Arthritis is a disease that causes pain and loss of movement of the joints. The word arthritis literally means joint inflammation (arth=joint, ritis=inflammation), and refers to more than 100 different diseases. Since arthritis comes in so many different forms and no two people are alike, what works for one person or one kind of arthritis may not work for another. Following are alternative remedies reported to have been effective with at least some people and some forms of arthritis.
Folk Remedies A New England remedy for arthritis is a hot bath of Epsom salts.The magnesium in Epsom Salts has both anti-inflammatory and antiarthritic properties and it can be absorbed through the skin. The heat of the bath can also increase circulation and reduce the swelling of arthritis. Add 2 cups of Epsom salts to a tubful of hot water. Bathe for thirty minutes, adding hot water as necessary to keep the temperature warm.

A Chinese folk medicine remedy for arthritis is to eat sesame seeds. One-half ounce of the seeds contains about 4 grams of essential fatty acides, 175 milligrams of calcium, 64 milligrams of
magnesium, and 0.73 milligrams of copper. Increased copper intake may be important during arthritis attacks because the body’s requirements go up during inflammation. Grind up 1/2 ounce of sesame seeds in a coffee grinder and sprinkle on your food at meal-time.

Gin and raisins: Put three shot glasses or small containers on your counter. In each shot glass, put 9 (not 8 or 10) golden raisins, not regular raisins. Pour just enough gin over them to just barely cover them
(any kind of gin should do). By the 3rd day, the gin should be absorbed by the raisins. Eat the raisins from one shot glass, and set the glass up again with 9 more golden raisins, just barely covered with any kind of
gin, and put the fresh glass at the end of the line. Each day, eat the 9 oldest raisins, then set it up again. Repeat until pain-free, usually 72 hours. It is truly amazing. And cheap!

Drink your tea! Various parts of the celery plant contain more than 25 different antiinflammatory
compounds. Place 1 teaspoon of celery seeds in a cup. Fill the cup with boiling water. Cover and let stand for fifteen minutes. Strain and drink. The leaves of the rosemary plant contain four anti-inflammatory
substances: earnosol, oleanolic acid, rosmarinic acid, and ursolic acid. Put 1/2 ounce of rosemary leaves in a 1-quart canning jar and fill the jar with boiling water. Cover tightly and let stand for thirty minutes. Drink a cup of the hot tea before going to bed and have another cupful in the morning before breakfast.

Willow bark tea has pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory effects similar to those of aspirin. But because the irritationcausing ingredient in aspirin tablets is diluted in tea, you’ll have less risk of stomach upset, ulcer and overdose if you drink the tea instead of the pills.

Spice up your life Many people drink ginger tea for osteoarthritis; a ginger compress is also beneficial.
Oregano is a powerful antioxidant, due in large part to rosmarinic acid, a compound with antibacterial, antiinflammatory, antioxidant and antiviral properties. The antioxidants in oregano may help prevent the cell damage caused by free radicals, blamed for inflammation, degenerative arthritis and the aging process in general. The capsaicin in red pepper can help relieve arthritis when you apply the herb to the skin, using an over-the-counter cream that contains capsaicin like Zostrix or Capzasin-P.
Curcumin, the yellow pigment of turmeric, has significant anti-inflammatory properties and has been shown to be as effective as cortisone or phenylbutazone in certain models of inflammation. Curcumin is sometimes given in combination with an equal dose of an extract of the pineapple plant called bromelain, which appears to possess anti-inflammatory properties of its own.

Helpful Supplements Fatty acids such as those found in black currant seed oil, borage oil, evening primrose oil, fish oil, and flaxseed oil increase the production of anti- inflammatory prostaglandins. S-adenosylmethionine (SAM or SAM-e) plays a role in the formation of cartilage and exerts a mild analgesic effect, comparable in effect to the combination of glucosamine and chondroitin.

Take your vitamins!
• Vitamin E, like the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs used for arthritis, inhibits the prostaglandins that play a role in pain.
• Vitamin C is important for the synthesis of collagen and the repair of connective tissue.
• Pantothenic acid, part of the vitamin B complex, has been shown to help prevent and alleviate arthritis.
• Arthritis patients are recommended to take a supplement of B6 in addition to the recommended daily antioxidant vitamin/mineral supplement.
• One study found when administered to persons with arthritis, vitamins B1 and B12 enhanced the effectiveness of NSAIDs, allowing for a lower dosage of the pain relieving drugs.
• Vitamin A and the minerals zinc and copper are crucial to the formation of collagen and connective tissues.
Excerpted from article written by Tony Isaacs and published in Natural News

Please consult your health care provider before trying these or any other alternative forms of treatment.

The National Academy of Sciences proposed in 1941 that a guideline of minimum recommended daily dietary allowances be established for the express purpose of reducing the occurrence of diseases of malnutrition. These diseases of malnutrition include scurvy (caused by deficient levels of vitamin C), pellagra (caused by deficient levels of niacin), and beri- beri (caused by deficient levels of vitamin B-1). The RDA guidelines fell under sharp criticism within ten years of their publication because they were based on brief studies of approximately nine months and established only nutrient level minimums.

Maintaining one’s health over the course of a lifetime likely requires the intake of daily nutrients at varying levels relating to conditions such as illness, habit, and stage of life. It is estimated that at least
one chronic disease such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes or a degenerative disease of the bone or eye, will afflict 80% of the American population over the age of sixty. This wide-spread
suffering of chronic disease in the aging may be evidence that the RDAs do not provide the levels of nutrients needed to maintain high quality health over a lifetime. In fact, the RDA guidelines are likened by the researchers to minimum wage rates since they barely sustain life let alone contribute in any meaningful way to improving life quality.

In addition to being established only as nutrient minimums, the RDAs fail to take into consideration the impact of lifestyle. Several studies have shown that behaviors such as regular consumption of alcohol, following special diets, and habitual smoking will lower blood levels of various nutrients. The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) stated in their own findings that the RDAs “vary greatly in disease” implying that there are circumstances of living that can and do influence and change RDA requirements.

To gain a better perspective of the inadequacy of the standards, consider the work of two doctors at the University of Alabama School of Medicine cited in the Nutrient Digest; Emanuel Cheraskin and W.M. Ringsdorf, Jr. Given the narrow scope of the RDA guidelines, they attempted to ascertain the actual ideal daily consumption levels for nutrients, carbohydrates, protein and fat that healthy people consume daily and thereby thrive. Cheraskin and Ringsdorf, Jr. hypothesized that people who are more”symptom and sign-free of suffering” are healthier than people who present clinical symptoms and show signs of disease.

The Cheraskin and Ringsdorf, Jr. study consistently indicated that the healthiest people were those who had taken supplements and who had eaten a nutrient- rich diet in relation to the number of calories they ate. By comparing the daily intake levels of vitamins in the healthiest subjects, researchers calculated the mean or average amount of each vitamin consumed. Using these calculations, Alex Schauss, Ph.D. developed the Suggested Optimal Nutrient Allowances (SONA).

The SONA guidelines do not offer specific claims about nutrient abilities. They simply reflect what nutrient levels were consumed daily by healthy participants in the study and thus suggest that a diet including these nutrient levels each day is part of a healthy lifestyle. For example, the healthiest people in the study consumed approximately 410 mg of vitamin C each day. Analyzing the study data by age and gender determined SONA recommendations of 400mg of vitamin C for men and women aged 25-50, and 800- 1000mg of vitamin C for men and women aged 51 and older. By contrasting these amounts to the RDA’s recommendation of 60mg of vitamin C daily, it becomes clear that the RDA guidelines could only have been interpreted as the bare minimums.

The chart below shows a dramatic contrast between RDA and SONA measurements for daily nutrient intake. The USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference was used to create the
final column.
It specifies how much of a particular food a person would have to eat each day to obtain the RDA versus the SONA measurements for those nutrients. You will see that in fact, it is much more difficult to achieve optimal nutrition without supplementation.

• Vitamin A: RDA 700-900mcg, SONA 2000mcg (1 medium carrot vs. 4 carrots)
• Beta Carotene: RDA None Established, SONA 80- 100mg (8 cups cooked spinach)
• Vitamin C: RDA 75-90mg Smokers Add 35mg, SONA 800-1000mg (1-8oz cup OJ vs. 11 cups)
• Vitamin E : RDA 15mg, SONA 800mg (1oz. roasted almonds vs. 7 lbs. of almonds)
• Selenium: RDA 55mcg, SONA 200-250mcg (3 oz. canned tuna vs. 1 lb of canned tuna)
• Folic Acid: RDA 400mcg, SONA 2000mcg (“eat green vegs.” vs. 12 cups of broccoli)
• Niacin: RDA 14mg-16mg, SONA 25-30mg (6 med. baked potatoes vs. 12 baked potatoes)
• Lycopene: RDA None Established, SONA Not Found (10 cherry tomatoes = 4mg)
• Iron: RDA 8-18mg, SONA 20mg (“eat red meat” vs. 2 lbs. cooked burger)
• Zinc: RDA 8-11mg, SONA 17-20mg (“eat poultry” vs. 11 chicken breasts)

Excerpted from article published in Natural News, written by Carol L. Ohnesorge, who holds a Masters Degree in Counseling and Psychology with an emphasis in Holism.

by Mila McManus MD
How’s your cholesterol level? Do you obsess about it? Do you keep a spreadsheet? You know who you are.

Did you know:
• 50% of people who have a heart attack have normal cholesterol
• Merck and Schering-Plough, makers of Zocor, Zetia, and Vytroin, recently revealed their ENHANCE study showed NO benefit in terms of artery-plaque progression. And that they sat on this data for 2 yrs, meanwhile raking in $10 billion in sales for Vytorin.
• A common, yet not-well-known side effect of statin drugs is JOINT PAIN
• Studies have shown that LOW cholesterol levels are associated with depression, anger, and mental slowing.
• Study from Finland found that low cholesterol levels were significantly associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
• Post-mortem studies revealed NO correlation of cholesterol levels with amount of plaque build-up found at autopsy.
Statin drugs (e.g., Lipitor, Zocor, Crestor) can be very dangerous and harmful, yet they are the top selling drugs in America. (visit www.epocrates.com to look up side effects of medications) Big Pharma advertising campaigns have done a fabulous job of making patients and doctors obsess about cholesterol. I encourage all of you out there to do the research. Question your health care providers. Cholesterol is a very small piece to a very large puzzle when it comes to heart disease, or any other disease for that matter. Many people in their 40s with normal cholesterol levels die of heart attacks, and many people live into their 90s with cholesterol levels over 300. Why is that? I don’t have all the answers, but I do recommend that you read a book titled “The Great Cholesterol Con” by Anthony Colpo.
Look at the big picture. I don’t consider high cholesterol to be a disease, but rather a symptom of something more profound going awry in the body. Stop trying to band-aid your symptoms. You CAN improve your health without prescription drugs. You CAN reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, arthritis, etc, without prescription drugs. Let us help you be all that you can be! Don’t let life pass you by while you’re stuck on the sidelines. We care.
Disclaimer: Do not start or stop any medications or vitamin supplements without first consulting with your physician. (side note: Unfortunately, the same physician who prescribed you your medications is not likely to want to change anything. Conventional doctors are trained to prescribe drugs. That’s what they do. It’s what I used to do when I was a ‘traditional’ doctor. I hope some day I will be proven wrong.)

Step 1: Precontemplation You’re here if: You have the nagging feeling that you really do need to, say, start exercising and eating better. But delay rules. Where should you start?

How to Move to Step 2: • Tune in to your excuses. When a friend invites you to a yoga class, how do you respond? Do you decline the invite, blaming a busy schedule? Your bad back? Facing your excuses is the first step toward overcoming them.

Tally the benefits of change. If you lost weight you’d lower your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension. You’d also boost your energy, feel more attractive, and fit easily into your clothes. The upside of the status quo…? Case closed.

• Ask for help. Let your friends know you’re struggling with your decision and that pushing you is exactly what you don’t need. What is helpful: gently pointing out your delaying tactics.

Step 2: Contemplation You’re here if: You know you have to modify your behavior but don’t know how–and you’re still afraid of failing.

How to Move to Step 3:
• Educate yourself. Read articles and books about the new habit you want to cultivate. For instance, doing cardio not only burns calories but helps stave off memory loss. Also, get a reality check from your doctor: Unlike your husband, who may not mind the 30 pounds you’ve gained, your doc should tell you bluntly about how excess weight may be harming your health.

• Work through ambivalence. When you fall back on a familiar excuse, ask yourself, Is this true? Do you really have no time to work out when in fact you watch reruns of Law and Order twice a week? Connect your interest in changing with something you value- -for example, if dropping 20 pounds means you have more energy to join your husband and kids on their yearly ski trips.

• Dip your toe in the water. Want to start a walking program some day? Do a test run now by going for a short brisk walk to see how it feels. “It’s like warming up your engine,” Prochaska says. “By taking those small steps, you’ll be motivated to launch your plan.”

Step 3: Preparation
You’re here if: You’re ready to undertake the hard work required to, for example, lose weight, shape up, or manage stress better—and you’re taking small steps to commit to the effort for at least 6 months.

Move to the starting line:
• Make room for your goal. You may need to reorganize your kids’ schedules or delegate certain household responsibilities. Then pencil in cooking, exercise, or meditating on your daily calendar just as you would for a meeting, says Maryann Troiani, PsyD, a psychologist in Barrington, IL, and coauthor of Spontaneous Optimism.

• Map out a plan. If you’re going to upgrade your diet, should you see a nutritionist? Stock up on certain foods? “If you can’t write down your plan or explain it to a 10-year-old, you’re not ready,” says John C. Norcross, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of Scranton and coauthor of Changing for Good . Anticipate potential obstacles: If a work deadline will interfere with your exercise schedule, map out a short lunchtime walk.

• Take your plan public. Set a start date and clue in family and close friends. “Once you say it out loud, it becomes a commitment that other people know about, which creates pressure on you to follow through,” Norcross says.

Now that you’ve laid the necessary groundwork, you surely will. So, are you ready? Get set… Now go! By Stacey Colino, who lives in Maryland, where she writes about health and psychology issues Posted on: http://www.prevention.com/

VITAMIN C is a water soluble vitamin that should be taken daily along with other essential vitamins. Vitamin C plays a significant role in a variety of metabolic functions. It is best known for strengthening the immune system and aiding in the synthesis of collagen, which supports a healthy cardiovascular system.
Vitamin C is useful in protecting against infectious diseases like the common cold or flu, and any other infectious disease. Taking a daily dose of at least 1000mg is suggested for prevention. But what happens if you get an infection? You should definitely increase your vitamin C. Below is our recommendation for how to take vitamin C when you have contracted a cold, the flu, or other infection:

• Take, at minimum, 2000mg, 4 times a day. (if you develop loose stools, decrease intake by 1000- 2000mg)
• Take zinc 50mg daily.
• Colloidal Silver- 1 teaspoon twice daily.

Vitamin C has many benefits beyond supporting the immune system. As mentioned earlier, there has been extensive research on the benefits of vitamin C in preventing and even aiding in the treatment of cardiovascular disease. Vitamin C protects against cardiovascular disease in the following ways: It alters triglyceride metabolism, helps to strengthen arterial walls, prevents oxidation of low-density lipoproteins and may reduce blood pressure.
Immune support and cardiovascular support are not the only two benefits of taking Vitamin C. There are many other reasons to take Vitamin C: aids in wound healing, provides antitumor activity, provides relief from skeletal pain in various disorders, protects against periodontal disease, and is especially effective in helping regenerate vitamin E after it has been attacked by oxygen radicals, improves iron absorption from the small intestine, is an effective antioxidant, is a cofactor (helper) in the metabolism of folic acid, some amino acids, and hormones, and protects against cancers of the oral cavity, esophagus, stomach, colon, and lung, based on epidemiological evidence.
You should consult your physician about the proper dosage depending on your current condition and other medicines you may be taking.

Happy holidays! “Tis the season to celebrate and celebrate we do.” “Eat, drink and be merry!” Does this sound familiar? Unfortunately for those of us on a whole-food, no-sugar eating plan, holiday eating can be frustrating. Here are some tips to help you stay on target during the season:
Eat before the party. Going to a party hungry spells
disaster.
• Take a vegetable tray or program-approved food with you to the party so there will be food present if you need a snack.
• Abstain from alcohol. “There is a pork chop in every can,” means the calorie intake is equivalent. Alcohol is empty calories and a bunch of them. (At least with a pork chop, you are getting some protein.)
• Prepare your plate with one half the portions you usually eat. If after 30 minutes you are still hungry, get a little more. You will be amazed at how little food really does satisfy your hunger.
• Eat protein first. Protein will send a signal to your brain that you are full faster, thus preventing overindulgence.
• Plan, prepare, plan, prepare. Have healthy food on hand at all times so if you get struck by the “snack bug” you can resist the temptation and make a healthy choice. Better yet, stock your fridge and pantry with only healthy options.
• If it comes in a box, bag, or wrapper stay away. If there are ingredients listed that you cannot pronounce, don’t eat it!
• Lastly, increase your exercise during the holidays. Go to the mall more often but park further away. Buy a lot so you will build muscle mass by carrying a bunch of bags back to the car. Muscles burn calories!
I hope your holiday season is blessed. Happy eating! Here are some healthy versions for some of our favorite Thanksgiving Day dishes to help you stay on track!

Yeast-Free Sweet Potatoes
4 – 5 pounds sweet potatoes
(Estimate 1 pound of potatoes for every 3-4 servings)
½ cup butter
3 T xylitol
2 tsp cinnamon
Peel and quarter the potatoes. Cook covered in a small amount of lightly salted boiling water for 20-25 minutes or until tender. Drain and then mash or beat with a mixer. Add butter, Xylitol, and cinnamon. Place in a buttered casserole dish and bake at 350 F for 30 minutes or until slightly brown. May also mix in and/or top with 1 cup crushed pecans. Recipe submitted by Bernadette H.

Asparagus Quiche
8 slices of bacon cooked and quartered
1 tsp salt (in water for cooking)
½ tsp mustard
¼ tsp nutmeg
4 eggs
1 ½ cup Silk creamer
1/8 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
Dash of pepper
1 almond flour pie crust (recipe below)
½ pound fresh or 2 packages 10oz frozen spears
Wash asparagus; discard white portion. Scrape ends with a vegetable peeler. Save 12 spears for decorating. Cut the rest of the spears in ½ inch pieces. Cook asparagus in boiling salted water until tender. If using frozen spears use 1 cup water to 2 boxes of frozen spears. Simmer covered for 5 minutes or until done. Drain and rinse in water.
Prepare pie crust for 11 inch pie plate. Flute edge. Refrigerate. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sprinkle bottom of pie shell with bacon and asparagus. Beat eggs with cream and spices until blended. Pour egg mixture into pie shell and arrange asparagus spears on top in a spoke fashion. Bake 40 minutes or until puffy and golden. Serve warm. (Inspiration for this recipe comes from The CottonCountry Collection Cookbook.)

The amino acid L-arginine is considered the most potent Nutraceutical ever discovered, due to its powerful healing properties, and is referred to by scientists as the Miracle Molecule. The remarkable properties of L-arginine were validated by the 1998 Nobel Prize in Medicine, and since then have created a frenzy of interest in the Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical fields.

Medical researchers have gathered enough clinical evidence to bring L-arginine to the forefront of modern medicine as an accepted treatment for a variety of human ailments. The L-arginine phenomen is changing standard treatment methodologies in heart disease, immune function, adipositygenerated diseases, genetic growth deficiencies, high blood pressure, sexual dysfunction, and human aging.

Columbia University refers to L-arginine as the “magic bullet” for the cardiovascular system. Over 10,000 L- arginine citations were compiled by Columbia University researchers in their quest to document the clinical benefits of this simple amino acid. It is now taught to medical students at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.
The Nobel Prize landmark discovery of the functions of Nitric Oxide (NO) elucidated the fact that without NO, human life would be impossible. Even more revolutionary was the irrefutable evidence that L- arginine is the body’s chief source for creating Nitric Oxide.
Twenty years ago, the idea that a simple and humble amino acid could change the face of medicine would have been dismissed. Now, physicians, researchers, and scientists are embracing the effectiveness of Larginine and its use has become mainstream.

BENEFITS & FUNCTIONS The efficacy of Larginine as a therapeutic agent has been validated by thousands of clinical studies.

The benefits and functions attributed to oral ingestion of Larginineinclude:

Precursor for the synthesis of Nitric Oxide (NO)
• Stimulation of the release of the most important antiaging hormone in the body, growth hormone
• Improves immune function
• Reduces healing time of injuries (particularly bone)
• Reduces risk of heart disease
• Natural Alternative to Viagra
• Increases muscle mass
• Reduces adipose tissue body fat
• Helps improve insulin sensitivity
• Helps decrease blood pressure
• Alleviates male infertility, improving sperm production and motility

OBESITY, GH, & L ARGININE
Obesity is characterized by increased levels of insulin (high glycemic foods and drinks) and by subnormal growth hormone (GH) release. Insulin promotes fat and carbohydrate storage while GH stimulates lipolysis (fatburning). The insulin/growth hormone ratio is significantly higher in obese humans than in lean humans. The combination of high insulin and low GH exacerbates the obese condition. L-arginine is the main oral agent responsible for restoration of GH in humans, and administration of 8 to 12 grams of free form L-arginine taken at bedtime on an empty stomach 30 minutes prior to Delta sleep reinstates normal GH levels.
Pharmacology, 1988, 36:2, 106-11
Above information taken from Arginine Research website
Necessary disclaimer: Consult with your physician or other health care provider before taking any new supplements

What is a Bunion? The word bunion is derived from the Latin word “bunio” which means an enlargement. Most typically, this is seen on the side of the big toe joint. To have a bunion most often implies a misalignment of the big toe and the bone (first metatarsal) to which it attaches.

How do you get a Bunion? Bunions are caused by a mechanical weakness that places abnormal stress in the bones and joints of the foot. This condition can be found in children, but is more commonly seen in adults. Shoes can aggravate an existing bunion, yet have not been proven to cause bunions. In fact, the late anthropologist Margaret Meade had observed many members of a South Sea island tribe had bunions and had never worn shoes! Bunions are often seen as hereditary, but it is really the foot type that causes the bunion that is inherited. Other causes of bunions can be neuromuscular disorders, injuries, gout, tumors, and abnormal musculoskeletal stress.

What are the symptoms of a Bunion? There are several presentations of bunion related pain that canexist alone or in conjunction with each other. Symptoms can be divided into bump related pain, big toe joint pain, and associated foot pain. Bump related pain is pain over the bunion (enlargement of the big toe joint) that is worse with pressure. This area can become red and have a soft mass, called a bursa. The pain can even radiate up the foot or down the big toe. This is caused by irritation of the nerves passing through the inflamed area. Big toe joint pain is experienced with motion of the joint; such as walking, running, and jumping. Pain in the joint most commonly indicates arthritis. The severity of the arthritis depends on the severity and duration of the bunion. Associated foot pain can come in a variety of ways. One can develop painful corns and calluses on the big toe, big toe joint, or even under the second toe joint. The second toe joint is commonly affected with pain at the base of the toe or the development of a hammertoe. Painful toenails are another common symptom.

How do you get relief from Bunion pain? There are several things that can be done on your own. First of all, wear a supportive shoe with a roomy toe box. Avoid high heel and pointed toe shoes. Apply ice to the painful area to reduce swelling. Wear a toe spacer and nonmedicated offloading pad. If the pain persists, you should see your local podiatric physician.

What non-surgical treatments are available for Bunions? Orthotics are special insoles that are made
from an impression of the feet along with a prescription designed to restore mechanical balance to the feet and legs. These can be helpful in stopping the progression of the bunion and in alleviating the pain. In cases where there is a very painful bursa or nerve, a steroid injection can reduce the pain and swelling. Prescription nonsteroidal anti- inflammatory medication can also be employed. Physical therapy modalities are often used. These will address the symptom but not the cause. Offloading with special pads and shoe stretching are often helpful.

When do you need Bunion surgery and what does it involve? Many people with bunions require surgical correction if the above options have failed to eliminate the pain. There are many different procedures performed to correct a bunion. Most of these include remodeling and repositioning of the bones involved. Surgical fractures are often created with some type of fixation/immobilization to allow proper healing. Recovery time from surgery varies depending on the procedure performed and the condition of the patient. Patients generally go home the same day as the surgery and can resume restricted activity within three to four days. Under normal circumstances, bone healing occurs within six weeks. Normal activity is resumed approximately ten to twelve weeks after surgery. Physical therapy is used to enhance the healing process. It is important to continue with orthotics after surgery as to prevent reoccurrence of the bunion.

Do you have to live with Bunion pain? No!! Go to your local podiatrist (foot and ankle doctor) and see
what they can do to help relieve your pain, correct the bunion, and restore function of your feet. By Dr. James Kutchback, DPM, AACFAS

Wellness is about a coordinated effort of mind, body, and spirit. Your attitudes about things like food, eating, body image, and exercise can either enhance or interfere with your wellness goals. In working with people with eating disorders, we often see eating attitudes and behaviors that make it impossible to be healthy. Some common examples of disordered eating behaviors include things such as:
• Basing decisions on what to eat, when, and how, entirely on external cues
• Bingeing
• Starvation
• Compensating for food intake in unhealthy ways, including:
vomiting, compulsive exercise, use of laxatives, diet pills and diuretics, basing one’s self- evaluationg on their weight, size or eating patterns. However, even before a person’s behavior reaches the proportions that can lead to the diagnosis of an eating disorder, eating behavior that is distorted can still lead to health problems and interfere with a person’s emotional and physical wellness. In distorted eating, we see the same types of eating behaviors in less extreme forms.
Some examples:
• Moderate use of external cues to control eating – counting calories or fat grams and avoiding certain “forbidden”foods (especially if you like them!)
• Occasional food “binges” created by avoidance and partial starvation
• Compensating for perceived “excesses” with: periods of starvation or restriction and extra exercise dictated by food intake (“torturecise”)
• Basing one’s self-evaluation partially on weight, size, or eating patterns
Therapists working with eating disorders have long understood a terrible paradox that appears in eating disorders. Individuals who engage in eating disorders are almost always trying to ultimately achieve some positive goals. For example, they may be trying to improve their health, or make themselves more attractive, or help deal with emotions (we will cover this topic a little later). The terrible paradox is that in almost every case, the very behavior in which a person engages to try to meet these goals eventually backfires and makes the same problem worse! Sometimes, but not always, disordered or distorted eating behaviors work temporarily (other times they don’t work at all). But in almost every case, they eventually backfire. Disordered and distorted eating leads to: poorer self esteem, more problems in relationships, reducing how appealing or attractive someone is, poorer health, and make emotional issues worse. It is important to know that the negative effects of disordered or distorted eating are not due to not having enough willpower or not trying hard enough. In fact, the reverse may be true! The problems created by distorted or disordered eating (including dieting for weight control) are simply byproducts of how your mind and body react to negative ideas about food, eating, and body size and shape. Trying harder often just means making it even worse.

Eating and Emotions – Most people have had the experience of eating when stressed or emotionally upset. Two basic things set us up for an increase in emotional eating. These are: (a) trying to use food to satisfy emotional needs, and (b) not eating enough in general so we are often hungry. One can think of our appetites for food and our emotional needs as two separate “fuel tanks” . No amount of food will ever fill the emotional tank! The most we can hope for is that a full belly, often too full (but sometimes too empty), will temporarily numb the sensation. Anytime food works as a temporary relief to an emotional need, the emotion returns relatively soon, often with increased intensity. Emotional needs require emotional remedies. All too often, self esteem, especially for women, is tied to the ability to deprive oneself of what one needs! To quote Dr. Ann Kearney-Cooke, “putting your own needs first at times isn’t selfish; it’s necessary to give you the physical and emotional stamina to be there for those you care about.” To feel satisfied, we have to have enough! Deprivation does not help. This includes making sure we eat enough. Scrimping on meals (especially for emotional reasons, such as guilt; or to compensate for eating “too much” at another time) sets up a combination of an emotional and a physical need for food. This combination can easily lead to an episode of out-of-control emotional eating. Again, this is not a question of control or willpower; that “weakness” is a direct byproduct of deprivation!

Healthy Eating and Exercise – Wellness is a direct byproduct of healthy eating attitudes, eating behaviors, and exercise patterns. Scientific research on health, exercise, and eating indicates that eating healthy foods (not dieting for weight control!) and getting enough exercise is far more important for health and wellness than controlling one’s weight. In a nutshell, healthy eating is eating that is directed by your own internal cues of hunger, fullness, and satisfaction. Sometimes, after years of distorted or disordered eating (including weight loss diets), this process may need to be relearned. Learn how to tell when you are hungry for food and when your hunger is for something else. Learn how to tune in to your body to be able to tell when you have had enough. Learn that you can sometimes eat purely for pleasure or to help feel connected.
Healthy exercise is exercise that is reasonable, enjoyable, and sustainable. Focus on what kind of activity you actually enjoy doing. Find that spirit, most often present in children, of moving your body because you like how it feels! Give up using exercise to compensate for overeating or as punishment (“torturecise”). Avoid perfectionism or “all-or-nothing thinking”. Finding reasonable and enjoyable types and levels of activity will help you to keep being active and creates a positive cycle (as opposed to a negative cycle) of health and activity.
Your emotions may be the most important element in the whole process. Positive change is almost always the result of encouragement, self acceptance, and self love; not the result of criticism, self denial, and punitive self control. Understanding and accepting that you already are the best you can be today, is what makes it possible to work energetically and constructively for a better (“weller!”) future!
By Dr. Leonard Bohanon, Ph.D.

In search for ourselves, we often discover that we haven’t known who we are for a very long time, sometimes as far back as childhood. Although the search for meaning and the essence of oneself is harder in society where we have become disconnected from families and relationships, the discovery may reveal that we truly never knew what was important to us, never having learned the skills for putting our needs to the forefront. Through years of assisting individuals and groups to find their essence, the missing ingredient almost always seems to be a positive connection to oneself, which directly affects the ability to relate to others and to a healthy belief in something greater than ourselves, or a Supreme Being.
Some experts suggest that letting go of negative beliefs can happen simply by changing behaviors. I call this the “Monday morning diet syndrome”, or going on the same diet every Monday morning, only to go off of it by Tuesday. Certainly working to change behavior helps, but many times we slip back into our old behavior after a period of time. I suggest the following steps to begin to give up old beliefs:

• 1. ACKNOWLEDGE PAST LOSSES – None of us had the perfect situation during our early years. It is important for us to get past our denial and stop protecting our source relationships. On the other hand, blaming our past will not help us get where we want to be. We have to be accountable for our own happiness and misery. Blame is a defense and part of denial.
• 2. ALLOW YOURSELF TO FEEL – Much negative behavior is an effort to avoid feeling fear, inadequacy, guilt, and other emotional states, which we have labeled negative and don’t want to feel. To counter this we must be willing to feel “through” the feeling.no when you need to and being willing to feel the accompanying guilt or fear of disapproval is a powerful way to reverse negative beliefs.
• 3. IDENTIFY YOUR NEGATIVE BELIEFS – Most of us have three or four core beliefs that drive the behaviors we most want to change. If we can identify them, we can begin to see which behaviors and feelings may be attached to them.
• 4. DEVELOP A SUPPORT NETWORK – No one heals alone. To improve on all accounts we must learn to share our deepest self with others. Love can only come through our willingness to share ourselves.
• 5. HONOR YOUR PHYSICAL BEING – Early in the phases of stress and burnout, our bodies will begin to talk to us. Learn to listen! Take your body back through exercise, quiet time, meditation, healthy eating and stress reduction.
• 6. LET THE CHILD WITHIN YOU OUT – The child within us never goes away, and never loses the need for love, nurturing, attention and play.
• 7. HAVE A SPIRITUAL PROGRAM – Our concept of a power greater than us from childhood may not work for us as adults. Many individuals have to reframe this concept as they begin to grow and find themselves.
• 8. ABOVE ALL, BE HUMAN – Allow yourself the privilege of making mistakes, expressing your humanness, and forgiving yourself. Nothing is more powerful than forgiving ourselves and nothing is more healing. Be patient with yourself. Small increments of change are how most people do it.
  Dell deBerardinis, M.S., speaker, author and psychotherapist