The Psoas Muscles and Abdominal Exercises For Back Pain

Common opinion notwithstanding, the proper purpose of abdominal exercises is to awaken control of the abdominal muscles so they coordinate better with the other muscles of the trunk and legs (which include the psoas muscles). It is that better coordination that improves alignment, and not merely higher tone or strength. When the psoas muscles achieve their proper length, tone (tonus) and responsiveness, they stabilize the lumbar spine in movement as well as when standing, giving the feeling of better support and "strength". Mutual coordination of the psoas and other muscles causes/allows the spine and abdomen to fall back, giving the appearance of "strong" abdominal muscles -- but it is not the strength of abdominal muscles, alone, but the coordination of all the involved muscles that gives that appearance.

To improve psoas functioning, a different approach to abdominal exercises than the one commonly practiced is necessary. Instead of "strengthening," the emphasis must be on awareness, control, balancing and coordination of the involved muscles - the purview of somatic education. I will say more...

.. but first: A discussion of the methods and techniques of somatic education is beyond the scope of this paper, which confines itself to a discussion of the relation of the psoas muscles, abdominal exercises, and back pain. For that, see the links at the bottom of this article.

The Relationship of Psoas, Abdominal Muscles and Back Pain

The psoas muscles and the abdominal muscles function as agonist and antagonist (opponents) as well as synergists (mutual helpers); a free interplay between the two is appropriate. The psoas muscles lie behind the abdominal contents, running from the lumbar spine to the inner thighs near the hip joints (lesser trochanters); the abdominal muscles lie in front of the abdominal contents, running from the lower borders of the ribs (with the rectus muscles as high as the nipples) to the frontal lines of the pelvis.

Take a moment to contemplate each of these relationships until you can feel or visualize them

In the standing position, contracted psoas muscles (which ride over the pubic crests) move the pubis backward; the abdominal muscles move the pubis forward. (antagonists)

In walking, the ilio-psoas muscles of one side initiate movement of that leg forward, while the abdominals bring the same-side hip and pubis forward. (synergists)

The psoas major muscles pull the lumbar spine forward; the abdominal muscles push the lumbar spine back (via pressure on abdominal contents and change of pelvic position). (antagonists)

The psoas minor muscles pull the fronts of attached vertebrae (at the level of the diaphragm), down and back; the abdominals push the same area back. (synergists)

Unilateral contraction of the psoas muscles causes rotation of the torso away from the side of contraction and sidebending toward the side of contraction (as if leaning to one side and looking over ones raised shoulder); abdominals assist that movement.

Now, if this all sounds complicated, it is -- to the mind. But if you have good use and coordination of those muscles, it's simple -- you move well.

Words on Abdominal Exercises

Exercises that attempt to flatten the belly (e.g., crunches) generally produce a set pattern in which the abdominal muscles merely overpower psoas and spinal extensor muscles that are already set at too high a level of tension.

High abdominal muscle tone from abdominal crunches interferes with the ability to stand fully erect, as the contracted abdominal muscles drag the front of the ribs down. Numerous consequences follow:

(1) breathing is impaired,

(2) compression of abdominal contents results, impeding circulation,

(3) deprived of the pumping effect of motion on fluid circulation, the lumbar plexus, which is embedded in the psoas, becomes less functional (slowed circulation slows tissue nutrition and removal of metabolic waste; nerve plexus metabolism slows; chronic constipation often results),

(4) displacement of the centers of gravity of the body's segments from a vertical arrangement (standing or sitting) deprives them of support; gravity then drags them down and further in the direction of displacement; muscular involvement (at the back of the body) then becomes necessary to counteract what is, in effect, a movement toward collapse. This muscular effort

(a) taxes the body's vital resources,

(b) introduces strain in the involved musculature (e.g., the extensors of the back), and

(c) sets the stage for back pain and back injury.

The psoas has often been portrayed as the villain in back pain, and exercise is often intended to overpower the psoas muscles by pushing the spine and abdomen back. However, it is obvious from the foregoing that "inconvenient" consequences result from that strategy. A more fitting approach is to balance the interaction of the psoas and abdominal muscles.

When the psoas and the abdominal muscles counterbalance each other, the psoas muscles contract and relax, shorten and lengthen appropriately in movement. The lumbar curve, rather than increasing, decreases; the back flattens and the abdominal contents move back into the abdominal cavity, where they are supported instead of hanging forward.

It should be noted that the pelvic orientation, and thus the spinal curves, is also largely determined by the musculature and connective tissue of the legs, which connect the legs with the pelvis and torso. If the legs are not directly beneath the pelvis, but are somewhat behind (or more rarely, ahead of the pelvis), stresses are introduced through muscles and connective tissue that displace the pelvis. Rotation of the pelvis, hip height asymmetry, and/or excessive lordosis (or, more rarely, kyphosis) follow, all of which affect the psoas/abdominal interplay.

Where movement, visceral (organ) function, and freedom from back pain are concerned, proper support from the legs is as important as the free, reciprocal interplay of the psoas and abdominal muscles.

More on the Psoas and Walking

Dr. Ida P. Rolf described the psoas as the initiator of walking:

Let us be clear about this: the legs do not originate movement in the walk of a balanced body; the legs support and follow. Movement is initiated in the trunk and transmitted to the legs through the medium of the psoas.
(Rolf, 1977: Rolfing, the Integration of Human Structures, pg. 118).

A casual interpretation of this description might be that the psoas initiates hip flexion by bringing the thigh forward. It's not quite as simple as that.

By its location, the psoas is also a rotator of the thigh. It passes down and forward from the lumbar spine, over the pubic crest, before its tendon passes back to its insertion at the lesser trochanter of the thigh. Shortening of the psoas pulls upon that tendon, which pulls the medial aspect of the thigh forward, inducing rotation, knee outward.

In healthy functioning, two actions regulate that tendency to knee-outward turning: (1) the same side of the pelvis rotates forward by action involving the iliacus muscle, the internal oblique (which is functionally continuous with the iliacus by its common insertion at the iliac crest) and the external oblique of the other side and (2) the gluteus minimus, which passes backward from below the iliac crest to the greater trochanter, assists the psoas in bringing the thigh forward, while counter-balancing its tendency to rotate the thigh outward. The glutei minimi are internal rotators, as well as flexors, of the thigh at the hip joint. They function synergistically with the psoas.

This synergy causes forward movement of the thigh, aided by the forward movement of the same side of the pelvis. The movement functionally originates from the somatic center, through which the psoas passes on its way to the lumbar spine. Thus, Dr. Rolf's observation of the role of the psoas in initiating walking is explained.

Interestingly, the abdominals aid walking by assisting the pelvic rotational movement described, by means of their attachments along the anterior border of the pelvis. Thus, the interplay of psoas and abdominals is explained.

When the psoas fails to lengthen properly, the same side of the pelvis is restricted in its ability to move backward (and to permit its other side to move forward). Co-contracted glutei minimi frequently accompany the contracted psoas of the same side, as does chronic constipation (for reasons described earlier). The co-contraction drags the front of the pelvis down. The lumbar spine is bent forward, tending toward a forward-leaning posture, which the extensors of the lumbar spine counter to keep the person upright; as the spinal extensors contract, they suffer muscle fatigue and soreness. Thus, the correlation of tight psoas and back pain is explained.

As explained before, to tighten the abdominal muscles as a solution for this stressful situation is a misguided effort. What is needed is to improve the responsiveness of the psoas and glutei minimi, which includes their ability to relax.

A final interesting note brings the center (psoas) into relation with the periphery (feet). In healthy, well-integrated walking, the feet assist the psoas and glutei minimi in bringing the thigh forward. The phenomenon is known as "spring in the step."

Here's the description: When the thigh is farthest back, in walking, the ankle is most dorsi-flexed. That means that the calf muscles and hip flexors are at their fullest stretch and primed for the stretch (myotatic) reflex. This is what happens in well-integrated walking: assisted by the stretch reflex, the plantar flexors of the feet put spring in the step, which assists the flexors of the hip joints in bringing the thigh forward.

Here's what makes it particularly interesting: when the plantar flexors fail to respond in a lively fashion, the burden of bringing the thigh forward falls heavily upon the psoas and other hip joint flexors, which become conditioned to maintain a heightened state of tension, and there we are: tight psoas and back pain. (Note that ineffective dorsi-flexors of the feet prevent adequate foot clearance of the ground, when walking; the hip flexors must compensate by lifting the knee higher, leading to a similar problem.)

Thus, it appears that the responsibility for problems with the psoas falls (in part, if not largely) upon the feet. No resolution of psoas problems can be expected without proper functioning of the lower legs and feet.

SUMMARY

The psoas, iliacus, abdominals, spinal extensors, hip joint flexors and extensors, and flexors of the ankles/feet are all inter-related in walking movements. Interference with their interplay (generally through over-contraction or non-responsiveness of one or more of these "players") leads to dysfunction and to back pain. The strategy of strengthening the abdominal muscles has been shown to be a misguided effort to correct problems that usually lie elsewhere - which explains why, even though abdominal strengthening exercises are so popular, back pain is still so common. Sensory-motor training (somatic education) provides a more pertinent and effective approach to the problem of back pain than abdominal strengthening exercises.
by: Lawrence Gold

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Natural Cure for Flatulence (Wind)

Why does it always happen in a crowded elevator? That's what I'd like to know. Or even worse, you are out with a potential new boyfriend or girlfriend, and you really want to impress, when all of a sudden, WOOMPPFF! Embarrassing or what???

But don't despair! The problem is probably a simple result of eating the wrong foods or too much beer. Lets check out some darn fine ways of dealing with bad smells that don't cost much, and are totally natural.

Tip 1 - try eating 'activated charcoal'. Charcoal tablets absorb the gases that cause wind, and you can eat 'em inconspicuously several times a day if the problem is really bad.

Tip 2 - Chew food thoroughly. At www.freeremedies.com we always chew our food 100 times, whether it needs it or noMore chewing means less air when you swallow, and less air means less ammo for the old 'asscannon'.

Tip 3 - avoid know 'hell raiser' foods like cabbage, beans, sweetcorn, brussel sprouts, spinach, squid and monkfish. Although high-fibre foods are useful in your diet, they can lead to bloating, and unpleasant sound effects, especially when fermeted internally with any kind of alcohol.

Tip 4 - Fizzy drinks are a no-no. Give up the colas, 7-ups, beers, and other carbonated drinks. Champagne in moderation is actually ok, for reasons scientists don't fully understand yet.

Tip 5 - Caffeine causes colonic combustion! The caffeine in tea, coffee, pepsi etc can irritate the colon, and this obviously doesn't help.

Tip 5 - and this is the biggie, never try to 'hold it in'. Boffing is a natural function, and cracking one out is just the body's way of expelling un-needed gas. If you try to bottle it up, it will only come back later, double the strength. Don't give 'em time to brew, just sneak them out whenever you can!
by: Stu Collins
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14 Effective Home Remedies for Cough

Read this article to know the best Home Remedies for Cough. First of all let me tell you what is Cough?

Coughs caused by the common cold, or flu, generally clear up after a small number of days. Cough can be a troublesome problem for the patient and the physician similar.

Cough is an important protection mechanism that plays a major role in sustaining the integrity of the airways and can be voluntary or involuntary. Cough is normally triggered by mechanical or chemical inspiration of receptors in the pharynx, larynx, trachea and bronchi. Cough receptors also survive in the nose, paranasal sinuses, external auditory ear canals, tympanic membranes, parietal pleura, esophagus, stomach, pericardium and diaphragm.

A cough is a symptom of many illnesses and conditions including: asthma, bronchitis, common cold, influenza (flu)smoking, and whooping cough. The cure of cough is useful only if directed at the cause, but patients should be offered indicative relief while awaiting the results of specific therapy.

Cough is the most ordinary respiratory symptom for which patients look for medical attention.

Here is a list of some best Home Remedies for Cough:

Home Remedies for Cough

1) Mix equal parts of ginger juice and honey and have it 2-3 times in a day which is fine for cough

2) Cinnamon is a well recognized herb which is used in cooking, and as addition to tea, apple cider and more. Make a cup of tea and put some cinnamon to it to relief the cough. This is simple and effective Home Remedy for Cough.

3) To decrease the cough, boil oregano in water, filter and drink up.

4) Gargle sage leaves and elder blossom tea with a little almond oil, oil of clove, and honey to reduce the cough and soothe the throat.

5) One good Home Remedy for Cough is the root of the turmeric plant which is helpful in a dry cough. The root should be baked and crushed. This powder should be taken in three gram dosage two times daily, in the morning and evening.

6) Another effective Home Remedy for Cough is a sauce made from raisins. This sauce is made by crushing 100 gm of raisins with water. 100 gm of sugar should be mixed with it and allow the mixture to heat. When the mixture obtains a sauce-like constancy, it should be conserved. Twenty grams should be taken at bedtime every day.

7) Aniseed is another useful remedy for a hard dry cough with complex expectoration. It shatters up the mucus. A tea made from this spice should be taken habitually for treating this state.

8) Put 2 cups of cherries in a pan and add just enough water to it. Add some lemon slices and 2 cups of honey. Boil the mixture until cherries are soft. Eradicate from heat. Take away the lemon slices and the cherry pits from the mixture. Store at a low temperature and take some tablespoons as needed for coughing.

9) A syrup of 1 teaspoon raw onion juice with 1 teaspoonful of honey kept over 3 to 4 hours serves as an excellent cough syrup. This is another superior Home Remedy for Cough.

10) Chewing betel leaf with 3-4 black Tulsi (Krishna Tulsi) leaves, a clove and a small quantity of menthol thrice a day provides relief from severe cough.

11) For dry coughs, start eating apples each day for 2-3 weeks until your cough is cured.

12) For severe cough, mix tulsi juice with garlic juice and honey. A teaspoonful of this mixture taken once in every three hours will treat excessive cough.

13) A teaspoon of honey, a pinch of turmeric powder, chewing cardamom for a while, a stick of clove, all these have proven very beneficial in treating dry cough.

14) A cup of grape juice mixed with a teaspoon of honey is recommended for cough relief.
by: Dr. John Anne

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Could Your Vitamins be Killing You?

Billions are being spent annually on vitamin and mineral supplements. It can also be argued that never in history has so much money been spent on the advertising and purchasing of any merchandise, with so little knowledge of the product itself, on the part of either the seller or the buyer,

Most consumers and even salespeople know the difference between a synthetic, a crystalline, and a truly natural whole food vitamin.

I feel that the following information is essential for you to read and hope that it will provide you with enough information and clinical evidence so that you can make an educated decision on the health and well being of you and your family members.

“You can trace every ailment, every sickness and every disease to a vitamin and mineral deficiency.” Dr. Linus Pauling, renowned scientist and two time Nobel Prize Winner

Chronic conditions like cancer and heart disease take decades to develop. So do wrinkles and fuzzy brains. The core foundation of how Young you feel, how much Energy you have, how healthy you remain and are able to function all starts with proper nutrition.

Research through numerous scientific studies have conclusively shown that proper daily nutrition when coupled with daily exercise, as simple as walking, promotes the very essence of how well you feel, and as you age your body’s ability to prevent, ward off, and minimize diseases such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

Lester Packer, Ph.D., a molecular and cell biologist at the University of California at Berkeley, after many years of research, worries that more than 70 percent of people will die prematurely from diseases caused by or compounded by deficiencies of antioxidants. But starting young – in your 20’s, 30’s and 40’s – can help keep your body youthful and disease-free instead of in need of repair later. Antioxidants are also called phytochemicals and/or phytonutrients and carotenoids.

NUTRITIONALLY, WHAT EXACTLY IS HAPPENING TO US?

We are the direct product of what we eat and the lifestyles we have elected to live. Granted, there are diseases that are passed along to us genetically, but even in those instances through proper nourishment and lifestyle changes, we can greatly reduce our risk of premature illness and death causing diseases.

In the 1980’s, a study was conducted in the United States by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Using 50,000 people, it was found that not a single person was getting the recommended amounts of the 10 essential vitamins required for normal health.

For years you have been advised to look to the food pyramid, which recommends that you eat at least 3-5 servings of vegetables and 2-4 servings of fruits daily. Sadly, the vast majority of us, and you know who you are, fall woefully short of these guidelines. The problem is we can’t eat the volume of food it would require. More than 90 percent of people don’t eat the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables. Even if we did, food today doesn’t have the vitamins and minerals that they had 40 or 50 years ago. In those days farmers restored the soil by mulching, using natural fertilizers and rotating crops. Today, extensive use of chemical substances depletes the soil of many of the essential elements needed for adequate nutrition…giving us a supply of beautiful products that look great, but don’t have the vitamins and other important nutrients we think they should have and, not near the vitamin, mineral and other essential nutrients (phytochemicals) they had 50 years ago.

Another problem is that most vitamins and other valuable nutrients are lost in processing. Cooking and freezing dramatically reduce vitamins, nutrients and food value. Added to this problem, are the presences of flavor enhancers, artificial colors, stabilizers and chemical food preservatives. Additionally, studies show that the nutrient value of our food is continually decreasing due to more air pollutants and less oxygen.

Additionally, mainstream marketing of supplemental vitamins and minerals has successfully created the myth that vitamins and minerals may be isolated from each other, that correct amounts may be measured out, and then we can derive total benefit from taking these fractionated chemical (synthetic) creations. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Vitamins and minerals, and also enzymes, work closely together as co-factors for each other’s efficacy. If one part is missing, or in the wrong form or the wrong amount, entire chains of metabolic processes will not proceed normally. Result: a downward spiraling of health, probably imperceptible for long periods of time.

SO WHAT’S THE ANSWER?

The dilemma we are faced with is; if we cannot get all of the nutrients we need through diet alone then how do we get them? We get them by taking supplements…but the right kind of supplements.

“We now have a substantial body of data showing that if everyone took a few supplements every day, they could significantly lower their risk of a multitude of serious diseases.” David Heber, M.D., Ph.D., of the Center for Human Nutrition at UCLA

While you may think that you have filled this need, you may be getting little benefit from using the vitamin & mineral supplements available today. Studies show that 90 percent of vitamin pills pass through your body unabsorbed! This is primarily due to the fact that most all vitamin & mineral supplements contain nothing but laboratory developed synthetic ingredients. Natural ingredients are more effectively used by your body which is designed to reject synthetic and foreign substances.

Your synthetic, fractionated chemical vitamin never grew in the ground, never saw the light of day, and never was alive or part of anything alive. It’s a chemical. In your body it’s just another drug. Synthetic vitamins have toxic effects in mega-doses and actually can increase the white blood cell count. Vitamins are only necessary in minute quantities on a daily basis. Whole food vitamins, by contrast, are not toxic and trigger no immune response.

Whole food vitamins are obtained by taking a vitamin-rich plant, removing the water and the fiber in a cold vacuum process, otherwise known as freeze–drying, free of chemicals, and then packaged for stability. The entire vitamin complex in this way can be captured intact, retaining its “functional and nutritional integrity.” Upon ingestion, the body is not required to draw on its own reserves in order to complete any missing elements from the vitamin complex.

“We have yet to improve on what Mother Nature has given us to eat. Foods simply cannot be artificially duplicated in the science laboratory.” Gabriel Clousens, M.D.

Examples from clinical tests conducted in Finland and reported in the New England Journal of Medicine.

• 25 mg of Vitamin C in its natural whole-food form will cure scurvy but, 250 mg of synthetic vitamin C (ascorbic acid) will not!

• “Saltwater” can be synthesized in a laboratory, but when you put a fish in it the fish dies.

WHAT OCCURS IN THE BODY WHEN YOU INGEST SYNTHETIC VITAMINS OVER A PERIOD OF TIME?

Most people are not aware that most vitamins are processed at high temperature, contain petroleum derived chemical solvents, such as coal tar derivatives and ethyl cellulose and are coated with methylene chloride, a carcinogenic material. These sources are not living foods but dead chemicals and over a period of extended use can be potentially dangerous.

According to Dr. Zoltan P. Rona, M.D., “Although most healthy people will have no obvious side effects from ingesting small amounts of toxins found in most vitamins, the long-term consequences of continuous, daily intakes are potentially dangerous.” Dr. Rona says that reactions include fatigue, memory loss, depression, insomnia and potential liver disorders.

A recent Finnish study published in the New England Journal of Medicine states that “taking synthetic vitamins is worse than starvation! The synthetic vitamins will kill you quicker.” Admittedly, this statement is a bit aggressive, but does show the emphasis the researchers wanted to make regarding the potential health danger of using synthetic vitamins.

Living systems are very complex and specific in their need for building materials. In addition, living systems are constantly breaking down cells, organs and tissues, and rebuilding and repairing themselves. For these processes, the body must have a continual supply of specific, high-quality materials.

If you build a house with cheap, imitation construction materials, your house will quickly fall into disrepair. The same is true for the physical body. The body has a very precise design, which is so incredibly intricate and complex that even with all the scientific and medical research thus far; we have only scratched the surface of understanding it.

The following examples are a handful of hundreds that could be given to illustrate this point:

• Reported on April 14, 1994 in the New England Journal of Medicine was a study in which 29,000 male smokers were given synthetic beta-carotene and synthetic Vitamin E to evaluate the cancer-protective effect of the “vitamins”. After 10 years, the men taking the synthetic beta carotene had an 18% higher rate of lung cancer, more heart attacks, and an 8% higher overall death rate. Those taking Synthetic Vitamin E had more strokes. Food sources of these same nutrients, such as fruits, and vegetables, consistently demonstrate protection against cancer, heart attacks and stroke.

• On November 23, 1995, the following was reported in The New England Journal of Medicine. 22,748 pregnant women were given synthetic Vitamin A. After four years the study was halted because of a 240% increase in birth defects in babies of women taking 10,000 IU daily, and a 400% increase in birth defects in babies of women taking 20,000 IU a day. Women eating natural food sources of Vitamin A showed no increase in birth defects.

• Reported in Reuters Health, March 3, 2000 was a study of men who took 500 mg of synthetic Vitamin C daily. It was found that over an 18-month period, these men had a 250% increase of the intima-media lining (inner lining) of the carotid artery. This thickening is an accurate measurement for the progression of atherosclerosis. That is, synthetic Vitamin C induced atherosclerosis, even at 500 mg dose. Whole food Vitamin C protects and repairs the inner lining of blood vessels, and is preventative against atherosclerosis.

WHAT IS BEST FOR ME?

Using years of research and clinical data published by the National Cancer Institute, American Heart Association, USDA and the International Food Information Council Foundation, the American Diabetic Association and countless medical studies we need to keep our bodies free of refined and processed food, eliminate high fructose and artificial sweeteners . We need to consume a “Rainbow” of fruits and vegetables to get as much color variety in your diet as possible, so that you can maximize your intake of a broad range of nutrients. The colors of fruits and vegetables are a small clue as to what vitamins and nutrients are included. By getting a variety of different colored fruits and vegetables, you are guaranteed a diverse amount of naturally created essential vitamins and minerals. Choose grains, fruits and vegetables that are grown in deep mineral rich, alluvial soils without the use of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides…there’re grown as mother-nature intended.

The Choice is yours

110 companies sell vitamins in the United States. Less than 5 of them use whole food vitamins. The reason is simple: whole food vitamins are expensive to make. A few of the largest pharmaceutical firms in the world mass produce synthetic vitamins for the vast majority of these 110 “vitamin” companies, who then put their own label on them, and every company claims theirs is the best! Americans spend over $9 billion per year for synthetic vitamins and our health is worse now than it’s ever been…something is wrong….it’s called synthetics!

Don’t you think it’s time for a change?
by: Denise McKinley


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Exercising In Heat

Summer is officially here. Finally you can pack away your jackets and get outside. Summer offers extras hours of daylight and with it the opportunity to spend even more time enjoying outdoor activities. For many, this means more time doing physical activities and playing sports. So, it’s important to remember the potential dangers that also come with exercising in hot conditions. As long as you know the dos and don’ts of working out in the heat, then you can fully take advantage of all the fun of summer.

What you should do:

* Drink plenty of fluids. It’s extremely important to stay hydrated. If you’re thirsty then you are already dehydrated; drink before you feel a need to. Be sure to drink throughout the day (stick to non-caffeinated beverages, preferably water). Also, drink 15-20 minutes before beginning your workout and every 15 minutes throughout the exercise.

* Eat regularly. The heat can decrease your appetite, but it’s important to eat normally. Try to eat small meals 5-6 times per day. Include lots of fruits and vegetables. Aside from being nutritious, fruits also tend to help with hydration.

* Wear light, loose fitting clothes that can breath. Cotton is always a good choice. If your outdoor activity produces a lot of perspiration, consider clothing that is designed to wick the sweat away.

* Wear sunscreen. Even if you exercise early in the morning or late in the evening, if the sun can reach you then you can get burned. Not only is a sunburn bad on the skin and potentially dangerous but it also hinders your bodies ability to stay cool.

* Use common sense and don’t attempt strenuous activities that your body is not accustom to. Stick to exercises that you are very familiar and comfortable with.

* Check the weather forecast. It’s best not to participate in intense outdoor exercise sessions when the heat index registers in the dangerous zone.

What you should not do:

* Don’t try to diet by sweating. Excessive perspiration is not the key to permanent weight loss. Any decrease in the scale would simply be a result of water loss, not fat reduction.

* Don’t adapt the "no pain, no gain" motto. Ignoring your body’s signals could be dangerous. Heat-related illnesses come with warning signs. Be sure to learn how to recognize them and what actions to take.

* Don’t forget to drink plenty of liquid when swimming. Just because your body is surrounded by water does not mean that you are well-hydrated. As with any land exercises, you need to regularly replenish lost fluids when in the pool.

* Avoid physical activity during the hottest part of the day, which usually is between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

* If you want (or need) to be working in very hot temperatures, don’t do it until you become acclimated. Try to spend only a few minutes per day in the hot conditions for the first couple of weeks and then add time gradually each day.

* Avoid extreme changes in temperature. Don’t hop from being extremely hot and sweating excessively right into an ice cold, air-conditioned environment. Try to cool your body down slightly before exposing it to the extreme temperature variation.

Whether you have to work outside or do it for enjoyment, following the above tips will help you stay cool and safe during the dog days of summer. So, don’t spend the season cooped up, get out there and have some fun!
by: Lynn Bode
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Cranberry Juice For Cavities? Be Careful Of What You’re Buying

Researchers at the University of Rochester have published information showing that the cranberry may be effective at preventing tooth decay. The research focuses on the inhibiting effect of some compounds found inside the cranberry against a key bacterium blamed in the formation of cavities.

“Scientists believe that one of the main ways that cranberries prevent urinary tract infections is by inhibiting the adherence of pathogens on the surface of the bladder. Perhaps the same is true in the mouth, where bacteria use adhesion molecules to hold onto teeth,” says Dr. Michel Koo, an oral biologist and food scientist at the university's medical center.

While this may sound like good news for those who are looking for natural ways to support their body, it’s very important to understand what’s in cranberry juice before making a purchase. Always remember to read the labels. Most cranberry juice is cranberry flavored apple juice. Sometimes it is also mixed with grape juice. Other ingredients may even include high-Fructose corn syrup. Towards the end of the ingredient list is found cranberry concentrate.

While, drinking apple juice and grape juice is probably a dietary improvement for most people, juices that are made with so much processed sugar are clearly little more than cranberry flavored juices. They’re unlikely to contain significant amounts of the compounds that make cranberries useful in the prevention of tooth decay and tend to contain large amounts of the compounds that are blamed on tooth decay.

Purer forms of cranberry juice have a very strong flavor. Some people can develop a taste for unsweetened cranberries, while other people can only handle cranberries when blended with some other juice. If choosing a cranberry blend, be sure to read the ingredient label and avoid juices that are sweetened with processed sugars and diluted with juices that are mostly the sugars that lead to cavities.

Further research will be necessary before cranberries can actually be promoted as a preventative for tooth decay. However others sugars such as Xylose, are already used in “sugarless gums” because of their proven ability to inhibit bacterial development on the surface of teeth. Such gums are of course called sugarless because they do not have sucrose and glucose which are the sugars associated with cavities.

Cranberries have also been shown to have beneficial effects for people with chronic urinary tract infections. The compound believed to be responsible for this is a simple monosaccharide sugar called Mannose. Identified in Harpers Biochemistry as one of eight sugars necessary for normal cellular function, Mannose has also been shown to prevent bacterial infection and development.

These necessary monosaccharide sugars can all be found in a single dietary supplement. It also contains the other sugars identified in Harpers Biochemistry, based of their importance in biological functions. This can provide a more convenient choice for people wishing to improve their diets by increasing their nutrient intake while limiting the intake of food compounds which are not beneficial to good health.
by: Dave Saunders

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Dietary Recommendations After Gastric Bypass Surgery

When obesity gets out of hand, unresponsive to dietary, lifestyle and medical interventions, drastic measures are needed to cut down calorie intake. Morbid obesity with a BMI (body mass index, a measure of malnutrition) above 40 kg/m2 is an indication for surgical procedures such as gastric bypass surgery. Gastric bypass is now a well-trodden path to lower BMI’s and achieve healthier lives in 18 months or so. First used in the 1950’s, only the last two decades have seen safe and successful gastric bypass surgery with any consistency. Half a century of meticulous observations and patient follow-up has led to the formulation of strict guidelines to ensure desired results.

Gastric bypass is a series of steps initiated starting with the decision to undergo the procedure. Identifying existing nutritional deficiencies is the first step towards surgery. Vitamin and mineral deficiency often occur in obesity, and need to be addressed before the procedure. The surgery itself has two goals; to reduce the volume of the stomach and shorten the food transit time in the intestine. After surgery the stomach cannot receive large meals or participate in digestion. This by itself limits food intake. Food also bypasses a large part of the intestine and has little time to interact with liver and pancreatic enzymes. As a result, nutrition absorbed from diet drops drastically. In most types of gastric bypass surgeries done today only 50 cm of the intestine is allowed to function in normal fashion. Compare this to food absorption taking over 7 feet of small and large intestine before surgery.

With such a radical reduction in the capacity to assimilate food, the postoperative period can be rather tricky. Only clear fluids are advised for the first two days while waiting for gut to recover. The gut is then re-trained for about two months before it can go back to a normal diet. During the recovery period the limitations imposed by the gastric bypass procedure should be kept in mind. After surgery the stomach has become much smaller and can only hold approximately eight ounces at a time. The stomach has also lost its ability to pulverize food to initiate digestion. Consequently the appropriate diet for postoperative recovery would be a liquid to soft solid diet that can be taken six to eight times a day in small quantities. Nutrient fluids are preferable since they can provide hydration and energy at the same time. Non-nutrient fluids are best avoided or at least restricted to in-between meals.

The type of nutrient chosen also deserves due consideration. The chosen macronutrient should not affect the stomach emptying time while providing enough energy to recover from the surgery. In this regard carbohydrates and fats are at either end of a spectrum and neither is suitable. Carbohydrates pass through very quickly and produce very uncomfortable symptoms like vomiting, bloating, diarrhea and sweating. Fat slows the gut considerably, and it is oftentimes ruled out because of its direct link to obesity. Research suggests that the macronutrients of choice after gastric bypass surgery are proteins. Proteins do not change gastric transit time significantly. A high-protein diet can also provide enough amino acids for repair and growth after a major surgical procedure like gastric bypass.

Apart from these advantages, a high-protein diet has a special role in the treatment of obesity. Gastric bypass restricts excessive calorie intake to prevent weight gain. However, accumulated adipose tissue also needs to be expended to achieve the desired weight loss. The basal metabolic rate (energy expenditure) should be increased simultaneously to burn stored fat and reduce BMI. This can be achieved by a high-protein diet since proteins in diet increase the basal metabolic rate by stimulating protein synthesis. Observations made during the postoperative period also confirm this proposition. Unless a high-protein diet is provided, weight loss often ceases despite controlled consumption.

Currently, a protein intake of up to 90 grams per day is recommended in the post-operative period. Given the trauma and the limitations the gut is subjected to during the procedure, such a high protein intake can be difficult to maintain. The gut is hardly ready and often fails to assimilate proteins and energy from traditional foods and diets. Therefore, a sugar-free fluid protein concentrate with a high bioavailability, adequate essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals is the most appropriate diet in the post-operative period. Digestion is further facilitated if the protein concentrate is already pre-digested, or hydrolyzed. Such a nutrient fluid can simultaneously supply concentrated energy and hydration even when taken in small quantities.

After recovery and return to a normal diet divided over 3 to 4 meals per day, a high-protein concentrate is still a relevant supplement between or during meals. The protein supplement continues to provide thermogenic action necessary to lose weight essential to sustain weight loss. It also compensates for any amino acid deficiency in the diet and maintains nutrition on bad days not uncommon in the months and years after a major surgery.

REFERENCES

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2. MacLean LD, Rhode BM, Nohr CW. Late outcome of isolated gastric bypass. Ann of Surg. 2000. 231:524-528.

3. Nutritional Implications of Bariatric Surgery: Perspectives of Practitioners Audiotape/Handout packages available post-conference.

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5. Faintuch J, Matsuda M, Cruz ME, et al. Severe protein-calorie malnutrition after bariatric procedures. Obes Surg 2004; 14:175–181.

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by: Protica Nutritional Research

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