Exercises to Improve Your Balance Crucial as You Age
Check out this info from Dr. Mercola’s website …
Balance Exercises are Incredibly Effective at Preventing Falls
As you get older your muscle and bone mass decrease and the senses that guide your balance — vision, touch, proprioception — may all start to deteriorate, and this can make you unsteady on your feet.
Fortunately, as with your mind and your muscles, losing your balance is not an inevitable part of aging; you can keep your sense of balance strong, and restore what’s already been lost, simply by taking the time to do balance exercises on a regular basis.
One recent study found that eight weeks of balance training reduced slips and improved the likelihood of recovery from slips among the elderly. Separate research, which noted that “altered balance is the greatest collaborator towards falls in the elderly,” found balance training is effective in improving functional and static balance, mobility and falling frequency in elderly women with osteoporosis.
The ability to balance on one leg is also an important predictor of injury-causing falls, so if you know that you’d be shaky if you tried to stand on one foot, you’re at an increased risk of being hurt in a fall. Remember, though, that you don’t want to wait until you’re wobbly to start balance training. Ideally, by doing balance exercises throughout your life you’ll avoid ever losing your sense of balance in the first place.
What Types of Exercise Improve Balance?
Buy Shelley a Cup of Tea!There are a plethora of balance-training exercises available and you can include a variety of them in your workouts. This includes:
- Bosu Balance Trainers (half-sphere balls with a flat surface on top)
- Power Plate
- Stability balls
- Pilates and yoga
- Tai Chi
Generally speaking, any exercise that works your core muscles will improve your balance, as these muscles, located in your back, abdomen and pelvis, are crucial to helping you maintain balance and stability.
Paul Chek, HHP, NMT also recommends performing movements that closely approximate your everyday activities and those movements that commonly result in falls. In this past article he demonstrates several such exercises, including the touch-toe drill, bench squat and supine lateral ball roll.
Monavie Active Range of Motion Study
Acai juice shows joint health potential: Monavie study
By Stephen Daniells, 13-Apr-2011
A daily glass of acai juice was associated with a reduction in joint pain measures, and this was correlated with improved blood antioxidant levels, says a new study using MonaVie Active.
A staple of Indian tribes
Twelve weeks of consuming 120 ml of the açai juice were associated increases in the antioxidant status of the 14 study participants, and this was correlated with “improvements in physical well-being”, according to findings published in the Journal of Medicinal Foods .
“The data presented here show a correlation between pain levels and antioxidant status but only a poor or no correlation to lipid peroxidation and [C-reactive protein (CRP), marker of inflammation],” report the researchers, led by Dr Gitte Jensen from Oregon-based NIS Labs.
“We hope that these data will encourage other studies on complex natural products that contain a broader spectrum of polyphenol antioxidants, in terms of effects of consumption on complex issues such as pain perception and cognitive function,” they added.
The study, funded by MonaVie LLC, was performed by researchers from NIS Labs, Oregon-based Cascade Chiropractic and Rehabilitation, and AIBMR Life Sciences.
Super fruits from Central and South America
Açai berries (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) have long formed part of the staple diet of Indian tribes. With the appearance of a purple grape and taste of a tropical berry, it has been shown to have powerful antioxidant properties thanks to a high level of anthocyanins, pigments that are also present in red wine.
It is presently being sold in a number of countries, including New Zealand, Australia, South America, Japan, USA, and the Middle East
Study details
Dr Jensen and her co-workers recruited 14 older adults with some degree of chronic joint pain to participate in their open-label pilot. The participants received a daily 120 mL açai beverage (MonaVie Active, with açai pulp (Euterpe oleracea Mart.)) for three months.
At the end of the study, results showed a decline in pain measures, as well as improvements in the range of motion in the spine and other extremities.
Antioxidant levels, measured using NIS Labs’ CAP-e assay, were found to have improved within only two weeks of starting the intervention, said the researchers, and levels “continued to improve throughout the 12 weeks of study participation”, they added.
On the other hand, no statistically significant changes were observed in levels of C-reactive protein, a well-established marker of inflammation.
“The antioxidant status, as measured by the CAP-e, showed the best correlation with improvements in physical health,” wrote the researchers. “Antioxidants as a whole have been scrutinized as of late, mainly because of a meta-analysis of studies involving such vitamins as ascorbic acid and vitamin E–tocopherols.
“It is crucial to separate studies of single antioxidant vitamins from studies involving foods containing complex arrays of polyphenols,” they added.
AIBMR’s Alex Schauss serves as an uncompensated member on MonaVie’s scientific advisory board.
Buy Shelley a Cup of Tea!Monavie Weight Management
Here is the latest … Delivering more nutrition per calorie than leading brands, this advanced system gets to the root of weight management: healthy nutrition.
Check this out and if you are interested in more info, check out the link to Monavie on the right. Our distributor id is 1269938.
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How to lose weight drinking water.
Here is a short video talking about the weight loss benefits of drinking water. If you want to add some variety, try adding some lemon to your water.
Buy Shelley a Cup of Tea!
The Relationship Between Water and Weight Loss
This is one of the many benefits to drinking water throughout the day.
Many people mistakenly think that water is an enemy to weight loss. However, retained water is easy to reverse. Fat loss is much more difficult to achieve. A lack of sufficient water can actually make it harder to lose fat because of the damaging effects to health when you lack enough water in your body. A lack of water could very well interfere with the essential functions involved in your body’s metabolism of fat. To better understand this, you have to have some understanding of how body function, water and weight loss go together.
Water is at the center of all life function. Water makes up at least 2/3 of your body. Water makes up more than 9/10 of your blood, where nutrients are distributed. Water is used by your body to properly absorb water soluble vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients from the foods you eat. Drinking plenty of water helps your kidneys function better at removing poisonous wastes, weight and other wastes from your body.
In addition to its aid in metabolic function, drinking plenty of water can have major benefits in other parts of health. Water is responsible for helping your body regulate your body temperature. Water also helps keep your blood thin to prevent complications from clotting and hypertension. Water helps keep your joints and muscles well lubricated. Water is necessary to keep your skin healthy. Water can be beneficial in treating many headaches. So there are a lot of benefits to combining water and weight loss that go beyond just metabolic function.
One of the most important links between water and weight loss is that water can make your stomach feel full. Also, in some cases your brain may make you feel hungry if you are deficient in water because some water can be extracted from foods. In many cases when you feel hungry, you may actually be thirsty. So drinking plenty of water can help your brain distinguish better when you are actually hungry. So there is a lot more to water and weight loss than just maintaining proper metabolic function.
To test this out for yourself, just drink sixteen ounces of water the next time you are feeling hungry and you know you have eaten within the last five hours. After five minutes, you should feel less hungry. If you don’t feel less hungry, you know it is true hunger and you probably didn’t eat enough fiber during your last meal. It is a good idea to always carry a bottle of water with you and drink consistently throughout the day. However, you should not exceed 120 ounces per day without first consulting your doctor about your body’s water capacity.
There is more than one effective way of dieting; the question is which diet is the right one for you? To learn more about how to choose the right weight loss diet program check out these articles about weight loss plans in particular how to get fit through sustainable, but fast weight loss plans.
Here is a good guideline to feed both your body and mind with healthy nourishing food for life ...
If You Can’t Buy All Organic, What Are the Best Fruits and Veggies to Buy Organic?
Everyone agrees: eating fruits and vegetables is much better than not eating fruits and vegetables because you can’t buy organic. Still, organic produce is usually more expensive. If you’re on a tight budget and don’t have the luxury of buying all organic, how do you get the biggest organic bang for your buck?
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is an environmental health advocacy organization based in the United States. The EWG analyzes pesticide studies and ranks contamination on 50 of the most popular fruits and vegetables in the Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides.
The Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides makes it easier to decide what to buy organic. “The Dirty Dozen” are the 12 most contaminated fruits and veggies according to the EWG analysis, so you may want to consider buying these organic if you can:
• celery
• peaches
• strawberries
• apples
• blueberries
• nectarines
• bell peppers
• spinach
• kale
• cherries
• potatoes
• grapes (imported)
“The Clean 15” are fruits and vegetables that are likely to have little contamination, so you may want to buy non-organic types of these foods if cost is an issue:
• onions
• avocados
• sweet corn
• pineapple
• mangos
• sweet peas
• asparagus
• kiwi
• cabbage
• eggplant
• cantaloupe
• watermelon
• grapefruit
• sweet potato
• honeydew melon
You can see how the EWG ranked 50 fruits and vegetables on the group’s Full List page.
Some other tips if you want to include more organic food in your diet:
- Don’t rush into buying all your groceries organic. Buying certified-organic cookies on a whim just because they’re organic could add up to be expensive. Stretch your dollars by buying organic produce while you figure out your organic grocery budget.
- Most large supermarkets carry some organic foods. Become familiar with what your supermarket has, inquire about whether today’s prices are typical or whether they fluctuate, and see what the differences are. Bring the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 lists to see what produce stores carry organic.
- Consider food co-ops, if there is one in your area. Co-ops often feature local and organic produce. You can search for a food co-op near you.
- Shop at farmers’ markets. Farmers from your area are selling their products directly to you and can answer any questions you have. Farmers may or may not be certified organic, but they can tell you about their farming methods. Some farmers’ markets accept WIC vouchers and SNAP benefits. Search for farmers’ markets near you at the Local Harvest website or at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s site, which also allows you to search for markets that accept WIC and SNAP benefits.
How much exercise do you really need?
As the following article indicates, you can do regular daily activities and benefit your health … check it out.
How much exercise do you really need?
It’s not nearly as hard as you think! Staying happy, healthy and toned – even shedding a few pounds – doesn’t always require sweating it out at a gym. Between 30 and 60 minutes of moderate activity most days of the week should do the trick. We’ll show you the fun and easy things that you already do at home that are helpful – and healthy!
Activity Chart
Calories Activity Duration Burned* Results
Golf (with a cart) One hour 263 Overall fitness, co-ordination, keeping limber
Cleaning the car One hour 218 Bending, stretching and strengthening muscle groups
Mowing the lawn One hour 323 Cardiovascular exercise, leg and glute strengthening
Gardening One hour 338 Increased muscle strength, tone and agility
Alpine skiing One hour 600 Increased muscle strength, tone and agility
Slow walking One hour 248 Overall fitness, lower blood pressure, cardiovascular exercise
Light housework One hour 188 Improved cardiovascular system, increased muscle tone
Yoga One hour 188 Reduced stress, lower blood pressure, keeping toned and limber
Dance One hour 338 Improved cardio, blood pressure and co-ordination
*Based on a 165-pound adult
For more great information on how to stay in shape mentally and physically, check out the following articles in the Strengthen Your Mind and Body section of morethanmedication.ca
Buy Shelley a Cup of Tea!Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) Tapping
Here is an interesting alternative to acupuncture … have a read.
EFT Tapping or Emotional Freedom Technique is a very powerful healing technique that uses your meridian energy to help you cure emotional and physical ailments and live a more happy and healthy life. First developed by Gary Craig, it combines both Western and Eastern wisdom and doesn’t advocate any drugs at all. It’s powerful healing techniques are gentle, strong and generate outstanding results.
When you engage in EFT Tapping, you basically use your body’s meridian tapping points to move the energy within.Basically when you tap, you attempt to relief yourself of some disturbance within your energy system so that you can heal. This is important because many tappers believe that illness is caused by a blockage or disruption in energy flow and by tapping you can “get your flow back”.
In essence, you can help your mind remove those disruptions so that you can heal. The cool thing is that tapping works with physical and mental challenges. A movie, Try it on Everything, focus on 10 people from different parts of the US that were confronted with a variety of challenges, from PTSD, chronic back pain, fear of public speaking and more. The movie follows their journey through learning the EFT process and then dives deeper into the keys to changing their lives.
The really great thing about EFT is that it works amazing well. Although some issues or ailments take time to heal, many people have found amazing results if they stick to it and not give up. You simply have to keep going and you may just discover that the Emotional Freedom Technique is the key to you living a more abundant life.
Discover more about EFT Tapping techniques at the website
The Importance of Health and Wellness
The importance of health and wellness has certainly come to the forefront of the health industry in the last decade. With the baby boomer generation nearing or entering their senior years, strained health and medical services, and the realization by greater numbers of people of the limitations of medical science, society has developed an increasingly prominent attitude of responsibility towards one’s own health and wellness.
No longer are people solely relying on doctors or hospitals to make them better if they get sick. Instead, the approach has changed to one of illness prevention, to maintain or improve the state of health that already exists. The incredible boom in the health industry overall bears witness to these trends.
The importance of health and wellness is reflected by the fact that diets, weight loss programs, exercise programs and equipment, fitness facilities, spas, nutritional supplements and activity/leisure groups of all sorts are now commonplace in our everyday lives. Some of these changes are driven by the extreme demands and long waits for treatment in the health care system, but also by the desire of the working generation for a more active lifestyle after retirement, with the hope of being fit and well enough to participate in their chosen activities. For these goals to manifest into reality the base of good health must be built up throughout life, not just to try to repair the damage after it’s been done.
So it has become clear why the health industry has turned in its present direction. Only by placing the importance of health and wellness as a priority now can anyone make the most of their future.
At Mountainviewhealth you will be able to find what you need to reach your health and fitness goals. We offer a broad range of products from skin care to nutritional supplements to stop smoking aids. With twenty years experience in the health field, we are offering the finest natural products available anywhere. We also offer health and fitness tips, videos and articles.
Visit our products section and Health Buy store at http://Mountainviewhealth.ca.