GrandmaBetsyBell

low back pain

Posted on September 11, 2014

Gentle Reader,

Yicks! Low back pain. Leg numbness. JR, my twenty something trainer, moved me up to a new set of exercises last week. I’m not the only ancient mariner at the Xgym by a long shot, but the way they schedule us in half hour slots for a 25 minute hands-on workout, I don’t have the opportunity to see how the other over-70 year olds are doing. What I do know is the numbness in my right leg showed up on Sunday morning while I was navigating between the choir corner and my chair in the Ensemble (a little pick up band that plays the family service at our Episcopal Cathedral here in Seattle.) And my lower back was killing me.

When you have low back pain because of a workout, do you quit? No. You modify the workout to avoid low back pain.

On Monday, I talked to PJ, the owner and creator of Xgym, who is also a physical therapist. He knew right away what to do to modify my program and to help me avoid low back pain between the twice a week sessions. Squats free standing on uneven surfaces using ski poles to support stability strained by back too much.

Picture ski poles and squats on an uneven surface like this pillow

He changed this quad exercise to leg raises on one of the machine, hands forward so the lower back is relatively uninvolved.

lean forward drapping your arms over the top cushions to reduce back strain. — lean forward draping your arms over the top cushions to reduce back strain.

This round of exercises to strengthen the shoulders and lats meant lifting weights while standing, arms outstretched on either side, ratcheting up two, down one, up two, down one seven times and then back down.

Turn around with the back against the upright frame to prevent low back strain

This action aggravated the lower back. PJ changed the move so I stand against a flat surface stabilizing my back and shoulders while I do the same straight arm lifting.

I tell you this because it illustrates the importance of hands-on training when your body has areas of weakness from previous injuries, arthritis, or some other cause. Friends I have talked to about my Xgym workouts shy away because they are afraid of hurting themselves. “I can’t take all that jumping around,” they tell me. There is no jumping around. “X” doesn’t mean extreme, insane, sweat pouring activity. In fact, there is almost no stress on joints at all. These exercises are designed to bring each of five muscle groups to complete fatigue through slow, controlled movements.

The second corrective advice PJ gave was to suggest daily warm up exercises including “cat-cow” and opposite leg and arm extensions from the neutral “cat-cow” stance. Good old Pilates exercises I have forgotten about. He explained that when the back is stressed, it seizes up, guarding against further pain. Doing the “cat-cow” reassures the lower back that it is safe to move. Relax. Relax and go with the flow. This movement gets the blood flowing freely in the area, supported by the breath.

People go to the gym for all kinds of reasons: body-building, endurance, losing weight or at least making that extra piece of bacon inconsequential—calories in, calories out. I am there for one express purpose: preventing osteoporosis. The slow-burning activated muscles pull on the attached bone and the bone reacts by taking on more density.

Did you know that medical anthropologists have determined that the people with the strongest bones in the history of human kind were the slave-class women in ancient Egypt, as compared to women from the ranks of Egypt’s elite? High ranking women were extremely inactive physically. Same ethnic stock, different life styles. Different bone density and strength.

PJ Glassey’s Xgym has not cloned itself across the US. He has only two locations in the greater Seattle area, Harbor Dr. in West Seattle and downtown Kirkland on the eastside. I hope more trainers with extensive physical therapy knowledge develop this low stress, high intensity approach. Those of us working to avoid the deterioration of joints that comes with aging and keep a high level of fitness and strength need this type of training. You can read about his methods and the science behind them in his book Cracking Your Calorie Code. I do not agree with PJ on the topic of supplementation. The kind of diet his consumes may be adequate for many if you never miss a day eating the way he recommends. As careful as I am about my food intake, there are days I cannot get all the nutrients I need from food. I am just not home to prepare those fresh vegetables three meals a day. Some bodies need more nutrients to build optimal health than they can get from good food alone. Read his book and decide for yourself. He has so many good pointers and if don’t live in Seattle, it’s the next best thing.

Not all supplements are equal. They must be sourced from organic, non-genetically modified plants and they must be processed so no contaminants or impurities taint a single tablet. I trust the Shaklee scientists because my body lets me know how well they are absorbed. If I couldn’t believe my body, I can believe the double-blind clinical trials with real people using these products in independent tests. If you feel your body is not getting everything it needs from food alone and you are already taking supplements, I invite you to change brands for a minimum of three months to see if the Shaklee effect happens to you. It takes three months for the blood to be all new. That length of time would be a fair trial.

By all means, keep moving. The breath carries the blood to the muscles and joints. Moving means breathing deeply, from the bottom of the belly. This action alone will do more for your health than any other single thing.

Your comments are welcome and if this post rings true for you, pass it along to a friend. Sign up to receive this weekly health blog automatically.

Be well, Do well and Keep Moving,

Betsy

206 933 1889

Be Well health tips, Health and Fitness

clear thinking

Posted on September 6, 2014

Gentle Reader,

Clear thinking. We all want it. Brain function is one of several declines we seems unable to prevent as we age. However, it looks as though a new supplement can help. The news coming in from people who notice improvements in the quality of their thinking is so impressive I have decided to share one story with you.

Normally I keep to the physical ailments associated with arthritis, joints and muscles and prevention. These stories are about the brain and our ability to think clearly, forget less, stay on target.

The company whose products I represent, Shaklee, has been studying the human brain for about 5 years. I noticed that I wrote a newsletter about telomeres—strands of DNA—in 2011 after attending a lecture on these studies: Here is that short article published in August of 2011 about a special session at the Shaklee conference for health care professionals.

I attended the special session for health care providers, an audience of more than 200 people. Dr. Jamie McManus, Medical Director, announced a new partnership with Elizabeth Blackburn, Ph.D., 2009 winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Dr. Blackburn, AC, FRS is an Australian-born American biological researcher at UC San Francisco, who studies the telomere, a structure at the end of chromosomes that protects the chromosome. Blackburn co-discovered telomerase, the enzyme that replenishes the telomere. For this work, she was awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, sharing it with Carol W. Greider and Jack W. Szostak.

She and her team have blood samples from 107 Shaklee supplement users and will compare their telomere length with a control group from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). We expect Shaklee supplement users to have healthier telomeres.

The Shaklee Telomere Research Landmark Study II on DNA and longevity will include 107 Shaklee participants who have been taking Shaklee (Vitalizer, Vivix and Cinch) for approximately five years, as well as a group of non-supplement users.

Preliminary results of the study are very impressive. Telomere research is not only about the brain and clear thinking. Every chromosome in the body has telomeres, so Dr. Blackburn’s research tells us about healthy aging in all areas.

Dr. Blackburn is newly appointed to Shaklee’s scientific advisory board. I have posted her videos on my You Tube channel. If you get excited by the science of aging the way I do, you’ll enjoy watching her lectures.

Another highly educated university professor, Susan Bartz Herrick, fell heir to her parents’ Shaklee business. I’ll let her tell you her story as she experiences her clear thinking after a few weeks with MindWorks.

You know I don’t write a great deal but I just had to share this one with you, as it is personal. And you know that I tend to shy away from testimonials. Not that I don’t find them meaningful – I do. It’s just that they are not scientific. Being in academia for over 30 years, it is a common practice that we are forced (sometimes against our will) to think that only reports complete with empirical data published in peer reviewed journals have any validity. Also – I knew someone quite well who was utterly incapable of separating the two, and insisted if something was written in Readers Digest – well… it just had to be true.

However, when something works well, I am more than happy to pass it along to my friends; like recipes, high heel shoes that don’t hurt my feet and any anti-ageing potions of reasonable measure. Ok, I found one – in the last category – of sorts. It’s called MindWorks.

First, allow me to confess that I am the Queen of ADD and have been all my life. Where are my books? Shoes? Glasses? Sit still. Don’t doodle! Squirrel!!! You get the picture. After a while, one learns to live with it and exchanges the label “ADD” with “multitasking” to save face. The fact that my students call me “Professor” still is a mystery to some – including me at times.

Getting back to the story: When Shaklee announced the new MindWorks I was thinking; ”Ok perhaps it will help my failing memory, make me young again, and allow me to wear my 3 inch heels”. Putting humor aside for a moment, I can tell you memory loss was really starting to bother me. I was pushing 60 and expecting some loss of cognition and recall, but I also knew I was dealing with issues far beyond that – and it frightened me. You see, from age 46 to 56 I had lived in an extremely stressful state. I had the usual stress that came from getting a divorce, losing home, income, dealing with a hormonal teen intent on pushing me to the limits of insanity, caring for aging sick parents, dying friends, etc. You get the picture – the typical sandwich generational stuff. All came a screeching halt however when my only child, my son, was almost killed in a car accident four years ago. He was on life support for a week, 27 broken bones and having the nurse tell us they didn’t know what his ‘new normal’ would look like. My world stopped and I could not breathe.

After three weeks of hospital vigilance, we saw he would live and I found myself back in the classroom standing in front of my students who were waiting for the lecture de jour. Only one problem – I didn’t know where I was or what I was supposed to be doing. Truly, I found myself frozen as a deer caught in the headlights first day back. I knew I was in class, but that was about it. At least I had enough awareness to check the date and time on the computer to see where I was and what I was supposed to teach that day. Lucky for me, my lectures were posted on-line so I pulled it up and hoped I was on point. It was scary. My therapist told me afterwards it was classic Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and that it would take time for my memory to come back. Great.

As the years went on, I saw my memory slowly resurfacing – to a point. But still I would say I was at half the recall of what I was before the accident. Then the samples of MindWorks came along from Shaklee. However, by this time I had resigned myself to the fact that I’d have to use detailed notes to teach from this point on and I would never remember your name – even if you were a family member.

Long story short: The first day of taking MindWorks, I felt a gentle mental awakening with more clarity but I wasn’t really paying too much attention to results. Then one day, the same week, in class I found myself on the other side of the room – totally engaged in the subject realizing I had just taught 30 minutes without looking at my notes! Next day – same thing! Hoot hoot!!! Later the next week I found myself working well into the afternoon and actually making sense which had become a rarity past 4PM. Teaching in the morning was not just a preference – it was a necessity! But here I was again: Energy – clarity – focus! The results were enough to make me a believer!!

But what I noticed next was not promoted in the product literature and came as treasured surprise. You see, along with all the stress of those hard years came a certain level of depression – clinical depression. My doctors all told me that one cannot sustain the levels of stress that I had for all those years without having the pool of ‘feel good’ brain chemicals bottom out. To remedy it I was given the usual round of Rx’s to help but they didn’t help: Prozak turned me into a zombie and Welbutrin made me a raging lunatic – according to my son. Nope – I settled on St. Johns Wart much to the chagrin of my MD as she said it would never get my brain chemistry back to the high levels needed to feel joyful again. It helped – a little – but I had resigned myself to the fact that I may never have those light peace filled feelings again. Why do I bring this up? Because this past week I have noticed a joy filled bliss creeping back into my mornings. One morning after a calm read the joy fairy just kind of settled in and a tear of gratitude rolled down my face. Yes, there was a way out of the brain dead pit – and it seems to be called Mindworks. At least it was for me.

So there you go my friends: my testimonial. I am sleeping better too BTW way. And my retention of facts and focus keeps getting better. They tell me that Mindworks also helps reduce brain shrinkage by 30% over 2 years according to the clinical study. That’s impressive but right now, I am just tickled pink to get my brain back!!

Susan

Who do you know who could use this kind of helpful improvement? Happy thinking!

Be well, Do well and Keep Moving

Betsy

206 933 1889

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

Eggplant bad for arthritis?

Posted on August 28, 2014

Gentle Reader,

Is eggplant bad for arthritis? Those of us who suffer the pain of arthritis, especially osteoarthritis, have the uneasy belief that night shade plants including eggplant, tomatoes, potatoes, and peppers make the pain worse. This article came across my desk thanks to Kate McCoy, LMT and friend. I was delighted to see how many great benefits there are to eating eggplant AND most importantly, that there have been no studies to substantiate that eggplant is bad for arthritis. Please read on and discover how great this vegetable is and add it to your diet.

Of course, I always recommend that each individual test out their own body’s reaction to the night shade plants. Perhaps you are the exception and avoiding them is in fact just the right strategy for helping alleviate your arthritis pain.

Eggplant

Long prized for its deeply purple, glossy beauty as well as its unique taste and texture, eggplants are now available in markets throughout the year, but they are at their very best from August through October when they are in season.

Eggplants belong to the nightshade family of vegetables, which also includes tomatoes, sweet peppers and potatoes. They grow in a manner much like tomatoes, hanging from the vines of a plant that grows several feet in height. While the different varieties do range slightly in taste and texture, one can generally describe the eggplant as having a pleasantly bitter taste and spongy texture.

Eggplant, cubed, cooked
1.00 cup
(99.00 grams)

Calories: 35
GI: low

NutrientDRI/DV

fiber 9.8%

vitamin B 16.6%

copper 6.6%

manganese 5.5%

vitamin B6 5.2%

vitamin B3 3.6%

potassium 3.4%

folate 3.4%

vitamin K 3.1%

This chart graphically details the % of daily value (DV) that a serving of Eggplant provides for each of the nutrients of which it is a good, very good, or excellent source according to our (Whole Foods) Food Rating System. Additional information about the amount of these nutrients provided by Eggplant can be found in the Food Rating System Chart. A link that takes you to the In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Eggplant, featuring information over 80 nutrients, can be found under the Food Rating System Chart.

Health Benefits

In addition to featuring a host of vitamins and minerals, eggplant also contains important phytonutrients, many which have antioxidant activity. Phytonutrients contained in eggplant include phenolic compounds, such caffeic and chlorogenic acid, and flavonoids, such asnasunin.

Brain Food

Research on eggplant has focused on an anthocyanin phytonutrient found in eggplant skin called nasunin. Nasunin is a potent antioxidant and free radical scavenger that has been shown to protect cell membranes from damage. In animal studies, nasunin has been found to protect the lipids (fats) in brain cell membranes. Cell membranes are almost entirely composed of lipids and are responsible for protecting the cell from free radicals, letting nutrients in and wastes out, and receiving instructions from messenger molecules that tell the cell which activities it should perform.

Rich in Phenolic Antioxidant Compounds

Researchers at the US Agricultural Service in Beltsville, Maryland, have found that eggplants are rich sources of phenolic compounds that function as antioxidants. Plants form such compounds to protect themselves against oxidative stress from exposure to the elements, as well as from infection by bacteria and fungi.

The good news concerning eggplant is that the predominant phenolic compound found in all varieties tested is chlorogenic acid, which is one of the most potent free radical scavengers found in plant tissues. Benefits attributed to chlorogenic acid include antimutagenic (anti-cancer), antimicrobial, anti-LDL (bad cholesterol) and antiviral activities.

ARS researchers studied seven eggplant cultivars grown commercially in the U.S. and a diverse collection of exotic and wild eggplants from other counties. In addition to chlorogenic acid, they found 13 other phenolic acids present at significantly varying levels in the commercial cultivars, although chlorogenic acid was the predominant phenolic compound in all of them. Black Magic—a commercial eggplant cultivar representative of U.S. market types—was found to have nearly three times the amount of antioxidant phenolics as the other eggplant cultivars that were studied. In addition to their nutritive potential, the phenolic acids in eggplant are responsible for some eggplants’ bitter taste and the browing that results when their flesh is cut. An enzyme called polyphenol oxidase triggers a phenolic reaction that produces brown pigments. Scientists have begun work on developing eggplant cultivars with an optimal balance of phenolics to ensure both optimal nutritional value and pleasing taste.

Cardiovascular Health and Free Radical Protection

When laboratory animals with high cholesterol were given eggplant juice, their blood cholesterol, the cholesterol in their artery walls and the cholesterol in their aortas (the aorta is the artery that returns blood from the heart back into circulation into the body) was significantly reduced, while the walls of their blood vessels relaxed, improving blood flow. These positive effects were likely due not only to nasunin but also to several other terpene phytonutrients in eggplant.

Nasunin is not only a potent free-radical scavenger, but is also an iron chelator. Although iron is an essential nutrient and is necessary for oxygen transport, normal immune function and collagen synthesis, too much iron is not a good thing. Excess iron increases free radical production and is associated with an increased risk of heart disease and cancer. Menstruating women, who lose iron every month in their menstrual flow, are unlikely to be at risk, but in postmenopausal women and men, iron, which is not easily excreted, can accumulate. By chelating iron, nasunin lessens free radical formation with numerous beneficial results, including protecting blood cholesterol (which is also a type of lipid or fat) from peroxidation; preventing cellular damage that can promote cancer; and lessening free radical damage in joints, which is a primary factor in rheumatoid arthritis.

Description

Eggplant, or aubergine as it is called in France, is a vegetable long prized for its beauty as well as its unique taste and texture. Eggplants belong to the plant family of Solanaceae, also commonly known as nightshades, and are kin to the tomato, bell pepper and potato. Eggplants grow in a manner much like tomatoes, hanging from the vines of a plant that grows several feet in height.

One of the most popular varieties of eggplant in North America looks like a pear-shaped egg, a characteristic from which its name is derived. The skin is glossy and deep purple in color, while the flesh is cream colored and spongy in consistency. Contained within the flesh are seeds arranged in a conical pattern.

In addition to this variety, eggplant is also available in a cornucopia of other colors including lavender, jade green, orange, and yellow-white, as well as in sizes and shapes that range from that of a small tomato to a large zucchini.

While the different varieties do vary slightly in taste and texture, one can generally describe the eggplant as having a pleasantly bitter taste and spongy texture. In many recipes, eggplant fulfills the role of being a complementary ingredient that balances the surrounding flavors of the other more pronounced ingredients.

History

The ancient ancestors of eggplant grew wild in India and were first cultivated in China in the 5th century B.C. Eggplant was introduced to Africa before the Middle Ages and then into Italy, the country with which it has long been associated, in the 14th century. It subsequently spread throughout Europe and the Middle East and, centuries later, was brought to the Western Hemisphere by European explorers. Today, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, China and Japan are the leading growers of eggplant.

Although it has a long and rich history, eggplant did not always hold the revered place in food culture that it does today, especially in European cuisines. As a result of the overly bitter taste of the early varieties, it seems that people also felt that it had a bitter disposition—eggplant held the undeserved and inauspicious reputation of being able to cause insanity, leprosy and cancer.

For centuries after its introduction into Europe, eggplant was used more as a decorative garden plant than as a food. Not until new varieties were developed in the 18th century, did eggplant lose its bitter taste and bitter reputation, and take its now esteemed place in the cuisines of many European countries, including Italy, Greece, Turkey and France.

How to Select and Store

Choose eggplants that are firm and heavy for their size. Their skin should be smooth and shiny, and their color, whether it be purple, white or green, should be vivid. They should be free of discoloration, scars, and bruises, which usually indicate that the flesh beneath has become damaged and possibly decayed.

The stem and cap, on either end of the eggplant, should be bright green in color. As you would with other fruits and vegetables, avoid purchasing eggplant that has been waxed. To test for the ripeness of an eggplant, gently press the skin with the pad of your thumb. If it springs back, the eggplant is ripe, while if an indentation remains, it is not.

Although they look hardy, eggplants are actually very perishable and care should be taken in their storage. Eggplants are sensitive to both heat and cold and should ideally be stored at around 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius). Do not cut eggplant before you store it as it perishes quickly once its skin has been punctured or its inner flesh exposed.

Place uncut and unwashed eggplant in a plastic bag and store in the refrigerator crisper where it will keep for a few days. If it is too large for the crisper, do not try to force it in; this will damage the skin and cause the eggplant to spoil and decay. Instead, place it on a shelf within the refrigerator.

If you purchase eggplant that is wrapped in plastic film, remove it as soon as possible since it will inhibit the eggplant from breathing and degrade its freshness.

Tips for Preparing Eggplant

When cutting an eggplant, use a stainless steel knife as carbon steel will react with its phytonutrients and cause it to turn black. Wash the eggplant first and then cut off the ends.

Most eggplants can be eaten either with or without their skin. However, the larger ones and those that are white in color generally have tough skins that may not be palatable. To remove skin, you can peel it before cutting or if you are baking it, you can scoop out the flesh once it is cooked.

To tenderize the flesh’s texture and reduce some of its naturally occurring bitter taste, you can sweat the eggplant by salting it. After cutting the eggplant into the desired size and shape, sprinkle it with salt and allow it to rest for about 30 minutes. This process will pull out some of its water content and make it less permeable to absorbing any oil used in cooking. This salting step makes a big difference in the flavor of a grilled eggplant so take the time to do it. I put the 1/4 inch rounds on a cookie cooling rack suspended over the sink, then pat the beads of water off before brushing with olive oil for the oven, grill or frying pan.

Rinsing the eggplant after “sweating” will remove most of the salt. I pat dry with paper towels.

Eggplant can be baked, roasted in the oven, or steamed. If baking it whole, pierce the eggplant several times with a fork to make small holes for the steam to escape. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (about 177 degrees Celsius) for 15 to 25 minutes, depending upon size. You can test for its readiness by gently inserting a knife or fork to see if it passes through easily.

A Few Quick Serving Ideas

For homemade babaganoush, purée roasted eggplant, garlic, tahini, lemon juice and olive oil.
Use it as a dip for vegetables or as a sandwich filling.
Mix cubed baked eggplant with grilled peppers, lentils, onions and garlic and top with balsamic vinaigrette.
Stuff miniature Japanese eggplants with a mixture of feta cheese, pine nuts and roasted peppers.
Add eggplant to your next Indian curry stir-fry.
Ratatouille my personal favorite after grilling. Make now with the abundance of zucchini and sweet onions. Serve cold with sour cream.

Cautions: Eggplant and Oxalates

Eggplant is among a small number of foods that contain measurable amounts of oxalates, naturally-occurring substances found in plants, animals, and human beings. When oxalates become too concentrated in body fluids, they can crystallize and cause health problems. For this reason, individuals with already existing and untreated kidney or gallbladder problems may want to avoid eating eggplant. Laboratory studies have shown that oxalates may also interfere with absorption of calcium from the body. Yet, in every peer-reviewed research study we’ve seen, the ability of oxalates to lower calcium absorption is relatively small and definitely does not outweigh the ability of oxalate-containing foods to contribute calcium to the meal plan. If your digestive tract is healthy, and you do a good job of chewing and relaxing while you enjoy your meals, you will get significant benefits—including absorption of calcium—from calcium-rich foods plant foods that also contain oxalic acid. Ordinarily, a healthcare practitioner would not discourage a person focused on ensuring that they are meeting their calcium requirements from eating these nutrient-rich foods because of their oxalate content.

Eggplant Belongs to the Nightshade Family

Eggplant is one of the vegetables in the nightshade (Solanaceae) family, which includes bell pepper, tomatoes and potatoes. Anecdotal case histories link improvement in arthritis symptoms with removal of these foods; however, no case-controlled scientific studies confirm these observations. Eggplant an arthritis are not linked, scientifically.

Nutritional Profile Click here for super detailed info on eggplant.

Eggplant, cubed, cooked 1.00 cup 99.00 gramsCalories: 35 GI: low
Nutrient	Amount	DRI/DV (%)	Nutrient Density	World’s Healthiest Foods Rating
fiber	2.47 g	9.9	5.1	very good
vitamin B1	0.08 mg	6.7	3.5	very good
copper	0.06 mg	6.7	3.5	very good
manganese	0.11 mg	5.5	2.9	good
vitamin B6	0.09 mg	5.3	2.8	good
vitamin B3	0.59 mg	3.7	1.9	good
potassium	121.77 mg	3.5	1.8	good
folate	13.86 mcg	3.5	1.8	good
vitamin K	2.87 mcg	3.2	1.7	good

World’s Healthiest Foods Rating	Rule
excellent	DRI/DV>=75% OR Density>=7.6 AND DRI/DV>=10%
very good	DRI/DV>=50% OR Density>=3.4 AND DRI/DV>=5%
good	DRI/DV>=25% OR Density>=1.5 AND DRI/DV>=2.5%

In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Eggplant

References

Bliss RM, Elstein D. Scientists get under eggplant’s skin. ARS Magazine, 2004 January; 52 (1): http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jan04/skin0104.htm. 2004.
Ensminger AH, Ensminger, ME, Kondale JE, Robson JRK. Foods & Nutriton Encyclopedia. Pegus Press, Clovis, California. 1983.
Ensminger AH, Esminger M. K. J. e. al. Food for Health: A Nutrition Encyclopedia. Clovis, California: Pegus Press; 1986. 1986. PMID:15210.
Fortin, Francois, Editorial Director. The Visual Foods Encyclopedia. Macmillan, New York. 1996.
Jorge PA, Neyra LC, Osaki RM, et al. Effect of eggplant on plasma lipid levels, lipidic peroxidation and reversion of endothelial dysfunction in experimental hypercholesterolemia. Arq Bras Cardiol. 1998 Feb;70(2):87-91. 1998.
Kimura Y, Araki Y, Takenaka A, Igarashi K. Protective effects of dietary nasunin on paraquat-induced oxidative stress in rats. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 1999 May;63(5):799-804. 1999.
Noda Y, Kneyuki T, Igarashi K, et al. Antioxidant activity of nasunin, an anthocyanin in eggplant peels. Toxicology 2000 Aug 7;148(2-3):119-23. 2000.
Whitaker BD, Stommel JR. Distribution of Hydroxycinnamic Acid Conjugates in Fruit of Commercial Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) Cultivars. J Agric Food Chem 2003 May 21;51(11):3448-54. 2003.
Whitaker BD, Stommel JR. Distribution of hydroxycinnamic acid conjugates in fruit of commercial eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) cultivars. J Agric Food Chem. 2003 May 21; 51(11): 3448-54. 2003.
Wood, Rebecca. The Whole Foods Encyclopedia. New York, NY: Prentice-Hall Press; 1988. 1988. PMID:15220.

For education only, consult a healthcare practitioner for any health problems.

Email me your experiences with eggplant and your health. Is eggplant bad for arthritis in your experience? Let’s share.

Be well, Do well and Keep Moving,

Betsy

betsy@hihohealth.com

203 933 1889

Be Well health tips, Health and Fitness

reduce medication

Posted on August 22, 2014

Gentle Reader,

The recent Global Conference in Long Beach held by the company whose products I rely on to support my optimal health, reflected some big picture changes in our world’s approach to health. Perhaps it would be more correct to say, big picture trends in our world’s health challenges and a call to approach those challenges from a different perspective. From the Ebola outbreak in Africa to the obesity epidemic in the more opulent populations, we are experiencing greater threats to physical health and well-being across the globe. Huge sums of money go toward finding medications to cure the threats. For the first time in history, our children may not reach the ages of their grandparents and parents. While many in the US and Canada live to be 100 and even more, their health span is not keeping up with their life span because of health challenges. The research in the medical field is geared to curing illness. A staggering number of people of all ages take prescription medications, and this number is on the increase. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to reduce medication instead of increasing reliance on drugs?

What the Shaklee Corporation medical and research staff focus on is prevention. Their web site reflects this “Healthy Foundations” – “Healthy Solutions” approach, encouraging people to look at their health concerns and direct their attention and dollars to bringing their bodies and minds up to a peak level of performance through nutritional support. They might even be able to reduce medication. “But”, you might counter, “there are so many non-medical options on the market today, all screaming for your attention, and they all seem to be less expensive.”

How much is optimal health worth to you? Where is the proof that Shaklee’s “foundations” and “solutions” are more effective? I urge you to do your own research on the effectiveness topic as I did so many years ago. First, my body responded positively to the foundations program. Then I wrote to Shaklee asking for their research papers so I could read for myself how the studies were conducted, how they controlled for variables, who their test population was (did I fit that profile?), etc. My research supported what my body experienced and I was All In for good, letting all the noise of other product offerings, regardless of the price, fade from my attention.

One woman who is complaining of lack of focus and forgetfulness attributes these health failings to age. I asked her if she was OK with that progression or would consider slowing it down, maybe even reversing it. She said she was skeptical of all medicine, and that supplements seemed like the same thing to her. That got me thinking about my own health history. I started out in a medical family where the latest drug was offered for the slightest symptom and the firm belief was “better living through chemistry.” I offered her research papers so she could educate herself. She really didn’t want to continue on this downward path and was open. “But”, she added, “I won’t retain research documentation. How have these supplements affected people’s health?, was her next question.

I have pointed you to the research. Here are a couple of testimonies for you. The first is about our immune boosting supplement, Nutriferon. There are several excellent studies using this supplement. You can find them on the web. This will be especially interesting to anyone with thyroid challenges.

November 24, 2013

Shaklee testimonial on Nutriferon:

I ordered my first bottle of Shaklee Nutriferon on 4/20/2010:

When my husband was found to have COPD the first of 2013, I started giving him a double dose (4 pills) a day. Then when his tests with the pulmonary specialist started getting better numbers, he is just taking 1 dose of 2 pills a day. He still has some breathing problems but his last test showed normal numbers. He is helping himself also by walking every day and watching what he eats. I contribute Nutriferon and his change in lifestyle helped him with his condition.

I was diagnosed with having a thyroid problem 44 years ago and I have been on Synthroid ever since then. I have been faithful about getting a physical with blood tests once a year. Throughout all those years, the dosage of Synthroid has never gone down. In April, 2010 I started taking 1 dose (2 pills) of Nutriferon a day. In June, 2013, I had my regular yearly tests and the doctor lowered the dosage and after 3 months I had another blood test and he lowered the dosage again. I am now taking .123 MG a day which is what I was taking years ago. I will have another blood test in Feb. 2014 to find out if he needs to lower again. This had never happened in all the 44 years of taking thyroid medicine.

Also, I was put on Benicar 20 MG for high blood pressure in 2007 and now this year the doctor has said to split the pill and take half a pill a day.

My husband and I are going to continue taking Nutriferon, since we are convinced it is helping us with overall health. I have it on Autoship.

I want to thank Mary Reece and Joyce Brown with introducing me to Nutriferon. I started taking Nutriferon to boost my immune system and it has done so much more.

Connie Protsman, Atmore, Alabama

This testimony is about depression, one of the primary causes of prescription medication in the US. Perhaps there is another way to handle mental health challenges.

Ten years ago, I found myself in a very deep depression (even suicidal at times) as a result of situational and familial stresses. As a result of a very tuned-in nurse at the embassy (in Rabat, Morocco) who asked the right question that got me to open up and discovered that I would benefit greatly from taking anti-depressants. I started taking them January of 2004. I began with Zoloft then changed to Paxil within a few months; in addition I sought psychological support from an US-trained psychiatrist there in Rabat.

I began feeling better and more functional pretty quickly. However, within 6 months I realized I had gained significant weight. This was surprising to me because I had started teaching fitness classes again because I felt so much better, was working out very regularly and eating better! Within 10 months, I had gained nearly 55 pounds! I was, at this point, back in the US and my doctor switched me to Prozac in hopes of stopping the weight gain. It did, for the most part, but also I wasn’t able to lose any of that weight gained.

Fast forward a few years, I wasn’t really happy like I remembered being prior to my depression and I had another psychiatrist tell me that I would be on anti-depressants the rest of my life after having had 2 episodes of severe post-partum depression. This scared me! I was determined to prove him wrong…somehow. On the anti-depressants, I wasn’t able to really experience the highs of happiness and joy; the only benefit was that I was no longer experiencing the deep lows and depression, which was great.

January 2010, my neighbor reintroduced me to Shaklee (I grew up using the Shaklee cleaners and supplements due to a loving mother) and suggested that I try the Stress Relief Complex (SRC) to help me with the added stresses of 3 growing and demanding children and an ever-increasingly stressful marriage. Within 3 months, because I loved how much better the Stress Relief Complex had helped me, I started taking Shaklee’s Vitalizer pack to increase my nutrition AND started my Shaklee business! I spoke with my Doctor and told her I’d like to come off of the Prozac because of how I was feeling/doing taking the Shaklee supplements. She was, thankfully, on-board with me but made me promise to keep an RX just in case and if I experienced any bad side effects to talk to her. Within 10 months of beginning the Stress Relief Complex and adding in Vitalizer, I realized that I hadn’t taken an anti-depressant for several weeks! That was October 2010! I’ve been anti-depressant free ever since!

Since then I was able to lose ALL of the weight I’d gained, plus more, using the Shaklee weight management system, continuing my multivitamin use, Stress Relief Complex as needed and adding in extra B-Complex!

More recently, I’ve learned about the benefits of increasing vitamin D3 and extra calcium if depression /anxiety also causes increased muscle tension. I’ve been able to help many women come off of their anti-depressants naturally and now, help members of my own family with nutritional support with similar issues.

*Always talk to your doctor about your plans; get their support and seek professional counseling as needed, as well as increase your own personal support network of trusted family and friends.* I have also made thorough use of a therapist for counseling purposes as needed and continue to seek support from her as needed! All things considered – for myself and others who’ve tried this approach — nutritional therapy and counseling services have made the most difference when combined!

Happier and Healthier than ever! –CK Gaush, April 2014 www.ckgaush.myshaklee.com

Be Well, Do Well and Keep Moving!

Betsy

206 933 1889

If you have had a significant health benefit from using Shaklee supplements, resulting is getting off medications, please let me know. Others would like to hear your story.

Be Well health tips, Health and Fitness

100 years of innovation

Posted on August 17, 2014

Gentle Readers,

Celebrating 100 years of product innovation, on the eve of our 100th anniversary of uniting science & nature, Shaklee introduces 4 newproducts. I am writing from the annual Global Conference in Long Beach, CA, where Shaklee begins the celebration. Ninety-nine years ago, Dr. Forest C. Shaklee recognized the degredation of American foods and the increasing inability of our raw food sources to build health. The roller mill threw away the core of the wheat kernel—and its vitamins—in favor of white flour. New chemical fertilizers took over the agriculture. Dr. Shaklee developed Vitalized Minerals to fill in the gaps in his chiropractic patients’ nutrition. This breakthrough innovation in 1915, preceded the discovery of vitamins.

In this same spirit of scientific breakthrough, the Shaklee scientists and advisors continued to introduce products for the health of the environment and all of us. This short list highlights a few innovations.

General nutrition supplement (Vitalized Minerals 1915)

Environment (Basic H, 1960),

Skin-care without toxins (Enfuselle 1998)

Immune support (Nutriferon (2005),

Anti-aging cellular help for the DNA (Vivix 2008).

Leucine-based fat loss program (180 Turnaround Weight Management 2013)

This year, the eve of our 100^th anniversary of uniting science and nature to improve health, Shaklee introduces 4 new products:

MindWorks | 3X improvement in memory, focus & reaction time versus a control group and supports long-term brain health

Over time, neural connections in the brain become less efficient, impairing our ability to recall, think, and respond. A key nutrient in MindWorks, Chardonnay grape seeds–but only one tiny aspect of that grape seed–was shown in multiple clinical studies to significantly enhance memory, sharpen focus, and improve reaction time within 6 hours.

Protects against age-related mental decline, the loss of brain mass beginning at age 21.

Key nutrients in MindWorks were shown in laboratory studies to promote the formation of new neural connections and in a clinical study to reduce brain shrinkage rate by 30% over two years (based on study of 223 adults with mild cognitive impairment).

MindWorks key nutrients were shown in laboratory studies to effectively cross the blood-brain barrier and enter the brain. Blood circulation is critical for delivery of oxygen and key nutrients to the brain. It is linked to neural activity. Contains B vitamins and calcium both of which help circulation. Also supporting circulation is our carefully selected guarana extract which has been extensively tested—guarana has long been used traditionally by Amazonian Indian tribes. It helps improve cognitive performance and contains less caffeine than a medium cup of decaf coffee.

MindWorks also comes with a month of CogniFit, a brain training program – a $12.99 value, free.
MindWorks is included in the Healthy Solutions Regimen with Vivix and OmegaGuard and the Healthy Solutions Plus Regimen

with Vivix, OmegaGuard and Nutriferon, both of which are eligible for free membership with new join orders. New people can also get free shipping (up to $20) when they join by September 30.

Blood Pressure | Help retain healthy blood pressure

Our Smart Heart program now includes Blood Pressure, a vitamin and herbal formula that helps create healthier blood vessels. It contains nitrates from spinach and beets, quercitin, vitamin c and magnesium. After you take a Blood Pressure tablet, your body converts the vegetable nitrates into nitrous oxide which help relax the blood vessels.

Your complete supplement support for heart health includes Blood Pressure, CoQ Heart, OmegaGuard and Cholesterol Reduction Complex. Rather than an allopathic approach to high blood pressure and developing heart disease, these four products may help prevent the need for medication.
Vitalized Immunity™ |

Drop, Fizz, Drink Boost Immunity — Drop, Fizz, Drink
Boost Immunity

Ideal for everyday immune support, and when you’re facing stress, pollution, poor nutrition or busy schedules. If you have been slipping a packet of Air-born in your cart as you check out of the grocery or drug store, you might want to compare labels and choose Shaklee’s new immunity boost: no artificial flavors, a broad combination of natural ingredients in addition to vitamin C. Try it out to see if changing brands makes a difference. Remember Shaklee offers you a money back guarantee.
Vitalized Immunity is naturally sweetened with Monk Fruit, and contains as much vitamin-C as 16 oranges. It includes a proprietary blend of 19 vitamins, minerals, and herbs.

Helps support your immune system*
Delicious effervescent formula
Provides nutritional support your immune system

Vitalizing Protein™ Vanilla and Chocolate| Optimized nutrition for sustained energy

A Protein shake plus 80 nutrients in a convenient strip

I am super excited about this new addition to our protein offerings. 180 shakes can be confusing to the person who doesn’t need to lose weight. My introduction to Shaklee included Energizing Soy Protein. Back in 1985, soy protein on a daily basis made all the difference in my health when added to the Vita Lea, B, C, Calcium, Alfalfa and Herb Lax. It was, and still is, the protein shake every morning that contributes to that satisfied energy-producing feeling all day long. Now Shaklee offers Vitalizing Protein, 15 grms. of protein (23 when mixed with non-fat milk or soy milk), fiber, vitamins including antioxidants to mix and drink with your Vitalizer strip every day. If you want the complete meal, buy 2 cannisters a month (15 servings in each). If you are a snack kind of person, add one scoop to your yogurt or coffee in the morning and the canister will last all month.
Vitalizing Protein is included in the Healthy Foundation Regimen along with Vitalizer. The Healthy Foundation Regimen is eligible for free membership with new join orders. And new people can also get free shipping (up to $20) when they join by September 30.

If you are already getting Vitalizer in a monthly auto ship, you might want to consider adding the Vitalizing Protein for the best foundation. Dr. Shaklee used to say, “if you take my Vita Lea and Protein for a month and don’t feel better in some way, I’ll give you your money back.” Many people take me up on this challenge.

I will have a taste-and-try party at my house in West Seattle on Thursday, Sept. 4. 7:15 – 8:30. Let me know if you would like to join us. We will watch some videos about the products and the science beind them, plus try the new shakes and the Vitalized Immunity. We always have a great time, so join the fun.

Be well, Do well and Keep Moving,

Betsy

206 933 1889 to RSVP

Betsy@hihohealth.com

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

avoid mosquito bites

Posted on August 8, 2014

Gentle Reader,

Since this is the season when mosquitoes terrorize our back yard suppers, I want to offer some suggestions for how to avoid mosquito bites

without resorting to DEET and other highly toxic preventative applications. For people who suffer from Rheumatoid Arthritis, even a mosquito bite can produce a flare-up. Luckily, I have not had an increase in osteoarthritis symptoms because of insect bites.

Natural ways to prevent mosquito bites:

Eliminate or treat standing water on your property—Good to do in your own back yard.

Mosquitoes are attracted to standing water, where they breed – thus the best way to avoid attracting them is to reduce the amount of standing water on your property. Here are some suggestions on eliminating standing water:

* Regularly clean and treat swimming pools
* Frequently change the water in wading pools, bird baths and other water containers
* Keep ditches, drains and culverts free of debris so water can drain properly
* Repair leaky pipes, outside faucets and failed septic systems
* Mow your grass short

Another option for standing water is mosquito dunks, which float in water and slowly release Bacillus thuringiensis v. israelensis (BT). BT is toxic for mosquitoes but considered safe for humans. An organic nursery is almost certain to have mosquito dunks and you can also often obtain them at local regular nurseries, hardware stores. You can also use Shaklee’s Basic H2 or other surfactant i.e. dish soap. A drop or two will change the water surface and the mosquito larvae cannot develop. Basic H2 is safe for the environment. I am not sure about other surfactants.

Plant mosquito repelling plants.

Bug-repelling plants such as marigolds, tansies, Thai lemon grass, citronella

grass, oregano, chives, catnip and garlic are excellent, natural mosquito repellents. Below is a suggested anti-mosquito planter:

Use mosquito repelling oils

Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus is considered to be one of the most effective natural mosquito repellents, providing comparable protection to low concentrations of the toxic mosquito repellent DEET.

Other effective mosquito repelling oils include:

Oil of Citronella. The oil of citronella found in outdoor candles, torches and skin products provides a natural and fragrant way to keep mosquitoes at bay. Note: there is a chance that citronella can cause skin irritations in children and people with sensitive skin, especially if applied incorrectly.

Soybean oil (provided that you can find an organic non-GMO source). A study conducted by The New England Journal of Medicine found that soybean-oil-based repellents protected against mosquito bites longer than all other botanical repellents tested.

Lavender oil. Fragrant lavender oil repels mosquitoes and it can be found in a variety of natural skin care products.

A non-authorized use of Basic H2 is mosquito repellant. I dab a few drops of the concentrate on my hair, forehead, neck, all exposed parts of the body and on thin material that a mosquito could penetrate. I worked well for me on a recent hike in a mosquito-laden area. It is amusing to watch the mosquitoes hover a half inch away from my chest, repelled by some bitterness in the Basic H2.

Mosquitoes were not too bad at Jug Lake because of a light breeze

Other tips for eliminating and avoiding mosquitoes

1. Avoid being outside during dusk and dawn hours when mosquitoes are most active. The whole point of this post is to make it possible for you to be out at this time without getting bitten.

2. If you’re going to be outdoors for a long period of time, wear light colored long-sleeved shirts, long pants, shoes and socks that cover your skin. Tightly woven materials are best. Plus, be sure to wear light colored clothes, since mosquitoes are attracted to dark colors.

3. Avoid wearing fragrances (other than the oils listed above). Mosquitoes are attracted to fragrances, so it’s a good idea to avoid wearing perfumes and scented products while you’re outside.

4. Eat plenty of garlic. Garlic is released through the pores of your skin and the scent makes it harder for mosquitoes to find you and less likely to stay on your skin. Shaklee makes a non-smelly garlic that retains the potency of real garlic.

5. Take plenty of B Complex vitamin supplements. One of my customers was distraught that her 6 year old could not play outside with his friends in the summer dusk because of his high susceptibility to mosquitoes. She added 6 of Shaklee’s B Complex to his diet and he was able to play outside without getting any mosquito bites. I have not tried any other B’s, but I know Shaklee’s is effective for most people. I personally take 6 every day.

Thanks to my friend and high school classmate, Sammye for forwarding this article to me from The Best Years in Life. Their bi-line is Education, not Medication.

Whether insect bites set off autoimmune reactions like arthritis or not, avoiding mosquito bites will make your summer evenings more comfortable.

Be well, Do well and Keep Moving,

Betsy

206 933 1889

to shop go to www.grandmabetsybell.com/shop-shaklee-products/

Resources

First Aid Kit for kids

Posted on August 1, 2014

Back to school and all-year-round First Aid Kit

No home with children would be complete without a proper first aid kit to tend to the scrapes, cuts and bruises of childhood. Keeping children healthy takes much more than a band-aid.

To treat their bodies… Shaklee kids Incredivites and Meal Shakes. They will give your children a strong foundation to keep them healthy and energized. Add Chewable Vita-C to ward off those infections that seem to lurk in every schoolroom, and of course, Shaklee 180 Snack Bars and chips to combat after-school fatigue.

To keep their environment safe…Keeping germs to a minimum is essential if you have small children. Germ Off Wipes in your kit will eliminate bacteria and viruses on surfaces your kids touch.

To protect their skin and treat “ouches” The skin is your child’s first line of defense against invading bacteria. Children like to play outside for hours at a time. Always, always apply Enfuselle SPF 30 for Body to protect their delicate skin from dangerous UV rays. And to help small bruises and scrapes heal faster, nothing is better than Herbal Blend Multi-Purpose Cream.

For the high school and college aged kids, Shaklee’s Vita Lea with iron is a must. Taking just 2 a day will make a difference in how they handle the long days and short nights every older teenager suffers.

Be Well health tips, Health and Fitness

Antibiotics

Posted on August 1, 2014

Gentle Reader,

Seventy years ago when I turned 7, an add in Life Magazine read “Thanks to penicillin…he will come home.” Antibiotics dramatically lowered the incidence of death on the battlefields of WWII from infection. The miracle created by chemist, Alexander Fleming and the mass production of drugs reversed certain death to probably life. My parents -as nurse and physician-worked through New York City’s flu epidemic, the horrors of infection during surgery and the fear for their three small children with the polio virus running rampant. They embraced Better Living through Chemistry with open arms. So did the farming industry; chickens and pigs and beef all grew faster and fatter with antibiotics.

Collateral damage has made the news. Books have been written about the dangers of bacterial resistence to antibiotics. The first voices against over use of antibiotics came as early as the 1970s but the manufacturers of these wonder drugs refused to cut their profits in favor of promoting more moderate usage. My brothers and I used antibiotics on our Holstein dairy cows and our meat chickens, following the instructions from the agricultural bulletins handed out to 4H members. (My brother thought growth hormones would be good for him, too, and swallowed a vial meant for the chickens! He was 12.)

Today Americans experience an unprecedented number of deaths –23,000 fatalities each year and 2 million sick–directly related to antibiotic resistent bacteria.

Debra Daniel-Zeller published an article in this month’s Puget Consumer Coop newsletter in which she takes a close look at the microbial world being altered and victimized by antibiotics. I had no idea that microbes, including bacteria, were one of the first life forms on the planet. They inhabit outer space, living 22,000 feet above the earth and influence the weather. They inhabit the ocean. They form 70-90 percent of the cells in and on our bodies. More than 500 types of microbes live in the human gut. Ms. Daniel-Zeller mentions microbe

clostridium difficile, a little bugger that antibiotics don’t kill, that lies in wait in the body for up to 2 years and comes back to haunt our good health. We need a balance of microbes. Antibiotics wipes out some upsetting the balance.

Everyone is worried about the disappearance of the honeybee. For the past 50 years, farmers have been using an antibiotic in the hives to treat foul-brood disease. Now the bees carry several antibiotic-resistant genes, adversely effecting their metabolism.

beeinformed — foulbrood disease in the hive

One of the reasons it is so hard to lose weight, it turns out, is because the very antibiotics used to fatten animals, fatten humans. You may or may not take antibiotics but you are getting them in the meat and chicken you eat. There is a direct correlation between rates of obesity in states where the highest number of antibiotic prescriptions are written. (New England Journal of Medicine) Let’s face it, thin people have a rich diversity of gut bacteria functions, unlike low diversity in fat people.

All bacteria in the gut become shell shocked and put up defenses when an antibiotic comes along. Vulnerable bacteria die and their functions no longer benefit us. Seventy percent of our immune system cells are found in the walls of the gut. When these cells die off, the walls of the gut become permeable.

It is probable that various autoimmune disorders such as Lupus, MS, asthma and even simple allergies result from the breakdown of our gut’s bacterial barrier. Chrone’s disease and celiac disease are on the rise, possibly due to early and frequent use of antibiotics.

Antibiotics are not going away very soon. While they have been banned in animal husbandry in the EU and Russia, the US agricultural, meat and dairy industries remain “self-regulating”, i.e. no government regulations. Five US cities have passed resolutions supporting statewide and national bans on non-therapeutic use of antibiotics. This is a start.

Personally I am convinced that my diagnosis of breast cancer at the age of 34 was influenced by my parents’ enthusiastic use of antibiotics at the slightest sign of the sniffles. Such was their delight in these miracle drugs. When situational stress put an extreme burden on my immune system, I did not have the defences to correct the DNA damage that may have resulted in cancer growing cells. I will never be able to substantiate this theory, but articles like this one in the PCC paper shed more light on how overuse of antibiotics allows disease states to start.

Want to stay healthy and avoid these diseases? Want to lose weight? Here are three things you can begin now.

1. Take no antibiotic unless it is certain you are suffering from a bacterial infection.

2. Eat only organically grown meat and chicken which have no antibiotics (or hormones) added to their feed or injected into their bodies.

3. Take supplemental probiotics daily to help populate your gut with friendly, beneficial bacteria. I appreciate the quality of Shaklee’s Pre and Pro biotics, Optiflora. For more information on this product, please visit my Resources page.

Since this is a blog about arthritis, I have to add this: losing even 10 pounds will make your joints happier and less painful. Changing your diet away from antibiotic laden foods might be your missing weight loss link. Thinner bodies, healthier guts, less inflammed joints.

Be well, Do well and Keep Moving

Betsy

206 933 1889

www.EmpoweredGrandma.net (my travel adventures, both spiritual and physical)

www.HiHoHealth.com (shopping for Shaklee products)

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

OTC pain meds

Posted on July 24, 2014

Gentle Reader,

The aftermath of my bike crash calls into question two of my closely held beliefs: OTC pain meds are bad for you; keep moving, no matter what. I was on the dunes path at Long Beach, WA with twelve Finneys of all ages. Nothing like a little crowd around the beginning of the last section of trail to get a person off kilter and into the sand. My recovery seemed fine while at the beach because I was icing and taking a lot of Shaklee Pain Relief Complex and doing nothing. (My granddaughter reminds me that I split some wood with a heavy ax.) The pain worsened, keeping me awake at night. Coughing hurt unbearably. I went to my doctor. Dr. Pepin knows I am not a willing patient. He is working hard to play the role of a team member in my health care. He makes a special effort to honor my preference for natural healing practices—acupuncture, massage, individual training and supplements. He sent me for an x-ray.

When I got home, My Chart contained the message that I had broken the 9^th rib on the left side, but only a hairline fracture. In his notes, he suggested more icing and anti-inflammatories. I decided to take Aleve. I took another one 8 hours later. I took a third 8 hours after that. I iced off and on for the next 36 hours. Everything improved. The depression in the muscles beneath the broken lower back rib normalized. The muscles on the opposite side calmed down to normal. I slept soundly, happy that pain did not disturb me. It seemed like a miracle.

What is so bad about NSAIDS? What do they do? Why have I resisted taking them so consistently?

It turns out when taken for a brief time (2 – 10 days), anti-inflammatories calm down injured muscles allowing healing to take place. The danger with these drugs appears when taken habitually over a long period of time to manage chronic pain. The NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) intercept 2 enzymes called Cox 1 and Cox 2 that are involved with inflammation. Inhibiting Cox 1 has the side effect of damaging the stomach lining, causing bleeding. Advil, Motrin and Aleve are the most popular of these non-specific anti-inflammatories and regularly cause damage to the stomach lining when taken over a long period of time.

The risks from taking NSAIDS, besides internal bleeding, are most severe for people who have heart conditions. People with stomach problems should avoid them. For healthy people with no blood pressure or other heart issues, taking NSAIDS for a few days to bring down inflammation carries low risk and brings much relief.

I am satisfied that taking NSAIDS for a few days to help the immediate problem is a good thing for my body and does not put me at risk.

Now let me think out loud about my other closely held belief: Keep Moving under any and all circumstances. This week I have not hiked, gone to yoga practice, worked out with my trainer or done much of anything. I did walk around Green Lake, a 3 miles meander on the flat, and twice I walked to the West Seattle Junction, down and up a hill, repeated in the opposite direction, about 2 miles total. Moving, yes; pain free, pretty much. At least pain free around the injured area. But after a dozen steps, chronic pain kicked in: hips, knees and lower back. I found myself questioning the value of moving, especially since moving causes pain.

It turns out that Not moving is lethal.

Bone Loss

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, our bones require applied stress for them to grow. Bone stress sends a signal to the body to build bone density. If you don’t stress your bones by exercising, you can suffer from low bone density, which can turn into a case of osteoporosis. Also, if you never exercise and stretch your joints, your arthritic joints will stiffen over time and their adjoining tissues will weaken, causing more arthritis.

Muscle Loss

Your bones need stress exerted on them to grow, and so do your muscles. A muscle’s fibers need to tear for it to rebuild itself larger and stronger. So as you may already know from experience, if you don’t use your muscles, you “lose” them.

Increased Risk of Disease

Muscle loss caused by inactivity makes your metabolism slow down. Your metabolism is the rate at which your body converts food and drink into usable energy. If you have a slow metabolism, your body ends up storing a lot of the food and drink energy instead of using it to get your body moving. This storage leads to weight gain and puts you at a higher risk for heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, breast cancer, depression and anxiety, according to Harvard School of Public Health.

Weaker Immune System

According to MayoClinic.com, without regular aerobic exercise, your immune system weakens. This makes it harder for your body to fight viruses such as the flu and the common cold. So if you never exercise, you’re likely to find yourself getting sick more often.

Keep Moving will remain my closely held belief. Since the pain I experience when I move is chronic, caused by arthritis, I will continue to use Shaklee’s Pain Relief Complex. Its herbal formula is a pain path inhibitor (Cox 2 and 5 Lox) but does not interfere with Cox 1. Therefore there is no risk to the stomach or to the heart.

Be Well, Do Well and Keep Moving,

I promise I will. Join me.

Betsy

Comments? I love to hear them.

Thanks to Lindsay Haskell of AZ who blogs about health, fitness, culture and fashion.

Arthritis, Health and Fitness, Keep Moving: Managing Arthritis

bike crash

Posted on July 21, 2014

Gentle Reader,

I did not write last week. I had to let the effects of a bike crash at the beach take hold before I let you in on it. I was off at the beach with the Finneys, my stepfamily, who turned out in big numbers to enjoy Long Beach, WA’s wave action, drift wood, secluded and roomy campsites. It was wonderful to be with all of them, including a great-grandson, age 11, who I have not had a chance to get to know before this. He lives with his mother, my late husband, Chuck Finney’s oldest granddaughter and her husband. They are a Navy family, stationed in Japan. At age eleven, they decided he was old enough to come to the US for the summer. What a delightful young man! All 15 of us took off on our bikes last Wednesday afternoon for a glorious ride along the tarmac bike trail through the dunes.

After riding for about 8 miles, we came to the main road connecting Long Beach’s shops with the beach. As everyone began the onward 3 miles, congestion developed. I waited my turn and then powered up the narrow paving, skirting around the post in the center of the entrance. The front tire slipped into the sand and down I went, grazing the post with my back ribs, catching the ground with my right knee and left elbow. The bike crash was in slow motion, so slow, in fact that my step son-in-law was asking “are you alright?” before I hit the ground. It took a minute to find breath and respond. I was not all right. Nothing was broken. That’s a good thing. But the back ribs hurt something awful, as did the knee.

On the Bell side of the family, five people–adults and children–commute by bike to work or school. All of them have been in at least one bike crash, some requiring surgery and stitches. At one time in the distant past, I commuted to a job from Montlake to the middle of downtown Seattle and back. I biked to the University for another job, rain or shine. Luckily, I only had one bike crash when another bike and I collided coming around a corner. The bike was totalled, but I was fine. I was young then. I’ll be 77 in a couple weeks. I would be safer on a bike if I road more regularly. In spite of not riding often these days, the dune ride was glorious: wind in the hair, the smell of low tide beyond the waving grasses, shore birds soaring over head. After the crash, I was more disappointed than hurt, or so I thought.

Here’s what I did to get moving again. I lay on a picnic table and relaxed as best I could. I rolled my elevated knees from side to side. I stretched my arms up and out and breathed as deeply as I could. I took a couple Pain Relief Complex. When everyone came back, I got down from the table. Walking was possible. A good sign. Someone else put the bike in the truck. At the ice cream store, Cynthia, my step-daughter who is a nurse (always good to have one in the family), got ice from the soft drink machine and found a plastic bag so I could begin icing the two most painful spots, back ribs and muscles plus the right knee.

The minute we got to the campground, I fixed a 180 protein shake. This soy powder has extra leucine. Leucine is an amino acid that helps knit, heal and keep muscle intact. The latter is important if you are using the 180 smoothies for weight loss. A dieter wants to lose fat, not muscle. I also filled two zip lock bags with ice and began icing in earnest. Someone had a camp chair that tipped feet-up which was a great help to the knee.

My dear stepson, Steven, gave me his bed in his camper for the night so I didn’t have to get up from the air mattress on the ground, a very painful operation. More Pain Relief Complex and the frequent application of Shaklee’s Joint and Muscle Pain Cream helped the healing process. By morning, I could walk the beach, slowly, taking care not to choose a path which required stepping over logs. I didn’t try pushing the bike-peddle. I could tell by climbing the steps into the trailer that my knee couldn’t take that. I also took extra vitamin C, and the anti-inflammatory supplements GLA, fish oil (Omega Guard), and lecithin. I am not 100% as I write this report, but I was able to hang out three loads of laundry this morning.

I have been reminded through this ordeal of Kay Ferguson who is now in her 90s. She was putting items in a small moving van and fell off the tailgate onto the ground. Looking quickly to see if anyone saw her fall, she picked herself up, went in the house and drank a smoothie of Physique (similar formula to 180), the Workout Recovery Drink Shaklee developed for the Yale swim team years and years ago. The team wanted help to recover more quickly from their workouts and asked Shaklee to come up with a formula. Physique has been used by athletes in extreme situations –and regular ones—to heal torn muscles after a workout so they could get up and do it all again the next day. She fared as I did. Yes, there were bruises, but no broken bones and no long lasting muscle soreness.

Kay Ferguson, 88 yrs old, June 2008. Picking raspberries.

Kay has been my hero since I first met Shaklee products. A friend introduced her to Alfalfa to help with her terribly debilitating arthritis, but not until she learned to take 15 – 20 a day did those little green tablets bring her relief. She was headed for the wheel chair in her late 50s. Here is a picture of Kay among her raspberries.

I saw my doctor today, just to make sure there is nothing further I need to do to heal the rib cage, knee and elbow. I do believe the best antidote to injury is to keep moving as much as possible. There are a few more adventures to be had this summer including a couple of big hikes and a trip to Long Beach, CA for the Shaklee annual conference in mid August.

The week camping with the family resulted in a major stomach upset. Delicious blue berry pancakes for breakfast, pizza night at a local hang out, corn bread baked in a camp oven are all foreign to my regular diet. I ended up constipated, bloated and uncomfortable. For me, it does not pay to leave my vegetable-heavy, no refined carbohydrate diet even for 5 days. Perhaps you do well, or at least, OK, when taking liberties on vacation. I do not.

Will I go again next year? You betcha. The planning email is circulating. Will I make sure I have available the food that makes me happy and comfortable? You betcha. I will take my bike along and pay more attention. These family gatherings are precious and fleeting as the children go to college, get jobs and marry. The same configuration across the generations will not repeat; the delightful campfire conversations will.

May your summer be filled with good conversations, a campfire or two, walks and rides with family and friends. May you stay upright and injury free. No bike crash!

By all means, Be well, Do well and Keep Moving.

Betsy

206 933 1889

www.EmpoweredGrandma.net

betsy@hihohealth.com

http://www.grandmabetsybell.com/shop-shaklee-products/