The low down on natural sugars, part 3 – my thumbs up list

If you remember last week, I shared some tips on how to prevent lower back pain.  These tips were inspired by me straining one of my lower back muscles while on holiday in Bulgaria.  I stated last week that it was sorted out by a combination of massage, stretches and back exercises. So this week I want to share the three simple stretches I used to ease my back. 1. Knees to Chest For the first day this is the only stretch I did. You lie on your back, with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Put your hands behind your knees and gently bring your knees towards your chest.  I held this stretch for about 2 minutes and did it 3 - 4 times a day. 2. Two - knee - twist Lying on your back, bend your knees into your chest and bring your arms out at a T. As you exhale lower your knees to ground on the right. Keep both shoulders pressing down firmly. If the left shoulder lifts, lower your knees further away from the right arm. Hold for 1-2 minutes each side.  Again I repeated this stretch 3 - 4 times a day. 3. Thread the Needle Lying on your back, bend both knees with the feet flat on the ground. Bend the right knee like a figure four, with the outer left ankle to the right thigh. Lift the left foot into the air, bringing the left calf parallel to the ground. Thread your right hand between the opening of the legs and interlace your hands behind your left thigh. Hold 2-3 minutes and then repeat on the other side. Again I repeated this stretch 3 - 4 times a day.

It is reported that period pain affects two thirds of women ranging from mild discomfort to pain at some time or other.  Period pain happens because of contractions in the uterus, or womb, which is a muscle. If it contracts too strongly during your menstrual cycle, it can press against nearby blood vessels. This briefly cuts off the supply of oxygen to the uterus. It’s this lack of oxygen causes your pain and cramping. The cramping can be felt in the lower belly or lower back or both.  The intensity of the cramping can very from mild to severe. In addition to cramping women can get leg pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea or extreme fatigue. When period pain has no obvious cause, it is classified by the medical profession as “primary” while pain caused by an actual condition e.g. endometriosis, fibroids, PID (pelvic inflammatory disease) is called “secondary”. In the next few blogs I want to share some tips on assisting those women like myself who suffer from primary period pain. I personally have found that placing a hot water bottle on your lower back/belly or taking a warm bath may provide some relief.  If you are at work, you can put a hot pad on the area.  One of the things that got me hooked on reflexology was that it helped it reduced my PMT and I felt that my periods were less painful too.

There is plenty of evidence to show that lifestyle can have an impact on fertility.  Here are some tips to boost fertility based on scientific evidence: 1.Cut the caffine In one study, women who consumed a cup of coffee or more a day were half as likely to become pregnant, per menstrual cycle, as women who drank less than that. 2. Stop smoking 3. Avoid Alchol. Even moderate drinking (five or fewer drinks per week) has been linked to infertility. 4. Maintain a healthy weight. Being either excessively overweight or underweight can contribute to infertility in women. 5. Manage stress As infertile couples tend to be more stressed than fertile couples, relaxation techniques like meditation and yoga may help. References Wilcox A, Weinberg C, Baird D 1988 Caffeinated beverages and decreated fertility. Lancet. Dec 24-31;22(8626-8627):1453-6 Augood C, Duckitt K, Templeton AA, 1998 Smoking and female infertility: a systematic review and meta-analysis.  Human Reproduction Jun; 13(6):1532-9 Coelho C, Julio C, Silva G, Neves A 2009 Tabacco and male infertility: a retrospective study in infertile couples Acta Med Portuguese Nov-Dec; 22(6):753-8