10 Tips to Overcome Morning Stiffness

By Robert Chu, PhD, L.Ac

Do you find it difficult to get out of bed in the morning because of too much pain? Does it take an hour or two for your body to "warm up" and your joints and muscles to loosen before you can tackle the tasks of the day? If you answered yes, you are not alone.

According to the American College of Rheumatology, fibromyalgia affects 3 to 6 million Americans. That's 1 in 50 Americans, with seven times more frequency in women than in men. And according to the NHIS, by 2030 an estimated 67 million Americans are projected to have doctor-diagnosed arthritis.

Morning stiffness is one of the more common complaints doctors hear about from patients with fibromyalgia, arthritis, rheumatism and those whose bodies no longer rebound after a day of activity -- even gardening -- like it used to.

Don't let morning stiffness cut your day short by starting it later... And while most people reach for muscle relaxants like Motrin, and pain relievers like Aleve to get them going, you don't need to.

The Main Causes of Morning Stiffness
The basic causes of morning stiffness are lack of daily physical activity, being overweight, having a poor diet, not sleeping properly, and being in an environment that tends to be cold and/or damp.

Exercising on a daily basis (even walking while swinging your arms) is a great way to release those feel-good endorphins, get the blood moving, and help clear nasty toxins from the body.

Being overweight causes you to carry unnecessary pounds, which puts strain on your joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments.

A poor diet that is high in simple carbohydrates causes weak muscles, bad posture, and lethargy.

A poor sleeping posture can lock your body in a bad position for hours, causing reduced blood flow to the local muscles, and a buildup of lactic acid, causing stiffness.

Living or working in a cold or damp environment causes muscles to stiffen because the cold or damp affects the blood flow throughout the body.

Relieving Morning Stiffness
You'll be happy to know that what is causing your morning stiffness can be avoided or corrected... Here are 10 easy things you can do to make a big difference in your life.

1. Be sure to get ample deep sleep so your body can repair and recharge. Forget about those troubles or conversations or tasks that need addressing; they can be handled tomorrow. Also, be sure to sleep either on your side or on your back -- as stomach sleeping causes unnecessary stress on the low back and spine.
2. If your room is drafty, seal the windows or door. If it is cold, try a space heater or use extra blankets to prevent that cold or dampness from stiffening your body.
3. Do some easy stretches while lying in bed, then sitting up in bed, such as bending to the front and sides. This will stretch and loosen the muscles and help flush them with more blood.
4. Take a hot shower. This serves as a means to induce sweating, promotes blood circulation, and releases muscle spasms. Simply stand under the hot water and... relax.
5. After you are warmed up from the shower, do some gentle knee bends -- as far as you can go without falling! You can hold on to something for balance if needed. You don't have to go all the way down, either. These movements exercise almost 90% of the skeletal muscles. Find a counter, table, or chair and use your hands for support. Exhale and squat as low as you can go, then inhale and stand up again. Do 10 of these to get the morning blood flowing and keep the creaky joints silent.
6. Drink the best water you can find. Often the tap water in our cities is not the freshest or safest. Even cities like Los Angeles have traces of psychiatric medicines and estrogen-like compounds in their tap water -- and these toxins build up in your system over time, causing pain. It is advisable to drink either bottled water or reverse osmosis filtered water.
7. Eat healthier. Cut down on simple carbohydrates and start reading labels to avoid consuming more toxins. Simply eliminate all foods with artificial color, enriched white flour, and artificial flavors/sweeteners (high fructose corn syrup, crystalline fructose and aspartame). If you don't know what it is, or have difficulty pronouncing it, avoid ingesting it.
8. Learn some coping mechanisms and stress management techniques so that you're not lying awake all night thinking about your problems. Learning how to deal with toxic people in your life will both allow you to sleep better and reduce the stress-induced muscle spasms that cause pain.
9. Get some regular exercise. The idea is to go out and do some something physical with your body. Even a simple routine of 10000 steps a day (buy a pedometer!) will greatly improve your health.
10. Be the fashion police! You want to dress appropriately for these cold months, and you might do well to sleep in flannel pajamas or sweats. Remember, cold air causes muscles and joints to stiffen.

These simple tips followed with a little dedication, along with some minor lifestyle changes and improvements to your living environment, can help you overcome morning stiffness in no time.

[Ed. Note: Robert Chu, PhD, L.Ac, QME, has studied the Chinese martial and healing arts since childhood. He specializes in Master Tung Acupuncture to help patients with musculoskeletal disorders, pain, infertility, cancer treatment related side effects, cardiovascular problems, diabetes, and thyroid issues. Dr. Chu is a contributing editor and on the advisory board for The Healthy Back Institute.]

Healthy Living:
The Link Between Dietary Fat and Skin Cancer
By Jon Herring

If you were to ask most people,"What is the primary cause of skin cancer?" the answer would have something to do with the sun. That answer would be wrong. The sun is only a co-factor, and in most cases, it is only a minor co-factor.

Just like heart disease, diabetes, and most internal cancers, what you eat (or don't eat) plays a significant role in the progression and development of skin cancer.

Science has proven that there are some foods which strongly promote skin cancer. One of the strongest promoters of skin cancer (and wrinkles) is polyunsaturated omega-6 fats. These fats are found primarily in vegetable and seed oils. Conventionally raised meats are also very high in omega-6 fats.

When you consume these fats, they are incorporated into your cell membranes. And because these fats are highly unstable and prone to oxidative stress, they promote free radical formation in the body -- particularly the skin, which is exposed to oxygen and UV light. The end result is that if you consume too many of these fats in your diet, you will sunburn much faster and more intensely -- and you will also be prone to skin cancer.

The solution?

First, avoid foods that contain vegetable and seed oils (corn oil, cottonseed oil, canola, sunflower, soybean, etc.). Read the labels; these ingredients are everywhere. Second, increase your consumption of omega-3 fatty acids from wild salmon and fish oil supplements. While over-consumption of omega-6 fats is known to promote skin cancer (and other degenerative diseases), omega-3 fats are known to be protective. And finally, consume more antioxidant-rich foods to boost your body's own natural protection against free radical damage.

Follow these three steps and you can continue to enjoy the healing rays of the sun without fear of premature wrinkles or dreaded skin cancer.

[Ed Note: John Herring is the co-author of THB's bestselling Your Best Health Under the Sun,with bonus DVD, PowerPoint Presentation and eBook. Get a copy by clicking here!.]

Healthy Recipes:
Chicken Paprika with Peas
By Laura LaValle, RD, LD

I love the traditional Hungarian dish called Chicken Paprikash. It is made by adding sour cream to the broth that is created from roasting a chicken and typically that gravy is poured over your chicken (cut up) and homemade dumplings. It is delicious, but depending on how many dumplings you eat, it can be very high carb, and it contains wheat and dairy.

I recently came up with this recipe as a way to enjoy the flavors I love without the wheat and dairy, and by using peas you have a lower net carb, yet very nutritious, substitute for the dumplings. One cup of peas has about 20 grams of carb, 7 grams of fiber and 8 grams of protein, so the net carbs are in a very acceptable range of about 13 grams per 1 cup serving.

Serves: 16
Time to Table: 60 minutes

Healing Nutrient Spotlight
Excellent source of niacin, vitamin B-6, selenium
Good source of riboflavin

Ingredients*
1 16-oz bag frozen organic peas
3 pounds chicken breast tenderloins
1 medium sized onion, chopped
1/4 cup cooking oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 tbsp Hungarian paprika
6 oz. tofu-based sour cream
Dash of red pepper
1 tsp arrowroot powder

*Use organic ingredients for optimal nutrition.

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°. Place chicken into a glass baking dish and set aside. Heat oil in frying pan, add chopped onions and sauté. While sautéing, add paprika, salt, black and red pepper. Stir and cook until onions are clear and softened, about 3 or 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Spoon oil and onion mixture onto the chicken breast meat and spread it around to coat the chicken with the onion mixture. After you have spooned out all of the oil that you can, put 1/2 cup of water into the frying pan, swirl it around to collect the remaining onions and seasonings, and pour the water into the baking dish with the chicken. Bake the chicken in oven uncovered for about 40 minutes.

While chicken is baking, cook your peas. Peas do not need to cook for very long at all. The best way to cook them is to bring your water to a boil first, add peas and cook for only 1 or 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Remove the chicken from the baking dish, and cut up into bite-sized pieces. Pour drippings from the baking dish back into the frying pan, and stir in the arrowroot. Add sour cream and stir with whisk. Turn burner onto low and heat the gravy mixture to thicken and blend ingredients. Add peas and chicken and mix well. Serve and enjoy.

Nutrition
350 calories, 43 g protein, 14 g carbohydrates, 13 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 5 g monounsaturated fat, 2 g polyunsaturated fat, 105 mg cholesterol, 5 g sugar, 3 g fiber, 333 IU vitamin A, .2 mg riboflavin, 12 mg niacin, .6 mg vitamin B-6, .3 mcg vitamin B-12, 5 mg vitamin C, 2 mg iron, 34 mg magnesium, 270 mg potassium, 30 mg selenium, 350 mg sodium, 2 mg zinc

[Ed. Note: Laura B. LaValle, RD, LD is presently the director of dietetics nutrition at LaValle Metabolic Institute. Laura and her husband, Jim LaValle, R.Ph, CCN, ND have developed the powerful and life-changing Metabolic Code Diet - containing step-by-step, easy to follow recommendations for harnessing optimal metabolic energy and turning your body's chemical make up into a fat-burning furnace.]

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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs [Issue 02-17-09] which offers alternative solutions for mind, body and soul. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com/