiber promotes weight loss and aids in digestion. Apples contain almost zero fat and cholesterol and are high in vitamin C and potassium.
A medium apple with skin provides the antioxidant activity equal to 1,500 milligrams of vitamin C. Vitamin C is essential for healthy tissues and bones and protects your body from toxins. Antioxidants fight free radicals which damage cells, a contributing factor in the development of cancer and also in the aging process.
Apples are rich in phytonutrients, antioxidants that help prevent cancer, heart disease and diabetes and may also help in fighting bacterial and viral infections. Phytonutrients have been shown to offer stronger anti-cancer properties than vitamin C.
Apples contain quercetin, a flavonoid that plays an important part in keeping blood vessels healthy, reducing inflammation throughout the body and preventing DNA damage to the cells. This could be beneficial to those suffering from fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. Other studies have shown that quercetin may protect the brain from the type of damage that triggers neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease. Recent research from the University of Massachusetts Lowell suggests that consuming apple juice may protect against cell damage that contributes to age-related memory loss.
Apples are a natural source of dietary fiber, both soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber helps prevent cholesterol build up in the lining of blood vessel walls, which can lead to atherosclerosis and heart disease. Insoluble fiber aids digestion and promotes weight loss. One apple contains the same amount of dietary fiber as a bowl of bran cereal.
Apples are good for your lungs. British researchers found that apples are effective in reducing the risk of lung cancer. Dutch scientists have found that smokers who eat an apple a day are half as likely to develop emphysema and chronic bronchitis, common diseases suffered by smokers.
Apples contain an essential trace element called boron. Boron helps with bone density and, therefore, can help prevent or decrease the effects of osteoporosis.
Apples are one of the richest sources of malic acid, which can help boost cellular energy and alleviate muscle pain and tenderness.
Crunching on an apple helps prevent tooth decay by stimulate the flow of saliva.
An apple is a natural breath freshener.
To get all the nutritional and health benefits from an apple, you do need to eat the skin. Not only does it contain a lot of fiber, but all the quercetin is located in the skin and almost half the vitamin C content is just under it.
So there you go. It appears that the apple does live up to its reputation. Don’t you just love it when something that tastes so good is so good for you?
I love yoga. I’m not very adept at it — I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to do a handstand or the wheel, but I love the way I feel after a practice. My muscles are fatigued, yet I feel limber and strong. I know I’ve worked every part of my body. But sometimes I want something more relaxing … more soothing, so this morning after my workout and before my shower, I took a few moments to try a restorative yoga pose called Simple Supported Back-bend.
The purpose of this particular asana is to open your shoulders and chest, stretch the lower back, relieve stress, relax your body and renew your energy. You lay with a bolster under the middle of your back, a small towel under your neck and an eye pillow over your eyes. And then you just sink into the floor and breathe. Mmmmm … simply wonderful.
Restorative Yoga
Restorative yoga is a gentle, therapeutic style of yoga. Props such as pillows, blankets, blocks and sandbags, are used to support the body to deepen the benefits of the poses. It’s a nurturing practice that promotes the effects of conscious relaxation. Judith Lassater, restorative yoga teacher and author of Relax and Renew, writes “by supporting the body with props, we alternately stimulate and relax the body to move toward balance. Some poses have an overall benefit. Others target an individual part, such as the lungs or heart. All create specific, physiological responses which are beneficial to health and can reduce the effect of stress-related disease.”
Restorative yoga classes are popping up all over the world as its popularity increases. We’re searching for ways to cope with the stresses and worries of our daily lives. And if that isn’t enough, the media bombards us with news that keeps us in a constant state of fear: the recession, unemployment, healthcare, terrorism, wars, the energy crisis, global warming and the list goes on.
Our bodies aren’t built to handle stress for lengthy periods. Stress is the body’s defense mechanism – it’s a physiological response to a life-threatening situation. When we perceive danger, adrenaline is released into our systems — heart rate, blood pressure, mental alertness and muscle tension are increased, while other systems temporarily shut down. When the situation is resolved, the body returns to normal.
In a chronically-stressed state, the body is continuously agitated. Its capacity to heal itself is jeopardized, preventing recovery from an existing illness or injury, or creating a new one, like high blood pressure, ulcers, chronic pain, immune dysfunction, reproductive problems, sleep disorders and depression. In the United States alone, depression affects nearly 1 in 4 people each year, 74.5 million people have high blood pressure and 26.6 million have been diagnosed with heart disease .
Health Benefits
Recent research has proven the many health benefits of practicing restorative yoga. A study published in Psycho-Oncology showed that ovarian and breast cancer patients who participated in a 10-week program reported a significant reduction in depression and anxiety levels and a marked increase in energy.
A 2007 study of postmenopausal women published in Maturitas Journal found a 30-percent decrease in hot flashes after eight 90-minute restorative yoga classes.
Dr. Herbert Benson, founding President of the Mind Body Medical Institute and Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School is the pioneer of mind body medicine. His research has found that relaxation techniques, like meditation, yoga and tai chi, actually change the physiologic and genetic substance of the body. The practice of conscious relaxation breaks the panic-like train of thought that stress induces, causing the brain to change, breathing and heart rate to slow and blood pressure to drop. Any condition of the body that is affected by stress, benefits from these changes.
David Spiegel, M.D., author of Living Beyond Limits, reports “In medicine, we are learning that physical problems, such as high blood pressure and heart disease, can be influenced by psychological interventions, such as relaxation training. Indeed, the Food and Drug Administration issued a report recommending these non-drug approaches as the treatment of choice for milder forms of hypertension. Mind and body are connected and must work together, and this should be a powerful asset in treating medical illness.”
For more information about Restorative Yoga, read Relax and Renew: Restful Yoga for Stressful Times, by Judith Lasater, Ph.D.,P.T. To find a class near you, visit her website: http://www.restorativeyogateachers.com/
It looks like winter isn’t finished with us as the north braces for yet another storm. What better comfort food is there for a cold, snowy night than a warm, hearty bowl of barley & lentil soup?
Barley is high in fiber and selenium and is a great source of phosphorus, copper and manganese. It contains eight essential amino acids and is reputed to regulate blood sugar for up to 10 hours after consumption. Lentils are also high in fiber and also are one of the best vegetable sources of iron, B vitamins and folate. Delicious, healthy and filling!
Ingredients:
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 clove, garlic minced
¼ cup olive oil
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 15-oz can petite diced tomatoes
½ cup lentils, rinsed
½ cup pearl barley
4 – 5 14-oz cans low sodium vegetable broth (add fifth can for thinner soup)
½ tsp dried Italian herbs
½ tsp dried basil
½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 cups carrots, sliced thin
Cooking directions:
In a large, heavy soup pot, cook onions, celery and garlic in hot oil until tender.
Add remaining ingredients
Cook for 40 minutes, or until barley, lentils and carrots are tender. If soup is too thick after cooking, add 5th can of vegetable broth and adjust seasonings.
This soup is best if made a day early and reheated.
The longer it sits, the thicker it gets – almost like a stew.
Yummm!!!
Makes 8 – 10 servings. Per serving: 185 calories, Protein: 5 grams, fat: 7 grams, carbs: 20 grams; sugar: 6 grams; sodium: 140 mg (approximately, depending on brands that you use).
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The breakdown of cartilage that causes the pain and stiffness associated with osteoarthritis is usually considered an unavoidable part of aging. Other factors that contribute to joint pain can be weight, injuries and genetic disposition. But recent osteoarthritis studies suggest that, due to our increased participation in high-impact activities, we may be developing the condition much earlier in life – sometimes as young as 25! So what can you do to help prevent osteoarthritis?
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