What is Reiki?
Pronounced ray-key, Reiki is a laying-on of hands healing technique thousands of years old and rediscovered in the 1800s by a Japanese Buddhist, Dr Mikao Usui.
Simply put, Reiki is the healing energy of the Universe. Your practitioner works as a conduit of this energy to restore the balances of your body, mind and emotions. This channelled energy then activates your own healing processes.
Reiki is always beneficial and never causes harm. It will work to improve the effectiveness of other types of therapy, acting to reduce any negative side-effects, shorten healing time, reduce pain and stress and help create optimism. Reiki can be given 'hands-off' so people with skin conditions or illnessess that disallow massage can receive the benefits of Reiki.
What Can I Expect in a Typical Session?
In some ways, there is no typical Reiki session—no set protocol or length of time. Reiki can be administered by anyone who has taken at least First degree training: I have trained to Level 3 (Advanced) Reiki. Moreover, there is no typical setting: a quiet place is preferable, but Reiki can be done anywhere, no matter what else is happening either around or directly to the recipient. Moments of touch from a Reiki-trained practitioner can bring comfort in an acute or emergency situation, such as the onset of the flu, or after an injury or surgery.
What is the setting?
A quiet setting where you are not disturbed is always desirable. Professional Reiki practitioners have a dedicated treatment space or are experienced in creating that space when making house calls. They frequently play soft music during the treatment as a way of masking ambient noise, but let your practitioner know if you prefer silence.
Those receiving Reiki in a hospital, hospice, nursing home, or other healthcare settings may have a shorter treatment (15 or 20 minutes), while some private practitioners give 90 minute treatments. Most sessions are somewhere between.
Is there an intake process?
Some practitioners have intake forms and/or conduct a health interview, especially if the practitioner has other training in healthcare or manual therapies, such as massage. You may be asked to sign at least a consent form.
The practitioner will explain the process, and ask if you have any specific needs. Be sure to let the practitioner know if you have a health condition that might impact your lying flat on your back or front or if you have any areas that are sensitive to touch.
What does the treatment consist of?
A complete Reiki treatment is offered to a fully clothed recipient who is lying on a treatment table or sitting comfortably supported in a chair.
Most commonly, Reiki treatment is offered through light, non-invasive touch with the practitioner’s hands placed and held on a series of locations on the head and front and back of the torso. The placement of the hands should never be intrusive or inappropriate, nor should there be any pressure.
Additional placements on the limbs can be done as needed (for example, if there is an injury or surgical scar), and some practitioners routinely do so. The Reiki practitioner can hold her hands just off the body if needed (for example, in the presence of an open wound or burn), and some practitioners always offer Reiki in this way.
What might I experience?
These are some of things people typically say after a Reiki treatment:
“I feel very refreshed and seem to be thinking more clearly.” “I think I fell asleep.” “I can’t believe how hot your hands got!” “I feel more relaxed than even after a massage.” “My headache is gone.”
The experience of Reiki is subjective, changeable, and sometimes very subtle. People often experience heat in the practitioner’s hands, but sometimes the practitioner’s hands feel refreshingly cool. Other common experiences are subtle pulsations where the practitioner’s hands are placed or cascading waves of pulsations throughout the body.
People often comment how comforting they find the experience of Reiki to be. An interesting study reported that recipients frequently feel that they are hovering in a threshold state of consciousness, simultaneously aware of their surroundings and deeply indrawn. Some people fall into a deep, sleeplike meditative state. Sometimes the experience of Reiki treatment is dramatic, while for other people, the first treatment in particular may be uneventful, although they feel somehow better afterward. The most common experience is an almost immediate release of stress.
Reiki treatment is cumulative and even people who don’t notice much the first time usually have progressively deeper experiences if they continue treatment. Besides the immediate experience of the treatment, you may notice other changes that continue to unfold as the day goes on: perhaps stronger digestion, a sense of being more centered and poised and less reactive, and sleeping deeply that night.
What should I do during the session?
Once you have taken the time to find a credible practitioner with whom you feel a rapport, what can you do to be comfortable during your Reiki experience? Not much, but here are a few suggestions:
• Ambient music is often played. You can request silence if you prefer.
• Use the rest room before your treatment so that you are able to lie down comfortably.
• Especially if you have any shyness about being touched, ask your practitioner to show you the hand placements before starting the treatment so you are very clear what to expect – or request “hands off” if you prefer.
• Let the practitioner know your needs before you start the treatment. For example, if lying flat is uncomfortable, say so. Or mention if you have had surgery recently and don’t want to be touched where the scar is still tender (the practitioner can float her hand here). If you are pregnant or have digestive complaints, it may not be feasible to lie on your stomach. Inform your practitioner.
As the session progresses, you will feel more relaxed. If you become uncomfortable, you can adjust your position at any time. Be sure to ask for anything that will add to your comfort, such as additional support under your knees or a blanket. This is your special time and your practitioner is there to help you.
Receiving Reiki is a wonderfully passive experience. Don’t try to relax, just let Reiki relax you. Your state will shift quite naturally as the treatment proceeds. Meanwhile feel free to daydream, enjoy the music, or simply observe your breath or the sensations of the treatment. Don’t fight sensations, feelings, thoughts – let your body work through them, it’s all part of the healing process.
What happens after the treatment?
Do not expect a diagnosis, as that is not part of Reiki. Some practitioners may make common sense suggestions for after-care, such as drinking water and following your body’s needs.
Although people typically leave a Reiki treatment feeling refreshed, sometimes they notice feeling more tired in the evening than usual. This is not viewed as an adverse reaction, but rather as the body’s natural healing response, something to be heeded. People commonly report a sense of calm and mental clarity and sleeping well after a Reiki treatment. Occasionally you may feel unwell – this is part of the healing process, so don’t worry, just be kind to yourself.
How many treatments should I receive?
Your practitioner may suggest a series of treatments. Four treatments is a traditional recommendation and gives you time to evaluate what benefits you are receiving. Discuss with your practitioner how best to space the treatments to suit your needs and your schedule.
In the presence of a serious health challenge, Reiki practitioners often recommend four treatments over four days. These need not be given by the same practitioner.
References:
Content sourced from: http://takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/therapies/reiki/expect
Contributor: Pamela Miles, Reiki Master; Reviewed by: Deborah Ringdahl, RN, MS, CNM, Reiki Master. Date: April, 2007
Friday, December 28, 2007
Thursday, December 27, 2007
high-fat diet disrupts body clock
Now that you're back from feasting over the holiday period, something to consider for your new year's resolution!
EVANSTON, Ill. --- Our body’s 24-hour internal clock, or circadian clock, regulates the time we go to sleep, wake up and become hungry as well as the daily rhythms of many metabolic functions. The clock -- an ancient molecular machine found in organisms large and small, simple and complex -- properly aligns one’s physiology with one’s environment.
Now, for the first time, a Northwestern University and Evanston Northwestern Healthcare (ENH) study has shown that overeating alters the core mechanism of the body clock, throwing off the timing of internal signals, including appetite control, critical for good health. Animals on a high-fat diet gained weight and suddenly exhibited a disruption in their circadian clocks, eating extra calories during the time they should have been asleep or at rest.
The study, which will be published in the Nov. 7 (2007) issue of the journal Cell Metabolism, also shows that changes in metabolic state associated with obesity and diabetes not only affects the circadian rhythms of behavior but also of physiology. Probing beyond the behavioral level, the researchers observed actual changes in genes that encode the clock in the brain and in peripheral tissues (such as fat), resulting in diminished expression of those genes.
These findings close an important loop in studies led by Joe Bass, M.D., assistant professor of medicine and neurobiology and physiology at Northwestern and head of the division of endocrinology and metabolism at ENH, of the relationship between the body clock and metabolism. Two years ago Bass and his colleagues reported in the journal Science that a faulty or misaligned body clock can wreak havoc on the body and its metabolism, increasing the propensity for obesity and diabetes.
Since then, knowing that genetic mutations rarely are the reason for a malfunctioning body clock, Bass has been wondering what could upset the operation of this internal timing device. What are the environmental factors or common influences that might affect the clock and in turn disrupt the sleep/wake cycle"
“Our study was simple -- to determine if food itself can alter the clock,” said Bass, senior author of the paper. “The answer is yes, alterations in feeding affect timing. We found that as an animal on a high-fat diet gains weight it eats at the inappropriate time for its sleep/wake cycle -- all of the excess calories are consumed when the animal should be resting. For a human, that would be like raiding the refrigerator in the middle of the night and binging on junk food.”
The clock-metabolism cycles feed on each other, creating a vicious loop, says Bass. Once weight gain starts, the clock is disrupted, and a disrupted clock exacerbates the original problem, affecting metabolism negatively and increasing the propensity for obesity and diabetes.
“Timing and metabolism evolved together and are almost a conjoined system,” said Bass. “If we perturb the delicate balance between the two, we see deleterious effects.”
The biological clock is central to behavior and tissue physiology. Clocks function in the brain as well as lung, liver, heart and skeletal muscles. They operate on a 24-hour, circadian (Latin for “about a day”) cycle that governs functions like sleeping and waking, rest and activity, fluid balance, body temperature, cardiac output, oxygen consumption and endocrine gland secretion.
In their study, Bass and his team studied mice with the same genetic backgrounds. After feeding them a regular diet for two weeks, they were split into two groups for the remaining six weeks, one kept on a regular diet and the other fed a high-fat diet. After two weeks, those on the high-fat diet showed a spontaneous shift in their normal pattern of activity/eating and resting/sleeping. They began to eat during their typical rest or sleep period (daylight for a mouse). The animals on a regular diet did not exhibit this behavior.
“It’s not just that the animals are eating more at regular meals,” said Bass. “What’s happened is that they actually shift their eating habits so that all excess food intake occurs during their normal rest period.”
In the study’s high-calorie, high-fat diet, 45 percent of calories was contributed by fat. For humans, a diet with no more than 30 percent of calories from fat is recommended.
The entire study was conducted in darkness so that the behavior of the animals simply reflected their internal clock; a normal animal has a very fixed daily period of just less than 24 hours. For animals on a high-fat diet, after two weeks on that diet the animals’ behavior changed: their daily period of sleep/wake was lengthened by a significant amount. This suggests, says Bass, that the central mechanism in the brain that controls the timing of the cycle of activity and rest is affected by a high-fat diet.
“Our findings have implications for human disease,” said Bass. “These basic advances in science can be applied to the studies of common disorders like obesity and diabetes. It is important to understand what happens when diet changes.”
***
In addition to Bass, other authors of the paper, titled “High-Fat Diet Disrupts Behavioral and Molecular Circadian Rhythms in Mice,” are Akira Kohsaka, of Northwestern (lead author); Aaron Laposky, research assistant professor at Northwestern’s Center for Sleep and Circadian Biology; Kathryn Moynihan Ramsey, Carmela Estrada and Corrine Joshu, of Northwestern; Yumiko Kobayashi, of Evanston Northwestern Healthcare; and Fred W. Turek, professor of neurobiology and physiology at Northwestern and director of the Center for Sleep and Circadian Biology.
The work was supported by the National Institutes of Health and Amylin-Eli Lilly Ventures Pharmaceuticals.
Source contact: Joe Bass at 847-467-5973 or j-bass@northwestern.edu
Content from: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-11/nu-sfh103107.php
EVANSTON, Ill. --- Our body’s 24-hour internal clock, or circadian clock, regulates the time we go to sleep, wake up and become hungry as well as the daily rhythms of many metabolic functions. The clock -- an ancient molecular machine found in organisms large and small, simple and complex -- properly aligns one’s physiology with one’s environment.
Now, for the first time, a Northwestern University and Evanston Northwestern Healthcare (ENH) study has shown that overeating alters the core mechanism of the body clock, throwing off the timing of internal signals, including appetite control, critical for good health. Animals on a high-fat diet gained weight and suddenly exhibited a disruption in their circadian clocks, eating extra calories during the time they should have been asleep or at rest.
The study, which will be published in the Nov. 7 (2007) issue of the journal Cell Metabolism, also shows that changes in metabolic state associated with obesity and diabetes not only affects the circadian rhythms of behavior but also of physiology. Probing beyond the behavioral level, the researchers observed actual changes in genes that encode the clock in the brain and in peripheral tissues (such as fat), resulting in diminished expression of those genes.
These findings close an important loop in studies led by Joe Bass, M.D., assistant professor of medicine and neurobiology and physiology at Northwestern and head of the division of endocrinology and metabolism at ENH, of the relationship between the body clock and metabolism. Two years ago Bass and his colleagues reported in the journal Science that a faulty or misaligned body clock can wreak havoc on the body and its metabolism, increasing the propensity for obesity and diabetes.
Since then, knowing that genetic mutations rarely are the reason for a malfunctioning body clock, Bass has been wondering what could upset the operation of this internal timing device. What are the environmental factors or common influences that might affect the clock and in turn disrupt the sleep/wake cycle"
“Our study was simple -- to determine if food itself can alter the clock,” said Bass, senior author of the paper. “The answer is yes, alterations in feeding affect timing. We found that as an animal on a high-fat diet gains weight it eats at the inappropriate time for its sleep/wake cycle -- all of the excess calories are consumed when the animal should be resting. For a human, that would be like raiding the refrigerator in the middle of the night and binging on junk food.”
The clock-metabolism cycles feed on each other, creating a vicious loop, says Bass. Once weight gain starts, the clock is disrupted, and a disrupted clock exacerbates the original problem, affecting metabolism negatively and increasing the propensity for obesity and diabetes.
“Timing and metabolism evolved together and are almost a conjoined system,” said Bass. “If we perturb the delicate balance between the two, we see deleterious effects.”
The biological clock is central to behavior and tissue physiology. Clocks function in the brain as well as lung, liver, heart and skeletal muscles. They operate on a 24-hour, circadian (Latin for “about a day”) cycle that governs functions like sleeping and waking, rest and activity, fluid balance, body temperature, cardiac output, oxygen consumption and endocrine gland secretion.
In their study, Bass and his team studied mice with the same genetic backgrounds. After feeding them a regular diet for two weeks, they were split into two groups for the remaining six weeks, one kept on a regular diet and the other fed a high-fat diet. After two weeks, those on the high-fat diet showed a spontaneous shift in their normal pattern of activity/eating and resting/sleeping. They began to eat during their typical rest or sleep period (daylight for a mouse). The animals on a regular diet did not exhibit this behavior.
“It’s not just that the animals are eating more at regular meals,” said Bass. “What’s happened is that they actually shift their eating habits so that all excess food intake occurs during their normal rest period.”
In the study’s high-calorie, high-fat diet, 45 percent of calories was contributed by fat. For humans, a diet with no more than 30 percent of calories from fat is recommended.
The entire study was conducted in darkness so that the behavior of the animals simply reflected their internal clock; a normal animal has a very fixed daily period of just less than 24 hours. For animals on a high-fat diet, after two weeks on that diet the animals’ behavior changed: their daily period of sleep/wake was lengthened by a significant amount. This suggests, says Bass, that the central mechanism in the brain that controls the timing of the cycle of activity and rest is affected by a high-fat diet.
“Our findings have implications for human disease,” said Bass. “These basic advances in science can be applied to the studies of common disorders like obesity and diabetes. It is important to understand what happens when diet changes.”
***
In addition to Bass, other authors of the paper, titled “High-Fat Diet Disrupts Behavioral and Molecular Circadian Rhythms in Mice,” are Akira Kohsaka, of Northwestern (lead author); Aaron Laposky, research assistant professor at Northwestern’s Center for Sleep and Circadian Biology; Kathryn Moynihan Ramsey, Carmela Estrada and Corrine Joshu, of Northwestern; Yumiko Kobayashi, of Evanston Northwestern Healthcare; and Fred W. Turek, professor of neurobiology and physiology at Northwestern and director of the Center for Sleep and Circadian Biology.
The work was supported by the National Institutes of Health and Amylin-Eli Lilly Ventures Pharmaceuticals.
Source contact: Joe Bass at 847-467-5973 or j-bass@northwestern.edu
Content from: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-11/nu-sfh103107.php
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Hangovers
People often ask me, "is there a natural hangover cure?"
Of course, the only cure is to avoid drinking altogether, but there are ways to minimise the hangover and the harmful effects of alcohol on our bodies.
WHY DO WE GET HANGOVERS? There are three main causes:
1) Alcohol is broken down in the liver into acetaldehyde, which is broken down further and excreted. Normally it is broken down quite rapidly, but if it accumulates in the body, intense feelings of nausea and illness will result.
2) Dehydration: Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it causes us to wee prolifically. Water is absorbed from the body, changing fluid balance, which partly explains the dreaded hangover headache and excessive thirst.
3) The third cause of hangover is a group of chemicals called congeners.
Congeners are toxic substances formed in the alcohol factory during the fermentation process. Congeners give some colour and flavour to the alcohol, but mostly they are bad news. In general, the darker the colour and the less expensive the alcohol, the more congeners there will be.
PREPARING FOR A BIG NIGHT OUT
Although it's hard to predict which night will be big, the following tips will help with any amount of alcohol. They are not hard to do and it's nice to be able to enjoy the day after.
Alcohol is quickly absorbed in your stomach, so it pays to have a meal before drinking. Heavier food, such as a protein or creamy meal, will slow absorption of alcohol. Taking 1 teaspoon or 3-4 capsules of slippery elm powder is a good way of 'coating' the inside of your stomach.
Before you go out, take a good multi-vitamin containing high doses of B vitamins. You should also take an extra zinc tablet and 300mg of magnesium. This will ensure you are not depleted and help reduce the symptoms of hangover.
HARM MINIMISATION
Try to match each drink with a glass of water to avoid dehydration. Carry a bottle of water with you if possible.
Avoid fizzy or sweet alcoholic drinks. The fizz increases the rate of alcohol absorption and the sweetness hides the alcohol taste so you are more likely to drink more than normal.
Aim for low-congener alcohol eg; vodka, gin, and white rum are better than dark rum, Scotch and brandy. Also, white wine rather than red.
If you are a regular drinker, have two or more alcohol-free days a week—allow your body to detoxify, replenish and repair !
LATER THAT NIGHT
Vomit if you have to! Your stomach doesn't lie. Vomiting is your body's sign that you have consumed something poisonous. Don't try to stop nature's reminder, just make sure you replace lost fluids with water ... not more alcohol!
If you have partied hard, as soon as you get home (no matter what time) drink two glasses of water and one glass of sports drink. This will you help re-hydrate and top up your electrolyte levels.
With water and sports drink, take one tablet of St. Mary's Thistle
THE NEXT DAYKeep drinking ... water, water and more water! Have another sports drink also to replace electrolytes, especially if you have any cramping.
Take your multi-vitamin as well as 300mg of magnesium, a zinc tablet and another St. Mary's Thistle tablet.
Flat ginger ale or ginger tea will help if you feel nauseous.
A cold shower or gentle swim will help, but keep out of the hot sun.
Hair of the dog is not recommended as this only prolongs your symptoms and postpones the inevitable.
Eat whatever and whenever you can, whether it's a fruit salad, banana smoothie or a big fry up.
Lastly, go for a massage. This helps alleviate headaches and speeds up the clearance of alcohol. Remember to let your therapist know if you are feeling unwell.
and, of course, give your body so rest from the chemical onslaught. Aim for 4 alcohol-free days per week and don't binge.
*****
About the author Carl Gagnon:
As well as practicing at Nature Care Wholistic and Medical Centre, Carl works as a Naturopathic Advisor with Blackmores, teaches general health and nutrition to youth in trouble and is an accredited instructor with the International Taoist Tai Chi Society. Carl is passionate about helping others improve their health in every sense.
Of course, the only cure is to avoid drinking altogether, but there are ways to minimise the hangover and the harmful effects of alcohol on our bodies.
WHY DO WE GET HANGOVERS? There are three main causes:
1) Alcohol is broken down in the liver into acetaldehyde, which is broken down further and excreted. Normally it is broken down quite rapidly, but if it accumulates in the body, intense feelings of nausea and illness will result.
2) Dehydration: Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it causes us to wee prolifically. Water is absorbed from the body, changing fluid balance, which partly explains the dreaded hangover headache and excessive thirst.
3) The third cause of hangover is a group of chemicals called congeners.
Congeners are toxic substances formed in the alcohol factory during the fermentation process. Congeners give some colour and flavour to the alcohol, but mostly they are bad news. In general, the darker the colour and the less expensive the alcohol, the more congeners there will be.
PREPARING FOR A BIG NIGHT OUT
Although it's hard to predict which night will be big, the following tips will help with any amount of alcohol. They are not hard to do and it's nice to be able to enjoy the day after.
Alcohol is quickly absorbed in your stomach, so it pays to have a meal before drinking. Heavier food, such as a protein or creamy meal, will slow absorption of alcohol. Taking 1 teaspoon or 3-4 capsules of slippery elm powder is a good way of 'coating' the inside of your stomach.
Before you go out, take a good multi-vitamin containing high doses of B vitamins. You should also take an extra zinc tablet and 300mg of magnesium. This will ensure you are not depleted and help reduce the symptoms of hangover.
HARM MINIMISATION
Try to match each drink with a glass of water to avoid dehydration. Carry a bottle of water with you if possible.
Avoid fizzy or sweet alcoholic drinks. The fizz increases the rate of alcohol absorption and the sweetness hides the alcohol taste so you are more likely to drink more than normal.
Aim for low-congener alcohol eg; vodka, gin, and white rum are better than dark rum, Scotch and brandy. Also, white wine rather than red.
If you are a regular drinker, have two or more alcohol-free days a week—allow your body to detoxify, replenish and repair !
LATER THAT NIGHT
Vomit if you have to! Your stomach doesn't lie. Vomiting is your body's sign that you have consumed something poisonous. Don't try to stop nature's reminder, just make sure you replace lost fluids with water ... not more alcohol!
If you have partied hard, as soon as you get home (no matter what time) drink two glasses of water and one glass of sports drink. This will you help re-hydrate and top up your electrolyte levels.
With water and sports drink, take one tablet of St. Mary's Thistle
THE NEXT DAYKeep drinking ... water, water and more water! Have another sports drink also to replace electrolytes, especially if you have any cramping.
Take your multi-vitamin as well as 300mg of magnesium, a zinc tablet and another St. Mary's Thistle tablet.
Flat ginger ale or ginger tea will help if you feel nauseous.
A cold shower or gentle swim will help, but keep out of the hot sun.
Hair of the dog is not recommended as this only prolongs your symptoms and postpones the inevitable.
Eat whatever and whenever you can, whether it's a fruit salad, banana smoothie or a big fry up.
Lastly, go for a massage. This helps alleviate headaches and speeds up the clearance of alcohol. Remember to let your therapist know if you are feeling unwell.
and, of course, give your body so rest from the chemical onslaught. Aim for 4 alcohol-free days per week and don't binge.
*****
About the author Carl Gagnon:
As well as practicing at Nature Care Wholistic and Medical Centre, Carl works as a Naturopathic Advisor with Blackmores, teaches general health and nutrition to youth in trouble and is an accredited instructor with the International Taoist Tai Chi Society. Carl is passionate about helping others improve their health in every sense.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Gout
Given the "silly season" is upon us, I'd thought my first posts should be aimed at those of us who will over-indulge this month! Firstly, Gout:
Gout is an inflammatory arthritis caused by deposits of sodium urate (uric acid) in and around joints, notably the great toes. It has sudden onset and once it accumulates doesn’t go away. The affected joints show signs of warmth, redness, and tenderness often not being able to tolerate any pressure
Uric acid is a waste product of purines and gout occurs when it is not excreted effectively by the body. A diet high in meat protein and alcohol is often the cause, although kidney malfunction is also a factor.
Gout can seem to flare up without specific cause or can be brought on by factors such as being overweight, eating meats and seafood that are high in purines, taking certain medications (especially aspirin and diuretics), and drinking too much alcohol.
Risk Factors
Genetics. 10% to 20% of people with gout has a family history of the condition.
Age. Gout usually first occurs in middle-aged men and it is most often associated in this age group with obesity, high blood pressure, unhealthy cholesterol levels and heavy alcohol use. Gout can also develop in older people, when it occurs equally in men and women.
Gender. Men are significantly at higher risk for gout which typically strikes after 20 to 40 years of persistent hyper-uricemia (excessive uric acid blood levels). Women's uric acid levels approach that of men after menopause, so symptoms in women generally appear after the age of 50.
Alcohol Use. Alcohol use is highly associated with gout in younger adults and binge drinking particularly increases uric acid levels and overloads the kidneys.
Obesity. Research reports a clear link between body weight and uric acid levels. Obesity may be an especially important risk factor for gout in men. Children who are obese may have a higher risk for gout in adulthood.
Medications. The use of diuretics, which are agents used to treat high blood pressure, are highly associated with gout. Low-dose aspirin, niacin, cyclosporine, tuberculosis medications and others can also cause elevated uric acid levels in the blood and lead to gout. Furthermore, certain diseases lead to excessive production of uric acid in the body.
Medical conditions. Certain diseases and medications make it more likely that you'll develop gout. These include untreated high blood pressure (hypertension) and chronic conditions such as diabetes, high levels of LDL (‘bad’ cholesterol) and narrowing of the arteries (atherosclerosis). Surgery, sudden or severe illness or injury, and immobility due to bed rest also can increase uric acid levels. Also chemotherapy treatments for cancer may increase the breakdown of abnormal cells, releasing large amounts of purines into the blood.
Treatment through Diet
Foods that are high in purines, and therefore should be limited in the diet, include:
· red meat especially organ meats eg liver, kidney, brain, sweetbreads, meat gravies and broths;
· peas, asparagus, mushrooms, peanuts;
· Some fish eg anchovies, sardines, crab, herring, mackerel and all shellfish.
It is recommended that you eat no more than 180gr of animal protein daily. Alternative protein sources include soybeans, tofu, some nuts (not peanuts!)
To reduce acidity and inflammation eat plenty of:
· Raw fruit, vegetables, especially celery and tomatoes;
· grains, seeds, and nuts (eg walnuts);
· Dark red and blue berries (eg blueberries, blackberries, and cherries) as they contain chemicals that assist in reducing inflammation and neutralizing excess acidity;
· Certain fatty acids found in cold water fish (eg, salmon), flax or olive oil may have some anti-inflammatory benefits.
· Ginger, turmeric and Bromelain (derived from pineapple) contain anti-inflammatory agents;
· Vitamin E, selenium and aspartic acid may be beneficial in both prevention and treatment of gout.
· Drinking plenty of water and herbal teas helps remove crystals from the body by diluting urates.
These are just some of the alternative gout treatments available today, many of which can be combined with medication or other alternative gout remedies.
Gout is a serious condition. If untreated, it can cause severe and irreversible damage. There is no cure for gout...however, with proper care, gout can be no more life-threatening than the common cold.
This information is of a general nature only and should not be used to replace individual medical advice. You are urged to talk with your GP or healthcare practitioner before trying any of these gout treatments.
For more interesting reading please visit my website www.balm-energy.com.au
click on Better Body Bits where you'll find a selection of pdf articles.
References [accessed 26/5/06]:
www.bone-muscle.health-cares.net/gout www.joint-pain.com/gout-treatments.html
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