Bursitis or Tendonitis

Bursitis:
Bursitis is an acute or chronic inflammation of a bursa. A bursa is a pocket of connective tissue found adjacent to a joint. Lined by a smooth inner surface, it facilitates the gliding movements of muscled an tendons over bony prominence. Bursitis is inflammation of a bursa, which result in pain, tenderness, and stiffness and in some cases, swelling and redness. The inflammatory process can affect any bursa, but bursitis involving the shoulder, elbow, hip and knee are most common.

Although the cause of this condition is unknown, repetitive direct pressure over a bursa can be a predisposing factor. In particular, certain activities or occupations are associated with specific example because of the nature of the physical stress placed on the bursa: e.g. housemaid knee (kneeling), students elbow (leaning). Shoulder bursitis, the most common type, is characterized by an aching pain localized on the outside of the top of the shoulder. Lifting and backwardly rotating the arm intensifies the pain, Typically, there is stiffness in the morning, which diminished with heat and routine activities.

Tendonitis:
Tendonitis is an inflammation of the lining of the tendon sheath (tenosynovitis) and of the enclosed tendon (tendinitis). It occurs spontaneously or in association with injury, work and sports activities, certain types of arthritis or infection. As with bursitis, the shoulder is most commonly affected. The attachment of the biceps tendon at the shoulder is especially vulnerable to this condition. Bicipital tendinitis is manifested by aching along the biceps muscle that radiated up to the should and down to the forearm. The pain is worse with movement. Among other common locations for tendinitis are the elbow, wrist, hand, knee, and ankle.

Bursitis and tendonitis are basically due to an over-use and inflammation in the joint with a lack of essential nutrients. Balancing the overall structure of the body is essential and a general protocol for supporting the connective tissue is important.

Reference: Weatherby, D. (2004). Signs and Symptoms Analysis from a Functional Perspective. Jacksonville, OR: Bear Mountain Publishing.

Vegan Iron Sources

Luncheoun Meats

Luncheon meats, such as tined meats and hot dogs are packaged and processed food that contain preservatives, coloring, additives, flavor enhancers and coloring that are not compatible with a healthy diet. The average person on a standard Western diet consumes over 10 pounds of chemical additives a year, which puts an untold amount of stress on the body. The liver has to detoxify

and eliminate even the smallest amount of an additive. Over time this can place an enormous strain on the body's eliminative capacities.

One of the main problems is the sodium nitrite  found in about 99% of all processed tinned meats and hot dogs. Nitrites are added to make the meat bright red and also to kill spores of Clostridium botulinum. What is less known is the link between sodium nitrite and cancer. Nitrites become nitrosamines in the stomach, when then combine with stomach acid. Nitrosamines are a known carcinogen (cancer).

By staying away from processed and packaged meats, you will be much healthier.

Reference: Weatherby, D. (2004). Signs and Symptoms Analysis from a Functional Perspective. Jacksonville, OR: Bear Mountain Publishing

When Should You Do Stretching Exercises?

The question often arise: Should I stretch before or after exercise?" The simple answer is "both" and the reason is quite different for the two.

Before:
The purpose of stretching before exercise is to help prevent injury. Stretching does this by lengthening the muscles and tendons, which in turn increases our range of movement. This insures that we are able to move freely without restriction or injury occurring.

After:
Stretching after exercise has a different role. Its purpose is primarily to aid in the repair and recovery of he muscle and tendons. By the lengthening the muscles and tendons, stretching helps to prevent tight muscles and delayed muscle soreness that usually accompanies strenuous exercise.

After exercise this stretching is part of the cool-down. The cool-down will vary depending on the duration and intensity of the exercise undertaken, but it usually consist of 5-10 minutes of very light physical activity, and followed by 5-10 minutes of static stretching exercises.



Reference: Walker, B. (2013). The Anatomy of Sports Injuries. Chichester, England. Lotus Publishing.

Neil Asher Advanced Trigger Point Techniques offers "The Anatomy of Sports Injuries" course, go here to check out what the course has to offer, along with other trigger point courses.

Top Ten Tips to Improve Your Digestive Health

Dr. Liz Lipski’s Top Ten Tips 

to Improve your Digestive Health

1. Stay Hydrated. Our digestive system and body don’t work efficiently when they’re like a dry sponge. 

How can you expect to have easy bowel movements and remove waste from your body without fluids? Making sure that you get plenty of water every day is one of the most promising routes to digestive wellness. 

2. Exercise Regularly. A fitness routine is a good idea for everyone, but for those with digestive issues it’s especially helpful.  Exercise increases circulation while massaging and toning your entire digestive system. Aim for 20-60 minutes of activity at least 3 to 4 times a week.

3. Add Good Bacteria to Your Diet. It’s the life in food that gives us life. Add probiotic and prebiotic laden foods to your diet.  Probiotic rich foods include: Add some yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchee, cultured vegetables, unpasteurized olives and pickles, amasake, black tea, raw milk cheeses, natto, raw vinegars, traditionally made sourdough breads and tempeh. Prebiotic rich foods include: asparagus, bananas, chickory, eggplant, fruit, garlic, green tea, honey, Jerusalem artichokes, leeks, onions, peas, yogurt, cottage cheese, and kefir.  You may choose to add a probiotic supplement to your routine.

4. Get your fiber. The daily recommendation for dietary fiber is 25 grams per day.  If you are like most people, you get about half of that. Fiber helps regulate your digestive system. Try such fiber-rich foods as legumes (all beans except green beans), whole grains (brown rice, whole wheat, bulghur, millet, buckwheat, rye, barley, spelt, oats), vegetables and fruits.

5. Slow Down and CHEW! Your teeth are part of your digestive system, too. When you use them to thoroughly mush up your food—think mashed potatoes—the rest of your digestive system doesn’t have to work overtime. 

6. Cook at Home. When you prepare foods in your own kitchen, you have better control of the ingredients and cooking methods, so you can make foods that are healthy and easily digested. An added bonus: cooking is also nurturing and rejuvenating.

7. Try Fermented Foods. Fermenting or culturing makes foods more digestible by actually “pre-digesting” them for you. The most common fermented foods are cultured dairy products, like yogurt, sourdough bread, pickles and sauerkraut. 

8. Cook Foods Well. When you’re sick, you naturally turn to soups and stews and well-cooked foods—they’re so simple that your system can digest them easily. But don’t limit these foods to when you’re ill; include them as part of your regular diet. For sweet desserts, try poached pears or applesauce.

9. Eat Smaller Meals. Skipping meals or waiting to eat until you’re famished can lead to overeating. You’ll find that eating smaller meals with healthy snacks in between aids your digestive system. 

10. Know Your Food Sensitivities. It’s estimated that 10-20% of us have food sensitivities, which can cause far reaching symptoms including: bloating, cramping, heartburn, indigestion, gas, stomach pain, chronic headaches, depression, inability to concentrate, aching muscles and joints and low energy levels. The most common food sensitivities include:  wheat, uncultured dairy products (like milk), eggs, citrus, pork and beef. 

Liz Lipski, PhD, CCN, CHN, is the Director of Doctoral Studies, and Education Director at Hawthorn University. She’s the author of Digestive Wellness and offers professional mentoring groups. www.innovativehealing.com  www.digestivewellnessbook.com and  www.accesstohealthexperts.com 

Upper Trapezius

Learn how to restore tone and strengthen this muscle in the Muscle Energy Technique

from Niel Asher Advanced Trigger Point

Check out this web site located here for more information.

Roll with It

Health Benefits of Grapes

What are Gallstones?

While there’s a ton of information on treatment and prevention of gallstones, today we’re going to focus on exactly what causes gallstones.

What’s the gallbladder?

To understand gallstones you first have to understand your gallbladder and the reason that you have one. Your gallbladder is an organ which plays an integral part in the digestive process, as it stores bile created by your liver. This is the remnant of the food that your liver can’t digest and absorb into your bloodstream, so your gallbladder is a pretty important organ when it comes to helping you stay healthy.

When a gallstone forms, it does so inside your gallbladder. They’re usually composed of cholesterol, salt, or discarded red blood cells. They also range wildly in size, from as small as a grain of sand to as large as an apricot. This means that many people can have gallstones and not know, because they’re not large enough to cause problems.

What causes gallstones?

Gallstones occur for a variety of reasons, usually based on the type of stone that you have. We’ll cover the three types of gallstones to show you what causes each.

Cholesterol stones are by far the most common, making up roughly 80 percent of all gallstones that occur, according to research from Harvard. Now, the bile in your gallbladder usually breaks down cholesterol, but a gallstone will occur when your liver is producing more cholesterol than the bile in your gallbladder can process.

Obviously, foods high in cholesterol aren’t good for your overall health, but they can create the potential of gallstones as well.

Bilirubin gallstones (the medical term for a gallstone made from discarded red blood cells) occur when you have other conditions that force your liver to produce more red blood cells than normal. Cirrhosis of the liver is a common cause of bilirubin gallstones, though other blood disorders cause these stones as well since all the materials in your body go through your liver at one point or another.

Just like with cholesterol stones, bilirubin stones form due to the inability of your gallbladder to process the excess red blood cells produced by your liver.

The last type of stone is formed entirely of concentrated bile. Your gallbladder can’t function as it should unless it’s constantly creating and discarding bile; essentially, getting rid of the old bile and creating new bile to break down more waste. If your gallbladder doesn’t destroy and create bile on a regular basis, the old bile will crystallize and form gallstones.

Gallstones aren’t a health problem you want to deal with, but knowing what causes them should help you avoid the situations in which they arise. Knowing how your gallbladder works, and what makes it cause stones, can and should influence your dietary and lifestyle choices

Click here to see more post from Nature's Sunshine products.

15 High-Fiber Foods

15 Healthy High-Fiber Foods That Make You Feel Full and Satisfied

---

Oatmeal contains soluble fiber, which contributes to keeping cholesterol levels in check, and insoluble fiber, which helps you feel satisfied.

Just ¼ cup of almonds has 4.5 grams of fiber.

Store-bought hummus has about 2.7 grams of fiber in a three-tablespoon serving.

One cup of raspberries is great and has 8 grams of fiber.

About 7 large carrots have 3 grams of fiber.

Each medium-sized apple has 4.4 grams of fiber.

With 5.5 grams of fiber in just one medium-sized pear, this fruit is always a solid choice.

Barley has the highest fiber content of all whole grains.

One avocado has about 13.5 grams of fiber.

2 cups of raw kale contains 4.8 grams of fiber.

Brussels sprouts have about 4.1 grams of fiber in one cup (cooked).

One cup of boiled broccoli has 5.1 grams of fiber.

One medium-sized cooked artichoke has about 10.3 grams of fiber.

Reference: Reposted from Nature's Sunshine Products Blog. Go here to see more blog post.