If you have a hard time getting up in the morning, think about all the work your heart has to do. A couple of hours before you are up, the levels of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol begin rising as if they were biological alarm clocks. These chemical signals boost blood pressure to rise after its dip while you were sleeping.

Then your heart starts pumping a little harder and your entire cardiovascular system adjusts as you stand up for the first time. In fact, that is what this fist size set of muscles does all day; your heart adjusts to meet your needs. Read the rest of this entry

In my last post I explained the importance of paying attention to your body. Your body is noisy; it talks especially when something is wrong. Listening to your body will keep you healthy much longer. I also listed severe headaches, sudden weight loss and blurred vision and paralysis. Below are 3 more medical symptoms you need to catch.

4.Unexplained change in bowel habits.
I am not sure there is one description of what is normal when it comes to bowel movements. Some people move three times a day and others three times a week. Knowing what is typical for you is the place to start. However, if you have mild diarrhea that lasts more than a week, constipation that lasts more than two weeks, or unexplained and frequent urges to have a bowel movement, you should see your doctor.  You should also see your doctor immediately if you have bloody stools, black or tar like looking stools. Changes in bowel habits may indicate a bacterial infection such as salmonella or a parasitic infestation. Other possible causes are inflammatory bowel disease or colon cancer.

5. Persistent or high fever
The fever itself is not a disease but it is a symptom that your body is unhappy about something. Most of the time it means your body is fighting an infection, viral or bacterial. A low grade fever that is over 103 and lasts for 4 days or more should be checked out by your doctor. A persistent fever may also be caused by something as common as a urinary tract infection or even tuberculosis. A sudden high fever requires immediate attention.

6. Feeling Full after eating very little
When you feel fuller than normal after eating only a small portion of food can be a sign that you have a number of gastrointestinal problems ranging from an appendix that has to come out or eating spoiled food. It also could be caused by acid reflux or irritable bowel syndrome. See your doctor if this feeling continues for a few days. See your doctor sooner if you find you are also vomiting, bloating, or have a fever.

Many websites have checklists for particular symptoms. Although these websites are useful it is still important for you to have your doctor also diagnose your symptoms. Try www.MayoClinic.com and search for symptoms. Their perspectives and information are always on the conservative more traditional ways of medicine none of which will ever hurt you. After all, isn’t that what medicine is all about: first do no harm.

To your healthy aging.

Ruthan Brodsky

Some medical symptoms are so obvious our brains go on automatic and we know what to do. When I got hit on the head with a golf ball, for instance, and the bleeding would not stop, my golfing buddy took me to the hospital for stitches. No questions asked.

What do you do, however, when the symptoms are not so dramatic or obvious? Read the rest of this entry

You can save your knee cartilage by making some simple lifestyle changes. None of these suggestions are costly, they do not take up much time, and they are certainly worth doing. Your arthritis pain and progression can be slowed significantly by changing your lifestyle, whether or not you have arthritis, especially when it comes to losing weight and reducing stress on your joints.

Your first step, of course, is to get the approval of your doctor before you start any program. Also keep in mind that when you are planning to start a strength training exercise program or any other exercise program, start slowly. You need to prepare your body to move in new ways to avoid injury.

You should also do range of motion exercises to relieve stiffness in the joints and keep you flexible. You can look to the Arthritis Foundation for those resources. You can work on these on a floor mat, standing up, or sitting in a chair.

Include aerobic and endurance exercises such as walking and swimming to prevent weight gain and improve your cardiovascular health.

Your exercises will not do you much good if you are not using good posture when you sit, walk, or go about doing your daily activities.

Consider wearing a brace or a knee sleeve to help stabilize the knee and reduce the pain.

And make sure you alternate periods of rest with your exercise since repetitive stress over a period of time can speed up the wear and tear on your joints.

If you have other programs that are helping you save your knee cartilage, let us know. Type them in the comment box and share your ideas with our readers.

To your healthy aging success.

Ruthan Brodsky

I know it hurts but a workout  can strengthen the muscles that surround your joints and those stronger muscles will protect your knee. Read the rest of this entry

AGE, Advanced Glycation End products are formed when sugars comgine with proteins, fats and other ingredients in foods. Browning or blackening on a hot grill is a good example. It may taste better prepared that way but foods prepared that way may be unhealthy for you. The goal is to keep your AGEs level down.

Reducing AGEs by 30 to 50 percent was effective for all study participants in the Mt. Sinai Hospital 2007  study regardless of their age. Foods higher in fat scored the highest in AGE content but the way food is prepared also affect AGE levels. Read the rest of this entry

In my last post I explained what AGEs is. In this post I will detail why too much AGE is no good because of what happens in your body. Read the rest of this entry

AGEs or Advanced Glycation End products have been discussed in health newsletters and peer reviewed journals for over 10 years. A nutritionist understands what they are all about but most consumers are so turned off by the overwhelming name they seldom read beyond the headline. I am hoping this headline got your attention because it is important to understand AGEs, especially as you get older. Read the rest of this entry

Not all causes of heel pain are plantar fasciitis although it is the major reason. Other possibilities of heel pain are explained below.  Read the rest of this entry

Heel pain is one of those complaints commonly diagnosed by a podiatrist, a foot doctor. To no surprise, the most common diagnosis for heel pain is plantar fasciitis. Heel Spur Syndrome is another name that is used to identify the condition. 

Plantar means the bottom of the foot. The fascia is a long ligament that runs along the foot. Itis means inflammation (tonsillitis). The name plantar fasciitis means tearing and inflammation of that long ligament at the bottom of your foot. This is a result of small micro-tears in the fascia due to overstress. 

A heel spur can develop as a result of the pull and stress of the fascia on the bone. However, the spur is usually not the cause of pain. In fact, many people with bone spurs do not have any pain at all. The pain comes from abnormal motion in your feet, usually pronation. When the feet turn in and collapse, the fascia takes on an extra stress at the heel. It only takes a small change in your activity or a change in shoes to cause a small tear if you are prone to this condition.

 If you have low arches you are probably prone to heel spurs but you can also get them if you have high arches. The tearing that occurs at the fascia, near the heel, is microscopic. It is not a full rupture but it is enough to weaken the fascia. Once the fascia is weakened it tears more just from the constant weight of the body putting a large force load on your feet. When your foot is injured it is worse.

When you have plantar fasciitis you feel a sharp pain at the heel usually when you first get up, evens out, and then gets worse throughout the day. Some only feel the pain when they’re jogging or walking. The problem is often diagnosed by palpation or pressing on the inside of the heel or inside of the arch. These are the portions of the fascia that are under the greatest stress and have more inflammation. Xrays are used to rule out other conditions such as stress fractures or a tumor.

This description should give you fairly accurate picture of what happens when your heel pain is caused by inflammation and tears of your fascia and is called plantar fasciitis. If you have more questions, give your podiatrist a call.

To your success at healthy aging.

Ruthan Brodsky