Monthly Archives: July 2012

Working Out

Five Tips To Ease Hip Pain Symptoms

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Whether your aching hip is caused by a pinched nerve or a fracture on the pelvic bone, you can do one or more quick and easy tips to ease the pain and other symptoms you might get like a dull throbbing or a numb sensation. Try the five tips below to get relief from pain and help your hip get back to perfect condition again.

 1. Get off your feet.

You may think it’s strange to rest your feet when it’s your hip that’s aching, but actually walking and moving around requires hip movement, and any unnecessary motion can bring a fresh burst of pain. Mild cases of hip pain can get better after a few hours of rest, while severe injuries may need a couple of weeks or more.

 2. Lie on your back when resting and sleeping.

Hip pain can get worse if you put too much of your body’s weight on it, so refrain from lying on your side or on your stomach, both of which puts more pressure on the hips. Lying on your back is actually the best position, not just for hip injuries but also for leg and foot problems or even a pinched nerve upper back.

 3. Avoid repetitive exercises.

Although you are required to get enough rest to let your hip heal, you will still need to do the right exercises to speed up recovery by conditioning your hip muscles and stimulating good blood circulation. Moves like kicks and twists should be avoided. Instead look for routines that will strengthen without being repetitive, such as Pilates and Yoga. Exercises for pinched nerve in hip also focus on correct posture and won’t subject you to high impact, so go for stretches over repetitive moves to treat hip pain.

4. Use ice wraps and cold packs.

This is the best step for getting instant pain relief for the hip. An ice wrap can soothe the pain signals released by the sensory nerves and decrease swelling. Ice packs made with ice cubes and a towel or Ziploc bag is also as effective but may be more difficult to keep steady on the hip than an ice wrap.

 5. Gently massage the hip area.

A hard massage can be too painful for an aching hip, so use light gentle strokes with your fingers and palms instead. A soft touch can be far more calming than strong pressure, so relax and keep your strokes light when massaging your hip.

Dessert Fruit Kid Friendly Recipes

Healthy and Easy Fruit Dessert Recipe

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Desserts can often be a tricky area when living a healthy lifestyle.  Luckily, there are many desserts that call for natural ingredients that can actually provide health benefits to your diet and can work with your plan on how to lose weight fast through nutrition.  One of my favorite desserts involves using papaya, mango, pineapple, a little coconut milk and some pistachios.  Because of its ingredients, this dessert is not only a healthy option but is also gluten free and can be eaten by people who suffer from diabetes (depending on their current blood sugar levels). This dessert tastes delicious and is high in vitamin C, fiber and beta-carotene.  Plus, it is quick and easy to make.

The first thing to do is slice up a ripe pineapple, mango or papaya.  You can mix up a combination of the fruit or choose just one.  Place the slices into a bowl or on a serving platter.

Next, you will drizzle coconut milk (or lite coconut milk) on top of the fruit.  For about every 16 slices of fruit, you should use approximately 4 teaspoons of coconut milk.

Lastly, add about 2 tablespoons of pistachios.  Most people like when the pistachios are chopped up into smaller pieces, but chopping or not chopping is up to your personal preference.  If you are short on time, the dessert can be eaten immediately.  However, if it is a hot day it is usually better to pop it back into the fridge for 10-15 minutes to make it cooler before eating.

This is also a good recipe to serve to kids on a hot day instead of popsicles.  Just prepare the fruit and coconut milk and stick it into the freezer for about 2 hours.  You can add the pistachios when your kids are ready to eat or leave them off for your picky eater.  If you are adding the pistachios, I have found that slightly mashing the fruit up inside of a bowl makes it easier for the kids to eat the fruit and pistachios at the same time.  For more health and fitness tips, visit Know My Body.

Healthy Products

How The Benefits Of Flax Seed Can Give Side Effects

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To those who are not familiar with it, flaxseed can sound as exotic as quinoa, acai berries, noni fruits or any other health food making health headlines recently. Flaxseed certainly counts as one of the most nutritious foods around, with its rich fiber and omega 3 fatty acids content, but if you’re not careful, the flaxseed benefits can lead to side effects. Let’s find out what the flaxseed side effects are so you will know how to avoid them and experience only the many health benefits.

Gastrointestinal Problems

Nausea, diarrhea, appetite loss, and stomach pains are some of the digestive problems associated with eating flaxseed, and it can be rather confusing, for isn’t the high fiber content of flaxseed supposed to treat gastrointestinal disorders? In the right amount and when taken correctly, the dietary fiber in flaxseed can do wonders to treat and prevent digestive problems, just as incorrect and excessive amounts can lead to said problems. Too much fiber leads to a laxative effect and diarrhea, but in some cases, very high doses may even cause intestinal blockage and constipation. To prevent this, stick to the dose approved by your doctor or nutritionist, such as one to two tablespoons of flaxseed a day, and never consume more than five tablespoons at a time. To help your body use and dispose of the fiber properly, drink plenty of water and eat a healthy diet with water-rich foods like berries, tomatoes, and leafy green vegetables.

Although whole flaxseeds are said to be the healthiest, you may be better off enjoying flaxseed oil or ground flaxseed benefits, both of which are easier for our bodies to digest. However, take care not to exceed the maximum dose for these flaxseed varieties, for they may still cause gastrointestinal problems in large amounts.

 

Decreased Blood Coagulation

The normal act of blood clotting is essential for open wounds to stop bleeding, but when the blood starts clotting inside the body, this can lead to serious problems, including heart attack and stroke. This is why some people need to take medicines like Warfarin to keep blood clots in their veins from developing and growing larger.

Unfortunately, flaxseed is just one of the healthy foods that inadvertently affect the circulatory system, much like how the side effects of hibiscus tea can lower blood pressure. Large doses of flaxseeds are known to give an anticoagulant effect on the blood. This is why consuming flaxseeds in high doses should be avoided by those on anticoagulant medication and who are going through surgery in a matter of days. Flaxseeds may cause the blood to “thin” out and keep the cells and platelets from naturally clotting, so consult your doctor first before taking flaxseeds if you are taking special medication or have surgery coming up.