Dietary Decisions -- to take supplements or not

Well-meaning family and friends may recommend that you take dietary supplements to help you deal with health issues or pain. Often these people don't know the side-effects or actual active ingredients contained in them. The FDA does not have to approve supplements in order for them to be sold over-the-counter.

Your physician should be the best guide to determine whether or not you should take a supplement. Your eating habits may determine what you need for supplements. If you are on a restricted diet then you may have a vitamin deficiency, and your doctor may recommend a supplement. Eating a well-balanced diet rich in fruits and veggies might be better for you than taking supplements.

Age also affects how well you body absorbs vitamins and minerals. A lack of exposure to sunlight or the need to wear sunblock might mean that your levels of vitamin D are low. If you are pregnant, then it is critical that you maintain appropriate levels of  Folic acid. If the vitamin or mineral supplements you are taking are found in natural foods then you may be getting too much by supplementing. 

The National Institutes of Health has a more detailed article on “Dietary Supplements: What you need to know” and a fact sheet about supplements that offers in depth information about supplements.

They also issue Safety Alerts for foods and beverages, dietary supplements, and infant formula.

If you are thinking of taking an herb or supplement to help you relax, try using a little heat therapy instead of taking Velarian. Heat is one of the oldest and safest of home remedies. Maine Warmers microwave heating pads can also be frozen and used for cold therapy to reduce swelling. Try placing a Back Warmer on your feet at bedtime to help you relax and go to sleep. It is versatile and can be used to relax tense back muscles, stiff necks, and cramps or spasms.

Benefits of exercising with arthritis

Studies have shown that resistance training can help reduce the painful effects of arthritis and increase range of motion. Building stronger muscles around the joints, increasing bone density and, burning calories to help keep weight down are all added benefits of exercising with arthritis.

Three great articles from reputable Web sites, extol the benefits of exercise for those with Rheumatoid Arthritis. I found these online after reading an article in Arthritis Today, May-June 2013.

• Exercise helps ease arthritis pain and stiffness
• Rheumatoid Arthritis and Exercise
• How Weight Lifting Benefits Rheumatoid Arthritis

The idea is to start with a minimal routine and increase activity as your body adapts, and you are able and ready to go to the next level. A physical therapist can be helpful in the initial stages. He or she can tell you what to avoid, depending upon your specific needs. A follow up visit once a year or as needed might give you new information and exercise routines to keep the boredom at bay.

Maine Warmers Cozy Black Sheep microwave heating pad for the back

It only takes a few weeks to begin to feel the progress and see positive changes. You may sleep better and feel less tired during the day, thus feeling more mentally alert. If you have depression you may find it has lessened and that you have a better outlook on life.

When you exercise it is normal to feel some muscle stiffness.  A heating pad can help relax stiff muscles, increase circulation, and help with flexibility. Maine Warmers has Neck and Back Warmers and a variety of Comforting Creatures that offer a fun way to feel better. All of their products can be frozen and used as gentle ice packs.

Physicians offer better communication than medical web sites

Online diagnoses are not the real deal, although web sites, such as the Mayo Clinic, offer a lot of facts and information to help one find the right questions to ask. Your physician is your best bet. Asking reputable people for physician recommendations is also a must – especially when it comes to surgery.

If I had just looked on web sites for medical information about surgery for a bulging disk I would never have been able to decide whether or not that was a serious option for me. Talking with an orthopedic surgeon directly and hearing from the person who would do the surgery about exactly what it entailed, helped me to make the decision to have the procedure that finally eased the pain in my hip and leg. It turned out to be a 45 minute day-surgery with a two week recuperation period. Actually it was longer than two weeks recuperation, but from the moment I came out of the recovery room, I felt cured.

Maine Warmers' microwave heating pad and gentle ice pack for the back

All the Maine Warmers in the world couldn’t help what I had, but now that the surgery is over, I can enjoy the gentle coolness of a frozen back warmer to help reduce the swelling. Maine Warmers microwave heating pads make great ice packs because they are not harsh like ice cubes.

Maine Ice helps reduce swelling on the face an other sensitive areas. For those who have had prostate surgery and need a soft ice pack, check out Maine Ice -- it's not just for the face.

Check out their Comforting Creatures for a fun way to feel better.

Retired Service & Assistance Dogs Make Great Pets

She looked like she might tear your arm off in 2 seconds, but she was one of the sweetest dogs I ever met. A young German Shepherd, she was trained as a police dog because she would not bite anyone. She never graduated to active duty in a police department and was put up for adoption instead.

I helped my daughter-in-law one week end as she walked and fed this dog whose owners had gone away. On a walk, the dog heeled without being told, she stopped and sat at every road and looked both ways before venturing forth. She loved to play. I often thought that if I ever owned a dog I would find one that had been retired from a training program assisting someone who was visually or otherwise physically handicapped.

Guide Dogs of America say, “To be a successful guide dog, many factors including health and willingness to work come into play.  If a dog in our program does not meet all the proper criteria necessary to be a guide dog, they must be removed from the program.”

The waiting list to adopt a retired or what they call a “Career Change” Dog is less than the six year wait for a working guide dog to help with a disability.

They also recommend getting in touch with rescue organizations if you are interested dog adoption. Rescue dogs come with a whole set of issues, but can make great pets.

Other organizations that may help you locate a retired assistance dog:

Canine Companions

Guiding Eyes for the Blind

The Guide Dog Foundation

While you are waiting to adopt a dog, you might consider a Maine Warmers’ Dachshund. It will curl up on

Maine Warmers Cat and Dog microwave heating pads

your lap and keep you warm (if you microwave it for a minute and a half). There aren’t any vet bills to pay, no feeding, walking, dog hair, or picking up doggie doo-doo.

If you prefer cats, the same can be said for Maine Warmers’ Cozy Cat microwave heating pad.

Check out their other Comforting Creatures that provide comforting companionship for people with arthritis and other conditions that cause muscle or joint pain.

Cooling off with Maine Warmers

You're suffering in the heat of summer and you wonder why we recommend a Maine Warmer in this heat! If it's frozen, it will help you cool off gently. The whole corn filling doesn’t get as cold as ice cubes because the water content of the dried corn is less than water. It provides a soothing coolness that is perfect for chilling out on a hot summer night.

Store owner of New England Everyday Goods, Jim Therriault, in Peterborough, NH writes,

“I’ve been telling visitors who hover around the MaineWarmers display that they are not just for the microwave. In this hot sticky weather, nothing cools you down like a “frozen” Warmer. Put on in a zip-loc bag a few hours before bedtime and then take it to bed with you up by your pillow. Cools you down for a night of deep sleep.”

View all Maine Warmers products on one page.

Keeping Hydrated

Summer is a time when it is easy to get dehydrated. Water help your body function well. According to the Mayo Clinic, water dissolves minerals and nutrients and delivers them to the whole body via the blood, and blood cells need water to function. Water helps keep your body temperature regulated, keeps your joints lubricated, and flushes wastes out of your system.

If you don’t take in enough water to replace what you lose by sweating during exercise, while working, playing, crying, breathing, vomiting, or from diarrhea, you may feel tired and you may not function as well as you would if you were hydrated.

SpryLiving.com , July 2013, has some recommendations for staying hydrated.

• When you see a water fountain stop and take a drink. 
• Drink water during meals and in between bites. 
• Think of water as a type of vitamin and incorporate it into your routine. 
• Carry a bottle of water with you and sip on it. 
• Drink water while you drive (just keep your eyes on the road as you do).
• Drink before going to the gym, during exercise, and after. 
• Keep a glass or pitcher at your desk, and order water when you are dining out.

If you feel very warm and tired and have not been drinking enough fluids, stop and relax with a glass of Maine Warmer around your neck and enjoy relief from the heat externally while you cool your insides by drinking water. Or enjoy a fun Comforting Creature that has been store in the freezer.

water. Drink it slowly over a few minutes instead of all at once. Wrap a cooled (from the freezer)

Tips for Dealing with Pain

When you are in pain or just have discomfort from exercise, illness, a condition such as arthritis, or an injury, there are some things may help.

Remain as active as possible. Talk with a physical therapist or your physician about the things you can do to remain physically active.

Find a friend and go out for a walk, a cup of coffee, or lunch. Try to talk about things in the news, books you have read, movies you have seen, and inject humor into the conversation. Keep the conversation away from your health or pain.

Eat well. Include lots of fruits and veggies in your diet and go light on the sugar. You don’t have to give up sweets, just limit your intake to one small dessert a day instead of one at each meal.

Find something to do that you enjoy that will help keep your mind off your pain. Create art, play music, go dancing, sew, garden, read a good book -- something you love to do.

Find ways to relax. Make some iced or hot tea with Lavender. The flavor is wonderful and it may help to calm you down when you are feeling anxious. You may find lavender tea in some health food stores. Sometimes it is combined with chamomile tea.

Read more examples Natural Ways to Feel Better, Arthritis Today, March-April 2013, pp 52-54.

Check out this CD called the Art of Living with Chronic Pain, by Andrea Bowen (Pooka Publishing).

Cozy Sheep heat therapy for muscle pain

I found it helpful to hear her narrative about accepting one’s pain and then dealing with it. The exercises also helped me work through my back pain. 

Maine Warmers microwave heating pads help promote relaxation and provide a natural home remedy for minor muscle aches and pains. A Cozy Bear provides soothing warmth and companionship for someone who is feeling a bit under the weather.

Managing at home after surgery

Returning home from having surgery can be challenging but there are a few things to keep in mind to help make the transition easier according to Emily Delzell, (Arthritis Today, March-April 2013, pp. 50-51).

One, prevent pain from becoming overwhelming by taking medications as prescribed. Once pain intensifies it becomes harder to find comfort again.  Managing pain also helps during physical therapy so that you get the most out of the sessions.

Two, check for signs of infection including redness that worsens instead of feeling better, increased pain around the incision, and/or a fever of 101 or more. Call your physician if you suspect an infection.

Don’t expect to run around like you can conquer the world. Ask your doctor what kind of recuperation period you can expect. Someone who is in their twenties will bounce back faster after surgery than someone in their 60s or 70s. Keep the lines of communication open with your physical therapist and make sure to do the exercises. If you feel pain, don't do them. Discomfort from exertion is normal, but if you feel pain call your physical therapist and find out why.

As the swelling goes down and the muscles start to feel stiff from lack of use, try using a heating pad area before exercising to help with flexibility.. Maine Warmers sells a variety of microwave heating pads that can help relax stiff muscles, increase circulation, and help with range of motion.  Neck Warmers and Back Warmers are versatile and can be used for different body parts.