Exercises for plantar fascitis (by Runners World: Body Shop) If you have ever dealt with plantar fascitis you’ll know that it can be very persistent and frustrating to deal with. Here is a video on 5 exercises that can help strengthen the foot and ankle, which addresses the real issue – weakness. Add adequate rest and ice and you’ll be back on your feet in no time! ~Think...
There are many sources of stress in life now days. When I read the Chinese Medicine classics they talk about stress in a relevant way but there are many lifestyle factors that we have today then didn’t exist in 2000BC. Today I am sure it is safe to say that we have more choices than ever before. What should you eat? what car do you want? where do you want to live? what do you want to do? what kind of lifestyle you want? and on and on These choices, studies show, can cause an enormous amount of stress. In a book called The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less by Barry Schwartz the author shows that having too many choices can cause serious pressure and stress. This pressure, according to the psychologist, can lead to clinical depression, overwhelm, anxiety, and the inability to make any decisions at all. The main idea is having more choice leads to less happiness and life fulfillment. This concept can easily apply to our health. A quick google search will show the multitude of diets, exercise plans, and therapies available. I get concerned thinking about the aging Baby Boomers, who have never really thought much about their health, hitting this mass of information and trying to weed through it all. How do you chose which ‘Plan’ is right for you? My advice is to chose 1 idea or plan and try it for a predetermined amount of time. Stick to it for the whole amount of time that you decided on. Don’t worry if it’s not the ‘best’ choice just pick one...
I recently went to a lecture by Tim Van Orden titled “Running Raw” put on by Vancouver Island Vegetarian Association VIVA. Tim is a raw foodist that has a great understanding of what it is to be a high level athlete and healthy at the same time. Tim aims to consume a raw, vegan, plant based diet 95% of time time without over-consuming nuts and seeds. I was impressed with his depth of knowledge, and his analytical approach. Why would one follow such a lifestyle? For a few reasons: Nutrient Density- with a diet comprised of tons of leafy greens, low glycemic fruits, and healthy fats you consume a massive amount of nutrients per calorie. This is opposite to the Standard North American diet which is very high in calories but low in nutrients. Low “toxic” diet- Cooking foods, especially high starch foods like potatoes, at high temperatures actually change the structure of the molecules causing them to produce a substance called “acrylamides”. Acrylamides are actually toxic and are known carcinogens, cancer causing agents. High “net gain”- Digesting food takes energy. Digesting food creates energy. If you eat foods that are take little energy to digest (such as a raw food diet) then you have a net gain of energy. The North American diet takes a lot of energy to digest resulting in a ‘net loss’ of energy. That is a very over-simplified explanation! As you can imagine following this type of lifestyle is not for everyone, I fully appreciate how difficult it can be to stick to this plan. The most valuable piece of advice I took from...
