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How to Use Essential Oils for Sleep

Even though essential oils have been used for centuries in other cultures, they have only become popular in the states and the last few years. Essential oils for sleep are a powerful ally that can help you go to sleep without dependence on prescription or over-the-counter sleep aids, which often come with negative side effects such as addiction.

When choosing essential oils, select aromas that are pleasing to you since aromas that you do not like are unlikely to bring about the desired effect. However, sometimes a professional blend or even one that you have created yourself will contain an ingredient that you do not like on its own but is acceptable in the blend, much like individual ingredients in a recipe for cooking. Essential oils often differ in their effects on each individual, so a little experimentation may be in order.

While essential oils are safe, there is a potential for an allergic or unwanted reaction, so if you are sensitive to many substances, add only one or a few types to your regimen at a time. If you are trying to get pregnant, or are pregnant or lactating, many essential oils have contraindications for use. Nearly all the essential oils must be diluted before using them on your skin, but there are some exceptions.

A good book written by a knowledgeable author on essential oils can help you achieve the greatest benefits by advising you about how a particular essential oil affects most people. With some experimentation, you can learn how the various aromas and properties of essential oils affects you. The best way to learn quickly is to pay attention to your body, and be ready to take a break, even from aromatherapy blends that are very effective for you.

How to Choose a Quality Essential Oil

While there are many brands of essential oil, only a few are of therapeutic grade. If an oil is not of therapeutic grade, then it usually has inferior ingredients to dilute it, or even synthetic ingredients. The price of an oil is determined by what parts of the plant are used, the rarity and difficulty of growing the plant, the extraction method used, the packaging, and whether or not the plant is grown organically. The bottle or the accompanying literature should state the botanical name of the plant in Latin, the country or region of origin, the extraction method used, and if applicable, the USDA or other governing body's organic seal. Quality oils are also bottled in amber or cobalt blue to lessen the amount of light entering the bottle, since light degrades the properties of the oil. Keep essential oils in the refrigerator or in a dark, cool place to extend their useful life.

Essential Oils for Sleep

Many essential oils have been proven to be relaxing and conducive to sleep. There are many recipes online as well as professional blends, but you can just use a single ingredient. Choose an essential oil for its aromatherapy qualities depending on what issues are causing your lack of sleep.

Lavender (Lavendula) essential oil is one of the more popular aromas to induce sleep. It is typically one of the less expensive varieties, since the whole plant is processed for its essences. There are many varieties of lavender with different properties, and some smell more medicinal whereas others have a sweeter aroma. Experiment with several types until you find one that you like and respond to well.

Neroli (Citrus aurantium amara) is used for insomnia, stress, and grief. Neroli is extracted from the blossoms of sweet orange or bitter orange trees.

Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin) may be familiar to you from the 1960s. Patchouli has been prized for hundreds of years for its sweet, musky aroma, and its ability to bring about a meditative and serene state of mind.

Clary sage (Salvia sclarea) is for its sedative qualities for insomnia, tension, nervousness, and general well-being. Its somewhat floral, musky, or the aroma is often mixed with other essential oils.

Cedarwood (Cedrus atlantica) has a calming and grounding effect. It has a sweet and balsamic aroma this often mixed with other oils, especially lavender, thyme, and rosemary. Since it is harvested from several types of cedarwood from different parts of the world, different brands may have different aromas.

Valerian Root (Valeriana fauriei) has been used for sleep, relaxation, and calming effects since Hippocrates time. It has a musky, woody, balsamic aroma that is often blended with lavender, cedarwood, pine, and patchouli.

Essential Oils For a Cold or the Flu

For cold and flu symptoms eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) essential oil has proven effective to loosen mucus and soothe the throat.

Fir (Abies siberica) has anti-infectious and antiviral properties and is used to alleviate cold and flu symptoms.

Both fir and Eucalyptus can alleviate aches and pains associated with colds and the flu.

Aromatherapy is as much an art as it is a science, so it may take a little experience to bring about the best remedies. If you invest in several essential oils, investigate recipes to use them for other purposes besides sleeping, such as skin care, first aid, odor elimination, and for cleaning your home.

Our website provides great resources on choosing essential oils in order to fall asleep faster.You will find many resources on how to go to sleep better by visiting our website. Please visit us today to learn more about different ways on how you can sleep better, faster, and more
peaceful.

Interval Training for Maximum Fat Burn

When people imagine going to the gym it fills many of them with dread, thinking it has to entail an hour or more slugging your guts out on the treadmill, cross trainer or bike in order to burn enough calories to see the scales drop at the end of the week.

 

But how wrong they are and how poorly educated this country is. Speak to anyone who has lost a lot of body fat or any decent Personal Trainer and ask them the very best and scientifically way to burn body fat fast and effectively and with minimal time in the gym and they will all say……interval training.

 

Interval training along with heavy compound resistance training is a phenomenal way of burning lots of fat with only a short time in the gym each week. In fact some studies even showed people who undertook intervals rather than slow steady state cardio (sssc) burnt off 9 times more calories.

 

So what is interval training and who can do it? Well that’s the beauty of intervals, anybody can do it! Literally anybody as it can be adapted to an individuals exercise history, experience, fitness and injuries.

 

Interval training involves slow periods of exercise with short bursts (intervals) of speed to speed up the heart rate but not for long. This means you will raise your metabolic rate due to the increases of intensity and is manageable for everybody due to the ‘recovery’ periods.

 

An example would be a 15 second sprint then a 30 second recovery repeated 10 times. This of course can be adapted to the individual as it is very challenging and the main obstacle is the mental challenge of getting motivated to do it, but when you give someone the choice, 15 minutes cardio or 45 minutes?  Then the motivation is easy especially when the 15 minutes of cardio will yield greater results!

 

A beginner would be advised to start on a piece of kit that supports their body such as a bike or x-trainer, then once their basic strength and fitness increases they can move onto more challenging pieces of kit such as treadmills and rowing machines. It is also extremely important to ensure a thorough warm up is completed before high intensity training is undertaken.

 

So interval training can yield excellent fat loss results and in limited workout time and not only that but due to the increased yet manageable intensity will produce better fitness levels, lung function and stamina and decrease in blood pressure and stress levels.

 

But….yes there is a but, it is important to remember that interval training is much harder on the body and isn’t for everybody, if someone doesn’t have the mental strength or motivation to do intervals to lose fat, but would prefer longer slower cardio then this can still be beneficial as they are more likely to continue a training regime that they feel they can cope with.

 

The point of this article is train smarter not longer!

Slow Down Your Brain’s Aging Process with the Food That You Eat

Our brain is one of the body’s five vital organs. These five organs are the most essential for the body’s survival and normal function. Because of this, you must maintain your brain’s health and youth. Though aging is inevitable, there are ways that you can do to slow down your brain’s aging process.

Your lifestyle has a great impact on how fast your body cells will age. Unhealthy lifestyle practices like smoking, chronic stress, unhealthy diet and sedentary lifestyle can all contribute in speeding up your cells’ aging - and brain cells are no exception. To slow down your brain’s aging process, you must make modifications to eradicate these unhealthy lifestyle practices. You can take brain supplements and brain boosting supplements but most importantly, you must modify your diet. When preparing for your everyday meals, make it a point to include those types of food that are known to slow down your brain’s aging process.

To preserve your brain’s youthful aptitude, you must be more selective in the food that you eat. Studies have proven that some foods can enhance your mental ability, as well as prevent your brain to age rapidly. Among those that were found to slow down your brain’s aging process are the following:

Foods that decrease free radicals in the body

In preventing your brain’s aging process, you would never go wrong if you include in your meals the different foods that can fight the free radicals present in your body. Free radicals are by-products of your cell’s processes. When these free radicals accumulate and increase in concentration in the blood stream, they can cause harmful effects in the body such as cancer, chronic diseases and rapid aging.

Thus, to prevent these harmful effects, especially if you want to slow down your brain’s aging process, you must take in foods that are rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants are known to be effective in reducing the formation of free radicals. They can also prevent the existing free radicals in oxidizing the body’s normal biologic components. Thus, to prevent the harmful effects of free radicals, especially accelerated aging, you can eat this selection of foods that are rich in antioxidants:

Eggs – they are rich in the antioxidant, selenium, which can help in maintaining your brain’s health

Blueberries – they are rich in Vitamins C & E, which are powerful antioxidants

Mustard – they are rich in the antioxidants, turmeric, which can also help to slow down your brain’s aging process

Spinach – this is very rich in Vitamins C & E and also beta-carotene

Foods that protects the brain cells’ myelin sheath

Myelin sheath is the covering of the brain cells’ axons. It is the component of an axon that helps to speed up nerve conduction, thus, speeds up the brain’s functioning. It also helps the brain’s cells to function effectively with less energy expenditure.

Studies have shown that bee pollen can help protect the neuron’s myelin sheath. In that way, bee pollen helps in maintaining the brain cells’ health and it also helps to slow down your brain’s aging process. Take a few tablespoons of bee pollen daily. As you do this, you can also prevent neurologic disorders related to myelin degeneration, such as Multiple Sclerosis.

Foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids

Omega-3 fatty acids help to slow down your brain’s aging process by maintaining a good flow of blood supply going to the brain. When the brain cells receive ample blood supply, then it also receives enough amount of oxygen, an important substance in all the body cells’ function. Omega-3 fatty acids are also known to contain DHA, a molecule that aids the brain in transmitting impulses. Among those foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids are the following: salmon, tuna, walnuts and beets. Appropriate natural brain supplement can help as well, if you know how to choose it wisely. Opt for natural, effective and affordable brain supplements that have undergone extensive clinical trials.

Most of the recommended brain foods above come from vegetables and fruits. There are more essential nutrients derived from this healthy food group, so you could eat generous servings of these “glow” foods. With their beneficial action, they would definitely slow down your brain’s aging process.

Alex Vandyke is author of this article and has a great deal of expertise and experience in many health areas, particularly brain supplements and brain boosting supplements

What Is Osteoporosis And How You Can Prevent It

Osteoporosis is a condition resulting in the thinning of bone tissue and loss of bone mass over time. It is caused by excessive loss of calcium from bones. As a result, bones become fragile and break easily. During childhood, calcium is actively deposited in the bones to support growth and development. The bone stops growing in length and density at approximately age 20 for men and 16 for women. This is the point we achieve peak bone mass.

 

The greater the peak bone mass, the lower the risk of Osteoporosis. Women are generally at higher risk of Osteoporosis as they achieve peak bone mass at an earlier age. Pregnancy and menopause also increases calcium losses from the bone.

Calcium and bone health

Osteoporosis can be prevented through proper bone nutrition especially ensuring adequate calcium consumption. The best time to increase intake of calcium is during the developing years of a child when the bone is still actively growing and has yet to achieve peak bone mass.  However, adults can also benefit greatly from increasing their calcium intake to maintain adequate calcium supply preventing the body from dipping into the calcium reserves which is the skeleton.

 

The recommended daily amount (RDA) of calcium is as follows:

Age group Male Female Pregnant & Lactating
0-6 months 200mg 200mg
7-12 months 260mg 260mg
1-3 years 700mg 700mg
4-8 years 1000mg 1000mg
9-18 years 1300mg 1300mg 1300mg
19-50 1000mg 1000mg 1000mg
51-70 1000mg 1200mg
71 and above 1200mg 1200mg

 

The main dietary sources of calcium include milk and milk products e.g. cheese and yoghurt. Calcium can also be found in soy products, sardines, nuts, dark leafy green vegetables and calcium fortified foods. As part of a healthy diet, it recommended to consume 2-4 servings of calcium-rich foods daily.  Choose low-fat/reduced-fat dairy as much as possible as dairy products are naturally high in saturated fat. As a guide, refer to the calcium content of the following calcium-rich foods:

 

Food Amount Calcium content
Dairy & Soy
Milk (skim, low-fat, whole) 1 cup 300mg
Buttermilk 1 cup 300mg
Nonfat milk powder 5 tbsp 300mg
Low-fat yoghurt 1 cup 450mg
Soy milk, calcium fortified 1 cup 200-400mg
Hard cheese (cheddar, jack) 1 oz 200 mg
Mozzarella cheese 1 oz 200mg
Parmesan cheese 1 Tbsp 70mg
Soft tofu 4 oz 200mg
Firm tofu, calcium set 4 oz 300mg
Vegetables
Broccoli 1 cup 180mg
Kale, raw 1 cup 55mg
Spinach, cooked 1 cup 240mg
Swiss chard, cooked 1 cup 100mg
Fish
Sardines, canned with bones 3 oz 370mg
Mackerel 3 oz 250mg
Nuts & grains
Almonds 1 oz 80mg
Sesame seeds 1 oz 280mg
Brown rice, raw 1 cup 50mg
Cereals, calcium fortified ½ cup 200-300mg

 

Tips to incorporate more calcium into your diet

ü  Use bones (e.g. chicken, beef, fish)  for homemade soup stock

ü  Add shredded reduced-fat cheese into pastas, salads & sandwiches

ü  Add minced dark greens such as kale and spinach to casseroles, soups and stews

ü  Use calcium fortified soy milk, non-fat dairy milk or buttermilk in your recipes instead of water in recipes such as pudding, oatmeal and mashed potatoes

ü  Add a hearty dose of legumes such as pinto beans or soybeans into your pastas and salads

ü  Enjoy sesame or almond spread on toast instead of your usual peanut butter and jelly

ü  Toss some fresh fruit into low-fat yoghurt as breakfast or even dessert

 

Calcium supplements

One can also consider calcium supplementation if there is difficulty in meeting the calcium requirement through food exclusively.  Calcium in the form of calcium citrate has a much higher absorption that calcium carbonate. However, they are generally pricier as well.

 

A more effective way of consuming calcium supplement is in spilt dosages. It is advisable not to exceed 500mg of calcium per dose as anything above 500mg cannot be effectively absorbed by the body.  Bear in mind that supplements as the name suggest are meant to supplement the diet and not intended as the only calcium source. It is very important to incorporate calcium-rich foods into your diet to protect your bones.

 

 

 

Vitamin D & bone health

Vitamin D is essential for bone health as the body requires vitamin D for calcium absorption in the intestines.  It also maintains the balance of calcium levels in the blood to prevent calcium depletion from bones. The general recommendation for vitamin D is 400-600IU daily for adults under 50 and 800-1000IU for adults over 50.

Vitamin D is present in very few foods. Foods rich in vitamin D include: Cod liver oil, animal liver, oily fishes and vitamin D fortified foods e.g. vitamin D fortified milk. Most of our vitamin D is produced by our own skin when exposed to UV rays in sunlight.  In general, 10–15 minutes exposure of hands, arms and face 3–4 times per week under moderately strong sunlight if climate permits is recommended for optimal vitamin D production.

Individuals who live in climates with low sun exposure or those who wear covered clothing are at risk of vitamin D deficiency.  They may consider taking a vitamin D supplement to achieve their daily recommended intake.  Most calcium supplements and multivitamins do contain vitamin D.  Alternatively, there are also pure vitamin D supplements available.

Dietary risk factors for increased calcium losses

(i)                  High phosphoric acid intake

Found mainly in carbonated drinks, phosphoric acid increases urinary calcium excretion. In addition, due to the acidity of phosphoric acid, the body uses calcium to neutralize the acid in order to maintain the blood pH. On a side note, carbonated soft drinks are loaded with sugar, so it is probably a sound choice to limit the intake of these beverages.

 

(ii)                High protein intake

Protein is essential for health. Be aware of how much protein you require and consume enough but not excessive. The metabolism of protein generates acids which again require calcium to neutralize. If the calcium supply is inadequate, the body will tap on the bone for calcium leading to bone depletion.

 

(iii)               High caffeine intake

For coffee addicts, it may not be good news to know that caffeine increases the excretion of calcium from the body. An intake of >300mg of caffeine per day has been shown to significantly increase calcium loss. To minimize the effects of caffeine on bone loss, it is advisable to limit yourself to not more than 2 cups of caffeine-containing beverages per day.

 

(iv)              High sodium intake

Like caffeine, high salt intake increases excretion of calcium in the urine even though the specific biological mechanism is different. Studies show that every extra gram of salt consumed per day will produce a 1% increase in bone loss yearly.  Sodium has a large potential to influence bone depletion. High salt intake is also associated with increased blood pressure. For both the bone and cardiovascular health, a low-sodium diet is highly recommended.

 

A nutritionally balanced diet is essential for the maintenance of healthy bone mass. However, diet is only one part of the equation. Exercise also plays an important role in supporting bone health. Weight-bearing exercises help to increase the strength of bone and support calcium deposition in the skeleton. There are many simple weight-bearing exercises that one can do in the comfort of your own home. One does not have to be a nutrition expert or a fitness instructor to build strong and healthy bones. All it takes some discipline and commitment.

 

About the author

Kelly Kims is a certified dietitian and nutritionist who has practiced as a clinical dietitian in major tertiary hospitals. Her clinical interest includes nutritional therapy for weight management, diabetes, cardiovascular  disease and  cancer. She is also an accredited sports dietitian who has experience in counseling athletes and fitness fanatics about sports nutrition. She is also co-owner and writes about nutrition and diets at quickeasydietsthatwork.com

 

 

 

5 Reasons Why Your Abdominal Muscles Aren’t Toning Out

Do you struggle with a stomach that just won't tone out the way you want it to? I personally struggled with that for so long and I just had no idea why. There are countless reasons why someone might not be able to reveal their abdominal muscles, but I'm going to cover the most prominent ones in this article.

Whether your body type is skinny and thin (like I am) or your body type is more heavy-set, these five powerful tips will help you achieve that flat, toned stomach. Everyone is different in body type, energy levels, and exercise knowledge, so these tips are designed to help each one of these different individuals as opposed to one specific audience.

I can personally attest that these different pointers will not only help you in the long run in developing that strong stomach, but will give you noticeable differences within the next day or two. Now this doesn't mean you'll see differences in your stomach appearance, but you will see differences in your overall health and ability to lose fat or gain muscle (depending on your body type and goals). So, without further delay, allow me to walk you through each of these different tips and show you how you can change them to maximize your results while decreasing your workout time.

1. You Aren't Hydrating Yourself Properly:

Many people forget to hydrate themselves and this can cause numerous problems. You won't just see problems during your exercises, but you'll see problems with your overall health if you don't hydrate correctly. This doesn't mean drinking a glass of water or two now and then throughout the day, but it means treating your body like a giant, refillable water bottle. As you're working out performing different exercises, you're losing those liquids that your body once had, and you need to constantly be replenishing those liquids so you don't pass out.

Without proper hydration your muscles don't get the maximized results they could be if you were providing healthy liquids for your muscles to rely on. Not only that, but your body relies on electrolytes and proper hydration to provide you with the energy needed to blast through exercises. This is why hydrating yourself constantly isn't enough. You need to be sure you're hydrating yourself the right way with the proper liquids.

The wrong kinds of liquids include energy drinks (Monsters, Red Bull etc.), caffeine (coffee, shots, etc.) and yes, even "electrolyte-replsnishing" drinks (gatorade, powerade etc.). You may agree with me when I say caffeine and energy drinks are absolutely terrible for workouts, but I bet you didn't guess drinks like Gatorade and Powerade aren't the best for exercising.

I could go deep into detail, but the main point is that drinks like Gatorade DO replenish you with electrolytes, but what comes associated with the electrolytes (food coloring, high fructose corn syrup etc.) is what tears your body down in the long run. The main point is that you need to hydrate yourself constantly and properly. Everyone is going to have to replenish their liquids differently because we all have different body types and workouts, but the main point is that you absolutely NEED to stay hydrated both in and out of the gym.

2. Don't Settle For Average With Your Workouts

I don't know exactly what you do for your workout plan or what different muscles you work each day, but I do know one thing: that you need to push your body and not just settle for average during each exercise. There are so many things that incorporate into this amazing tip, but I'm only going to cover the absolute necessary points.

First off, we tend to get used to exercises after we've performed them for so long and it just becomes a second nature routine. When you reach this kind of "plateau" in your exercises, you need to increase the power of that exercise. How do you do this? You need to perform each exercise in a harder way that tests your body's limits even more than it used to. Here's an example: let's say you have been doing the same abdominal exercise everyday for the past month and feel as if it doesn't give you much of a workout, but you still perform it anyway just to get it out of the way for that day; now instead of just going through the motions, make it harder and turn it into a weighted exercise that fully concentrates all of the weight and tension straight to your abdominals. This is what it means to push your body past its usual limits and explore harder ways to make that specific exercise work you harder.

Secondly, switch up your exercise instead of going through the normal everyday routine. Mix up your workouts, make it fun, and create some new exercise that work best for you by exploring different options. For example, individuals tend to get bored of their boring cardio workout that consists of jogging, jump rope, and some jumping-jacks. Well, instead of making your workout seem like a chore, have fun with it and explore different variations to each exercise that make you think more and work harder. This might include turning a normal mile-jog into a fun 15 minute run where you pull one of your kids in a wagon up and down your street. Things like this will make it fun and you'll get exhausted way faster without even realizing your body is getting an insane cardio workout.

3. You Aren't Consistent With Your Diet Plan

Diet plans can be hard to follow, I understand that. However, when it becomes a normal thing where you "cheat" on your diet and have a cupcake or doughnut here and there, this becomes a problem. You need to write out your goals, post it on the cupboard door of your junk food cabinet, and remind yourself what this whole diet thing is meant to accomplish whenever you're about to cheat yourself.

Also, its hard to stay consistent with your diet whenever you don't have any idea what the upcoming day will bring your way. My suggestion is to write out a diagram or outline of your day to prepare yourself for whatever your day may bring your way. Plan your meals out the night before, all the way down the snacks in between. This can do huge things for you so you don't hit any unexpected "bumps" in the road and ruin your diet.

Remember, your goals are what's going to help you stay consistent with your diet plan, because your diet plan is meant to help you accomplish things you otherwise couldn't. Whether you're aiming to build muscle or lose body fat, everything starts with your internal environment. This means everything you eat or drink has some kind of effect on your body's internal environment, whether good or bad.

Let's make a healthy, good environment for your body to naturally accomplish whatever goal it is you're trying to reach.

4. You Are Focusing On One Abdominal Muscle Group

Whether you're meaning to do this or not, you may only be targeting one specific abdominal muscle group with your workouts. This is not a good thing when you're trying to tone out your entire stomach and get rid of abdominal fat. It's hard, and almost impossible, to develop a toned, flat stomach, when you only workout your upper abdominals group, or whatever muscle group it may be. You need to be sure you balance out your workouts and find exercises that tone all of your abdominal muscles at once, or at least workout one group after the other, making sure to balance it out.

For example, you could perform two exercises that target your upper abdominals, then perform two exercises that target your lower abs, and finish it off with two oblique abdominal exercises (love handles). This way you even out your exercises and don't strengthen certain abdominals more than the others. You may be able to prominently see your upper abdominals, while your lower abs are hidden by abdominal fat. This would be due to your unbalanced abs workouts.

Be sure to fix this to prevent an oddly-shaped stomach, because I actually use to struggle with this at first. I don't want you to make the same mistakes I did.

5. You Aren't Performing Weighted Exercises

If you are aiming to develop six pack abs, but don't know how, listen carefully. This is one of the easiest things to adjust and can do massive things for your stomach. Not only will you see faster results, but you'll honestly see abdominal fat diminish as you see your abdominals begin to unveil.

Here's my final tip: perform weighted abdominal exercises. More weight means more muscle is being developed and muscle is the one natural thing that destroys fat the fastest. When you have more muscle built being developed in your stomach area, you'll notice drastic differences as that abdominal fat will begin to become overrun by muscle. This is where your abdominal muscles begin to unveil themselves.

So, my tip to you is to add comfortable amounts of weight in each of your abdominal exercise, and perform those exercises until you know you blasted your stomach. This is my most helpful tip not only because you can easily begin to implement it right now, but because you'll notice drastic differences as opposed to the regular old "non-weighted" exercises. I recommend you start off with light weights for each exercise and slowly progress to heavier weights to build more abdominal muscle. Remember, muscle is the one thing that naturally destroys fat and you'll get awesome results if you implement this one powerful tip.

Well, there they are. These are 5 powerful tips you can easily begin to utilize the moment you're done reading this article. These aren't just applicable techniques, but these are ones that will allow you to see noticeable, maximized results. Yes, we're trying to develop a toned stomach, but you'll see an increase in overall health and energy when you constantly implement these tips into your workout plan.

Jason Camacho is the guest author of this post and is also the owner of Ultimate Abdominals, which also contains Three Powerful Ebooks at no charge. Gain knowledge, implement secrets and tips, and optimize results instantly and permanently.

Peripheral Vascular Disease/Peripheral Arterial Disease

Poor circulation to the legs and feet is a very serious condition that has recently gained publicity.  PAD (peripheral arterial disease) or PVD (peripheral vascular disease) are common ways of referring to poor circulation or blood flow to the lower extremities (legs/feet).  There are two main arteries that supply the feet: posterior tibial artery and dorsalis pedis artery.  These two arteries are checked when you have a foot exam.

Poor blood flow means that there is either a blockage in one or several blood vessels or narrowing of the vessels so that blood does not flow easily through the vessels.  Sometimes, blood does not flow at all, if the vessels are completely blocked, and this is a very serious condition which often leads to limb loss.

Causes of PAD:  common causes of poor circulation include the following:  smoking, hypertension or high cholesterol, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, diabetes, and other chronic, serious conditions.

Signs of PAD:  pain, color changes to the toes, cramping after walking a certain distance, toenail changes, thinning of the skin of the feet, lack of hair growth to the feet, and in the worst case, pain with rest or sleeping that is only relieved with dangling the foot out of the bed or walking around.  Often, the pulses of the feet are weak or not present.

Testing for PAD:  circulation tests or arterial doppler exams are ordered to assess the blood flow of the legs and feet. This test uses blood pressure cuffs to monitor the blood flow, and the blood flow of the ankle is often compared to the blood flow or pressure in the arm to determine an ankle brachial index or ABI.  The waveforms created by these measurements and the number of the ankle brachial index or ABI determine if a person has poor circulation and whether they need to be referred to a vascular surgeon or interventional cardiologist for a more extensive work up.

Treatment:  often, podiatrists refer patients to other doctors for treatment of severe cases of PVD/PAD.  Early forms of the disease are often treated with medication, exercise, controlling blood pressure and cholesterol levels, controlling blood sugar levels, and cessation of smoking.  More serious disease may require surgery.

If you think you have poor circulation to your feet, please called Advanced Physical Medicine for an appointment with Dr. Bender, Oak Park and Chicago's premier foot and ankle specialist!

Tai chi exercises may be important for seniors

People are living much longer these days, and by and large, this is a positive development. However, for some it means they will likely be living for many years in poor health. An aging population is likely to be a less healthy one. For this reason, it is important for seniors to understand the benefits of tai chi exercises and to consider participating in a class.

Physical exercise is critical for maintaining good overall health, but many older individuals are unable to engage in vigorous physical activity. This may make most traditional types of exercise exceedingly difficult for them. For those who struggle with jogging or lifting weights, tai chi may be just the thing they need to get fit without straining themselves.

Cheryl Mildon, a tai chi student in Twin Falls, Idaho, told local news station KMVT that she was aware she needed to do more to increase her fitness levels. But at this stage of her life she has become less physically fit and poor health makes it difficult for her to engage in intense workouts. She has since benefitted from joining a local tai chi class.

"I have quite a few disabilities, and I'm able to do this, which has been really nice," she told the news source. "It gets me up and moving and out of the house, and it's very relaxing"

Other students in Mildon's class reported major gains in their overall health. Improved balance was one of the primary benefits several students claimed resulted from their participation in the program.

Improved balance is one of the most important benefits associated with tai chi. It is an area of health that often deteriorates rapidly with age, which is one of the leading causes of hospitalizations, loss of mobility and death. It is critical for seniors to find ways to maintain their sense of balance as they get older.

The benefits of tai chi do not stop there. Aside from the physical health improvements practitioners may see, there is also a strong mental component to the exercise. This may enable seniors to overcome the stress and anxiety they may feel about their overall physical health and allow them to pursue more rewarding lives.

While tai chi exercises can benefit just about anyone, they may be a perfect match for many of the issues faced by those in the latter stages of their lives.

Dahn Yoga is known worldwide as a Korean style of yoga that integrates yoga, tai chi, meditation and stretching. Dahn Yoga centers are located throughout the United States and the world.

November is Diabetes Awareness Month

Diabetic Foot Care Tips

It is very important for your FEET that you control your blood sugar when you have diabetes.  High blood sugars can cause the following problems for the feet:

 -Loss of feeling or sensation in the feet

-Delayed wound healing

-Blood flow problems  

1.You should have your feet checked by a foot doctor every few months!  Your blood flow, nerves, skin/nails, and any abnormal foot structures (bunions, hammer toes) will be checked.  You may qualify for diabetic shoes or diabetic insoles because of your diabetes (depends on insurance).

 2.It is very important that you check your feet everyday when you have diabetes.  If you see an open sore or something that looks infected (red, hot, swollen, pus present), it is important to call your medical doctor or podiatrist immediately.

 3.You may put cream on the top and bottom of your feet but no cream or lotions should be used between the toes.  

 4.Check the inside of your shoes each day to make sure no stones or other objects have gotten inside.  These can injure your feet, and you may not be able to feel them.

 5.Control your blood sugar!

Mary Ann Bender, DPM
Foot and Ankle Specialist
Advanced Physical Medicine

Corns and Callouses

Presented by Dr. Bender, Advanced Physical Medicine

When thick skin builds up on the foot due to pressure, it is called a corn (top of the foot) or callous (bottom of the foot). The pressure that causes these can be due to bone problems, such as bunions, hammer toes, or extra bone formation; improperly fitting shoegear; and excessive walking or running. This thickened skin can be painful.

How are Corns and Callouses treated?

It is important to see your podiatrist to have an assessment about why these corns and callouses are developing and to have them trimmed or reduced. It is important to note that the thickened skin will return if the cause of the pressure is not treated. A variety of treatment options are available for reducing pressure on the feet: padding, different shoegear, orthotic devices, creams, and surgery. If you have peripheral vascular disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, HIV, or other serious diseases, it is important that you consult a podiatrist for proper treatment, rather than trying to treat the condition yourself. If you cut your skin with these conditions, it can be very dangerous. Additionally, it is important that you do not try over the counter corn removal pads, as these contain acid that can burn/harm the skin.

If you are suffering from painful corns and callouses, please contact us for an appointment with Dr. Bender. Dr. Bender has been in private practice for 10 years and can help you!

The Anatomy of a Vegan

Anatomy of a Vegan

We have all heard stereotypes here and there pertaining to a vegan lifestyle. Critics often believe vegans must be pasty white hippies, feeble from malnutrition due to lack of essential amino acids. These are all misconceptions which are often used to enable non-vegans to avoid thinking about why they do eat meat. At APM we were legitimately curious as to the motivation of why individuals may make a vegan lifestyle choice.  Furthermore, it is important to understand the types of people who choose veganism.  We wanted to address concerns of whether or not vegan living can lead to health deficiencies or conversely, lead to a healthier state of wellness.

1. Healthy eating is important.

The goal of any diet for an individual should be primarily the health and wellness that diet offers. Of course it should taste great as well, but it does not take a dietary archaeologist to know that people have been eating tasty food for a while. Similarly it is known that vegan diets have ancient roots, from civilizations in Italy and Greece to most notably India. We can’t really gauge how healthy they were, since we were not around. While you could argue since the lifespan of people has gone up, they must not have been as healthy back then, but this is an incorrect assumption since there are so many other factors that affect longevity such as war, medical advances, and increased hygiene.

And though cultures throughout history have wanted to eat well, we are not the first generation of peoples to put our principles before our stomachs. Citing the Indian culture, vegetarianism was adopted by the Indians following Jainism and Hinduism’s predecessor, Vedism. Their reasoning was a belief in non violence toward animals, following a tenant called Ahimsa, meaning the avoidance of violence.

Recent times have seen an increase in not only vegetarian and vegan lifestyles, but a variety of offshoots, such as pescarian (excludes all meat but fish).  So an important place to start out analysis is a definition of what a vegan is. There is a difference of opinions about this but a common definition is a vegetarian who omits all animal products from the diet.

2. Veganism is considered good for you.

Contrary to popular belief, vegan lifestyle is a healthy way to live as noted by the Mayo Clinic, “…a well-planned vegetarian diet can meet the needs of people of all ages, including children, teenagers, and pregnant or breast-feeding women.” It goes on to include vegan as a type of vegetarian so it does apply to vegan living.  Main benefits of veganism that make it so healthy are that the diet is much more reliant on vegetables which many Americans do not get enough servings of. However, people often believe that only meat has the 9 essential amino acids (Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Tryptophan, Valine, and Histidine), but this is a mistake.  While it is true most grains and vegetables are not what are called ‘complete proteins’ they usually have some but are missing a few. So as long as diet includes vegetables that complement one another to make up for an individual vegetable’s deficiency, they essentially have the same effect as a ‘complete protein’. Even if that were too hard to do there are vegetables that are complete proteins, namely quinoa and soy. Some nutrients such as iodine, B-12, and vitamin d are a concern in vegan diets, but many vegans food are now fortified with these to prevent these problems. Often these deficiencies are not only found in vegan diets but diets in general, so the important point is that balance amount food groups are essential.

3. Survey

So to get our questions answered, we  did research to find out more about vegans and who they are. Here are the results based on 144 responses from vegans.

 

Reasons for Becoming Vegan

 

Our first series of questions was to try and understand why vegans chose this lifestyle. Most typically it was for more than one reason so we listed the most common reasons and asked in the survey how important that reason was to them in making their decision.

The first question was if animal rights were a reason. Results were separated into male and female. The short answer is most often, yes. Over 85% thought Animal rights had some importance in their decision.

The next factor for deciding a vegan lifestyle we asked was if helping the environment was a reason. Also a ‘yes’, but not as strong a reason as protecting animals were.

The 3rd question was if health was a reason to make the change. Another very important factor.

The fourth question was if weight loss goals were a factor in being vegan.

The final question was if they were recommended by family or friends to take up a vegan lifestyle. This was the least important factor in making a change to veganism.

Overall it appears that saving animals’ lives were the primary factor, but it appears that veganism to the vegan is a mutually beneficial decision. They can save the environment and animals while keeping themselves healthy. Most people have enough trouble with the latter, so credit must be at least given for achieving both. Other reasons were cited by respondents in the survey, the most cited reason being ’Social Justice’

Where vegans shop for groceries

One important issue with pursuing a vegan lifestyle is the food choices available to them which can be logistically difficult depending on geography. While many stores are becoming increasingly accommodative in their vegan offerings, it still may present a challenge. This issue may be a sticking point for many considering becoming vegan. Research performed by Advanced Physical Medicine tried to see if vegans in our study could do equally well in finding the foods they need for a balanced diet. Our questioning asked respondents about their frequency of going to certain stores (big chain supermarkets, local grocers, vegan only grocers, and online ordering) to help determine how convenient it is for vegans to shop for groceries.  We used a subjective scale (Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Often, & Always) to gauge frequency of shopping patterns.

 

The first question asked participants how often they shopped at ‘Big Supermarkets’.  It appears many do shop there with some frequency.

The next question asked how frequently they shopped at local grocery stores. Vegans in the survey often shop at these markets as well with great frequency

The next market those who were polled were asked about were vegan only markets

Finally, we asked participants if they ordered food online and with what frequency.

An over assessment of grocery shopping patterns seems to indicate that vegans in our sample tended to shop at the bigger supermarkets, at least with some frequency. It makes sense since the combination of increased offerings for vegan individuals is becoming more prevalent, not to mention the fact that most big chains tend to have plenty of produce which people with all sorts of diets enjoy. After all, even meat eaters eat vegetables sometimes. Online shopping has not been a significant, but this might be argued because of geography as well as the trend of internet grocery shopping still being in fledgling stages.  Finally it also appears that vegans may supplement shopping at big chains at both local and vegan markets. This may be to supplement for specialty foods that vegans enjoy that are not carried at bigger chains.

A Little more about Vegans

Finally, we wanted to see more data on the demographics of vegans in general.

The first chart below is a representation of the age distribution in our survey. Overall, it was a younger crowd.

 

We hope this study has given some insight into why vegan people made their lifestyle choice, that it can be a very healthy lifestyle, perhaps more so than that of the average American. Ultimately it depends on the individual. We hope stereotypes have been eliminated since history has shown that it has been around for some time.  In the end, whether choosing vegan or no-vegan lifestyles, the most important goal for most people is to maintain health.

In the future readers can expect we will dive in further detail about what makes a vegan tick, other than soy and a selfless mentality, but we will also investigate some of the other offshoots of vegetarianism as some of those previously mentioned, so stay tuned.

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