36 The Courier sun • health • june 4, 2015 for breaking news visit www.couriersun.com ▶health Natural healing for stiffness & chronic pain by JOANNE BARRY In today’s fast pace world we live in, almost everyone is inactive, eating poorly, sleep deprived, stressed, and on sugar and caffeine overload, leading to stiffness, chronic pain, constipation, headaches, and frequent use of medication. Being a Certified Personal Trainer for more than 25 years and having firsthand experience with stiffness and pain, I know and understand how stiffness and pain can cripple a person. In 2007, I was diagnosed with hip dysplasia. My hip joint was not in the correct position to completely cover and support the femoral head, therefore creating stiffness, pain, and limited range of motion. After receiving my diagnosis, I decided to treat it with the same approach I educate my clients with, which is to establish a plan that focuses on the “total person” (mind, body, and spirit). 1. Movement Exercise stimulates the release of endorphins (the body’s own feel good hormone). Talk to your doctor about the type of physical activities that are best for your situation. A gradual and gentle exercise program may include exercises for lower and upper body extremities, cardiovascular fitness, and flexibility and range of motion exercises, which work well for people with long lasting muscle and joint pain. 2. Nutrition The typical American diet is filled with foods that promote inflammation, including sugar, overly processed convenience foods, and refined carbohydrates. You can decrease inflammation by choosing antioxidantrich fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, such as avocados, olives, and nuts, and balancing your intake of omega-6 fatty acid and omega-3. 3. Hydration I drink 8-10 glasses of warm water with lemon and ginger or cinnamon and honey to help decrease stiffness, pain, constipation, and headaches. I find that consuming warm water is more beneficial as it assists in keeping the joints lubricated. 4. Sleep I make sure I get 7-9 hours of sleep each night, and if not, I am unable to manage my stiffness and pain. If pain keeps me up at night, I need to take one or two 20-30 minute “power naps” during the day as I find that when I am well rested, I can manage my stiffness and pain better. 5. Meditation: Decompress Stress Stress and pain are often linked to headaches, neck pain, and tense muscles, which are signs of stress. Chronic stress can foster inflammation and muscle tension which creates more pain. Relaxation techniques such as guided imagery and meditation can decrease the emotional and physical impact of stress in your body. 6. The Power of Touch: Reiki and Crystal Healing Healing treatments, such as Reiki and Crystal Healing, help to connect you with the emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of one’s being. Reiki and Crystal Healing can help to restore, rejuvenate, and renew your body allowing the energy to flow and become balanced. 7. Healing with Essential Oils Applying essential oils daily can help decrease stiffness, pain, depression, anxiety, and sleepless nights. There are many essential oils you can use such as lavender (for calm), wintergreen (for pain and stiffness and peppermint (combats mental and physical fatigue). 8. Positive Affirmations There is a lot to be said about Positive Affirmations. Maintaining a positive attitude may help to decrease stress, stiffness, and pain. Keeping a positive affirmation journal improves confidence, peace of mind, and self-esteem, while improving healing. 9. Healthy Weight For me, maintaining a healthy weight helps to decrease pain, stiffness, and inflammation from my joints, allowing me to move easily. Joanne Barry is the owner of Fitness R Us in Flushing. WHY SHOULD WE EAT FRUIT? by KERRI HOFFMAN I was talking to a friend recently about new food ideas as we are both sometimes bored with our food choices. I mentioned that sometimes I eat breakfast for dinner healthy french toast made with whole wheat bread dipped in egg whites with fresh fruit. She was amazed at the notion, never having thought of eating blueberry blintzes for dinner. We discussed how fruit can be eaten as a snack or as an accompaniment to any meal. The health benefits of fruit are sometimes underrated. Eating fruit provides many health benefits, including potassium, fiber, vitamin C and folic acid. Most fruits are naturally low in fat, sodium and calories. Fruits do not contain cholesterol. Fruits that are rich in potassium, such as bananas, prunes, cantaloupe and honeydew melon, may help to maintain healthy blood pressure. Dietary fiber from fruits helps reduce cholesterol levels and may lower risk of heart disease. Fiber-containing fruits help provide a feeling of fullness which can help reduce calorie intake. Vitamin C is important for repair and growth of all body tissues, helps heal cuts and keeps teeth and gums healthy. Folic acid is especially important for pregnant women because it reduces the risk of birth defects and aids fetal development. Eating fruits rich in blue pigment have antioxidant properties and offer many health benefits, including protection against cancers, aging and infections. These blue fruits include purple grapes, acai berry, blueberries and blackberries. So who thinks fruit is unhealthy? People who follow a low carb diet tend to shy away from fruit or limit their fruit intake. Fruit tends to be fairly rich in carbohydrates, primarily the simple sugars- glucose and fructose. Consuming a lot of fructose may be unhealthy for people who are inactive and eat a high-carb diet. However, those who are healthy, lean and active can afford to eat some fructose. Instead of being turned into fat, the fructose will go towards replenishing glycogen stores in the liver. The bottom line is that fruits are healthy, unprocessed foods containing fiber, vitamins and minerals. Pan Seared Banana with Maple Syrup 1 banana 1 teaspoon maple syrup cinnamon to taste canola or any type of oil for pan Peel banana and cut lengthwise into two pieces. Heat frying pan on medium and add canola oil. Drizzle maple syrup on cut side of bananas and sprinkle cinnamon to taste. When oil is hot, place bananas cut side down. Turn the bananas once every 2-3 minutes until each side starts to brown. Enjoy warm with fat-free whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or fresh berries. Experiment with fruit in your cooking. Mix things up, don’t think outside the box, think like there is no box.
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