Thomas A. Edison
“The doctor of the future will give no medicine but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease.”
Category: Mental Well-Being
-
Using Essential Oils In Your Day to Day Life Is SO Important
-
Natural Remedies for Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s Disease
In today’s video Dr. Axe is going to share with you the three steps to overcome hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s Disease. He’ll walk you through the top diet, supplements, and natural treatments to do so. Hypothyroidism is technically an autoimmune form of Hashimoto’s Disease, where your body is attacking itself and causing issues with the thyroid. What a lot of people don’t realize is that all disease begins in the gut. So if you want to fix your thyroid, you need to heal your gut first. There’s a specific diet and specific supplements to take to heal leaky gut.
Regarding your diet, going gluten-free and grain-free for a total of 90 days will improve hypothyroism or hashimoto’s. Make sure when you do start consuming grains, to consume sprouted grains. Also add lots of organic vegetables, fruits, bone broth, and organic meats, which are all easy on your gut. You also want to include probiotic rich foods in your diet like kefir. You want to avoid fast food, excess sugar, and gluten. This diet is similar to a what’s called a GAPS diet.
Secondly, you want to get specific supplements to improve your hypothyroidism and hashimoto’s disease. You want to consume selenium, ashwaghanda, and Vitamin B 12.
Additionally making sure you’re detoxing your body, getting rid of silver fillings, switching to natural cleaning and personal care products.
If you want to overcome hypothyroid and hashimoto’s disease follow these steps and you will see great improvements!
-
How to Return to Running
Runner’s World
Coming back after a layoff? Science shows it’s easier than you may think to start again.
Many runners have been there-lacing up for the first time after an exercise hiatus, praying to the gods of running that there is such a thing as muscle memory. For example, Jeff Alexander, a 48-year-old public relations executive from Philadelphia, ran his first marathon in 1996 in 3:03, his second the following year in 3:07, and his third the year after that in 3:06. A semi-hypothermic experience at that final race coupled with major life changes, including a move and a marriage, caused Alexander to fall out of his marathon-training routine. And although he attempted to keep up with regular short runs, “beer often got in the way,” he says. But 10 years later, Alexander got back in the long-distance saddle. He trained for the 2008 Philadelphia Marathon and once again qualified for boston, with a time of 3:17-and a lot less difficulty than he had expected. “Heading back out, it felt very familiar,” he says. “I was up to 10 miles within the first month of training. I’d say the muscle memory was intact.”
Why It Sticks
Chances are, at some point in your life you’ll need time off from running. You’ll become a parent, get sick or injured, or take a midlife crisis sabbatical to learn to surf in Tahiti. But rest easy: With every run you’re currently taking, you’re “banking” muscle memory. Those deposits become a type of running nest-egg you can cash in down the road when you’ve had your last wipeout. “The more times you go over the memory now, the longer it will last,” says Amadeus Mason, M.D., of USA Track & Field’s sports-medicine and science committee and an assistant professor of orthopedics and family medicine at Emory University.
Sure, there is a psychological factor: Revisiting a sport, especially one that you once enjoyed, is far less intimidating and overwhelming than taking it up for the very first time. And confidence can certainly make reentry feel easier.
But experts say it’s more than that. To begin with, when you strengthen your muscles, they generate more nuclei, or “little protein factories,” that contain DNA necessary for increasing muscle volume, says Kristian Gundersen, professor of physiology at the University of Oslo in Norway. A study led by Gundersen in 2010 confirms that even after you quit exercising, these nuclei stick around, meaning a runner is one step ahead when he decides to get back into it.
“When you do an activity, the brain sends messages to your muscles in the form of electrical charges through pathways in the central nervous system, and the muscles send messages back,” says Matt Silvis, M.D., a primary-care sports-medicine physician at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. It’s because of this constant feedback loop that the right muscles are activated, and at the right force, in order to perform a particular task. Do this task enough, and these nervous-system pathways become well-trodden, which is why you never forget how to ride a bike-or how to run.
You’re A Natural
You don’t just remember how to run-but how to run well. “Even after a long break, you’re going to be running more efficiently and wasting less energy than someone who is new to the sport,” says Adam Knight, Ph.D., assistant professor of biomechanics at Mississippi State University. “You can make the assumption you’ll get back in shape more quickly because of that.”
Perhaps the best news for runners is that these pathways don’t apply just to voluntary muscles like those in the legs, but to involuntary muscles, like the heart. “For former athletes, there is a lot of residual benefit to exercise within the circulatory system,” says Alfred Bove, M.D., Ph.D., professor emeritus of medicine at Temple University and past president of the American College of Cardiology. “In well-trained athletes, the heart is able to relax more easily, which minimizes shortness-of-breath issues. Also, the parasympathetic nervous system becomes more dominant than the sympathetic nervous system, meaning the heart is less stressed by exercise. Both of these adaptations have memory.”
http://www.runnersworld.com/running-tips/how-to-return-to-running
-
How To Overcome High Blood Pressure Naturally
Today Dr. Axe shares with us his top foods and supplements for overcoming high blood pressure. Blood pressure can be easily balanced out if you follow these steps in this video. Blood pressure is usually caused from excess sodium consumption, increased stress, or poor diet and exercise.
For your diet there are three specific nutrients you want to be getting in your diet if you have high blood pressure:
1. Potassium
2. Antioxidants
3. Omega 3 fatty acids
4. Bonus= Magnesium
Foods you want to avoid on a high blood pressure diet:
1. Excess sodium
2. Processed sugar
The best supplements to naturally treat blood pressure:
1. Fish oil
2. Magnesium
3. Coenzyme Q10
4. Garlic
Essential oils to use are:
1. Lavender essential oil
Lastly, make sure you’re getting 20-30 minutes, three times a week, of exercise. Burstfit, his exercise program, is one of the best ways to get fit fast. By following these tips, you will be well on your way to naturally lowering your blood pressure.
-
Triathlon Tips ~ Everything You Need to Know to Survive Race Day
Runner’s World
By: Dimity McDowellFOR THE TRIATHLON, prerace prep requires more than knotting your laces and visiting the porta-potty. Try to arrive at least 90 minutes before the start so you have time to pick up your packet (if you can get it on race day), set up your transition area, and get your number marked on your body. Make sure you know where you’ll come into the transition area from the swim, as well as where you’ll leave it on the bike and in the run.
Once you’ve got your gear and yourself ready, warm up in reverse order: Do a little run, take your bike out for a spin, then get your wetsuit on and get in the water for a few strokes. That way, you can be sure all your equipment is set. If you’re nervous at the start, move to the side and count to five after the gun goes off; that way you’ll have some space from the chaos.
1. THE SWIM
You’ll likely be starting in a wave with athletes in your age group (the waves go off every few minutes). Just focus on keeping an even stroke and a controlled pace.Every five strokes or so, lift your eyes—not your whole head—out of the water to see if you’re going in the right direction. If that’s too challenging, switch to breaststroke to check your course; just keep going—regaining momentum after treading water is energysucking and tough.
If you can, draft behind somebody going at a similar pace to save energy. Don’t lift your head repeatedly to keep an eye on your drafter, just look for and follow the bubbles.
As you get out of the water, reach back, unzip your wetsuit, and pull it down to your waist. You’ll take it all off in your transition area.
Transition One:
As soon as you’re in your transition area, take off the rest of your wetsuit, your goggles, and your cap. Dry your feet before putting on your cycling shoes, then buckle your helmet and get your bike. Now is the time to think about grabbing something to eat and drink. Got everything? Run the bike to the cycling route, where you can mount it.2. THE BIKE
Even though you’re feeling strong (and psyched the swim is over), don’t go too hard and fry your legs for the run. “Even accomplished runners can end up run/walking the last leg because they didn’t gauge their effort right,” says triathlon coach Lesley Mettler. On the bike, aim for 7 on an effort scale of 10. This is also the best time to refuel since it’s easiest to eat and drink on the bike.If your legs tighten up, stand up on the pedals to stretch out your calves and hamstrings.
Stay to the right, unless you’re passing, which is done on the left. Say, “On your left,” to alert somebody of your presence.
Drafting isn’t allowed in most races, and you should stay three bike lengths behind a cyclist in front of you.
Transition Two:
After the bike leg, dismount, and run your bike to your transition area. Rack it, take off your helmet, change shoes, and head out, aiming for a steady rhythm and pace.3. THE RUN
Focus on your cadence and arm swing during the first mile. At this point in the race, your legs will be crying uncle, but your freshly rested arms can help pick up the slack. “Your legs fall in line with your arms, so I think about my swing when I get tired,” says Olympic triathlete Sarah Haskins. “At this point in the race, a 10-K should feel more like a half-marathon effort.” -
Benefits and Uses of Oil of Oregano
In today’s video, Dr. Axe shares with us the many uses and benefits of Oil of Oregano.
The four unique benefits are:
1. Anti-fungal
2. Anti-bacterial
3. Anti-parasitic
4. Anti-oxidant
This oil is great for issues specifically like funguses and candida, cold and flu, parasites, and anti-aging.
-
Four Ways to Enjoy Long Runs
They shouldn’t be boring – and they don’t have to be solitary.
Runners often have a love/hate relationship with the long run. We love the sense of accomplishment we feel when it’s over; we hate the anticipation of actually getting out there.
Yet it must be done: The long run is the keystone of any training program—5-K to marathon.”The long run builds endurance and strength and teaches you how to deal with fatigue,” says Maria Simone, a USA Triathlon—certified coach and owner of No Limits Endurance Coaching in Absecon, New Jersey.Indeed, extending the distance you normally cover triggers several lasting changes in your body, says 2:24 marathoner and running coach Kevin Beck. Capillaries in your muscle fibers increase in number, which enables more energizing oxygen to reach your muscles. Your mitochondria, the aerobic powerhouses of your cells, also grow in number and size, which helps you sustain energy. Your muscles also learn to store more glycogen (carbs), which wards off fatigue over long distances. There are psychological benefits, too: Long runs build mental toughness to help you manage discomfort. They also serve as a dress rehearsal, giving you an opportunity to test gear and fueling options so when race day comes, you know what works best.
Long runs aren’t easy, but they don’t have to be death marches, either. There are a number of ways to make going the distance comfortable—enjoyable, even.
TUNE OUT
PROS Running with music can stop your brain from getting overwhelmed with anxiety about the distance you have to cover. “It’s a dissociative strategy; it keeps your focus off what’s ahead,” Simone says. It can also distract you from tired, achy legs. Research from Costas Karageorghis, Ph.D., a leading authority on music and exercise, shows that music can reduce perception of exertion and increase endurance by 10 to 15 percent.
CONS Music can make you oblivious to important things, like that oncoming car, or your body’s signals (Too fast, you’re going too fast!). You can also become dependent on it—not a good thing if your device’s battery goes dead midrun or if you plan to race without it.
DO IT RIGHT Karageorghis’s research says fast-tempo songs that exceed 120 beats per minute (BPM) are ideal during high-intensity exercise when you’re working at 75 percent of your maximum heart rate, and slower speeds are best for less-intense efforts. Because songs that push you through an interval session might be too frantic for a slow, steady effort, craft separate playlists for your workouts. Or try an app like PaceDJ, which configures a playlist based on your specific running pace. Podcasts and audiobooks are also a good option—they won’t inspire you to sprint. For safety purposes, keep the volume low enough so you can hear yourself talking over what’s coming out of your earbuds. You can also try headphones that are designed to let you still hear your surroundings, like AfterShokz. And be sure to do some long runs sans tunes if you plan to race without them.PAIR UP
PROS Running with a training partner can turn a long run into a social hour (or two or three), says Colleen Tindall, a USATF-certified running coach in Moorestown, New Jersey. “It’s more fun, it’s safer, and it makes you accountable,” she says. “You’re less likely to cut a run short if you’re with someone else.” Planning long runs with one person gives you more scheduling flexibility than you’d have with a club that might only meet at, say, 8 a.m. Saturday mornings. Also, beginners who might find a large training group intimidating can benefit from hooking up with an experienced running friend who can provide one-on-one support.
CONS If you rely totally on one person, what happens when she gets injured or goes out of town? More critically, if your partner’s pace is incompatible, your training could suffer. “If you’re running too hard on your long runs, you can risk injury and lose confidence,” Tindall says. “It works the other way, too. If you’re with someone not running fast enough, you might not be reaching your potential.”
DO IT RIGHT Know your schedule and your pace goals, then look for a suitable partner. There are several online sites that can help you connect with a local runner, like buddyup.com (which even asks runner compatibility questions), meetup.com, and the Runner’s World forums. Your local running club could help you connect with another member who also has a quirky schedule and needs to go long on Fridays, for instance. And consider this: Your buddy doesn’t need to be a runner—got a spouse, friend, or kid who likes to bike? They can keep you company (and carry your water).BE A GROUPIE
PROS Signing up to train with a large club or training organization (like Team in Training or Joints in Motion) gives you a real sense of commitment—you’re less likely to skip your runs if you’re paying membership dues or pledging to fund-raise. Many large groups break off into smaller subsets, so you’ll find runners that match your pace. They may offer coaching—helpful if you need pacing, fueling, or stretching advice. Plus, organized long runs often follow premeasured routes with water and sports drinks provided—all you have to do is show up and run!
CONS You’re locked into the group’s schedule, so if you have to miss a group run, you’re on your own. You can also become dependent on the group for pacing or distraction, which can hurt you if you’ll be racing solo. “It’s important for runners at all levels to learn how to manage the fatigue and discomfort on their own,” Simone says.
DO IT RIGHT Mix group runs with solo ones so you have the best of both worlds. Stick with the gang when you’re going really long and need the support and companionship. But on a week when you’re stepping back in distance, go it alone so you get practice pacing yourself and developing your own mental coping strategies.RUN IN CIRCLES
PROS Breaking a long run into several smaller loops makes a daunting distance more manageable. Instead of focusing on running 15 miles, for instance, you can just take it one five-mile segment at a time. Looping also allows you to create your own aid station. “You can stash water and fuel at a set location you know you’ll be hitting several times,” Simone says. Loops from your house are especially helpful if the weather changes or you need a pit stop. It’s comforting to know that an extra layer and bathroom are never too far away.
CONS Looping again and again…and again with no variety in scenery can be boring. Very boring.
DO IT RIGHT Simone suggests alternating the direction you run on each loop—it’s a small change that can be surprisingly refreshing. And recruit a friend looking to do a shorter run to join you for a loop.
