Fibromyalgia: foods to eat and foods to avoid

By Penni Jones
Better Living Staff Writer  

The CDC estimates that 5 million Americans are living with the chronic widespread pain condition fibromyalgia. The specific cause remains unknown, and treatment can be elusive. According to founder and president of the National Fibromyalgia Association Lynne Matallana, the most important thing for Fibromyalgia patients to do is to improve their overall health and well-being, and proper diet is an important factor for easing fibromyalgia symptoms. 

AVOID

Additives: MSG, aspartame, and other additives can increase sensitivity to pain. Avoid processed foods when possible, and be sure to read those labels!

Caffeine: Many fibromyalgia sufferers have trouble sleeping. You might want to reach for coffee to combat your fatigue, but caffeine can add to the problem by interfering with sleep patterns.  Use lean protein for your go-to fatigue-fighter instead.

ENJOY

Omega-3s: Fatty fish, flaxseed, and walnuts all include this inflammation-reducing fatty acid. Reducing inflammation means reducing soreness.

Fruits and veggies: Most fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants which fight free radicals to keep your body normalized.

Vitamin D: D boosts your immune system. The easiest way to get D is from sun exposure (but not enough to burn). A supplement helps during the winter or other times you just can’t get outside. 

For other ideas on alleviating your fibromyalgia symptoms, contact Better Living at 734.747.0123.

http://www.everydayhealth.com/fibromyalgia-pictures/eat-well-to-help-fibromyalgia.aspx#04http://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/basics/fibromyalgia.htm

http://www.fmaware.org/

Get your balance back

by Penni Jones
Better Living Staff Writer

In the United States alone, one in three adults aged 65 and older falls each year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 20% to 30% of those who fall suffer moderate to severe injuries and increase their risk of early death. Medications, decreased vision, low blood pressure, and many other factors affect balance. But a few simple daily exercises can improve your balance and reduce your risk of falling. Here are four exercises to get you started:

One-legged balance: Hold on to the back of a stable chair for balance and lift one foot. Balance on each foot for a few seconds. Time yourself and work up to balancing on each foot for one minute at a time. You can practice this one while you’re brushing your teeth or drying your hair, or even while you’re waiting in line for coffee. 

Knee marching: Stand next to a countertop so you have can balance yourself if needed. March in place, lifting your knees as high as possible. 

Walk heel-toe: Place the heel of one foot directly in front of the toes of the other foot. Focus on a spot ahead of you to keep steady, and take a step with your back foot, placing the heel of that foot directly in front of the toes of the other foot. Repeat for 20 steps.

If you’d rather get out of the house for your balance exercise, try a class in gentle yoga or Tai chi. Both of these practices have proven balance benefits.

For more ideas on improving your balance and living your best life, contact Better Living at (734) 747-0123.

http://www.agingcare.com/Articles/balance-exercises-for-seniors-151016.htm
http://eldergym.com/falls-in-the-elderly.html

 

Eating healthy on a budget

By Penni Jones

Better Living Staff Writer

There’s no denying that America has an excess of unhealthy, inexpensive food options. Have you ever tried to eat $20 worth of food from Taco Bell in one sitting? I don’t know anyone who has successfully completed that challenge. But eating healthy on a budget can also feel like an impossible challenge. Here are a few tips to help you eat healthy without dipping into your retirement:

Purchase fruits and vegetables that are in-season: Vegetables and fruits are the most fresh and inexpensive during their peak seasons. Buy a lot of them and freeze what you don’t eat. When possible, shop your local farmer’s market. Farmer’s market season is almost here, friends. I get as excited about that as I do Christmas!

Learn to love leftovers: By packing your leftovers for a workday lunch, you can save about $45 a week. And participants in Better Living's 10 weeks to 10lbs lighter program have stripped away over 58lbs in 6 weeks by planning ahead and eating pre-portioned meals out of containers. Leftovers do require a little bit of planning ahead. Meal planning and sticking to a grocery list are two things that lead to leftover success. It only takes 2-3 recipes to keep you on track for the week.

Don’t grocery shop hungry: Going to the grocery store on an empty stomach leads to impulse buys. If you want to avoid the calories and cost of check-out line snacks, make sure you’re feeling satisfied when you walk in.

Make your beverages at home: Resist the urge to stop for a soda or latte by taking a cup of fresh home-brewed coffee or tea with you when you leave the house. I also like to keep a stainless steel bottle of ice water in the car with me so I’m not tempted to buy a beverage when I get parched.

Cook with beans: Beans are an inexpensive replacement for meat. Plus they are full of fiber and protein, and have almost no fat.

Prep it yourself: Don’t pay for someone else to chop your veggies or cook your chicken. Food that is not pre-prepped is usually fresher anyway, and it really doesn’t take that long to cook a chicken breast.

Get a crockpot: Crockpots are great for cooking cheaper cuts of meat like shoulder roasts, and for cooking hearty inexpensive soups. For about a $30 investment, you can save on time and money.

Money is no excuse to eat cheap, processed foods. Invest in yourself. Spend some time learning how to eat right without going broke.

For more information on healthy eating on your budget, contact Better Living at (734) 747-0123.

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jj-virgin/diet-and-nutrition_b_4838625.html

 

Are weight-loss supplements worth the risk?

By Penni Jones
Better Living Staff Writer

When I was 25, I worked two jobs and attended college full-time. Fitness and nutrition took a back-burner, and I found myself about twenty pounds heavier than my normal weight. Out of panic and desperation, I purchased a popular weight-loss supplement at the local drugstore.

The pills did decrease my appetite. But I only took them for a few days, because I read a story in the newspaper (people still read the newspaper back then) about a girl my age who suffered a heart attack and died from taking the same supplement. The active ingredient from that supplement, ephedra, was banned soon after.

There is a huge selection of weight-loss supplements available online today. Most of them don’t work at all. But even supplements that seem effective can be dangerous. “Natural” and “herbal” supplements do not require FDA approval to be sold over the counter. Skipping past clinical testing means that the testing falls to the consumer.

Diet supplements often contain a chemical cocktail with some ingredients left off the label. The FDA has gone after more than 70 tainted weight loss supplements after discovering that they had been adulterated with undeclared chemicals including stimulants and antidepressants, often in amounts exceeding recommended dosages. Some aren’t even legal without a prescription.

In fact, the FDA released a public notice on February 28 that the weight loss supplement Oxy ELITE Pro Super Thermogenic was found to contain fluoxetine, more commonly known as Prozac, which should never been taken without a doctor’s supervision.

As I learned from my weight-loss supplement experiment, there is no replacement for eating right and exercising. Unfortunately, weight-loss supplements have become a very lucrative business for some unscrupulous companies. Don’t put your health a risk for a possible but unlikely quick-fix.

For more information on sustainable weight loss, please contact Better Living at 734-747-0123.

 

http://www.prevention.com/mind-body/natural-remedies/diet-pill-dangers-truth-behind-weight-loss-supplements

http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/BuyingUsingMedicineSafely/MedicationHealthFraud/ucm234592.htm