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Stress and the immune system – Part 3

In part 1, I explore the immune system and in part 2 the impact of short term or accute stress on the immune system.  In this post I want to explore the impact of chronic or long term stress on the immune system. 1. Distant Stressors – traumatic experiences that occurred in the past yet are still causing long lasting change in both emotional and cognitive behaviours that result in modification of immune system function.  For example, having been a prisoner of war. 2. Chronic Stressors – these pervade a person’s life and there is no awareness of when it might end.  This for of stress suppresses both specific and natural immunity.  Some examples of chronic stressors are

  • demanding jobs
  • financial difficulties
  • challenging relationships
In summary the stress hormone corticosteroid can suppress the effectiveness of the immune system (e.g. lowers the number of lymphocytes). Stress can also have an indirect effect on the immune system as a person may use unhealthy behavioural coping strategies to reduce their stress, such as drinking and smoking. Managing stress therefore is intrinsically linked to wellbeing and keeping well. Reference https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1361287/
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What can help period pain – Part 1?

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.

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The Impact of Sitting All Day – Part 6

Studies have shown that an alert body and active lifestyle boosts not just productivity, but also happiness and satisfaction levels. There is now an explosion of research studies that demonstrate the harmful effects of sitting all day, which I have covered in past blog posts.

In my last blog post, "Taking a Break", I explored the reasons for taking a break and looked at the latest research on the length of break you need to take and the frequency. So now I want to focus on strategies to get you moving… Use an Exercise Ball for a Chair Unlike sitting in a chair, sitting on a exercise ball engages your core muscles and helps improve your balance & flexibility. Occasionally bouncing can also help your body interact with gravity to a greater degree than sitting on a stationary chair. Use the Stairs Walk up and down stairs, rather than take the lifts.  Even if you only walk up or down one flight of stairs and then take the lift the rest of the way it will have a positive impact on your health. Walk & Talk Meeting If you have an informal meeting with a colleague why not suggest a walk & talk meeting, weather permitting you could always go outside and get some fresh air too! Pedometer Using a pedometer will help you asses how many steps you take throughout the day. Taking a roundabout way to your desk, taking the stairs or walking to the next tube station as part of your commute will help you increase the number of steps you take daily. Exercise while you Sit at your desk An Amercian start up company, FitnessCubed, has come up with Cubii, an under-desk elliptical trainer that allows you to do basic exercise while you sit at a standard office desk. (It requires no changes to your existing desk set up.) They have also produced a mobile app that allows you to track your workout and you can also share your work out results – so you could even hold an inter-office competition.
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What are postural muscles?

Postural muscles are also referred to as core stability muscles, are found deep in the body. The first muscles that typically come to mind with posture are the muscles along the spine. The erector spinae muscles run along the bones of your spine, the vertebrae, from your neck all the way to your tailbone. These muscles hold the spine in extension or upright, counteracting the pull of gravity. Abdominal muscles support the structures at the front of your trunk, balancing the pull of your back extensors. The quadratus luborum muscles at the top of your pelvis help stabilize the pelvis and spine in the lower back in an upright position. The purpose of postural muscles is to keep good posture in the field of gravity. These muscles consist mostly of slow-twitch muscle fibres and have a greater capacity for prolonged use but are prone to over working. This means if you have poor posture or you have long periods of sitting immobile your postural muscles get tired and they become weak and less efficient. The longer the situation continues the more likely you are to develop postural imbalances and they finally you get knots and pain!

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Can you prevent rheumatoid arthritis?

People in the UK are low in vitamin D because of the weakness of the sunlight and the short summers.  In addition there is greater concern in the UK about getting skin cancer from sunbathing or being out in the sun.  Almost every rheumatoid arthritis sufferer has low levels of vitamin D and this is likely to be true for people with other inflammatory diseases too. Sunshine isn't the only source of vitamin D.  Some foods such as eggs, oily fish such as sardines and salmon are rich in vitamin D too.  Reserachers from the university of brimingham are the lastest to report in the importance of vitamin D.  In a series of tests, they discovered that the immune cells of rheumatoid arthritis pateients could still respond normally to vitamin D by supressing inflammatory signalling - if those cells were circulating in the blood,  but the same cell type when localisec to the fluid around the arthricitc joints, showned no anti-inflamatory reaction to vitamin D.  This is because arthritis leads to vitamin D insensitivity which means that cells no longer respond to it. The research suggest that vitmain D therapy could still work on patients if they are given very high doeses, although standard suplements amy not.  Prof Martin Hewison says that "almost everyone in the Uk has vitamin D deficiency".  High levels of vitamin D can help prevent inflamatory diseases including rheumatiod arthritis. Reference https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0896841117304201

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Are low levels of Vitamin D associated with an increase risk of Diabetes?

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble, hormone-like vitamin, which means body fat acts as a "sink" by collecting it. If you're overweight or obese, you're therefore likely going to need more vitamin D than a slimmer person -- and the same holds true for people with higher body weights due to muscle mass i.e. amateur and professional athletes. It is common knowledge that obesity and physical inactivity can lead to type 2 diabetes.  But what about your impact does your levels of Vitamin D have?. The Endocrine Society, published details of a study that looked at the vitamin D levels of 118 people with a wide range of weights (from slim to morbidly obese) while taking into account whether they had diabetes.   According to the researchers people who have low levels of vitamin D are more likely to have diabetes, regardless of how much they weighed.  The researches concluded that vitamin D is associated more closely with glucose metabolism (and hence your chance of getting diabetes) than obesity! One Indian study found that vitamin D and calcium supplementation, in combination with exercise, can prevent pre-diabetes from progressing into type 2 diabetes. The study found that for every unit increase in vitamin D levels, the risk of progression to diabetes in people with pre-diabetes went down by 8 percent. In 2013 Taleai, Mohamdi and Adgi found that type 2 diabetics given 50,000 IUs of oral vitamin D3 per week for eight weeks experienced "a meaningful reduction" in fasting plasma glucose and insulin. Other research showing this link includes but is not limited to the following:

In 2016 scientists studied 23 children with type 1 diabetes to understand the  association between type 1 diabetes control and vitamin D deficiency.  The team found those children with healthy weight had a high incidence of low levels of vitamin D, especially if they were Caucasians. In particular, they found children who were not normally considered to be at risk for low levels of vitamin D had low levels. The researchers recommending monitoring the vitamin D levels of all children with type 1 diabetes.   Research Endocrine Society study see>> https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-02/tes-vdd021815.php Indian Study reported in Nephrology 22 June 2014 see>> http://www.nephrologynews.com/raising-low-vitamin-d-levels-lowers-risk-of-prediabetes-progressing-to-diabetes-in-study/  2013 study see >> https://dmsjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1758-5996-5-8 2016 study see >> http://www.hcplive.com/medical-news/children-with-diabetes-may-lack-vitamin-d
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Headaches – Introduction

Headaches are one of the most common complaints. Yet despite this, the precise mechanism and cause of certain types of headache remains unclear. The three main types of headache are

  • Tension
  • Migraines
  • Cluster
Tension headaches – are characterised by constant pressure or tightness that affects both sides of the head accompanied by contraction of the neck muscles. They are the most common type of headache. The exact cause is unclear, but tension headaches have been linked to things such as stress, poor posture, skipping meals and dehydration. Migraines – are typically characterised by a throbbing or pulsating pain. In addition you feel worse for physical activity and there often additional symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, increased sensitivity to light, sound and/or smells. Cluster Headaches – are characterised by being very severe but generally lasting less than one hour. One characteristic of cluster headaches is that the pain is often centred on the eye, which may water.   They are called cluster headaches because they can occur up to eight times in one day, for a few weeks or up to two months. Their cause is unknown but there is subjective evidence to suggest the triggers may include alcohol, strong smelling substances or extreme rise in temperatures. Identifying which type of headache you have can be very difficult as tension headaches and migraines share many of the same traits. Treating and preventing headaches depends on the individual and type of headache. It is often advisable to keep a diary in order to identify which type of headache(s), they experience and if there are specific triggers that can be avoided.
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Foam Rolling Guide – Part 1

What is a foam rolling? A foam roller readily available from the likes of TK Maxx is a tool for self massage.  Foam rolling is basically a cheap and easy way of keeping your muscles flexible. How do you foam roll? You place the foam roller under the area you’re targeting and use a gentle, flowing backwards and forwards motion to apply pressure to the area. How does it work? You know how if you visit us for a massage, we apply pressure to release the knots in your muscles.  You use the same principle with a foam roller except you use your body weight to apply pressure. Are there any downside to foam rolling? While I fully recommend foam rolling it will never replace the precision and experience of a massage therapist.  It can be difficult to target small areas with a foam roller so a spikey ball is a better alternative. How often should you foam roll? The simple answer is as much as you can.  When exercising a foam roller should be used both before and after exercise for best results.  Please try to remember foam rolling isn’t a chore it’s a therapy you will gain benefits from it!

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What is Acupressure Massage?

What is Acupressure? Acupressure has its roots in traditional Chinese and Japanese cultures through Shiatsu and Anma. How does Acupressure Work? Acupressure points are places on the body that are especially sensitive to bioelectrical impulses and conduct these impulses readily.  In Chinese medicine terms acupressure points are junctions on the meridians that carry human energy, which the Chinese call Chi and the Japanese call Ki.  Western scientists have also mapped out and proven the existing of this system of acupressure points by using sensitive electrical devices.  Stimulating these acupressure points with pressure, acupressure massage triggers the release of endorphins which are the neurochemicals that relieve pain. Tension tends to concentrate around the acupressure points.  When a muscle is chronically tense or in spams, the muscle fibres contract due to the secretion of lactic acid caused by fatigue, trauma, stress, chemical imbalances or poor circulation.  When acupressure points are pressed, the muscle tension yields to the pressure, enabling the muscle fibres to elongate and relax. Seated Acupressure Massage incorporates the pressing of a number of acupressure points, depending upon the length of treatment up to 100 points may be stimulated.  Below are the some of the points that may be incorporated into a Seated Acupressure Massage for someone who is experience neck pain or stiffness:

  GV16 Wind Mansion – which aids the release of headaches, stiff necks and neck pain.
GB20 Gates of Consciousness – which aid the release of neck pain and headaches.
TW16 Window of heaven – aids the release of stiff necks, shoulder & neck pain and headaches.
B10 Heavenly Pillar – which helps relieves stress and stiff necks.
GB21  Shoulder Well – which as the name suggests helps relieve tension and pain in the shoulders.
  What is the difference between Acupressure and Acupuncture? With acupressure the acupressure points are stimulated with pressure, with acupuncture the same acupressure points are stimulated with needles. What is the difference between Acupressure and Seated Acupressure Massage? Seated Acupressure Massage is very modern; it was created in 1984 by David Palmer who used traditional Acupressure techniques to give 15 minute treatments on the neck & shoulders of clothed employees at Apple Computers in the USA to relieve neck & shoulder pain. You can think of Seated Acupressure Massage as utilising the ancient wisdom and healing art of acupressure to address the modern office woes of stiffness due to muscular tension and pain in the upper back, neck and shoulders.
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The low down on natural sugars – part 2, thumbs down list

There are lots of "natural" sugars, and as I said before how do you know the ones to avoid?  Here is my guide to the ones I try to avoid and why. Evaporated Cane Juice The new kid on the block of "natural" sugars.  It is a sugar syrup from partially refined sugar which is very similar to ordinary sugar.  The FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) has warned of mislabelling with this product. Fructose This no longer has the goodness and fibre of fruit.  Unlike sucrose and glucose it won't spike your insulin levels, but it will cause weight gain around the middle.  It also interferes with the production of hormones related to hunger and satiety (feeling full) and hence increases appetite.  On top of this it gets converted to unhealthy fats e.g. LDL ("bad" cholesterol) and triglycerides.  Remember fructose is fine when naturally occuring withing fruit but I recommend avoiding it when its a white powder added to food. Agave This is essentially up to 90% refined fructose (see above).  There is no way of distinguishing between commercially and traditionally produced produced products. Molasses This has the least amount of sugar and the highest level of vitamins and minerals.  Half its sugar content is fructose and glucose in equal amounts while the other half is sucrose.  So it will spike your insulin levels which causes the body to create fat.  It may contain high levels of pesticides and other chemicals use in the processing. Xylitol Sold as a white powder considered natural as it occurs in plants but needs a lot of refining.  Low in calories, it doesn't spike insulin levels so useful for diabetics.  It is on my avoid list because it requires a lot of processing to produce and because it ferments in the gut causing diarrhoea and bloating. Sorbitol Used in foods for diabetics at it triggers little or no insulin production.  I would avoid it as it is heavily processed as it is hard on the digestive system just like Xylitol. Honey A simple sugar up to 40% glucose and fructose so it affects your blood sugar levels very quickly.  If you must use it, I mix it with lemon and ginger when I have a sore throat, cold or flu then by organic and I perfer manuka for its healing properties. References Natural Alternatives to Sugar by Dr M Glenville (Lifestyle Press 2016)    

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