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Top 10 Natural Ways to Stop Night Time Leg Cramps

October 12, 2016 by Tammy Robinson Leave a Comment

If you have ever suffered from one of those jump-out-of-bed-and-dance-around-the-room nighttime leg cramps, you know how awful, and painful, they can be!

Although you can also experience these painful cramps in the feet or thighs, for most people, it is the calf muscle that seems to be the main culprit.

There are numerous reasons why people experience these cramps; everything from pregnancy, particular medications long periods of sitting or standing, even a nutritional deficiency. However, in many cases, no one really knows why we get them.

A quick look at Google will reveal hundreds of “cures”. Some work for some people, but don’t for others. If you are unable to find the reason for your leg cramps, you might want to try these one at a time. Hopefully, one of the following 10 methods will give you relief from these painful episodes.

Soap

This one has been proven to work, although scientists and doctors are at a loss to explain it. We can personally attest that this method has worked for one of the admin’s of this page!

Simply by placing a bar of unwrapped soap inside the bed, you can stop cramps from occurring. Be certain that you are using real soap and NOT a “beauty bar” or “complexion bar”. Those are not real soap, but merely detergent. Ivory soap or Irish Spring is two common soaps. Unwrap the bar and put it between the sheets, down towards your feet. You don’t have to actually touch the soap with your feet, but you can if you like.

If you should experience a cramp, or if the soap starts to dry out too much, replace it. As we mentioned, this method works for many, although scientists don’t understand why this is.

Stay Hydrated

Simply being a little dehydrated can cause muscle cramps. Water makes up about 75 percent of our muscle tissue, so you can see how lacking even a little bit of water in our bodies can cause our muscles to react strangely. Water balances the electrolytes in the body, without which, our muscles simply wouldn’t work right. Be certain that you are drinking plenty of water throughout the day.

Pregnancy

Pregnant women will experience leg cramps at night, especially during their late second trimester and right up until birth. This is most likely due to increased pressure on the nerves and/or circulation in the legs. Unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do about this, ladies, until you give birth. Try the soap method listed above and/or speak with your doctor.

Nutritional Deficiencies

There are several minerals in the body that are important for muscle contraction and nerve impulse. Sodium, calcium, potassium, and magnesium, are all necessary for proper muscle function. A lack of any of these can result in leg cramps.

Consider taking a multi-vitamin supplement if you feel you are eating a proper diet, but are still suffering from leg cramps. You can also try adding more bananas, nuts, seeds, spinach, and seafood to your diet to see if these mineral rich foods help to stop your cramps.

Overexertion

For those who must stand for long periods of time or those who wear high heels regularly, you will find that these activities put excessive pressure on the calf and foot muscles, often causing leg cramps. Be sure you wear shoes that fit well and if you must stand all day, put a soft mat under your feet. There are mats designed just for this purpose!

Ladies, take a break from heels! Vary the size of your heels at the very least! Don’t wear heels around the house or anywhere you don’t really have to. High heels are pretty, but they are detrimental to your feet, legs, and back!

Hypothyroidism

Low levels of thyroid hormones, known as hypothyroidism, can also cause nighttime leg cramps. Since thyroid hormones affect how the body uses calcium and other minerals, you can suffer from a deficiency not due to poor eating habits, but poor absorption because of an underactive thyroid. If you suspect this might be the case, a simple blood test will tell your doctor if your thyroid is working properly.

Prolonged Sitting

Unfortunately, many people work behind a desk for most of the day. This can lead to a lack of circulation, which can cause nighttime leg cramps. Try to at least stand up for 2 minutes out of every 30. You might want to set a timer on your phone or computer to remind you. Walk during your breaks and after work to help improve muscle tone and circulation.

Avoid Caffeine and Alcohol

As much as we love it, caffeine and alcohol are diuretics, which rob the body of water and important minerals. No one is expecting you to cut out that morning cup of Joe, but stop after two or three cups in the morning. Consider replacing your lunchtime soda with water or green tea, and limit your consumption of alcohol to no more than 1 drink (5 ounces) per day. If you do drink before bedtime, you should drink a full cup of more of water just before hitting the sack.

Stretch the Legs

Some people say that simply taking a quick walk or riding a stationary bike for about 10 minutes in the evening helps to stop leg cramps. This is most likely due to increased circulation and the stretching of the calf muscles. You can also try yoga to stretch the calf muscles.

Keep It Loose

Don’t tuck those covers in too tightly around the foot of the bed! Some people say that they experience leg cramps when their feet or toes become twisted because they are caught in the covers. You want the sheets and blanket to cover the feet, but not so tight that your feet are pointed down or in some other awkward position.

Do you have any other natural remedies that have worked for you? We would love to hear how you avoided nighttime leg cramps.

10 Dangerous Signs of Dehydration (#3 is Really Shocking!)

June 4, 2016 by Tammy Robinson Leave a Comment

When most people think of dehydration, they think of people who have heat stroke, or children who are very sick with fevers or vomiting. The truth is, you only need to have an inadequate consumption of water to be considered dehydrated. Skipping two or three glasses of your regular 8 glasses a day minimum is enough to make you dehydrated.

Why it Matters

Every single cell, every single organ, every single function in your body needs water to work. This is why you can go 3 weeks (or more) without food, but only about 3 days without water. Your body will suffer when you are dehydrated, even though you may not feel or see the effects.

10 Signs Your Body is Dehydrated

Decline of Brain Function

Your brain, perhaps more than anything else, needs to be sufficiently hydrated. At any given time, the brain will contain more than 20 percent of the blood supply in the body. Brain cells are also about 85 percent water. The electric current that runs the brain operates on, you guessed it, good old H2O. If you want your brain to work at its best (not to mention making you feel your best) be certain you stay fully hydrated and drink water all day long.

Skin Issues and Early Aging

Your skin is made up of approximately 75 percent water. When it becomes dehydrated, it can develop problems such as dermatitis and eczema. Your skin will also greatly slow down the regeneration of new skin cells and collagen. This can result in premature aging of the skin. Although these problems are mainly cosmetic, they do alter a person’s quality and enjoyment of life. Who wants to go through life with itchy, dry skin?

Kidney Damage

As you know, your kidneys are the body’s main source of water removal. When there is a water shortage in the body, the kidneys go through a process called rennin angiotensin. This process tightens the vascular system and tells the kidneys to save water by slowing the process of urination. Over time, this process leads to kidney stones and even kidney damage. The color of your urine is a pretty good indicator of hydration. Light yellow or colorless urine means you are drinking plenty of water.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Although no one knows the exact cause or reason behind rheumatoid arthritis, one thing is certain; studies show that mild dehydration can cause joint pain and that those who suffer from RA are often dehydrated. While it is not fully known whether drinking enough water could prevent or less arthritis or RA symptoms, there does appear to be some type of connection.

Injuries from Overheating

You don’t have to be digging ditches in the hot sun to suffer from injuries due to heat. Think about your car; without sufficient water, a car can overheat even on a snowy day. Heat injuries range from cramps to headaches, heat exhaustion heat stroke. Be certain that, no matter the weather outside, no matter what you are doing, you stay hydrated to avoid damaging your body by overheating it due to lack of fluids.

Infections

One of the most common types of infection is a urinary tract or bladder infection. In fact, about 50 percent of adult women will get this type of infection at least once in her lifetime. When you become dehydrated, the body does not have sufficient water to flush out the bacteria that naturally congregate inside the urinary tract. When you are fully hydrated, your body will naturally remove these bacteria. Doctors say that a full 30 percent of all bladder infections are caused by a simple lack of water.

Digestion Problems/GERD

Stomach or digestion problems range from simple heartburn or indigestion to GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disorder). The stomach also needs sufficient water to produce enough stomach acid and enzymes to digest food properly. The acid and enzymes, called chyme, also need to be diluted before the stomach dumps food into the intestines. If the body does not have enough water to do this, digestion can be delayed and GERD can develop from undiluted acid entering the esophagus. Drinking water before, during, and after each meal will greatly help the stomach perform its natural digestion process.

Chronic Constipation

Everyone has to go, but what happens when you can’t? Could this be due to a lack of water? You bet! In order to help the body conserve water, the colon will restrict unnecessary water loss by reabsorbing the water. This results in hard, dry stools. Believe it or not, carbonated water (not necessarily sodas, but seltzer water) shows great results for those who suffer from chronic constipation, although scientists aren’t sure why this works so well.

Chronic Headaches

Studies have found that even very mild dehydration (1%) can lead to chronic headaches. You can easily lose 1% of your body’s water reserve with simple daily activities and you are likely to lose as much as 3 to 5 percent after a hard workout through sweat! Many studies have found that staying hydrated can help to avoid headaches, stop headaches, and keep moods more stable.

Sudden Death

In severe cases, dehydration can result in sudden death. Losing 15 percent or more of the fluid level in the body results in death, beginning with organ failure, coma, and then death. Very hot and very cold weather is hard on the body and causes it to need more water. This is especially true of the elderly. Our sensation of thirst begins to diminish after 50 years of age, so we don’t always recognize that the body needs more water. Low blood volume occurs as the blood thickens due to lack of water, which can lead to a drop in oxygen and heart failure if the heart cannot pump enough of the thickened blood to the body’s organs, including the brain. Although dehydration this severe is not common, it is certainly not unheard of.

Just How Gross (and dangerous) are Pool, Jacuzzi’s, and Hot Tubs?

May 31, 2016 by Tammy Robinson Leave a Comment

For American’s, Memorial Day weekend marks the start of summer time. When we think of summer, we often remember warm nights, long, hot days, and, of course, pools to cool us down. After the summer ends, many people head to hot tubs and Jacuzzis to help warm themselves up and relax muscles. You might think that your pool man is taking care of any possible germs by adding chlorine, but according to new research, even after cleaning, many of these enjoyable water features harbors dangerous germs and bacteria.

New research, recently published in the American Chemical Society’s journal explains that ,while many common disinfectants, such as bromine or chlorine, do kill pathogens, it’s when people mix cleaners with other types of substances that we run into trouble. The mixture of chlorine, ozone, or bromine with organic matter in the water creates a dangerous new compound called disinfection byproducts.

Why These Byproducts Matter

When you mix disinfecting products, such as chlorine, in water that contains organic matter (such as sweat, uric acid, urine, cosmetics, sunscreen, suntan lotion, etc.) there is a chemical reaction that takes place and it’s not a pretty one.

What the Research Found

Scientists on this team from the University of South Carolina, tested water from both public and private pools, Jacuzzis, and hot tubs after what would be considered normal use, and then again after “intense” use, meaning after quite a few people had been in the water.

The study found that not only were there more than 100 byproducts floating around in the water, but that the samples were actually as much as 4.1 times more mutagenic than plain old tap water. In fact, some of these disinfection byproducts were not even found in the tap water that was used to fill the pools. While no one plans on drinking pool or hot tub water, it does happen, and, some of these byproducts go right through your skin, directly into the blood.

Are These Byproducts Dangerous?

In a word, yes. These types of mutagenic, inorganic compounds have the ability to cause serious, perhaps even severe, harm to the cells of the body. This study would help to explain previous studies which have found that those who swim or work in or around pools have much higher rates of bladder cancer and respiratory problems. Minor health problems would include sore throats, phlegm, red or itchy eyes, skin issues, and more frequent flu and cold viruses.

If you have ever spent a summer swimming in a public or even a neighborhood pool, you already know the effect that these disinfecting chemicals can have on your hair, but would these byproducts make the problem even worse? Scientists say that it’s possible, but they haven’t conducted a study to reach any conclusions on hair.

What Should You Do?

Scientists admit that many of the common problems people have from swimming pools and hot tubs, such as skin irritation, come from improper levels of disinfectant being used (too much or not enough) and/or an improper pH balance of the water.

Researchers suggest that people change the water more frequently and that having bathers take a rinse in a shower before entering the pool or hot tub will help. They also suggested that using products that contain polyhexamethylene biguanide, often referred to as simply “biguanide”, are very effective alternatives to chlorine and bromine.