Talyala April 2014 Newsletter

Our neck is among the most important parts of our bodies. Any kind of ache or tension in the neck can almost be felt in the whole body, and sometimes it really does course through the various nerves that pass through the neck.

 

There are numerous reasons why people have neck pain, including injury, illness and general muscle strain. For the majority of of these reasons, the stiffness and pain usually disappears with some rest. On the other hand, if the source of the neck pain is arthritis, this can indicate a far more lasting pain that could bring about greater difficulties later on. Arthritis neck pain can not only be painful, but could lead to complications that could result in a loss of mobility in the entire body.

 

The most widespread form of arthritis neck pain is caused by a degradation of the cartilage between the bones of the neck. This may be a direct result injury which was improperly healed, or illness that caused the initial damage. While the cartilage deteriorates, it can result in contact between your bones, which can also come in contact with the nerves in the spine. This can lead to other complications.

 

Arthritis neck pain is often differentiated from other forms of neck pain firstly because of its chronic, repetitive nature. If the pain and stiffness is recurring, this might be a sign of arthritis neck pain. Apart from this, people that have arthritis in the neck might also experience additional symptoms

like loss of balance, weakness or loss of feeling in the limbs of the body and also loss of bowel control as well.People with these symptoms should speak with their doctors immediately for diagnosis and treatment, which could cover anything from prescribed medications for the pain, wearing neck braces, and maybe even surgery to replace damaged discs in the neck and spine. Treatment is very important.Apart from conventional treatments, several natural remedies for arthritis might also be used to deal with arthritis neck pain. Herbal remedies, natural supplements and even homeopathic remedies have seen use as effective painkillers, and some of these alternative methods may even halt or reverse the damage to the connective tissues. Oftentimes, these alternative methods might also be combined with conventional treatments; but make sure you consult with your doctor before doing so, to ensure that the treatments do not interact poorly with each other.

 

[box style=”rounded”]The Four Agreements[/box]

I came across Don Miguel Ruiz’ ‘The Four Agreements’ the other day and it strongly resonated with this desire to pare back; to simplify; to become more real as a participant in this world and begin operating in a more authentic way.

1. Be Impeccable with your Word: Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the Word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your Word in the direction of truth and love.

2. Don’t Take Anything Personally: Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.

3. Don’t Make Assumptions: Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

4. Always Do Your Best: Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret. ~ Don Miguel Ruiz

 

[box style=”rounded”]Safe Diets to Lower Cholesterol[/box]

If you have high cholesterol and want to lower it, you may consider changing your diet.

You can lower your cholesterol by eating foods which include more plant-based foods. Foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes are great excellent substitutes for high cholesterol foods. Choose foods like cereals, breads, rice, pasta, and other grains, as well as dry beans and peas. These are high in starch and fiber and low in saturated fat and calories. These kinds of foods naturally contain a low amount of fat and cholesterol and should be added to your menu; but some bakery breads and sweet bread products that are made with high-fat, high-cholesterol milk, butter, and eggs should be consumed sparingly.

Six to eleven servings of foods from this group each day is recommended. People who have a low HDL (the “good” cholesterol), should keep their carbohydrate intake below the maximum of 60 percent of total calories. Too many carbohydrates will force your liver to increase its production of cholesterol resulting in high cholesterol rather then decreasing the cholesterol in the blood.

Another diet avenue that you can consider taking to lower your cholesterol is to decrease the amount of trans fat you consume. Although saturated fats do increase your bad cholesterol trans fats will do this as well. Trans fat will also lower your HDL levels. This is the good cholesterol. Look at the ingredient list on the food label to see if the food product has trans fats.

Trans fat containing foods usually have words printed on the label like shortening, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, or hydrogenated vegetable oil. The ingredients are listed on the label in descending order of predominance. Close to the end of the list you will find the smaller amounts of trans fat. You can also look on the label under “fat”. The amount of trans fat that is contained in the product is often listed just after the saturated fat. Trans fat is found in foods like salad dressing, vegetable shortening, sweets, baked goods, fried foods, and other processed foods. When trying to lower your cholesterol, these types of foods should be avoided.