Balance Your Health

Self Massage Can Work for You

Athletes have given themselves massages for years. Massages are usually part of the training routine for professional and college athletes. You and I will schedule a massage when we need to repair some body part or we're on vacation and massages are part of the spa package.

An increasing number of people are giving themselves a massage especially those of us who engage in daily workouts. I massage my back and my calves almost daily and on some days, twice a day, using a foam roller.

The fact is devices for self massage are more prevalent today than even 2 years ago. A massage may sound like a luxury, but when made part of your training program, it really becomes a good habit.

There are now more than a dozen good products that can help you give yourself a massage. There are also videos on Utube that show you how to massage yourself just using your hands or with something as benign as a foam roller. Most small balls, including golf, tennis, baseball and lacrosse balls, can help unkink sore muscles by lying on them and rolling around.

Here is a massage you can use for your calf muscles. Standing, place one leg on a low chair or bench. Reach down and place your thumb and forefinger of one hand on the opposite side of the top of the heel. Squeeze your fingers and slowly raise your toes, flexing your foot. Lower the foot. Repeat twice and then move a half inch up your leg until you get to the back of your knee.

Rubbing your feet is an age-old practice. Some feel that working on your feet is like massaging the entire body. People who practice foot reflexology believe that massage to the feet can break up energy blockages and recharge that side of your body.

If you have plantar fasciitis you may want to consider foot massage as part of your recovery. I also invite you to claim your special report  (no cost) on how to find the shoe that fits even with foot problems.I bought the book on Plantar Fasciitis and believe it has excellent information. If you  happen to purchase the book from this post I will earn a commission but I never recommend anything I don't personally use.

Love to hear your comments about the book. My goal is to always avoid surgery so this book was a big help.

To your success at a healthy balanced life.

Ruthan Brodsky

Vitamin D with Calcium Makes the Difference

I know the research re vitamin D has been out for some time because for the past 2 years my primary doctor has recommended I increase the amount of vitamin D supplements I take. He usually tests vitamin D levels from a fasting blood sample and goes by the guidelines recommended by nutritional research because it's been known for some time that the body requires vitamin D to make use of dietary calcium.

The Calcium Question

I learned that calcium was the first defense against osteoporosis. In my studies on aging I was taught that consuming calcium rich foods and taking calcium supplements is the way to prevent osteoporosis. Today that theory is in question. There is now a growing consensus in the medical community that we need to increase the recommended daily intake of vitamin D as the premiere nutrient in the battle against osteoporosis. Calcium is falling or has fallen out of favor.

Even the National Osteoporosis Foundation updated their recommendations for calcium and vitamin D. According to the new NOF guidelines, adults under age 50 need 1,000 mg of calcium daily. Adults age 50 and over need 1,200 mg of calcium daily.

Actually, these are the amounts that you should be getting from your food sources together with your supplements. For years, we women have been hammered on that we are not getting enough calcium so it is not unusual for many of us to now take 1500 mg or more a day just in supplement form.

The problem is most of get about 600 to 750 mg of calcium in our diet. Another 1500 mg is clearly overkill.

There is not much evidence that too much calcium does any good, and it may not be harmful. However, it can be constipating.

Part of the problem is that the science behind calcium supplementation is not simple. In fact, recent research seems to offer opposite answers about whether you should or should not take extra calcium. To get the most out of your bone and health efforts, it is important to understand that bone is not just calcium and that calcium does not function in isolation.

More on calcium in my next post to help you answer the calcium question.

To your success at a healthy and well balanced life,

Ruthan Brodsky

4 Tips for Coping with Holiday Stress

The strain of shopping, attending social gatherings, and preparing holiday decorations and gifts is enough to throw anyone off kilter.

Do not abandon your healthy habits.

Manage Your Trigger Points to Manage Holiday Stress

On the Food Channel one of the chefs spoke about how stressful it was to get all the pies ready for Thanksgiving and he had a system to make the pie maker's life easier.

I admit to never thinking about the stress of baking. That should be something enjoyed for the end results and for feeling so satisfied when family and friends bite into the meringue tips or the cinnamon pumpkin custard with whipped cream.

Sick with 2 Colds at a Time is Possible!

Something you always wanted to know, right? But that's what a team of researchers are telling us.

First keep in mind there are 99 different strains of the rhinovirus that causes most of our colds. In a study published in the journal Science researchers showed that when two strains of the virus infected a person, they could link up together. Not only that but they could also exchange genetic material in a process called recombination which was once thought to be impossible in the rhinovirus.

The researchers also theorized that this recombining could start a new strain of cold.

In a study on children in China evidence was found of triple infections, children carrying a cold strain and other respiratory viruses such as influenza. However, only a few carried multiple strains of the rhinovirus.

No one knows how this happens but they do know that so far, at least, there's no evidence that carrying two cold strains results in more severe symptoms. Which is a good thing because I don't think there would be enough chicken soup.

To your success at a balanced health.

Ruthan Brodsky

Tips on Finding the Right Shoe For You

Feet are amazing. They contain over 2 dozen bones, ligaments, muscles and they support us. They hold us up. They also are impacted by every step we take or don't take. I say that because how many of you end up with swollen feet after sitting at your computer for over two hours?

The good news is that shoes were invented to help us take care of our feet. They protect our feet from the elements. They give added support to our feet and ankles. They can address some of our foot problems such as low arches or too high an arch or weak ankles.

If you want your feet to carry you around for the rest of your life, pay more attention to what they need. Wearing the right size shoe is a basic first step. Shoes that are too small are one of the major reasons for foot pain and problems. Shoes that are too big can cause blistering and can make you unstable.

Keep in mind, that just because you knew your shoe size a few years ago doesn't mean it is the same; feet, like people, change as they get older. Only you can tell if a shoe fits when you're purchasing a new pair. If they aren't comfortable, don't buy them.

Do not plan on stretching your shoes as you wear them. If you already own shoes that are too tight, ask your shoe repair shop if they can be stretched.

Feet do spread with age, so have your feet measured every time you buy shoes. Both feel should be measured because they often are different sizes. When you buy shoes, buy them for the larger foot.

Hope these tips are helpful. If you have more tips to help our readers find shoes that fit, type them in the comment window. Thanks for sharing.

To you healthy success.

Ruthan Brodsky

This ebook may help relieve you of your foot pain from Platar Fasciitis

Foot Faults from Fashion

I was at the airport last weekend and was flabbergasted at the number of women taking very small steps and appearing very stiff. They all had one thing in common: very high heels, some even in stilettos. Why anyone would wear those running around in an airport is beyond me because if they had to run to catch a flight, they would never make it!

The problem is that wearing high heels today may hurt just a little right now, but bigger foot problems are in store for the young ladies in the years to come. And let's face it, most of the women wearing those shoes were under 30 although there was a couple in their 40s, and one at least 50 something but she looked like she was in pain already.

I bring all this up to you because a study was published in September that showed people who make poor shoe choices when they're young, by wearing unsupportive footwear like high heels and sandals and slippers are at a much higher risk for foot pain as they get older.

Published in Arthritis Care & Research, the researchers examined over 3,300 adults who participated in the Framingham Foot Study. They also found out that men don't experience the same type of foot pain as women primarily because of the type of shoes they wear. Researchers found no link between foot pain and shoe choice among men because only 2 percent wore bad shoes.

No matter what your age, be cautious when it comes to buying shoes. Your feet have an awful lot to support.

To your success at balancing your health.

Ruthan Brodsky

P.S. Attention runners. Many of the marathons are over and if you're left with heel spurs and arch pain you will want to learn more how you can get a hold of this excellent book about plantar fasciitis.

Alzheimer's Disease: Is Prevention Possible?

It is true that getting older is a risk factor for Alzheimer's. However, getting older does not cause the disease. If it were, then everyone would get Alzheimer's and many people live to over 100 years without any signs or symptoms.

Echinacea: Can It Prevent Colds and the Flu?

 

It seems as if the flu season is all year round these days and colds happen when ever the weather changes. Echinacea has been among the top selling drugs in the US as a remedy to treat colds and to prevent colds and the flue. The thought is that the herb stimulates the immune system to help fight infections.

 

Science has arrived at another conclusion, however. Two recent studies funded by  NCCAM, National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine,  did not find a benefit from Echinacea either as treating colds in children or in adults.  What's more most studies indicate that Echinacea does not appear to prevent colds or other infections.  However, there is one study which reports that Echinacea may be beneficial in treating upper respiratory infections.

 

Then there is the word of caution about the side effects. Usually Echinacea has no side effects when taken orally. However, people allergic to related plants in the daisy family which includes ragweed and marigolds may have an allergic reaction. There is also some question to how effective it is because of the lack of regulation in the U.S. herbal market. In other words, you may not be getting what you paid for.

 

Research in German, on the other hand, reports Echinacea is effective when compounded in liquid formulations. Even so it should not be taken for more than eight weeks at a time.

 

Part of the problem in studying a botanical such as Echinacea is figuring out which part of the plant was used in the supplement and determining which species of the plant was used.

 

My conclusion: Save your money. Have chicken soup to help you get through your cold and adopt a healthy lifestyle which includes lots of hand washing to prevent a cold.

 

Let us know your opinion.  What do you think about Echinacea?

 

To your success at a well balanced life.

 

Ruthan