Archive for October, 2009
It’s that time of year again, the beginning of the season for consumption of all things sweet. Halloween marks the start of the holiday season that extends until the beginning of January. The tendency to overindulge in sweet treats rises, the sugar rush ensues, and waistlines expand. Considering the rise in childhood obesity, here are some ideas to curb the sugar rush, and still keep the kids happy and healthy.
For the ghosts and goblins that come knocking: Select dark chocolate options for trick-or-treaters. Dark chocolate has health benefits such as antioxidants. Give out granola bars, 100% fruit chews, and yogurt or carob covered raisins. Look for the fun or mini size candy options for the ghouls and goblins; the smaller the better. Or, avoid candy altogether and hand out coloring books and crayons, glow sticks, or stickers.
And for your little pumpkins, avoid all unnecessary sugar on the day of Halloween. Omit soda, fruit drinks, certain cereals and other sugary stuff since you know they’ll be eating candy. Feed them a healthy meal before they go out roaming the neighborhood. The hungrier they are, the more candy they will eat along the way. Get them exercising! Throw in a Thriller mix and have a little zombie dance party. Also, have them walk from door to door.
Do you have any tips for healthy treaters?
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Can speaking positive affirmations, out loud or to ones self, on a regular basis really change your life, at least in part, for the better?
From getting a parking spot or a better job, to attracting the ideal companion or nurturing inner peace, there is a lot of corroboration to support the power of affirmations to make positive change. But, before we attempt to alter the conditions of our life through a repetitive “mental focus” on the changes we want, it might be very helpful if we took a personal “reality check” to make sure that we have complete faith that thought, our thought, truly has creative power, so that we’re not simply deluding ourselves.
If we are persuaded that “certain conditions” in our personal life have no mental basis or thought correlation, but instead are totally and irrevocably physical in origin, then how can we expect to positively alter the effects in our individual life through positive affirmations? What good would it do for us to make an effort to “change our thinking” about our self, or a specific condition, if we didn’t believe without a doubt that by doing so we could “change our life”? If we want our positive affirmations to move a mountain in our personal life, we need to have at least a grain of faith in the power of our mental focus and affirmations to affect physical change in our life.
Everyday, each of us unconsciously demonstrates a certain amount of faith. When was the last time you were “surprised” at a sunrise? Have you ever worried that the sun might not come up the next day? It’s highly unlikely that it’s occurred to any of us to question our faith in the earth’s gravitational relationship to the sun. So, there you are, we all have a grain of faith, a “starter kit” of unshakable trust. We can start with that and build a mountain of faith to put behind our affirmations.
Saying affirmations while filled with disbelief, fluctuating between faith and fear, is like putting water into a balloon instead of air. Our desires wiggle here and bulge there, but they never get off the ground. Faith gives our affirmations flight because true faith is mental insistence elevated to a place of realization. This is the “secret” to creative mental power, turning mere words into substance. Affirmations can, indeed, really change our life – when they feel true, and what we say is what we truly believe.
As the weather turns colder, the noses turn runnier – but incidence of colds can be greatly reduced by making exercise a part of daily life, according to an expert from the American College of Sports Medicine. David C. Nieman, DrPH, FACSM, says that multiple studies have shown a 25- to 50-percent decrease in sick time for active people completing at least 45 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise (such as walking) most days of the week.
Top 13 Yoga Exercises To Avoid Backaches
—Know About The Postures And Positions That Prevent Back Pains
The old east originated meditative art- yoga is making a good impact in the present scenario.
It is adored all around the world and is supposed to be very effective in keeping body flexible and kept in good shape [Power yoga].
It has a wonderful therapeutic impact as well. Yoga is comprised of many postures and sets of breathing exercises (Pranayamas).
These breathing exercises work on the muscles of the upper back to prevent it from pain or reduce the pain.
Yoga postures too have the potential to decrease tension and stress, which sponsors back pain. Yoga teachers have tailored a set of postures and pranayamas, which are especially recommended to avoid or reduce back pain. A check on these breathing exercises and yogic poses listed below will surely help you.
1. Pelvic Tilt Posture
This is recommended to offer a support to the lower back. It also supports abdominals, sacroiliac joints and adjacent structures of the body.It is supposed to be wonderful in cases of problems related to the lower back.
Sometimes, poor posture and muscle atrophy cause severe jerks in the lower part of back, which are very painful. The pelvic tilt posture offers a spinal stabilization in such case.
2. Triangle Pose
Triangle poses are effective on the hips, which have a brawny influence on the spine.The spine is directly associated with back pain.
Hence, a triangle pose is very effective in the reduction of back pain. Nevertheless, it is a bit bizarre type of pose but is very powerful in controlling back pain.
3. Side-Angle Postures
This posture is supposed to be great in alleviating back pains. Side-angle poses of yoga assist with postural conditions, which are very effective in back pain such as those that result from scoliosis and kyphosis. They are also effective in stretching the core muscles of the body, which includes the oblique abdominals too.
4. Standing Forward Bend Positions
This yogic posture is supposed to be a challenge for the performer’s sense of alignment. ‘Uttanasana’ is the most famous posture of forward bending. It works wonders with regard to problems of backaches.
It is considered to be a great posture to remove skeletal disk related ailments. However, you must be careful while performing yoga poses such as ‘Uttanasana.’ A wrong posture can increase the pain instead of diminishing it.
5. Mountain Pose or Tadasana
The elevating yoga position is supposed to be very useful in alleviating back pain. This posture needs the utmost level of your attention because it offers the best results; that is if you know what you are doing.
It develops an ideal spinal alignment and offers an instant relief for back pains. It is also a must for patients with back pain.
6. Corpse pose
To get this yogic posture, lie flat on your back in a relaxed manner and raise your arms at your sides. Have your arms alongside your trunk but slightly away and have your palms facing upwards.
Spread your legs in a natural way. While performing this, you should turn your knees out slightly but if it hurts, perform the yoga in the best possible way of comfort. Release the tension and take deep breaths.
You must be feeling relaxed when you do this because this yoga posture is supposed to be a great exercise in getting a relief from backaches and other ailments as well.
7. Cat Stretch
It involves your back, knees and hands. You start with the hands and knees with a flat back, which brings your shoulders and hands in an alignment. This yogic posture is known for its gradual impact to help relieve backaches.
8. Supported Bridge Pose for Back Pain
This yoga posture is very famous among people suffering from backaches. This is considered as a good exercise posture, as it makes a connection among different parts of body to provide support. This exercise is usually included in the must-to-do list of yoga postures.
9. Stretched Out Big Toe Pose
Also known as ‘Supta Padangusthana,’ this yogic asana needs a gentle stretch of hamstrings and calves. A stretching of these body parts brings an awesome improvement in the condition of the person, who is suffering from backaches [chiropractic therapy].
10. Supine Spinal Twist to get relief from back pain
This trunk rotation movement deals with the twisting of the spines. Nevertheless, it is not an easy deal for everyone but its results are truly worth the effort.
Note: People with degenerative disk ailments must be cautious while performing this yoga.
11. Cat-Cow Pose – Yoga for Back Pain – A Yogic Pose for Spinal Alignment
This pose offers a tremendous effect in dealing with backaches. It comprises functioning of Pilates, yoga and core strengthening asana. The cat-cow position is famed for its therapeutic results and it is widely performed nowadays.
12. Yoga for Back Pain – Cobra Pose
Cobra pose is also known as ‘Bhujangasana.’
The movement of this posture asks one to lie-down on the floor on his or her stomach.
This is then followed by making an arch with the help of the performer’s forelimbs (hands). This is a brilliant stretch exercise that has the capacity to provide a great relief to all who is suffering from backaches.
13. Pranayama (Breathing yogic exercises to get relief from back pain)
As you know, Yoga is a complete package of different physical postures and breathing exercises. Its poses are great in terms of providing a relief for backaches but breathing exercises are also important.
They work as a stimulant for main poses and help you in thwarting irritating backaches.
‘Anulom vilom’ and ‘Nadi sodhan’ are the two most famous breathing exercises.These exercises work wonders in avoidance of a multitude of fatal ailments.
Incorporating functions of inhale and exhale, they let the body grasp more oxygen which is very helpful in blood purification. These asanas also decrease anxiety levels and make the mind calm.
A regular practice of these two exercises releases all the tension, which reduces the possibilities of severe backaches.
Though, there are various methods suggested by yoga experts to hasten an easier healing of the body, coupling it with a healthy diet is equally important. A person must take care of his or her dieting habits to put a control on the occurrence of ailments [Natural healing].
A hygienic food intake and good sitting posture will never lead you the pathetic condition of backaches. Moreover, because it is evident that many people are suffering from problems of continuous aches in the back it is widely recommended to get a good deal of vitamin D and calcium supplementation.
Lastly, one should not perform breathing exercises and yoga postures in a wrong manner for they only breed in health hazards instead of benefits.
Everyone, no matter how careful you are, somehow consumes minute traces of toxins each day. Foods may contain tiny amounts of herbicides or pesticides in addition to growth hormones and various preservatives. Food dyes, chemicals, fillers and even tranquilizers and antibiotics have been found in food. Polluting your body has never been easier. That is why you need to detoxify your body on occasion for optimal health and performance.
These toxins can build up in your body, particularly in naturally detoxifying organs such as the kidneys, liver and even the skin. If these organs are compromised, so is your health. The good news is there are a few natural detoxification products that can help regulate your digestive system as well as cleanse the body. The result is a stronger immune system and the ability to fight off infection and disease. There is no need to follow any professed detoxifying diets as many of them are devoid of essential nutrients. By just adding a few key foods into your diet, your body will undergo a natural detoxification.
1. Flaxseed – Flaxseed has several properties which are beneficial for the body, with detoxifying properties being one of them. The natural oils of this flaxseed lubricate your intestinal walls so that any toxins are absorbed by the oil and then eliminated by the body rather than absorbed into the intestine itself. In addition, flaxseed provides both soluble as well as insoluble fiber which provides the bulk necessary to maintain function as well as “scrub” the intestinal walls of biological waste so that it can be eliminated normally.
2. Green Foods – The antioxidants and chlorophyll from green leafy vegetables in addition to blue green algae and spirulina bacteria help detoxify the body of pesticides, herbicides and heavy metal accumulation in the body. In addition, these green options cleanse the liver which helps in screening out the harmful effects of cleaning products and even smog. Good green food to incorporate includes Swiss shard, kale, dark green leafy lettuce, spinach, barley and wheatgrass.
3. Citrus Foods – Citrus fruits are one of the best ways to detoxify your body. Full of antioxidants and other beneficial nutrients, vitamin C is a powerful detox vitamin found in all citrus. Fruits like lemons, limes, oranges and grapefruits work to not only flush toxins away but also kick start the enzyme processes in the digestive tract. Vitamin C basically latches onto the different toxins in your body and turns them into something that can be digested and eliminated. Drinking hot tea with lemon, freshly squeezed lemonade or orange juice can boost your detoxification process.
4. Psyllium – Often found in diet fiber additives in powder and capsule form, psyllium husks aid in the digestion and elimination process. Psyllium bulks up your stool with increased water content which also makes the stool softer and easier to pass. This fiber additive forms a gelatinous mass which absorbs any toxins that pass through your digestive tract.
5. Natural Sulfur-Based Foods – Eaten raw or processed through a juicer, there are a number of vegetables containing sulfur compounds that aid the liver in detoxifying your body. Onions, cabbage, broccoli, garlic, brussel sprouts, kale, artichokes, beets and cauliflower contain sulfur as well as glutathione, a strong antioxidant which helps neutralize the toxins from food and the environment. Spices like oregano and turmeric also are helpful.
Whether you choose one natural detoxification product or a combination of them, you may have to experiment. Depending on the level or type of detoxification you need depends on which products you consume. For instance, if your bowels do not eliminate regularly, you will want to concentrate on the psyllium and flaxseed. However, if you are regularly exposed to smog, cigarette smoke, pesticide or herbicides, a combination of products with strong antioxidant properties like citrus, green and sulfur based foods would be best.
Exercise is a key factor in improving both memory and mood after whole-brain radiation treatments in rodents, according to data presented by Duke University scientists at the Society for Neuroscience meeting. “This is the first demonstration that exercise can prevent a decline in memory after whole-brain radiation treatment,” said lead researcher and graduate student Sarah Wong-Goodrich of the Duke Department of Psychology and Neuroscience.
Triple intervention enforces message at home, school and in the community, researchers say
TUESDAY, Oct. 6 (HealthDay News) — A family, school and community intervention program improved children’s eating and exercise habits and reduced the amount of time they spent in front of the television, a U.S. study has found.
The eight-month program, called The Switch, included 1,323 third-, fourth- and fifth-graders at 10 schools in Lakeville, Minn., and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The program was developed by the Minneapolis-based National Institute on Media and the Family (NIMF). Read more
It’s not surprising that Seattle Chiropractic has treated many foot pain sufferers, and knows all too well how commonplace painful foot problems are nowadays. Here’s why: We’ve all heard that movement is healthy for the whole body, right? In fact, our overall good health is highly influenced by our getting regular physical exercise. If that’s true, why do so many people suffer from aches and pains in their feet? After all, our feet are made for walking, aren’t they? The answer, of course, is “yes,” but they aren’t designed for exploitation.
The average, healthy individual takes 3,000-5,000 steps each day, not counting activities like running and aerobic exercise. But, all too often those steps are made by individuals walking incorrectly, with poor gait patterns and inappropriate posture.
Moreover, a large number of individuals wear badly-designed, poorly-fitting shoes. Moving the body through space incorrectly on feet that are inhibited from performing as they were meant to cannot help but to cause aches and pains not only in various places in the feet, but in other parts of the body, too. For instance, if an individual over-pronates (walks like a duck) in shoes that are poorly-made or unevenly-worn, or in any pair of high heels, that individual is not only likely to develop foot and ankle problems, but will feasibly experience problems of the back, knees and legs.
One of the most well-known foot problems is Plantar Fascitis (heel pain), which is usually caused by inflammation of the plantar fascia. The plantar fascia is a superbly-made, multi-tasking band of connective tissue that encompasses the muscles on the bottom of the foot, fixes the heel bone to the ball of the foot, supports the arch, protects the foot, and absorbs shock. It goes without saying, then, that the healthy function of the plantar fascia is crucial for pain-free walking and exercise.
There are many determinants that contribute to the development of Plantar Fascitis. One factor is short and tight calf muscles. Undue stress on the smaller and weaker plantar muscles and fascia occurs when calf muscles get short and tight, exerting a strong pull on the back of the heel bone. How do calf muscles get short and tight? Besides aerobics, volleyball, running, basketball, tennis, and similar activities that involve running and jumping, the wearing of high heels can cause the problem.
Sudden strenuous activity after a period of prolonged inactivity can contribute to Plantar Fascitis, as can such elements as aberrant gait patterns (e.g., over-pronation), inappropriate footwear, walking on hard or uneven surfaces (particularly with bare feet), and obesity.
Once developed, Plantar Fascitis is often not easy to manage and can become exceedingly painful and persistent. Without appropriate attention, Plantar Fascitis will only get worse.
If you are suffering from the pain of Plantar Fascitis, your chiropractor will be able to establish the cause of your problem and what chiropractic management would be most beneficial. Treatment might include ultrasound therapy, laser, joint manipulation, Graston technique, muscle stretching and strengthening exercises, kinesio taping and, in some cases, orthotics.
We would probably all agree that the pitch of the world, these days, has reached higher decibels than ever in history. War, bombs, and explosions have escalated around the world. Antagonistic political and religious zealots shout at each other until all that remains is a cacophony of indecipherable noise. Everything is faster, noisier, and more “extreme.” Not only our ears are being disturbed, but our eyes as well. Billboards, once merely unsightly, now electronically light up the night with advertisements. Unwanted advertisements float across our computer monitors like phantoms, and then stop, impeding our ability to read more important words underneath them. Too often, what we see is horrifying. Acts of violence and disastrous events that have caused pain and suffering are shown over and over again, in full color, on the news. Where can peace be found in these times? And, is it possible to get there from here? Peace can be found within each of us, at the still, quiet core of our being. And the way to get there is through meditation.
By closing our eyes and turning away from the world, we find what seemed impossible and elusive, but was there all the time…peace. As we slow the pace of our breathing and allow our body to relax… we find peace. As we slow the excessive activity of our thoughts, until they seem to gently drift, like falling leaves, and then settle into quietness…we find peace.
Every cell, fiber, and tissue of our body is revitalized by this type of meditation Therefore, it can be healing. The jabber of our mind momentarily stops with the type of meditation. In this way, it can be revealing.
The problems of body and mind vanish when we meditate in this way, and many times they do not reappear when we open our eyes and look at the world again. The peace that we have embodied within assumes the form of our actions in the world.
It is, perhaps, more vital than ever for each of us to meditate — to heal ourselves and, therefore, to heal the world.