Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Preventing Osteoarthritis in Men Over 50

Over 50? Take action now to limit your osteoarthritis risk
If you're a man over age 50, your odds of getting Osteoarthritis are going up. In fact, research shows that by age 60, most men will have some form of this degenerative joint disease.
Osteoarthritis simply explained is a deterioration of the soft cartilage material lining our joints. The cartilage breaks down, leaving rougher, uneven surfaces where the joint grinds instead of slides. At worst, the cartilage can wear away entirely, leaving direct bone-on-bone contact.
Osteoarthritis normally shows up in the following joints:
  1. Hips
  2. Knees
  3. Spine
  4. Shoulders
While osteoarthritis causes are subject to much discussion, two main factors seem universal:
  1. Joint overuse or repetitive stress
  2. Joint injury
In limiting the risk of osteoarthritis, we will focus primarily on joint overuse and repetitive stress.
Regarding joint injury, leading a high-impact lifestyle, where you're likely to fall hard or impact the joints with blunt force, will increase your osteoarthritis risk. But hey, you gotta live your life, so make these lifestyle decision with discretion.
Osteoarthritis Causal Factors
Most men over 50 don't understand joints very well. For our purposes, it's important to understand that the skeletal system, including where bones connect as joints, aren't really designed to bear a lot of weight.
Our skeletal role is mostly just to provide a rigid structure for muscle attachment. The following two factors can contribute greatly to joint stress:
  1. Obesity; carrying too much weight
  2. Muscle atrophy; weak muscles
For example, if you're a man about 50 and six feet tall, your body weight should be in the neighborhood of 175 pounds, give or take a few. For this same person who might weigh, say 250 pounds, that's an extra 75 pounds of weight your body must support.
On top of that, throw in a sedentary lifestyle where muscles have shrunk to a limited capacity in supporting the joints. After all, a joint is really only as strong as the muscles and tendons that hold it together.
The combined effect is "settling into the joints", placing tremendous loads on the knees, hips, and spine. Now think of joint cartilage as the "contact points" of this load.
After years of abuse the joint cartilage just starts to fall apart.
Risk Prevention
Limiting osteoarthritis risk in men over 50 then is pretty self-evident, but it's up to you as the individual to take the right actions now, so here are the keys:
  1. Lose weight. Universally, this is the single best thing any man over 50 can do to improve overall health. However, specific to osteoarthritis, maintaining proper weight is an imperative.
  2. Strengthen your muscle base. Resistance training (weight lifting) is the best way to achieve muscle strength gains. If you don't have resistance training experience, find a reputable personal trainer to help start you. Any program must include total body strengthening with heavy emphasis on increasing core strength.
Osteoarthritis is not completely preventable in men over 50, however understanding the causes and taking specific action now will limit anyone's risk in a favorable way.
Remember, it's your body, the only one you'll ever have. It's up to you to take the steps required to maintain a healthy body and a healthy, happy life.
bestMastersFitness.com will show you how to lose weight, get muscle tone and get in shape with BestFit50, everything you need to know in one easy step!

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Natural Ways to Treat Leg Pain

To treat leg pain, medical doctors usually prescribe various pain killing drugs. Pain killers usually work within a short amount of time. However, if your body becomes dependent on these drugs, this may have an adverse effect on your vital organs, especially your kidneys and liver. So to prevent this from happening, you may want to opt for natural ways and home remedies to treat the pain. Below you will find some suggestions.
1. Hot compress
To feel better, you can try applying hot compress on your legs. Doing this will give you a soothing effect. While the most common hot compress technique is to put a hot compress bag on your legs, you can try other procedures such as the following: hot towel, hot brick, or even a hot bottle. Just make sure that the temperature is tolerable enough to prevent scalding and burning.
2. Mind your posture.
If your job requires you to always stand, you want to make sure that you stand on both legs to distribute your weight evenly on both feet. Don't stand on one foot as this causes you more pain.
3. Never ever cross your legs.
As previously stated, one of the causes of leg pain is a compressed artery. This compression can be because of several reasons, but one of these reasons is bad circulation or blood flow. So if you have a bad habit of crossing your legs, it's about time that you quit as this will contribute to your pain.
4. Wear a comfortable pair of shoes.
Women who love wearing heels often suffer from leg pain. Sure, these heels will make you look lovely and sexy, but they can also give you much pain. So as much as possible, wear comfortable shoes or choose a better alternative such as wedges and flats.
5. Get a massage regularly.
Leg pain can also be caused by aching muscles. So get a massage or a foot rub from time to time. This will relax the muscles and soothe aching and tired feet.
6. Get enough vitamin D.
If your body does not get enough vitamin D, not only will your legs suffer but also your bones. One of the best natural sources of vitamin D is the morning sun. So as much as you can, go jogging right after the sun shines in the morning to catch some of the sun's healthy rays.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Learn When To Get Gynecomastia Surgically Treated

Some doctors advise you to simply wait for gynecomastia to go away on its own, since it often does. However, this advice does not work for everyone, which is why there is treatment available. If you are not sure if you should wait or do something about it, learn why the latter option may be best for you.
If you are uncomfortable with the way this condition makes you look, you might want to get treatment sooner rather than later. For example, you can get plastic surgery that eliminates most of the excess fat on the chest area. This is a quick way to get rid of the issue, though you will need some time to heal. If other people have made fun of you or you are simply not confident with the excess fat on your chest, fast treatment is likely a good option. Otherwise, you could be waiting years for the issue to go away on its own.
Some may think of surgery for gynecomastia to be solely a cosmetic procedure, in which case it would not be covered by insurance. This is a big reason some people wait for the condition to clear up by itself, as they simply do not have the money to spend on a procedure. However, many insurance companies actually cover this surgery, in which case there may be no need to wait for it to heal by itself. If you have been avoiding the treatment because you cannot afford it, you should ask your insurance provider if it will be covered, either fully or partially.
In general, gynecomastia tends to go away on its own within a few months. If it is still present after one or two years, you might consider surgery. This is especially the case if you have tried other methods, such as medication, to no avail. Your doctor will let you know if you should get a surgical procedure. Most doctors advise patients to wait until they are at least through puberty, and then get the proper treatment for the issue.
If you have been dealing with this condition for months and are ready for it to disappear, you might consider waiting a bit longer. If it has already been years, or you are tired of the humiliation you feel, you should look into the price of having it treated. If it is quite affordable, or even covered by insurance, you are advised to seriously consider having the excess fat surgically removed as soon as possible.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

The Impact of Soft Drinks and Energy Drinks On Wellness

Most people have heard at some point or another, "soda is horrible for you" but the question is- why are they bad?
If you're like me, being reprimanded and told that "something is bad" isn't necessarily going to stop me from doing it. I have got to know why and alternative options always help make the transition easier
So first off- why "soda is bad":
Diet and regular sodas have both been associated with obesity, kidney damage, and certain cancers. Soft drinks have also been linked with elevated blood pressure. The drinks are seen as a major contributor to the obesity crisis and in a way- it's hardly surprising. Soda is relatively cheap and they are usually wrongly recognized to be "low-calorie" items (which obviously, they are not- particularly when several soft drinks are ingested).
Many reviews indicate that overweight children and adults consume more sugary drinks than normal-weight kids and adults, and several studies found that the greater sugar-sweetened drinks people drank the greater their probability of becoming overweight. And the following is where not only soda, but sugary products take it to the next stage: the more sugary drinks you consume, the more food you usually eat. Why? Due to the "sugar highs and lows" from the soft drinks and the quantity of caffeine. Sugary and highly refined foods (and drinks) often hold you over for 10-15 minutes before you find yourself looking for a snack again... or another sugary or caffeinated drink. A treat of lean protein and a complex carb can hold you over for three hours!
Why energy drinks are harmful:
Energy drinks can be linked to all of the negatives of soda (above). But added to that is the even HIGHER level of caffeine. With soda the FDA limits the amount of caffeine can be in soda (65mg per 12 oz), however with energy drinks, they are certainly not restricted. "The FDA does not regulate caffeine in energy drinks, some of which, like Cocaine, contain huge amounts of caffeine: 280 mg in an 8.4-ounce serving, compared with about 100 mg per 6 ounces in coffee." (Boston Globe)
For the most part, the increased caffeine has not been discovered to be "life-threatening". Nonetheless caffeine can increase anxiety, panic, some stomach problems, and some cardiac arrhythmia.
Drinks high in sugar or caffeine choices:
-flavored water..not the sort you shop for! Toss a handful of frozen strawberries inside a water bottle, or have a pitcher of water in your fridge. The frozen fruit triples as "water flavoring", ice cubes, and a healthy treat once it's thawed!
-green tea- it's calorie-free (if you have it without milk or sugar) and naturally high in antioxidants
-seltzer water & juice- you have the fizziness of the soda (without the majority of the sugar and caffeine) in addition to the flavor of your favored juice. Again, add pieces of frozen fruit to spice it up!