Iliotibial band syndrome (IT) is a pain many workout enthusiasts, runners, and cyclists can experience. The area affected is near the outside of the hip and/or the outside of the knee. The IT is a band of strong tissue that runs from the hip to the tibia which is below the knee joint and at the top of the shin bone. The responsibility of the band is to stabilize the knee when you move. However, excessive training, poor biomechanics, tight muscles and little flexibility, and/or repetitive unbalanced exercises, can cause pain to the IT area.
When the IT band is aggravated, the person will feel pain during the same movements, an achy/burning sensation near the hip, and/or knee pain. The pain ca be present only when movement is taking place or even during sedentary periods. Competitive athletes, long-distance runners, basketball, and soccer players, and sometimes people who are new to exercising, can feel any or all these symptoms. There are a few reasons the onset of pain might come. Not stretching pre/post movement, running down hill, not having proper supportive shoes, over-pronation (flattening the feet too much), having tight muscles in the buttocks, thighs, and hips, having knee arthritis so the knees “bow” in, and/or overworking out, can all lead to irritation of the IT band. Sometimes a bursa (fluid filled sac) can form when the bone continues to rub against the band. The R.I.C.E. (rest, ice, compression, elevate) method should be used to address the irritation right away. However, if walking is uncomfortable and the swelling doesn’t subside, seeing a medical professional is advised.
In order to diagnose IT band syndrome, a medical professional can do the Ober or the Noble’s compression test. The Ober test is when the professional will lay the person on their side and move the knee and hip. The Nobel’s test would be the same, but the professional would apply pressure while moving the knee and hip. Going forward, making sure proper shoes are worn, stretching pre/post workout, running on flat, even surfaces, correcting muscle imbalances and form, and adjusting the workout intensity, are all ways to help the pain decrease. Physical therapy can be done to help with proper stretches and strengthening to lessen inflammation and pain. Natural remedies such as turmeric and Epson salt baths can also help with relief. Taking a break from the activities/movements that led to the pain is a good idea. The duration of the break would vary and trying other alternatives could be an option as well.
Movement is medicine and we do need physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle. At the same time, we must listen when our body speaks to us. Ignoring pain or continuing to add to the inflammation would only lead to more problems over time. We can keep moving, but maybe we must pivot in another direction or in another form. Injuries don’t have to be setbacks if we are proactive and mindful of our self-care.
The meat eaters dream come true. This is a meat only lifestyle and it is one of the new diet trends. Those who have found the standard nutritional advice to not work, have sought a new approach. Those who have done it have attributed their relief from depression, fatigue, and immune conditions to this type of eating. However, there is of course plenty of controversy, especially since most dietitians agree that 40% of calories should come from carbohydrates. The target macronutrients for this type of eating include 40% protein, 60% fat, and 0% carbohydrates. Many people transition from the ketogenic diet (20% protein, 75% fat, 5% carbs) to the carnivore diet.
The truth is that you will lose a lot of weight. Since other foods, specifically carbohydrates, are completely cut out, eating meat only will reduce total calorie intake per day. Protein helps you feel fuller too. However, just because a diet helps you lose weight, doesn’t mean it is entirely healthy.
Many vitamins and nutrients will be missing. Ninety percent of vitamin C comes from fruits and vegetables which are nowhere to be found with this eating. When the body misses out on vitamin C, it becomes at risk for scurvy. Fiber is also absent. Fiber is of course known for digestive help, but it also helps reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. Gut health is extremely important.
Eating only meat can also raise cholesterol levels and put the kidneys at risk having to break down so much protein. The human body did not evolve to only eat meat. There are a wide variety of diets available, but anything to the extreme puts the body at risk. Our digestive system is set up to be an omnivore, therefore, we are not meant to be just meat eaters. However, advocates claim weight loss and have found benefits to their mental wellbeing as well. Eating only meat can cause constipation since there is little fiber to aid with digestion.
The most uncontroversial diet consists of 30% protein, 30% fat, and 40% carbohydrates. The brain and body do need carbohydrates, but not in excess. The problem with today’s eating world is that items are presented in excess then consumed in excess. Knowing what one portion actually looks like has been far removed from our way of thinking. We are served more and extra and then don’t have the willpower to leave food on the plate. Not only that, but the food that is served is high in sugar and fat, not to mention it has become highly processed. The body needs balance, and eating only meat, weight loss effective or not, isn’t the answer to long term goals for a better body.
The role of the liver is very important for several reasons in the body. The functions the liver is responsible to help and perform include storing iron, producing bile to help with digestion, converting nutrients to energy, making proteins in the body, keeping infections away by removing bacteria and toxins, and creating substances that help blot to clot and heal a wound when needed. Fatty liver disease occurs when extra fat is stored in the liver. Although it is not always problematic or even symptomatic, some cases lead to liver damage. Fortunately, the condition can be reversed.
There are two types which are either alcohol-induced fatty liver disease or non-alcohol related. Alcohol-related occurs in about 5% of fatty liver disease cases. Non-alcohol related fatty liver disease occurs in one in three adults in the US. The exact cause is still unknown. Possible causes could be related to obesity, type 2 diabetes/insulin resistance, certain prescription medications, or having metabolic syndrome with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high triglycerides.
Fatty liver disease in about 7% to 30% of people can worsen over time. There’s a 3-part progression to worsening cases of fatty liver disease. First, steatohepatitis occurs, which is when the liver becomes swollen, indicating signs of damage. Second, fibrosis will occur when scarring is happening where the damage has taken place. Finally, cirrhosis of the liver can happen, and this Is where the scar tissue starts replacing the healthy tissue. Cirrhosis is serious because the hard tissue that has replaced the healthy tissue can block the liver from working altogether.
Not everyone will experience symptoms, but blood work could indicate elevated liver enzymes. This red flag can warrant having an ultrasound performed of the liver, having a liver biopsy, or having a special scan called a FibroScan. Some people might experience one or more of the following symptoms: yellow skin or in the pupils of the eyes, swollen abdomen and/or legs, weakness, nausea, loss of appetite, weight loss, and/or being extremely tired.
Naturally, the liver is resilient and can repair itself. Treatment/preventative measures include avoiding alcohol, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, consuming green tea, taking amla which has vitamin C and antioxidants to fight inflammation, taking turmeric, and consuming apple cider vinegar. Getting a yearly physical with a comprehensive blood panel is also highly recommended. Sometimes we don’t know what’s going on under the surface. We can then make informed decisions about natural approaches that are applicable and prospectively a route for treatment.
The ear canal often times gets buildup of a yellow substance we call earwax. The glands in the ear canal produce this substance for no exact known reason other than to trap particles and dust before they might reach the eardrum. Without realizing it, most of the time ear wax dries up and become a crust that drops out of the ear along with the debris. However, we know that when we take a Q-tip and wipe the inside of the ear, the aftermath isn’t always clean and nice. We all have ear wax, and we all have different amounts of it. Just like hair color or how tall you are, ear wax amount is determined by genetics. We don’t normally discuss ear wax quantity with others, so most of us don’t know the difference between having a lot versus having a little in comparison. We just know that sometimes we have more than other times.
When earwax is heavily built up, there can be a few signs letting you know this. You can feel you ears are plugged, you might feel dizzy, hearing might be difficult, the ears might be ringing, and the ears might be feeling a little painful. Having blockage or impaction can happen, but most of the time it’s from people using cotton swabs, bobby pins, or rolling napkins and trying to clean out their ears. On another note, people who use hearing aids and/or ear plugs usually do have more earwax buildup than others.
Earwax treatment and safe self-care approached do exist. At home remedies include using drops of baby oil, hydrogen peroxide, mineral oil, apple cider vinegar with rubbing alcohol, coconut oil, tea tree oil, almond oil, baking soda and water, and/or glycerin. There are over the counter kits that act like an irrigation system to flush the ears. The ear candling method is not recommended. This is when a hollow cone made of paraffin and beeswax is used that’s part of a cloth. One end is placed in the ear and the other is lighted with a flame. When the flame burns, a vacuum is created that hallows out the wax. When you have your regular yearly physical with your doctor, ask if earwax cleaning can be done. Most times the doctor has no problem doing this for you. Since you cannot see into your ear canal, you really don’t know how much is in there so it can’t hurt to ask. Your doctor does examine the canal as part of the physical, but never hurts to get cleaned up since you are there anyways. Wax on, wax off, and get that earwax out of there. Just another way to take care of the little things that are part of your health before the big things could potentially happen. Listen to your body, which means there can’t be wax impeding on the sound of your body’s messages.
Acai berries have become popular with the spread of acai bowls and smoothies available. This dark purple berry comes from Brazil and is considered a “superfruit”. Technically, they’re not a berry because they have a pit like an apricot, so they are from the drupe family. Most times, acai berries are mashed into a purple looking paste and consumed this way. They have a very short shelf life, so we typically can buy them frozen, in pressured juice form, or as a powder.
The nutritional makeup of acai berries is unique compared to other fruits. In 100 grams, there are 70 calories, 4 carbohydrates, 2 grams of sugar, 2 grams of fiber. However, acai berries are a little bit higher in fat compared to other fruits, having 5 grams of fat in 100 grams. They are a good source of antioxidants because they contain anthocyanins. Their deep purple color comes from this, and anthocyanins can be found in other black and purple foods like black beans and blueberries. Anthocyanins have also been found to improve good cholesterol (HDL). Antioxidants are important to repair cellular damage caused by free radicals. Acai berries knock out the park with antioxidants. To measure antioxidant amount in foods, the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) score is used. Acai berries have a very high score of 15,405 compared to other fruits such as blueberries which have a score of 4,669. That’s almost three times higher.
The brain also benefits from eating acai berries because of their high antioxidant levels. Since antioxidants help fight the inflammation and oxidation of brain cells, memory and learning can be positively impacted. Acai helps with the “housekeeping” of the brain called autophagy. This is the process of cleaning out cells that are toxic and not working. As a result, new healthy cells can form.
Besides being a bit higher in fat, the effects of acai sound very promising. However, it’s important to read labels and watch for added sugars when eating acai. The bowls and smoothies can be loaded with other high sugar and carbohydrate containing foods, leaving a false perception of eating “healthy”. We can mislead but the terms “all-natural” and “organic” because they don’t equate to sugar free, fat free, and calorie free. Acai can be one of those healthy foods that are good for you, but not a daily fruit to consume in high amounts.