LEG CRAMPS AND HOW CAN YOU STOP THEM?

Leg cramps are a common and usually harmless condition where the muscles in your leg suddenly become tight and painful. Almost everyone experiences a muscle cramp at some time in their life. It usually occurs in the calf muscles, although it can affect any part of your leg, including your feet and thighs. After the cramping has passed, you may have pain and tenderness in your leg for several hours.

Research has found that:

• three out of four people only have leg cramps at night
• one out of five people have leg cramps during the day and night
• one out of 14 people only experience leg cramps during the day

Leg cramps can be caused by many conditions, ranging simply from dehydration to something much more serious such as kidney disease. Cramps often result from vigorous exercise, trauma to the muscle, or keeping the leg in an awkward position for too long, such as sitting in a crowded theater. Other causes can include medications such as birth control, diuretics (which are often prescribed for people with high blood pressure) and steroids. A lack of potassium or calcium can also be the underlying cause, as well as cold weather.

Most cases of leg cramps can be treated with exercises.

Exercises during cramps

During an episode of leg cramp, stretch and massage the affected muscle.

For example, if the cramp is in your calf muscle:

• Straighten your leg and lift your foot upwards, bending it at the ankle so that your toes point towards your shin.
• Walk around on your heels for a few minutes.

Exercises to prevent cramps

To reduce your risk of getting leg cramps in the future, you should do exercises to stretch the affected muscles three times a day.

For example, if your calf muscles are affected by cramps, the following exercise should be beneficial:

• stand about a meter away from a wall
• lean forward with your arms outstretched to touch the wall while keeping the soles of your feet flat on the floor
• hold this position for five seconds before releasing
• repeat the exercise for five minutes
  

For the best results, you should repeat this exercise three times a day, including one session just before you go to bed.

The following night-time advice may also help:

• If you lie on your back, make sure that your toes point upwards –placing a pillow on its side at the end of your bed, with the soles of your feet propped up against it may help keep your feet in the right position.
• If you lie on your front, hang your feet over the end of the bed – this will keep your feet in a relaxed position and help stop the muscles in your calves from contracting and tensing.
• Keep your sheets and blankets loose.

If you have leg pain that persists after an episode of cramping, an over-the-counter painkiller, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen may help reduce the pain.

Foods That Heal

The key: Eat foods that contain potassium, a mineral that helps your body break down carbohydrates and build muscle. A daily serving of a high-potassium food—a handful of dried fruits; a glass of tomato juice, citrus juice, or milk; a slice of melon, an orange, or a banana—can help banish leg cramps and prevent their recurrence. Drink a lot of water too: It maintains circulation and helps flush cramp-causing waste products from your muscles.

Foods That Harm

Caffeine, usually found in coffee, tea, and soda, can contribute to cramps by constricting your blood vessels and decreasing circulation in muscles. Switch to decaf, herbal tea, or water.

HOME REMEDIIES FOR NATURAL ANXIETY RELIEF

If symptoms of anxiety are interfering with your daily life, consider these simple lifestyle changes that are proven natural cures for anxiety.

Try to drink three cups of chamomile tea a day when you're feeling anxious.

Why: Chamomile contains two chemicals that promote relaxation, apigenin and luteolin. A study at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center found that patients with generalized anxiety disorder who took chamomile supplements for eight weeks had a significant decrease in anxiety symptoms compared to patients who were given a placebo.

Try to get between 1 and 3 grams of omega-3s a day.

Why: There is some evidence that omega-3 fatty acids may ease anxiety symptoms and lift your mood by lowering levels of stress chemicals such as adrenaline and cortisol in the body. Caned fatty fish, such as tuna and salmon, walnuts, and flax seeds are all great sources of omega-3 fatty acids. An Israeli study found that students given fish oil supplements had less test anxiety as measured by their eating and sleeping habits, cortisol levels, and mental states.

Breathe in lavender.

Why: One study found that people who received a massage with lavender oil were more upbeat and had less anxiety than people who had a lavender-free massage. Another found lavender massage can even lower systolic pressure the top blood pressure number that’s associated with stress. Try putting a few drops of lavender essential oil on your pillow or in your bath, or add a few drops to a cup of boiling water and inhale for a quick calm-me-down. You can even dab a few drops right on your skin—it’s one of the few essential oils that can be applied directly. The scent of vanilla has also been shown to alleviate symptoms of anxiety. In a study done at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, patients undergoing MRIs who breathed vanilla-scented air had 63% less anxiety than those who breathed unscented air.

Add L-lysine to your diet.

Why: L-lysine is an amino acid and one of the building blocks of your brain's chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. Studies have shown that people taking L-lysine supplements had reduced symptoms of anxiety and reduced levels of stress hormones. L-lysine is commonly found in meat, fish, and beans, and is also sold as an oral supplement.

Try to get outside in natural sunlight for 15 minutes a day.

Why: This is the best way to naturally increase your vitamin-D levels, which can decrease symptoms of depression and anxiety. A short 15 minute break will not only take your mind of stress, but also let you reap the benefits of outdoor activity. And the greener the better—one Japanese study found that people who walked through a forest for 20 minutes had lower stress hormone levels after their walk than those who took a comparable walk in an urban area. If you're stuck in an urban area, look for parks or quiet tree-lined streets to take a stroll. 

Studies show 21 minutes is all it takes for exercise to reliably reduce symptoms of anxiety.

Why: Exercise will not only make you feel better about yourself, but will flood your body with feel-good endorphins. Some researchers even believe that increasing your body heat, a natural result of exercise, may alter neural circuits controlling cognitive function and mood, including those that affect the neurotransmitter serotonin. Researchers believe this response can boost your mood, increase relaxation, and alleviate anxiety.

Take a hot bath with Epsom salts.

Why: A soothing hot bath is always calming, and raising your body heat may help regulate mood and anxiety. For added benefits, stir in some Epsom salts. The magnesium sulfate in the salts has been shown to calm anxiety and lower blood pressure. You can also try adding lavender or vanilla essential oils to your bathwater, to reap the benefits of these calming scents.

Cut out (or down) caffeine.

Why: Caffeine boosts your energy, and can make you jittery and anxious. If you can't go cold turkey, try reducing by a cup a day and see if you notice any decrease in your anxiety symptoms. You can also try switching to a drink with less caffeine and more health benefits, such as green tea. Be aware of other sources of caffeine that may be in your diet such as soda, chocolate, tea, and some over-the-counter medications like Excedrin or Midol.

Examine your diet, and watch for:

• Caffeine, alcohol, and added sugars, which have all been shown to increase anxiety. • Deficiencies in magnesium, vitamin B12, and zinc have been linked to symptoms of anxiety. Vegans and vegetarians in particular should watch their B12 intake, as the vitamin is only found in animal products. • Studies link an unhappy gut with an unhappy mind, so avoid eating difficult to digest foods like processed meals, foods high in saturated fats, and fried foods. • Finally, don't let yourself become so hungry that your blood sugar drops, which can lead to an anxiety attack.

Eat these foods to help provide anxiety relief:

• Blueberries and peaches contain nutrients that relieve stress and have a calming effect. • Whole grains are rich in magnesium and tryptophan, an amino acid that your body converts to serotonin which is known to calm and improve your mood. • Oats also increase serotonin production and are high in fiber, which helps prevent blood sugar spikes that affect mood. • Avocados, eggs, milk, and meat are all packed with B vitamins that can help prevent anxiety. • Foods that help regulate and lower the stress hormone cortisol include foods rich in vitamin C, like oranges, omega-3 fatty acids, and magnesium rich foods like spinach and other dark leafy greens. Indulge every once in a while in dark chocolate, which also helps lower cortisol.

BEST WAYS TO DEAL WITH ANGER

Did you know angry people are three times more likely than calmer ones to have a heart attack? Protect your health with the following five tips on how to keep your cool.
 

First: What's going on in the angry brain?
When we get mad, our brain's more rational prefrontal lobes shut down, and its reflexive back areas take over. Hormonal and cardiovascular responses kick in. We pump out cholesterol and a group of chemicals called catecholamines, which encourage fatty deposits to pile up in the heart and carotid arteries. It’s no surprise, then, that angry people are three times more likely to have a heart attack than those less prone to fury. The fight-or-flight response can prompt your nervous system to cut blood flow to your stomach and divert it to your muscles, impacting digestion secretions. Stress can also increase stomach acids. And anger causes a surge in the stress hormone cortisol, which bumps up oil production and leads to acne and other skin problems. During prolonged and frequent eruptions of rage, parts of the nervous system become highly activated, which can affect our immune systems over time. So, how can we avoid all this?

1. Retrain your brain.

Cognitive restructuring, or “thought stopping,” involves challenging your take on anger-inducing scenarios and reevaluating irrational beliefs.

2. Book an appointment.

Cognitive behavioral therapy can help you learn to spot anger triggers and to control reactions. 

3. Breathe deep.

Bliss out with breathing exercises—they help slow your heart rate and keep your mind focused on something other than the source of your stress. 

4. Sweat it out.

Exercise provides an outlet for aggression and stimulates feel-good brain chemicals. 

5. Medicate.

If anger is a symptom of a bigger problem such as depression, prescription drugs could be a solution. Check with your doctor.

SECRETS OF ANTI-AGING

Feel younger and healthier with these tips from the experts.

 Care for Others

Two recent studies suggest surprising but heartwarming keys to a longer life. You're more likely to rack up the years if you: 

Expect the best. Of 100,000 women in the Women's Health Initiative study, those rated optimistic by special questionnaires were 14 percent less likely than pessimists to die during the study's first eight years.

Care for a loved one. Despite the stress involved, men and women who put in the most time taking care of a spouse cut their own risk of dying by 36 percent over a seven-year period, researchers at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor found. 

Set a Goal for Greater Edge

Whether you believe you have some purpose to fulfill on earth, or just have trips you plan to take and books you want to read, you have a survival edge over people with fewer goals. So say researchers at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago who interviewed more than 1,200 older adults. Elders with sure intentions and goals were about half as likely as aimless seniors to die over the five-year follow-up.

Expose Yourself to the "Sunshine Vitamin"

Low vitamin D levels have been associated with osteoporosis, diabetes, hypertension, and cancer. And it gets worse: According to new research, adults who don't get enough of the 'sunshine vitamin' are 26 percent more likely to die early. A 12-year study of 13,000 men and women didn't finger any one cause of death, "because vitamin D's impact on health is so widespread," says researcher Michal Melamed, MD, an assistant professor of medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx.

Besides drinking fortified milk, she suggests that you: Get just 10 to 15 minutes of midday sunshine (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) several days a week, applying sunscreen after those few minutes. You can also take supplements.

Mind Your DNA

Healthy habits can actually repair your DNA, say researchers Dean Ornish, MD, and Nobel Prize winner Elizabeth Blackburn, MD. Their study subjects ate vegetarian whole foods with 10 percent of calories from fat, walked 30 minutes six days a week, used stress-reducing techniques, and went to a weekly support group. 

The results? Besides a decrease in LDL cholesterol and stress levels, they showed a 29 percent rise in telomerase. This enzyme repairs and lengthens telomeres, tiny protein complexes on the ends of chromosomes that are vital for immunity and longevity. Short telomeres and low levels of telomerase signal an increased risk of heart disease and cancer, plus a poor prognosis if you do get ill.

Keep Your Heart Pumping

According to Dr. Oz, the two most important things you can do to stay young and healthy: Walk. When you can't walk a quarter mile in five minutes, your chance of dying within three years goes up dramatically. 

Second most important is building a community—avoiding isolation. Because if your heart doesn't have a reason to keep beating, it won't.

Cut Back on Meat

A ten-year study of 545,000 Americans found that people who eat about four ounces of beef or pork a day (the amount in an average-sized burger) are at least 30 percent more likely to die early, compared with those who consume an ounce or less daily. Though previous research has linked a diet heavy in red meat to a greater risk of heart disease and colon cancer, this is the first big study to look at how it affects your life expectancy.

Exercise Matters

A walk with your spouse gives you a chance to talk over the day, and activities like playing tennis together can be a bonding experience. But the bottom line: Getting active can mean a longer life for both of you.

5 EXERCISES THAT CAN MAKE BACK PAIN BETTER

Don’t let an aching back hurt your healthy lifestyle. Stay active by choosing the right workout for your back pain.

Isn't exercise bad for back pain?
Just the opposite, experts say. “The research is well documented: Exercise does a bad back good,” according to spine surgeon Jack Stern, MD, in his new book, Ending Back Pain. “For most people with low back pain, physical activity plays a strong role in recovery.”

A strong, well-conditioned back is better at withstanding stress and protecting the spine compared to one that hasn’t been conditioned through exercise. Some workouts, like the following ones, are better than others when it comes to healing an aching back or preventing pain in the first place.

Yoga Stretches
In a 2011 Archives of Internal Medicine study, 228 adults were assigned to either 12 weekly 75-minute yoga or stretching classes, or to read a self-care book about back pain. Those in the yoga and stretching classes saw much greater relief of symptoms.

Yoga not only helps strengthen the back, it also stretches and relaxes the muscles that carry pain-triggering stress. People with lower back pain specifically may benefit from stretching the hamstring muscles (this expands pelvic motion, reducing lower back stress) trying poses like a forward bend, standing bent over and holding the calves, or the classic downward-facing dog. Yoga’s gentle stretches increase blood flow to your back, which can help heal strains. If you have back pain, try a yoga class for beginners and let the instructor know about any pain zones.

Walking
A 2013 study published in the journal Clinical Rehabilitation found that a simple walk could be as effective as specific strength training. Researchers recruited 52 sedentary patients with chronic lower back pain and assigned half to muscle-strengthening sessions and the other half to treadmill sessions twice a week (first for 20 minutes, then eventually for 40 minutes).

After six weeks, all participants reported less pain and less avoidance of daily activities, and there was no significant difference between the two groups, showing that walking could be just as effective as other, more intensive workouts for back pain. Try a stroll in the morning, during lunch, or after dinner a few days a week, and if you can, increase your mileage/pace or intensity by adding hills, according to Dr. Stern. As you raise your heart rate for an extended period, you’ll increase the flow of blood and healing nutrients to your back.

Cycling
Many people blame bicycling for causing lower back pain, but with the right form, this exercise can actually help discomfort. The reason for pain while biking: Fatigue changes how bicyclists move, causing them to spread their knees and bend forward more.

The more tired they get, the worse their back posture becomes. However, many upright and reclining bikes help riders avoid this painful position, and may offer a less jolting workout than, say, jogging. Experiment with different types of bikes at the gym to see which is most comfortable for you. Remember to distribute some weight to your arms (while keeping your chest raised) to avoid back strain.

Pilates
This combination of stretching and strengthening exercises is commonly recommended for those with back pain because it builds up the body’s core and mobilizes the spine.

A classic Canadian study found that when 39 participants (ages 20 to 55) were assigned one of two treatments, Pilates training or care from physicians, those practicing Pilates showed significantly lower functional disability and average pain intensity. Another Italian study published this year found similar results with 60 volunteers who either took a few weekly Pilates sessions or remained inactive. The Pilates group saw increases in physical functioning, better overall health, and less pain-induced disability, while the inactive group worsened in those measures.

Hydrotherapy
When you have chronic back pain, exercise is often easier with a splash because the water minimizes stress on the back, according to Dr. Stern. “The buoyancy of water counteracts the gravitational pull that can compress the spine,” he writes.

Many gyms offer pool classes like Aqua Fit, a cardiovascular water workout designed to improve strength, or Aqua Zumba, the high-energy spinoff of the dance workout craze. If you’re hitting the water solo, simple low-strain exercises can do the trick. Try “pulling” (take long strokes with your arms, leaving legs isolated to float behind) for an upper body workout that doesn’t twist and turn your lower back.

HOW TO LOOK YOUNGER

If you think you look older than you feel? You must improve your appearance, you'll feel better, too.

Smile, wide!

Young, middle-aged, and older individuals studied thousands of photographs and were asked to guess the age of models with various facial expressions. Neutral expressions yielded the most accurate results, and fearful expressions made subjects look older; happy faces were rated as younger than they really were.

Eat more grapes.

Sorbitol, which gives grapes, berries, plums and pears their sweetness, is a humectant, a substance that attracts water when applied to the skin, helping it absorb and retain moisture.

Touch up your hair.

Use volumizing styling products as your hair becomes thinner, and try a lighter color, which can make thinning less obvious. Whether you have your hair washed at home or at a salon, use deep conditioning treatments regularly to combat dryness.

Frame your face.

Keeping your eyebrows well-groomed and shaped helps provide a frame for your face and draws attention to your eyes.

Cleanse and moisturize your skin.

Cleaning and moisturizing helps protect skin and keep it healthy; but banish regular soap, which can be drying for older skin. Instead, use a cleanser that gently washes without stripping skin of moisture. Avoid skin toners, especially those with a stringent or alcohol base. Use a good moisturizer day and night.

Dress sharp.

If you have a wrinkly neck or jowls, avoid tight-fitting or crew-neck tops, which squeeze skin upward. A shirt collar over a round-necked jersey is a better option. Wear dark-colored shirts if you have a large belly.

Give yourself a hand—or two.

Use a good hand cream frequently, and look for one that has sunscreen included. Brighten dull hands by exfoliating regularly: mix sea salt with lemon juice and gently scrub into your hands with a soft toothbrush.

Eat more greens and reds.

Vitamin K—in kale and other green vegetables—helps your blood coagulate, reducing the impact of bruising. Lycopene in tomatoes gives the skin powerful protection against UV rays.

Eat oily fish

Salmon and other oily fish are rich in DMAE (dimethylaminoethanol), a compound that boosts muscle tone and is one of the must-have ingredients in expensive “mature” skin creams. Eating oily fish twice a week offers the same benefits.

Exercise four or more times a week.

You’ll fend off muscle loss and sleep better when you exercise most days of the week. Combine cardiovascular exercise for heart and lungs, resistance exercise for muscles, stretching for flexibility and balance exercise for coordination.

(Pictures Courtesy To Jupiterimages/iStock/Photodisc/Eyecandy Images)