Last week I wrote about the two major life patterns that I see in my practice in people with joint degeneration and how to prolong the life in your joints and improve the overall health of your body by eating foods that nourish your joints and by and realigning and repatterning your body structure with Structural Integration. This week, I am going to give you a few more specifics on the hows’ and whys’ of this strategy.
To reiterate, the number one pattern that I see in people who come into my practice associated with joint degeneration is misalignment of the body segments themselves. So, how then do the body segments become misaligned in the first place? In other words, what is the cause or origin of this misalignment and how can you then more properly align the body segments relative to one another? This is a question that I get asked all the time and it is one that requires a bit of a bigger picture view of how your bodiy respond s to the various life events that you experience.
You see, some of the deepest structural patterns are formed while in the womb- the position of the developing baby, the shape and confines of the mothers body, the patterns that she uses her body in during pregnancy, her posture, any trauma that may have occured, etc.. These all have an effect on the the structural patterns present in a newborn baby. Add to that a lifetime of patterns of use, various accidents, trauma, and the effects of gravitys’ downward pull on the body. In an attempt to fulfill the functional demands that you put on your body, your body develops structural compensations to make up for the functional challenges.
In the end you have a relatively inefficient, relatively uncomfortable human body, out of alignment, and at war with gravity. This is not the optimal situation, however, it IS a typical situation. No wonder, then that the joints wear quickly and unevenly. Luckily though, by reorganizing and realigning the body segments relative to one another, you can actually use gravity to our advantage. The result is a body that moves more efficiently, has more energy, joints wear evenly and last longer, sleep improves, amongst many other benefits. In short you look and feel about 10 years younger.
So, “what about genetics?” you may ask. Its a great question and one that needs to be addressed. Because for the last 30 or so years the idea that our “genetic fate” is predetermined and set in stone has been beaten into our head by the very scientists who now talk about epigenetics or the plasticity of the very DNA code itself. (DNA Is Not Destiny) The idea here is that the human form has greater plasticity and therefore greater potential than we once thought. Your DNA changes depending on what you eat, feel, think, and experience. Your structure does the same. In light of this discovery, then, the bottom line is that the quality of life that you choose to experience is just that -a choice.
Join me next week when I will get more into the specifics of what types of foods you can add to your diet to build, heal, and preserve your joints.
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Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Are Your Joints Going To Last?
Recently, I read an article in the NY Times entitled “Caring for Hips and Knees to Avoid Artificial Joints” that rankled me a little bit partly for what advice it gave but also for what it left out. Rather than go over what they said in detail, I will let you read the article for yourself and will focus on what, I believe, would serve you best in your endeavour to keep the comfortable function of your joints for a long, long, time.
While joint wear has many variables, over my years in practice, I have noticed many similarities in the life patterns of those with failing, failed, repaired, or replaced knee, hip, and vertebrae. The similarities fall into several categories of which I will address two today. Then, I will offer some useful suggestions for you to consider integrating into your daily regimen.
The number one proximal cause of joint degeneration that I see in my clients is improper alignment of the joint (knee, hip, vertebra) leading to non uniform loading of the joint and premature wear on one side of the joint. A good example of this is the knee joint. The knee joint is designed to hinge in one plane only (front to back-with slight mobility supported side to side). Generally though, knees are not well aligned. That is the lower leg is not well aligned with the upper leg. There is a twist in the joint which then leads to uneven weight and force distribution across the joint. Now this is common enough, but add to that uneven wearing, an overweight body, unbalanced muscular strength across the joint, and malnutrition caused by a deficient diet and you are in for fast uneven wear of the joint, likely inflammation, and possibly joint failure.
Prior to joint failure, there are several, fairly simple solutions to this problem: the twist in the joint can be alleviated by proper alignment of the joint, the weight can be lost through diet and movement, and the inflammation can be alleviated by the first two plus anti inflammatory herbal and nutritional supplements.
So then, what are the specifics of these individual solutions? Glad you asked.
Proper alignment of the joints can be effectively addressed by properly balancing the tensioning of the muscles that cross the joint and hold it in its alignment. This is best accomplished by going through the Basic Series of Structural Integration- a process designed to lengthen, balance, and align the body along its central axis- and with the pull of the gravitational force. Better balance and alignment mean that the force of gravitys downward pull on the body is neutralized. This is because the upward force of the earth is transmitted more efficiently relative to the vertical alignment the body structure itself. Better alignment= more even wear of the joints and less downward force means happy, long lasting joints.
Weight, nutritional deficiency, and inflammation can be addressed fairly easily with a bit of attention to dietary intake. The easiest things to remove from your diet to minimize inflammation are processed foods such as white bread, white pasta, white rice, sugar. All of these things not only challenge the digestive tract, liver, and adrenal, but they also deplete the pancreas and promote insulin resistance (a symptom of type II diabetes). Additionally, these foods promote (relative) internal acidity which the body tries to balance out by putting mineral ions into the blood. These mineral ions have to come from somewhere and the biggest stores of the mineral ions in the body are the teeth, bones, and joints.
So- if you are chronically pulling minerals from your teeth, bones and joints- you are continually weakening your teeth, bones and joints. An added bonus of limiting these foods is that as you break the insulin resistant cycle you will begin to lose weight as well. Stay tuned for next weeks article where I will give you more specifics on the how and why of nutrition and Structural Integration for joint longevity and comfort.
As always, comments and questions are appreciated and retweets are welcomed.
While joint wear has many variables, over my years in practice, I have noticed many similarities in the life patterns of those with failing, failed, repaired, or replaced knee, hip, and vertebrae. The similarities fall into several categories of which I will address two today. Then, I will offer some useful suggestions for you to consider integrating into your daily regimen.
The number one proximal cause of joint degeneration that I see in my clients is improper alignment of the joint (knee, hip, vertebra) leading to non uniform loading of the joint and premature wear on one side of the joint. A good example of this is the knee joint. The knee joint is designed to hinge in one plane only (front to back-with slight mobility supported side to side). Generally though, knees are not well aligned. That is the lower leg is not well aligned with the upper leg. There is a twist in the joint which then leads to uneven weight and force distribution across the joint. Now this is common enough, but add to that uneven wearing, an overweight body, unbalanced muscular strength across the joint, and malnutrition caused by a deficient diet and you are in for fast uneven wear of the joint, likely inflammation, and possibly joint failure.
Prior to joint failure, there are several, fairly simple solutions to this problem: the twist in the joint can be alleviated by proper alignment of the joint, the weight can be lost through diet and movement, and the inflammation can be alleviated by the first two plus anti inflammatory herbal and nutritional supplements.
So then, what are the specifics of these individual solutions? Glad you asked.
Proper alignment of the joints can be effectively addressed by properly balancing the tensioning of the muscles that cross the joint and hold it in its alignment. This is best accomplished by going through the Basic Series of Structural Integration- a process designed to lengthen, balance, and align the body along its central axis- and with the pull of the gravitational force. Better balance and alignment mean that the force of gravitys downward pull on the body is neutralized. This is because the upward force of the earth is transmitted more efficiently relative to the vertical alignment the body structure itself. Better alignment= more even wear of the joints and less downward force means happy, long lasting joints.
Weight, nutritional deficiency, and inflammation can be addressed fairly easily with a bit of attention to dietary intake. The easiest things to remove from your diet to minimize inflammation are processed foods such as white bread, white pasta, white rice, sugar. All of these things not only challenge the digestive tract, liver, and adrenal, but they also deplete the pancreas and promote insulin resistance (a symptom of type II diabetes). Additionally, these foods promote (relative) internal acidity which the body tries to balance out by putting mineral ions into the blood. These mineral ions have to come from somewhere and the biggest stores of the mineral ions in the body are the teeth, bones, and joints.
So- if you are chronically pulling minerals from your teeth, bones and joints- you are continually weakening your teeth, bones and joints. An added bonus of limiting these foods is that as you break the insulin resistant cycle you will begin to lose weight as well. Stay tuned for next weeks article where I will give you more specifics on the how and why of nutrition and Structural Integration for joint longevity and comfort.
As always, comments and questions are appreciated and retweets are welcomed.
Please retweet this post by pressing the "Tweet This" button below.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Is Reflux Simply Caused By A Pulled Diaphragm?
Last week I gave you some tips on how to get a better idea of the root cause for your digestive problems. This week I am going to cover a simple test that will let you know if your over acid condition has a structural component to it. Generally these structurally caused over acidic conditions are completely overlooked for something far more serious and then medicated as such. This is actually quite a dangerous scenario as then you are medicating for a condition that doesnt exist and not treating the condition that does exist.
Some of the signs of a structurally over acid condition, or hiatal hernia, are- dizzyness, trouble concentrating, trembling and weakness, heart palpitations, and reflux. If this sounds like you then I suggest that you perform this easy partner test (which most physicians dont even know about- hence the reason why they mistake the problem for something far more serious) to narrow down your possible causes.
When I am talking about hiatal hernia, I am talking about a strain in your diaphragm. Remember the diaphragm is the strongest and most central core muscle in your body and when it isnt functioning well, you may feel like you are going to die. It can be pretty profound. This is the muscle that allows you to breathe..or not.
These signs can show up to varying degrees and up to 50% of the population over age 60 is estimated to have some form of diaphragmatic strain that traps some portion of the stomach above the diaphragm, both inhibiting the action of the stomach as well as the diaphragm but also stimulating the nerve that signals the stomach to produce acid (hence the over acid condition that drugs only temporarily treat).
The key here is to first find if this applies to you and then if it does, to correct the structural component with the same action as the test, but done often and on a regular basis. For sudden onset, often a single test will resolve the issue but for chronic situations, ongoing treatment from a professional trained in this technique is the best pathway for success.
Stay tuned for next week when I will address the absurd advice that I found masquerading as an authoritative article in the NY Times on how to best “preserve” your joints and keep from having to have joint replacement.
As always, comments and questions are appreciated and retweets are welcomed.
Some of the signs of a structurally over acid condition, or hiatal hernia, are- dizzyness, trouble concentrating, trembling and weakness, heart palpitations, and reflux. If this sounds like you then I suggest that you perform this easy partner test (which most physicians dont even know about- hence the reason why they mistake the problem for something far more serious) to narrow down your possible causes.
When I am talking about hiatal hernia, I am talking about a strain in your diaphragm. Remember the diaphragm is the strongest and most central core muscle in your body and when it isnt functioning well, you may feel like you are going to die. It can be pretty profound. This is the muscle that allows you to breathe..or not.
These signs can show up to varying degrees and up to 50% of the population over age 60 is estimated to have some form of diaphragmatic strain that traps some portion of the stomach above the diaphragm, both inhibiting the action of the stomach as well as the diaphragm but also stimulating the nerve that signals the stomach to produce acid (hence the over acid condition that drugs only temporarily treat).
The key here is to first find if this applies to you and then if it does, to correct the structural component with the same action as the test, but done often and on a regular basis. For sudden onset, often a single test will resolve the issue but for chronic situations, ongoing treatment from a professional trained in this technique is the best pathway for success.
Stay tuned for next week when I will address the absurd advice that I found masquerading as an authoritative article in the NY Times on how to best “preserve” your joints and keep from having to have joint replacement.
As always, comments and questions are appreciated and retweets are welcomed.
Please retweet this post by pressing the "Tweet This" button below.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Simple Solutions For Indigestion, Heartburn, Reflux, etc.
Last week I explained the logic behind the use of acid/enzymes in addressing chronic indigestion, gas, bloating, and heartburn and how the various pharmaceutical remedies often make the situation worse over time. This week, I am going to give you a few actionable self test methods to better help you pinpoint the root causes of the digestive issue(s) that you may be experiencing.
First off, I will be separating the test methods into those for folks who are currently NOT taking any prescription medication for the problem and then, for those who are. It is an important distinction to make because, generally, prescription meds have many more actions on the body than simply the intended action and so, keeping that in mind, we approach the system a bit more circumspectly than for those who are not taking meds.
With that in mind, bloating and gas are almost always the result of an over alkaline (non acidic) gastro intestinal tract and are generally resolved immediately with the addition of hydrochloric acid (stomach acid). But we must first make sure that the stomach lining has not been damaged by the chronic organic acidic conditions brought on by putrefaction of undigested food from lack of stomach acid excretions. That is we do a test called The HCL (hydrochloric acid) Sensitivity Test to essentially test for the presence of ulcers. Click HERE to get a copy of the test protocol.
If the HCL test results in any burning sensation- do NOT use a HCL supplement. You will cause further damage at this point. Use instead, a full spectrum food derived digestive enzyme with the meal. The protocol for healing the stomach lining of ulcers requires an empty stomach and a simple complex of both absorbent as well as healing phytonutrients (contact me if this applies to you for complete details).
If the HCL test results in no burning sensation then supplement with a food derived HCL and pepsin (protein digesting enzyme active in highly acidic environments that your stomach should be excreting) and pancreatin (pancreatic enzymes).
Now for those who are already on pharma drugs, start with a full spectrum whole food derived digestive enzyme (with the meal) for best results. Note if your digestion improves with the use of the enzyme. If so, then continue to use the enzyme and talk with your doctor about slowly weaning you off of the drug. If you have been on meds for a while do not go off of them cold turkey as there is some dependence developed over time. (contact me for more details on when adding acid supplementation is appropriate).
The rare case of true hyper acidosis (too much stomach acid) is often mis diagnosed and treated with drugs while the cause is generally, in fact, structural. It is always good to check whether the structural component is causing the situation because, drugs and other treatments will only provide temporary relief of the symptoms while failing to address the root cause. Thus, if you are medicated over a long period you will induce nutrient deficiencies as I described in the previous article.
Stay tuned for next week where I will reveal the often missed structural cause for having too much stomach acid AND a simple test that you can do to check if your acid challenge is structural in origin.
As always, comments and questions are appreciated and retweets are welcomed.
First off, I will be separating the test methods into those for folks who are currently NOT taking any prescription medication for the problem and then, for those who are. It is an important distinction to make because, generally, prescription meds have many more actions on the body than simply the intended action and so, keeping that in mind, we approach the system a bit more circumspectly than for those who are not taking meds.
With that in mind, bloating and gas are almost always the result of an over alkaline (non acidic) gastro intestinal tract and are generally resolved immediately with the addition of hydrochloric acid (stomach acid). But we must first make sure that the stomach lining has not been damaged by the chronic organic acidic conditions brought on by putrefaction of undigested food from lack of stomach acid excretions. That is we do a test called The HCL (hydrochloric acid) Sensitivity Test to essentially test for the presence of ulcers. Click HERE to get a copy of the test protocol.
If the HCL test results in any burning sensation- do NOT use a HCL supplement. You will cause further damage at this point. Use instead, a full spectrum food derived digestive enzyme with the meal. The protocol for healing the stomach lining of ulcers requires an empty stomach and a simple complex of both absorbent as well as healing phytonutrients (contact me if this applies to you for complete details).
If the HCL test results in no burning sensation then supplement with a food derived HCL and pepsin (protein digesting enzyme active in highly acidic environments that your stomach should be excreting) and pancreatin (pancreatic enzymes).
Now for those who are already on pharma drugs, start with a full spectrum whole food derived digestive enzyme (with the meal) for best results. Note if your digestion improves with the use of the enzyme. If so, then continue to use the enzyme and talk with your doctor about slowly weaning you off of the drug. If you have been on meds for a while do not go off of them cold turkey as there is some dependence developed over time. (contact me for more details on when adding acid supplementation is appropriate).
The rare case of true hyper acidosis (too much stomach acid) is often mis diagnosed and treated with drugs while the cause is generally, in fact, structural. It is always good to check whether the structural component is causing the situation because, drugs and other treatments will only provide temporary relief of the symptoms while failing to address the root cause. Thus, if you are medicated over a long period you will induce nutrient deficiencies as I described in the previous article.
Stay tuned for next week where I will reveal the often missed structural cause for having too much stomach acid AND a simple test that you can do to check if your acid challenge is structural in origin.
As always, comments and questions are appreciated and retweets are welcomed.
Please retweet this post by pressing the "Tweet This" button below.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Indigestion, Gas, Bloating, Reflux, or Heartburn?
Most people with indigestion, gas, bloating, heartburn, and reflux suffer from too little stomach acid, not too much. The burning in your esophagus is from acid- organic acids from the putrification of undigested food that has not moved from your stomach. The lack of stomach acid and enzymes in the presence of food means that you are unable to digest your food and instead it sits in your stomach, emitting gaseous organic acids-the byproduct of putrification. Of course, you burp to relieve the excess pressure and viola! You have heart burn.
Now the medical advice on this one has been to take antacids or better yet, expensive pharmaceuticals like Histamine-2 blockers (Zantac, Pepcid, Tagamet and Axid) or Proton Pump inhibitors (Nexium, Aciphex, Prevacid, Prilosec, Protonix) to either neutralize the acid or as in the case of the pharma drugs, stop the acid production altogether. Because for most the issue is not making enough acid, using the above remedies will cause a more major problem of malnutrition over the long term without addressing the root cause.
Think about it this way- if you take away your body’s ability to properly break down food then how are you going to absorb the nutrients properly? Not only that but you will now be sending food downstream for processing steps that it has not been prepared for. This is not rocket science. If you have a part of your body that has a specialized task that it performs, the task is performed best when the material that it processes arrives in the expected condition. If not, it cant be properly processed. This has a cascade effect in the digestive system which is made up of roughly 7 highly specialized regions each requiring food to be in a particular state prior to processing and absorbing.
The best way to address the issue of heartburn, etc. then, is to look at the root cause of heartburn, reflux, bloating, and gas which generally falls into one or more of three general categories:
1) Poor diet, poor food combining, overeating, and a high refined carbohydrate-sugar intake.
2) Poor or inadequate digestive enzyme function in the stomach, pancreas, and small intestine.
3) Perscription drugs that contribute to reflux problems.
For numbers one and two dietary changes and acid/enzyme supplementation usually do the trick. Number three can be readily solved by working with your MD to get off the offending medication. In most cases, it really comes down to whether or not you are ready to make minor lifestyle changes to avoid serious long term problems.
Stay tuned for next weeks article where I will discuss more specifically, what you can do to address this issue.
As always, let me know your comments and needs surrounding this posting.
Now the medical advice on this one has been to take antacids or better yet, expensive pharmaceuticals like Histamine-2 blockers (Zantac, Pepcid, Tagamet and Axid) or Proton Pump inhibitors (Nexium, Aciphex, Prevacid, Prilosec, Protonix) to either neutralize the acid or as in the case of the pharma drugs, stop the acid production altogether. Because for most the issue is not making enough acid, using the above remedies will cause a more major problem of malnutrition over the long term without addressing the root cause.
Think about it this way- if you take away your body’s ability to properly break down food then how are you going to absorb the nutrients properly? Not only that but you will now be sending food downstream for processing steps that it has not been prepared for. This is not rocket science. If you have a part of your body that has a specialized task that it performs, the task is performed best when the material that it processes arrives in the expected condition. If not, it cant be properly processed. This has a cascade effect in the digestive system which is made up of roughly 7 highly specialized regions each requiring food to be in a particular state prior to processing and absorbing.
The best way to address the issue of heartburn, etc. then, is to look at the root cause of heartburn, reflux, bloating, and gas which generally falls into one or more of three general categories:
1) Poor diet, poor food combining, overeating, and a high refined carbohydrate-sugar intake.
2) Poor or inadequate digestive enzyme function in the stomach, pancreas, and small intestine.
3) Perscription drugs that contribute to reflux problems.
For numbers one and two dietary changes and acid/enzyme supplementation usually do the trick. Number three can be readily solved by working with your MD to get off the offending medication. In most cases, it really comes down to whether or not you are ready to make minor lifestyle changes to avoid serious long term problems.
Stay tuned for next weeks article where I will discuss more specifically, what you can do to address this issue.
As always, let me know your comments and needs surrounding this posting.
Please retweet this post by pressing the "Tweet This" button below.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
*NEW* Morning Movement Video Series!
Wake up morning sequence to get the pain and stiffness out of your legs, hips, back, and neck.
Hi y’all, due to ongoing requests from clients and others, I have posted a very simple set of videos to my youtube (yoga) channel for those of you who want a simple and easy 5-10 minute morning regimen to get your body moving well and feeling great for the whole day. So far, I have posted both the 3 part Morning Movement Series as well as one additional pose for freeing up the upper back, shoulders, and neck.
Caveat Emptor: my FLIP cam broke recently and so I have switched to my old hand held 1CCV video cam (non HD). Forgive the resolution until I have a new HD cam in my hands.
All of these poses are shown in the classical way with no modifications. Some of you may require modification of the pose to be able to get the desired activation of the body. If this is the case and I have not already given you a modification, contact me. The key to getting the full benefit of the poses is to do them properly for your body. This doesn’t mean that random variations that feel good to you are giving you the benefit. Rather, the idea is to find the part of the body that is challenged by attempting the classical pose and then to work from there.
There is immense benefit to be had from working through the issues that your body presents with out taking a short cut. Think of short cut as a diversion that makes you feel good in the moment but adds a challenge over the long term. This is especially true with yoga as the body structure will change with your patterns of use. Anyhow, for those of you who find the videos useful, feel free to subscribe to my YouTube channel, friend me, and set up a RSS feed to your blog, website, etc. Be sure to post my contact info if you do this though.
As always, let me know your comments and needs surrounding this posting.
Hi y’all, due to ongoing requests from clients and others, I have posted a very simple set of videos to my youtube (yoga) channel for those of you who want a simple and easy 5-10 minute morning regimen to get your body moving well and feeling great for the whole day. So far, I have posted both the 3 part Morning Movement Series as well as one additional pose for freeing up the upper back, shoulders, and neck.
Caveat Emptor: my FLIP cam broke recently and so I have switched to my old hand held 1CCV video cam (non HD). Forgive the resolution until I have a new HD cam in my hands.
All of these poses are shown in the classical way with no modifications. Some of you may require modification of the pose to be able to get the desired activation of the body. If this is the case and I have not already given you a modification, contact me. The key to getting the full benefit of the poses is to do them properly for your body. This doesn’t mean that random variations that feel good to you are giving you the benefit. Rather, the idea is to find the part of the body that is challenged by attempting the classical pose and then to work from there.
There is immense benefit to be had from working through the issues that your body presents with out taking a short cut. Think of short cut as a diversion that makes you feel good in the moment but adds a challenge over the long term. This is especially true with yoga as the body structure will change with your patterns of use. Anyhow, for those of you who find the videos useful, feel free to subscribe to my YouTube channel, friend me, and set up a RSS feed to your blog, website, etc. Be sure to post my contact info if you do this though.
As always, let me know your comments and needs surrounding this posting.
Please retweet this post by pressing the "Tweet This" button below.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Can't Stay Asleep?
The first place I go when a client tells me that they are waking up at night to go to the bathroom is to their diet. What have you eaten at dinner and or prior to going to bed.? If you like to eat simple carbohydrates like rice, potatoes, bread, cereal, etc for dinner or prior to bed then that may be the problem. Simple carbs turn to sugar in the blood stream (so this applies if you have a sweetened desert as well) which in turn makes you need to go pee sometime during the night. Stop eating these foods before bed or at dinner and try eating 2-3 oz of lean protein about a half hour to an hour prior to bed. This should keep you sleeping and not make you have to get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.
Indigestion: if you are getting heart burn in the middle of the night. Diet is likely the problem. Call, write, or email me for more info on this one.
Liquor, drugs, pharmaceutical substances: these will wake you up. Limit as much as possible for better sleep.
Night sweats: If you are very hot at night or sweating profusely, look to the obvious first: remove blankets (adjust for the seasons) wear lighter sleep clothes and avoid eating simple carbs/ sugary foods prior to bed. If you have exercised vigorously, take a cool shower prior to bed to take the heat out of your body. After you have tried all of this, you may be looking at a hormonal imbalance. Contact me for a personalized consultation.
Anxiety: this is really a symptom of stress and unresolved issues in your life. Often mediation and regular exercise can take care of this but if not, contact me.
Trouble Breathing: This is a medical issue and is often related to obesity. The breathing machines can help but the root cause is often obesity. There are many non-surgical methods for losing weight and keeping it off. They are less expensive and less trouble in the long run. I have many resources here. Contact me.
Many of these symptoms are actually challenges of living with a Sympathetic Dominant system. Structural Integration has been shown to bring the nervous system closer to sympathetic/ parasympathetic balance. Contact me for a complimentary personalized strategy session to get you on the right path to better sleep.
Call me today at (949) 375-7278 or email me at manny@therolfworkshop.com.
Indigestion: if you are getting heart burn in the middle of the night. Diet is likely the problem. Call, write, or email me for more info on this one.
Liquor, drugs, pharmaceutical substances: these will wake you up. Limit as much as possible for better sleep.
Night sweats: If you are very hot at night or sweating profusely, look to the obvious first: remove blankets (adjust for the seasons) wear lighter sleep clothes and avoid eating simple carbs/ sugary foods prior to bed. If you have exercised vigorously, take a cool shower prior to bed to take the heat out of your body. After you have tried all of this, you may be looking at a hormonal imbalance. Contact me for a personalized consultation.
Anxiety: this is really a symptom of stress and unresolved issues in your life. Often mediation and regular exercise can take care of this but if not, contact me.
Trouble Breathing: This is a medical issue and is often related to obesity. The breathing machines can help but the root cause is often obesity. There are many non-surgical methods for losing weight and keeping it off. They are less expensive and less trouble in the long run. I have many resources here. Contact me.
Many of these symptoms are actually challenges of living with a Sympathetic Dominant system. Structural Integration has been shown to bring the nervous system closer to sympathetic/ parasympathetic balance. Contact me for a complimentary personalized strategy session to get you on the right path to better sleep.
Call me today at (949) 375-7278 or email me at manny@therolfworkshop.com.
Please retweet this post by pressing the "Tweet This" button below.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Having Trouble Sleeping?
Wow! Spring is here for sure now and it is yet another beautiful day. But if you are one of the many who have trouble sleeping it may be hard to enjoy, as beautiful as the day is. So for those of you who are having trouble sleeping- I have put together a little guide and checklist to work through.
So, here goes.
There are two basic types of sleep challenges that I encounter on a regular basis: Trouble getting to sleep and trouble staying asleep. Todays article will address trouble getting to sleep and the next article will address trouble staying asleep.
The top reasons why people have a tough time falling asleep are as follows:
Sympathetic Nervous System Dominant- If you are type A , always rushing, cramming too much into your day, aggressive, hard driving, uncompromising, win at all costs type of person, you live in a continuous world of stress. Your nervous system is more sympathetic dominant or more biases toward the fight or flight response. As a result, you have a hard time relaxing, stay angry longer, and have trouble falling asleep.
so here is what you can do about it.
Overstimulation- if you are overstimulated and have trouble getting asleep start by turning off the TV and computer at least one hour prior to bed time. Pick up a book. Not an exciting one. Do not have stimulating conversation or arguments with your spouse ( these stimulate the stress response and wake you up). Do not expose yourself to bright lights (like a xerox machine) or loud music (stimulating). Ditch the late night exercise session (it wakes you up). Find a relaxing routine to do every night for the last hour prior to bed.
If you are having trouble getting to sleep at a reasonable hour, your hormonal balance may be off. During the morning hours, your cortisol (stress hormone) levels rise, waking you up. In the evening your cortisol drops as your melatonin levels rise, making you sleepy. If these cycles are out of whack, they will affect your bed time as well as your wake time. You can balance them through good bedtime habits and through diet and supplementation.
Maybe you like to have a glass of wine in the evening or a drink to relax. This is a good idea right?...not so fast. Turns out that alcohol- especially wine and spirits can stimulate your body to stay awake. Additionally, the presence of foreign substances in the body (like drugs and pharmaceuticals) has been shown to inhibit sleep. Be careful to have that drink early enough ( at least 4 hours prior to bed) so that it doesnt impact the quality or length of your sleep. Better yet, only drink on special occasions.
If you are sympathetic nervous system dominant, I recommend that you consider a 10 series of structural integration.
SI has been shown to calm the response of the nervous system and bring it back toward a more ideal balance between the Sympathetic (fight or flight) and Parasympathetic (R&R) response. Call me today at (949) 375-7278 or email me at manny@therolfworkshop.com.
So, here goes.
There are two basic types of sleep challenges that I encounter on a regular basis: Trouble getting to sleep and trouble staying asleep. Todays article will address trouble getting to sleep and the next article will address trouble staying asleep.
The top reasons why people have a tough time falling asleep are as follows:
Sympathetic Nervous System Dominant- If you are type A , always rushing, cramming too much into your day, aggressive, hard driving, uncompromising, win at all costs type of person, you live in a continuous world of stress. Your nervous system is more sympathetic dominant or more biases toward the fight or flight response. As a result, you have a hard time relaxing, stay angry longer, and have trouble falling asleep.
so here is what you can do about it.
Overstimulation- if you are overstimulated and have trouble getting asleep start by turning off the TV and computer at least one hour prior to bed time. Pick up a book. Not an exciting one. Do not have stimulating conversation or arguments with your spouse ( these stimulate the stress response and wake you up). Do not expose yourself to bright lights (like a xerox machine) or loud music (stimulating). Ditch the late night exercise session (it wakes you up). Find a relaxing routine to do every night for the last hour prior to bed.
If you are having trouble getting to sleep at a reasonable hour, your hormonal balance may be off. During the morning hours, your cortisol (stress hormone) levels rise, waking you up. In the evening your cortisol drops as your melatonin levels rise, making you sleepy. If these cycles are out of whack, they will affect your bed time as well as your wake time. You can balance them through good bedtime habits and through diet and supplementation.
Maybe you like to have a glass of wine in the evening or a drink to relax. This is a good idea right?...not so fast. Turns out that alcohol- especially wine and spirits can stimulate your body to stay awake. Additionally, the presence of foreign substances in the body (like drugs and pharmaceuticals) has been shown to inhibit sleep. Be careful to have that drink early enough ( at least 4 hours prior to bed) so that it doesnt impact the quality or length of your sleep. Better yet, only drink on special occasions.
If you are sympathetic nervous system dominant, I recommend that you consider a 10 series of structural integration.
SI has been shown to calm the response of the nervous system and bring it back toward a more ideal balance between the Sympathetic (fight or flight) and Parasympathetic (R&R) response. Call me today at (949) 375-7278 or email me at manny@therolfworkshop.com.
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Thursday, February 25, 2010
Why Aren't You Living Up To Your Full Potential?
As I reviewed the survey results last week, I got to thinking. Why is it that “not living up to my potential” came in as the number one immediate concern people are having. Frankly it was a little bit of a surprise and at the same time very synchronistic. This is a theme I have focused on in my calls and live talks over the past month (albeit not to my email list).
You see, pain of any sort, whether it be financial, emotional, physical, etc. is an accumulation of unresolved emotional responses to our failure to live in integrity with our true selves. We have all sorts of reasons for compromise, logistics, children, relationships, scripts that we play in our own heads questioning our self worth, etc. Ultimately though, these are really justifications to allow us to FAIL rather than justifications that support us in manifesting our dreams.
So my question to YOU is: Are YOU justifying your failure rather than embracing your dream? Take a moment to reflect on this. It shouldn’t take long. Just about every one of you is justifying some aspect of your failure. How is this manifesting in YOUR life? Are you overweight? Do you have a debilitating physical condition or disease? Are your finances in disarray? Are you in constant drama or trauma? Are you living the life of a victim?
HOW LONG ARE YOU GOING TO PUT UP WITH LIVING SMALL?
Let this be a wake up call to all of you out there. You will either continue down the path of FAILURE or you will confront what you are hiding from and live the life you were meant for. And let me tell you right now. When you decide to live larger..I mean REALLY decide to live larger..to no longer put up with the baloney that comes with living in your pain- You will experience a SURGE of motivation, energy, and momentum and start to pursue your goal with a FEVER that you couldn’t have imagined was inside of you before.
This point of decision is, in my experience, THE defining factor in whether you break free of your old patterns and catapult your life into the stratosphere or whether you simply add another technique, coaching program, book, or product to your pile of ones that “didn’t work” to validate your failure. The choice is up to you.
I challenge you to pick the ONE area of your life that seems to hold you back or frustrate you the most (weight, body pain, aging, lack of motivation, etc) and really look closely at how that ONE area is affecting the rest of your life (family, financial, faith, friends, etc), look at the TOTAL impact of this one “thing” in its entirety. If you are not totally DISGUSTED with what you see and moved into action, I am offering to facilitate this process free of charge.
If you want some help wading through this process, drop me a line HERE so I can get you moving forward as quickly as possible.
I can’t WAIT to hear your comments on this one...
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Friday, February 19, 2010
OOPS- I Goofed! I Mis Read The Survey Results...
Spring is just about upon us with several days this week in the 70s, kids in the local swimming pool, and lots of outside time for the family. Looks like this weekend is one of the final rain storms of the season (premature statement perhaps?!) and soon enough soccer and swim seasons will start again.
A big thanks to all who took the time to answer the survey. Your feedback will shape how I serve you this year and I want to serve you best. As always, some of the results were expected and there were some surprises as well. Lets get into the results so you can see how the respondents answered.
Keep in mind that the first category, the top three were very close to one another but the number one area that you choose for improvement was "optimal wellness" Numbers two and three are "Nutritional Improvement" and "Weight Loss". Numbers 4-5 are as follows: Pain Relief/Peak Mental Performance
( tied for #4) and “Improved Athletic Performance at number 5 Look for more focus and resources in these areas upcoming.
The biggest surprises, though, turned up in the response to the next question.
Not Living Up To Your Fullest Potential came in at number 1. At number 2 is Stiffness and Soreness. #3 is no surprise..Digestive Issues (food allergies). Tied for number 4 is Exhaustion and Pain Relief. And Depression came dead last. Frankly, I was surprised at number 1 being the the biggest challenge facing you folks right now and I’d love to hear your comments that answer or any in the survey!
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Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Is There A Secret To Waking Up Pain Free?
In a nutshell yes and yes. Many of you are familiar with my mantra of eliminating physical pain in your life by changing your priorities, building your awareness skills, and changing your movement patterns. The challenge is that these actions are all based in building a skill set over a period of time. Many clients ask me if there is anything they can do “in the meantime” to help them get out of pain right away. Here is my answer:
Building of the kinesthetic awareness, or the ability to parse out the information that our body interprets as pain or discomfort into useful, more granular information, is THE ABSOLUTE KEY to long term pain free living. There is no better way to do this and no more powerful way to make a pain free existence a reality. NONE.
That said, chronic pain has several factors, one of which is the internal chemistry of the body. The internal chemistry of your body can be changed fairly easily by changing what you put into your body. Just like the gasoline in your car engine, you can change the performance of your body by changing the “fuel” that you put in.
Yes, I am talking about diet here. But I am not talking about diet to the extreme like so many of the fanatics out there (Yes, Raw Foodists I am talking about YOU). And while generally, I am supportive of a whole food, sugar free (and sugar substitute free), diet centered around animal protein, vegetables (some raw), and fibrous complex carbohydrates (whole grains, sweet potato, etc.) for the best results, there are some very powerful items that you can add to your current diet to get quick results.
I want to focus today on two fairly straightforward additions that you can easily and painlessly add to your daily routine. The first is the juice of a lemon. “Yeech!” You say but wait a minute and let me tell you why lemon juice is so great for you. Given that most of us have a less than perfect diet these days and we are eating processed foods (at least some processed foods), sugar, and not moving our bodies like they were designed, we all are living, to some degree, with an acidic internal environment.
You experience the challenge of this diet in many ways but one of them is in chronic soreness, stiffness, and pain (not to mention compromised immune function, etc.) Enter the Lemon. Lemon juice, is highly acidic (and therefore great for your digestion by augmenting your stomach acid and enzymes) but helps bring the internal environment toward the alkaline when metabolized. That is, lemon juice changes when it enters the bloodstream from an acidizer to an alkalizer.
Improved alkalinity is known to not only boost the immune response, but also to reduce inflammation. My morning ritual is to juice one lemon and dilute the juice to 16 ounces with fresh, clean spring water. This is a great morning flush and with regular use you will find your morning soreness, stiffness, and pain diminished significantly.
Now, if the thought of drinking diluted Lemon juice in the morning sounds extreme to you or just plain gross, I have another solution: Alfalfa
The primary properties of alfalfa are generally considered to be anti-inflammatory, diuretic, nutritive, phytoestrogenic, and tonic. The parts of the plant typically used are flowers, leaves, and sprouts. Alfalfa has been used by the Chinese since the sixth century to treat several health conditions.
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Friday, January 15, 2010
Are You Ready?
I get all kinds of interesting questions about my practice and so recently I have had an epiphany that you may have the very same questions that I get in person.
The question of the day is “ Look Manny, I’ve been to all of the different therapists. I’ve been to the doctor, I’ve been to the physical therapist, I’ve been to the chiropractor, I’ve been to the osteopath, the orthopedist, perhaps some “alternative” practitioners. I’m just not getting the help that I need and I’m still in pain. What makes you think that you can help me? "
And that’s a fabulous question. And here’s my answer. And that is..maybe I can and maybe I can’t help you. There is no “magic bullet” for what is causing you pain. So, for complicated cases you may have to keep looking, you may have to keep searching.. until you find whats right for you. And that’s part of the process.
Now, that said, many, many of these different methods that you may have tried, are looking, primarily, at symptom relief. So they are not looking at the root cause of what’s going on in your body.
When you are ready to look at the root cause of what’s going on in your body and you address it, you’re going to get a pretty dramatically different result then you are when you’re addressing merely the symptom. This is not a process for wimps and complainers, talkers and half hearted attempts. This is a process for people who are completely fed up with their current situation and are COMMITTED to taking consistent actions toward their desire to not be in pain.
And thats what I do. I partner with you to address the root cause of the problem, and help you resolve the issue. And thats really what its all about isnt it?
So, if you are ready to get out of constant pain, you really have to make a choice to either move forward and get out of pain or to stay where you are at. If you are ready to get out of pain, pick up the phone and call me. (949) 375-7278.
best,
-Manny
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The question of the day is “ Look Manny, I’ve been to all of the different therapists. I’ve been to the doctor, I’ve been to the physical therapist, I’ve been to the chiropractor, I’ve been to the osteopath, the orthopedist, perhaps some “alternative” practitioners. I’m just not getting the help that I need and I’m still in pain. What makes you think that you can help me? "
And that’s a fabulous question. And here’s my answer. And that is..maybe I can and maybe I can’t help you. There is no “magic bullet” for what is causing you pain. So, for complicated cases you may have to keep looking, you may have to keep searching.. until you find whats right for you. And that’s part of the process.
Now, that said, many, many of these different methods that you may have tried, are looking, primarily, at symptom relief. So they are not looking at the root cause of what’s going on in your body.
When you are ready to look at the root cause of what’s going on in your body and you address it, you’re going to get a pretty dramatically different result then you are when you’re addressing merely the symptom. This is not a process for wimps and complainers, talkers and half hearted attempts. This is a process for people who are completely fed up with their current situation and are COMMITTED to taking consistent actions toward their desire to not be in pain.
And thats what I do. I partner with you to address the root cause of the problem, and help you resolve the issue. And thats really what its all about isnt it?
So, if you are ready to get out of constant pain, you really have to make a choice to either move forward and get out of pain or to stay where you are at. If you are ready to get out of pain, pick up the phone and call me. (949) 375-7278.
best,
-Manny
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Friday, January 8, 2010
Are You Prepared For 2010
So 2009 is finally over and we're in the start up phase of 2010. What are your goals for the year? Better yet, what are your plans and strategies for the year? Are they on the calender yet?
I'd like to make a confession...I have found myself, for the first time ever with a very cohesive set of goals and plans for the year. And on top of that, for the first time I am actually excited about what this year will bring. In the past, I simply thought of the year change as a calendar date thing. It didn't affect me. But what has changed this year is that I have set goals for myself that are pretty lofty and challenge me to the core. What an amazing discovery that was. Wonder why it took so long to manifest.
So, that begs the question...What are YOUR goals for this year? What are your plans for this year? What area will YOU challenge yourself to grow into this year? What is YOUR big hairy goal for 2010?...The one that absolutely terrifies and fascinates you at the same time?
I want to hear from you. Send me your thoughts directly (if you prefer) or if you are brave enough, post them to my blog here.
I can't wait to hear your goals for 2010. I look forward to hearing from you soon =)
best,
-Manny
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I'd like to make a confession...I have found myself, for the first time ever with a very cohesive set of goals and plans for the year. And on top of that, for the first time I am actually excited about what this year will bring. In the past, I simply thought of the year change as a calendar date thing. It didn't affect me. But what has changed this year is that I have set goals for myself that are pretty lofty and challenge me to the core. What an amazing discovery that was. Wonder why it took so long to manifest.
So, that begs the question...What are YOUR goals for this year? What are your plans for this year? What area will YOU challenge yourself to grow into this year? What is YOUR big hairy goal for 2010?...The one that absolutely terrifies and fascinates you at the same time?
I want to hear from you. Send me your thoughts directly (if you prefer) or if you are brave enough, post them to my blog here.
I can't wait to hear your goals for 2010. I look forward to hearing from you soon =)
best,
-Manny
Please retweet this post by pressing the "Tweet This" button below.
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