Foam Rolling Guide – Part 2
In Part 1 I introduced the concept of foam rolling and explained what it is. In part 2 I want to give you my tips and techniques.
How long should you foam roll?
For general maintenance, each muscle should be focused on for up to 2 minutes at a time. I know many of my readers are highly educated and now there are over 600 muscle in the body – don’t worry you don’t need to foam roll them all! You focus on the ones that feel tight and in need of the foam rolling.
How to use a foam roller if you hunch over your desk all day?
To open up your chest you can lay on the foam roller so it is underneath your spine – for about 10 minutes and this will open up your back & chest.
Any more tips?
You can essentially foam roll any part of your body. You just start and place with the movement, speed and pressure to see what works for you. But don’t expect it to feel comfortable – those tender spots are the ones that need the help most. I would suggest you start off slowly and build up time, speed and pressure slowly.
The outside of the thighs (or IT bands) are an area of tightness for runners and cyclists and its highly accessible on a foam roller. The larger muscles in the legs, quads (front of thighs), hamstrings (back of thighs), calf musles are very easy to foam roll.
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Natural remedies for the winter blues – Part 2
In part 1, I shared details of supplements that may help alleviat ethe winter blues. In this blog post I want to share other lifestyle tips. 1. Exercise If you suffer from winter blues it is likely that your GP would perscribe a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). This is the standard drug to treat depression and one of medicines all time bestsellers. Researches compared aerobic exercise aginst the Lustral (SSRI sertaline) foudn that exercise and the drug were equally effective at reducing depressive symptioms. But only exercise had long lasting effects. Of the patients declared free of depression at the end of the study, those who had been in the exercise only-group were less likely to see their depression return during the next 6 months. 2. Eat Fish If you love fish like I do, then science says you are less likely to get depressed. In one study women who ate fish two or more times per week where less likley to get depressed than those who ate fish less often. It is thought the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish are responisble for lifting mood. A number of studies have found that omega-3 supplements have a significant antidepressant effect. 3. St John's Wort A herb commonly used in Germany to treat mild depression. Scientists have established that not only better is the herb better than a placebo its as effective as an antidepressant. References Blumenthal JA, Babyak MA, Moore KA, Craighead WE, Herman S, Khatri P, Waugh R, Napolitano MA, Forman LM, Appelbaum M, Doraiswamy PM, Krishnan KR. Effects of exercise training on older patients with major depression. Arch Intern Med. 1999 Oct 25;159(19):2349-56. Blumenthal JA, Babyak MA, Doraiswamy PM, Watkins L, Hoffman BM, Barbour KA, Herman S, Craighead WE, Brosse AL, Waugh R, Hinderliter A, Sherwood A. Exercise and pharmacotherapy in the treatment of major depressive disorder. Psychosom Med. 2007 Sep-Oct;69(7):587-96. Babyak M, Blumenthal JA, Herman S, Khatri P, Doraiswamy M, Moore K, Craighead WE, Baldewicz TT, Krishnan KR. Exercise treatment for major depression: maintenance of therapeutic benefit at 10 months. Psychosom Med. 2000 Sep-Oct;62(5):633-8.
Lin PY, Su KP. A meta-analytic review of double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of antidepressant efficacy of omega-3 fatty acids. J Clin Psychiatry. 2007 Jul;68(7):1056-61.Vorbach EU, Hübner WD, Arnoldt KH. Effectiveness and tolerance of the hypericum extract LI 160 in comparison with imipramine: randomized double-blind study with 135 outpatients. J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol. 1994 Oct;7 Suppl 1:S19-23.Wheatley D. LI 160, an extract of St. John's wort, versus amitriptyline in mildly to moderately depressed outpatients--a controlled 6-week clinical trial. Pharmacopsychiatry. 1997 Sep;30 Suppl 2:77-80.How to treat heartburn naturally – part 2
In my last blog post, I shared some tips on natural way to trear hearburn, below are more tips: 1. Raw Apple Cider Vinegar Because acid reflux actually occurs due to having very small amounts of acid in your stomach, raw apple cider vinegar may actually help keep it from occurring. Simply dissolve a tablespoon of it in a glass of water and drink it to improve your acid levels. However, more research still needs to be done on this. One study found that apple cider vinegar alleviated heartburn symptoms for some individuals, but the effects only lasted between 60 and 75 minutes. 2. Ginger Tea If you know that you're going to be consuming a huge meal, it may be helpful if you drink a cup of ginger tea at least 20 minutes before you start eating. Simply steep a 2-inch piece of ginger root in two cups of boiling water for five minutes, and then drink. Ginger not only has an anti-inflammatory effect, but also tightens your lower esophageal sphincter, thus preventing acid from refluxing. 3. Papaya A study found that the enzyme papain may help promote better digestion, providing positive effects for people with heartburn, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and constipation References https://repository.asu.edu/attachments/166181/content/Yeh_asu_0010N_15671.pdf https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21990307 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20420113 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23524622
Does mindfulness meditation help you if you are depressed?
Mindfullness is very trendy right now because it is claimed to help you cope with anxiety and stress and build resilience. But does it help you if you are depressed? This is the question that researchers from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine tried to answer in a recent study. During the study, 31 women most of whom had done nothing to help themselves to deal with their depression in the last 12 months, participated in an mindfullness group. They practicied mindfullness meditation and yoga on average 150 minutes per week. Before starting the study 45% said they had no experience of mediation and 71% said they had never tried yoga. The primary outcome, depression and secondary outcomes (stress, mindfulness, functioning, well-being and depression stigma) were assessed at start of the study and then again at weeks 8 and 16 weeks . The depressive symptoms significantly decreased during the study, in addition the stigma of depression increased from the start of the study to 8 weeks and then significantly decreased between 8 to 16 weeks of the study. A significant decrease in stress and significant increase in mindfulness was found at week 8 and the end of the study when compared to the start of the study. In addition, the women reported increased sense of well-being including self-acceptance and growth. In conclusion mindfulness medication can reduce levels of depression and stress as much as powerful drugs and psychotherapy do. Reference I E Burnett-Zeigler, M D Satyshur, S Hong, A Yang et al, 2016, Mindfulness based stress reduction adapted for depressed disadvantaged women in an urban Federally Qualified Health Centre, Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice; 25; 59 - 67 see >> http://www.ctcpjournal.com/article/S1744-3881(16)30072-X/abstract
