What Your Knees Can Tell You About Your Health

Knees are an important part of our bodies and we often don’t realise this until they begin to hurt. When they are aching it interferes with our everyday lives and often we need to go through a process to stop the pain. Some of the reasons they hurt could be injury, overweight, overuse or arthritis.

If you are overweight then your knees are also struggling with excess body weight. They feel the pressure of the weight five times more than the rest of you. One way to counteract this is to do some strengthening exercises to teach them how to cope with the pressure but an easier and healthier solution is to begin losing some weight. Also as we age muscles mass decreases which makes the knees weaker and in turn causes pain frequently so it is important to do some exercises to counteract your weight and the aging process.

Exercise is good for us however you must exercise within your means for your strength, weight and age otherwise you will overdo it and cause strain on your joints. If you find your knees are aching after exercise then give the workout a miss for the next few days to give the joint time to recover. Studies show that people that exercise regularly are likely to have cartilage degeneration which can be very painful so make sure you do your stretches properly as a warm up and a cool down after your exercise session. As we get older it may be harder to exercise if you have inflammation in your joints. Inflammation can be counteracted by the correct food and lifestyle changes but if it is attended to it can cause many illnesses like gout and arthritis.

Gout a one form of arthritis and a common cause of knee pain found in people who tend to eat a lot of red meat. Diet is very important and influences every area of our health. Another reason for pain could be that you are having digestive tract issues. So make sure you are digesting your food properly and going to the bathroom daily to empty your bowels. If you are not then ask your natural practitioner for help. Also remember that Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease can lead to knee and joint pain. Once the digestive issue is solved usually the pain diminishes considerably.

Studies show that there is likely to be a link between depression and anxiety and knee pain. It is common for people suffering with these illnesses to lack regular exercise in their day to day lives which is another factor causing knee pain.

Depression has a physiological impact on the body similar to chronic pain. This could be why many people suffering with depression and knee pain will find that the pain will ease after taking antidepressants.

So if you are suffering from knee pain there are ways you can find relief however it will involve a change in lifestyle for you to become healthier. Consult your natural practitioner for some guidelines on what to do.

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Can Reiki Help With Addiction?

Many of us have either suffered from, or know someone who has suffered from some kind of addition. When we think about addiction we tend to think about cigarettes, drugs, alcohol or gambling addictions, but there are many, many ways we can be addicted. Some of these can include video games, sugar and caffeine. Some can cause more harm than others but they are all addictions and can affect anyone, including children.

Addiction to alcohol, cigarettes and drugs can cause the user to suffer from things such as cirrhosis of the liver and a number of different types of cancers. Drug addictions can also lead to going to jail for crimes related to drug use or even cause some mental illnesses if someone was to consume a “bad batch”. Thankfully for those that seek help before it’s to late there are things to help deal with the addiction naturally.

Reiki can be used to help change the addictive patterns. While the reiki may help with the pattern you do need to be prepared though to change your thought processes and to put in the hard work required beat your addiction. Unfortunately there are no magic wands to flick everything away in an instant and it takes time. When you have been suffering from addiction for some time there tends to be a build up of anger towards others and also yourself. This is connected to the pain you may feel you have caused friends and family while going through the addiction. So your recovery is a process of learning to mend bridges, forgive others, ask for forgiveness and mostly to also forgive yourself and let go. That involves learning a new tool kit and reiki, in combination with therapy, can assist with that.

The reiki precepts can help you focus. These are a set of ‘sayings’ which a reiki student takes on as part of a way of life to enhance their life in some way. The first one is ‘do not anger just for today’. This is simply reminding you to not act out of anger and be mindful of other people’s feelings before you speak. When you have feelings of anger it is best to try and control yourself enough to work out why you are angry and solve the problem in a calm and reasonable way. If you must vent your anger it’s a good idea to have a tool kit where you can vent it in a non-harmful way – such as using a punching bag and boxing gloves to release your frustration. It will take time but reiki and self-reflection will help get you to the point where you will be able to follow through with this.

Growing up in an abusive alcohol or drug related home can often lead to a lot of anger and resentment and also it can lead to the children following the same abusive pattern as their parents. The key is to break the pattern and change the way we behave. To break this cycle of negative behaviour.

The other  ‘sayings’ in reiki are: ‘just for today I will let go of worry, do my work honestly, give thanks for my many blessings and be kind to every living thing’. Now imagine if you practiced just a few of these. How would your life be better if you gave thanks for your many blessings for example? If you were truly grateful for the roof over your head, the friends and family that nag you to change your destructive habits, the food on the table. How would your life be different if you decided to be kinder to the people that loved you? To make an effort for them at first, and later for yourself.

By choosing to be honest and mindful with yourself you can change your behaviour. Your reiki practitioner or therapist can help you with this, however remember that only you can change the path you’re on and beat the addiction. Thankfully there is a lot of help out there.

Organizing Your Projects

Are you struggling to stay on top of all the different projects, big or small, that need to be done at work, school or managing any day to day tasks at home? Here are a few things to help you keep on top of things and complete your tasks stress free.

Set a priority list

Have a think about when your projects on your to do list are due and start to prioritise them in order of which one needs be completed first. Aim to complete the tasks before the actual deadline as that makes it less stressful when something unexpected goes wrong and the task takes longer than expected.

Understand your criteria

When thinking about each project you need to make sure you have a complete understanding of what is being asked of you and what needs to be done. If you are having trouble don’t be afraid to ask someone for help or a little advice. Having this knowledge will give you the confidence to complete the project not only on time but to the best of your ability. The more planning that you do around the task the less time it will take to actually complete the project.

Break it down

When you have a large project that needs to be completed it can sometimes be very overwhelming and seem nearly an impossible task. If you start breaking it down into chunks or sections of what you need to do though the task starts to feel a lot more manageable and seems easier to complete.

Building momentum

Once you get started and get a bit of momentum keep moving the goal to keep up that momentum. This may be a little difficult at first but remember all you need to do is get started. Sometimes this may mean taking your work outdoors to sit by the pool or in a park. A change of scenery or a quiet place to relax while you work can help a lot.

Analysing your goals

If you are having trouble getting a project started or even finding the motivation to get it done you need to ask yourself the benefits of completing the task and how it can help you reach your long-term goals. This will further increase your motivation whether it be a promotion at work, passing an exam or reaching your goal weight. Analyse why you are having an issue with the task. Is it something that you don’t fully understand or have no interest in at all? Make it more exciting by finding new ways to complete the task. Also ask yourself what can you do to get this project completed and sometimes the answer is as simple as needing more planning or more information.

 

Hypothyroidism Can Cause Diabetes

Hypothyroidism is a condition that effects the thyroid gland and is mostly found in women after the age of sixty. Unfortunately, it can also be found in children when it is more likely to turn to diabetes. Hypothyroidism can also lead to many other health issues.

Hypothyroidism affects the thyroid gland; the gland stops producing enough hormones to stimulate the metabolism and slows down the body’s system. It also affects insulin production, Carbohydrates such as white rice, pasta and flour get turned by the body into sugar, then the pancreas releases insulin to turn the sugar into energy which brings the body’s sugar levels back to normal. If hypothyroidism is involved, the pancreas slows down its ability to turn this blood sugar into energy, which then leads to diabetes.

Some of the symptoms that you may experience with hypothyroidism include muscle pain, sweating less, sensitivity to coldness and cold hands and feet, dry, brittle hair, constipation and yellowish or pale skin. If you have been suffering with hypothyroidism for a while you may also experience some symptoms such as drowsiness, memory loss, decreased sense of smell and muscle spasms.

The fact that hypothyroidism can be found not only in women aver sixty but in children is not good as children are more susceptible to developing diabetes as a result of the hypothyroidism. Children are normally tested at birth for abnormalities with the thyroid since the condition can be quite serious. It is hoped that this testing will help reduce the risk of it causing diabetes at such a young age.

The good news is that hypothyroidism can be treated before it turns into diabetes. The biggest way is to change your lifestyle by eating a low carbohydrate, low fat diet, high in protein. In children often, an oral supplement higher than that of an adult can assist as children’s metabolism is faster than that of an adult. The dosage is monitored and adjusted as they grow. Adults also have the option of taking many natural supplements which will regulate the condition provided it has not reached the level where permanent medication is inevitable.

This condition can lead to many illnesses in the body so it must not be ignored. Hypothyroidism, diabetes, metabolic syndrome are just starters. Any illness ignored in the body can lead to serious effects. Either visit your natural practitioner or doctor if you have thyroid issues and they will assist you to quickly get this illness under control.

Plantar Fasciitis – Treating the pain

Plantar Fasciitis is a condition that causes pain in the foot, especially in the heal area. If you have Plantar Fasciitis you will usually feel a sharp pain through your heal in the morning when standing or walking right after getting out of bed. It is important to seek medical health from a qualified practitioner though rather than making a self-diagnosis.

Treating the condition and the pain of Planar Fasciitis often necessitates simple changes and a few home treatments. When the pain is present ice the area to reduce the inflammation and also massaging the area with a hard-round object. You need to roll out the arch in the foot and manipulate the tissue around the affected area but be careful not to push too hard in the painful area. You can also try doing some easy exercises including stretching the calf muscles. Strengthening the arch muscles is also beneficial.

The most important thing to do is to make sure that your foot is always supported. There are special shoes that you can buy that have arch supports in them. You can also buy a special sock that helps stretch the area and support the ankle and arch of the foot at the same time. Make sure that all the shoes you buy are the proper fit for your foot.

Treating Plantar Fasciitis does not always need the attention of a doctor however if you find that you are starting to get numbness or pain without any pressure being placed on the area or a fever then you may need a health professional to take a look. If the pain persists or the above treatments do not relieve it then it may be more serious and you must seek medical attention.

Ways to help you relax

Often days at work are long and the day to day chores at home of running the kids here, there and everywhere, makes stress a modern day hazard of our lifestyles. Whether you are finding that you are becoming snappy, not sleeping, or worrying about what tomorrow will bring it’s easy to forget to take time out to breathe and relax. Stress can affect you in many ways and it is important to find ways that suit you to calm yourself and relax.

A good way to create some ‘feel good’ energy is to volunteer some of your time to a cause you support. This can also be a great way to meet new people. Extending a hand in friendship is a great way to not only feel good about yourself but make someone else feel good about themselves. It’s important though to make sure there are some healthy boundaries in place so people do not also take advantage of your kindness.

If you are you the person that always says ‘yes’ when someone asks you to do something, even if you are finding it difficult to fit everything in, or if find you agree to things you really don’t want to do, then it is important to realise that it is ok to say ‘no’ sometimes. Putting boundaries in place may be difficult at first as people will not be used to hearing you say ‘no’, but once you learn this skill it will lower your stress levels. It is not healthy to spend your life always doing things to please everyone else instead of things that make you happy.

Another way to help you relax would be writing a journal or a positive note to yourself every day. This can help you start your day in a positive way and set the tone for the rest of the day. When you are starting to think negatively writing down something positive everyday can change your whole thought process. If you are the person who spends quite a bit of time complaining, not only is it probably getting on everyone else’s nerves but it isn’t good for your thought process either. Complaining means negative thinking and this is what we need to avoid as you will bring into your world all the negative things you think about, and before you know it you will be on a roller coaster of one drama after another in your life. So write down the things that are stressing you out so you can get them out of your mind and then toss them away, symbolically throwing away your stresses.

Of course one of the simplest ways to relieve stress is laughing. Spend time with your friends and family and have fun, laugh or watch a funny movie. Grab a friend and go out and dance, listen to music, go to karaoke. You can even dance, sing or listen to music while doing your housework.

Finally why not work on developing the skill of meditation. It is something you will have for the rest of your life. The relaxation will improve your state of mind and outlook on life. You will begin to feel calm and relaxed. There are many meditation courses around that will help you develop your skill and my clinic holds regular classes the first Wednesday of every month. There are many different techniques to meditate and you need to find the one that suits you. Under the guidance of a skilful teacher you will easily develop the skill. The key to mediation however is constant practice, as with any skill, and the more you practice the better you will get, the more relaxed you will feel and the calmer your life will be.

There are many ways to relax, these are just a handful, perhaps put just one of these into practice for a month and see where it leads you. At the end of the month your life will be a little different. Then pick another one, for the next month. Slowly your life will change. from stress to harmony.

Preventing aging and stay healthy

Are you concerned about your aging? Unfortunately it’s something you have no control over. The body is like a machine and will age. As you get older some of the machine parts get a bit ‘rusty’ and don’t work quite as well. You may experience weakened muscles, aches in joints, fragile bones, find it harder to breathe or just have less energy. Some of the aches and pains and other difficulties you experience may alter your lifestyle which means you will lose some of your freedom. Your hearing and eyesight may be affected or your memory. All these things add to your anxiety and can make you feel unimportant and eventually depressed. This does not have to be the case though.
There are however some things you can do to slow down the aging process and look after yourself better. We are all aware how stress accelerates our cortisol levels and puts us into overdrive so we can’t sleep properly at night. Not having enough sleep shortens the length of your DNA telomeres which means your body ages faster. It also means that you become moody and not feeling well in general. When people feel like this they tend to feel even less like doing exercise and a sedentary lifestyle plus poor nutrition and lack of antioxidants and vitamins will age you faster.

Outside issues that affect our immune system are genetically modified foods, junk foods, too much sugar or salt, wheat, yeast, gluten, too many take-away meals and lack of good nutrition in general. All these lead to inflammation in the body and affects how we metabolise our food. Our digestion suffers and we get something called ‘leaky gut’ which makes our body infected with acidic substances which cause many underlying illnesses. Add alcohol and being overweight to this plus effects of pesticides, herbicides, pollution, toxins and it’s no wonder that you feel under par.

The good news is that there are ways to slow down the aging process and in some cases ‘reverse’ it. Of course you can’t reverse the years but you can reverse how you look and feel and the speed at which the body ages.

Regarding telomeres (the protective ends of our DNA that control aging) the good news is that the primary enzyme responsible for keeping telomeres healthy is called telomerase. Free radical exposure causes oxidative stress in your body however antioxidants are one way to oxygenate the body internally and oxygen is a key to keeping younger and healthy.
If you are experiencing the signs of age whether it be in your organs, mentally, emotionally or physically on your skin then there are ways you can slow this down. Ashwagandha is an herb which fights stress, cognitive impairment, hormonal issues and cortisol problems. Curcumin is the most active constituent of turmeric and needs to be absorbed properly for it to work. It also is an herb which destroys free radicals in your body and eases inflammation. This means a lot of those aches and pains will begin to ease, your skin will begin to have more elasticity and less wrinkles. Glutathione is another antioxidant for hair, skin, nails, muscles and bones. It will also raise your immune system. Coenzyme Q10 is good for the heart and magnesium coupled with vitamin C is for your muscles, bone health stress and to increase your brain function.

Put these five products together and you have a dynamite start to slow your aging process. Consult a natural therapist to help you get a program together for your diet and exercise balance and some suggestions regarding sleep. Do some yoga, meditate, relax and have some fun with friends to balance your work and social life. All this will lead to a better lifestyle which will give you more fulfillment.