Arthritis – you really don’t need to suffer so much
There are many theories as to what causes arthritis such as an inherited predisposition, getting older (even though children can have arthritis), obesity or a previous trauma or injury. The various kinds of arthritis have some degree of auto-immune involvement and the mechanism for maintaining healthy joints is compromised. Like most conditions there is an element of both psychological and emotional involvement. It has been known for years to alternative practitioners that in cases of arthritis there is some degree of liver involvement. So treatments will probably involve prescribing herbs that are good for the liver (if the case study reveals there is a need).
Read MoreArthritis improved with 7 things you can do now?
These are important aspects that accelerate the aging process and speed up degeneration in general, contributing to a poor quality of life with more suffering than necessary, especially in most forms of arthritis.
1) Inflammation can be triggered by a number of things, what you eat and drink has a huge impact on your inflammatory responses, encouraging pain and destruction. It is very important to improve your diet in every way you can. This will have a huge impact on your condition.
2) Free-radicals – encourage degeneration such as in arthritis conditions. Take some anti-oxidants.
3) Poor detoxification – organs need certain nutrients to produce specific enzymes that neutralize and remove toxins from the body this is especially true of the liver and arthritis.
4) A negative outlook on life in general will impact on every cell in the body producing destructive chemicals that speed up degeneration. Of-course there are times when you will feel a little down that is natural but to always see the tank as half empty as opposed to half full is a problem. The tank may still measure half way up but they are two completely different ways of looking at the same thing.
5) Poor posture puts a strain on joints. Muscles tighten, which in turn restricts blood flow and this reduces movement of oxygen and nutrients in the joints. Also reducing the amount of toxins that can be removed from the joints, encouraging more degeneration and/or inflammation. A practitioner of the Alexandra Technique can help you in this area, showing you the correct posture in everyday life – reading, sitting at the computer, standing, walking etc.
6) Lack of activity, this does not mean you have to join a gym. It does mean you have to move around move, as the lack of activity does mean you could seize up. Just like the rusty gate.
7) Poor bio-mechanics some people due to their build have extra wear and tear on – the hips, knees and/or ankles. For instance – due to knock-knees, or bow-legged or collapsed arches will change the total alignment of the legs which can cause ankle, knee or hip problems. See a foot/posture specialist, or as a osteopath or chiropractor. They can arrange for inserts to be made especially for your particular set of circumstances for your shoes that help re-align your legs removing some of the pressure. This could mean all the difference to you being more active.
Read MoreOsteoporosis, what you need to know?
20th October is International Osteoporosis Day
Mention the word osteoporosis and the first thing you think of is calcium supplements, dairy products and menopausal women. Both men and women get osteoporosis and not always when they reach old age. Our bone density peaks at the age of 35ish. So we need to think about our bone density before our 50s. We recently saw a guy of 35 who had painful osteoporosis.
In Asian countries especially in China the incidence of osteoporosis is much more unusual. Things are changing though as more people in China start adopting a more Western style diet. The highest consumption of dairy products and calcium supplements is in the US yet they have one of the highest incidences of osteoporosis! This disease costs the US in excess of 11 billion dollars a year. Over the last 30 to 50 years the incidence of osteoporosis has increased dramatically.
Just for a moment think about the cows that produce the gallons of calcium rich milk for dairy products. However, when was the last time you saw them pop down the shops for a calcium tablet? Or indeed buying a pint of milk to supplement their diet? ePreventing osteoporosis is not just a simple matter – of getting cow’s milk or taking some cheap calcium carbonate tablets. Absorbing and utilizing calcium in these forms is extremely difficult, especially as we age.
There are many foods that contain calcium in a form that that is easier to digest, breakdown and absorb correctly. Foods like almonds, sesame seeds (tahini), green vegetables especially the darker ones, natural plain yogurts (much easier to digest that milk), the grain millet and many more. These foods are nutritious and contain the other nutrients needed for utilization of calcium.
In order to prevent or treat osteoporosis there are several dietary strategies that need to be taken into consideration. The body uses calcium reserves from the bones to neutralize an acidic environment that has been encouraged by the average Western type diet. So the more acid forming foods you eat the more the body uses calcium from the bones as a buffer this acidity. The foods and drinks that can cause acidity are alcohol, meat, sugar, wheat, rye, tea, coffee, soda, or artificial sweeteners. There are also compounds in certain foods and drinks that hinder the absorption of minerals like calcium and other minerals that calcium relies on for absorption. Compounds found in wheat, coffee, and tea.
I am not suggesting for a minute you need to give up your glass of wine or become a vegetarian. However, you do need to cut down on the amount of acid forming foods and drinks in favour of more alkaline forming foods and drinks like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains; quinoa, millet and brown rice to maintain a better balance. These foods are also rich in calcium and the co-nutrients. Maintaining a better alkaline acid balance will cut down the need for the body to use your calcium reserves from your bones.
As for supplements you will need to avoid calcium carbonate buy other forms of calcium, read the label carefully it will tell you what type of calcium it is. Also check the label to see how much magnesium if any and vitamin D your calcium tablets contain, start taking magnesium supplements 400mg with your calcium supplement.
If you take antacids, this can have a detrimental effect on calcium breakdown and absorption as antacids generally lower acidity levels or prevent so much from being produced. Either way this has a knock-on effect. Getting regular exercise is important. Get out in the open as much as possible, if only for short periods of time to get UV rays, this will help the body to manufacture vitamin D. Here I am not necessarily suggesting you sunbathe, I mean maybe a 30 minute walk.
Read MoreLosing your hair? 10 possible reasons
1) Hair follicles can be affected by some drugs. Check with your doctor or research for yourself the side-effects for your medication. Some cancer treatments, immune suppressants, some arthritis treatments can affect hair growth.
Solution – talk to your doctor.
2) Bold patches could be caused by ring worm, causing inflamed areas.
Once the ringworm has cleared up the hair will return.
3) Bold patches without inflammation and irritation could be alopecia areata.
Solution – see your doctor
4) Having a baby can affect some women, as the hair thins due to hormone imbalances. Generally the hair loss is temporary.
Solution – this situation resolves itself in a few months when the hormones have settled.
5) Feeling tired, sensitive to cold, gaining weight for no reason? This could be due to an under active thyroid (hypothyroid) and hair loss can be another symptom.
Solution – get some tests done and once treatment starts, hair growth returns.
6) Home perms, over coloring, bleaching or harsh shampoos could be effecting healthy hair growth. They are full of toxic chemicals.
Solution – go to a good hair dressers they can advise on kinder milder hair products.
7) Maybe you are too aggressive to your hair, with vigorous brushing, braiding, pulling, over styling with a hot hairdryer, heated tongs, heated straighteners, heated curlers etc
Solution – go to the hair dresser and discuss with them a more natural style.
8) Stress can affect different people in different ways, maybe for you it is hair loss.
Solution – find better ways of coping
9) Nutritional deficiencies can affect hair growth.
Solution – make some dietary changes and take a Vitamin B complex and zinc
10) Some women lose hair during the menopause, due do to hormonal imbalances.
Solution – look at taking some herbal support like red clover, dong qai, or chase berry (agnus castus), black cohosh, and make some healthy dietary changes.
Read MoreReduce Inflammation, Reduce Arthritis Suffering
- Sonia Jones ND from the Haven Spa and Health Clinic
When we think of inflammation we might think of pain and the inflammatory conditions like arthritis or gout. However, inflammation and the destruction it causes can be silent, painless and go un-noticed. Inflammation is so widely linked to heart disease, diabetes, cancer and accelerated aging. The idea that you can take a statin drug to lower cholesterol and you will somehow be protected from heart problems is for too simplified, and in a lot of respects statin drugs cause as many problems as it is supposed to solve.
Inflammation and higher levels of homeocysteine have also been linked to heart disease. Homeocysteine level is a more accurate and more important indicator to pending heart disease but is of little use to the establishment as homeocysteine levels can be reduced to safe levels with adequate amounts of the B vitamins!
Another very important fact that is well established now is for some time now, that heart disease and heart attacks rarely happen simply due to deposits of fatty plaques in our arteries. Sure arteries are active collaborators in the progress of heart disease, attracting and sheltering cells that release inflammatory substances.According to Penny Kris-Etherton, PhD, R.D, distinguished professor of nutrition at Penn State, “inflammation plays a key role in weakening arterial plaque, causing the deposits to rupture—which can lead to sudden coronary death, heart attack or stroke.” These findings have also been researched and reported over the years by many.
Inflammation is not implicated just in heart disease but in all sorts of chronic diseases. So anything we do to reduce inflammation, will lower our risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, asthma, speed up the aging process and so much more.
The very good news is that the amount of inflammation your body produces is within your power to control. It is entirely up to you – encourage the production of inflammation within your own body or reduce it. You choose. Interestingly prostaglandins – hormone like substances come in three main categories prostaglandins 1, prostaglandins 2, and prostaglandins 3, their main job is to increase inflammation or reduce inflammation. When, as most people do eat refined processed oils, margarine, and shortenings, causing an imbalance in the type of prostaglandins produced and ultimately this means inflammation and pain.
There are two classes of essential fatty acids we need in our diets, omega-3 and omega-6. Omega 6 is converted into two types of hormones-like substances. One type has an anti-inflammatory effect called series-1 prostaglandins, then the second type is involved in inflammation and thickening the blood called series-2 prostaglandins. The other type is series-3 prostaglandins, they have an anti-inflammatory effect. These three need to be in balance. These days the balance is tipped in favor of inflammation. We eat too many processed oils/fats, too much saturated animal fats, too much sugar and far too little in the way of fish, wild game, raw nuts and seeds or plants rich in essential fatty acids.
If we don’t eat fish or wild game, which provides EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), we do have a mechanism in place that will convert alpha-linolenic acid into EPA. However, to enable the body to convert alpha-linolenic acid to EPA, it is reliant on enough nutrients like vitamin B6, vitamin C, magnesium, and zinc. Most people on a typical diet do not get enough of these nutrients. This conversion can also be blocked by an excess consumption of processed oils, margarine and shortenings. Fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds and whole grains are rich in Vitamins C and B6, magnesium and zinc the very nutrients needed for the conversion.
Inflammatory conditions are common these days. Is it any wonder? Our diets are blocking our natural pathways for the production of the correct amounts of series-1 and series-3 prostaglandins that help to balance inflammatory processes and disease. The amount and type of prostaglandin your body produces is directly and indirectly affected by what you eat and drink.
Foods that encourage inflammation, you have guessed it – refined carbohydrates like the white flour products, sugar, saturated fats and trans-fatty acids. Then meat, poultry, eggs and shellfish are all high in arachidonic acid, a compound that contributes to inflammation. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t eat animal products but it does mean you should cut down and not eat too much.
Other foods associated with encouraging inflammation are wheat and many other grains, like rye, and barley, contain a protein called gluten that has been associated with inflammation. Potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants and peppers are members of the nightshade family and contain a compound called solanine that can trigger inflammation in many people, especially in arthritic types of conditions.
There is plenty of good news is nature has provided a lot of anti-inflammatory foods that decrease the body’s production of inflammatory compounds, that also fight harmful free-radicals (also known to speed up the aging process). Wild-caught salmon is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which reduces inflammation (found in supermarkets in cans). Herring, mackerel and sardines are also rich in omega-3s. Take fish oil capsules especially if you eat little oily fatty fish. Other source of omega-3s – walnuts counteract some of the inflammatory processes that lead to heart disease. They are also packed with other healthful compounds. Onions are high in quercetin, a type of antioxidant that inhibits enzymes that trigger inflammation. Other good sources of quercetin include apples, broccoli, red wine, or the red grapes. Blueberries are loaded with anthocyanins, a type of polyphenol antioxidant that boosts immunity and protects the body from free-radical damage, which triggers inflammation. Other good sources of poly-phenols include blackberries, strawberries, raspberries and cranberries. Now available in Panama but can be taken in capsule form.
Sweet potatoes or pumpkins are rich in carotenoids, antioxidants that, like anthocyanins, boost immunity and minimize inflammation. Other good sources of carotenoids are any deep orange, red, yellow and green fruits and vegetables, such as carrots, winter squash, mangoes and papayas. Dark green leaves of lettuces or herbs like parsley also do the same job. Garlic like onion is rich in sulfur compounds that stimulate the immune system by boosting the activity of natural killer and T helper cells, which manage the immune system. Garlic is also a potent anti-inflammatory agent. Bromelain found in the pineapple stems, is an enzyme that decreases inflammation and has some immune-enhancing effects. This can be taken as a supplement.
Fresh ginger root acts as an anti-inflammatory by inhibiting COX-2 enzymes, part of the chemical pathway that produces inflammatory chemicals. Turmeric is a spice that is important to Indian cooking, used in a lot of curries. Vitamin C is a very affective anti-inflammatory (the 5-a-day policy is a minimum every day).
Change your thinking on arthritis and other chronic conditions
No one has found a ‘magic potion’ as yet, over the centuries so much energy and research has gone into the pursuit of the ‘fountain of youth’ but in recent years much light has been shed on the subject. Thanks to all this effort we now know there is so much we can do to slow down the aging process. Your attitude, the foods and drinks you choose to consume, the products you buy, all have a profound affect on enhancing or accelerating the degenerative process. Of course aging is inevitable, but is so much suffering inevitable? Around 85 per cent of diseases are degenerative illnesses, the other 15 per cent are genetic, infectious or trauma. So what causes our body to fall into rapid decline and disrepair? It never fails to make me wonder why we look after our cars better than we look after ourselves. Yet we can go out anytime and buy a new one when we’ve out lived the old one. It’s not quite as easy for us to trade-in our old body for a new one. I can hear you saying “there are bits we can have replaced”, yes there are, such as a new hip joint, new heart or just the valves, new liver or new blood from a transfusion, and so much more. There are bits that can be removed – saggy baggy skin! This doesn’t make you or your skin healthier. Going back to our car, we don’t generally wait for our car to break down, we have them serviced regularly making sure it has every thing it needs to perform its daily task well. ‘Well’ being the operative word, not ‘just functioning’. We should treat ourselves with the same respect, giving our bodies everything it needs to perform its daily task well and look well. Most people will wait until their body breaks down. So back to the point, why do our bodies fall into decline? Researchers have several theories such as the Hayflick Limit Theory – each cell contains a program that limits the number of divisions a cell may divide before it dies.
Another theory is the Waste Accumulation Theory – our cells simply produce more waste than they are capable of eliminating, all helped along by the things we choose to put in and on our bodies. As waste and toxins build up in the cell, it accumulates and eventually the cell drowns in its own toxic bath.
Helping the detoxification process and cutting down on chemicals is a vital part to slowing down aging. The other main theory is the free-radical theory, first developed as much as 50 years ago, offering an explanation that helps us to understand degeneration, accelerated aging, and prevention or at the very least slowing down its onset for much later in life. Free-radicals roam about trying to break up stable pairs of molecules by stealing their partners. A little like a bachelor breaking up stable married couples. Once the free-radical manages to steal a partner, the other molecule is now unpaired, unstable and is now a free radical on the hunt, a bachelor (okay a divorcee) now themselves. This chain reaction is a little like the domino effect setting off a chain reaction of a cell-damaging viscous circle. The most attention is focused on the oxygen-based free-radicals called oxy-radicals. It is these tiny molecules that are responsible for the free-radical damage we know as oxidative stress that contribute to degenerative diseases much in the same way they rust metal. We slow down this process by coating the metal with a protective covering, helping to prevent oxygen and moisture from doing its worst, by applying a primer and then a coat of paint we effectively extend the life of the metal. By protecting the metal from free-radials we can extend the life of the metal by many years. There are things we can do to protect and slow down our own deterioration. We can slow down our own rusting process, however most people choose a lifestyle that speeds up this process.
Having said all of this, not all free-radicals are all bad. We do need some free-radial activity to help fight infections from bacteria and viruses. These free-radical bachelors are also involved in the production of vital substances such as prostaglandins, hormone-like substances vital to many processes of the body. Our bodies also release free-radicals during energy production like periods of strenuous exercise, during prolonged periods of stress, excitement, anger or during an infection (fever or inflammation).
However, the majority of our oxidative damage in our body comes mostly from excess free-radicals found in our environment and the consumables we choose rather than those produced within our bodies as a natural by-product of our own metabolism. Air pollution, tobacco smoke, toxic waste, herbicides, pesticides, chemicals in cosmetics or cleaning products, preservatives, additives in processed foods and processed (hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated) oils all form free-radicals. These hydrogenated fats and oils in most foods are really destructive, and aging. Then add these factors to too many negative thoughts and you have a recipe for accelerated aging and damage. So what can we do to protect ourselves from this destruction? What can we do to equip our bodies with the right tools to cope with all this mayhem?
Most of us have now heard of anti-oxidants. They prevent or slow down the damage caused by free-radicals. These days our environment places a tremendous strain on our bodies. However, we do have a choice over whether to consume anti-oxidants or free-radicals, directly speeding up or slowing down our aging process. We do have a choice to use products that have less chemicals, we do have a choice to consume foods that have less chemicals, we have a choice to have less toxic thoughts.Antioxidants act a bit like Kamikasi pilots in that they sacrifice themselves by donating one of their own electrons. Certain vitamins, minerals, and plant compounds are very effective anti-oxidants protecting us from rusting so to speak. Researchers are telling us over and over again how the lack of antioxidants are contributing to degenerative diseases like heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, eye problems, pain and needless suffering as we age, and more wrinkles than is necessary.
The goal is to look at health care as a method of promoting wellness rather than treating illness, these are two completely different things. Prevention is easier and less expensive than waiting to treat a disease. People often say to me in our clinic when discussing lifestyle changes, ‘I don’t want to live to 110’. I am not saying for one minute that making lifestyle changes will make you live for a very long time. It’s the quality of life that is so important and we owe it to ourselves to be as happy and as healthy as possible. Be positive and play an active role in your own health.
What does prevention mean to you? In conversations I have with people about their health, they tell me they are really healthy. So how does one define healthy? Is healthy merely an absence of a named disease? In other words your Doctor has not given you a label such as angina or diabetes, a named disease, so therefore you must be healthy. I hear things like – I have my annual check-ups and various tests every year and I am told I am 100% okay. What does this mean, “100% okay”?
I observe people who eat and drink all sorts of unhealthy foods and drinks, are not active, are often over weight and put up with many physical annoyances. Annoyances like aches and pains, headaches, migraines, blocked nose, painful digestive problems, asthma, insomnia, fatigue, various skin conditions, hypo-glycemia, and more. They would definitely consider themselves healthy. Many people I know consider taking conventional tests as their ‘preventative’ measure/medicine.
To me this is like ‘Russian roulette’. You are pulling the trigger until one day, bang! The tests, suddenly, come up with a ‘negative result’, you’ve taken the bullet! Just like that. Suddenly you have heart disease or diabetes or suddenly you have a thyroid that has stopped working properly. So why should you worry if your tests keep showing you are in the clear, that the barrel was empty this time? In truth you don’t just wake up one day with a thyroid problem or a heart disease problem. It has taken many, many years to develop. Few tests give you any indication of things in their very early stages, for instance a thyroid that is struggling. The tests will keep showing your thyroid is absolutely fine. Then when ‘broken’ so to speak you are told your thyroid is under-active and you need medication, what happened in the interim, the time leading up to this problem? Of course there are always exceptions, where a thyroid could have a problem overnight – for instance in a case of a car accident, where whip lash can dramatically affect the thyroid function.
It is true some cancers can be detected in their early stages of development, and that is wonderful. However, most research shows time and time again that a really healthy lifestyle can cut down our chances of suffering cancer in the first place. And that a typical lifestyle encourages the on-set of cancer. Here is one example – you may decide to take ‘hormone replacement estrogen’ and as a ‘preventative measure’ take an annual mammogram because artificial estrogen is known to increase your chances of breast cancer. Many people consider these mammograms, as their preventative measures! To me prevention is not even considering taking something that would encourage cancer in the first place but to find herbs, supplements and a change in lifestyle to minimize the natural transition and generally make you healthier in the long run improving your quality of life. Bear in mind that the menopause is natural even though the medical profession have declared it a disease. With that logic then puberty is also a disease! Eat, drink and be merry, after all the tests keep telling you that you are 100% okay. However you know (deep down) that the barrel has a bullet and eventually the gun will go off. Or maybe you think you can cheat that lifestyle of yours and not eventually pay the consequences. Many of the common diseases we are suffering in the developed Western world are preventable in a truly preventable sense, with some changes. Change your lifestyle now, don’t wait until it is serious (a negative test result), before you change things. Get healthy now. This book will show you how to slow down the aging process healthily. How to improve your health and improve your skin, no matter how old or young you are.
This is where alternative medicine differs from conventional medicine. We see things differently. Health is not just the absence of a disease, but a real state of wellbeing and vitality. We see all symptoms and signs as significant (no matter how small) as they all add up to reveal a picture about your state – which organs and systems are struggling, what deficiencies, and imbalance you might have.
I would like to make it clear it is important to have tests, but just because your tests reveal everything is okay, don’t be complacent. Remember chronic conditions take years to develop most often go undetected until it is well advanced, even with tests.
Scientific evidence backs up the idea that the type of diet we choose has a very deep and fundamental impact on the way we age. This has far deeper more reaching consequences than the genes we have inherited. We can’t choose our genes but we can choose our lifestyles. What does this mean? People tell me they have several close family members who are diabetic. So they have the idea that they have no say in their own destiny, that they too will eventually be diabetic. Yet I see them eat loads of refined carbohydrates – doughnuts, cookies, bread, pancakes, pasta, chocolate, sugary foods, sodas, coffees, with next to no fresh food what so ever. Their diet is so very lacking in enough vital nutrients, but full of foods that will speed up aging and encourage diabetes. Though this diet will not guarantee diabetes, it will certainly increase your chances of getting diabetes, regardless of our close family members. A self-fulfilling prophesy. You inherit genes but you also inherit habits. Born in Japan you might have acquired a taste for raw fish, born in America you might have acquired a taste for doughnuts. That is not genes but acquired taste and habits.
When we think of aging, we think of it involving some degree of physical and mental decline, however there are many people who maintain comparatively full physical and mental health throughout a very long life. A healthy life depends on many aspects; a person’s constitution, their family or society, their past lifestyle, whether they are lonely or fulfilled. Whether they smoke or drink too much. Diet plays a huge part in our physical and mental well-being, but it is not the only aspect we need to consider. Too much research has been done to ignore the facts – aging can be a very pleasant experience. It can be the best years of your life. There is a huge amount to look forward to.
I recently came across a 55 year old man in our clinic with mild diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, poor digestion, heartburn, over weight, but for him the biggest worry was that he had been refused further medical insurance (he was from the US) due to his state of health, the amount of surgery he’d already had and the large amounts of medication he was taking. The condition this man was in is pretty typical in our Western society. On the other hand there is a 64 year old who visits the clinic for acupuncture as part of his maintenance program (prevention), has none of these problems, is taking no medication what so ever, is not over weight and is extremely fit, still riding a bike for many miles up and down the mountains around here. I don’t except you to buy a mountain bike for one moment, I am just pointing out that anything is possible. You can choose your path.
We are all at great risk of not getting adequate nutrients due to refining and processing of food but even more so as we get older, due to the decline in our digestive function. Fewer calories are needed due to a reduction in general activity, and for some appetite declines, which may be in part due to changes in taste and smell. As we get older we can often lose our sense of thirst, so dehydration is more likely. Our digestive system starts to cause us a problem, having been so abused for years. The stomach slows down its production of digestive juices and enzymes this in turn affects absorption of vital nutrients. There is a big reduction in lactase (enzymes that breaks down lactose, milk sugar) production, which causes milk intolerance. Constipation is often a problem as we get older (especially for women), as more fiber is needed compared to our younger days. Medication can change the way food tastes, cause nausea or the way the bowel works. For some people having to eat alone can put us off bothering to cook and eat well. Smoking robs the body of large amounts of vital nutrients. Nutrients that are needed to repair joint ‘wear and tear’ or maintain healthy bones or even teeth, or good healthy skin, – the list is endless.
Are the scales screaming out “you are over weight” but you knew this before you got on the scales, because your ‘lower front’ was causing your ‘lower back’ a problem!
They are now telling you that menopause is a disease! What does that make puberty? That osteoporosis is only a matter of time. Prostrate cancer, no man gets away with it! That incontinence pads are now for life! And soon you will be battling with false teeth!
We need to look at the facts – a speedy decline is not inevitable. There is so much research that proves things can be different, that your life can be different. That your life can be so much better, you can be healthier, happier, slimmer, and more active and more attractive, late into your life.
Do not be brain-washed by the advertising companies, by the lure of all those addictive ingredients, sitting on the shelves that are aging you. Think positively, as it is never too early or too late to start an anti-aging program.
See the article on inflammation and anti-inflammation – To slow down degeneration and aging you need to understand this aspect.
Read MoreA good nights sleep can help ease arthritis suffering
Sleep can be a problem for many due to pain and anxiety. Somehow pain seems to get worse while we lie there in the early hours, trying not to focus on the pain. For others just lying down in bed seems to aggravate their problem. Some people just can’t switch off their brains. Recuperative sleep is essential to every aspect of our well-being in general. After a few nights of disturbed sleep, look at your face in the morning, can’t you just tell. Most adults need 6-8 hours of good quality sound sleep per night. Few people can stay looking good and function optimally with just a few hours on a regular basis, long term. Since we spend approximately 1/3 of our lives in bed it is important that this environment is as healthy as possible. That it is as conducive to sleep as possible. Keep the bedroom as dark and quiet as possible. Light and sound tends to activate our brains. If your curtains let in too much light change them or add a window blind underneath the curtains. Closing the blind and the curtains should certainly keep your room dark enough. Today our rooms are filled with televisions, DVD players, and radio alarm clocks all giving off substantial amounts of light.
Proper sleeping support is essential and is different for every person. Some people feel more comfortable and sleep better on a firm mattress and others with a softer one. Choose what feels best for you. Invest in a good mattress and get rid of your old one. While you are choosing your new bed get one bigger than you would have bought normally. It is so much more peaceful if you have plenty of room, especially if the person in the bed next to you is a bit restless. On the other hand you may have just bought a big new bed and still not find it as comfortable as you would have hoped, as often is the case. You can solve this problem by buying a ‘memory foam’ (this uses new technology) topper, they range from about 2 to 4 inches and are placed on top of your existing mattress. They really are wonderful. Some beds come with a built-in memory foam topper. If you can’t find one or can’t afford it, then try a thick puffy quilt on top of your mattress, especially if you have a firm mattress. Comfortable supportive pillows are also essential, particularly if you have neck and/or shoulder discomfort. If you sleep on your back a pillow that provides gentle neck support is ideal. If you sleep on your side it is important not to have the neck kinked left or right with a pillow that is too high or low. While sleeping on your side your upper knee should not touch the mattress, this puts stress and strain on the spine as it is twisted. A cushioned support between the knees can help prevent this twisting. Sleeping on your stomach is not a good idea as it twists your neck too much and can arch your lower back excessively. The best position for sleeping is on your back.
Your room should be the right temperature, with enough covers, so you feel neither too hot nor too cold. Some people find a bath (with or without essential oils) before they retire to bed helps them to sleep; for others it’s reading a book (maybe this one is sending you to sleep). Try relaxing essential oils in an oil burner. There are also sprays you can make with relaxing essential oils, that can be sprayed onto your pillow or that you can spray into the room just before you retire to bed. Do not use any stimulants such as tea, coffee, sugar, chocolate, alcohol, or cigarettes etc. If you consistently have difficulties sleeping well, you need to consider giving up stimulants altogether. Your room should be un-cluttered. Walls should be painted or wallpapered in smoothing calming colors, nothing stimulating or vibrant.
Make sure the bedroom is aired regularly by opening the window or better still sleep with the window open. Do not have radios or electrical clocks too near your head area, due to the electrical emissions that interfere with your own electrical circuits, known as electro-magnetic stress. One last thing, keep in-depth conversations out of the bedroom just before you go to sleep. Too much stimulating discussion just before you go to sleep can hinder your quality of sleep.
Grinding and disturbed sleep Your dentist can advise if you are grinding your teeth at night. Many people grind their teeth and have no idea. The dentist can detect wear and tear. This grinding can cause people to have jaw aches, headaches, neck aches or many times just have sore teeth and gums making them sensitive to everything you eat or drink. Having a mouth guard can eliminate this problem for some people. Get a mouth guard made especially to fit your teeth and mouth, so when you grind your teeth there is a cushioning to reduce the impact. With a guard especially fitted, it is extremely comfortable and will enhance your quality of sleep. Then there is the problem of too much anxiety causing poor quality of sleep and grinding. There are herbs and nutrients that can help you get a more peaceful night’s sleep.
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Good quality sleep is essential to reducing the signs of aging, reducing inflammation and pain of arthritis type conditions, to our overall health, vital to our healing processes in general, and coping with our every day lives. |
Good quality sleep really is a big deal. It is vital to our healing process and the production of our growth hormone also known as our ‘youth hormone’, along with other substances.
This hormone maintains –
muscle mass, healthy skin, vitality, bone density, improves memory, health of our organs, and much much more.
Our human growth hormone declines as we get older but we can greatly accelerate this process by the food and drink we choose to consume, and the life we choose to lead. However, there is a hormone that does increase as we age – Cortisol.
Read MoreArthritis & Pain Program at The Haven
