Sitting Up Straight: Is it really the best for your back?

Judd's note: We've all been told that sitting or standing up nice and straight is good for posture. But what about when you're seated for a lengthy time? Is placing a chair at a 90-degree angle really the best for your back? Matt Ford thinks not. Read on.....

A new study conducted at the Woodend Hospital in Aberdeen, Scotland reveals some information that may surprise you. It seems that sitting up straight, with your legs parallel to the floor forming a 90-degree angle with you back, is not all that good for you. This posture puts a large amount of pressure on one's lower lumbar discs. The high stress on the discs can, and often does, lead to lower back pain, which is the second most common cause of doctor and hospital visits in the US, behind only the flu and colds.

If this proper posture is not best, then what is? Apparently sitting with a 135-degree angle between your lower back and thighs is the preferred posture positioning for your aching back. This is about the angle that is formed between your thighs and back when sitting in a La-Z-Boy type chair--another reason to love them.

As one will obviously say, a reclined seating position does not lend itself well to working on a computer, which is often done sitting up straight or, even worse according to the study (and being done by me at this very moment) leaning forward. A way to achieve this 135o posture is to raise the back of the chair so that you keep your feet on the ground, but open the angle between your back and your thighs, thus minimizing back pain.

However, as anyone well versed in ergonomics will tell you, keeping one position for extended periods of time is bad, so getting up and stretching or walking is always healthy.

This study was carried out using a new type of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique. Traditional MRI machines require the patient to lie down in a closed tube: this position lets the spine be fully relaxed and doesn't allow it to be imaged under stress.

By using newer MRI machines with new capabilities, doctors were able to conduct a study to image 22 healthy patients while they were sitting up, examining their spines under normal stress loads. The 135-degree angle they found confirmed a 30 year old study that examined pressures in peoples back by placing needles in there to measure the pressure at various locations. They too found an ideal, low pressure, angle of 135.

This angle is the form your body will take in the absence of external forces, such as floating in water or an astronaut in zero G. While this position is not practical to sit in all day, experts suggest that you try to sit in a partially reclined position when work allows, while on the phone and not using the computer is an example offered. It seems good, now defined as reclined, posture today can save you a lot of pain in the future.

What to do in Between Sets? Stretch!

Judd's note: Most people familiar with me know that I'm an avid surfer. Here's an article for surfers who need to stretch more. As a matter of fact, non-surfers perform these stretches as well.

You just milked another head-high ride for over 100 yards all the way to shore. Stoke factor is off the charts. Adrenaline pumping, you can't wait till the next long ride. Problem is the next set doesn't come for another 5 minutes. What to do?

Most surfers paddle back out to the lineup and just wait, meditating on the horizon. Exploring your inner-soul surfer in between sets is a good thing, yet you can make the most of your time during the lull by stretching.

If you're paddling a lot, there's a reason your arms start to feel like two giant beams of steel: they get saturated with lactic acid; your muscle attachments become tighter, clinging to bone. But if you stretch in between sets, you'll be limber enough to catch that next epic ride.

Here then are some simple stretches to do in between sets:

Side bends

Hardly anyone takes the time to stretch their sides. But your sides, including the serratus anterior (the "boxer's" muscle; the prime mover that activates during a punch) and other muscles that hold the rib cage together should be stretched every day, especially when you surf.

This stretch is easier if you are on a thicker board but you can do this even with the thinnest thruster. Grab one rail for support. Raise the other arm straight up, your palm facing your ear. Inhale, reach your arm up to the sky; exhale and keeping your arm relatively straight, do a side bend. Don't be concerned with having your arm reach all the way across and down; just feel a good stretch. Keep your shoulders squared. Pretend you are stuck in a glass wall and there is no room for one of your shoulders to roll forward.

Repeat other arm. Try to look behind each shoulder to throw in a spinal twist.

Variations on this stretch are also highly effective. Try with both arms, first with your hands apart (remember, palms facing your ears); then perform with palms pressing together.

Between the Blades

A great stretch for the muscles in between the shoulder blades (rhomboids), a problem-area for all surfers: one hand grabs the other at the wrist and pulls it across your body at a 10 o'clock angle for the right arm and a 2 o' clock angle for the left. Keep the arm parallel to the water.

Another effective stretch mirrors the bump in volleyball. Interlock your fingers and set your arms like you're about to bump to the center (this is the first hit in volleyball; before the overhead set and spike). Pretend your fingers are glued together. Apply strong force like you're going to pry your fingers apart but don't let them do so. Very slowly raise your arms and try to spread your shoulder blades. Keep reaching your arms forward. Spread those blades and repeat on the way down.

Mid-back Stretch

Sit on the tail of the board and lean back, grabbing the rails towards the top. Allow your back to round out, much like a cat stretch in yoga. Again, try to spread the shoulder blades to let those muscle attachments relax a bit. When paddling, your spinal extensors, including those at the low back are constantly working (unless you're an old salty dog with a back as flat as the 10-foot plank under him). This stretch will give the mid-back muscles a therapeutic counter-stretch.

Shoulder (Deltoids) Stretch

An oldie, but a goody: To stretch the left deltoid group, take your left arm and wrap it around the opposite shoulder, like you're giving yourself a hug with just your left arm. Position the crook of the right elbow under the left arm and lock the crook just above the left elbow. Next, pull in the right arm comes towards you. You should feel a stretch across the left shoulder muscles.

Triceps Stretch

Another classic stretch: Raise one arm straight overhead, bend at the elbow and let the forearm dangle behind the upper back and neck. With the opposite arm, grab the elbow of the bent arm and gently pull down. As with any other stretch, you can increase your range of motion by inhaling and easing off of the stretch, then exhaling and increasing the range of motion by a couple of inches. Repeat a few times. Exhaling when you go deeper in the stretch is crucial.

Reverse Paddling

If you spread your arms out parallel to the water and swing them straight back, you'll not only feel a great stretch for the chest and arms, but you might even get a chiropractic crack in the back. Swinging the arms straight back is important because it will keep the intrinsic muscles balanced.

Perform these stretches on a daily basis and you will notice your sessions going longer without getting as easily fatigued. You'll also feel less sore the next day when you paddle back out. And if you stretch in between sets consistently, you'll be surfing for many years to come.

Quinoa: The Grain of Champions

Pronounced "Kee-Nwa", this ancient grain, although it may sound like it's from Japan is actually from Peru. It predates wheat. A good percentage of the U.S. population has at least a minor food allergy to wheat. I have one myself. If I eat too many grains, yes, even whole grains, my sinuses get clogged. Not a big deal, I still eat burritos, so I try to eat whole wheat tortillas, though like I said, too much of even whole wheat is not a good thing, at least for my constitution.

With that in mind, I love to eat quinoa, a grain that's high in protein (at least compared to other grains) and is grown in altitudes of over 12,000 feet in the South American Andes.

The Incas, who held the crop to be sacred, referred to quinoa as "chisaya mama" or "mother of all grains", and it was the Inca emperor who would traditionally sow the first seeds of the season using 'golden implements'. During the European conquest of South America, quinoa was scorned by the Spanish colonists as "food for Indians", and even actively suppressed, due to its status within indigenous non-Christian ceremonies.

Quinoa was of great nutritional importance within pre-Columbian Andean civilizations, being secondary only to the potato, and followed in third place by maize. In contemporary times this crop has come to be highly appreciated for its nutritional value, and the United Nations has classified it as a supercrop for its very high protein content (12-18%).

Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete foodstuff. This means it takes less quinoa protein to meet one's needs than wheat protein. It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron.

Quinoa is also gluten free and considered easy to digest. Because of all these characteristics, quinoa is being considered as a possible crop in NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support System for long duration manned spaceflights.

Quinoa been an important food for 6,000 years. Its name is the Spanish spelling of the Quechua name. In Encinitas, California, my home base, there is a Peruvian restaurant called El Quero, on the west side of Coast Highway 101 between D and E Streets, which serves hearty and tasty portions quinoa.

Available at most health food stores, including Trader Joe's, quinoa can be found in the organic variety. A word of culinary caution: quinoa is very plain tasting. Add to it a low-sugar or naturally sugar-free sauce, or use spices to make your quinoa more appetizing.

This highly-beneficial grain will give you steady good energy for hours and it is satisfying. Boxed quinoa is as easy to quick as spaghetti or rice. Dig in. Bon appetit!

Carb: A dirty four-letter word?

Carbohydrate is one of the most dreaded words in America. With popular diets such as Atkins and South Beach criminalizing the carb, what does a person do to eat right, and yet still have their bread?

Basically there are two kinds of carbohydrates - "good" and "bad." Good carbs have a minimal impact on your blood sugar levels without causing them to spike or drop too drastically. When blood sugar levels fluctuate, that's when you end up feeling hungry, shaky, or even nauseous, and usually find yourself gorging on the nearest sugary, empty calorie snack. Good carbs are also full of vitamins, minerals and fiber, which are all necessary for a balanced, healthy diet.

Bad carbs, on the other hand, are full of sugar and white flour, which send blood sugar levels skyrocketing upwards. Although you may feel full briefly, soon your body will up the sugars and simple carbohydrates, resulting in more hunger. Because as your blood sugar levels fall lower than where they were before, it creates hunger pangs. It's a bad cycle.

This is where diets such as Atkins and South Beach step in. Although different from one another, each diet stresses the need to refrain from food items containing white flour or sugars. In this way the American public has become more aware to the differences in carbohydrates.

However, sometimes the diets take it a little too far. Complete abstinence from carbohydrates is not a healthy choice in the long run. A necessary nutrient, carbohydrates supply the body with energy and fiber. Bulkier carbs that are low in calories fill you up. Even the human brain reacts to the ingestion of carbs, releasing chemicals upon their absorption.

And sometimes it's those "feel-good" chemicals that make it so hard to say "no" to another cookie. For humans are programmed to dive straight into sugar; a quickly digested instant burst of energy, sugar is directly related with serotonin, the "happy chemical" in the brain. But sugar is also an instant diet breaker. White flour food items such as white bread, pasta, waffles, pancakes, cookies and baked goods are, essentially, nutritional wastelands. High in calories, low in nutrients, and usually delicious to boot, these "bad carbs" are guaranteed to be bad news for your waistline.

So, how to incorporate carbs in your diet? Become a fiber fiend and make sure that you're picking the correct carbohydrates. Read food labels - make sure that all bread and cereal products are made with "whole wheat" or "whole grain." Skip anything simply labeled "wheat" or "brown." And refrain from any food items made with white flour, which is simply empty calories, destined only to make your hungrier.

So what can you eat? Well, fruit and vegetables are always good options. If trying to limit your sugars, however, keep an eye on how much fruit you are consuming, as all fruit contains natural sugars. A good rule of thumb is to pick fruit that has a high fiber or water content, which will keep you feeling satisfied longer. Apples and berries are high in fiber. Melons are low in calories and full of water. Try an avocado or a tomato; these fruits are often overlooked but are simply packed with vitamins. Be wary, however, when picking up a peach or a citrus fruit, as these are loaded with natural sugars. Vegetables, on the other hand, are the perfect snack and meal option. Full of everything your body needs, from antitoxins to antioxidants, vegetables are high in fiber and naturally low in calories and sugars. The exception? Try to refrain from starchy vegetables such as corn and potatoes.

But what about baking? Use whole wheat flour. Grab a whole grain bagel. Brown rice, wild rice, millet, barley and oatmeal and quinoa are all good options. Try making oatmeal pancakes with whole wheat flour; load up on bulgur instead of white rice. Try food that mixes protein and carbs - legumes are a good idea. Lentils, chick peas, black beans, even fat-free vegetarian refried beans are an option.

Are Saturated Fats Really Dangerous For You?

Judd's note: Unless otherwise indicated, I have written all the posts on this wellness blog. This is one of those exceptions. I feel that only a medical doctor has the credibility to comment on cholesterol. This article is written by Stephen Byrnes, PhD, RNCP

Myth: Saturated fats and dietary cholesterol cause heart disease, atherosclerosis, and/or cancer, and low-fat, low-cholesterol diets are healthier for people. This, too, is not a specific vegetarian myth. Nevertheless, people are often urged to take up a vegetarian or vegan diet because it is believed that such diets offer protection against heart disease and cancer since they are lower or lacking in animal foods and fats. Although it is commonly believed that saturated fats and dietary cholesterol "clog arteries" and cause heart disease, such ideas have been shown to be false by such scientists as Linus Pauling, Russell Smith, George Mann, John Yudkin, Abram Hoffer, Mary Enig, Uffe Ravnskov and other prominent researchers (49). On the contrary, studies have shown that arterial plaque is primarily composed of unsaturated fats, particularly polyunsaturated ones, and not the saturated fat of animals, palm or coconut (50).

Trans-fatty acids, as opposed to saturated fats, have been shown by researchers such as Enig, Mann and Fred Kummerow to be causative factors in accelerated atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, cancer and other ailments (51).

Trans-fatty acids are found in such modern foods as margarine and vegetable shortening and foods made with them. Enig and her colleagues have also shown that excessive omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid intake from refined vegetable oils is also a major culprit behind cancer and heart disease, not animal fats.

A recent study of thousands of Swedish women supported Enig's conclusions and data, and showed no correlation between saturated fat consumption and increased risk for breast cancer. However, the study did show,as did Enig's work, a strong link between vegetable oil intake and higher breast cancer rates (52).

The major population studies that supposedly prove the theory that animal fats and cholesterol cause heart disease actually do not upon closer inspection. The Framingham Heart Study is often cited as proof that dietary cholesterol and saturated fat intake cause heart disease and ill health. Involving about 6,000 people, the study compared two groups over several years at five-year intervals. One group consumed little cholesterol and saturated fat, while the other consumed high amounts. Surprisingly, Dr William Castelli, the study's director, said:

In Framingham, Mass., the more saturated fat one ate, the more cholesterol one ate, the more calories one ate, the lower the person's serum cholesterol ... we found that the people who ate the most cholesterol, ate the most saturated fat, [and] ate the most calories, weighed the least and were the most physically active. (53)

The Framingham data did show that subjects who had higher cholesterol levels and weighed more ran a slightly higher chance for coronary heart disease. But weight gain and serum cholesterol levels had an inverse correlation with dietary fat and cholesterol intake. In other words, there was no correlation at all (54).

In a similar vein, the US Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial (MRFIT), sponsored by the National Heart and Lung Institute, compared mortality rates and eating habits of 12,000+ men. Those who ate less saturated fat and cholesterol showed a slightly reduced rate of heart disease, but had an overall mortality rate much higher than the other men in the study (55).

Low-fat/cholesterol diets, therefore, are not healthier for people. Studies have shown repeatedly that such diets are associated with depression, cancer, psychological problems, fatigue, violence and suicide (56). Women with lower serum cholesterol live shorter lives than women with higher levels (57). Similar things have been found in men (58).

Children on low-fat and/or vegan diets can suffer from growth problems, failure to thrive, and learning disabilities (59). Despite this, sources from DR Benjamin Spock to the American Heart Association recommend low-fat diets for children! One can only lament the fate of those unfortunate youngsters who will be raised by unknowing parents taken in by such genocidal misinformation.

There are many health benefits to saturated fats, depending on the fat in question. Coconut oil, for example, is rich in lauric acid, a potent antifungal and antimicrobial substance. Coconut also contains appreciable amounts of caprylic acid, also an effective antifungal (60). Butter from free-range cows is rich in trace minerals, especially selenium, as well as all of the fat-soluble vitamins and beneficial fatty acids that protect against cancer and fungal infections (61).

In fact, the body needs saturated fats in order to properly utilize essential fatty acids (62). Saturated fats also lower the blood levels of the artery-damaging lipoprotein a (63); are needed for proper calcium utilization in the bones (64); stimulate the immune system (65); are the preferred food for the heart and other vital organs (66); and, along with cholesterol, add structural stability to the cell and intestinal wall (67).

They are excellent for cooking, as they are chemically stable and do not break down under heat, unlike polyunsaturated vegetable oils. Omitting them from one's diet, then, is ill-advised.

With respect to atherosclerosis, it is always claimed that vegetarians have much lower rates of this condition than meat eaters. The International Atherosclerosis Project of 1968, however, which examined over 20,000 corpses from several countries, concluded that vegetarians had just as much atherosclerosis as meat eaters (68). Other population studies have revealed similar data. (69)

This is because atherosclerosis is largely unrelated to diet; it is a consequence of aging. There are things which can accelerate the atherosclerotic process such as excessive free radical damage to the arteries from antioxidant depletion (caused by such things as smoking, poor diet, excess polyunsaturated fatty acids in the diet, various nutritional deficiencies, drugs, etc), but this is to be distinguished from the fatty-streaking and hardening of arteries that occurs in all peoples over time.

It also does not appear that vegetarian diets protect against heart disease. A study on vegans in 1970 showed that female vegans had higher rates of death from heart disease than non-vegan females (70). A recent study showed that Indians, despite being vegetarians, have very high rates of coronary artery disease (71). High-carbohydrate/low-fat diets (which is what vegetarian diets are) can also place one at a greater risk for heart disease, diabetes, and cancer due to their hyperinsulemic effects on the body (72). Recent studies have also shown that vegetarians have higher homocysteine levels in their blood (73). Homocysteine is a known cause of heart disease. Lastly, low-fat/cholesterol diets, generally favored to either prevent or treat heart disease, do neither (74).

Studies which conclude that vegetarians are at a lower risk for heart disease are typically based on the phony markers of lower saturated fat intake, lower serum cholesterol levels and HDL/LDL ratios. Since vegetarians tend to eat less saturated fat and usually have lower serum cholesterol levels, it is concluded that they are at less risk for heart disease. Once one realizes that these measurements are not accurate predictors of proneness to heart disease, however, the supposed protection of vegetarianism melts away (75).

It should always be remembered that a number of things factor into a person getting heart disease or cancer. Instead of focusing on the phony issues of saturated fat, dietary cholesterol, and meat-eating, people should pay more attention to other more likely factors.

These would be trans-fatty acids, excessive polyunsaturated fat intake, excessive sugar intake, excessive carbohydrate intake, smoking, certain vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and obesity. These things were all conspicuously absent in the healthy traditional peoples that Dr. Price studied.

Thai Massage: More Therapeutic than a Regular Rubdown

What is Thai massage?
Thai massage is believed to have been developed by Dr. Shivago (not pronounced like the famous movie of that name; the healer's name is pronounced as if it's two words: Shiva and Go). Dr. Shivago was physician to Buddha, more than 2,500 years ago in India.

As Buddhism spread, so too did its traditional healing techniques, which made their way to Thailand. Buddhist monks in Thailand learned to combine Ayurvedic techniques from India and principles influenced by traditional Chinese medicine.

Thai massage is more energizing and rigorous than more classic forms of massage.

Thai massage is also called Thai yoga massage, because the therapist uses his or her hands, knees, legs, and feet to move you into a series of yoga-like stretches. Many people say Thai massage is like doing yoga without any work.

Muscle compression, joint mobilization, and acupressure are also used during treatment.

People describe Thai massage as both relaxing and energizing. What should I expect during my visit? Thai massage is usually done on a padded mat on the floor.

No oil is applied and you are fully dressed. You are usually asked to bring or wear comfortable clothing to the massage.

A typical Thai massage is 90 minutes to two hours long. What conditions benefit most from Thai massage used for?

Thai Massage is great for athletes of any sport. Runners, bikers and triathletes love how Thai Massage loosens up tight and painful IT bands (the iliotibial band runs down the side of your thigh from your hip down to the knee).

You don't have to be very physically active or athletic to enjoy the benefits of Thai Massage. On the contrary, everyone benefits from Thai Massage.

Thai Massage is useful in eliminating toxins and improving circulation from the toes all the way up to the brain. It's the perfect remedy for stiff, immobile joints and sore and achy muscles. Thai Massage is not chiropractic, however, certain moves during the session will feel like a release and repositioning of skeletal structure.