Over the last month, I have looked at some key strategies for living well. The focus of this posting is understanding the impact of stress in various ways and strategies to lower the impact. Let''s take another look at the vagus nerve. More on the Vagus Nerve. ( see January 2017 for the first article) [...]
When you have stressed induced high levels of cortisol in the blood and you eat, lots of changes happen in the body. Blood sugar and insulin levels rise and the food you eat is converted to fat which is stored and not used for fuel. Increased belly fat is the outward sign that there is [...]
There is a lot to learn about this subject and the challenge is to merge the science regarding appropriate usage with political and community expectations. Around the world and also in Australia, medical marijuana is being introduced well before the true benefits and side effects are known. Before a medication is released we can have [...]
How meditation strengthens the brain. Those who have pain and no time for meditation will need to find time to manage pain in potentially more potent ways. Here are the details of the next More Than Meditation course. • ( Call 95349495 now to participate.)
Fibromyalgia (FM) is a common chronic pain syndrome with symptoms that include widespread pain, fatigue, sleep disruption and cognitive impairment. It is known that infections and other types of stressors are capable of triggering the development of FM. Researchers have hypothesised that these stressors could be responsible for triggering a reactivation of latent herpesviruses, and [...]
Movement while being focused in the moment is a reminder that once you have the skill everything can be a meditation. You are invited to our next meditation course. Early Bird registration extended to 28 Feb. Click here
On again off again.... The long-running debate for glucosamine in osteoarthritis. This study suggests that it is not useful. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28144573
Join a group that understands. Learn about your condition. Participate in trials. Focus on health and fitness, not illness and drugs. Lower inflammation with food. Help for carers. Be less isolated. Please join the new Dragon Claw site. You are very welcome. https://www.dragon-claw.org/
DOS AND DON'TS OF GOUT MANAGEMENT - this article has now been updated http://tinyurl.com/jhcjb36
There is an excellent website called Health Rising which is devoted to reporting on research into fibromyalgia. Here is their latest issue https://www.healthrising.org/blog/2017/02/25/fibromyalgia-improvement-prognosis/ They report that recovery from fibromyalgia is rarely possible. I have a different perspective on this. I see individuals with fibromyalgia every day of my working life. In my experience recovery is [...]
In December 2015, I created an "ah ha!" jar as a way of reminding myself of the wonderful aspects of my life and to balance out the impact of the daily serving of " bad news" presented by the media. This idea is derived from current neuroscience research that recognises that positive experiences are [...]
The vagus nerve is one of the most important nerves in the body and its central role in all functions of the body is being revealed with an explosion of research. It is the 10th cranial nerve and arises above the midbrain. It comes out through the base of the skull and passes down [...]
Meditation can be difficult until it becomes a habit. One way to create the habit is to read something about meditation every day. Here is a reading list to get you started. http://tinyurl.com/jee8lt4 For details of the next More Than Meditation Course beginning 16 March, 2017 Wishing you a smooth path to wellbeing in 2017. [...]
This is the last Blog of the year and it coincides with the conclusion of the most recent More Than Meditation Course. What was discovered in the Course was that learning and practising meditation is a gift to oneself on a daily basis. As this is the festive season we want to let you know [...]
Update on thinking about rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and diet. It is rare to see an article on diet and arthritis in one of the main stream medical journals. The study suggests that some foods have a protective effect on RA development, such as mushrooms, citrus fruits and dairy products. Perhaps we should eat more mushrooms [...]
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00296-016-3625-x In this study the authors state " In this meta-analysis, we observe that BMD ( bone mineral density as measured by a DEXA machine) at the lumbar spine is decreased in FMS compared with normal individuals. Patients with FMS should be assessed for risk of osteoporosis." Great reminder that having knowledge can lead to [...]
"I feel like I have my old life back. I have recovered completely from my fibromyalgia" . Read more Overcoming Fibromyalgia with perseverence. One person's inspiring story
Meditation has the same effect on the mind as exercise has on the body. "If sugar is the new tobacco then sitting is the new smoking!" "Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect." - Mark Twain. “Don’t believe everything you think.” - BJ Miller. The [...]
Those who have taken part in our Meditation course will have met Kati. She independently runs a gentle stretch and meditation class for seniors. If you are interested you can see the details. New Gentle Exercise
I have recently returned from the World Congress on Pain in Yokohama, Japan. There were 3000 scientist and clinicians deliberating on 2000 research papers over five days. This is part 2 of some of the most important things that were discussed at this bi-annual meeting.To see the initial post read below Some take away messages [...]
I have recently returned from the World Congress on Pain in Yokohama, Japan. There were 3000 scientist and clinicians deliberating on 2000 research papers over five days. I have summarised some of the most important things that were discussed at this bi-annual meeting. The experience of pain: Numerous patterns and brain pathways influencing the development [...]
One way to constantly remind yourself of your health goals is to use your login passwords. We use passwords all day every day. So change the passwords to support your goals. If your goal is to meditate daily the you could use calm.10 .9.8 or meditate2day! If you have a nutrition goal how about greens4me! [...]
Meditation can be difficult until it becomes a habit. One way to create the habit is to read something about meditation every day. Here is a reading list to get you started. http://tinyurl.com/jee8lt4
Understanding pain Pain is a complex phenomenon that has many sides to it and about which we still have much to learn. As a consequence there is much that is good and helpful to assist people with pain and there is also much that is based on myth and old wife’s tales. In 1965, the [...]
Chronic stress levels lead to a depletion of magnesium. Since a majority of individuals eat a diet that does not meet the recommended daily allowance for magnesium, the loss of magnesium due to chronic stress is a big problem. Lower magnesium levels increase the risk of insomnia and poor sleep quality, which in turn raises [...]
Fibromyalgia: Doubling up to fight pain Most individuals with fibromyalgia will try medication. Here is infomation regarding the most recent study. Combining two drugs used to treat fibromyalgia safely improves patient outcomes. http://tinyurl.com/zw2r4jd.
Quercetin, a flavonoid found in high levels in onions, tea and apples, might be able to lower blood uric acid in humans. http://tinyurl.com/gw3czs6 dose 500mg/dy. For a full article on nutrition and gout visit http://tinyurl.com/h4dx8jm
How many health-related apps do you have on your smartphone? It is predictsedthat the market for mobile health app services will reach $26 billion by 2017. Consumers have embraced these tools because they have many benefits, from keeping weight in check to researching medicine data. The communication benefits are often understated, but health apps can [...]
There is something permanent and robust about a paper diary/organiser. There are only a few copies left. A great way to communicate with and between your health practitioners Communicating with Your Doctor or health practitioner By Kaye Brand - Fibromyalgia Support network. Recently I was reading an article from the University of CaliforniaPersonal health record [...]
In a study on pain in osteoarthritis of the knee mindfulness was shown to moderate the influence of pain on stress, which suggests that mindfulness may alter the way one copes with pain. http://tinyurl.com/gor9o69 An effective treatment with no side effects. Once the techniques are mastered , the practice pays dividends forever. Next More Than [...]
