Daily Best Stuff

Tips to preventing aches and pains

Gardening may seem peaceful and slow-paced, but it’s hard work for your body — especially if you struggle with chronic pain. That’s why it’s important to take the smart approach and use all of the tricks and tools available to help you.
Pain management specialist shares five tips for avoiding injuries and minimizing the impact of gardening on your body:
1. Start with the best medicine — prevention Gardening is a strenuous activity that works a lot of muscles and joints. It involves a range of motions, including standing, leaning, kneeling, crouching, bending over, squatting, twisting and lifting.
Strong core muscles and flexibility are key to preventing injuries that may happen during gardening, such as lower back pain, strained shoulders or pulled leg muscles.
A sedentary lifestyle, including sitting for long periods of time, can weaken core muscles and quadriceps (the large muscle at the front of the thigh).
Becoming more active is a good idea, though it…

If you keep your home shiny and clean, you may assume your indoor air is fresh, too. But many commercial cleaning products add irritants to the air — particularly troubling if you or your children have allergies, asthma or other respiratory concerns, says pulmonology expert. Using cleaning products that don’t have harsh smells — particularly from ammonia or bleach — is a good start. You can also make your own using a few simple steps and inexpensive ingredients.

1. All-purpose cleaner Using cleaning products that don’t have harsh smells is a good start. You can also make your own using a few simple steps and inexpensive ingredients.
You’ll need: 3 cups distilled water1 teaspoon biodegradeable dish soap3 cups white vinegarA few drops of an essential oil of your choice (tea tree oil, a natural disinfectant, or lemon or orange oils are good choices) Mix the ingredients in a spray bottle and use the solution to clean countertops, floors and walls. A word of caution: Do not use vinegar solu…

Even simple, everyday habits can increase the pain from knee osteoarthritis. Learn ways to protect your joints from further damage.
When you live with osteoarthritis — the most common type of arthritis — knee pain and stiffness can seem difficult to avoid. Your knees and other joints may feel swollen, especially after being active, and the symptoms can worsen over time. More than just “wear and tear” on your joints, osteoarthritis is a joint disease.
Some of the factors that can worsen knee osteoarthritis pain won’t come as a surprise. For example, if you’ve had a long career working at a job that requires you to stand for extended periods of time, bend a lot, or lift heavy objects, this can impact your cartilage, or the connective tissue in the joints between bones. When cartilage wears away, this causes swelling, pain, and trouble moving the knee joint. Athletes who sustained injuries, even long ago, can also be at risk for faster cartilage breakdown and osteoarthritis.
As osteoarthrit…

Arthritis means joint inflammation, but the term is used to describe around 200 conditions that affect joints, the tissues that surround the joint, and other connective tissue. It is a rheumatic condition.
The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis. Other common rheumatic conditions related to arthritis include gout, fibromyalgia, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Rheumatic conditions tend to involve pain, aching, stiffness, and swelling in and around one or more joints. The symptoms can develop gradually or suddenly. Certain rheumatic conditions can also involve the immune system and various internal organs of the body.
Some forms of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, can affect multiple organs and cause widespread symptoms.
Arthritis is more common among adults aged 65 years or older, but it can affect people of all ages, including children.
Fast facts on arthritis Here are some key points about arthritis. More detail is in the main article.Arthritis refers to around…

Your Go-To Guide for Treating Knee Osteoarthritis
About 1 in 2 people will develop knee osteoarthritis in their lifetime. But despite the high prevalence of the condition, there are many ways you can treat it.
Surprising Things That Can Make Knee Osteoarthritis Pain Worse
Even simple, everyday habits can increase the pain from knee osteoarthritis. Learn ways to protect your joints from further damage.
When you live with osteoarthritis — the most common type of arthritis — knee pain and stiffness can seem difficult to avoid. Your knees and other joints may feel swollen, especially after being active, and the symptoms can worsen over time. More than just “wear and tear” on your joints, osteoarthritis is a joint disease.
Some of the factors that can worsen knee osteoarthritis pain won’t come as a surprise. For example, if you’ve had a long career working at a job that requires you to stand for extended periods of time, bend a lot, or lift heavy objects, this can impact your cartilage, o…

A recent study examined how dietary choices affect the levels of beneficial biomarkers in the body. The team was particularly interested in the impact of a plant-based diet.
Over recent years, vegetarianism and veganism have experienced a boost in popularity.
Although people might switch to a plant-based diet for a range of reasons, many choose this path for its health benefits.
For instance, there is some evidence to suggest that a diet that includes fewer animal products reduces the risk of colorectal and prostate cancers.
Also, vegetarianism appears to reduce the risk of diabetes and help control the condition for those who already have it.
There is also evidence to suggest that adopting a vegetarian diet can boost weight loss.
Why the benefits?
Scientists are steadily unpicking how plant-based diets can improve health. It is clear that there are many factors involved.
One obvious place to start is that vegetarians and vegans do not eat red meat or processed meat products, both of …

Here are the top four facts about health supplements you need to know.
MANY SUPPLEMENTS CONTAIN A LOT OF FILLERS AND BINDERS
Consumers must learn to read labels to ensure they are getting what they want to buy.
Facts to Know About Supplements Before Taking Them
Learn more about supplements, how they can help and which ones could pose health risks
Walk down the vitamin and mineral aisle of any drugstore and you’ll see rows of capsules, liquids and powders — all packaged to suggest they’ll improve your health and well-being. Before self-prescribing and incorporating supplements into your diet, do your homework on this emerging market.
Not all supplements will be effective, and any potential positive and negative impacts should be considered.
It’s important to be an informed consumer of dietary supplements if you choose to take them.
1. Supplements are regulated, but not necessarily tested and proven through clinical trials The supplement industry is an estimated 80,000 to 90,000 supplem…

Butter in a cup. Related question: Is butter a carb?
What you can do to deal with hormones that may be working against you.
We often beat ourselves up for overeating or not going to the gym when we notice we can no longer fit into our favourite jeans. But it is worth noting that weight gain can be triggered by many factors like age, genes and even hormones.
Find out how different hormones are getting in the way of your weight loss efforts and how you can deal with them.
INSULIN Pancreas and plays an important role in maintaining your body's blood glucose levels.
However, overconsumption of processed food and unhealthy snacks can cause your body to develop a resistance to insulin, affecting its function to regulate blood glucose levels. This may lead to weight gain or even Type 2 diabetes. Age will also cause your body to become more insulin-resistant, resulting in your body storing more fat.
What you can do: Have a balanced diet by incorporating more green, leafy vegetables and fr…

Traditional shampoo is great for keeping your hair and scalp clean on a daily basis, but what about when you feel like you need a deeper clean? That’s where clarifying shampoo comes in.
Hair care experts recommend using a clarifying shampoo to get rid of buildup in your hair. Clarifying shampoo is designed for occasional use only and shouldn’t replace your daily cleanser. If you think your locks could use some help from dullness and excess buildup, read on to see if clarifying shampoo is a good option for your hair.
What are the benefits? Like other types of hair cleansers, clarifying shampoo is made up of between 80 and 90 percent water. The difference is in the active ingredients. What sets clarifying shampoo apart from other cleansers is its level of heavy surfactants. Surfactants are soap-like ingredients that get rid of residue, grease, and impurities in your hair. These are much stronger than traditional cleansers. Examples of surfactants and their specific benefits include:
Ammo…