COVID Rates are so High and What to Do About It!

Here in the United States, especially the Midwest states, we are seeing sky-high numbers of COVID-19 cases. Most of us know of someone personally who has tested positive or even died because of the effects of this virus. This virus attacks people of all ages, races, and levels of health, and luckily, a great majority of the people who test positive will recover, although there may be some long lasting after-effects. 

 

One reason that the numbers are so high is because this is an airborne virus, which makes it difficult to see and know if and when exactly you've been exposed, whether or not you've been wearing a mask. Because many people are asymptomatic carriers and the virus has a few day incubation period, others may be exposed for several days before someone exhibits symptoms and goes for testing, then it may take a few days to find out results of the test, all the while, the virus is floating along in the air affecting more and more people. As time goes on, the virus keeps spreading despite our best efforts to practice social distancing, wash our hands, minimize contacts, and wear masks. 

Supplement for Better Health 

The best things we can do at this time are to try to boost our immunity in any way that we can! Certain Vitamins and Supplements have been recommended for their powerful immune boosting properties, such as Vitamin C, Zinc, and Vitamin D. Unfortunately, Midwesterners are known for having lower Vitamin D levels as the sun exposure is typically less in the colder months, although it has been very sunny this year so far, thankfully!! Foods containing these vitamins are helpful, but actually supplementing with these is important since we can't get enough of the daily recommendations from food alone. 

Conquer Inflammation

Minimizing Inflammation is imperative at this time. The COVID-19 Virus sets off a severe inflammatory response in the body. If your levels of inflammation are already high, from poor diet, high stress levels, inactivity, or unresolved injuries, this puts you at risk for even more severe symptoms if you do contact this or any other virus. Check out the previous blog "Best Baby Boomer Immune Boosters" for a list of anti-inflammatory foods, as well as other suggestions to minimize negative health risks. Taking deep nasal breaths and practicing stress-management techniques can also be helpful to minimize inflammation. Being sure to find resolution for long-lasting injuries will help your body work more efficiently and in a better balanced way to reduce joint specific inflammation, which ultimately affects your overall health and vitality. 

Focus On Gut Health

Many people don't recognize the connection between good gut health and digestion to our immune health. If your body and organs are busy trying to digest unhealthy or non-nutrient dense foods, this takes energy away from building your immunity. Also, more inflammation can be caused by not being able to break down certain foods in your gut. The "gut" starts in our mouth, by the way. Chewing each bite of food for at least 20 seconds will break down the food particles into smaller, more manageable size. In addition, the chewing process allows the good bacteria in our mouths to start to digest the food. I listened to a podcast episode where the Doctor being interviewed suggested this, and also suggested that we NOT use Antiseptic Mouthwashes, as these not only kill the bad bacteria in our mouths, but they also kill the GOOD bacteria needed for digestion. He also said that taking Anti-acids (Tums, Pepsid, etc) are doing further damage to our digestion as they further reduce the (often already reduced) levels of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, which digests our food. Taking Digestive Enzymes and Probiotics will both help the body to break down and digest food, ultimately making our digestive and immune health improve.

Get Pumping!!

Our heart muscle pumps the blood the Circulatory System throughout our entire body. The Lymphatic System, part of our Immune system which pumps waste products OUT of our body, does not have it's own pump mechanism built in. Instead, the Lymphatic System relies on the contraction of our muscles to pump the waste materials throughout and OUT of our body. Regular exercise and daily movement are both imperative for a fully functioning immune system, which is not usually the first thing people think of when it comes to the benefits of exercise. There are many lymphatic ducts in the neck, shoulders, armpits, and hips. So many of my clients experience pain and dysfunction in these joints, but when we treat those areas, not only are the muscles able to move and support their joints better, but their immune health is also boosted! Staying active, mobile and flexible will give your body the best fighting chance to overcome any illness that comes your way! 

Let me know if you have any questions. I'd love to help support you during this Pandemic in any way that I possibly can! Stay healthy, keep moving, and take care of yourself and each other. 

8 Key Elements to a Well Balanced Life: "D" is for...

I've been naughty this year. I've been teaching my clients to perform exercises specifically for their unique muscle imbalances, but I haven't done my exercises faithfully. I have all sorts of exercise equipment at home and at my office, but do you think I use them often? No. I haven't been practicing what I preach as much as I should have been this year. However, a good friend of mine once said, "Don't ever "should" on yourself" and I have always appreciated that comment. I have realized that it is important to focus on all of the good things I have done this year instead focusing on what I "should" have done.  

In August, I finally broke down and hired a personal trainer to help keep me accountable for taking care of myself, as I had been focusing on taking care of others and let myself go. I am also making great strides in overcoming leaky gut syndrome and the resultant autoimmune conditions that have created challenges with my health and energy levels by educating myself on  how to use food as medicine. I am helping my family to also improve their health and energy levels so we can keep up with our 5 year old! Prioritizing time with my family and friends has also brought a lot of joy into my life in 2016. I also just formed a "Meet Up" group called "Get Moving Mil-WALK-esha" to get people together for walks around Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties. These good things in 2016 have helped to move me closer to living a well balanced life. 

Over the past 8 months, you have discovered how to live a well-balanced life also through Breathing, being mindful of your body's Alignment, moving around or being "Locomotive", bringing Awareness to your body's sensations and movement limits, eating a Nutritious diet, Circulating your body's important life giving and cleansing fluids, and enhancing your Environment to maximize health and minimize toxins. Finally, as the year draws to a close, you will discover the final key element to a well balanced life. 

The journey toward health and wellness is not an easy one. Pain, tightness, limited movements and mental blocks can all get in the way of our ability to enjoy life. Many of us seem to be wearing many hats and burning the candle at both ends, as they say, and time seems to fly by before our eyes. The final key element in BALANCED is one of the most important elements but can also be one of the most difficult: Dedication to taking care of ourselves and living a healthy life. 

Dedication means taking the time out of your day to breathe. Dedication means taking a moment to look within and be aware of how you are feeling, and then take action to improve upon that feeling if necessary. Dedication means taking the time to plan out, prepare and enjoy nutritious meals, snacks and drinks. Dedication means doing the best you can on any given day, or at any given moment, to commit to your well-being and make the best decisions you possibly can to care for yourself.  

Dedication is NOT perfection. (I have to keep reminding myself of that one.) Dedication means cutting yourself some slack for missing a workout, and getting back on the horse as soon as possible. Dedication means having the right network of family, friends, coaches and helpers to keep you moving toward your goals and truly living a well balanced life. Dedication means taking care of yourself so you can continue to care for others. (I have to remind myself of that one, too!)

Congratulations on your dedication so far along the journey toward your well-balanced life. The journey keeps on going until our time is up on this planet. I'm dedicated to being here for you to support you on your journey as I continue along mine. 

Keep moving well!  

8 Key Elements to a Well-Balanced Life: "E" is for

We have learned the importance of optimizing how our body works through breathing, being aware of our body's alignment, movement abilities and limits, and fueling our body with nutrient dense foods.  What we put inside our bodies determines how we feel and move throughout our lives. The communication between our nervous and digestive systems greatly impacts our musculo-skeletal health. To boost how our body works to keep us healthy, it is equally important to consider our environment, to maximize the benefits of our surroundings and minimize the stressors that may be impacting our health.

Our natural environment provides us with some of life's greatest necessities including the air we breathe, the food we eat, resources to create energy, and lumber to construct homes and buildings.  We can also turn to our environment for recreation, enjoyment, health and exercise. Our environment provides homes for wildlife, "is responsible for pollution dilution and detoxification, pollination, flood and climate regulation." 

(http://www.environment.scotland.gov.uk/get-informed/people-and-the-environment/benefits-from-the-environment/ )

The sun provides Vitamin D to help us absorb calcium and phosphorus, improve our bone and tooth health, boost our immune system, and prevent many diseases. It is important to find a nice balance with getting enough sunshine to meet your daily requirement of Vitamin D which involves getting outside. As the winter months are fast approaching, it gets more challenging to get outside (especially here in Wisconsin) to get adequate amounts of this important vitamin, so supplementation is necessary. I've been loving an Isotonic Vitamin D supplement that I have been taking lately. I'd be happy to share more details about this product with you if you are interested. 

Our environment also includes with whom we live and with whom we spend the most time. Family, friends and colleagues can fill us with joy but can also create stress in our lives. Maximizing the energy spent on relationships that bring happiness and joy and letting go of those no longer serving us can have a big impact on living a well-balanced life. 

Our environment includes the substances and products we use to keep our homes, belongings, and body clean. My friends use to tease me and call me a hippy for using natural products and not wanting to use chemicals on or around my body.  Luckily, there are more and more people who have also become aware of the dangers and have moved away from using synthetic chemicals and toxic ingredients in commercially available cleaning agents, and personal care products.  The chemicals we use to clean our homes should be made with natural ingredients especially if we have children or pet in our homes. Our skin is our largest organ, and it will absorb chemicals from personal care products that can be harmful to our body. If you haven't already, be sure to check the labels and avoid petroleum based ingredients and other harmful chemicals in your home cleaning and body care products. Click on the following link to find a list of which chemicals to avoid: 

http://www.womensvoices.org/avoid-toxic-chemicals/15-toxic-trespassers/ 

I have been using natural cleaning agents, essential oils, and personal care products for the last 15 years. Let me know if you want more information on which ones are my favorites.  

Our body works best when our environment is full of sunshine, fresh air, natural, healthy food and clean water, and people who fill our hearts with good feelings. Let go of those relationships with people and products who are not benefitting your health and you will feel so much better on many levels. 

Keep Moving Well! 

8 Key Elements to a Well-Balanced Life: "N" is for...

"We are what we eat"

How many times have you heard this phrase before? Have you ever considered this when you take a bite of an apple? Do you want to be or feel fresh, alive, vibrant, and healthy? How about when you take a bite of a doughnut? Do you want to be or feel soft, squishy, sugary sweet, or sticky? 

Food is often at the center of our family and social gatherings and has become a source of entertainment for people. We are fortunate to live in a time in history and a society where most people have access to a myriad of food choices, from corner stores to big box bulk grocery stores, farmers markets and food trucks, fast food and gourmet restaurants, and we are able to enjoy an array of flavors and foods many different ethnicities. It is up to each one of us to make a choice with each and every bite that we take throughout our lifetime to determine how we feel and how we "are." 

Food is meant to serve as the "fuel" our bodies use to provide energy for our daily activities, to grow new cells, heal, and keep us alive and thriving.  Unfortunately, many humans make food choices based on taste or convenience rather than on nutrition. If we are eating the appropriate amount and type of real, live, whole food, our body will receive the necessary nutrients and minerals to go on moving, working and healing for decades. On the other hand, if we choose to eat processed, unnatural or chemical filled foods, we don't receive the adequate nutrients for our internal organs to properly perform their functions, and eventually the rest of our body (including our muscular system) suffers, creating unpleasant sensations, diseases, and even premature death. 

As a Physical Therapist and Muscle Specialist, I have worked with hundreds of clients who suffer from unpleasant sensations including pain and inflammation, and who have diagnoses, diseases or injuries for which they have needed surgery. For the past 5 years especially, I have been educating myself on the effect of certain foods on the human body, the conditions that can result from poor dietary choices and nutritional deficiencies, and how this can impact the overall healing process.  On a personal note, I have been "challenged" myself with some food sensitivities since childhood and am now on my own healing journey to overcome some auto-immune conditions. Although I am not a dietician or nutritionist, I am very passionate about nutrition and learning as much as I can to help my clients, my family, and myself feel better. I have read A LOT of books and articles over the years about nutrition, various diets and detoxes, and the common denominator for supporting health and wellness is to minimize "inflammation."  

Inflammation is a natural process in our bodies that occurs when we are injured or the presence of a "foreign invader" is sensed by the intricate sensory and immune systems. Acute inflammation is a normal part of the body's healing process. If the injury or invader continues to be present, chronic inflammation can result. Chronic inflammation is at the root of many ailments, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, auto-immune conditions, cancer, and more. If our gut lining is irritated from trying to digest inflammatory foods, the absorption of nutrients is compromised, and instead we absorb toxicity and other invaders that the body is usually able to fight off when the immune system is strong and not over-working.  

Many foods have been shown to have an inflammatory affect on the body. According to Organic Authority, the top 10 most inflammatory foods are gluten, dairy, alcohol, caffeine, hydrogenated oils, fried foods,  refined sugar, artificial sweeteners, processed or packaged foods, and refined salt. Click here for the full article: Inflammatory Foods. Minimizing or eliminating the above mentioned offenders and eating an anti-inflammatory diet will help to optimize your health and well-being. 

I originally wanted to list the most important nutrients for your joints and muscles, but the list of nutrients was overwhelming and I didn't want to bore you with all the details. Instead, I found a great article on Dr. Mercola's website about the most common nutrient deficiencies and how to be sure you are getting all the nutrients your body needs. For those of you who are interested in optimizing your body's nutrient load, click here for the full article: Nutrient Deficiencies 

Educating yourself on nutrition and making the best possible choices for you and your family will go a long way in helping you to live a well-balanced life. After all, we truly ARE what we eat. 

Keep Moving Well!