Connecting with Your Chakras

Taking care of yourself starts from the inside:


Chakras are wheel shaped, vortexes of energy located along the spinal cord, they start from the tail bone and end at the crown of the head. Chakras are the focal point of reception and transmission of energies. Depicted either like a wheel with spokes or a flower with petals, the bottom chakra starts with just four and the top chakra ends with one thousand petals.  See the chart below to find the location of each chakra, the inner state, the colour, stone and meditative phrase that will help draw energy and healing into this chakra plus more.

Be whole, well and vibrant,
Anita

Gout - Pain in the foot

Pain in your foot

Gout

What is it?

Gout is a common type of arthritis characterized be acute onset of intense pain, typically involving the first joint of the big toe.  The pain can be speratic with periods without symptoms between acute attacks.

What causes it?

Elevated serum uric acid (the final breakdown product of purine – one of the units of DNA and RNA metabolism) level, deposited in and around the joints, kidneys, subcutanius tissue, bone, cartilage and other tissue of the body and causes considerable inflammation (please see blog on inflammation) and damage.

Dietary considerations:

·      Elimination of alcohol intake – increases uric acid production by accelerating purine breakdown.

·      Low Purine Diet – includes organ meats, meats, shellfish, yeast (brewers and bakers), herring, sardines, mackerel, and anchovies. 

·      Achievement of ideal body weight – via high fiber low fat diet.  Excess weight is associated with increased rate of gout

·      Liberal consumption of complex carbohydrates – Such as legumes, whole grains, and vegetables instead of simple sugars which increase uric acid production

·      Low fat intake - saturated fats decrease uric acid excretion.

·      Low protein intake – Protien intake should not exceed 0,8 g/kg of body weight as may accelerate uric acid synthesis, however, amino acids decrease reabsorption of uric acid in the renal  tubules, increasing uric acid excretion and reducing serum uric acid concentration.


    Liberal Fluid intake - Keeps the urine diluted and promotes the excretion of uric acid.  Drink at least 48 oz of water each day.


    In addition, liberal amounts of cherries, blueberries, and other anthocyanoside rich  (red-blue) berries or extracts should be consumed (0.5 - 1.0 pound per day).

Back Pain - Lower Body Exercises

Corrective Exercises for Lower Body Muscular Imbalances

http://backpainphysicaltherapy.net/back-pain-exercises-2/

Hold each stretch/contraction for 6 to 10 seconds 6 times, 2- 3 times per day.

by Anita

Back Pain - Upper Back Exercises

Corrective Exercises for Upper Back Muscle Imbalances

http://backpainphysicaltherapy.net/back-pain-exercises-2/

Hold each stretch. contraction for 6 - 10 seconds and do them 6 times 2 - 3 times a day to retrain the muscles of the upper extremities.

By Anita

Cause of Back Pain - Lower Cross Syndrome

 Root Cause of BackPain

There are many reasons why a person might experience back pain, however, I believe that many are a result of, or facilitated by, something called the Lower and Upper Cross Syndrome.  A syndrome characterized by muscular imbalances.  Developed by the legendary neurologist and rehab specialist Vladimir Janda MD, the lower crossed syndrome and upper cross syndrome is simply a grouping of weak muscles and overactive or tight muscles that produce a predictable low and upper back movement pattern that can lead to injury (See figure above).

Janda’s EMG research found that a significant number of people developed a distinct pattern of muscle imbalance due to prolonged static posture. He noted that when a muscle is left in a shortened or contracted state for an extended period of time, (i.e, sitting hunched over a computer for hours each day) it produces reciprocal inhibition, i.e., reflex weakening of muscles on the opposite side of the body.

Many of us sit at our job for hours on end in a flexed position.

Upper crossed syndrome is characterized by facilitation of the upper trapezius, levator, sternocleidomastoid, and pectoralis muscles, as well as inhibition of the deep cervical flexors, lower trapezius, and serratus anterior. 


Lower crossed syndrome is characterized by facilitation of the thoraco-lumbar extensors, rectus femoris, and iliopsoas, as well as inhibition of the abdominals (particularly transversus abdominus) and the gluteal muscles.

Day-by-day the hip flexors tighten and shorten causing reciprocal inhibition which neurologically inhibits glute-max.

Unable to help stabilize the pelvis, the weakened gluteals causes the brain to recruit synergistic muscles like the hamstrings and lumbar erectors to assist the glutes in hip extension.


Both upper and lower cross syndrome can be corrected though self myofacial release (SMR) with the aim of SMR or foam rolling being to break down these hot spots by relaxing the contracted muscle, therefore reducing inflammation and increasing lymphatic drainage while stimulating the stretch reflex. stretching, stabilization exercises and massage

Please see my Blog on Back Pain - Upper and Lower Exercises for a sample activation and stretching program.

Happy training,

Anita

Vitality Ball Recipe

Vitality Balls  Recipe

Ingredients:

• ·      1 cup rolled oats
• ·      ½ cup cacao nibs
• ·      ¼ cup  dried cranberries
• ·      ¼ cup goji berries
• ·      ½ tsp cinnamon
• ·      1 tsp cacao powder
• ·      ¼ cup sunflower seed butter
• ·      ¼ cup  _____ butter
• ·      ¼ cup honey
• ·      ½ cup shredded coconut
• ·      2 tbsp coconut oil

Directions

1.     blend all dry ingredients together in blender, magic bullet, vita mix etc.

2.     Empty dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and add wet ingredients ( honey and nut butters)

3.     Mix wet and dry ingredients together with a spoon or your hands

4.     Take small spoonfulls of the mixture and roll it in your hand shaping the mixture into a ball

5.     Roll the balls in the shredded coconut and place in a container that can be placed in the freezer.

6.     Once finished cover the container and store your chocolate treats in the freezer for at least 1 hour or until you are ready to enjoy.

Health Info:

Oats –

Cacao nibs - 

Cranberries –

Goji berries - 

Cinnamon - 

Cacao powder - 

Sunflower seeds - 

Honey - 

Coconut - 

Coconut oil - 

Planning for Nutritional Success

Planning for Nutritional Success:

Eating well does not have to be a chore or be complicated.  Here are a few tips that I feel are the keys to eating well and feeling better.  Being nourished is about fuelling your body and supplying it with all it needs for great health and vitality.  It has nothing to do with depravation, punishment or poor taste.  In the beginning it will take some planning as you enhance your lifestyle but after a few weeks you will wonder how you could ever have eaten any differently.

NUTRITION TIPS

Ø  Eat breakfast/something within a half-hour of getting up in the morning to kick-start your metabolism.

Ø  Eat something every 2-3 hours to keep your energy levels up.  Small consistent meals through out the day will keep your blood sugar levels balanced, keep your energy up and allow your body to use the nutrients eaten and not store it.

Ø  Eat balanced meals – Have a non-starchy carbohydrate (fruit or vegetable), protein and good fat at every meal.  This will provide your body with the fuel and building blocks it needs to build a stronger, leaner and more efficient body.

Ø  Have variety in your meals.  Don’t eat the same foods all the time.  No one food gives you ALL the nutrients your body needs.  Eat a variety of heath conscious foods and fuel your body with the various micro-nutrients as well as add uniqueness to your meals.

Ø  Stop eating 2 – 3 hours before bedtime.  You need your energy in the morning when you are about to take on the day..  Not just before you lay down to go to sleep.  If you eat it and don’t use it.. it will only get stored. 

Ø  Eat foods that are natural: the closer a food is to its natural state the more nutrients you can get from it and the more benefit it will have to you.  Foods that are processed not only have toxic chemicals and substances you do not want in your body but many of them are also “Dead” not living, have no life so can not provide life or building substances that you as a living being need to grow.

Ø  Limit the amount of alcohol you drink: Unlike other foods, alcohol is only comprised of calories and has ZERO nutritional value, that’s why they say it is empty calories.

Ø  Pay attention to behavioral patters.  Do you eat better on days when you exercise, do you eat worse on days when you are in a bad mood, when you eat on the run, when you miss meals??  Pay attention to your eating patterns.  If you can identify your behavioral eating pattern it makes it easier to change the behaviors that cause you to over or under eat.

Ø  Remember: Nutrition is a way of life, changes you make now are a change to your lifestyle not just a temporary fix, that is why the results of these changes will last a lifetime.  You are not to feel deprived with this new lifestyle you should feel great, have more energy and wonder how you could ever have eaten any differently before..  It should feel good after a couple of weeks once you get use to it.  Remember the 80/20 rule.  As long as you are eating the right things, at the right times, in the right combination 80% of the time, 20% of the time you are free to eat what you like.

By: Anita Amoako