Be Well health tips Archives - Page 11 of 19

control arthritis pain

Posted on July 3, 2014

Gentle Reader,

I am back from a glorious trip to the East Coast for a college reunion, then to England to visit friends and do a long walk through Yorkshire and Westmorland. You can read about these meanderings at www.EmpoweredGrandma.net.

More and more people my age (I’ll turn 77 in three weeks), give up adventures like this one because of arthritis pain. I have serious arthritis in my knees, hips and back, but manage to continue this type of physical challenge. Others my age keep going at tennis, hiking, walking and biking. How do we control arthritis pain so the activity we love is not torture, but rather, pleasurable?

Build strong muscles to carry your joints. You can do exercises that work all the major muscle groups of the body (e.g., legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms), and work them without stressing your joints. With a trainer’s help, you can use the machines in a gym to accomplish this. I am working the a trainer at a place called Xgym in West Seattle. PJ Glassy has two other Xgym facilities in the Seattle area. Go to his web site to check it out. In 21 minutes two times a week I have gained more muscle strength than in any other program and it costs about half as much. Find a way to build muscle and the creaky joints will love the support.

“Build strong muscles,” was what my neurologist told me 24 years ago when I first injured my back. The Xgym process has done this better than anything I tried in the intervening years.

Do Stairs to build stamina and strength. If you are a woman, you want to include more “grape vine” stair climbing than straight up and down. We women have wider hips and the pressure on our knees causes uneven stress on the joint.

Do the grape vine step up and down stairs to strengthen the knees

By facing up or down the stair case side-ways, with a shoulder leading and not the nose, the muscles on the inside and outside of the knees do more of the work and the stress on the knee cap is minimized.

Balancing activities help overcome the unsteadiness that joint pain can cause. Tai Chi, yoga, Zumba and other group exercise dance are helpful. Stand on one leg and lift the other knee and hold for as long as you can. Walk backwards; side step with the grape vine step on the flat; do heel-toe walking. These all improve balance.

Resistance Exercise Helps Knee Osteoarthritis
Resistance exercise is any exercise where muscles contract against an external resistance which can come from dumbbells, weight machines, elastic tubing or bands, soup cans, your own body weight, or any other object that forces your muscles to contract. This will strengthen muscle groups around affected joints, stabilize and protect affected joints, and improve mechanics of the joints to reduce stress on the joints.

walk sideways with band around your legs above the knee

I like to take a Theraband and tie it around my legs just above the knees, and walk sideways around the living room and down the hall in a slight squat position, keeping the pelvic floor facing down. No tilting the back forward. For more information, check out http://www.arthritis.com/arthritis_exercises.

Pain is inevitable, so how do you manage it? Many of my hiking friends take an Aleve or other pain killer before the hike. I do not like taking over the counter drugs or prescription medication for pain if I can help it. So far, the Shaklee Pain Relief Complex has worked sufficiently to keep the pain from becoming unbearable. I find that slow walking in a, museum or chatting while slowing down to observe birds, flowers or talk to a farmer or other hiker, or pausing to window shop is the worse thing for my pain. If I keep going, I experience less pain. If I stop or slow down, the pain comes on with a vengeance. Is it the endorphins from movement? Is it the distraction from making the effort? I don’t know, but it is true for me that stopping or slowing down is worse. Now give me a wall or bench to sit on and I am happy to stop. One Aleve can probably take most arthritic people who hike or play tennis through the day. I put 5 – 6 Pain Relief Complex in my pocket and take one at a time at half hour intervals until the pain is lessened. What I know for certain is that moving makes me happy and forget about chronic pain.

I choose Pain Relief Complex because it is a combination of herbs that create a natural Cox 3 and 5 LOX inhibitor with no bad side effects on the stomach. Please check out my resource page for further information and click here if you are interested in trying this natural remedy for chronic pain.

Let us know your strategy for dealing with chronic pain when you are doing the activity you love and just refuse to quit.

Be well, do well and keep moving.

Betsy

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

Anti-aging

Posted on June 13, 2014

Gentle Reader,

So much determines well-being: good friends, love and happiness, nourishing food, a sense of spiritual fulfillment, a personal sense of purpose and meaning, deep restorative rest are at the top of the list. When these ingredients are present over a person’s life, they seem to have an anti-aging effect. Scientists and explorers have searched the world over for ways to slow down aging. The story behind Shaklee’s Anti-aging product, Vivix, is one story of this search.

The Vivix Story

My thanks to Dr. Steven Chaney for this story.

In 2006, Harvard scientist Dr. David Sinclair published research in the highly respected journal Nature that shocked the scientific world. His published research findings showed that a simple molecule found in red wine could switch on our anti-aging gene (Sirt 1) and slow the aging process — on purpose.

This does not mean, of course, that we can live forever. But it does mean that science now has an answer for how we age, and what we can do to slow it down.

Of course, researchers had long understood that severe calorie restriction could slow the aging process, but there was little hope that we could find a way to get the same result without subjecting ourselves to a starvation diet.

You may have seen Dr. Sinclair on 60 Minutes, 20/20 with Barbara Walters, or on PBS with Charlie Rose. You may have learned about this remarkable breakthrough in leading magazines and major newspapers from around the world. It’s big news.

Here’s the story…

To put this discovery into context, let’s turn the clock back to 1991.

Famed French alcohol researcher, Dr. Serge Renault, in a segment on 60 Minutes, (The French Paradox) reported that people in France (on a diet loaded with sugars, fats, creams, and more creams) had 42% less heart disease, and live longer than we do in the U.S.

How could that be?

It’s no secret—the French drink lots and lots of red wine, and Dr. Renault had come to believe that something in red wine fights the negative effect of fatty foods… but he wasn’t sure. Some theorized it was the alcohol. Others were sure it was the antioxidant power of red wine. They were all partially right—but they were missing the most miraculous molecule of all.

Good News Travels Slowly

Years have gone by but we now have irrefutable scientific proof that a simple molecule found in red wine has almost magical healing and anti-aging powers.

When Dr. Sinclair published his research, FORTUNE called it, “Perhaps the greatest discovery since antibiotics.” He had successfully isolated the gene that slows aging… Sirtuin.

The Breakthrough

Dr. Sinclair and his team at Harvard Medical School, tested more than 20,000 natural molecules one by one before he accidentally discovered what he calls the closet thing to a miracle molecule you can find. To his dismay, the molecule that switches on the longevity gene is called resveratrol.

Using resveratrol, Dr. Sinclair found that he could extend the life of yeastat will. This amazing news drew only mild applause from research scientist. After all, this was yeast.

Moving up to higher life-forms, he fed resveratrol to fruit flies. Bingo! It worked again. The applause grew louder and the research more intense.

Other scientists working to prove Dr. Sinclair’s findings has the same success with fish. Extending their life 70%.

Scientists are a tough lot to impress. Even with all this success, they wouldn’t get too worked up unless he succeeded in extending the life of mice.

That’s because mice have essentially the same gene that you and I have. As Dr. Sinclair explained to Charlie Rose—”We are essentially upright mice.”

Finally, the mice studies begin

And in what can only be described as a modern day miracle— mice on a high fat diet plus resveratrol—not only lived up to 30% longer—they turned into mini-olympians.

They never gained weight, and they doubled endurance. They could run twice as far as mice that were not given resveratrol—and here’s the best part… not one of them developed any of the diseases of aging. No heart disease, no cancer, no diabetes, and no strokes.

Resveratrol—the gold rush begins…

Dr. Sinclair had become the first person in history to successfully extend life on purpose. He was instantly, in scientific circles at least, an international celebrity.

His published research proving the merits of resveratrol in life extension has triggered an avalanche of scientific study around the world.

Billions of dollars are being invest by in private labs, universities, and public health agencies like the National Institutes of Health, the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute on Aging, and the United States Department of Agriculture.

It’s safe to say that resveratrol and related polyphenols have become the most widely researched natural molecules in the history of man.

Resveratrol is being shown to have a positive impact on a surprisingly large number of health issues that affect how long and how well we live. But don’t take my word for it…

See the proof for yourself. To discover the miraculous life-saving secrets of resveratrol with just the click of a mouse, (pardon the pun) go to the U.S. Government web site, PubMed.

There you will find at least 2,636 scientific papers referencing resveratrol from the greatest scientific minds of our time.

The Payoff

Because resveratrol has been proven in labs around the world to slow aging—it is a marketers dream. Within weeks after Dr. Sinclair appeared on 20/20, you could find literally hundreds of me-too resveratrol products in health food stores, and on the internet.

If you’re taking any of these products, you may be wasting your money. Even worse, the anti-aging benefits you were hoping for may not be there. Why?

Because research shows these products contain little if any resveratrol, and many even contained sis-resveratrol—a lesser form of resveratrol proven to have no health benefit at all. In other words, most are little more than marketing scams.

Who can you trust?

Shaklee Corporation has been America’s number one natural nutrition company and a true champion of pure, natural supplements for over half a century.

If it was possible to create a natural resveratrol supplement capable of getting the results Dr. Sinclair was having in his lab—Shaklee was the one company that could pull it off.

Chief scientist, Dr. Carsten Smidt took a close look at Dr. Sinclair’s research. He and his team took a look at all of the leading, so-called resveratrol products on the market and decided—you deserve better.

With the green light and a blank check from our CEO, Roger Barnett, Dr. Smidt assembled a team of more than 30 brilliant scientists with the singular goal of bringing to market, the most potent anti-aging product ever created.

Shaklee science advances Dr. Sinclair’s research

In the early stages, Dr. Smidt and his team worked with Dr. Sinclair’s team from Harvard. As the research moved forward, Dr. Smidt became convinced they could actually advance Dr. Sinclair’s science and create a product even more powerful than resveratrol.

After more almost three years of research—millions invested—and collaboration with the University of Georgia—Shaklee science has even succeeded in creating the first ever totally natural tonic that works at the cellular level to block the mechanisms of aging. It’s called Vivix Cellular Anti-aging Tonic.

My own interest in Vivix concerns the arthritis in my joints. It seems to be helping slow down the advancement of arthritis symptoms and may even have contributed to the reversal of some spinal stenosis. My hope for you is that this information makes enough sense to you to inspire you to give Vivix a try for 3 to 6 months. Perhaps you will have similar results.

Be well, Do well and Keep Moving,

Betsy

To follow my hike in England along Lady Anne’s Way, tune in to www.EmpoweredGrandma.net.

Arthritis, Be Well health tips

resveratrol for joints

Posted on June 6, 2014

Gentle Reader,

There is so much I could share about this past weekend at my alma mater, Bryn Mawr College, just outside Philadelphia on the MainLine. In keeping with the goal of this blog, I will single out arthritic joint issues and focus on possible remedies for joint pain.

Twenty-nine of my classmates came to celebrate our 55th reunion. Everyone looked great: not too many wrinkles, lovely hair, sparkling eyes. But when it came time to walk up a few stairs, joints fail and pain ensues. The cart is called to drive people where they need to go. I’m wondering if the anti-aging product I’ve been taking for ten years has helped my joints so the same is not true for me.

Have you heard about Resveratrol? It is the anti-oxidant found in red wine. Shaklee started working on producing a pure tonic that combines the resveratrol and polyphenols found in the muscadine grade about ten years ago. I have been taking my daily dose of this delicious liquid called Vivix since they made it available for sale.

There is no question that my body, like my class mates, suffers from the aging deterioration of cells that is normal for a 77 year old. It appears we do not all age in the same way or at the same rate. I have had severe osteo arthritis and spinal stenosis for years, probably brought about by factors such as stress, poor diet, and environmental toxins. I’ve worked hard on the diet part, but you cannot always eat perfectly, now can you. These factors can weaken cells’ natural defenses, lower cell energy, damage DNA, and decrease cell performance. All of these can contribute to cellular aging.

Clinical Studies show Vivix® ingredients positively impact four key mechanisms of aging at the cellular level.

Shaklee scientists conducted a study to see if Vivix could defend against cell damage.

Cell Defense

Blunts Biological Stress
A clinical study published in The Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism showed that key ingredients in Vivix blocked a key marker of biological stress response after the consumption of a high-fat fast food breakfast totaling 930 calories.

The results were exciting, while the study had nothing to do with joints, it showed that Vivix protected cells from damage. My joints were damaged long before Vivix came along. Perhaps protection is less important than repair. Let’s see what happened with repair.

Cell Repair

DNA Protection & Repair
Laboratory studies show that key Vivix ingredients help protect against DNA damage, supporting DNA replication for healthy cell function.

Shown in laboratory studies, Vivix protects and repairs DNA, which is assaulted millions of times every day. These assaults can damage the cell’s DNA, creating a “typo” that may compromise cell function and longevity.

A recent visit with my sports medicine doctor revealed a smaller than average spinal passageway for the cord to pass through. Like my father before me, my spinal cord has little wiggle room. That is the result of inherited DNA. The data suggest that DNA can be repaired by resveratrol. I am convinced that my joint health has improved instead of worsened over the last ten years. The recent MRI indicated improvement.

Could it be that resveratrol reduces joint pain? This is certainly my experience.

To learn more about Vivix and the ingredients, studies and results, click here.

Vivix is expensive. It may be worth it if you want to slow down aging at the cellular level. It certainly seems to help with joint pain and there are only side benefits from drinking a swig from the bottle every day. I would give the body 90 to 180 days before deciding Vivix has made no difference in your joint function. It is possible you will feel a positive difference much sooner. Your blood is all new in 90 days and the joints, because of lower blood flow, will take double that to show results.

There are other resveratrol products on the market, but none have the muscadine grape’s extra anti-oxidants which seems to enhance the punch provided by resveratrol. In addition, purity of product makes a difference and Shaklee scientists have been able to produce a 95% pure tonic. Less purity may result in loose bowels. Get some and see what your results are.

Good luck and keep moving, as moving is always the best single antidote to painful joints.

Be well, Do well and Keep moving,

Betsy

206 406 5940

Arthritis, Be Well health tips, Keep Moving: Managing Arthritis

anti-inflammatory plants

Posted on May 30, 2014

Gentle Reader,

If you hesitate to take aspirin or other over the counter drugs for arthritis pain, you may be interested in anti-inflamatory plants as an alternatives Two plants have been used in the East for centuries. Their properties have been annalized and verified by Western medicine. Their potency has been standardized by a few companies and you can now take advantage of the age old usage to treat your own painful arthritis symptoms.

Boswellia serrata

Extracts of Boswellia serrata have been clinically studied for osteoarthritis and joint function, particularly for osteoarthritis of the knee. Positive effects of Boswellia in some chronic inflammatory diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, bronchial asthma, osteoarthritis, ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease have been reported. A Boswellia extract marketed under the name Wokvel has undergone human efficacy, comparative, pharmacokinetic studies. Some see Boswellia serrata as a promising alternative to NSAIDs, warranting further investigation in pharmacological studies and clinical trials.^{(from Wikipedia)}

Boswellia is a tree found in India known for its gum resin which has many pharmacological uses, particularly as an anti-inflammatory. It’s also known as Indian frankincense, salai guggal, and boswellin. Its proper botanic name is boswellia serrata.

As a side note, the Biblical incense frankincense was probably an extract from the resin of the tree, boswellia sacra.

Boswellia has been used for thousands of years to treat many types of conditions. Recent research has determined many of the conditions were caused by inflammation.

Safflower flower

Safflower is a highly-branched annual thistle-like herb that grows to a height of 3 feet producing yellow or reddish flowers. Each branch will usually have several flower heads containing 15-20 seeds per head. The dried flowers of the plant and its seeds are used commercially.

Traditionally, safflowers were grown for their seeds and used for coloring foods and making red and yellow dyes. Its flowers can be used alone or in formulas. They can be prepared as dried powder, tinctures, or decoctions (extracts).

The oil from the seed has been used externally in therapeutic massage and as a natural alternative to mineral oil for use on babies. It’s also beneficial in applications for bruises, sprains and arthritis pain

Safflower is source of several flavonoids

More recently, the plant has been identified as the source of several flavonoids with strong antioxidant compounds.

Flavonoids are any of a group of oxygen-containing aromatic antioxidant compounds that includes many common pigments that help to lower inflammation as well as counteract the damaging effects of oxidation on body tissues.

The well-known antioxidant, guercetin, is one of the flavonoids found in safflower. Quercetin has many health benefits among which it can help reduce the inflammation that results from bursitis, gout, and arthritis.

Side effects

The safflower flower is often used in conjunction with herbs with no reported interactions. There are also no reported interactions of the extract or oil with standard pharmaceuticals.

Its use in dissolving clots, however, suggests that it should not be taken with blood-thinning treatments.

Safflower and boswellia combination effective for joint discomfort

Every day, many of us push ourselves to the limit both occupationally and recreationally. In the end, our bodies, and especially our joints, pay the price. Pain is the common symptom. It’s the body’s natural warning system and it deserves a natural response.

Safflower extract and boswellia extract are proven effective and safe for relief of arthritis pain, joint discomfort, and restricted knee flexion.

When combined in a natural product that contains a patent-pending blend of both extracts. it provides long-term relief within just a few weeks and is especially helpful for relieving chronic pain. Continued use of this natural product keeps pain away or markedly reduces pain daily. [thanks to Marty Saffell] Thanks to the anti-inflammatory plants Safflower and boswellia combination, so effective for joint discomfort

A web search for other herbs that are helpful with joint pain produced this anti-inflammatory triad:

Turmeric, ginger and bromelain work as effective anti-inflammatory agents. Each works to relieve pain, stiffness and swelling. In combination, they provide a powerhouse of natural medicine. The three substances are synergistic to one another, each boosting the other’s effectiveness… You can google products containing the three herbs together. I know of no clinical trials to substantiate these claims, nor can I vouch for standardization or purity of the herbs used.

Personally, I have been using the products Shaklee makes with Boswellia serrata and safflower flower extract for a number of years to manage my arthritis pain. I can recommend Pain Relief Complex without reservation. These Cox 2 and 5 Lox pain path inhibitors do no damage to the stomach, can be taken multiple times daily with no side effects whatsoever. It is a great relief to me to find an arthritis pain reliever that does not have any damaging side effects as I took a great deal of aspirin for years to try to kill the pain in my knees from early onset arthritis. I have no knee pain today. It is wonderful to have anti-inflammatory herbs to take.

Fondly,

Be Well, Do Well, Keep Moving

Betsy

Injured at 52. Diagnosed and sentenced to a wheel chair at 55. Hiking, skiing, dancing and walking at 77. Read my story.

206 933 1889 betsy@HiHoHealth.com www.GrandmaBetsyBell.com shopping ? www.hihohealth.com

Arthritis, Be Well health tips

Tai-chi for fibromyalgia

Posted on May 24, 2014

Gentle Reader

Tai-Chi for Fibromyalgia: Should You Try It?

If you have fibromyalgia and experience musculoskeletal pain, poor sleep quality and depression, you might try tai-chi — a martial art form combining meditation with slow, gentle, graceful movements. A small but important study in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) suggests that tai chi may help relieve symptoms of fibromyalgia.

After 12 weeks, the tai-chi group had a greater reduction in pain and more improvement in mood, quality of life, sleep, confidence in their abilities and ability to exercise than the control group. People in the tai chi group were encouraged to continue their tai chi practice after the classes ended using an instructional DVD, and they were still feeling better 24 weeks after the study began. What’s more, no adverse effects were reported.

Bottom-line advice: Keep in mind that this is just one small study. Larger, longer studies are needed to confirm the results. Researchers still don’t fully understand the mechanism by which tai chi eases the symptoms of fibromyalgia or whether tai chi might help everyone with fibromyalgia. Still, if you’re seeking a form of exercise that may help improve your fibromyalgia symptoms, tai chi appears to be safe, and along with standard treatments such as medication, psychotherapy and education, it just may help you feel better.

Johns Hopkins Health Alerts 12.26.11

My own experience with Tai-chi was positive. For several years, I met weekly with others to practice. I do not suffer from fibromyalgia, but I was over stressed, experiencing severe menopause symptoms and having difficulty sleeping. Tia-Chi requires full concentration, slows down the heart rate and calms the nerves. For a person who has a hard time quieting the mind in sitting mediation, tai-chi is an excellent moving mediation. Perhaps it is the improvement of posture; perhaps the strengthening of the core that comes from controlled movement; perhaps it is the descipline of slowly moving through a series of poses. All of these produced results for me and many others I have known. You can reduce stress and even pain with tai-chi. Whether you have fibromayalgia or not, it is a wonderful way to reduce any pain that is exacerbated by stress and repetitive physical movements that cause stress on joints. Sitting for long periods bent over the computer is a good way to increase your arthritis and fibromayalgia pain. Tai chi could help.

If you have experience with tai-chi and fybromayalgia or other pain, arthritis or joint issues, please let us know your results.

Fondly,

Be Well, Do Well, Keep Moving

Betsy

Injured at 52. Diagnosed and sentenced to a wheel chair at 55. Hiking, skiing, dancing and walking at 77. Read my story.

206 933 1889 betsy@HiHoHealth.com www.GrandmaBetsyBell.com www.EmpoweredGrandma.net

Arthritis, Be Well health tips

tennis elbow and fatty acids

Posted on May 15, 2014

Gentle Reader,

Fatty Acids, Antioxidants May Help “Tennis Elbow”

Are you plagued with tennis elbow? Other inflammed joints? Perhaps this Danish study on the use of fatty acids to reduce tennis elbow inflammation will be of interest.

natural anti inflammatory for tennis elbow

FREDENSBORG, DENMARK (Reuters Health) – A combination of essential fatty acids and antioxidants appears to be an effective treatment for the inflammatory injuries commonly known as ‘tennis elbow’ and ‘golf elbow’.

Soren Mavrogenis, a physiotherapist with Denmark’s Olympic Committee, tells Reuters Health that he has effectively treated several hundred cases of recurrent inflammatory injuries. He and his colleagues recently conducted a study in order to document the anti-inflammatory properties of this new treatment, which was tested for the first time in 1996 on a group of rowers from Denmark’s National Rowing Team. The study will be published in a scientific journal of sports medicine in the near future.

Typically the injuries are treated with rest, physiotherapy, and use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to treat pain and inflammation.

“The results of this research confirm our clinical observations and leave us with the clear impression that inflammatory injuries can be treated without the use of NSAIDs. I see this as a regular breakthrough in modern physiotherapy. For the first time we are able to offer our patients a safe and reliable treatment for stress injuries with chronic inflammatory response. In fact, it is our experience that with this new treatment, as opposed to conventional treatment, athletes are able to train actively while receiving treatment,” Mavrogenis explains.

The nutritional supplement used by Mavrogenis and colleagues to treat the athletes contains omega-3 (fish oil), omega-6 (borage oil) and vitamins A, B6, C and E plus selenium and zinc. According to Mavrogenis, most patients respond positively to the treatment in a matter of 2-3 weeks, depending on the severity of the injury, but in more serious cases it may take several months.

“The bad cases require the use of intensive ultrasound and certain massage techniques in addition to the antioxidants and essential fatty acids, but in the milder cases the use of nutrients alone is adequate,” Mavrogenis says.

Generalist Dr. Claus Hancke also supports the use of essential fatty acids and antioxidants in treating inflammatory injuries.

“Strenuous exercise is known to produce an overload of harmful free radicals that damage healthy cells by oxidizing the phospholipids in the cell membrane. Antioxidants neutralize the free radicals and limit their destructive impact, which is why athletes must make sure to get adequate amounts of antioxidants to protect themselves against stress injuries. In addition, essential fatty acids are important since they support the body’s production of beneficial type 1 and type 3 prostaglandins, those which counteract pain and inflammation,” Hancke tells Reuters Health.

“Personally, I see the nutritional approach to inflammation as a big advantage, and I am convinced that essential fatty acids and antioxidants taken in combination have the same, or maybe an even greater, anti-inflammatory potential than NSAIDs,” he added.

In Norway, where inflammatory injuries in shoulders, elbows, knees and Achilles tendons account for 25% of all job-related absences, the new anti-inflammatory regimen is presently being tested by NIMI (Norsk Idrettsmedisinsk Institut), one of Scandinavia’s leading treatment facilities for sports injuries and rehabilitation.

I can personally vouch for the success of this approach. I take 800 mg of Vita-E Plus, Vita-Lea, and 4 each of the GLA and EPA on a daily basis. When I get tennis elbow or bursitis in my shoulder, I increase my GLA and EPA to 10 each/day. The inflammation is gone in two to three days!

Shaklee's fish oil: Omega Guard — Shaklee’s fish oil: Omega Guard

Dr. Steve Chaney

In my own case, I supplement with GLA and OmegaGuard, Vita-E, Vita Lea Gold and am able to avoid flare-up cases of inflammation. It is unlikely that the medical profession in the US will prescribe fatty acids for tennis elbow any time soon, but that doesn’t prevent you from experimenting to see if the “Danish effect” is available to you. I cannot vouch for any other brand except Shaklee, which I know works.

Be well, Do well and Keep Moving,

Betsy

206 933 1889

PS I know my readers would love to hear your fish oil/inflammation stories, so please share.

Be Well health tips

Vitamins plus Lifestyle

Posted on May 9, 2014

Gentle Reader,

Vitamins plus Life style, two topics that come up often.

I was hiking with my friends on Wednesday, enjoying spring in the nearby foothills of the Cascade range. We just wait patiently for the high mountains to clear of the late spring snows. We had a rather heated discussion about vitamins and supplements for weight loss and maintaining good health as we all age. My three companions debunk the value of vitamins, echoing the media by calling them useless. I have written about this before. I love these ladies, but I found myself getting frustrated and unable to defend my heavy use of supplements. I honestly believe I would not be hiking (maybe even dead) if it weren’t for the Shaklee supplements I have been taking for the past 27 years.

Taking vitamins (spending lots of money on them) changed my life style when I first began in 1985. I had help from a nutrition expert soon after I began. I trusted my results. Later I started learning more about supplementation.

In doing some research this morning, I came across this little study done by Diane Petoskey, a nutritionist I heard several times in my early learning Here are some notes from a talk I attended.

Supplementation: how many calories do you need to ingest to get the optimal nutrition? In other words, can you get your nutrition from your food? This is a tough question to answer.

You need to burn off 3,500 calories more than you take in to lose 1 pound. This translates into a reduction of 500 calories per day to lose 1 pound in a week, or 1000 calories per day to lose 2 pounds in a week. From the CDC web site.

IF YOUR BODY DOESN’T RECOGNIZE THE SOURCE THAT THE NUTRIENT CAME
FROM, IT CAN’T GET INTO YOUR CELL.

Calcium: if it doesn’t have magnesium and other nutrients with it, (as it occurs in nature) the body can’t break it down.

Shaklee does research on how well its supplements are absorbed. If it can’t be assimilated by the system, it’s useless.

Spectrograph: an instrument to see the “finger-print” or “blueprint” of a nutrient. Synthetic Vita C (ascorbic acid—from mail-order, health food store, Wal-Mart, drug store)-picture a rectangular box with one line in the middle. Or a circle with one smaller circle inside it. Natural Vita C (from Shaklee)-picture a rectangular box with 25 lines in it-because 25 different nutrients make up natural Vita C. Or picture a circle with one smaller circle inside it with 25 loops coming out of the center like flower petals.

This is the “blueprint” of natural Vita C.

If you don’t absorb Vita C, it is excreted in the urine. Diane’s professor said that all supplements (synthetic and natural) were absorbed by the body-it was a waste of money to buy natural Vita C. So she devised a test with 2 groups of women. Each group recorded everything they ate and collected their 24 hour urine. (test lasted 2 weeks)

The first group of women received 1000 mg. of synthetic Vita C /day: 80% was excreted.

The 2nd group of women received 1000 mg. of natural Vita C/day: 1 woman excreted 20% and the rest of the women didn’t excrete any Vita C. In other words, it was all absorbed.

The professor didn’t believe Diane’s results and made her repeat the experiment. The results from the 2nd experiment were the same and the professor changed his thinking.

Recently I met a naturopath who works as a life style coach with her patients over the phone! We talked. Her name is Dr. Jody Stanislaw, ND. She gets to the bottom of a patient’s problems by analyzing their blood, hair, and perhaps stool and urine depending on the issues. Once the patient is on a program, Dr. Jody contracts with them for a full three months of weekly phone calls. She helps the person make the life style changes that are foundational to a healthier future. Some of her patients sign up for a second and third 3 month weekly phone call regimen. Dr. Jody sells supplements, the prescription kind, but that is not her primary income.

Dr. Jody appreciated my reminder that household and personal care products can contribute to causing asthma and allergy symptoms, as well as increase the overall toxic burden on the body. She was intrigued by the Shaklee Get Clean products and happy to be able to offer them to her patients.

Dr. Jody is not the first practitioner I have known who works over the phone for diagnosis and treatment. Dr. Richard Brouse, chiropractor and nutritionist, has been working with people in a similar way for many, many years. Since he uses Shaklee supplements and products (occasionally augmented with some prescription-only supplements, he has several hundred patients who use Shaklee. He will not work with people who refuse to use Shaklee, as he does not get results except with the Shaklee supplements. Dr. Brouse sells Shaklee from his office, but if a person already has a Shaklee distributor helping them with their buying decisions, he respects that. Selling product is not his primary source of income.

I have used Dr. Brouse for help with my vitamin plus life style routine. He is the person who recommended reversing osteoporosis by climbing 200 steps every day (carrying 10 pounds or more of weights as you go.) His analysis of my blood, stool sample and hair resulted in the supplement regimen I take today, with a few modifications I have made on my own. I did reverse osteoporosis even without daily stair climbing. I do climb stairs often and seek them out. Dr. Brouse has twice weekly open phone lines for clients to check in free of charge. The client must take the initiative.

It turns out that my own business of supplying healthy products made by Shaklee to a wide variety of clients (from the Herb Lax users to the Basic H users and many in between) is about getting Shaklee into the hands of people who decide they want them. Sales of the products Shaklee makes provide my primary source of income. I do not charge for consultation or coaching. I am more of an educator and distributor and less of a wellness coach. I work by providing you with information, answering questions with the help of the experts and giving you the tools to order the Shaklee products on line as my customer.

The above health care practitioners have set up their practice to get paid for the time they spend with their client coaching them to make better choices and health giving changes in their lives. They get paid to be accountability coaches. I am happy to recommend Dr. Brouse to you for hands on guidance because I have been his patient myself and like the results I have had. I am getting to know Dr. Jody and encourage you to get in touch with her if you think she is the right life style coach for you. www.DrJodyND.com

If you want to change your health through natural means, chances are the life style and vitamin changes you need to make are difficult. They were very difficult for me. If you are used to having a glass of wine and some nuts before dinner and you are trying to lose weight, you might want to look at that habit and figure out a way to change it. This was one of my challenges as my husband and I enjoyed the ritual of a glass of sherry while we cooked. It helped me to put water and a slice of lemon in stemware and a bowl of carrot nibbles where I could reach them, so the ritual remained but the contents were consistent with long term healthy weight maintenance. A little thing. Little changes add up. Vitamins plus life style bring health for the future.

Be well, Do well and Keep Moving,

Betsy

PS: if you contact either Dr. Brouse or Dr. Jody, I’d love to know how it went and how I can support you from the product end of things, plus more education.

PPS: pass this along to people who might benefit.

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

Be Well health tips, Keep Moving: Managing Arthritis

Healthier bones

Posted on April 30, 2014

Gentle Reader,

Do you ever have the experience of anticipating a really big event that is going to make demands on your body? You become more aware of the little aches and pains, the warning signals that all is not well? Maybe bone health has gotten worse. You worry about an escalation of the little twinge into something big right in the middle of the planned for event. You think about Traveler’s Insurance and then read the fine print that says unless you buy it with 14 days of purchasing your plane ticket and paying for the experience, you have to declare a pre-existing condition. Are these twinges enough to be called a pre-existing condition?

By now, you know that I have been living with a diagnosis of spinal stenosis and osteoarthritis. These are both age-related and trauma induced arthritis. My first trauma was in 1989 and then the herniation in L5 was exacerbated in 1993 by sitting in a slouched position in an airplane for 7 hours. At that time, I went to Dr. Stan Herring, sports medicine doctor to the Huskies sports teams and neurosurgeon. He told me my bone health as revealed in the MRI pictures were so bad, he was surprised I wasn’t in a wheel chair.

Over the past year my right leg has been going numb and weak from time to time, especially when standing for a long time, like in choir or wandering through a museum. Last June, I walked all over Paris with a numb right leg. No pain, just a feeling of distance, dissociation from that limb, even when walking around without a hiking stick or other means of extra support. In fact, I hardly ever experience pain above a 3-4 on the old 10-point scale. Probably because I pop an herbal Shaklee Pain Relief Complex tablet at the slightest twinge of pain.

I decided to call Dr. Herring’s office to see how he is treating his athletes these days. His practice has changed and he directs other doctors now. He is not a provider in my AARP Advantage insurance program. So, I met Dr. Ren at the Polyclinic for a review of my most recent MRI and a comparison to all the others I have had in the past. Three conclusions are worth sharing with you.

1. I do have bulging discs including a new one at L2, moving up the spine. But none is penetrating the spinal cord. I have what she calls a genetically narrow passageway for the spinal cord. This explains why I am so like my father in arthritis of the back; he suffered terribly. It was ironic, since he was an Orthopedic surgeon and performed hundreds of laminectomies and fusions over the course of his practice. He couldn’t operate on himself, so he never had his own back fixed. You can see where I get my “do it yourself” attitude.

2. There has been some improvement in the spinal stenosis and osteoarthritis since the last MRI. This I count as a victory and I attribute it to the fact that bone replaces itself slowly over time. Given proper nutrition and other care through strengthening and toning muscles, bone can improve. I am thrilled that my bone health has improfed. What a fabulous result! I will continue to visualize the formation of healthy new bone. I will certainly continue with a diet loaded with fruits and vegetables and lean meats and fish, plus little or no gluten or dairy. I am committed to continuing my workouts at the Xgym, because stronger muscles build stronger bones.

3. Dr. Ren called me her poster child, to be improving bone health at 76, almost 77, instead of getting worse. She also told me that low back problems on a major trip would only cause discomfort and was not life threatening. No need to update my will on account of my back issues and numb leg. Whew…

Let me review my early morning routine in case it would be helpful for you.

1. Lie on the floor for 12 minutes with my knees bent over the Back2Life Machine.

2. A Feldenkrais hip opening exercise, 10 counts with each leg. This video shows an extended version of my routine. A full hip opening practice in two parts. I limit myself to the dropping of the knee, extending the heal and back up again, 10 times on each side. If you are a beginner with Feldenkrais, I recommend following her program from start to finish for best results. You can later incorporate the segment that seems to give you the most benefit.

3. hanging upside down on the gravity inversion table for a total of 25 breathes. Here is a video of an expert doing her back mobilization exercises on this inversion table. It makes me seasick. I have never been able to work the way she does, but I can vouch from the success I have had with lengthening a stretching my spine. She inspires me to work up to what she demonstrates.

All this before breakfast. In addition, each week I walk a couple miles most days which include steep uphill climbing (I live in West Seattle on top of a hill and my destination is on the top of another hill a mile a way, therefore Up and Down going and coming.) On Tuesday I practice yoga with an instructor who builds slowly to the big poses and I stop when a twist gets to be too much. On Wednesday I hike in our mountains surrounding Puget Sound, usually 6 miles, more or less. On Monday and Friday, Clayton works me out at the Xgym, concentrating on 5 muscle groups and in a controlled manner, bringing them to complete fatigue. It takes 25 minutes. None of this takes a long time, except for the luscious outdoor experience on Wednesday. I hate to miss it when I have to. Nearly anyone could put this into their schedule.

I also take several supplements that improve joint mobility and strength muscles tissue: Fish oil, Vitamin E, Vitamin C and Calcium. They all work better because of an excellent catalyst, Shaklee’s multivitamin and mineral tablet. I take the one for seniors which is especially formulated for the aging absorption for someone over 50.

The special event, you might ask? A friend and I are going to hike 100 miles in England following the “highway” used by Lady Anne Clifford, a 17^th century noble woman who owned most of Northumberland and Yorkshire. We will walk from castle to castle beginning just north of Leeds, hiking for 9 days in the dales, wild and dramatic country to Penrith in the Lake District. It will be June, long days and with any luck, not too much rain. I will leave the end of May, feeling confident that my self-care and hiking sticks will see me to the end. I’ll be home on June 20^th.

Be well, Do well and Keep Moving,

Betsy

Let us know of your adventures. How you are preparing or maintaining your body to meet your travel goals? Sharing makes it all better.

betsy@hihohealth.com

206-933-1889

Be Well health tips

Don’t take vitamins.

Posted on April 24, 2014

Gentle Reader,

“Whatever you do, don’t take vitamins.” One more doctor/author has come out with a book of instructions on how to stay healthy. Included in his list of what to do and eat is a chapter on why you should not take vitamins. My renter just showed me his latest book, A Short Guide to a Long Life, by Dr. David Agus. My own trainer who developed a highly efficient hands-on program for building muscles, reducing body fat and increasing strength and stamina wrote a book called Cracking Your Calorie Code. These books all tell us supplement users that we are wasting our money and perhaps doing ourselves harm. They are catagorically against vitamins. “Don’t take vitamins. You don’t need them. You are wasting your money.”

What is going on here? What is the key question these books address? Are they missing something?

How can I be healthier? Have more energy? Avoid chronic diseases that supposedly result from my life-style? Aren’t these the questions we are all trying to answer? We are looking for a better way to stay healthy as we grow old. We don’t want to spend our social time with doctors. We want to enjoy the days we have and then die without a period of long, drawn out suffering.

These authors seem to agree on the life style we ought to follow. They also claim we are wasting our money and even harming ourselves if we persist in taking vitamins.

First, let me clear up a couple things. Before 1998, a few deaths in children were reported from taking sugar coated, brightly colors vitamins containing high levels of iron. Since the packaging changed, only 1 death has been reported. Compare this with 59 confirmed deaths due to aspirin poisoning in 2003 and 147 deaths known to be associated with acetaminophen-containing products. According to the FDA, Americans easily take more than 60 billion doses of nutritional supplements every year, and with zero related deaths. This is an outstanding safety record. Compare this to 14,800 deaths in 2008 from prescription pain killers. About 6.1 million people abuse prescription pills, and overdose deaths have at least doubled in 29 states, where they now exceed vehicle-related deaths. In 10 of those states, rates tripled; in four of them, they quadrupled. (Reported in the Christian Science Monitor, 10/2013)

Second, let’s look at the healthy life style and eating habits these authors recommend, including my trainer. A quick rundown:

Adequate protein from lean meat, fish, eggs. (WebMD says 50 grams. daily, which is not enough, in my opinion. A good rule of thumb is 1 gram for every ½ pound of weight. 140 lbs. = 70 grams.)
5- 9 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables every day. (Serving = 1 cup, 2 cups if leafy greens)
Whole grains (many people need to limit grains and refined carbohydrates like pasta and pastries to achieve optimal health)
6 – 10 eight oz. glasses of water
Small amounts of fat, sugar, dairy. (Many food guides recommend more calories from dairy)
No smoking. Little or no alcohol.
Exercise at minimum ½ hour walking 4 days a week.

My question to you is this: how many days last week did you achieve these markers for your healthy future? Are you really getting all those servings of fresh vegetables and fruits into your body every day? Did you find time to exercise at least that much last week (and you can’t count the running around you do in the office or in your house unless you are wearing a pedometer. You need to reach 10,000 steps a week.)

Fill out this checklist. It is equivalent to the auto mechanic’s diagnostic tool for your car (which you can replace when it doesn’t work anymore).

Today’s date

__ 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 hands 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

If you wear out your body, where are you going to live?

__ Breath or body odor

__ Decreased sex interest

__ Infertility/Sterility

__ Menopausal symptoms

__ Vague “blah” feeling

“Whether we like it or not, a symptom is a message the body wants to express – which drugs suppress. If drugs are prescribed, new symptoms begin to appear.”

-Deepak Chopra, M.D.

You have only one body. When this one body wears out, where are you going to live?

In 1985, I was physically and emotionally depleted. I was eating the way I describe above, following all the guidelines provided by the various gurus on healthy living. I had had cancer and was determined not to develop cancer again. In spite of a perfect diet, frequent and vigorous exercise, little or no alcohol or refined, packaged foods, I was not healthy. I took no vitamins. I took some iron tablets at the recommendation of my doctor and they made me constipated. I had no idea how to choose a vitamin. “Don’t take vitamins” was not my thought or plan. I was introduced to the Shaklee vitamins and began a foundation program of Soy smoothies, a multi, extra B, C and Calcium, plus Alfalfa and Herb Lax for constipation. Within a month, my health change for the better. Many of my symptoms (I checked off 10 – 12 on the above list) disappeared or changed for the better.

What more can I say? I eat the way the textbooks suggest. But not every day. Some days I eat in my car, on the run, at someone else’s house, in a bar or restaurant and do not get all the fresh nutrients I need. Supplements are just that, a supplement to an inadequate diet. They don’t kill you. They may even give you better health. If you don’t feel better in a month of faithful consumption, Shaklee will give you your money back. Guaranteed. Does your drug store vitamin offer that? When is the last time your doctor gave you a money back guarantee on the prescription he/she wrote for you?

Enough said.

Be well, Do well and Keep Moving.

Betsy

206 933 1889

besy@hihohealth.com

Be Well health tips

arthritic hands

Posted on April 18, 2014

Gentle Reader,

Several friends have complained about arthritis in the hands. There are some things you can do to reduce the pain, increase mobility and slow the process down.

Osteoarthritis is a type of arthritis that is caused by breakdown of cartilage, with eventual loss of the cartilage of the joints. Cartilage is a protein substance that serves as a “cushion” between the bones of the joints. When the cartilage deteriorates (degenerates), the bone next to it becomes inflamed and can be stimulated to produce new bone in the form of a local bony protrusion, called a “spur.”

Osteoarthritis is also known as degenerative arthritis because of the degeneration of the cartilage that causes it. Among the over 100 different types of arthritis conditions, osteoarthritis is the most common and affects over 20 million people in the United States alone. Osteoarthritis occurs more frequently as we age. Before age 45, osteoarthritis occurs more frequently in men. After age 55 years, it affects women more frequently. Osteoarthritis causes no symptoms in many patients. Symptoms of osteoarthritis include local pain, stiffness, tenderness, and occasionally swelling in the affected joints. Dr. William Shiel, Jr. MedicineNet.com.

Picture a ball and socket joint. Between the two bones is the synovial membrane. A layer of cartilage at the end of each bone is the shock-absorbing cushion between the two bones.

Arthritis occurs first in any joint that has been previously injured. Also occurs with wear and tear on joints with age. Carrying extra weight deteriorates joints more rapidly.

Bone spurs extend from bone into soft tissue and damage the synovial membrane.

Bone spurs and kidney stones result from improper calcium metabolism. If you don’t have enough calcium intake to maintain calcium blood level, calcium must be pulled out of storage from the bones. Calcium ready to be excreted by the kidneys goes back into the blood. This free unbound calcium goes to areas of highest activity and settles in the fingers, wrists, spine, hips, and neck. This is the cause of arthritis in the hands. It is necessary to take enough calcium every day to prevent spurs and kidney stones. I recommend OsteoMatrix by Shaklee because of the extensive research to prove that the nutrients in this supplement actually break down and get to the blood and bone. Many calcium supplements contain binders that prevent break down into usable nutrients. Check your brand for clinical studies.

Wear and tear of joints leads to improper cushioning, to bone rubbing against bone, to inflammation (swollen and stiff). If you lose all the synovial membrane and most of the cartilage, your joint must be replaced. If you take action soon enough, you can rebuild cartilage, stimulate, and rebuild the synovial membrane.

(This information comes from Diane Petoskey, a renowned nutritionist who lectures widely in North America. I have heard her speak at all day seminars on health several topics and have listened to all of her health audio tapes. Her recommendations work most of the time with most people. They are worth a try. The side benefits from the supplements are many. Going the medication route tends to damage the body over the long haul as there are so many negative side effects. Buying supplements costs more because insurance doesn’t pay for them. However, the gain in good health is considerable. I personally had arthritis at a young age, in my late teens and 20’s and took lots of Aspirin, Motrin and other pain killers. When I started in with Shaklee at age 48, I used the basic supplements and 15 – 20 alfalfa tablets a day and stopped all medications for arthritis. In recent years, the Shaklee scientists have continued to do research on the pain receptors and on joints and have developed other arthritis relief products, including a soothing Pain Cream. Please try the packet on sore joints to see how they feel. Let me know what questions you have. I am now 76 and ski, hike, walk, do stairs, dance and generally move comfortably through most yoga positions and doing chores in my garden and two-story house. I take no pain medications other than the Shaklee products. My neurologist has done MRI’s of my back over the years and repeatedly says the pictures would suggest I needed a wheel chair and yet I am extremely active.)

Nutrients good for joints: minerals are very important

OsteoMatrix 1500-2000 mg/day

Magnesium (Vita mag) 750-2000 mg/day (cal-mag ratio = 2:1)
Alfalfa: provides trace minerals. When the body is too acidic, it damages the synovium. Alfalfa is alkaline. Take 24-30/day (the tablets are small) Alfalfa also reduces inflammation. You may need to go up to 60/day for a couple of weeks to reduce pain and swelling. Note: meat eaters have high levels of uric acid in the blood which damages the synovium.

MSM: in capsules. For inflammation of joints. Take 6000 mg/day
Zinc: at least 45 mg/day

Garlic: for inflammation and joint problems. Garlic kills viruses, yeast, parasites, bacteria, it is anti-inflammatory, also regulates B/P. take 3-9/day

Vita C: stimulates production of collagen (cement that holds cells together). Helps to rebuild joints, also good for inflammation. Take 3,000-5,000 mg/day

Omega guard (Essential Omega 3 Complex) essential fatty acids. Take 9/day

GLA: take 6/day

Lecithin: take 9-12/day

CarotoMax: take 3/day

B-Complex: take 6 a day

Vita Lea: take 2 a day

Joint Health Complex: stimulates production of cartilage. Minimum of 6/day. May have to use 9. It will take months to rebuild your joints, then you can reduce nutrients to maintain your joints.

Exercise: don’t over stimulate the joints. If you have arthritis, first decrease inflammation, then exercise. Arthritics definitely improve with exercise because circulation of blood increases and more nutrients go into the joints. Start with water aerobics. Here are some exercises for arthritic hands.

You may balk at consuming so many supplements. I can tell you from personal experience that I have been able to maintain healthy joints by taking slightly fewer. Diane Petoskey’s recommendations seemed extreme to me. However, many people have followed her advice to the letter and experienced major improvement. If you want dramatic results, you have to take dramatic measures. You might take the plunge and try this approach wholeheartedly for 3 months. Your blood is completely new in ninety days, so a three month trial will tell you if this approach is effective. Medicine is cheaper, but does not build healthy cells for the future.

I’d love to read your comments.

Be well, Do well and Keep Moving,

Betsy

206 933 1889

Betsy Bell’s Health 4u

4455 51^st Ave. SW

Seattle, WA 98116

1-800-643-2486

http://www.HiHoHealth.com

Betsy@HiHoHealth.com