Category Archives: Clean water

Hot Water Alternative

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Do you use hot water mostly in the mornings and evenings and frequently run out of hot water in the middle of a shower? With a tankless water heating system you can overcome the shortages of tank water heaters. The tankless water heater never runs out of hot water – you can take 3 hour showers! This is a great alternative.

Hot water heating accounts for about 20% (or more) of the average North American household’s annual energy costs. With energy prices rising day by day it is becoming important to take a closer look at where the money is going. Cost of gas is more efficient than electricity and you can install a bigger gas tank that would last for several months.

The average yearly cost for a conventional gas or electric storage hot water heater is approximately $500 for a 1300sq.ft. 4 member family home. It lowers or increases depending on how many people live in the house and on their particular water usage habits.

Conventional hot water heaters store water and maintain the water temperature to the temperature setting on the tank – usually between 120° and 140° F. That means keeping water hot even when you do not need it – while you are at work; while you are sleeping; while you are away on holidays.

These “standby” losses represent 15% to 25% of a household’s annual water heating costs.

Another thing that annoys all of us, is waiting for the water to heat up because someone took a bath before us. The storage tank water heaters only have a limited amount of hot water. After that is gone you have to wait for the tank to get heated again.

Throughout the rest of the world, where energy costs have consistently been higher than in North America, different methods of heating water are common.

Enter Tankless Hot Water Heaters. They began appearing in the United States and Canada about 25 years ago but have been used in Europe for the last 50 years.

Unlike “conventional” tank water heaters, tankless water heaters heat water only as it is used, or “on demand”. Opening a hot water faucet ignites the powerful burners and the computer monitors the water temperature and adjusts the burners according to the need. High demand, high heat. Low demand, low heat.

Because the efficiency rate of tankless water heaters is about 20% higher, averaging around 90% and going up to 96% and there is no stand by losses, savings on your energy bills are evident.

Some models even have the capacity to heat the house at the same time. With these tankless water heaters, which are connected either to radiant floor heat or to a heating coil in your furnace (air handler), you can bring high efficiency space heating capacities to every home.

Just imagine a contraption the size of your kitchen cabinet, heating your home and giving you an endless supply of potable hot water. You do not need a separate furnace and a separate hot water heater.

Some models can be mounted on the exterior of a home, freeing up valuable floor and closet space on the inside. The unit can be placed in a recessed box, flush-mounted and painted or textured to match the exterior of the home.

Tankless water heaters can also be used for supplementary heat, such as a booster to a solar hot water system, or snow melting systems, or to meet all your hot water needs.

The major players include: Takagi, Rheem, Noritz, Rinnai and up and Luna Baxi.

We would suggest researching different makes and models in order to make the right choice for your particular needs and circumstances.

Travel Safe

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English: Ginger cross-section

English: Ginger cross-section (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

50% of people, who travel, suffer a travel – related illness. All travelers should be well prepared for travel and be prepared to protect themselves from travel related illness. In this issue various aspects of travel related illness have been discussed with related protective measures.

Motion sickness:

Almost everybody is susceptible to motion sickness. Fatigue, giddiness, deprivation of sleep, nausea and vomiting are the main unwelcome symptoms of motion sickness. don’t drink alcohol, pain killers, spicy foods, fried foods and junk foods during traveling. Try to relax and chose a window seat. Do not read or talk or watch someone who has motion sickness. Eat light food. Include pomegranate, ginger and curds in your diet while traveling. Ginger is great to prevent motion sickness. Rinse your mouth and wash your face with cold water as soon as you take your food.

Diarrhea:

Though travelers’ diarrhea is mild inconvenience to a traveler, it may at times be life threatening too. Upsets in digestive system frequently occur in travelers due to stress, time zone changes, irregular meal times and new foods. But serious diarrhea during traveling is caused by bacteria, viruses or parasitic infections. The best way out is to take ample precautionary measures.

  1. Wash your hands frequently.
  2. Use sanitizing liquids, hand soaps or gels which clean the hands without water.
  3. Always use disposable, hygienically packed tissue papers rather than towels.
  4. Avoid street food, roadside foods, and buffet meals.
  5. Select food which is well cooked and served hot.
  6. Thick-skinned fruits which you can peel yourself are usually safe.
  7. Avoid raw or undercooked meat, fish, uncooked vegetables, salads.
  8. Be careful with unpasteurized milk and milk products.
  9. Always use sealed mineral water, canned juices and beverages.
  10. Never use ice cubes or unsealed bottled beverages.
  11. Bottled Beer, wine and hot coffee or tea are safe.
  12. Drink from original containers or clean glasses.
  13. If you get mild diarrhea eat light, soft and semi solid foods like, soups etc. which are easily digestible. Avoid heavy, spicy and choose vegetarian foods.
  14. Drink plenty of fruit juices.(canned or hygienically packed.).
  15. Keep yourself well hydrated.
  16. Consult a doctor immediately if diarrhea leads to dehydration.
  17. Constipation: people often become constipated when traveling because their normal diet and daily routines are disrupted.
  18. Drink plenty of water and consume food which are rich in fibers to avoid constipation .
  19. Try to have a routine for eating meals regularly.
  20. Drink a big glass of bottled water every day morning.
  21. Avoid frequent consumption of tea or coffee.
  22. Taking some fiber product with warm water before going to bed. This helps to normalize bowel movements. Laxatives should be avoided during pregnancy.
  23. Tired feet – Even healthy people can get blood clots in their legs after long hours of traveling. Try to walk every now and then. Drink water, stretch your calf muscles while you’re sitting and wear support stockings.

Foot bath for tired feet:

Massage your foot with little coconut oil and soak them in warm water. You can add few drops of lavender oil or peppermint oil or sandal wood oil to warm water. After a foot bath rub your foot. Relax after a foot bath.

Prevention of Malaria:

To prevent mosquito bites and malaria wear mosquito repellent. Stay indoors between dusk and dawn. The malaria spreading mosquitoes generally feed at this time. Apply mosquito repellent, to your clothes and bedding. Wear socks, long pants, and long-sleeve shirts when outdoors. Use a mosquito net while sleeping. Stay in air-conditioned, screened accommodation.

Jet lag:

To avoid jet lag get plenty of sleep before you leave. Don’t drink a lot of alcohol while on flight. Eat well-balanced meals and avoid over eating. Exercise as much as you can on your trip. Get used to a new time zone by immediately going along with the local meal and bedtime schedules.

Prevent Accidents:

Do not drive in unfamiliar places especially where you know very little about the local language, road conditions, rules of the road, condition of the vehicles. etc. Choose your transportation carefully. Check the security, life saving facilities provided in the transport. Chose the cab with seat belts, hotels with fire escapes and ferries with life preservers. Never swim in unknown rivers or seas when you are not familiar with sea currents and waves. Sex: Have a safe sex when you are with unfamiliar new partners. Alcohol, drugs and sex are dangerous combination

Immunization:

Get immunized with vaccines before traveling. Avoid animal bites and saliva. If you are bitten by a dog, wash the wound immediately with soap and water.

Travel during pregnancy:

If you chose to travel during pregnancy the second trimester (weeks 14 to 27) is the best time. Before traveling, consult your doctor and provide him the sufficient details about the places you are visiting, mode of transport etc.

Tips for older travelers:

See your doctor for a checkup and discuss your fitness. See your dentist and ophthalmologist. Keep a spare pair of glasses, any medications you need in a small medical kit. Organize travel health insurance with pre-existing illness cover if needed. Make sure it covers emergency evacuation. Make sure routine immunizations are done before traveling. Consider your back – use luggage with built in wheels. Take clothes and hats to suit the climate.

Other safety precautions:

Check with the regional office or through internet the situation of places you are planning to visit. The destination places must be free from riots, terrorism, floods or other calamities.

Mental tensions:

Preparations for traveling lead to worry and tensions. Here are few relaxing tips before and during traveling.

  1. Close your eyes , take five deep breaths through your nose and pay attention only to your breathing while doing this.
  2. Taking a hot shower relaxes your muscles, and the break from more stressful activities helps too.
  3. Laugh. Laughing helps to relax. Find people who can make you laugh and make your moments lighter.
  4. Listen to relaxing music.
  5. Take a walk.
  6. Get a hug. A visit to your family physician and some thought and planning ahead make your trip more successful and memorable.

These small reminders will help you to have a rewarding, memorable, safe and healthy trip.

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Easy Relief For Night Leg Cramps

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Magnesium chloride

Magnesium chloride (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Night leg cramp is a very common and painful problem that many American people suffer. Indeed, several late studies demonstrate that more than 70% percent of adults over fifty years old suffer some degree of night leg cramps. The situation is always similar, you are sleeping peacefully; suddenly, you start feeling an aching sensation in your leg, which make you get up and make it hard for you to fall asleep again.

By the way, do you know what night leg cramps are? Night leg cramps are abrupt and involuntary contractions of the calf muscles that occur when you are sleeping. It is possible to feel the pain in the muscles in the soles of the feet. In any case, the duration of these cramps can be variable, occasionally they can last a few seconds and but usually they last some minutes. Either way, you still feel the soreness for a while after the leg cramp. Leg cramps can take place in anybody, yet older adults are more likely to experience this kind of problem.

A supplement of Magnesium (Magnesium Chloride seems to be the best – SloMag) could prevent cramping. A lot of people seem to be deficient in Magnesium. And Magnesium prevents cramping or spasms in the muscles. Also a Calcium supplement during the night when the cramp happens. There are Calcium powders that can be put in a bit of milk and taken immediately to ease cramping. This is especially helpful for children with leg pains at night.

There are some exercises that might help too:

Nowadays, there are several alternatives to relieve night leg cramps. Once they take place, the first thing to do is to walk or jiggle the hurting leg and then lift it up. Another excellent way to relieve leg cramps is to straighten the aching leg and bend your foot toward the knee, so you will have the sensation of your calf muscles enlarging; too, you can have a hot shower and then have an ice massage in the cramped muscles. Massaging the cramp also tends to move the blood around to soothe the cramp.

The easiest and most effective way to relieve leg cramps

Although the precise causes of night leg cramps are not very clear. Occasionally, night leg cramps are provoked by over-exercising the muscles, structural disorders, sitting for too long or incorrect leg posture during sleeping. Actually, the latter cause is the most common because doctors frequently notice it in their patients. Therefore, it is crucial to maintain right and comfy leg positions during sleeping to avoid night leg cramps.
The orthopedic Leg Wedge Pillow proves to be very helpful for people who suffer frequent night leg cramps and for people who want to feel more comfy during the night. This great leg support pillow works as a great the leg spacer, and it’s very useful for people who sleep on a side. Also, the Leg Wedge Pillow can be used as an ankle support for both legs for people who sleep on their back.

What makes the Leg Wedge Pillow a unique pillow is its dual-purpose features. So, this memory foam pillow can be used as contour leg spacer knee wedge in its close or folded mode. Also, this leg support pillow can be used as a leg elevation pillow in its open or unfolded mode, to promote better circulation through the lower limbs. Besides, the Leg Wedge Pillow is designed to adapt to the natural curves of your body and legs. Therefore, you can maintain a correct sleep position, eliminating night leg cramps in a safe and natural way.

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Smoothie Moves

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English: Almonds starting to grow, Gran Canaria

English: Almonds starting to grow, Gran Canaria (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Chronic constipation can be hard to change or eliminate, since the colon may have become weak.  In most cases it will have to be retrained on how to have a bowel movement.

For those of you that have mild constipation, here is a morning smoothie that will help activate your colon.  This smoothie is packed with nutrients that your body will use to regenerate your colon and body.

Make enough to drink right away and to put into in a thermos to drink around 10 am.

When making this drink just start putting things in the blender without measuring. You can do the same and make adjustments as you go.

around a teaspoon or less of the following:

  •   brown sesame
    seeds (high in lecithin, vitamin C, E, and Calcium. They improve
    liver function and help in constipation)
  •   sunflower seeds (high protein, Calcium, and iron. They are one of the best natural foods
    which feeds the entire bod)
  •   flax seeds (high in fiber and provide bulk for your stools)
  •   almonds – use around 6-7 or more. (high in Calcium,
    Phosphorus and have some B-vitamins. Only a few because they are high in
    calories)
  • half cup almond milk and half cup apple juice

Whiz this small amount at the bottom of your blender for about 3 minutes. The nuts will make a smooth white cream when they are blended enough. Add a bit more juice or milk if needed to keep the creamy consistency. then add:

  •   one peeled banana
  •   4-5 strawberries or other type of berries, or fruits
  •   one tablespoon of lecithin granules
  •   one – two teaspoons of flax seed oil

If you need a little sweetness, you can add a small amount of honey. It should be plenty sweet without any honey. If you like add the powder of a few acidophilus capsules. This will improve the friendly bacteria in your gut, especially if you have been taking an antibiotic recently. Antibiotics kill all bacteria, friend or foe, so this friendly bacteria should be replaced soonest to increase the successful working mechanisms of the gut. If you really need to be “moved” try the old-fashioned but oh, so effective ingredient – prunes – one or two in the smoothie will most likely do the trick.

This is a powerful smoothie to give you morning power and to activate your colon to get moving.

More Smoothies:

Tips for Arthritis Pain Relief

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English: A hand affected by rheumatoid arthritis

English: A hand affected by rheumatoid arthritis (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

An acidic body makes pain worse. A very effective remedy is to try get the system more alkaline. Baking soda (not baking powder) is a great alkalizer but it is quickly destroyed in the acidic environment of the gut. But you could put a teaspoon of baking soda in your drinking water to make ‘alkali water’ and this will slowly help to alkalize the system. Of course the acid side of your diet has to be addressed and the acid causing food removed and replaced with alkalizing food. Celery, green beans, lettuce and many more choices are alkali. Even plain pancakes are kind to acid tummies because they are made with baking soda. Not much food value in pancakes but they are calming to angry tummies. Many foods cause acid problems in the body, some of the culprits that should be avoided are soda, fake fruit juice, most pizza sauce, processed orange juice, processed meat like baloney and canned sausages. Fresh and frozen veggies and fruit are more likely to be alkaline than processed or packaged foods. Besides the diet aspect there are physical remedies that can help arthritis sufferers.

Protect your joints. Don’t keep your joints in the same position for a prolonged period of time. Balance your rest and work throughout the day. Use the strongest joints available for the job.

Stretch it. Stretching should be part of every arthritis patient’s daily routine. A good stretch helps prevent injuries by warming up muscles and tendons which are more limber and less likely to tear. Spend at least 10 minutes each day stretching, and work each major muscle group.

Cool it down. Stop physical activity. Rest in a cool/shaded environment. Spray with a mist of cool water or wrap an ice pack or cold compress in a towel and apply it to reduce arthritis pain and swelling.

Get moving. Exercise can help reduce joint pain and stiffness and increases flexibility and muscle strength. It can also help with weight control, stress management, and make you feel better overall. The Arthritis Foundation also offers water exercise and other classes.

Get a massage. Massage therapy can relieve your pain, soothe stiff sore muscles, reduce inflammation and swelling. Make sure you use oil or cream on your fingers to make it mroe gentle. Work the area for five to ten minutes a day if possible.

Keep your weight in balance. Being overweight, even just moderately, impacts weightbearing joints and can increase the pain of arthritis. Studies have indicated that losing extra weight lowers the risk for developing osteoarthritis of the knee. Losing weight can help slow the progression of arthritis too.

Get a diagnosis. If you are experiencing symptoms like pain, stiffness, swelling for more than 1 weeks, you should consider seeing your doctor and getting a diagnosis. Remember that there are more than 100 types of arthritis. It is important to get the specific diagnosis for the type of arthritis you have.

Take your medication the right way. Don’t stop taking your medication just because you feel it is not working. Check with your doctor first. You need to understand that it may take several days to several months for a medication to become effective.

Look out for new options. Recently FDA has approved some new drugs for osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and other arthritis diseases. If feel that the current medication doesn’t work well, check with your doctor about possible new options.

Keep educating yourself. It is important to learn something new about arthritis. Find some good websites online and subscribe to their newsletter if they have it. Join one of two active online arthritis communities like forums or bulletin board. Never hesitate to see your doctors and ask questions.
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Ways to Boost Your Energy

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April 27 Daily Shoot-Energy

April 27 Daily Shoot-Energy (Photo credit: NedraI)

Everyone would like to feel more energetic during the day.  You naturally go through periods of higher activity which contrasts with times of relaxation.  The problem occurs when more energy and concentration is required than we can give. Or when we try to sleep and can’t. Follow these invaluable tips to a new you!

1) Stay on a regular sleep schedule.  You can’t stay up late during the week-end and suddenly on Monday morning wake up refreshed.  If you do enjoy later nights on Friday and Saturday vow to get to bed early on Sunday to wake up rested.

2) Avoid the sugar and caffeine roller coaster.  Eat some protein and foods with a bit of fat in the morning.  The brain needs protein and the body does not store it.  You don’t have to eat very much- a glass of low fat milk, a piece of cheese, or a  handful of nuts will get you going instead of pure carbohydrates like a plain bagel.

3) Take a 5-10 minute power nap around lunch.  Even if you just close your eyes and let your mind drift you will be refreshed for the afternoon.  This is also effective anytime you feel yourself not concentrating, reading the same material over and over.  Give in to the urge and completely relax for a few moments.

4) Drink more water and liquids.  I know, everyone says to drink more fluids.  But most Americans are in a constant state of dehydration from filling up on coffee, tea, and sodas with caffeine.  This is very stressful to the kidneys and can cause irritation to the bladder.  Keep a sports bottle filled with your favorite flavored water or just plain and keep it with you at all times.  Set a goal- empty by lunch, refill, empty again by the time work is over. Carry plenty of water in the car too for you and your family.

5) Exercise regularly.  This is easier said than done with a busy schedule.  A poor conditioning level causes you to be short-of-breath and your heart to race when just doing simple things like climbing a flight of steps or doing household chores.  Park farther away when shopping and walk Dust off that exercise machine or get an exercise tape to play when weather is bad. Set an example for the rest of your family and maybe they will join in too!

6) A joke a day keeps the doctor away.  Seriously, laughter has many beneficial effects on the body.  The brain chemicals for experiencing pleasure, happiness, and peace increase with good, hearty  laughs.  Live alone?  Get a funny movie or watch a light-hearted comedy on tv.  Nothing sarcastic or put-down, however.

7) Avoid confrontations and situations with negative people.  You know who they are.  They are not going to change but they will bring you and your mood down.  The complainers, gossipers, and generally unhappy souls we all have to deal with on a day-to-day basis drain our energy if we allow them. Be polite but avoid arguing or getting hooked into listening to their constant problems.

8) Take regular, daily supplements of the highest quality.  Our food and diets simply do not meet the amounts needed for maximum health.  There is a difference between avoiding nutritional deficiencies and optimum performance.

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Relieve and Prevent Thyroid Disorder

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Thyroid Scar

Thyroid Scar (Photo credit: grrrrr123)

The thyroid is a small seemingly insignificant part of our body that no one talks much about but has a major role in the health of our body. Some of the thyroid functions are described below. Simply put, if you want to feed your thyroid take some Kelp tablets which are a natural way of getting iodine into your body. Iodine is what the thyroid needs to get healthy and your body uses the iodine in the kelp. Because we need such trace amounts it can be dangerous to take iodine by mouth. Kelp is a safer way to get iodine.

Reason 1

The thyroid regulates the rate of energy production in the body’s cells. Thyroid disorder reduces the body’s metabolism and makes you feel sluggish.

Reason 2

Thyroid disorder also increases your risk of degenerative diseases such as heart disease, cancer and arthritis and your risk of widespread infection. In severe cases, the energy level in the body’s cells cannot even sustain a basic level of metabolism, creating a life-threatening situation.

Reason 3

One major problem with thyroid disorder is that it’s often missed in diagnostic tests. Even if tests show that you do not have a thyroid disorder, you might still be at risk. If your body is highly acidic, your risk of thyroid disorder increases.

Reason 4

Thus, even if you haven’t been diagnosed with thyroid disorder, it’s important to check your body’s overall pH level and take dietary and other steps to reduce the acid level in your body.

Reason 5

You will not only reduce your chances of developing thyroid disorder or making an existing thyroid disorder even worse. You will improve your health overall and reduce your vulnerability to degenerative disease.

THE RISK

Accumulation of acids in your body, due to insufficient digestion of food, food allergies and consumption of acid-forming substances, can cause thyroid disorder. Acid-related causes of thyroid disorder also include exposure to heavy metals and toxic chemicals in the water supply and in highly processed food. When your body’s acid level rises too high, your thyroid function will be depressed and your metabolism will slow.

Lack of digestive enzymes, also caused by over-consumption of processed foods, further causes your thyroid disorder. Your body’s ability to neutralize acids is further reduced. As you get older, the more toxins you’re exposed to, the more likely you will develop a thyroid disorder if you haven’t already.

THE DAMAGE

With a thyroid disorder, your body’s cells and organs will not metabolize as quickly as they should. The presence of excess acid only makes the problem worse. Your cells and organs will become overrun with acid that they need to eliminate, but your thyroid disorder will reduce their ability to deal with these acids. The acid, in turn, will perpetuate or worsen your thyroid disorder.

For example, a sluggish thyroid reinforces the digestive problems that cause acid to accumulate in your body. Because a thyroid disorder slows your cellular metabolism, it reduces your body’s ability to eliminate acid waste. The more acid-forming substances you consume, the more this cycle repeats.

Thyroid disorder also reduces your immune system function, leading to chronic infection. With the accumulation of acid in your body, infection will spread quickly, further reducing your body’s ability to neutralize acids.

As with other organs, the thyroid needs glucose and oxygen to function. When acid waste accumulates in the bloodstream, these vital substances cannot get through. Without adequate oxygen and glucose, thyroid function is reduced. The resulting thyroid disorder further reduces the body’s ability to clear the bloodstream of these acids that prevent the oxygen and glucose from getting through.

THE BENEFITS OF A BALANCED pH

Because thyroid disorder causes so many other degenerative diseases, a thyroid that functions properly can restore health in so many other areas of your body. When you neutralize the acids in your body and eliminate acid-forming substances from your diet, you give your thyroid a chance to heal. Improved thyroid function will, in turn, help your other body organs function properly. Kelp tablet supplements are a natural way to increase your iodine which feeds the thyroid.

To neutralize acids and restore your body’s pH balance, you need to reduce or eliminate eating acidic foods and other acidic substances like sodas and fake fruit juices. Adding more alkaline foods and minerals to your diet can help restore thyroid disorder. As your acid level falls, you’ll find that your thyroid function will increase. Your body’s metabolism will increase as a result, and you’ll be able to neutralize acids even further. The end result will be restored health, higher energy, and a decreased risk of thyroid disorder.

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Steps To Relieve Back Pain

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Poor posture affecting women

Poor posture affecting women (Photo credit: Dreaming in the deep south)

There are things that play an important part in the health of your spine.

Firstly, there is posture.

Dr. Mom, I know you told them to keep their shoulders back and stand up straight. you were right. Posture should be corrected in sitting, standing, and sleeping. Start noticing posture at all times. If it is not straight, then start working on fixing it. If you sleep in a position with both hands under your pillow while you lay on your side, you can pinch a nerve in your neck if the shoulder of the arm that’s up starts to relax and leans in toward your head or neck. It would be better to lay your arm of your upper hand down on your leg while the lower hand is under your pillow. Or you can simply hug a pillow and that will open your shoulders and chest and improve your breathing as well. And if you can, buy a few different thickness of pillows for the night. Maybe use a thicker soft pillow when you lay on your side. Sometimes, if your pj top is a bit tight, the armholes can pinch the nerve in the front of your underarm and cause your fingers to go numb. Make sure your sleeping clothes or T-shirt or pajamas are loose fitting, especially around the underarms and around the top of your legs. If the tight elastic cuts off the blood supply, you will have unexplained numbness or pains in your legs and arms or hands that may be attributed to a pinched nerve in your spine but that is actually just resulting from too tight clothing. Be a Dr Mom detective and learn to logicize from cause to effect. Logic is one of the greatest medicines you can use.

The second thing on our list is the flexibility of your back
 
What you want to do when you notice your back goes out a lot and you experience pinched nerves, is in getting your spine back into alignment and having it flexible. If you feel a chiropractor is your best choice, by all means seek one. But think about the benefits if you could align your own back when ever you needed to. It’s not all that hard!

If you are in pain at the present, put ice or heat on the painful spot until the pain seems to lessen. Do NOT, under any circumstances exercise while any of your nerves are inflamed or swollen!

Thirdly, exercise. It is very important to strengthen your back and the surrounding muscles. This is the third step to a healthy back. Doing sit-ups is a good exercise, You do not have to do many sit-ups, only as many as you feel you can and increase as you can bear it. Take all of these things slow and at the pace of your body. Your body will let you know what it is feeling. Pain is a warning sign. Just remember… taking a pain pill is okay when you really need them. But also remember that they do not heal the problem, they only mask the warning sign but do not fix the the underlying problem.

Health is more than just eating right. One has to consider mental, environmental, and many other factors. It is not all that easy for a doctor to diagnose the complete problem and cure it, especially if it has roots in psychological issues and has gone a long time unchecked, and became a physical problem.

The fourth and last step in ‘back health’ is to start a daily stretching routine. You have seen cats and dogs stretch when they get up, try it for yourself!

The key to back health is in keeping your back actively flexible and strong, or well supported by the stomach and back muscles. You may have to find that happy medium in between, having too much strength in one area will pull out another. Each person is uniquely different in many areas. So never think what worked for someone else is going to work for you. You may have to build on someone else’s information and work it into your own, personal program.

Perhaps you could learn a little about acupressure as well to maintain your pain when it flares up. Sometimes pain can be managed by using acupressure, simply by putting pressure on certain areas of the body. But that is something you should seek a professional for help, or look for someone who is qualified in acupuncture.

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4 Easy Ways To Relieve Headache

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I've had a migraine/headache for 6 days straig...

How many times have we heard – “I’ve had a migraine/headache for 6 days straight. Today was so bad I couldn’t concentrate on what I was saying. I’m not even sure I knew WHAT I was saying because of the pain. I even mixed up two people’s names and felt really dumb afterwards. Anyone got a migraine cure?” 🙂 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Having a headache is annoying and sometimes it is difficult for us to avoid. Mostly when we are under pressure, headaches appeared automatically. If it gets worse, we might faint due to the pain we feel.

A headache is a condition of mild to severe pain in the head. It can also attack our upper back or neck. There are different types of headache, but most of the time headaches are brought on by stress, too long in front of computer, noise or even lack of water. Sometimes a tall glass of water can ease a headache.

One of the main causes of headache is tension in the muscles of the neck, scalp and jaw. We usually deal with it by getting some sleep or taking an over-the counter aspirin to relieve our pain. Rest can relieve the stress that causes some headaches but obviously, we cannot sleep at the office or at the mall. In addition, we might run out of aspirin when headaches strike.

No to worry! There are some easy ways to handle headaches and we can do it anywhere with head massage. Massage is the practice of applying pressure or vibration to the soft tissues of the body, to heal injury, relieve psychological stress, manage pain, improve circulation and relieve tension.

When we suffer from an headache, we can help ourselves with self-massage. It is simple and everybody can do it, either at work or home.

Here are four easy ways in massage to relieve headache.

1. Eyes Area Massage — Close your eyes. Place your middle fingers to your eyes just above the cheekbones. Massage that area gently but firmly in circular motion for about a minute,

2. Eyes to Nose Massage – Using the thumb, go along the underside of the eyebrows (along the bone on top of eye socket). Feel where this bone meets the bridge of your nose and eyes and find a point where there is a small indentation. Very gentle pressure, press your thumbs into the points. You can do it four times by holding and press that area for 10 seconds in each press.

3. Neck Massage — Massage a point you can feel by moving the middle fingers of your hands to the back of your head to the base of your skull. Specially, where the top of your neck meets the base of the skull. Massage for a few minutes using finger tips in a gentle circular movement.

4. Scalp Massage – Let the palms of your hands gently massage your scalp on the top of your skull for a minute or so. Slide your fingers into your hair so you can feel the scalp loosen up against the skull. Gently massage the scalp with the tips of your fingers to loosen tension and stimulate the blood flow. Be gentle and kind.

Once you have done all those massages, start taking deep breaths. Lift your shoulders towards your ears for five to 10 seconds to relieve the remaining pain, and then let them drop back down into their natural position. This also has an effect of getting more oxygen into the lungs as you lift your shoulders to relieve the tension and spasms in the neck and shoulder muscles.

You will feel better when you can do this a couple of times. Your massage will relieve your headache and your head will feel less weighty. Don’t forget to drink water.

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