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
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!
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