Healthy Choices

The term Nutritional Health, implies that our health status is in someway reliant on our nutritional intake. There is a very well known saying “you are what you eat”. In other words if you eat healthy nourishing food you will heave a healthy well nourished body, but if you eat junk food then your health will in someway be compromised.

This statement is broadly true, although in reality nutritional health is a far more complex issue. I am sure you will also have heard the saying “one man’s meat is another man’s poison” implying that one person may eat a particular diet and feel fit and well, whereas another person can eat the same food and react negatively to that food, resulting in some unpleasant symptoms.. Our biochemical individuality means that nutritional health is very different for different people.

Apparently our bodies were designed to live until 120 years of age. Most people live just over half of that age or less and die from the effects of our civilized world rather than from natural causes of aging. In the 21st century we may feel qualified to applaud some of the advances of modern medicine regarding treatment of infections, but we have also to accept that the causes of the majority of present day illnesses and diseases are due to lifestyle factors. This may include lack of exercise, poor nutritional health or the effects of an accumulation of factors such as alcohol abuse, heavy smoking or recreational drug use.

Of course there are also other factors that are out of our hands such as the deterioration of the nutritional state of our food, drink and air that we breathe. Processed and fast foods have become more and more popular, locally grown seasonal fruit and vegetables have been superseded by food that is shipped thousands of mils and is available to us all year round. Fresh free range meat is a thing of the past. Chemical fertilizers have become the norm and poor farming habits are affecting the mineral status of the soil and consequently the nutritional value of our crops.

Finding a way to ensure good nutritional health has become more and more difficult, and many people are resorting to supplementing their diets with good quality nutritional products. Multivitamins and antioxidants are a top priority for many people as they try to protect their bodies from the onslaught of poor quality water supplies, often contaminated with chemical additives such as fluoride; polluted air and light.

Dr Paulus Lining two times Nobel Prize winner said

“You can trace every sickness, every disease, and every ailment to a mineral deficiency”

Nutritional health is totally reliant on the best quality foods. So apart from supplementing your diet with multivitamins and antioxidants, the first thing to do is to find ways of ensuring that you feed your body with good quality, fresh, organic food where ever possible. Find out if there are any foods that are detrimental to your health and avoid them until your body learns to tolerate them. If your body is reacting by displaying the symptoms of a disease state, then you are not eating the right foods for your body type and you need to take the appropriate steps to find out what foods you can eat that will keep you healthy.

Janet L. Matthews
Skype ID: lindajanetmatthews

Joint health is something we all become acutely aware of as we get older. Morning stiffness, rheumatic-type aches and pains, frozen shoulder, tennis elbow and arthritis are just a few of the conditions that we may encounter. Most people will see these conditions as a “to be expected” part of aging. They will more than likely resort to painkillers and other anti-inflammatory drugs and maybe some massage or other manipulative therapy. Very few people will consider the role of nutrition or nutritional supplementation as a way of easing their symptoms, let alone treating the root cause.

Joints comprise of bone with a layer of smooth less brittle cartilage known as the articular cartilage, which is separated from the opposite bone and cartilage by a lubricating synovial fluid contained within the synovial membrane.. The bone consists of a matrix of collagen, a form of protein, which binds together calcium, the main constituent of bone, and phosphorus. The cartilage protects the bone ends and is composed of a substance which is made from protein and carbohydrate.

The most common joint problem, where joint health is seen to be compromised, is arthritis. There are basically two types of arthritis, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis affects the articular cartilage. This cartilage is mainly made up of water and its job is to reduce friction that might be caused by the two bones rubbing together. It acts like a sponge which soaks up the synovial fluid, which fills the cavity between and around the bone joints. It is continually released and absorbed as you move. Osteoarthritis causes the cartilage to dry out over time, thus compromising joint health.

The other form of arthritis that affects joint health is rheumatoid arthritis. It is thought to be an auto immune disease where the body reacts against itself. It affects one or a number of joints. The first sign of this condition is when the synovial membrane lining the joints becomes inflamed and attracts more joint fluid to ease the inflammation. The joint eventually becomes swollen, stiff and warm because of the increased blood flow. This can eventually leads to a wasting of the muscles.

Many arthritis sufferers have been able to control or even improve their joint health by making some dietary changes. There are certain foods that are known to make arthritis worse, for example foods from the deadly nightshade family, sugar and sugar substitutes, trans-fatty acids, grains- especially wheat, and meats such as pork, ham and bacon. This can be a very daunting prospect for many people with arthritis, as their first reaction is that there is nothing left to eat. However if they make a list of the foods that they can eat, then they will soon realize that the changes are no so difficult after all. At the end of the day it is up to each individual to decide if they want to improve their joint health or not.

As well as making dietary changes, many people have also been helped by the numerous supplements that are available to support joint health. Products such as fish oil, glucosamine and antioxidant vitamins all have a part to play in improving the health of the joint. It is always wise to approach joint health with a complimentary regime that encompasses both lifestyle changes and supplementation, and if necessary this can be supported with controlled pain relief, especially in the early days before the new regime starts to take effect

Janet L. Matthews
Skype ID: lindajanetmatthews

It is estimated that that there are at least 6 million people in the UK alone, who suffer from chronic pain on a daily basis. The most prevalent causes are arthritis, neck shoulder and back pain and recurrent headaches. These conditions are now so common that they are seen as an inevitable part of life. People with chronic pain often endure considerable suffering and distress as well as impaired mobility, sleep disturbances and reduced confidence.

In fact chronic pain has become one of the major health and social challenges of our time, with over £400 million being spent on over the counter painkillers. There is no doubt that painkillers can be very effective in relieving pain, but they are not without there side effects and other serious concerns.

• Some over the counter pain killers are addictive
• Others are thought to be linked to suicides
• NSAIDs are thought to cause kidney damage and intestinal bleeding
• Far too many people are admitted to hospital to be treated for the side affects of NSAIDs

Unfortunately when it comes to treating people with chronic pain, the pharmaceutical options are limited. So what is the answer? Are there any natural approaches that can help to alleviate pain levels?

The good news is that in recent years there have been considerable improvements in the quality of life that can be achieved using natural and holistic methods. For example.

• Resolving the underlying cause of pain
• Eating a whole food diet relatively free from sugar, processed foods, caffeine and alcohol
• The use of visualization and meditation
• Remedial exercise
• Stress management and relaxation
• Manipulative therapies
• Acupuncture
• Nutritional and naturopathic therapies and supplementation
• Hydration

Chronic pain rarely has a simple diagnosis. Back pain may be caused by a pulled muscle or a bulging disc, but if it is a recurring problem it is nearly always related to emotional and nutritional factors as well. For lasting improvement and effective healing these factors need to be addresses as well.

Chronic pain may also be due to factors such as excessive weight, posture, poor core muscle development, an inflamed gut, or possible foods that are causing an allergic response that is weakening the muscles around the injury.

The holistic treatment approach for chronic pain must be multifaceted if it is to be successful. But unfortunately, although chronic pain may be alleviated temporarily, it cannot be cured by taking painkillers.

Janet L. Matthews
Skype ID: lindajanetmatthews