The Essential 4 Series: Various Methods for Posture Health

18 01 2008

UPDATE 1/18/08 – After putting up this blog, I finally found some more information. Time restraints were the main cause for the delay. Updates to this blog will be put in a link format so that you can go directly to the site for the reference.

In previous posts, I would talk about my shoulder and the various pains I would have. When my shoulder acts up while I’m at work, I do a spinal twist on both sides for about 5 breaths, double check my posture and I’m good to go. My shoulder rarely acts up at home since I am always in a comfortable position – “comfortable” in that I am always keeping my posture in mind.

Keeping your posture in mind is the first and most important step in achieving and maintaining posture health. The fact that you’re reading this post puts you on the good foot (so to speak ;) LOL) towards having good posture. Read the rest of this entry »





The Essential 4 Series: Various Methods for Good Posture III

17 01 2008

Well hello everyone!

Happy New Year! Happy New YOU!
I know I’ve been away for a while. My grandma is still going strong and this is the 4th day in 2008 that I am enjoying being 33. Now that I’m getting back into the swing of things, I got a lot to do (don’t I always! hehe). One thing that has been stuck in my mind for the longest time was updating this blog. I thank you for being so patient with me and I hope that we can both help each other achieve and maintain health.

Continuing from where we left off in our posture series, I want to give you some tips and explain certain things before going into how Pilates and Yoga benefit your posture.

When it comes to posture, awareness is key. You always have to be aware of what your body is doing in order to be able to properly ensure you have the best posture you can have. You have to be aware of your walking posture, your sitting posture and your standing posture. Of course, your standing posture will be the easiest thing to work on. However, if you have your wolking and sitting posture in good condition, then you are a step ahead when it comes to maintaining that good posture.

One thing you can do to make sure you have good posture (sitting and walking) is to try not to cross your ankles when you sit down. This is critical if you have a job where you sit for long periods of time. When you cross your ankles for long periods of time, you are actually cutting off circulation. Capillaries are very small and a lot of capillary blockage will affect overall circulation. It’s like if you sleep on your arm too long…it gets numb. You have to shake it out plenty times in order to get the feeling back. Now your feet may not feel numb when you cross your ankles for long periods of time but when you get up to walk again, you have to “wake up” your feet in the same way. Doing this while walking definitely doesn’t sound too great, especially if you’re a woman who also wears heels. All of these small things can add up in a huge way, leading to all kinds of foot, leg, and hip issues. Posture is the key making sure you have some kind of protection when you walk, sit, or stand. Even with heels on! :) Read the rest of this entry »





Don’t get mad with me but….Go See the Doctor!!

22 08 2007

I set up this post yesterday, in hopes of putting up enough posts that I could take a break for a week. However, daily stresses forced me to complete this post with just the title. hehe This morning, once I awakened, I had a new energy. I’m recharge and ready to go. Talking to mommy helps too. LOL

But let’s get back to the title at hand ;)

When I was a child, my parents asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I had a lot of answers (actress, all around superstar for examples) but the answer they liked the most was a doctor. Yup, when I was young, I wanted to be an OB/GYN. I wanted to help women be healthy and have babies. So it wasn’t a huge deal that when I started going to the University of Maryland, my major was Biochemistry (Pre-Med Intensive).

Obviously, that didn’t last too long. ;)

As the years went on, I moved my focus from medicine to computers. At that time, I didn’t have a problem with any of my doctors (dentists were a different story) but as I witnessed first hand how doctors mistreated patients, I started to distrust them. My mom never liked doctors so I guess I picked up her disdain for them as well. My feelings towards doctors inadvertently lead me to the Master Cleanser, which has ultimately led me right here…..on my way to being a holistics health counselor (and if everything works out the way I plan…a doctor hehe). I’m right back where I started from childhood….wanting to help not just women but all people and if I can deliver a baby or two fantastic! ;)

There are many different types of doctors out there. Today, I’m going to focus on two kinds and why you need to see them. Allopathic Doctors are the doctors we deal with today. They are our internists, gynecologists, surgeons, etc. that you go because your insurance covers their services. Then you have the Alternative Doctors – the Homeopathic and Nautropathic Doctors. The Iridologists and the Holistic Health Counselors. The difference between them is that Alternative Medicine and its doctors prefer not to use invasive surgery, or most synthetic drugs, preferring “natural” remedies, for instance relatively unprocessed or whole medications, such as herbs and foods. Practitioners from accredited schools are trained to use diagnostic tests such as imaging and blood tests before deciding upon the full course of treatment. If the patient does not respond to these treatments, they are often referred to physicians who utilize standard medical care to treat the underlying disease or condition.” (from Wikipedia, click on the link for the source)

Now don’t get me wrong, an alternative doctor may tell you to take a pill but it would be more like a supplement, made of all natural ingredients. As I am growing in this health field, I realize that both types of doctors are necessary to maintain physical health. Let’s me explain why:

Theoretically, when it comes to advice a Conventional Doctor and a Doctor in Alternative Medicine should be able to give you the same information. They both should keep up with medical advances in their fields, even though one focuses more on the natural ways of healing than the other. On the other hand, it’s easier to go to a Doctor of Conventional Medicne (most insurance covers them and there are plenty of them).

If you want to start an exercise program or just get a check up to see if you’re overall physical health is sound (or not), then by all means, see a Conventional Doctor. Most Nautropathic Doctors and the like do NOT do blood work (since they do not prefer surgery) so if you need that done, see a Conventional/Allopathic Doctor. There will be cases where you need surgery. Then, you would need a Conventional Doctor.

Once you know what’s wrong with you, YOU can make the choice as to how to proceed further…what if you don’t want surgery? You can get a second opinion for an Alternative Medicine Practitioner as well as have them treat you. I am a personal fan of Holistic Dentists – those who use digital X-Rays and non-Mercury Fillings. There are many choices available to you so once you know what’s going on with you, you can now do research on how best to help yourself. That wisdom gained should give you a great mental boost to aid your healing process.

One complaint with Conventional Doctors is that they are “too” clinical. A friend of mine that I’m helping out (she could be considered a “client” but she isn’t paying me…yet) thanked me for the way I speak to her when we talk about her health. She is slightly obese and had surgery after thanking me (she needed it). She told me that when she spoke to her doctor, he told her that she was “fat” and “obese” and talked down to her, which in turn made her feel like not wanting to get any help. She explained that when I spoke to her, I never used those terms (I would use “overfat” and other terms that would make her feel like this is something that can change) in a degrogatory manner. After showing her my gratitude, I said something to her that made her a little shocked:

Even though I appreciate your kind words…please don’t dismiss what your doctor said. Even though he said it in a negative way, he wasn’t lying.

My friend was open to a lot of health risks because of her weight and her lifestyle. I explained to her that instead of feeling bad about how the doctor spoke to her, take those words and use it as armor…armor against all the other negative comments that will inevitably come her way as she takes steps to be healthy. Armor your heart and your mind from things that will keep you from feeling free and happy with yourself. “What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.” She smiled when I told her that we are moving forward because we know what the problems are. Next step, is the research and wisdom that comes with figuring the best way to heal and the understanding and patience that comes with putting these plans into action.

So even though most doctors seem like pill pushers and healers of the holes in their pockets, we still need them. Make it a point to find a quality doctor that is within your budget (it is possible…you just have to make the effort to find them…but as always, I’m here to help). Once you find out what ails you (or what doesn’t ail you, you just may need to tweak your wellness a little bit), then you can take the steps to make sound decisions that work for you. And what if you make a mistake and pick a bad doctor? That’s okay too…now that you know that doctor wasn’t right for you (as opposed to just “bad’), you can take the necessary steps to pick the proper one or go towards Alternative Medicine for your needs.

Now go see the doctor…and see me afterwards. ;)

Your homework assignment until the next post is to check my health links to choose a sound doctor and to stay strong, stay healthy, and fight dis-ease!








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