Health & Fitness
Arthritis - The Real Cause is Food!
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease which includes symptoms ranging from daily pain, stiffness and fatigue to inflammation and eventual disfigurement of joints. Rheumatoid arthritis,is a crippling condition that is thought to affect around 3% of the world’s adult population, symptoms normally start to become apparent between the ages of 20-40, with the disease being far more prevalent amongst women, affecting them up to 3 times more often than men. A version of RA called juvenile rheumatoid arthritis can occur in children, with similar symptoms to those suffered by adults. It is a much more devastating illness than had previously been appreciated.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic condition, which means any part of the body can be effected, including organs such as the kidneys in some cases. Rheumatoid arthritis can occur in any race or ethnic group, there are no restrictions to RA.
Medications include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), disease-modifying anti rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), biological response modifiers, and corticosteroids. Non-drug treatments include physical therapy; modified exercise programs; devices such as canes, special shoes, and splints (rigid supports that keep a part of the body from moving while it heals); and lifestyle changes–such as balancing activity with rest, eating a healthy diet, and reducing stress.
Medicines that manage your immune system (called Immuno-suppressants) can also be used to fight RA. When you have RA, your immune system is out of control.
An autoimmune diseases is the description given to a condition which causes the body’s own antibodies mistakenly attack their own body tissues (in RA the area normally attacked is the joint synovium), this causes the pain and inflammation.
The joints most commonly afflicted by rheumatoid arthritis can include the hands, wrists, ankles, elbows, hips, & knees. Arthritis varies from person to person and Rheumatoid arthritis is no exception, while some will suffer daily with the chronic condition others may experience long periods of remission with perhaps only mild infrequent attacks. Most cases of rheumatoid arthritis are however chronic conditions, which means the disease is reoccurring.
People suffering with rheumatoid arthritis should always consult with their medical professional regarding their course of medication. Medicines must be used with caution, due to the toxicity of some RA drugs. Patients should let their doctors know about any changes that may occur while using the medication. Patients should also be aware that their condition could lead to other complications, which may not be obviously apparent such as the affect RA can have on their spinal cord.
Many foods are known to help one’s RA, while many others will actually contribute to the disease or trigger the symptoms, there are far to many to list here, however one of the most important foods to cut out of your diet, would be white flower, and anything made with white flour.
Rheumatoid Arthritis linked to food allergy & intolerance’s
Foods which contain a chemical called inflammatory prostaglandin are known to be bad for sufferers of RA, these natural chemicals can be directly responsible for triggering attacks of arthritis. Many sufferers of rheumatoid arthritis have shown a marked improvement when removing certain foods from their diet.
Foods which should be avoided by anyone suffering with rheumatoid arthritis
1.Processed foods
2.Fatty foods
3.Sugar
4.E numbers & preservatives
5.Citrus fruit
Foods which should be treated with caution;
Foods which cause confusion amongst many are those from the ‘nightshade family’
1.Potatoes (especially when green and sprouting)
2.Tomatoes (especially when green)
3.Hot peppers
4.Sweet peppers
5.Tobacco
Good and beneficial foods for those suffering with arthritis;
1.Brown rice (a good alternative to potatoes)
2.Pulses
3.Fruit (not citrus)
4.Nuts
5.Fresh celery
6. Most oily fish
This is just a small list of good and bad foods, which are known to influence arthritis. Diet and natural treatments for arthritis are not necessarily the fastest remedies. This is because they sometimes have to cure a basic imbalance in the body which may take up to a few weeks, however natural practices do actually tackle the underlying contributing factor of one’s RA and not just the symptoms.
Natural practices could be the answer to one’s RA,and shouldn’t be discounted.
How is Dupuytren Contracture Diagnosed?
A condition which can affect those of Scandinavian descent after the age of 40 leaving them with an inability to extend their pinky, ring and middle finger of just one or even both hands is known as Dupuytren’s contracture. In this condition, the tendons which run from all the joints in the fingers are connected near the wrist and do most of their contractions under the skin of the palm. However, this skin can become thickened on the underside between the skin layers and the bone much like a callous. As it becomes thicker, this callous of scar tissue under the layers of skin can become entangled in the tendons preventing their ability to fully extent the pinky, ring and middle fingers.
While at first, there may be some pain associated with the condition; this pain will gradually go away. It has been found to be more common in men then in women but only affect those of Scandinavian descent, especially those who are of Viking descent. Furthermore, it only makes a presence after the age of forty and 70% of those who have Dupuytren’s contracture have been found to be genetically predisposed. There has also been trace amounts of links between this condition and smoking, diabetes, epilepsy, alcoholism as well as pulmonary tuberculosis.
This condition is usually not painful but it can be at the beginning of the development of the condition and can drastically affect one’s ability to function on a daily basis as it makes the smaller fingers unable to extend fully or contract. Each finger on the hand is controlled by tendons which run from the joints of the finger into the palm of the hand. It is here in the palm of the hand where the callous like scar tissue can form on the tendon groups preventing them from freely sliding back and forth on top of each other.
This gives the person the appearance of a hooked hand in which the three smaller fingers of the hand are stuck in a semi-closed position. Furthermore, Dupuytren’s contracture can affect any hand and not just the dominant one as well as affecting both hands simultaneously.
The only true treatment option for this condition is surgery and although physical therapy is available, it does not always work and is usually fairly painful to perform. However, in the surgery for Dupuytren’s contracture, the surgeon will open up the palm of the hand and remove as much of the scar tissue from the under side of the skin as well as what is entangled in the tendons. The surgeon will also make a z-shaped incision on the affected fingers to loosen them up a bit and allow for easier movement of the fingers.
The only other related arm contracture is Volkmann’s. This contracture does resemble Dupuytrens contracture. The causes of the two are very different however. Both can be remedied by a surgical procedure.
Ways To Obtain Back Neck Pain Relief
There are many ways to achieve not only temporary but permanent back neck pain relief. The therapies available today have become less expensive and easy to come by through a health care provider or physical therapist. Finding the right combination of these types of treatments for back neck pain relief is of the upmost importance in to realizing your goal in natural back pain relief.
Simple Ways To Achieve Back Neck Pain Relief
There are simple ways that can help give you back neck pain relief. One good example would be following the proper posture in each and every movement that you do. For example, you need to have a stable base when you are picking up something from the ground. You also have to stand erect or sit the same way so that your spine can be aligned the normal way. If you follow these simple steps, you can help stop the pains from occurring. These natural back pain relief methods are important steps to follow in treating you of the pains.
Physical Therapist
Next, seeing a therapist can help give you back neck pain relief. Most physical therapists would recommend exercise programs which help you strengthen your muscle to avoid inflammatory conditions from taking place. These exercises are to be followed routinely to see its positive effects. If the patient is compliant enough to the regimen, there would be no problems in attaining the kind of relief that you want.
Home Remedies
Using cold and warm compresses at home can be very effective in obtaining back neck pain relief. Your health care provider will probably suggest this to you as a way to obtain back neck pain relief. The important thing to remember is to follow what your health care provider says is the best way to use and apply these types of treatments. Too much of a good thing can cause other problems such as burning of the skin. By allowing your health care provider to be a part of planning your home treatments you will be able to obtain back neck pain relief at home.
Medications
This is one of the most valuable ways of attaining back pain relief. Medications are available for the mildest of pain through the most severe types of back pain. Only a health care provider can be sure which medications you need for back neck pain relief. By taking their advice and using only the medications prescribed will you find back pain relief through this method. Medication is a quick and efficient way to achieve natural back pain relief as long as you and doctor work together.
Milk dramatically accelerates onset of puberty
An American study shows that drinking milk increases the chances for women to have twin babies. A study published in the ‘Journal of Reproductive Medicine’ shows that compared to mothers who avoid milk, the milk consuming mothers have a 13% higher chance of a multiple birth! Vegan women were found to have a 20% less chance of having twins compared to milk-consuming women. (Mechanisms of Twinning: Effect of Diet and Heredity on the Human Twinning Rate, May 2006).
The study shows that this is due to IGF-1, a bovine growth hormone found all types of dairy milk. All recent studies show that IGF-1 is responsible several types of cancer and other diseases in regular milk consumers.
Gary Steinman of the Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, USA, who conducted the study, took a sample of more than 1000 women who were consuming only vegetables and observed that these women had five times less chances of bearing twins compared to omnivorous ones. Dr. Steinman suggests that animal-product foodstuffs, especially dairy foods, can increase the chance of releasing more than one egg during ovulation, which could lead to a double fertilization.
This theory is also supported by other research into traditional dairy-consuming populations. The findings show that milk-farming communities have a higher rate of twin births. This adds weight to the many studies showing nothing less than a horror story when it comes to bovine IGF-1 and human health.
Anyone who consumes dairy milk will absorb the harmful IGF-1 bovine growth hormones, and this plays havoc with the natural hormonal balance of the human body. Giving birth to twins or triplets is an aberration in the human species, and is not a sign of good health for mother or babies.
Another little known fact about dairy milk is that the combination of IGF-1 and estrogen in milk accelerates early puberty in young boys and girls (the bovine growth factor accelerates the onset of puberty in humans). This makes you more prone to getting cancer later in life.
Early puberty in girls causes depression, aggressiveness, social withdrawal, moodiness, behavioural problems, and a greater tendency to smoke and take drugs. Also, it is known that early puberty in a girl increases the risk of osteoporosis later in life.
‘There are several reasons why dairy products raise a woman’s hormone levels causing a variety of hormone-dependent problems from early onset of menstruation (menarche) to PMS and uterine fibroids - but one is unique to cow’s milk: cows are milked even while they are pregnant. As a result of the pregnancy, cows secrete high levels of estrogen into their milk.’ Janowski T., ‘Mammary Secretion Of Estrogens In The Cow’, Domestic Animal Endocrinology, 2002 Jul; 23(1-2): 125-37.
Clearly, the way to avoid harmful IGF-1 hormones is to avoid dairy milk. You can easily switch to delicious and super-nutritious non-dairy milk. This can have a dramatic beneficial effect on health. Making non-dairy milk is quick and easy, plus you get the added bonus of saving money. See below for details of a free ebook showing how to make non-dairy milk.
An Electronic Air Cleaner For Your Whole Home
Air pollution is indeed a serious problem, especially if it is inside your home. It is an environmental risk to your health, but a home air cleaner could be the obvious solution to it.
Home electronic air cleaners, portable purifiers and ionizers, or home furnace air filters are just a few of the options open to you when choosing an air cleaner for your home. The most effective solution has to be a system which cleans the air in the whole house, basement and bedroom alike.
A home electronic air cleaner is one such product that can clean the air in your entire home. It is easy to use and is effective because it can trap almost all the pollutants from the air that are passing through the heating and cooling system of your house. Hence the home electronic air cleaner is a solution for the whole house, because such advanced air cleaners can trap even microscopic impurities like dust, smoke and smog particles. Of course larger particles like mold spores and cat dander also get filtered.
How It Works
The pollutants are gathered up when an electric charge is placed upon the airborne particles, just like metal is attracted to a magnet. An air cleaner is also easy to care for; you just wash the cells of the air cleaner in the sink or dishwasher. And the filters don’t need frequent replacement.
The technology of the home electronic air cleaner is patented. The particles that enter the air cleaner pass through a control electrode. This focuses and intensifies an electrical field that is generated by ionizing wires. The particles that are trapped get charged in this electrical field. They are then collected on grounded micro-fiber media. That is why there is no cleaning of collector plates as with other types of air cleaners.
Saving Energy
When you install a home electronic air cleaner you are almost certainly going to save on energy costs as well. The typical collection of hair, dirt, dust, and various other matter within your cooling and heating installations lessens the effectiveness of your system. An air cleaner will filter out these particles before they reach your furnace or air conditioner, thus improving the efficiency of your systems and causing them to consume less energy.
When you are selecting a home electronic air cleaner, you must decide whether you want a whole-home solution, or just use it for a room or a section of your house. Check out the maintenance as well, because the latest models need minimal upkeep. The quality is important too, as it should be built to last and provide high performance for a long period of time.
An electronic air cleaner should be barely noticeable and quiet. You definitely don’t want it to be heard or seen, so your best choice is one which can be easily installed into your existing heating and air conditioning system.
