The Impact of Sitting All Day – Part 5

Following on from part 1 on how to treat unirary tract infections naturally here are more tips. Probiotics In a study of postmenopausal women prone to UTIs, a probiotic supplement containting Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and Lactobascillus reuteri RC-14 cut the number of recurrences by around 50% over a yea.  The "good guy" bacteria were almost as effective as antibiotics and they had the advantage of not leading to drug resistant bacteria which may happen with antibiotics.  Probiotics also seem to help prevent UTI when use as vaginal suppositories. Ulva Ursi There is evidence to suggest the herby may reduce the duration of a UTI when one strikes.   The German Federal Institue for Drugs and Medical devices approves the herb for treatment of UTIs.  In one clinical trial, supplements containing standardized extracts of uva ursi as well as dandelion root taken for 1 month effectively prevented UTIs over the following year. Vitamin C Vitamin C may help prevent and treat UTIs by acidifying the urine, creating a hostile environment for infection - causing bacteria.  In a study of preganty women, those given daily supplements including 100mg vitamin C experienced significantly fewer UTIs than women given supplements without vitamin C. Reference https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22782199 https://www.southampton.ac.uk/ctu/news/2018/04/20-atafuti-trial-protocol-publication.page https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0011393X05802048?via%3Dihub https://www.bmj.com/content/340/bmj.c199 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17611821

After introducing headaches, I then explored the downside of orthodox treatments and how massage can help.  Now I want to share with you how other complementary therapies may help. Nutrition We all know that if you suffer from headaches you need to avoid becoming dehydrated. But what can be equally important is to control your blood sugar balanced by avoiding sugars and refined carbohydrates (i.e. anything sweet, fluffy or white!) . Certain food substances – such as histamine, tyramine and phenylethylamine – can trigger headaches or migraines. These foods include cheese, citrius fuits, red wine, chocolate & coffee. There is a time lag between eating these foods and an attack, as the problem arises when the food reaches the liver. Some research has been done on the benefits of Omega (3, 6 & 9) essential fatty acids will help control pain & inflammation for migraine sufferers. [Harel Z, Gascon G, Riggs S et al. Supplementation with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in the management of recurrent migraines in adolescents. J Adolesc Health 2002 Aug;31(2):154-61. 2002.] Bowen Technique The Bowen Technique is a hands on therapy that is applied using very gentle pressure. The practitioner uses thumbs and fingers on precise points of the body to perform Bowen's unique sets of rolling-type moves which stimulate the muscles and soft tissue of the body. In association with the Migranie Action Assocation some research was carried out into the effectiveness of receiving Bowen Technique treatment to allieviate migraines. All study participants had been diagnosed as migraine sufferers by their GP. 31 out of the 39 study particpants experienced a positive result of either

• Reducation in frequency of migranies
• Reducation in the degree of pain experienced
• Reduction in both the frequency of migraines and the degree of pain experienced

In part 1, I looked at the impact of sitting on your muscles,  and in part 2 I started to explore the impact on the rest of your body.  In this post I continue to explore the impact of sitting on your circulatory system including your heart. Heart Disease When sitting for prolonged periods of time, muscles burn less fat and blood flows more sluggishly, allowing fatty acids to more easily clog the heart.  In 2012 Ford & Caspersen in their research paper, Sedentary behaviour and cardiovascular disease: a review of prospective studies (International Journal of Epidemiology, Vol 41, No 5 pages 1338 - 1353) showed that the people with the most sedentary time are more than twice as likely to have cardiovascular disease than those with the least. In 2012 Zedric and Hamilton found that just a few hours sitting suppresses a gene that helps keep your cardiovascular system healthy by controlling inflammation and blood clotting. T W Zedric & M T Hamilton, 2012 Identification of hemostatic genes expressed in human and rat leg muscles and a novel gene (LPP1/PAP2a) suppressed during prolonged physical inactivity (sitting), Lipids in Health and Disease, Vol 11 see http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1476-511X-11-137.pdf Cholesterol Sitting also means that your large postural support muscles are inactive.  When active these muscles produce a quite of beneficial molecules.  One molecule skeletal muscles produce is an enzyme called lipoprotein lipase - which you can think of as a vacuum cleaner for fats in the blood stream.  A study in rats showed that after 24 hours forced inactivity, their lipoprotein lipase acitivity was reduced by 90 - 95%, which led to a 75% drip in the ability of their muscles to remove fats from their bloodstream as will as a significant decrease in "good" (HDL) cholesterol. L Bay & Mark Hamilton, 2003, Suppression of skeletal muscle lipoprotein lipase activity during physical inactivity: a molecular reason to maintain daily low-intensity activity, Journal of Physiology, Vol 551, No 2 pages 673 - 682.See http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1113/jphysiol.2003.045591/full