Healthy Skin for Sun Lovers

The sun's rays damage our skin.  People spend hundreds of dollars on skin care every year. Unfortunately, most skin care products are full of toxic chemicals.*  For tips on all-natural ways of protecting and healing the largest organ of your body, read my latest e-zine article, A Youthful Complexion: Six Simple Solutions for Sun Lovers.

*Uncover the toxic dangers of your personal care products at the Environmental Working Group's fascinating and sobering website.

Whole Foods Supplements I Recommend

There are a handful of nutritional supplements that I recommend to just about all my patients.  Over the years I've sorted through dozens of excellent products, and only a few have met the following criteria.  The supplement must be:

1. Based in whole foods
2. Genetically congruent (not artificially altered for one reason or another)
3. Pure (non-toxic)
4. Essential for human health
5. Difficult or impossible to attain in sufficient quantities or purity from the foods we eat.

Here are the few supplements that fulfill all of these requirements:

1. Omega 3's (DHA and EPA):  The ideal ratio of Omega 6's to Omega 3's is from 1:1 to 2:1, but has become 25:1 on average for Americans.  
2. Probiotics:  Research shows that we now consume one-millionth of the healthy bacteria that we did before pesticides, herbicides, and industrial farming.  Be sure to look for L. plantarum in the ingredient list.  
3. Xanthones:  Scientists have identified dozens of benefits from this class of phytonutrients, including anti-inflammatory properties.  The best source of xanthones is from the whole fruit of the mangosteen (especially the rind).  Researchers have identified over 200 positive biological effects from the mangosteen.
4. Vitamin-Mineral Complex:  I recommend this only to my patients who do not always eat their recommended twelve servings of vegetables and fruits, either through salads or juicing.  Not all complexes are equal.  Many are not absorbed and pass right through one's system.  (Ask any portable toilet technician!)  One excellent brand is XanGo's 3SIXTY5, which comes in either men's or women's formulas, and is exceptionally complete.

The best source of Omega 3's and probiotics I have identified can be found at www.innatechoice.com.  To receive a discount, enter access code WP90502 when ordering.  After looking at various brands of mangosteen juice, the only one that is comprised of the whole fruit (pulp, rind, stem, and seeds), and fulfills the above requirments, is XanGo, which you can order at www.DrConnieAmundson.net (3SIXTY5 information and ordering also available at this site).

[To read a longer version of this article, view it on EzineArticles.com.]

Wrist Stretches for Computer Users

Many of my patients have found these wrist exercises--taken from Aikido--to be very effective for preventing and reducing the harmful effects of long-term use of computer keyboards and the infamous mouse!

Each exercise should be performed slowly and gently for ten repetitions on each side. You should feel a pleasant stretch, but no pain.  If you cannot do these stretches without pain, please stop immediately and consult your chiropractor.

Thanks to Nik Kanetomi for demonstrating the stretches and John Kanetomi for wielding the camera!

Wrist Flexion

*Begin by holding

the back of one

hand in front of

your belly.

*Slowly raise your

hands, applying a

gentle pressure to

flex your wrist.

*Stop when you reach

your chest and hold

for 1-2 seconds.

Wrist Flexion With Rotation

*Hold your hands in

front of your chest

with thumb of one

hand placed in the

groove between the

4th and 5th bones

of your opposite hand,

near your knuckles.

*Slowly lower both hands, applying a 

gentle pressure to

flex and rotate your wrist.

*Stop when you reach

the lower part of your

chest and hold for 1-2 seconds.

Wrist Flexion (Z)

*Hold your hands out

in front of your

chest as indicated

in the photo(your thumb is on top).

*Slowly bring your hands

toward your chest,

gently twisting your

hand toward your face.

*Stop when you reach

the end point of your

stretch and hold

for 1-2 seconds.

Another ezine article accepted

Yea, my second article, Inflammation: Seven Ways to Silence the Silent Killer, has just been published at ezinearticles.com.  To find my articles, put "Connie Amundson" into their search function and search by author.

It was easier than I thought

Here I am in the blogosphere, with musings about chiropractic, health, wellness, and the dilemma of semi-consciousness.  My first e-zine article (Choosing a Chiropractor:  Nine Ways That Worked and One That Didn't) was accepted today!  Yippee!  I'll let you know where it's posted, as soon as I figure out how to add links...