Tai Chi is a combination of both meditation and a series of slow and deliberate movements that was developed around 2000 years ago in China. You may have seen Tai Chi performed by older adults in your local park, on TV, or perhaps by someone who attends Tai Chi classes.

The benefits derived from Tai Chi have been well known and documented. It not only relieves stress, but enhances one’s balance and flexibility as well. In addition, the moves implemented in Tai Chi are one of the best exercise programs in alleviating health problems in older adults.

Do not let the slowness of the movements discourage you from trying Tai Chi. While you will find many older adults engaging in this beautiful and graceful exercise it is great for all ages. Considered to be low impact, there are no major strains put on the body or joints and is particularly effective for those who suffer from any form of arthritis or joint pain.

Recent studies have shown that Tai Chi, offers calm and balance, dissipates anxiety and depression, helps adults to sleep better. It aids in reducing bone loss in menopausal women, decreases blood pressure, helps in alleviating pain, and prepares one for tasks performed on a daily basis. Performing Tai Chi in the morning will get your joints awake and ready for the day while a few moves in the evening help to alleviate the stress of the day and calm you for sleep.

Considered to be a great form of exercise, Tai Chi requires no equipment, no time table, is very easy to do, has no side effects, and affords adults the opportunity to meet others who love the exercise as well. Once you learn Tai Chi and the proper way to move, there is virtually no chance of injury.

Whether you perform in your home by following Tai Chi exercises on DVDs, or you go to your local park and exercise Tai Chi there, once you begin this art form of exercise you will most likely continue for the rest of your life. Further, you will begin to develop your own moves and may likely advance to the newest form of exercise and meditation known as Qi Gong. Based on the same principle of slow movements, Qi Gong, while new to this country, has been around as long as Tai Chi and will most likely become as popular in the future.

Meditation has long been studied and affirmed to be one of the best forms of relaxation as well as a great stress reducer. Adding this with exercise and you have an unbeatable combination. More importantly, not only will you develop a new exercise routine, but you will begin to feel good about your health, and your overall well-being.

Photo credit: gigiscò

People have been making juice for centuries. Commercial fruit juices have eliminated the need for us to juice fruits and vegetables by hand. But in light of concerns about pesticides, preservatives and other issues with mass-produced food, juicing has experienced a resurgence in popularity.

Benefits of Juicing

By making your own juice, you control what goes into it. There are no hidden ingredients that may cause allergic reactions, and if you grow your own fruit or buy organic, you can ensure that there are no pesticides or growth hormones present. You can take comfort in knowing that your juice is just juice, and nothing more.

Fresh juice is very high in nutrients such as amino acids, minerals, enzymes and vitamins. These nutrients are not extracted and added back in, they occur in their natural state. This makes them more beneficial to us.

By volume, juice is higher in vitamins and other nutrients than the fruits or vegetables it comes from. To make one glass of carrot juice, we must juice about a pound of carrots. We couldn’t eat that many carrots in one day, much less in a single sitting.

Getting Started

To get started juicing, you’ll need a good juicer. There are several different types, each with its own benefits and shortcomings. Types of juicers include:

Centrifugal juicers – This type of juicer uses a grater or shredder that revolves at a high speed. When the produce is added, it is shred up and the juice is released. The pulp is caught by a strainer, and the juice is captured in a container. These juicers are often hard to clean, and they create oxidation that can deplete nutrients over time.

Masticating juicers – Masticating juicers use a slow-turning motor to grate the pulp, chew it up, and then press the juice out. They may be difficult to use, but they produce very little oxidation.

Press juicers – These juicers shred or crush the produce and then press out the juice. They tend to make the most nutrient-rich juice.

Once you’ve chosen a juicer, it’s time to try it out. Don’t do anything too complicated at first. Start with a fruit that makes good juice on its own, such as apples, oranges or grapes. This will help you master the technique before trying recipes with multiple ingredients.

When you’re comfortable using your juicer, seek out recipes that suit your tastes and purposes. There are recipes for juices that are good for the heart, skin, digestive tract, and even brain function. Juicers often come with recipe books, and you can also find lots of juice recipes online. You can create your own recipes as well.

Freshly made juice is a wonderful addition to our diets. It tastes great, and it packs loads of nutrition into a single glass. Once you try it, you’ll see why store-bought juice just doesn’t compare.

Photo credit tuareq

Chiropractors can be found in every city. Their job is to check and see if the source of your pain arises from improper alignment of the vertebrae or problems with the spinal cord. It’s actually more than that as your body being out of alignment can be causing all sorts of health issues. But some wonder if such manipulation is actually safe to do.

I say it’s absolutely safe and beneficial to your health, but do your research.  I recommend going in for a free consultation first to get to know the doctor. If they won’t do a free meeting for you to ask questions then I say move on to the next office quick.

Chiropractic healing has gotten a bad rap over the years. Some feel that they are just playing around and doing more harm than good.  That once you go, you have to go more often and go forever.

We’re talking about a healthcare branch that totally concentrates on finding the natural balance in your body through non-surgical manipulation. From their training, they can use various tools to assess your problem and whether or not they can help you. Chiropractic professionals use scans, x-rays, your symptoms and an exam to determine the root cause of your discomfort and fix the problem.

This is not a wonder drug. Any chiropractor that tells you they can fix your problem in one visit is taking you for a ride. Manipulation of the spine and vertebrae is a process that involves more than one step as well as maintenance to keep your spine aligned properly.  Daily we put stress on our back and neck so yes, you should go in regularly as maintenance and it should go on for the life of your back.   In other words, forever.  But that’s not daily or even weekly, you and your chiropractor will determine the schedule necessary for your needs.

When bones are out of position, it takes gentle manipulation to bring them back where they are supposed to be. Gentle pressure from hands, body exercises, machines and certain positions are all used to relieve pain.

Spinal manipulation is a delicate procedure. Some people are scared of it because they think they will become paralyzed from it. When working with the spine there is always a danger of issues arising. Even with surgery, there are no guarantees that something won’t happen. Doctors explain this to you before you agree to the surgical procedure. Chiropractic is no different, but a skilled professional can help you without paralyzing you in the process. It is scarier to have someone walk on your back at home to stop back pain. Goodness knows the drugs a medical doctor will hand out for the pain isn’t healthy at all.

To be sure that you are getting a qualified professional, check his or her credentials. Are they licensed? Where did they go to school? Chiropractic colleges have rigorous coursework and train their students in the same basic courses as in medical school. The main concentration is on how the body works (biomechanics), how to use diagnostic tools (x-rays) and how to carefully manipulate the spine and vertebrae. Don’t be afraid to ask about training before allowing someone to manipulate your body.  Also, feel free to ask them how they stay up to date on the latest information. These are all things any good doctor will be happy to share with you. The more comfortable you are with them, the easier it is for them to treat you.

Ask for a rundown of how they will manipulate your spine back into alignment if it is the recommended course of treatment. Ask if there will be any pain or discomfort. With gentle manipulation of the spine there should not be any lasting pain. That is why you have come. Tell your chiropractor if anything they are doing is hurting you.

Chiropractic care and spinal manipulation are safe to use. Find a reputable chiropractor, learn about their techniques for care and give them a try to see if they can help you to feel better.  If you are in the Bonney Lake, WA area I highly recommend the office I go to. All three doctors are great and the amount of information I have learned is amazing. They have a class for new patients and incentives to go to the class as well. Henschell Chiropractic is very committed to your health.

Photo courtesy bixentro

Sadly a majority of US doctors are symptom fixers instead of preventative. Pharmaceutical companies just don’t make as much from us if we work hard at warding off issues before they happen. But this isn’t a political rant post. I want to talk about how you can take some control and be proactive.

First is to have insurance. As a small business owner I realize that it can be expensive, but it really should be up at the top of your list for things to afford. Do a search and talk to different health care companies to see what your actual needs are and what company would be a good fit. There are many places that you can get a quote online to get you started on your research.

Now why after just talking about pills and such am I telling you insurance is important? Well someone does need to run the tests for you so you can keep an eye on your numbers. Knowing your baseline for cholesterol, blood pressure and different vitamins and minerals is important. This year my doctor found my vitamin D to be dangerously low, but I wouldn’t have known without having my yearly check up. I have felt amazing since getting my numbers up and keeping them up.

Being proactive means doing your own research for things before and after visiting the doctor. I don’t mean being a hypochondriac, I just mean knowing everything you can about any issues you are already diagnosed with and looking up new problems as they arise. It’s really important to have good communication with your doctor.

We know how important fitness is as a preventative measure. It helps keep your blood sugar steady, it uses up excess calories you may have consumed and it improves your cardio vascular system.

Diet as well is good preventative medicine. Getting a well balanced diet with different vitamins and minerals it key. If you are always eating the same foods then you will miss out on important nutrients.

Knowing your diet and any possible limitations you have for foods makes it important to take appropriate vitamins. As I said above, by getting my blood work done routinely we found I need to take vitamin D. I can not have dairy so I take a calcium supplement as well. Seeing as how it’s pretty impossible to eat enough to get every daily allowance of vitamins and minerals without overeating my daily calories I take a general supplement as well.

Because of personal health issues I consider chiropractic preventative medicine as well. If I get adjustments regularly with the occasional massage, I don’t end up being out for the count with a back that keeps me from enjoying life. Back pain can be very debilitating and I have gone into bouts of depression from the pain at times. I really enjoy keeping it at bay as much as possible.

There are other forms of preventative medicine depending on your circumstances, but these are things that you can work on right away and some of them are free or cost very little. In the scheme of things, all of them are better and cheaper than having severe health problems down the road because you didn’t take care of your health.

The immune system is an amazing piece of work. When our bodies are invaded with foreign germs it springs into action, sending defenders to fight them off. It’s too bad that our immune system is often not working as well as it could.

Stress, improper diet, lack of exercise and environmental factors can all negatively impact the immune system. And if the immune system is having a bad day, we’re more likely to get sick. Illness is harder on our bodies, and we do not recover as quickly as we should.

But we can boost our immune systems, and we don’t need prescription or over-the-counter drugs to do it. Eating the right foods gives us the nutrients that our immune systems need to be at the top of their game. Here are some of the best immune-boosting foods:

• Citrus fruits – Oranges, lemons and other citrus fruits are powerful immune boosters. They contain lots of vitamin C, a nutrient that helps increase the production of white blood cells and antibodies. A medium orange contains 75 milligrams of vitamin C.
• Carrots – Carrots are loaded with beta carotene. This phytonutrient is a close ally of the immune system. It promotes the production of killer cells and T cells, which are powerful infection fighters. Studies have also shown that falcarinol, a compound found in carrots, may help prevent and fight cancer.
• Garlic – Garlic is superb at fighting almost any type of infection. It is often used in herbal remedies. Just eating it a few times a week will help keep the immune system at its peak. For best results, eat garlic fresh and crush it thoroughly. This will maximize the amounts and availability of the infection-fighting compounds present.
• Yogurt – Yogurt is rich in bacterial cultures. This might sound like the last thing your immune system needs, but the acidophilus bacteria found in yogurt are essential to its proper function. Acidophilus bacteria help us absorb the nutrients in our food and fight disease-causing bacteria and viruses. Another type of bacteria found in yogurt, bifidobacterium, is particularly beneficial to the elderly.
• Oysters – Oysters are one of the best sources of zinc one could hope for. Zinc aids in the reproduction and function of antibodies. It also hinders bacterial and viral growth, making it easier for the immune system to kill harmful germs.
• Fatty fish – Omega 3 fatty acids are present in large quantities in fatty fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel. They encourage activity in phagocytes, the white blood cells that consume bacteria. Adding a vitamin E supplement will enhance this effect.

If we take care of our immune system, it can fight off most diseases and infections without the aid of antibiotics and other drugs. Including these foods in our well balanced diet is a good start.

Sleep. It is something we all need to do, but people may not realise the catastrophic effect it can have on their attempts to lose weight. Research has shown again and again that a lack of sleep is linked to weight gain – this is true in both adults and children.

It’s all very well and good to say that you need to get your 6 to 8 hours a night, but with a normal lifestyle it can be hard to have a good sleep routine and you often end up tired during the day. Getting adequate sleep will help you to form a good foundation upon which to start losing weight. Here are some tips:

Start Early

A sleep routine should not be the 10 minutes before bed that you use to wash, moisturize, brush your teeth etc. You need to start thinking about sleep earlier in the day to optimise your chances of sleeping well. Try to avoid a lot of caffeine in your diet as this is a stimulant and keeps you awake. You will be surprised how many products have caffeine in them, so start checking your food and drink labels. Alcohol should not be consumed near bedtime either, as it affects your brain and will lead to a less deep sleep.

Train Yourself

Routine is one of the keys to good sleep. Start doing an activity such as reading, needlework or crosswords before bed each night for about an hour. Avoid anything that uses technology in favour of more relaxing repetitive activities. Try having a bath and doing this activity after to maximize relaxation. You will start to train yourself to associate this activity with bed time and this will help your brain to realize it is time to start shutting down for the night.

Get the Environment Right

Extremes of temperature can keep you awake.  Make sure your bedroom is comfortable, but slightly on the cool side. Turn off all lights and if possible move all electronics, such as the TV, to another room. Turn off your phone as this can transmit electronic signals that interfere with sleep as well.

Get Up

Even if you did not sleep well get up at your normal time. If possible get a light alarm clock to use, that increases light intensity until it wakes you. As it mimics the sun it is a natural way to wake and will be better for you than a traditional alarm as it wakes you gradually.  If you are struggling to actually drop off at night, get up after half an hour and do something, as just lying there may cause you to worry and make sleep even harder.

Get Moving

Try and schedule a little exercise in early in the day. Either get up early for this or do it in your lunch break. A little exercise can help you sleep better- but avoid doing it less than 6 hours before bed.

Good sleep will help you feel healthy and lose weight as your metabolism will not be on a go slow. Even if not trying to lose weight you should try and get a good routine, but when you are it is even more vitally important.

The biggest battle is building a routine and sticking to it. I know it is difficult as I personally battle a lot with insomnia and sleep issues. Setting a regular bedtime is my biggest downfall and the one that helps me get my required 6 hours of sleep the most.

photo courtesy: ddrccl

What are some of the things you should consider when choosing the best whey protein for women’s nutrition? There are many different factors you should be considering, but as long as you choose the best whey protein that tastes good, offers a macronutrient breakdown that is conducive to your fitness goals and can be had for a reasonable price,
you can’t go wrong!

Taste

The first thing that you need to consider when choosing the best protein powder is the taste. Why is this? If you don’t like the taste of the whey protein you choose, the macronutrient breakdown or the price per serving won’t matter because you won’t drink it. To be successful with your nutrition and fitness related goals, you need to consume your whey protein on a consistent basis – if you don’t like the taste of your protein powder, you won’t do this.

There are so many different varieties of whey powder available – you will be sure to find something you like. From fruity flavors like strawberry and banana to chocolate peanut butter and mocha cappuccino, you will be sure to find something you like. If you want unflavored whey protein powder, you can find that too!

Macronutrient Breakdown

The next thing you need to consider when choosing the best whey protein is the specific macronutrient breakdown of the product. In
general, almost all protein powders contain anywhere from 24g to 30g of protein per scoop – this is constant across all manufacturers. But, the fat content and the carb content can differ greatly.

If you are on a very strict diet and want to control your macros with impeccable precision, you should try to find a whey protein powder that has as little fat and carbs as possible – this will just make it easier to control your macros. But, if you aren’t too concerned about this kind of thing, just choose the protein powder that tastes best – a few extra calories from fat and carbs won’t make that big of a difference.

Price

Finally, the last thing you need to consider when choosing the best whey protein is the price. Now, when you are looking at different whey protein products, you will see that there are many options in many different price ranges. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that the higher priced proteins are automatically better than the lower priced ones – that just isn’t the case. There are many different things that determine the quality of whey protein powder, but price isn’t one of them.

In general, it is always better to buy the biggest portion of protein powder you can at the time. Almost all major protein powder
manufacturers offer 5lb tubs of their products – this is what you should choose. The price per gram of protein is a lot lower than if you were to buy a smaller container, and the best whey protein products have a very long shelf life so they won’t expire before you have a chance to consume them.

Focus of the three aforementioned factors, do as much research as possible on as many different whey protein powders and choose the one that you think would be best for you. In reality, it is pretty hard to go wrong when choosing from the wide selection of the best whey protein powders available, so just get started!

Rusty Jackson is a sports nutrition expert who specializes in natural dietary supplements to help you lose weight and get toned. He reccomends everyone – male or female – to find the best whey protein for their diet.

Photo courtesy: schleicher

Reiki is an ancient healing method that focuses on the flow of life energy within the human body. It is believed that when these life forces are slowed down, the body becomes ill. Reiki helps to release the flow of these forces, effectively healing many types of illness within the body.

The principals of Reiki have been used for thousands of years; however, the actual therapy was discovered and developed in Japan in the late 1800’s by Dr. Mikao Usui. The practice and teachings of Reiki nearly vanished during WWII, but managed to survive due to a few remaining masters. Mrs. Hawayo Takata brought the practice of Reiki to the United States and it has grown in popularity among Western culture ever since.

When a person seeks healing therapy from a Reiki practitioner, they will first be asked to remove all jewelry, wash themselves and enter a quiet prayerful-like state of mind. The patient lays quietly on a table or floor.

The practitioner has also removed jewelry, washed their hands and become meditative. The purpose of these steps is to remove other auras or barriers to healing.

The practitioner begins by evening out the patient’s aura. Sitting next to the patient with one hand on his own sacrum, and the other held several inches above the patient’s body, the practitioner begins to slowly move his hand from head to foot. The practitioner returns his hand to the patients head by following a circular path along the side of their body. This is repeated several times.

The basic Reiki technique provides healing and relaxation to the body as a whole. Specific movements can focus on locations in the body, such as the head, chest, abdomen and back. Each position focuses on stimulating the life forces within that particular part of the body.

Some of the health conditions helped by Reiki include sinus problems, allergies, colds, nausea, heartburn, gastrointestinal difficulties, metabolism, sexual problems, weight conditions, back pain and adrenal gland conditions.

Using Reiki during an illness or following an operation will result in an increase in the body’s ability to heal itself, will lesson pain and will increase needed relaxation. Used regularly, Reiki therapy increases the body’s basic defenses against disease and illness. It helps the body rebound quicker from injuries and helps keep away depression and other mental illnesses.

When all of the body’s organs and processes are functioning as they should, a person is able to focus on other aspects of their life and bring about a complete satisfaction with living. The ancient art of Reiki helps to attain this end by stimulating the life forces and increasing the ability to heal.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome encompasses many symptoms associated with the gastrointestinal tract and is much more disruptive than pain and discomfort when attempting bowel movement. For some it is pain every day and can be all day. Moreover, abdominal pain, or alternating bouts of constipation and diarrhea may accompany this syndrome. Here are 5 natural remedies to try for IBS.

1. Avoid emotional stress and pressures as this can bring on severe bouts.
2. A high-fiber diet can help alleviate the symptoms.
3. Keep a diary of what you eat and drink to determine the cause of pain. This is your number one plan of attack for future comfort.
4. Peppermint capsules can reduce the pain and bloating.
5. Probiotics have been shown to reduce not only abdominal pain and bloating, but allow for easy bowel movement as well.

Because the symptoms of IBS are often brought on by tension and strain in your lifestyle as well as a poor diet, it is recommended that your diet consist of low-fat, high-fiber meals. Adding plenty of greens and fruits, including spinach, whole-grain products, and drinking 8 to 10 glasses of water a day can also alleviate the problem. Also, prune juice may be recommended as a stimulant to improve bowel movement. Smoking should be avoided as it often intensifies the symptoms.

A daily diary noting the foods you eat will help to reveal the sources of the problem. Perhaps fried foods are the cause, or you are not consuming enough vegetables or fruits. A diary can be quite helpful in ascertaining why your bowel movements are not only irregular, but painful as well.

Peppermint is known to reduce the abdominal pain and bloating of irritable bowel syndrome due to the fact that it blocks the movement of calcium into muscle cells in the intestines, and eases muscle contractions. It is also helpful in eliminating excess gas in the intestines.

Probiotics, which are primarily found in dairy products such as yogurt and fermented foods, offer a natural remedy for IBS. In a recent study of women with IBS, probiotics were found to be more effective in reducing abdominal pain, bloating, bowel dysfunction, incomplete evacuation, straining, and gas. Probiotics are probably the best known microorganisms one can utilize to effectively act as one of the natural remedies for IBS.

photo credit: size8jeans

I’d like to have everyone say hello to my friend Murphy. You know, the one that created Murphy’s Law!

I’ve been excited this week, got a jump start on training, wrote out my training schedule for the next 14 weeks and then was dealt a blow…walking pneumonia. I only got 12.3 miles out of my 20 planned. It was difficult, but I just figured that was because of my allergies that have been horrible for weeks due to our horrible weather and mild winter. Alas, it is partly from it. All the drainage from my allergies helped cause it.

I went to run my 10k route on thursday and I had to walk after 4.5 miles. This is a well traveled road and I’m always worried someone I know will pass (and has) and see me, so I NEVER WALK. It’s the competitive in me. lol But I was done. In fact, not only did I walk, but I mentally called out to everyone that I knew could possibly drive by and hoped with all my might that hubby would drive by to pick me up. I felt so bad that if one of the engines or medics had driven by I would have flagged them down and sucked up the embarrassment for a courtesy transport. Needless to say I finally got home, took a shower and headed to the clinic.

I bet the doc got a good little laugh at me after I left. I asked if I’d have to stop running and he said no, just listen to my body. Of course he knew that this was going to make me so tired I wouldn’t think of running and my lungs would burn just walking around the grocery store right?

I’m disappointed that this happened right now, but not swayed. I won’t go running again until Monday at the earliest and will scale everything back. I won’t be able to put up a good training schedule until I see how fast recovery really is and where this leaves my lung capacity. Already having asthma I’m just not sure how fast it will heal.

I’m listening to my body and sleeping and resting. I really have no choice. But I want to recover quickly and not prolong this any more than necessary. Walking pneumonia is definitely not fun. Take this from someone that has had asthma from an early age and has always done many sports. I’ll take my asthma any day to this as I know that I can use my inhaler and get at least a brief reprieve. Right now there is the constant labored breathing and no relief until some more healing has happened. My fingers are crossed that much of it is done over the weekend.

photo credit: szalik