Foot Health Information

These days it is not rare to find people affected by heel pain that is so severe that it may prevent experiencing everyday things in life. Today, heel pain is a very common type of foot condition. It can begin as an irritating pain that you feel every now and then, and develop into an intense pain that is felt every day. Sometimes, a hurting heel can go away on its own, but, if left untreated, heel pain can get very painful.

There are usually two places on the heel that people complain of pain, under the heel and in the back of the heel. Usually, when people suffer from pain in the back of the heel it is related to excessive use or inflammation of the Achilles tendon. When people feel heel pain, it can be caused by a person stepping on a large stone or rock which bruises the heel, or the plantar fascia can be inflamed. A heel that is injured by a sharp object will heal on its own over time. Nonetheless, if the heel pain is caused by inflammation of the plantar fascia, there are a few things that need to be done to help including plantar fasciitis exercises and orthotics.

The plantar fascia is the soft tissue on the bottom of the foot that connects the heel to the toes. Under normal conditions, the plantar fascia is a flexible and strong part of the foot that helps the foot to hold up our weight and keeps us balanced. If the foot is under abnormal stress, such as excessive body weight, repetitive movements from sports, age or compromised foot function, it can create small tears in the plantar fascia. These small tears typically are found near the heel bone, where they become inflamed and cause pain. If this tissue is repeatedly stretched it can create the creation of heel spurs. Heel spurs are boney growths on the heel that can be the reason for quite a bit pain.

If you are feeling heel pain, a popular strategy to help alleviate the stress on the plantar is to use orthotic arch supports and do plantar fasciitis stretching exercises, that will strengthen the plantar fascia as well. One of the prescribed plantar fasciitis exercises is to stretch the foot before rising from bed. The Plantar Fascia tends to tighten when you sleep, which tends to cause the strong pain that people feel when they get up. By stretching the foot arch before putting pressure on it, you can help reduce the pain that you experience with your first morning steps. Another useful exercise for stretching out the plantar fascia is to roll a tennis ball or rolling pin with the arch of your foot. As this becomes less and less painful you can try standing up and doing the same exercise.

The next helpful thing to do is immediately put on a sturdy pair of shoes and orthotic inserts. This will help to cushion and support the foot arch and help to keep it from more injury. If you make use of the proper plantar fasciitis exercises and orthotic arch supports, you will see a great improvement in your heel pain. You should really pay attention to your body and if you are feeling foot pain, see a doctor as soon as possible. This will ensure that your pain does not turn into a more serious issue.

The Importance of Exercise to Joint Heath

Joint health should be a concern for everyone—regardless of your age. Joints are the points where two bones meet and are equipped with muscles, ligaments, cartilage, and Synovial membranes that are built to bear weight and allow movement. Joints work toward executing all our movements and making us flexible. Because of this, they are also more susceptible to wear and tear. There are several ways to help ease aching joints: two important ways include regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight. Thirty minutes of low impact aerobic exercises three times a week can help to promote joint health. These exercises could include swimming, biking, and walking—to help reduce excess weight and in turn decrease the extra load on the joints.

Walking and running are great ways to maintain a healthy weight, strengthen joint muscles and build stamina. In terms of heart health, strengthening your bones, and helping to keep you fit, walking and running are ideal. But starting a running program can be intimidating and often beginners “burn out” too quickly.

Planning Your Running Routine

So how does one start up a running routine? The trick is to start small. Experts advise to start slowly—not to begin by running immediately. At first, just go outside, stretch and take a long walk. By doing this, you are easing your body into a routine that it is familiar with as well as building up stamina. Be sure to first master your walking technique. Don’t walk slowly or shuffle but move at a pace steady enough to make your pulse rate increase. Always keep your back straight, head erect and tummy pulled in. Arms should swing loosely and you should land on the heel of the foot at all times. Soreness and fatigue will increase if you walk flat-footed or on the ball of your foot. Don’t strain for distance; and when climbing up an incline, lean forward and continue to breathe deeply at all times. Your speed is less important than the time spent on your walk as it takes about 20 minutes for your body to begin realizing the effects of any habitual form of exercise.

As you find yourself becoming more comfortable with walking, pick up your pace. Aim for a quick stride that you can continue to maintain. The goal is to get your body more used to a heavier work out. But don’t overdo it. Your next goal is to try and power walk at a relatively fast pace for longer and longer periods of time. Once you can do this efficiently for a month, move slowly on to jogging alternating between jogging for thirty seconds and power walking for a few minutes. Ease yourself into this and push the intervals of jogging up as you progress.

Caring for Your Joints While Running

The biggest advantage of walking or running is that it can be done just about anywhere. But not all surfaces have the same impact. It is recommended that you regularly vary your location because of the different impacts involved and the stresses which may affect and strengthen your joints differently. For example, running on softer surfaces such as sand or grass may increase the risk of injuries. This is because running on uneven and inconsistent surfaces like the beach creates varying pressures in your feet, ankles, knees and hips with every step. Natural surfaces like these also tend to be uneven and slope, and cause extra pressure on the ankles and feet to maintain their balance. And for many, this may cause unnecessary wear and tear and even lead to possible tendonitis, joint inflammation and even fractures.

That said, grass, sand, trails, dirt roads and the like are still less stressful than concrete and asphalt. When running on softer, natural surfaces always build up slowly and pay attention to the surface to minimize your risk of injury. Another way to prevent injuries while walking and running is to wear running shoes that offer the correct support and cushioning depending on your foot type. Shoes absorb the shock of hitting the surface while running, and if you run or walk regularly, you will need to replace your shoes every 350-550 miles. Also eat well, stock up on fresh fruits, vegetables, loads and loads of water to aid the recovery process as well as prevent any long term damage. Supplements such as GoFlex are formulated to provide the nutritional building blocks necessary to support healthy joint function and help slow the progression of joint discomfort. Key ingredients in GoFlex that help to nourish and maintain joint health include Glucosamine Sulfate, Interhealth Collagen Type 2, and Hyal Joint—among a number of natural nutrients. This breakthrough product offers a totally new approach to joint nourishment, protection and health. Check with your health practitioner before beginning any new routine and whether a health supplement like GoFlex is the right choice for you. Running is also a great way to stay in shape both physically and mentally. Enjoy yourself and make running a habit!

10 powerful health reasons why you need to know more about Limu Moui

“Knowledge of the oceans is more important than just a matter of curiosity. Our very survival may hinge upon it.” President John Kennedy, 1961

What is the preventative health value of sea plants or vegetables, as exemplified by Limu Moui? What do you know about this wonder plant considered to be the 3000 year old health secret of the South Pacific? To best value and respect Limu, it’s important to relate it to a wider “concept-map” in the context of 10 reasons, each reason comprising major fields of studies but which are only mentioned here.

ONE: THE RICHEST COMPLEX BIOME ON EARTH…THE OCEAN. Physically and chemically, it covers ¾ of the Earth’s surface and houses 15,000 plants and 210,000 known marine life forms. The nutrient profile, developed through eons, which nurtures these living forms are estimated between 60 and 100 different elements. Scientists have yet to manufacture in a lab a bottle of sea water and if they could, it would probably cost thousands of dollars. Most interesting, the elements that circulate in the ocean are similar to what is found in human plasma. Our body is 70% salt water with blood containing all the minerals and trace elements found in the ocean.

TWO: MARINE MACROALGAE or seaweed. These range from forests of 212 foot kelp to microscopic plankton. Three kinds of seaweed are brown, red and green, at least 50 varieties of which are used as food. Seaweed lack true stems, leaves or roots but have strong anchoring supports from which to absorb ocean nutrients through their plant tissue. It is the food chain for all marine animal life such as fish which is still the major source of protein for millions of people. Seaweed agricultural industry is growing to supply alginates especially for food, pharmaceutical and industrial uses.

THREE: BROWN ALGAE CALLED ANGEL HAIR SEAWEED or LIMU MOUI. It grows along shorelines and in vast fields as masses of filaments that grow 1 to 2 feet a day to lengths of 20 feet. Limu is considered one of the most nutrient dense foods, easier to process and more bioavailable than larger broad leaved forms of brown algae with a lot of fiber. One of the best wild sources of Limu Moui comes from the archipelago of Tonga, arguably the most pristine uncontaminated area consisting of 170 islands, few which are inhabited. The Tongan people routinely consume Limu and have long been known for their superior longevity, disease resistance and overall body strength.

FOUR: SPECTACULAR NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF SEA PLANTS (ex. Limu)

They’ve been prized for dietary and medicinal food properties for millennia; and science can now validate them as rich sources of proteins, enzymes, amino and fatty acids, vitamins and anti-oxidants, glyconutrients, polyphenols, and alginates. For example, briefly consider the mineral riches of ocean plants that can re-mineralize our bodies. The major minerals are found: calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium and sulfur. A wealth of trace minerals are also absorbed: boron, chlorides, chromium, cobalt, copper, fluorine, gallium, germanium, gold, iodine, iron, lanthanum, lithium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, selenium, silica, silver, sodium, zinc, tin, vanadium plus at least 40 more. Moreover, these minerals are in natural colloidal and organic or chelated forms(combined with amino acids) and easily absorbed through cell walls unlike metallic minerals that can accumulate in body tissues. Most enzymatic functions depend on minute amounts of bioavailable trace minerals; one key to maintain health is keeping the mineral levels in balance in every tissue, fluid, cell and organ. Without minerals for transport, vitamins are ineffective. As soils become minerally depleted, the seas are looked upon as more minerally enriched.

FIVE: THE OCEAN’S GIFT …AN ESSENTIAL BIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE COMPOUND CALLED FUCOIDAN. This unique molecule is found only in the cell walls of certain brown sea plants (even some echinoderms). However, Tongan Limu has one of the highest Fucoidan concentrations. In nutritional chemical terms, Fucoidan is described as a sulfated polysaccharide molecule made up several different polymers and “decorated” with sulphate groups. Research shows that the higher the count of sulphate groups in a plant, the higher its unique therapeutic value. In layman’s terms, it is the Fucoidan that gives Limu its slippery texture…a moisture protection barrier that allows the algae to survive in harsh environments. What if Limu and Fucoidan may just be the extra nutritional fuel we need to better cope with an increasingly toxic environment?

SIX: ONE OF THE MOST ANALYZED and VALIDATED SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES OF OUR TIME… FUCOIDAN

Most bionutritional research is relatively new and exciting (seconds old on a 24 hour medical timeline). The synergy of hundreds of phytonutrients or natural biochemicals found in individual plants reveal a wide array of beneficial biological benefits for cellular health. For example, in the last 8 years, nearly 400 more studies have been added to the previous 300 on Fucoidan as the medical community has wondered how it appears to address some major health concerns, including many that seem to confound modern medicine.

SEVEN: EMPOWER YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM

“Whether or not a person contracts any disease or illness has less to do with their exposure to that disease and much more with how effectively their immune system is functioning at the time they are exposed…(World Health organization.) Our own first-line defense is our innate immune system programmed to protect against chronic health problems and premature aging. More ongoing research is aimed at multi-targeted therapies to better understand how the body can naturally recuperate, protect or heal itself when given total nutrients and healthy immune system (versus monotherapies or using one substance to treat a single symptom.) The health benefits of Fucoidan, particularly, in supporting the immune system such as stimulating natural killer cells and B-Cells are well discussed in independent, third party, peer reviewed studies.

EIGHT: SCIENCE SPEAKS FOR ITSELF

No medicinal claims are allowed with natural plants so it’s important that you challenge yourself to be your own serious health detective. One can’t assume to have all the answers to better health while walking away from this unprecedented research. Three best references are:

—Limu Moui by Rita Elkins (call 800 777 2665 Woodland Publishing)

—Breakthroughs in Health (Wellness Success Media Oct.2006)

—The National Library of Medicine (government’s database) www.pubmed.org

Enter fucoidan in the search box. Then enter specific conditions and note the number of studies. Example: Fucoidan anti-inflammatory (22 studies)

viral (10) blood (274) liver (31) digestive system (40) bacteria (79) cancer (53) stem cells(24) heart (11) brain (30) kidneys (11) skin(16)

NINE: CHOICE OF DIETARY SUPPLEMENT

This choice is one of your most important health decisions which must verify three things: from where it’s sourced, how the contents are manufactured and what scientific studies endorse it. Current market trends are embracing whole food extracts as synergistic, non synthetic, non-fractionated super food supplements. Sometimes it’s hard to trust a plethora of labels and advertisements, but you can trust what Nature has composed without laboratories and private enterprises. In its natural edible form, Limu offers remarkable nutritive, immune-building and disease-fighting properties. As an extract, it promises an even wider variety of therapeutic applications.

TEN: RETURN TO NATURE’S BASICS. What would you prefer as you grow older…a vibrant healthy lifestyle or a hopeless daily struggle against aches and pains? Health is a lifelong process of prevention and commitment to wellness. Believe the good news that your body’s programmed to be healthy…sickness is an unnatural state. Feed every cell a full spectrum of nutrients daily. Respect Nature’s biology, ecology and immemorial wisdom and how you are an essential part of it.