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Health Beat: What is Restless Leg Syndrome?
Narration provided by Wondervox.
By Mark McNease
After experiencing increasing and chronic pain in my thighs, I finally went to see my primary care doctor. His diagnosis? Most likely restless leg syndrome (RLS). I’ll admit to being surprised, because I’d always imagined that as causing a visible shaking or twitching in the legs. What I didn’t know is that it can be low-grade, and it can happen while you sleep! As he explained it, my legs could be twitching almost imperceptibly while I slept, keeping them from resting and rejuvenating. The result is a pain and tiredness that was becoming slightly debilitating.
Restless leg syndrome didn’t seem to be in the public consciousness until fairly recently, and I was one of those who questioned how prevalent it was. When I first saw drug commercials for it, I thought it might be another of the discoveries being made weekly that require another medication, helpfully manufactured and marketed by the pharmaceutical companies. And then it happened to me. I know what it’s like to have an ailment that almost seems as if it’s in my imagination. If you’re experiencing this, rest assured it’s real.
For me, the doctor prescribed Ropinirole. It’s commonly used for Parkinson’s (don’t let that alarm you) and for restless leg syndrome. The results were immediate. The pain is mostly gone, and began subsiding within a couple days. And a side effect is that I sleep soundly, something that has been an issue for me for years.
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Cathy’s Wealth of Health: The Eyes Are a Window to Liver Health
By Cathy McNease, Herbalist
Traditional Chinese Medicine has given us a way to physically view how healthy or unhealthy is our liver via the eyes. So much information is provided to me as a practitioner by simply observing my patient’s eyes. The tongue is used in Chinese Medicine for diagnosis. The sides of the tongue tell you about liver health…pale=blood deficiency; red=heat; purple=stagnation. If your eyes are still in good condition, but you observe one of these colors on your tongue, start now to remedy the imbalance in your liver and protect your precious sense of vision. One of the beauties of tongue reading is that it empowers us to prevent diseases before they strike.
Here are some of the most important messages seen in the eyes, followed by some simple remedies:
Red eyes show heat, inflammation, or irritation.
Dry eyes show lack of body fluids, deficiency of blood or too much heat.
Itchy eyes show allergies, and the body’s difficulty in clearing allergens. Nettle leaf, Milk thistle seed and Burdock root, all available in capsules, may be of help.
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Cathy’s Wealth of Health: Staying Healthy with a Rainbow of Foods
By Cathy McNease, Herbalist
I know of no better food advice for a long healthy life than to strive towards eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables every day. Each color provides a power pack of nutrients to stave off chronic diseases and promote vitality. The USDA recently provided a new icon to represent a healthy diet, thanks to the work of Michelle Obama in attempting to raise food consciousness and tackle the childhood obesity epidemic. The image is a plate with ½ being devoted to fruits and vegetables, ¼ for proteins (lean meats, beans, eggs) and ¼ for grains (with the suggestion that at least ½ of the grains are whole grains). Off to the side is a small circle representing reduced fat dairy products (a glass of low fat milk or a container of yogurt). The brilliance is in its simplicity. Whether you are a child or a senior, you can understand the guidance. (Go to www.choosemyplate.gov for more dietary guidelines.) Most of us, even the healthiest of eaters, need to eat more fruits and vegetables. Reminding yourself of the rainbow helps move you towards that goal. -
Cathy’s Wealth of Health: Our Eyes Are a Window to Liver Health
By Cathy McNease, Herbalist
Traditional Chinese Medicine has given us a way to physically view how healthy or unhealthy is our liver via the eyes. So much information is provided to me as a practitioner by simply observing my patient’s eyes. The tongue is used in Chinese Medicine for diagnosis. The sides of the tongue tell you about liver health…pale=blood deficiency; red=heat; purple=stagnation. If your eyes are still in good condition, but you observe one of these colors on your tongue, start now to remedy the imbalance in your liver and protect your precious sense of vision. One of the beauties of tongue reading is that it empowers us to prevent diseases before they strike.Here are some of the most important messages seen in the eyes, followed by some simple remedies:
RED EYES show heat, inflammation, or irritation.
DRY EYES show lack of body fluids, deficiency of blood or too much heat.
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A Wealth of Health: Let’s Talk About the Role of Inflammation in Age and Illness
Herbalist and Author Cathy McNease Inflammation: Causes and Cures
By Cathy McNease, HerbalistOne of the biggest predictors of how well we age is the amount of inflammation present in our bodies. The major killer diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s, as well as the discomforts of gastritis, arthritis, gingivitis, and the many other –itises, all begin with inflammation. When an organ is inflamed, disease follows. Over time that fire in the tissues or cells can become life threatening. Some of the best cures to reduce inflammation are found in colorful fruits and vegetables. The other vital component to fire reduction is to avoid unhealthy fats, denatured grains, refined sugars, and foods heavy laden in artificial flavorings, colorings and preservatives.
In recent years the medical world has awakened to the huge connection between diet and health. One of the measurable factors that your doctor may use to determine disease risks is your level of CRP (C-Reactive Proteins) in the blood. It is now know that this is a more reliable pointer to the possibility of heart disease than merely looking at cholesterol levels. It will also show the amount of inflammation generally present in the body.
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A Wealth of Health: Let’s Talk About Age-Related Hearing Loss
By Mark McNease
My mother was deaf in one ear due to a punctured eardrum in her youth. She had the habit of nodding when she didn’t hear something rather than admit she couldn’t hear what was said.
Many people experience hearing loss as we age. I won’t be surprised if it’s as much part of my aging process as deteriorating vision that requires glasses to read anything smaller than a billboard. (I wear my glasses on a cord around my neck, knowing I’d lose them in a day if they weren’t fastened to me—not very stylish, but extremely practical.)
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A Wealth of Health: In Tune with Springtime
If you’re in New Jersey or the Northeast, it might not feel like spring, but it is! And the perfect time to re-run this Cathy’s Wealth of Health on being in tune with the season. By Cathy McNease, Herbalist
In Tune with Springtime: Healing the Liver
Spring has arrived with its chirping baby birds, windy weather and multitudes of fragrant blossoms. The Spring is associated with the Wood Element (Liver and Gall Bladder). We will be the healthiest when we attempt to attune our energies to that of the natural seasons around us. Imagine your energy is like that of a tree – if you observe the natural flow of the tree’s Qi (vital energy) through the seasons, you get an idea of being in harmony with Nature. In Winter the energy is deep in the trunk and roots, storing up for seasons to come. In Spring the tree’s Qi (vital energy) moves upward and outward to the branches, forming buds.
When our energy goes dramatically counter to this natural flow, we encounter health problems. In Springtime if we are still indulging in the heavier Winter storage fare, eating lots of meat, cheese and rich dishes, the end result is stagnant Liver Qi, allergies, headaches, skin conditions and lots of phlegm. A visit to the local farmers’ market will get you in touch with the fruits and vegetables that are truly in season for your locale.
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A Wealth of Health: Let’s Talk About Dentures
By Mark McNease/EditorAs a new feature at LGBTSr, a ‘Wealth of Health’ will offer personal and professional experiences on a range of health issues, complete with resources and links. Have one you’d like to hear about? Email me at: editor @ lgbtsr.org
I think it’s important to talk openly and candidly about our aging selves: our bodies, our sex lives, our relationships, our illnesses, our health and our wealth. Teeth are part of that, and, as most of us know, a part not so easily covered by insurance. So let’s start this ‘Wealth of Health’ feature with a word about dentures, something near and dear to me.
A few years ago I had a choice: either get a permanent bridge for my front teeth that were teetering on the edge of extraction, or get a partial denture. At the time I was determined not to have teeth that sat in a jar at night, like my late mother’s, and I had the money to get the bridge.
