Arthritis

Arthritis, Be Well health tips, Health and Fitness, Keep Moving: Managing Arthritis, travel

One more injury hiking the Engadin

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Gentle Reader,

The 3rd and most dramatic day of my hiking-in-the-Alps adventure this past Sept. occurred on day 5.  Pedie Jolly and I left the other two hikers at the Via Engadina junction above Grevasalvas where they would pass the “Heidi” house. We trudged on up beyond the tree line to a high lake just below a dramatic escarpment, at 8261 ft.  The trail was far more exposed than anticipated with shear drops to the left of us and uneven boulders to climb over. We were both dangling our hiking sticks from the left hand while clinging to rocky outcroppings with the right.  There was no looking down.  It reminded me of climbing Mt. Shasta in 2006 when my right foot crampons had only the inside 5 spikes engaged with the icy ground and I steadied myself with a well planted ice axe.  Even a thin line of grass along the outside edge of the trail made me feel as though I would arrive safely at the lake.  It was an opportunity to study my mind and how just a bit of green changes fear to a sense of security.  Pedie and I were thrilled to arrive at this lake, hike in a moonscape, where two or three others were already having their lunch. 

The lake at the Lunghin Pass, above Maloja, is part of the most notable triple watershed in western Europe, from where the Inn (Engadin Valley where we hiked) flows via the Danube to the Black Sea, the Maira via the Po to the Mediterranean Sea, and the Julia via the Rhine to the North Sea.  Depending on which direction we emptied our water bottles, those droplets may have run north, south or east, something too grand to envision.

Finding the way over a knoll and down was tricky and the path was slick with thick frost anywhere the sun had not reached.  It was already 2:30 in the afternoon and we still had the entire descent to accomplish.  The view was breathtaking, and for one moment, I lost my focus on my feet.  The trail was steeply downhill, wet and covered with schist, extremely slippery. Down I went, putting my right hand out to catch myself.  Instantly I knew I had hurt my wrist.  The fingers and thumb still functioned but pain shot up my arm when I put any pressure on my hiking stick.  I collapsed it and stuck it in my pack.  Pedie, walking behind me, and I had a 1000 ft drop in 2 miles.  It was slow going.

We caught a bus to our hotel in Sils Maria whereupon a driver took me immediately to St. Moritz, the glitzy place we’d been avoiding. It was 5:30 on a Friday.  No problem for this emergency clinic used to mountain injuries.  After several x-rays, an examination and lengthy discussion of two young doctors, they decided to cast my arm.  Neither the x-ray tech nor I thought I had broken anything, but I was glad to have protection for the last day of hiking and all the hauling of luggage on and off trains over the next 5 days.  Here I am with my bright red cast riding the train to Pontresina at the end of our hike.

The final day of hiking was in the Italian speaking part of Switzerland along a contour trail with many slippery, water soaked ups and downs assisted by chains or hand rails.  I couldn’t use them as they were all positioned for the right arm.  My right arm was cradled in a sling.  I was relieved to climb over the last of the tree roots, climb the last rocky stretch and walk into the most beautiful, remote high mountain village we’d been in yet: Soglio.  A long soak in the hot bath revived me.  Cold beer and good food gave a sense of triumph.  We had made it, a 50 mile walk in 6 days from the lower Engadine River to its headwaters and then down the other side.

Our bus ride back to the starting point took a couple hours. We could spot the ending and beginning points of each day’s hike as we retraced our steps to Pontresina.

What does one do when injured hiking?  Keep moving.  Get the injured limb as comfortable as possible.  Find a skilled clinic.  The x-ray tech in St. Moritz told me she does 6-8 of these castings a day in the ski season.  She knew what she was doing.  I had travel insurance and have filed my claim.  The clinic visit was $1000.  I took plenty of my herbal pain relieve and really didn’t suffer much.  By the time I got to the Villa Lina north of Rome 5 days later, I took off the cast and participated fully in the writers’ workshop for the week.

Will I have arthritis in this wrist?  Possibly.  Just like any joint injury, trauma creates structural stress and one is likely to pay the price with increased arthritis in the future.  I am using this right hand, wrist and arm fully, noting any twinges and backing off when necessary.  The osteoarthritis I deal with doesn’t seem any worse. In fact it is only on the days that I don’t get out and walk that I have pain.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the hike stories and will share yours with my readers.  Have old injuries come up to haunt you?  What are you doing to stay limber and keep moving?  Take a minute to leave a comment.  Come on over to Face Book and friend me, www.facebook.com/betsyjbell.  Sign up to get the next posts.  I have some great new research from Johns Hopkins about knee replacement to share with you next week.  You won’t want to miss it.

Fondly, Betsy

Be Well, Do Well and Keep Moving

BetsyBell’s Health4u

www.GrandmaBetsyBell.com

206 933 1889  1 888 283 2077

betsy@hihohealth.com

 

Arthritis, Be Well health tips, Health and Fitness, Keep Moving: Managing Arthritis, travel

Heart attack? Climbing high

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Gentle Reader,

How do you survive trekking at a high altitude?  The second day of our Engadine Valley hike in Switzerland began and ended from the little village of Zuoz, a bus and train ride from Guarda where our 1st day ended.

No more sciatica or lower back pain.  No more arthritis troubles with Pain Relief Complex on board.  Now the only task was to climb from 5700 ft to 8400 ft. to Escha Hut.  We knew it would be hard, but we managed to make it harder.  Instead of muscles spasms and a struggle with osteoarthritis, the pain and suffering of the day was mostly in my head.

As we climbed, I was short of breath. Then came the unsettled stomach.  Then a feeling of light headedness.  We passed a couple in their late 70’s from Zurich who had been in Zuoz over the weekend to play bridge and stayed on for a couple days to “take a little walk” in the area with their retired seeing-eye dog.  Looking very out of shape and carrying only a light nap sac, these two seemed to climb this trail with ease.  They did turn back when the path left the farm road and joined the cow tracks leading straight up the treeless slope.  Paging through all I know about women and heart disease, reviewing in detail my mother’s congestive heart failure symptoms and subsequent death AT MY EXACT AGE, I managed to get myself into a panic, anticipating a heart attack any moment.  At one point I called out “Would you just glance back here once in a while to see if I’m still upright?”  At this point Jaco, my Dutch friend, decided to walk behind me.  I later learned that all of us were struggling with shortness of breath. Chris, the 83 yr. old veteran of several Mt Rainier climbs, reminded us of deep inhales and slow, whistling out breaths.  The gals in front were already taking 10 steps and resting for a couple breaths.  I was absolutely sure I was having a heart attack.

At the top, we had the most delicious pumpkin soup, thick and creamy, sitting in the sun, our backs against the stone wall of Escha Hut, a busy place in the summer and even busier in the winter.  A mountain biker peddled up the way we went down, paused for a drink and went down the way we had just come up.  Way more impressive than Lance Armstrong.  No doubt powered by his own lungs, blood and muscle, this cyclist was out for recreation.

As we sat there gazing at the Bernina mountain range in the distance, completely covered with snow at 13,000 ft, I remember my first ascent to 10,000 ft on Mt. Shasta and realiz

ed I was suffering from altitude sickness, not heart disease.  The relief was so great, I fairly danced down the far side of the valley, past this amazing high mountain field of art. 

To avoid the precipitous downhill trail, we cut through a pass and circumnavigated the mountain in front of us, extending out trek by an additional 7 miles, making it a 14 miles day.  The benefit was this shot of a marmot late in the afternoon, one of many familiar critters scampering and diving into their burrows.  I’d been looking for them as all the telltale signs of marmot, just like in the Cascades, were everywhere.

One more physical challenge before our 6 days RyderWalker self guided trek was finished.  Tune in next Thursday for more pictures and that story.

 

 

 

 

Now let’s hear from you.  Have you had altitude sickness?  Were you aware of what was happening to you or did you think you were having a heart attack?  We’d like to hear your story.  If you enjoyed this read, pass it along.  Check me out on Facebook:  betsyjbell, and while you are there, ‘like’ my business page, https://www.facebook.com/BetsyBellsHealth4U.

Fondly, Betsy

Be Well, Do Well and Keep Moving

BetsyBell’s Health4u

www.GrandmaBetsyBell.com

206 933 1889  1 888 283 2077

betsy@hihohealth.com

 

Arthritis, Be Well health tips, Health and Fitness, Keep Moving: Managing Arthritis, travel

Hiking the Engadine: Avoid arthritis pain

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Gentle Reader,

I am back safe and sound from my hike through the Engadine Valley in the Alps in Switzerland and the Writers Workshop in Villa Lina north of Rome.  And my body is not suffering from arthritis!  Sitting in the airplane for the long flight to Amsterdam, the first stop of my journey, I actually slept with the help of medication, Lunesta is my sleeping aid of choice, a prescription only drug that costs plenty.  I used it twice on the trip to help me get into the European hemisphere and the first night back home.  Otherwise, Gentle Sleep Complex, an herbal combination of Valerian, passion flower and chamomile.  It works like a dream to take 3 before going to bed, no matter what hotel I found myself in.

The real challenge to a body with a lot of spinal stenosis and potential joint discomfort is hauling suitcases and loading the heavy hiking pack up onto my shoulders.  Paying close attention to all the good advice I have posted over the past 1 ½, and asking for help getting in and out of trains—“you’re looking strong.  Can you help me with my suitcase, please?”—I managed to arrived back home without pulling a muscle from lifting suitcases.  Read on to see what a silly thing I did to pull a muscle badly.

I’d like to share my challenges with you in case you ever encounter similar problems.  You might avoid the same pitfalls.

First, a little back ground.  I am in a hiking group that hits the trails in the Pacific Northwest every Wednesday, rain or shine, except for January and February when we cross country ski.  Keep moving to keep arthritis at bay, is our motto.  Of all the gals in our group, Pedie took me up on taking a hike in Switzerland.  Jaco, our friend and fellow hiker who has returned to her homeland in the Netherlands to live out her life, was eager to join us as she missed our weekly hiking and friendship.  She, Pedie and I all celebrate our 75th birthdays this year, so this was an added incentive.  Our fourth hiker was Chris, already 83 yrs old. May I just add here that we met plenty of older people hiking as this sort of trekking is not unusual in Europe. Jaco and I took an overnight train to Zurich and then a train to the southeast part of Switzerland to join the other two.  You’ll recognize the place names St. Moritz and Davos if you follow the rich and famous.  We stuck to smaller, less glitzy places.

Our first stop in the Engadine valley was a town called Scuol.  It is famous in Europe for its mineral baths and the modern spa is worth the trip.  I had so much luggage that I had exploded into a collapsible cloth bag to make my back pack as light as possible and still not leave anything behind that I might need on the trail. We were walking from one village to the next, up over the mountains and needed to be ready for any change in the weather.  Ryder/Walker, our self guided tour company, arranged for our luggage to be taken to the next hotel along the way, arriving in our rooms well ahead of us.

Helping with jet lag and pounding our muscle into jelly, we spent a luxurious afternoon soaking in the mineral baths, going from super hot indoors, through the watery opening into the sun, blue sky and swirling outdoor pool with its jets and waterfall showers.  By the time I got back to the hotel, I was a noodle.

Here’s the trouble #1.  I spent half an hour bent over my luggage rearranging things to begin hiking the next day.  When I tried to stand up, all the muscles in my lower back had stretched out and refused to budge.  Here I was, pain shooting through my body, unable to catch my breath or stand and walk to dinner.  I got out my theraband and hit the floor with stretches and exersizes; filled the ice bag I had brought just in case and took a couple Pain Relief Complex herbal Cox 2 and 5 Loc inhibitors, pain pills that don’t hurt your stomach.  I’m the one who put this great hiking experience together and I wasn’t going to be able to walk a mile, much less carry a pack.

After a fabulous 8 course dinner and a bottle of Swiss wine between us, more ice and Pain Relief Complex, a good night’s sleep, and a ice bag tucked into my hiking pants, I was ready to walk it out this next morning.  It worked.  Walking is the best thing for lower back pain.  After about a half hour, I was ready to dump the ice and the rest of the 6 days I was free of lower back difficulties. 

The take away from this is

1.  Never do any extreme movements after a hot tub, deep tissue massage or the pummeling pleasure of a mineral springs spa.  I should not have bent over rearranging my luggage, and a little voice told me that at the time, to which I paid no attention.

2.  Don’t give up on yourself when you do pull a muscle.  Ice, stretch and do your best to walk it out.  This idea of lying flat on your back and taking muscle relaxants, in my opinion and long time experience, is not the way to handle lower back pain.  I have loosened up sciatica several times in the past by icing, stretching and walking.

Now, Please, tell us your methods for dealing with this kind of muscle pain, how you got yourself into the mess in the first place and how you got out of it.  We all want to learn from each other.  So go ahead, leave a comment, and sign up to get notification of my next posting which will take you on down the trail in the Engadine to the next near calamity on our great adventure.

Fondly, Betsy

Be Well, Do Well and Keep Moving

BetsyBell’s Health4u

www.GrandmaBetsyBell.com

206 933 1889  1 888 283 2077

betsy@hihohealth.com

 

Arthritis, Be Well health tips, Health and Fitness, Keep Moving: Managing Arthritis

Here’s where you begin

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Gentle Reader,

What is the difference between fixing a problem and prevention?  Most of my blog posts consider specific problems developing from pain in the joints caused by traumatically induced arthritis or the age related osteoarthritis and spinal stenosis issues some of us face just because we’ve been moving hard and fast all our lives.  The fix-it approach tries to mimic the medication or prescription our doctor has recommended, but take care of the problem—fix-it—with supplements or therapies instead.  The “problem” may be a wakeup call, that tolling bell that asks, what could I have done to avoid this in the first place?  You question the traditional medicine path that suggests a medicine or surgical procedure because they have developed a sure-fire protocol for the problem you want fixed.  Is there another approach?

You really want better overall health and think it might, just might make the arthritis pain lessen if the whole body were better fortified.  You already eat a healthy diet of more vegetables than breads and cakes, of lean grilled meat and fish over fried fish and chips or hamburgers with all the trimmings.  You limit your alcohol intake to a couple glasses of wine a week, maybe a beer or 2 and the rare martini.  You use olive oil instead of butter and hardly ever open a box to make breakfast or dinner.  The last time you swung through the Golden Arches was back in ’89. You haven’t microwaved left overs in a flimsy plastic container or sipped water from a thin film plastic bottle that has been sitting in the sun.  Toxin-free, healthy diet, exercise.  A+.

Still, something isn’t quite right.  The finger nails are still thin, and like your hair ends, break easily.  You bruise every time you bang into the ball at the back of the car that pulls the trailer.  You have bad breath and dandruff no matter how much Listerine and medicated shampoo you use.  You’re not sleeping the way you’d like and you hit the wall every afternoon around 3 looking for a cookie and a coke.

Why isn’t the great diet, good exercise and toxic free world giving you the optimal health you are wanting?

The wise person that answered that question for me 26 years ago suggested that maybe I wasn’t getting enough nutrition.  My food wasn’t cutting it.  Perhaps I needed supplements.

You are already taking supplements, you say, and you still have some of these not-so-great physical situations.

In 2004, Shaklee’s new owner, president and CEO, Roger Barnett, did an extraordinary thing.  He had blood drawn from 500 Shaklee consumers who had been taking a variety of supplement (“the shelf”, we call it) for at least 20 years and handed over the data to one of the pickiest health organizations in the US, the University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health.  Take this, he said, and compare the blood samples of these Shaklee users with people who have taken at least a multivitamin for 20 years and people who have never taken any vitamins.  Whatever your results, publish them.  What Chutzpah, what daring, what risky business.

The results were astonishing to the head researcher, Dr. Gladys Block.  On every possible measure the Shaklee users’ overall health markers were significantly better than the others.  The user of generic multivitamins were, by some measures, less healthy than those who took no vitamins at all.  You can read the entire study here.  Here about the study here.

Then Shaklee’s scientists designed a new product called Vitalizer containing 6 pills/capsules, tablets designed to get into the blood stream and work were the nutrients are most needed in a multi-patented delivery system.

When you ask me for (or go in search of) specific supplements for specific issues, step back for a minute.  Take a bird’s eye view of your overall health and ask yourself. “Am I getting a good absorbable protein and the basic vitamins and minerals that form the building blocks for everything?”  Perhaps beginning with an Energizing Soy Protein and Vitalizer for 90 days (it takes that long for the blood to be all new) will fill in the gaps and give you an overall healthier base.  Then see to the “fix-it” issues.  The specific supplements designed to alleviate pain, reduce stress, lower cholesterol, reduce menopause symptoms, sooth sore muscles, aid digestion and build solid bones.  We call this the Common Sense Approach to Health and Wellness.  Changing brands could make all the difference.

Take action:  Check this list of symptoms.  If you treat any of them with over the counter medicine, you are putting a tape over the red light on your dashboard and not looking into the root cause.

__Tired

__Overweight or Underweight

__Stress

__Dry/Oily skin/Problem skin

__Thinning hair/Dull hair

__Emotional on empty stomach

__Dandruff

__Need caffeine/sugar

__Can’t wake up

__Can’t sleep/Restless sleep

__Poor attention span

__Splitting Nails

__Irritability/Depression

__Nervousness/Anxiety

__Allergies

__Bruise easily

__Heartburn/Need antacids

__Sinus problems

__ cold hand or feet

__Poor night vision

__Back pain/Leg pain

__Constipation/Diarrhea

__Poor digestion/stomach

__High/Low blood pressure

__High/Low blood sugar

__Various aches and pains

__Elevated cholesterol

__Cravings for sweets

__PMS/Hormonal problems

__Menstrual cramps/problems

__Subject to colds/flu/infection

__Muscle cramps

__Joint pain/Arthritis

__Bleeding gums

__Headaches

__Breath or body odor

__Decreased sex interest

__Infertility/Sterility

__Menopausal symptoms

__Vague “blah” feeling

Shocked or pleased with your results?  Let us know.

My challenge to you is this: If you take the Starter Program of Energizing Soy Protein and Vitalizer for 30 days, and see no change in our health, you will get your money back, no questions asked.

Shop at www.HiHoHealth.com.  This Vitalizer Wellness Starter package retails at $135.50 plus tax and shipping.  My offer to you is 10% off.  Vitalizer Gold for the over 50 is a little more, or $142.00 plus tax and shipping.  This is a 30 day supply.  The 10% rebate comes at the beginning of next month.

Fondly, Betsy

Be Well, Do Well and Keep Moving

BetsyBell’s Health4u

www.GrandmaBetsyBell.com

206 933 1889  1 888 283 2077

betsy@hihohealth.com

 

Arthritis, Be Well health tips, Health and Fitness, Keep Moving: Managing Arthritis

The last word on Consumer Report’s warning against Vitamins

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Gentle Reader,

This week Dr. Chaney concludes his analysis of the article titled “10 Surprising Dangers of Vitamins and Supplements” in the September 2012 issue of Consumer Reports. The article consists of 10 warnings about the potential dangers of food supplements.

The first six of those were at least partially true, but they pertained to such a small portion of the food supplements in the market that they were almost meaningless.  See the blog for 9/13.

Last week I posted Dr. Chaney’s response to the seventh warning: that heart and cancer protection are not proven. It is, he tells us, very difficult to unambiguously prove that any intervention prevents heart disease or cancer in a primary prevention setting. “In fact, recent studies have shown that you can’t even prove that statin drugs reduce heart attack risk in a primary prevention setting.”

Dr. Chaney argued that the authors seemed to suggest “that supplements have been proven not to be effective in reducing heart disease and cancer risk – and that they might even increase the risk.” Check with last week’s blog to see how he refutes that insinuation.

#8  you could choke on supplements. “Really?” Dr. Chaney sounds indignant. “That’s true of anything you swallow. But let’s put it in perspective. The FDA says that has occurred a total of 900 times over the past five years – and only a few of the cases were serious enough to require a Heimlich maneuver. Most cases of choking on supplements were easily resolved by a second swallow or little extra water.” My poor husband, Chuck, choked on his vitamins more than once and they came up instead of going down.  It didn’t keep him from taking a hand full with the next meal.  A slurry of a protein smoothie helps when you have a hard time swallowing.  But to warn people away from supplements because they might choke?!  For heavens sake.

#9  Some natural products were anything but. Are you really surprised? In most cases you can figure that out just by reading the label.

#10 you may not need supplements at all. The authors state that “If you are already getting the recommended amount of nutrients by eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, cereals, dairy, and protein, there’s little if any additional benefit from ingesting nutritional supplements”. Dr. Chaney agrees with this statement, as do I.  However, what the authors did not point out was that the USDA tells us that only 5% of the US population actually eats that way.

In conclusion, “Consumer Reports is very good when they are testing consumer products or surveying customers about their satisfaction with consumer products. They are less reliable when they start to venture into areas of health and nutrition. Because this is not an area of their expertise, they are easily misled by the urban myths that abound in the field of nutrition. They do not have the expertise to examine the literature
themselves and evaluate whether or not the urban myths are true. So just take their nutritional advice with a grain of salt.”

Perhaps when looking for supplements to help with managing arthritis pain, muscle soreness, the effects of osteoarthritis and spinal stenosis, plantars faciatitis, Bell’s Palsey or the effects of menopause, you scour the web.  Be sure to take a look at the Shaklee website.  Nearly every product has a label and an article about its properties and benefits.

Next week, The Landmark Study, what the University of California School of Public Health concluded after looking at the health of people who had supplemented with Shaklee vitamins contrasted with those who took regular multivitamins and others who took none.

It’s your turn:  Comments, please. Do you rely on Consumer Report for major purchases?  How do you experience “Urban Myths”?  Do you fall for them?  Dig deeper?  Pass them on?  We’d love to hear from you.

Shop my page for the most reliable way to prevention along with a healthy diet and plenty of exercise.

Fondly, Betsy

Be Well, Do Well and Keep Moving

BetsyBell’s Health4u

www.GrandmaBetsyBell.com

206 933 1889  1 888 283 2077

betsy@hihohealth.com

 

Arthritis, Be Well health tips, Health and Fitness, Keep Moving: Managing Arthritis

10 Surprising Dangers of Vitamins and Supplements Refuted

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Gentle Reader,

In the September 2012 issue of Consumer Reports an article consists of 10 warnings about the potential dangers of food supplements. In my last post, I quoted Dr. Steven Chaney’s refutation of the first six of those warnings. As he pointed out, “all of those warnings were true, but they pertained to such a small portion of the food supplements in the market that they were almost meaningless.”

My hope for you as a consumer, is you might be more discerning and stay away from supplements that are worthless or dangerous or both.  When trying to prevent future disease and/or mediate arthritis pain, muscle soreness, osteoporosis and the effects of osteoarthritis, you want the supplements you take to do the job.  The news stories can discourage you from believing you are spending your money wisely and maybe those bottles of supplements gather dust in the back corner of your kitchen cupboard.

Let’s see what Dr. Chaney has to say about this statement by the Consumer Report authors:

# 7 heart and cancer protection of food supplements is not proven.

“While it is extremely difficult to definitively prove the efficacy of food supplements, the article is written in such a way that one might be led to believe that food supplements have definitely been proven not to be affected. Nothing could be further from the truth.”

Quoting Dr. Chaney, who directs a cancer research lab at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, “The truth is that some experts have an anti-supplement bias. They require multiple studies before they will admit that a supplement might be beneficial. However, they accept a single study suggesting that a supplement doesn’t work or that it might be harmful as the absolute truth. These reports are picked up by the media, and after they’ve been repeated often enough they take on a life of their own. They become “urban myths”, and become generally accepted as true.

“So I would like to take a little more time and discuss some of the claims that in this section of the Consumer Reports article.

Claim #1 calcium supplements inevitably increase the risk of heart attack. 

“The problem is likely one of calcium supplement design rather than a characteristic of all calcium supplements. Those calcium supplements designed solely to get calcium into the bloodstream quickly are problematic because all that excess calcium has to go somewhere – and calcification of our arteries is not a good thing.

“What you should look for is calcium supplements that are designed to maximize the incorporation of calcium into your bones. Not only is that likely to decrease the risk that the calcium ends up somewhere where it shouldn’t be, but it also increases the probability that the calcium ends up where it should be – in your bones.

Claim #2  omega-3 fatty acids don’t actually decrease the risk of heart attack or stroke. The authors of the Consumer Reports article did note that several previous studies had shown that omega-3 fatty acids decreased the risk of heart attack, but seemed to suggest that those studies were invalidated by a recent study showing no effect of omega-3 supplementation in people at high risk for heart attack and stroke.

“The problem with the most recent study was that the patients in the study were already on 3 to 5 drugs that lowered the risk of heart disease. All this study showed was that omega-3 fatty acids did not offer any incremental benefit for patients who were already maxed out on medications.

“This study was silent on the important question of whether omega-3 fatty acids by themselves might decrease the risk of heart attack and stroke. Thus, this most recent study does not invalidate the several previous studies showing a beneficial effect of omega-3 fatty acids on the risk of heart attacks and stroke.

Claim #3 antioxidant supplements might actually increase the risk of cancer, especially prostate cancer.

“That claim is based on a single, flawed meta-analysis. That study excluded any studies showing beneficial effects of antioxidants. In addition, the increased cancer risk reported in the meta-analysis was almost entirely due to a single study in which vitamin E was combined with estrogen replacement therapy – which is known to increase the risk of cancer.

“The authors of the Consumer Reports article completely ignored a second publication that reanalyzed the data and pointed out the flaws in the previous study. They also ignored a recent study showing that antioxidants significantly decreased cancer risk.

Dr. Chaney challenged the study blaming Vitamin E for increased the risk of prostate cancer, saying that it “had several flaws, and was directly contradicted by two previous studies showing that vitamin E significantly decreases the risk of prostate cancer.

“In summary, I don’t mean to suggest that studies claiming that certain supplements could do some harm are completely baseless. In fact, I have long warned that high potency, high purity individual nutrients, such as pure alpha-tocopherol or pure beta-carotene, do have the potential to cause more harm than good. That is because they can interfere with the absorption of similar nutrients that have beneficial effects themselves. I have long advocated for a holistic approach to supplementation rather than relying on individual high potency, high purity supplements.

“Based on the recent research with calcium supplements I would add the warning that supplements that are solely designed on the basis of how fast the nutrients can get to the bloodstream, without any consideration of where they go once they get into the bloodstream, also may have the potential to do more harm than good.

“As a scientist I am appalled that single studies suggesting lack of efficacy or the potential for harm are given more weight than multiple studies suggesting the benefits of supplementation. I think much more research is needed before we start to tell people to avoid antioxidant supplements or that supplements don’t really provide any benefits. If we look at the total body of published literature, the evidence for the benefits of supplementation far outweighs the evidence for risk.”

Now it’s your turn:  Take action and keep this conversation going about the value of supplementation.  What is your actual experience?  Go to the comment section and leave me your remarks.

To shop for the most researched and proven bioavailable calcium product on the market, go here.

The same is true for Vitamin E, a supplement with all the tocopherols, balanced and enhanced with selenium and grape seed extract can be purchased here.

Stay tuned for the next blog when Dr. Chaney will make his concluding remarks in response to the Consumer Report article.

Fondly, Betsy

Be Well, Do Well and Keep Moving

BetsyBell’s Health4u

www.GrandmaBetsyBell.com

206 933 1889  1 888 283 2077

betsy@hihohealth.com

 

Arthritis, Be Well health tips, Health and Fitness, Keep Moving: Managing Arthritis

10 Reasons Vitamins aren’t dangerous Part 1

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Gentle Reader,

I have been more direct in recent posts about the value of supplementing and specifically supplementing with Shaklee vitamins for alleviating arthritis pain, joint pain and muscle soreness.  I assume that you, like me do a lot of research on the internet before making a purchase, or when confronted with a problem symptom or diagnosis.  You are out there “googling” every aspect of a topic you care about.

In September one of the most revered journals we all turn to or have turned to in the past, Consumer’s Report, came out with an article titled:  “10 Surprising Dangers of Vitamins and Supplements“.

In this and the next 2 posts I will share with you the analysis of this report by Dr. Steven Chaney, Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 1992-present.  Dr. Chaney publishes an online “Tips from the Profession” blog in which he comments on the latest research in the health and wellness field.  These critiques in journals such as Consumer’s Report, often miss important nuances that people need when researching value in the supplements they are taking.

Let’s look with Dr. Chaney at the warnings the authors have made one by one and put them in perspective.  Dr. Chaney’s comments are in quotes.

#1  supplements are not risk-free.

“That is true up to a point. There are some bad players in the industry but they produce a very small minority
of the supplements in the marketplace – probably less than 2%.

“To understand just how small a problem this really is, we really need to put the warning into perspective. The
authors said that there were 6,300 reports of serious adverse effects and 115 deaths associated with dietary
supplements between 2007 and 2012. That corresponds to 1,260 serious adverse effects and 23 deaths per year.

“In contrast, there are over 2.2 million adverse drug reactions and over 125,000 deaths per year from medications taken as properly prescribed.  [Does this make the press and head line our magazines and newspapers?]

“So which is more dangerous – food supplements or prescription drugs?

#2  some supplements are really prescription drugs.

“Again that is a true statement, but it represents only a few bad apples in the industry – it’s not the industry norm.

“The worst offenders are among supplements marketed for bodybuilding, weight loss, and sexual enhancement -especially those that promise instant or effortless results. These supplements often contain stimulants or synthetic steroids. As I have said in the past “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is”. So just avoid those supplements that advertise that they will make the pounds just melt away or enable you to leap tall buildings in a single bound.

# 3   you can overdose on vitamins and minerals.

“That’s kind of a no-brainer. You can overdose on almost anything – even water.

“Now I do not want to minimize the possibility of overdosing on vitamins and minerals. It can happen.
Most of those 1,260 serious adverse effects reported each year are probably due to overdosing – although
some of them may represent drug – nutrient interactions.

“If you are taking high levels of vitamins and minerals, I do recommend that you familiarize yourself with the
safe upper limits set by the Institute of Medicine and the Office of Dietary Supplements. You can find that at
www.ods.od.nih.gov.  [When I first starting using Shaklee, I worried about this.  A person who had been taking Shaklee for 20 years told me the only way Shaklee vitamins could hurt you was by dropping a case of them on your foot.]

#4 you can’t depend on warning labels.

“Again, that is true with a small minority of the supplements out there. In fact, it is a good way to
distinguish between the fly-by-night companies and the reputable companies.

“My advice to you is to do your due diligence. Look for responsible, reputable companies that put warning
labels on their supplements.

#5  no supplements have been proven to cure major diseases.

“As the authors point out the FDA does not allow claims that supplements can diagnose, cure, mitigate, treat,
or prevent diseases. These claims are only allowed for FDA approved drugs.

“If you see claims that a supplement can cure or treat a disease, run the other way. Reputable companies would not make such a claim.

#6  buy with caution from botanicas.

“The authors are referring to stores that sell traditional medicinal plants for physical or spiritual healings.  [We have a number of these in Seattle with Asian herbalists selling products traditional to their culture.  I have safely used several items on the recommendation of my acupuncturist.]  The botanica type stores are completely unregulated, so you have no idea what you’re actually getting.  [This caution has] very little to do with the supplements that you and I are likely to be purchasing on a regular basis.”

I am grateful to Dr. Chaney for his thoughtful reading of the article’s findings.  It helps us put the headliner in perspective.  Don’t let those warnings scare you away from supplementation. Instead let Consumer Report’s 10 points  help you choose high quality supplements from reputable manufacturers, and hopefully help keep you from falling for hype and deceptive advertising used by a very small segment of supplement manufacturers.  In my next posting, I’ll bring Dr. Cheney on again to comment on the other 3 heralded causes for concern.

Now, take action:  Leave a comment about your fears and concerns about supplements. Let’s get a conversation going about safety and supplementation.

If you thought this information worth reading, pass it on to your friends by re-posting and putting the quick link ( http://wp.me/p2AJkQ-3R )on your facebook page.

For the top of the line supplements sold through me by the number 1 Natural Nutrition Company in the US, hop over to my shopping page.

Fondly, Betsy

Be Well, Do Well and Keep Moving

BetsyBell’s Health4u

www.GrandmaBetsyBell.com

206 933 1889  1 888 283 2077

betsy@hihohealth.com

 

Arthritis, Be Well health tips, Health and Fitness, Keep Moving: Managing Arthritis

How to Keep Your Hand Moving–Without Pain

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Gentle Reader,

A good friend is suffering from arthritis in her hand causing discomfort playing tennis and gripping the handles of her hiking pole. Her pain, like the arthritis pain in many aging hands, is the gradual deterioration of the joints because of continued use and abuse over a long, productive life.

In 1980 when I was cross country skiing with one of my daughters and a couple other mother/daughter teams up in whistler, BC, I hit an early morning patch of shade at the bottom of a long sun-warmed downhill.  The sudden change threw me off balance.  Gripping the pole twisted my thumb right out of its socket.  The big bone at the base that creates our opposing pincher strength thrust up over the back of the hand.  Luckily my companion had an extra ski tip, a sandwich bag with ice and an ace bandage in her pack.  I skied the 3 – 4 miles back to the Whistler plaza area.  But I didn’t take care of the problem right away.  Knowing how foggy minded I am without food, I had a sandwich, chatting in the sun with the others before going to the emergency doctor.  He, of course, scolded me for not getting to him immediately, pulled the dislocated thumb joint into place and made a temporary splint.  My daughter, a newly minted licensed driver, got us home safely to Seattle.

At the University Hospital, the orthopedist crafted a form fitting splint and sent me on my way.  There was little to no physical therapy afterwards.

Today this thumb joint is disfigured, but never hurts.  In the late 80’s it throbbed and ached frequently and I doubted I would be able to continue to play the flute.

Who do you know whose livelihood depends on fully functioning hands?  Musicians, typists, writers, doctors, and carpenters just to name a few.

Read on for a scientific discussion of the hand and arthritis in its joints.  But before you do, I want you to take action based on this blog post.

Go to the comment section and tell us how your hands are doing and what it would mean to you to lose their dexterity and strength.

Go to my Shaklee shopping page and read about the products that turn this advancing arthritis pain around, keeping the joints healthy and mobile.

Share this article with someone you know who is suffering from joint inflammation, joint pain in the hands whether from an injury or wear and tear of age so they can chose an alternative to the treatments described in the medical information to follow.

What is the cause of arthritis pain in the hand? When arthritis is due to trauma, the cartilage is damaged.

A doctor can diagnose arthritis of the hand by examining the hand and by taking X-rays.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m giving you a link to a thorough and detailed article published by the American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons.  Because of the copyright law, I will not include the whole text in this post.  http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00224

What I will point out is that there is never a mention of nutrition as a possible abatement, intervention or even treatment for a painful, swollen arthritic joint.  What I can tell you from personal experience and the experience of thousands of others is that a nutritionally supported joint will remain functional, will heal itself and will serve you for many years without the surgeries described.  It is wonderful the medical profession has developed these treatments, but why not avoid them as long as we possibly can?

When I am talking nutrition, I am not limiting that to food intake or a couple multi-vitamins a day.  Some of us need to supplement far more as well as eating a diet of green leafy vegetables, brightly colors fruits, lean protein, little or no dairy, processed sugar or wheat.  For my thumb to stay supple and allow me to write for 45 minutes, keeping the pen moving across the page, or weeding for 45 minute without pain, I must have at least 3000 mg. of vitamin C a day.  I add the oils to that:  3 servings of the omega oils, 3 servings of GLA, 3 servings of Lecithin.  If that seems like a lot, maybe your body would get all the help it needs from a highly absorbable and effective Joint Health supplement with glucosamine hydrochloride and Boswellia that penetrates and increases mobility. I noticed additional comfort when I added this to my diet.  Take a look at this video.  If your current supplement program isn’t bringing you the relief you want, may I suggest 90 days with the Shaklee equivalents and Joint Health Complex?  Changing brands could change your life.

Fondly, Betsy

Be Well, Do Well and Keep Moving

BetsyBell’s Health4u

www.GrandmaBetsyBell.com

206 933 1889  1 888 283 2077

betsy@hihohealth.com

 

 

Arthritis, Be Well health tips, Health and Fitness, Keep Moving: Managing Arthritis

My Hands Don’t hurt

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Gentle Reader,

Today I sat with a group of women doing writing practice.  One lovely person a few years younger than I read aloud when it was her turn and shared her wistful memories of back packing.  Having all she needed in the world for simple shelter, nourishing and simple food, everything necessary in her pack was her idea of the best possible situation.

I feel this way, too, and eagerly asked her afterwards if she is still back packing.  She said, no, her husband was leaving soon but she would have to stay behind.  She had no energy and was taking many medications for various problems.  Still walking along the beach most every day, she takes solace in that pleasure, but has mourned her loss of this most freeing experience, setting off for a wilderness place with all her necessities in her pack.

This story came across my desk last week.  As I heard my new friend’s story of medications and energy loss, I wondered if this could be her story, too.

Hands No Longer Hurt

“As you know, Shaklee vitamins  and Liver DTX have put my hepatitis C into remission. After adding the soy protein I now have energy and the doctor says my liver is again soft and no longer swollen.

The new news is that I finished up the Cal/Mag and now have been using the OsteoMatrix for about a week. My hands no longer hurt! It was becoming a daily heartache to endure this additional pain. I have hope that my hip pain will also stop as it has already been reduced.

Years ago I was on 4 different interferon programs, 8 – 10 months each, and the medicine had me bedridden without any medical benefits and plenty of side effects. Today I am a new person! I thank God for you and Shaklee.” Fran Shaughnessy

I was recently sitting with another woman who is riddled with arthritis and has had most of her joints operated on.  She has had gold shots and takes morphine for pain. Of course, her doctors are monitoring her liver and they claim she is tolerating the 8 – 10 prescriptions she is taking.  She is also taking many different vitamins and other supplements.  She has decided to turn to Shaklee to see if the products from the #1 Natural Nutrition Company will make a difference.  I can’t tell you yet how this is going as she only began yesterday. She will continue taking all prescription meds and specific supplements.  Together we will monitor how she feels and let her doctors decided through blood tests whether her arthritis symptoms, fibromyalgia and other conditions are improving enough over time to reduce any of the medications.

I have recommended Liver DTX, Optiflora, Fiber Plan and Herb Lax, all signature Shaklee products designed to help the digestive system function optimally, eliminate toxins and repair the bruised and over worked lower intestine and liver so that the medications will actually serve the body as the doctor hopes.  She will also use Vitalizer and Energizing Soy Protein to help boost her overall health.

Now, dear reader, go to your pill drawer and take count of the prescriptions and over the counter drugs, the vitamins and other supplements you have either been prescribed or are taking because you think they might help.  May I suggest that by simply changing brands to Shaklee for the vitamins alone, you might improve your situation dramatically?

Do you know how the various pills interact? Are you flying solo making your choices, or are you consulting with a nutritionist/Naturopath/Physician about all the many things you take (or the few things). Here is an excellent web site that will help sort this out.  Then come back and spread the word.

Do you have a friend or family member who might benefit from thinking about their medications and supplements from a new point of view? If so, pass this post along to someone you know and care about.

And finally, like my BetsyBells Health4u Face book page.  Friend me at www.facebook.com/betsyjbell.

Fondly, Betsy

Be Well, Do Well and Keep Moving

BetsyBell’s Health4u

www.GrandmaBetsyBell.com

206 933 1889  1 888 283 2077

betsy@hihohealth.com

 

 

Arthritis, Be Well health tips, Health and Fitness, Keep Moving: Managing Arthritis

Knee Pain: an early warning sign of Osteoarthritis

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Gentle Reader,

This is just in from the Johns Hopkins:

Knee Pain: An Early
Warning Sign of Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting an estimated 27 million people in the United States. By age 40, approximately 90 percent of us have at least some signs of osteoarthritis that can be seen on X-rays of the weight-bearing joints (the hips and knees, for example), but symptoms of pain and stiffness usually don’t start until later in life. 

Now, researchers from Canada report that knee pain may be an early warning sign of osteoarthritis (OA). Their study was published in the journal Arthritis Care & Research(Volume 62, page 1691).

The researchers obtained X-ray and MRI scans of 255 people with knee pain who were 40 to 79 years old. Pre-radiographic osteoarthritis (signs of cartilage damage seen on MRI but not yet evident on X-ray) was identified in 49 percent, and radiographic osteoarthritis (signs of cartilage damage on X-ray) was identified in 38 percent. Only 13 percent had a normal X-ray and MRI.

Factors linked to a higher chance of having radiographic osteoarthritis or pre-radiographic osteoarthritis included abnormal gait (nearly 11 times higher risk), older age (nearly three times higher risk for each 10-year increase), playing sports regularly after age 20 (35 percent higher risk for each 10 years), knee swelling and difficulty fully stretching the knee joint.

The bottom line: If you have knee pain, don’t ignore it. Early identification of osteoarthritis can lead to early treatment and relief. 

Duh!  This is a no brainer, isn’t it?  My question to you and to them, what are we supposed to do about it?  We have the early warning signs. Now what?

In these blog posts, I have explored various modalities of care and presented strategies for alleviating pain and slowing down the onset of severe osteoarthritis.  If you are a new reader, I suggest you explore back posts for suggestions.

The bottom line is two fold:

1.  Get to your ideal weight and stay there.  Even 15 pounds off your current weight (if you are over weight) will make a difference in your joints.

2.  Keep moving.  Find something to do that is pleasurable and that you will look forward to each day and DO IT.  Do NOT, under any and all circumstances, stop moving.

I have a great friend who was in a wheel chair with her osteoarthritis and on multiple medications to manage the pain.  A friend persuaded her to seek the counsel of a chiropractor who specializes in blood work and supplementation (primarily by Shaklee).  He analyzes the blood and makes recommendations about diet and supplements.  The most important advice to Luanne was find something to do that she loved.  She didn’t like walking, hiking, dancing, skiing, roller blading, mountain climbing.  Nothing pleased her.  Nothing made her want it more than the pain she had to endure to try out the activity.

One day she was walking near a dock where people were stepping in to sculls, single and double.  She was invited to take a turn and fell in love with sitting in the slim, fast boat down low in the water.  As she became more proficient, she got off her medications and ate the better diet along with the prescribed supplements.  She became pain free.  Luanne went on to win national championships in single scull racing.  Today she is slim, beautiful and healthy.

Find the movement of your choice.  Maybe it’s turning on the TV or radio to your favorite jazz or Latin music station.  There’s someplace in your house where you can dance to your favorite music.  Maybe you’d enjoy a little trampoline.  It takes up a tiny space and is reputed to help increase bone density.  Whatever it is, Go for it.

The doctor’s name is Dr. Richard Brouse.  I send him my blood for diagnosis and suggestions for diet and supplements.  Having his analysis and prescription for supplements makes my vitamin purchases tax deductible.  (I am not giving tax advice.  I am not qualified to do so.  This is just what I do and have done for 25 years.) It is expensive but worth it.  After all, you are going to pay for your health one way or another.  Why not pay now and avoid the steep costs looming ahead of you, not to mention the loss of work and play time.

Dr. Brouse will suggest food supplements by Shaklee. In another post, I recommend the ones that are most effective at restoring your body to good health and alleviating arthritis pain.  (You can browse the Product Guide here.)

When you take your knee pain to the doctor, they will most likely tell you to expect arthritis in the near future and predict knee replacement therapy down the road.  I had these predictions in 1989.  I have no knee pain and have never had knee replacement.  I take a lot of supplements.  People who watch me swallow a handful of them, think I’m nuts.  All I can say is that I love being able to hike to Mt. Rainier pain free, to be able to dance the salsa, and run fast across the street, to scramble down the bank at Shark’s Reef on Lopez Island, to last physically in the art museum longer than my brain can take all that stimulation.

I wish the same for you.

Now, tell me in the comment section, what your thoughts are about your early warning signs, if you have any.  And by all means let us all know what supplements you have found that help.  Did you sign up to get the notification of the next posting?

Fondly, Betsy

Be Well, Do Well and Keep Moving

BetsyBell’s Health4u

www.GrandmaBetsyBell.com

206 933 1889  1 888 283 2077

betsy@hihohealth.com