Black-Eyed Peas and Greens

Serve over hot cooked long-grain white or brown rice. Frozen black-eyed peas are economical and available year-round, but in the summer months, you can use fresh shelled peas, if you prefer.

Fiber and Your Diet

Bored with bland and tasteless high-fiber foods? Add excitement with burgers, meat loaf, waffles, pasta, and enchiladas–each packed with over 8 grams of fiber per serving. An essential part of heart health, fiber has been associated with decreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease by carrying LDL (bad) cholesterol out of the body. 

Eat plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and whole grains for the most fiber bang for your buck. Try Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Arugula for a simple Italian dish with 8.2 grams of fiber per serving

5 Quick Ways to Stop Back Pain

Roughly 8 out of 10 people suffer from back pain at some point during their lives. Women, in particular, are prone to posture and back problems—thanks to toting around outrageously heavy purses, going through pregnancy, or giving one-hip rides to kids. Whether you’re in the midst of fighting the ache or just want to prevent it, here are some expert-endorsed quick-and-easy ways to wage your war.

From crunches to lunches, how to ease the ache

Roughly 8 out of 10 people suffer from back pain at some point during their lives. Women, in particular, are prone to posture and back problems—thanks to toting around outrageously heavy purses, going through pregnancy, or giving one-hip rides to kids. Whether you’re in the midst of fighting the ache or just want to prevent it, here are some expert-endorsed quick-and-easy ways to wage your war.

Pass the broccoli, please

You know that calcium is key for strong bones, but Japanese researchers have identified something else you need: vitamin K. It’s believed that the vitamin, found in broccoli, spinach, and other dark leafy greens, helps calcium deposit in the bones, making them denser. The stronger your bones, the stronger your whole body—and the lower your chances of an injury that could cause back pain.

Lighten your load

If your purse or briefcase tips the scales at more than 10% of your weight, it’s too heavy. And you need to carry it right. Your best bet is a model with a long strap that lets you position it across your chest like a messenger bag. Our pick: the Ellington Leather Moroccan Shoulder Bag($169.90). Can’t part with your shorter-strapped number? Switch shoulders every 20 minutes.

Sleep right

A harder bed may not be better for your back. A recent study in Spine found that people who slept on softer beds reported less lower-back pain than those who snoozed on harder ones.

Pillows? Yours shouldn’t raise your head out of alignment with your spine. How to tell: If you’re a back sleeper, your chin shouldn’t press into your chest. If you’re a side sleeper, it shouldn’t curve up toward your shoulder.

Tighten those abs

Having strong core muscles (we’re talking abs here) can help protect your back from injury. Do this core-strengthening pelvic tilt 2 to 3 times per week: Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor, and lower back flattened. Pull in your belly button toward your spine, contracting your abs; your pelvis should lift slightly off the floor.

Do 2 to 3 sets of 12 reps

Aim for good posture

Sitting at a desk for eight (or more) hours a day can really do a number on your back. Make sure to sit with your back against your chair (get a lumbar pillow if you chair doesn’t allow this) and both feet flat on the floor. Another option: Try using a stability ball as your desk chair like many Health staffers do—good posture is a must just to stay on the thing. Start off slow (20 minutes at a time), and if it feels good, stick with it.

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20306769_6,00.html

How to Avoid Knee Pain

No more knee pain

From Health magazine

The number-one secret for happy knees? Stay at a healthy weight. Every extra pound you pack on puts about 4 extra pounds of pressure on your knees when you walk or take the stairs. "Women often come in complaining of knee pain, and it turns out it started after they put on just 5 or 10 pounds," says Sara Edwards, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Once you shed that excess weight, though, symptoms improve—and sometimes even disappear.

Read on for more great knee-saving tips.

Don't bound up and down stairs

Unless you're in great shape, this puts serious stress on your kneecaps: "If you weigh 150 pounds, that can mean as much as 600 pounds going through your knees," says Robert Gotlin, DO, director of orthopedic and sports rehabilitation at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City. Walk, and hold onto the railing for added support.

Don't stroll on the grass

If you have osteoarthritis or have ever had a knee injury, choose sidewalks or worn paths instead of grass or cobblestone, which put more strain on your knees and up your risk of tripping

Don't overdo squats and lunges

Don't bend your leg beyond a 90-degree angle; make sure your knee stays directly over your foot.

Work your inner thighs

Strong hip adductor muscles (a.k.a. inner thigh muscles) are crucial for absorbing stress while you walk, so you're not straining your knee. A simple way to start: Try squeezing your knees together whenever you're sitting.

Don't set the bike seat too low in spin class

Make sure you're sitting high enough that your knee straightens out when the pedal is at its lowest point

Exercises That Help Prevent Knee Pain

Build pain-proof knees

From Health magazine

Protect and pamper your knees now, and they'll keep you striding strong and pain-free for life.

Here are key stretching and strengthening moves from physical therapist Lisa Konstantellis.

Calf stretch

Stand at arm's length away from a wall. Place your right foot behind your left foot. With your hands against the wall for support, slowly bend your left knee forward, keeping your right knee straight, your right heel on the floor, and your left knee above your left foot. Hold for about 30 seconds. Switch legs and repeat.

Quadriceps set

Lie or sit on the floor with your right leg extended straight out in front of you and a towel roll under your right knee. Push your knee down into the towel while you tighten your thigh. Hold for five seconds, then release. Do three sets of 10 reps, then switch legs

Straight leg raise

Lie down with right leg extended and left leg bent. Lift your straight leg up until both knees meet, then slowly lower. Do three sets of ten reps, then switch legs.

Hamstring stretch

Lie on your back, both legs straight, and place a long strap around the ball of your right foot. Using the strap, lift your leg until you feel a stretch behind your knee and thigh. (Make sure your knee's not locked.) Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat two more times, then switch legs

Don't OD on caffeine

Fibromyalgia is believed to be linked to an imbalance of brain chemicals that control mood, and it is often accompanied by unrestful sleep and fatigue. Fibro patients may try to ease fatigue with stimulants like caffeine, but they may end up doing more harm than good in the long run.

“Caffeine is a loan shark for energy. We recommend not using a lot,” says Kent Holtorf, MD, founding medical director of the Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centers, which are located across the country.

Eat more fresh foods

Roughly half of fibro patients also suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Eating a diet of fresh foods, devoid of preservatives and additives, may ease fibro symptoms associated with IBS, says Dr. Arkfeld. "Foods that irritate your bowel will trigger the body to send a message to the brain that signals fibromyalgia symptoms," he explains.

Whenever possible, it’s also a good idea to buy organic food. “Some patients do better avoiding pesticides and chemicals,” says Dr. Arkfeld.

How does food affect pain?

Experts believe
that oversensitive nerve cells in the spinal cord and brain may be involved in the way fibro patients process pain. Certain foods may trigger the release of neurotransmitters that heighten this sensitivity, says Daniel Arkfeld, MD, a rheumatologist at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine.

Although the research on diet and fibromyalgia is limited, experts suggest that the following 10 healthy eating rules can’t hurt, and may help people dealing with chronic pain.

6 Dietary Changes That May Help Ease Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain ....Is there an arthritis diet?

   By Mara Betsch

Anywhere from 33% to 75% of people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) feel that there are some foods that make symptoms, such as stiff and painful joints, better or worse.

However, the scientific evidence is spotty.

“There’s no compelling data that generalizes all patients,” says Nortin M. Hadler, MD, professor of medicine and microbiology-immunology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and author of Worried Sick.

“There are multiple trials, but the effects are minimal.” Even if some foods do alleviate RA symptoms, it would be hard to sort out individual diet factors, Dr. Hadler adds.

That said, here are six dietary changes that may be worth trying if you have rheumatoid arthritis.

Find out about allergies

Food allergies, especially to dairy and shrimp, may aggravate rheumatoid arthritis. Some people try elimination diets, which involves removing all potential allergens from the diet and slowly adding these foods back to see if they trigger symptoms.

Studies have tested whether exposing patients to foods that had previously upset their RA consistently worsened their symptoms. “You get a smidgen of a hint that food aggravates symptoms,” says Dr. Hadler.

But he explains that there’s tremendous variation within any individual’s symptoms in a given time period, making it difficult to study the effects of elimination diets.

Check your vitamins

Some evidence suggests certain nutrients may help patients with RA. For example, some studies showed that vitamin E supplements reduce RA joint destruction and pain, while others do not.

Selenium levels are also thought to be too low in some people with RA. However, only one study has found that selenium reduced swollen joints and stiffness, and it also involved fish oil supplementation, so it’s difficult to determine if selenium can help reduce RA symptoms.

In addition, some RA patients take methotrexate to slow disease progression. But the drug also inhibits folic acid metabolism and causes a range of side effects, including mouth sores, says Dr. Hadler. He suggests folic acid supplements to decrease these adverse effects.

Consider a vegetarian diet

At least one study found that people who ate a vegetarian or vegan diet reported an improvement in RA symptoms, including pain score, morning stiffness, and grip strength compared to those who didn’t.

However, because these diets are restrictive, many of the participants were unable to maintain them for the yearlong study period. 

If you can’t give up meat, then at least try to get a few more greens on your plate. The antioxidants, such as those found in green peas, bell peppers, and broccoli, may protect against tissue damage around the joints caused by free radicals.

Make it Mediterranean

In a 2003 Swedish study, people with RA who ate a Mediterranean diet rich in fruits, vegetable, cereals, legumes, and olive oil for three months experienced improved physical functioning and vitality when compared to RA patients who did not.

The effects of the Mediterranean diet on rheumatoid arthritis long-term are still unclear, but including more fruits and vegetables in your diet isn’t a bad idea.

Eat omega-3’s

Several studies suggest that people with RA may benefit from fish oil supplements, which contain inflammation-fighting omega-3 fatty acids.

RA patients are also at greater risk of cardiovascular disease, and fish oil is thought to be good for the heart too.

However, studies suggest that you need to get 3 grams of omega-3 fatty acids per day (a 4-ounce piece of salmon has a little over 2 grams) for 12 weeks, which could get pricey or the diet hard to maintain.

Shed extra pounds

If you’re overweight, losing those excess pounds may take some of the pressure off of your joints.

“If I have a patient with RA who’s overweight and loses 10 pounds, every time he takes a forceful step forward, that’s 30 pounds less on weight-bearing joints [such as the hips and knees],” says Dr. Hadler.

What’s more, it may also improve quality of life. A 2006 study found that overweight and normal weight people with RA had a higher quality of life than those who were obese.

Dear Jesus

Dear Jesus, I said I am too tired to go on, BUT You said I will give you rest. I said I am feeling alone...BUT You said I will never leave you. I said I am afraid...BUT You said I will protect you. I said I can't make it...BUT You said I will carry you. I said I am lost...BUT You said I will save you. Amen!!

Weakness

When you are at your weakest, God is strong. When you are down, God can lift you up. When all seems lost, God will help you win. Strength is available when you need it. Believe it, embrace it and rely on it.

13 Hrs.

 It has been 13 Hrs. wearing these supports and i must say it has really helped still have very little pain but at least my ankles don't feel as if they would fall apart !!!!

Ankle Supports

For the past two weeks i have had minor pain in both my ankles  and a couple of days ago it started to feel like my ankle wanted to break / twist so i tried these !!! Elasto Ankle supports

Happy Weekend

 This is the Morning View Outside my Front Door So you can see how relaxing it looks Enjoy life everyday stop to enjoy God's creation ............
  I will never trade this view for anything healthy clean fresh air .....Happy Weekend to all....

Soup's Up !!!!

Nothing like a Hot Bowl of Soup when you're sick this one in Particular is a heavy soup so i won't feel hungry all day  it's made with:
Smoked Pork Bones 
Dumplings made from w/bran and w/germ very little white flour
Plantain,Lentils,Potatoes,Carrots,Green Figs,Sweet Potatoes & Pumpkin.....And the Soup was made by my Mommy ♥

Hope you all enjoy this song it's been my favorite song the past few weeks :) enjoy !!!!!

"Life must be lived and curiosity kept alive. One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life." 
--Eleanor Roosevelt

"When the body is strong and the mind is weak, the result is insubordination. Train your mind as well as your body." 

"Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity." 
--John Fitzgerald Kennedy

"Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it." 
--Plato

"Look to your health; and if you have it, praise God and value it next to conscience; for health is the second blessing that we mortals are capable of, a blessing money can't buy." 
--Izaak Walton

Enjoy my new updated blog now you can listen to music at the click of a button and please feel free to feed the fishes :)
I made the page more fun for the readers.If you need to listen  music while you read all the better, so enjoy .

Let me just say a Happy New Year to you all... It has been a  while but all is  well still managing some pain lost some weight, No swelling  the Omega Fish Oils are working wonders, Had the Virus for almost a month now took a lot of antibiotics which helped but did have a lot of pain because the fever i had gave me lots of pain in my joints.
So these days i am walking but very slowly as it is still painful to walk my heels hurts when i walk i have tried soft shoes, insoles foot rubs and soaks nothing helped ..The only thing helped just a bit was having my feet rubbed at the end of the day .....so i am looking for options and as usual experimenting so i will keep you all posted ...Thank you for continuing to read/view my blog .