Healthy Living

Back pain is one of the most common complaints that brings people to their doctor and chiropractor. According to Mayo Clinic most people will experience low back pain at least one time during their lives.

1) Back pain cause people to miss work, go to the doctor and take pain medication. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, American spend approximately 50 billion dollars each year on the treatment of low back pain.

2) Most low back pain is mechanical in nature, which means that it’s the result of some type of trauma or a disorder such as arthritis. Athletes have difficulty with low back pain as a result of sports injuries, poor flexibility or trauma during sporting activities. Athletes also experience pain from over-activity when muscles and ligaments can be injured.

Symptoms are often shooting or stabbing pains that are related to muscle spasms in the lower back. These pains come with movement or can occur without movement. Sometimes there is pain that radiates down one leg or both. You may find that you are more comfortable lying down, sitting or standing.

Most lower back pain is treated without surgery. In fact, many times it gets better without treatment. Non-surgical treatments include hot or cold therapy, which ever is most comfortable for you, as well as some rest, therapeutic exercises and some analgesics. Chiropractic care is an option that will help you determine body mechanics that are healthier and develop therapeutic exercises to help you reduce pain.

Once an athlete has experienced lower back pain, it’s important to prevent further injury. combine aerobic exercises and therapeutic exercises to keep your muscles strong and flexible. Your core muscles are important to the prevention of lower back pain, both strength and flexibility. Maintain a healthy weight to reduce the stress on your lower back and use proper lifting techniques when you are doing daily activities or lifting at the gym.

Good posture is important to avoid any future problems as well. Proper posture will keep your core strong and your lower back well supported during your daily activities.

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The 7 Dietary Guidelines published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services were designed to complement the Food Pyramid. These guidelines provide a practical approach to avoiding nutritional deficiencies and they address other diet related health problems through nutritional prevention. The 7 Dietary Guidelines for Americans are designed to help individuals meet nutritional requirements that promote health and reduce the risks of chronic diseases.

The first of the 7 Dietary Guidelines is to eat a variety of foods. There are no single foods that can supply all the nutrition needed to support the body and prevent disease. There are people who believe that banana’s might be the most complete food. And they might. But they aren’t complete. They may be the most complete, but they don’t completely supply all that your body needs to survive in a healthy state.

The USDA Food Pyramid recommends breads, cereals, pasta, dairy, meat, fruits and vegetables. But the Harvard School of Public Health has published Healthy Eating Guidelines that refute some of the information in the Pyramid, using the most current dietary and nutritional research that wasn’t influenced by the sugar, dairy, meat and processed food industries. (1)

The second of the 7 Dietary Guidelines for Americans is to balance the food you eat with activity, that will maintain or improve your weight. Obesity is a growing problem and is the root of many medical problems and morbidity (death). Weight loss should be accomplished slowly and consistently with ½ pound to 1 pound per week.

The third Guideline is to choose a diet with whole grains, vegetables and fruits. When most of the calories in your diet come from these sources you’ll have a much easier time with weight maintenance and weight loss. The average adult servings is six fruits and vegetables per day and 6 of grain products. Be wise about your servings sizes though. It may surprise you that the serving on your plate is actually 2 or 3 and not the 1 serving you imagined it to be.

The fourth of the 7 Dietary Guidelines is to choose a low fat diet that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Again, low fat and low cholesterol diets are a great way to lower your risk of obesity, heart disease, stroke and some cancers. The fifth of the Guidelines is to moderate your intake of sugar and sweets. Research has shown that sugar has multiple effects on your body from the standard tooth decay, to weight gain, empty calories without nutrients and a significant impact on your immune system.

The sixth of the 7 Dietary Guidelines is to choose a diet that is moderate in salt and sodium. Read your labels on all your foods. You will be surprised at the amount of salt or sodium that is used to accentuate flavor or used as part of the preservatives. Sodium has a significant impact on your blood pressure when you already have heart disease. It also places a larger workload on the kidneys to get rid of it. Limiting your foods with salt and enjoying the flavor of unsalted foods will go a long way toward improving your health, even if you don’t have heart disease.

And the seventh and final guideline is to drink alcohol in moderation or not at all. Alcohol will dehydrate your body, is full of empty calories that have no nutritional value and moderate to high levels of intake are associated with high blood pressure and stroke.

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With the increasing obesity problem and deaths from secondary effects of obesity, more people are searching for an answer. It has been estimated that approximately 32 million Americans are following some type of low carbohydrate diet as a result of fad diets and the rising obesity problems. But it is possible to eat healthy low carbs and lose weight too.

In the 1980’s consumers started cutting down their fat intake. Food manufacturers responded by cutting down the fat in their processed foods so they could label them ‘fat free’. Unfortunately they didn’t take out the calories too. But people didn’t get past the ‘fat free’ label on the food to see that the calories weren’t decreased and consequently total calorie intake has been increasing in the past 10 years.

Since the increase in fad diets, and authors who advocate eating a low carbohydrate diets, there has been a debate raging as to whether or not these diets are harmful to your health. But irrespective of the advantages or disadvantages of a low carbohydrate diet, there are several things you can do to give your diet more healthy choices.

Eating a healthy low carb diet takes just a little bit of planning and energy but the benefits are a return on your energy and a boost to any weight loss efforts you’ve been after.

Your planning should begin before you go to the grocery store. Make a menu for the week and then create your shopping list from the menu. You must also include ideas for snacks and desserts during the day as well. You want to have something in the house to snack on so you don’t have a snack-attack and race out to the store for potato chips and cookies.

Incorporate healthy plant-based fats into your diet instead of saturated or trans fats. Eating a healthy low carb diet includes plant based fats are in nuts, avocados and olives or olive oils. Stay away from the hydrogenated fats which make the fat foods solid at room temperature. Researchers believe that hydrogenation is more harmful to your health than the fats found in animal products.

Multiple studies over the past 10 years have shown that a moderately large to large amounts of animal fats lead to cancer, heart disease and other inflammatory disorders such as arthritis or lupus. Animal fats also increase your cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which increases your risk of diabetes and heart disease.

When you are planning your diet and meal plan, include as many fruits and vegetables as your diet plan allows. The phytonutrients that come from fruits and vegetables will help to decrease blood pressure and protect against cancer, heart disease, diabetes and obesity. You can get into the habit of adding more fruits and vegetables into your diet easily by changing just a few things; berries in your cereal in the morning, a tomato with your lunch or adding different vegetables into your salad at dinner with an apple as dessert.

Eating health low carbs should include as many whole foods as possible. Rather than eating a convenient food snack, pick an equally easy piece of fruit or vegetable from the refrigerator. In order to accommodate the new fad of low carbohydrate meals and snacks manufacturers have learned to process low carb or low net carb snacks that include ice cream, chips and crackers. So Americans are learning they can stay within the dietary guidelines of their low carb diet plan and increase the number of calories they are eating and snacking that is now available.

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If you suffer from heartburn, then you have to remember that you’re not alone. Heartburn is a condition that millions of people today are suffering from. It is also an age-old condition that people have been experiencing. You have to keep in mind that heartburn is a common condition that is treatable and even preventable.

First of all, you have to remember that heartburn is in no way related to any heart condition. As a matter of fact, heartburn is a digestive condition where the acid that our stomach naturally produces to digest food comes in contact with our esophagus. When this happens, we will feel a burning sensation that starts on our diaphragm all the way to our chest. It is also accompanied by a sour or bitter taste in our mouth, which is basically the stomach acid reaching our throat and mouth.

Now, you have to keep in mind that there are several ways on how you can prevent or at least lessen the frequency of heartburn. By following these tips, you can be sure that you will be able to take control of your life again.

You have to remember that in order to prevent heartburn, you have to make some changes with your life. A few lifestyle modifications can really go a long way.

The first is that you have to avoid eating large meals. Instead of eating 3 large meals a day, you may want to eat 6 smaller meals a day. This will keep stomach acid production on a minimum and eventually prevent heartburn.

You should also avoid foods and beverages that reduce pressure on the LES or the lower esophageal sphincter. This means that you have to avoid chocolate, caffeine containing food and beverages, peppermint, and fried or fatty foods.

You also need to avoid or lessen your consumption of foods that can damage your esophagus, such as spicy food, oranges, pineapple or citrus fruits and juices, tomato sauce and foods that contain a lot of tomatoes.
You should also stop smoking as nicotine can damage your LES or the lower esophageal sphincter, which is primarily responsible for preventing stomach acid from reaching your esophagus.

After eating, you need to avoid lying down as this is the best position for the stomach acid to flow back or reflux in to your esophagus. If you are suffering from nighttime heartburn, the best thing that you can do is to elevate your head when you lie down. But, don’t try using more pillows to do this as this can worsen heartburn as it will increase pressure on your stomach. Instead, try to elevate by placing a wedge under the mattress or by placing 6 inch blocks under the head of the bed.
Alcohol is known to increase the frequency of heartburn. So, try to limit your alcohol intake. You should also try to lose weight if you are overweight.

Lastly, you should take antacids whenever you feel the symptoms of heartburn.
Remember these tips and you can be sure that you will be able to prevent or at least control heartburn. And, if none of these tips work, it may be time to consult your doctor as the heartburn may already be a sign of a far worse condition in your body.

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Today, 5 to 15 percent of the adult population experiences severe cases of heartburn. Home remedies will only provide temporary or partial relief and chronic heartburn should be taken seriously as this can really have a negative effect on your life.

So, just what is heartburn and why should you be worried if you experience this condition?
For starters, you have to remember that heartburn has nothing to do with the heart as the name of the condition may suggest. Basically, heartburn is a digestive problem that occurs when the acids inside the stomach comes in contact with the lining of the esophagus. This causes irritation and this will in turn cause heartburn.

Heartburn can happen suddenly and without warning. Usually, this happens after a big meal before bedtime. You will experience a burning sensation that will begin in the upper abdomen and builds up behind the breastbone and makes your chest feels like burning.

The burning sensation and the pain may even travel from your diaphragm to your throat, which may be accompanied by a bitter and sour taste. It can even feel like as if food is reentering your mouth.
If you experience heartburn almost every single day, then you have a chronic case of heartburn. Mild cases of heartburn will mean that you experience this condition once a month.

Mild cases may be treated with simple home remedies, such as changing your diet, over the counter antacids and even by losing weight or by avoiding wearing tight clothes. On the other hand, severe cases of heartburn will require a more comprehensive treatment as home remedies will only provide temporary or partial relief.
If you have a severe case of heartburn, then you have every right to be worried. This may be a sign that you have a condition called Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease or GERD. If you leave it untreated, it can lead to severe complications, such as scarring of the esophagus. This will make it difficult for you to swallow food and even liquids.

Severe heartburn can also lead to Barrett’s esophagus. This condition is where cells similar to that of your stomach lining will develop in your lower esophagus. This condition will increase your risk of developing cancer in the esophagus.

There are several ways on how you can manage heartburn. For starters, you have to make a few lifestyles and diet changes. This will include eating frequent smaller meals instead of just three large meals a day. This will help in decreasing the production of stomach acids.

Eating slowly can also help manage heartburn. Also, you have to avoid going to bed on a full stomach. Stay up at least 3 hours after eating your last meal before you go to bed. This will give the acids a chance to decrease before your body is in a position where heartburn will likely occur, which is lying down.
If you are a smoker, then you should quit smoking as the nicotine content in cigars and cigarettes can weaken the lower esophageal sphincter, which is basically the muscle the controls the opening between the esophagus and the stomach.

These are some of the ways on how you can manage heartburn.
Having a severe case of heartburn will lead to much worse complications. So, you have to learn how to manage heartburn and you should also visit your doctor in order for you to know exactly what to do to decrease the frequency of heartburn as well as get medications in treating heartburn.

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Whenever you drink beer, you feel something burning inside your chest located just behind your breastbone. It’s painful and it rises into the chest and radiates to your neck, throat, and angle of the jaw. You feel like vomiting but nothing comes out but just a bitter taste in your mouth.

You’ve just experienced heartburn or also known as pyrosis or acid indigestion.
Basically, heartburn is often associated with regurgitation of gastric acid or also known as acid reflux. This is why you feel a burning sensation in your chest and in your throat. This is also the reason why you taste something bitter right after the heartburn episode.

So, should you be concerned if you experience heartburn?
For starters, heartburn is a major symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease. And, you need to remember that this can be misdiagnosed because the burning in the chest symptom of heartburn is also a symptom of ischemic heart disease, which is a much more serious illness
.
This is why you have to go to your doctor when you experience heartburn. This way, you will be diagnosed properly and be given the proper medications for the type of disease you have.

You have to be concerned if you have heartburn because this is one of the major symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD, which can lead to the inflammation of the esophagus. Also, heartburn can also be a symptom of acute myocardial infarction as well as angina.

If you have been told to administer vicous lidocaine and it relieved you of symptoms 5 to 10 minutes after the administration, it is very likely that the heartburn is esophageal in origin. But, you still have to keep in mind that this does not rule out that it can be caused by heart related illnesses or diseases.
This is primarily the reason why you have to go to the doctor in order to get it diagnosed properly and determine the cause of heartburn
.
The doctor may try to diagnose you biochemically or mechanically. The biochemical method of diagnosing means that a probe will be placed via the nose and in to the esophagus. This will record the level of acidity in the lower of esophagus. This method is called Esophageal pH Monitoring, which can be sued to document acid reflux in real time.

In the mechanical method, the doctor will try a method called Manometry. This method is where the doctor will insert a pressure sensor or a manometer through the mouth and in to the esophagus. This device will measure the pressure of the lower esophageal sphincter.

Another method is endoscopy. This method will allow the doctor to see the esophageal mucosa by passing a thin and lighted tube with a small camera through the mouth. This device is called endoscope and is used to examine the esophagus as well as the stomach.

Endoscopy will help the doctor see if there is any evidence of esophageal inflammation and biopsies may be taken if necessary through this method.

Treating heartburn will depend on the underlying cause. Antacids may be given to treat GERD and gastritis and antibiotics may be given if H. pylori are present or diagnosed.
Heartburn is a serious condition that you have to take seriously. Once you experience heartburn, you better get it diagnosed by your doctor to determine what’s causing it and treat it properly.

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