About this blog

I thought it is about time that I actually told the blog readers what this blog is really all about!
Thephysiquemorpher is all about health care information in easy to understand and bite sized articles. All information is based upon research and findings from the internet and my own personal experiences. I have tries to make this a very formal and factual blog and stayed away from personal opinions as much as I can... To sum up this blog... it is a blog of generalized health information! IF YOU ARE SUFFERING FROM A PARTICULAR HEALTH COMPLAINT IT IS ALWAYS BEST TO GO SEE YOUR DOCTOR RATHER THAN TO RELY ON THE INTERNET.

How to stop Achilles tendon pain with a simple exercise


Your Achilles tendon can inflame and become very painful resulting in what is known as Achilles tendonitis. Achilles tendonitis effects a lot of sports people from runners and to cyclists, but it can also effect all the rest of us as well who dont even compete in sport.

Study's carried out by scientists has now shown that a very simple exercise can relieve chronic pain and swelling in the Achilles-tendon by quite a lot.

But you may need discipline and commitment: You must repeat the exercise 15 times for each foot for at least three months for it to work the best.

Whilst doing this exercise you may get sore calf muscles at the beginning- this is perfectly normal, and you should just continue! (because it is working and strengthening the calf muscles)

To begin you must position your barefoot and your toes on a stair step, then you must hold the position for two seconds, then lower the heel  vertically and repeat.



Another cause of achilles pain can be due to the fact that you are wearing ill fitting shoe or have insoles that do not provide the right level of support.

*You can buy metatarsal pads that are placed at the bottom of your heel in side your shoes that support the heel and spread pressure that can start building up on your heel, this can also have a good effect on reducing pressure on the achilles tendon too, because these metatarsal pads will also cushion impacts when you walk or run that could damage or inflame the achilles tendon and heel.
*You can buy online plantar fasciitis insoles that have been specially made to prevent platar fasciitis from developing by supporting your heel.



Men who suffer from depression often have low blood pressure

Scientists at the University of California have drawn the conclusion that older men who suffer from depression often have low blood pressure. The study involved 594 men between 60 and 89 years. None of them took medicine for high blood pressure. The studies participants had their blood pressure measured and were then divided into three groups; those who had a diastolic blood pressure less than 75 mm mercury, those who had a diastolic pressure between 75 mm and 85 mm, and those who had a pressure of 85 mm mercury. The participants had a conversation with a nurse and were weighed, after which they completed a questionnaire regarding smoking, alcohol consumption and exercise pattern. The completed also a test, which measures the signs of depression, such as sadness, pessimism, a feeling of defeat, irritability, lack of sociable place, etc. Researchers concluded that men who had a diastolic blood pressure less than 75 mm of mercury led considerably more depression than men who had a blood pressure between 75 and 85 mm. The most prominent signs of depressed where fatigue, melancholy, lack of appetite and concerns about the State of health.

You may found this recent article about depression and high blood pressure useful

Gel insoles make for comfortable feet all day long.

Absorb shock and walk more comfortably that sums up what basically a pair of gel insoles do. They work really well for just about anyone and those who suffer from foot cramps, aches and pains really must go ahead and try a pair, because I am telling you with a pair your cant go wrong! But how do the gel insoles work and how are they different from lets say regular insoles? Well that is a good question but very easy to answer... Gel insoles are designed to cushion, surround and mold to your feet and on impact absorb some of the shock energy that can be more often than not damaging to your feet especially overtime as your feet gradually get weaker and the shocks continue to cause small amounts of damage that soon ads up. They absorb pressure and spread pressure as well by compressing together... it is rather a simple concept... but not all gel is effective you must buy the right kind of gel insoles to really benefit.. Silicone gel is the best as it it is very adaptive... offers rigid support and lightweight making a comfortable and natural fit. How about it then are you convinced? Where you can buy a pair of these insoles can be from your local orthotic store or online.. take nuovahealth for example they have a good range of different insoles including these gel ones.

Wearing a pair really does make a difference. Many runners have the excuse that it is the way you run that causes injury and foot pain.. so why is it that so many of us non runners suffer foot pain and aches at the end of the day just walking and getting on with our day to day lives? Pressure from our body weight on our heels, to simple minute shocks whilst walking all contribute.

How to stay healthy guide

You health is very important, like always prevention is the best way. Having the healthiest and best lifestyle possible ensure you live a fuller, more energetic, longer and happier life where you have more confidence and self esteem.

Here are a few tips which you may want to follow to help you out live a healthier life.. Don't worry you wont regret it.

The first on the list is to stop smoking, taking drugs or consuming or having any harmful substance which can have a detrimental effect on your health. Smoking and drugs slowly destroys your insides. For example the smoke in cigarettes is full of tar and chemicals which can stick to and wreck your organs such as your lungs. People who smoke have a much lower life expectancy than anyone who does not smoke. It really is not worth the risk.
The chemicals in these harmful substances can erode away your insides and also the chemicals can also cause mutations in your cells causing cancer. The addictiveness of smoking and drugs means that many will carry on smoking or taking drugs despite the health risks.

Tip number 2 is a simple one. Drink more water. This may seem simple but many people are not getting enough water and are dehydrated for much of the day.. without water your body cannot work at full efficiency. Typically you should really be drinking is around eight glasses of water a day but the question is are you? Water is vital we cannot live without it, it helps rid our body's of toxins and keeps our body functioning.

Eating a healthy balanced diet is also next on our list of things to stick to if you want to stay healthy. Don't skip meals. Don't eat sugar. Don't even calorie count. Let me explain... Skipping meals such as breakfast is particularly bad as it causes us to feel hungry until lunch meaning we may snack on sugary snack before then leading me onto my next point on sugar.. its not fat that causes weight gain it is actually sugar... Sugar causes a increase in blood sugar levels to combat this our body will then release a hormone called insulin which is a fat storage hormone in a effort to reduce sugar levels by converting it into fat.
Not only that but sugar causes huge spike in energy levels which are not consistent and will only last for a short space of time making you feel hungry quickly.... whereas foods that are slowly digested and are rich in fiber will help you feel fuller for longer meaning you wont be snacking.

Eating organic food is a must. Today to many people eat processed garbage that has no real nutritional benefit to it like that in ready meals.. full of sugar sweeteners and made in a way to reduce calories but in effect reduces nutritional content of the food too... Its best to cook your own food from scratch with healthy organic food... Organic food is also good because many farmers nowadays will use pesticides on crops or in animals they will use growth hormone drugs which all can have a negative impact on our own health.  Instead look on labels see how it was produced. where it came from.... Knowing more about your food will help you live a more chemical and preservative free life and you will be more healthy for it.

Balance is the key not calorie counting... Calorie counting is a load of rubbish to be frank. 100 calories of sugar for example is not the same as 100 calories of protein they both offer different nutrition and one can be worse than the other. The key is to not target a set amount of calories per day but instead look to see if you are eating a balanced diet or not. Eating when your hungry and not starving yourself when your body obviously is in need of food is also a very good idea.

Choose brown not white.

Brown foods are a lot better for you. The idea is simple next time you go supermarket shopping try to buy the brown rice or bread rather than the white bread or rice...This is because white bread and rice has been totally stripped of any nutritional value they once had and have been bleached to to make them whiter. Really what is all that is left with these white foods is the carbohydrates (sugar) with no fiber to go with this carbohydrates means that these foods are quickly digested and absorbed into your bloodstream resulting ina spike in your blood sugar level and the fat storage hormone insulin being released.. in other words eating these white foods is very much the same as eating plain sugar really.

Also brown Rice rich in fiber can help lower cholesterol.

Are you getting enough vitamins and minerals..? it has been seen that being deficient oin vitamins and minerals can actually not only effect your health by causing diseases like osteoporosis but also can if you are still at a age where you are growing stunt your growth. This conclusion comes from recent studies on famine stricken countries where those growing up in famine where much smaller in height compared to there predecessors who did not grow up in famine.


Fat are not that bad you just need to know what fats you should and shouldn't be eating. For example some fats are actually good for you like the omega fats which have been shown to help increase concentration and improve brain power.. its true! We need fats
Saturated and trans fat are bad whcih are often found in fried foods and ready meals can increase cholestrol and increase the risk of heart disease too. I is very important to avoid this kind of fat. Read the labels on your food if you want to know whether it contains saturated or any other kind of fat in it.

Trans fats are often found in margarine, snack cakes and ready meals
Saturated fats tend to be found in meat that is why it is particularity important that you do not cook meat with extra trans hydrogenated trans fat oil.


Good fats help the brain, and even the heart believe it or not.

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are what you should be looking out for.

Monounsaturated fats like olive oil, peanut oil and over plant oils should be used to cook foods with.
Polyunsaturated includes the omega fats which help boost your brain power..... found mostly in fish but alo this fat can also be found in walnuts, and flaxseeds too.

Protein

Protein is very important to your diets but some people seem to think that it is more important than all the other food groups and the main focus of there diets concentrates on protein when really it should be a balance of all food groups not just protein. That being said protein is quite important as it is essential to your cell repair and growth. Its not just meat like chicken that you can get protein from but also beans also contain protein.. a good choice if you want to avoid the saturated fats found in some meats.

Protein is made up of 20 amino acids a couple with are essential and are not produced by your body that is why it is important to eat protein.


calcium
calcium found in mostly dairy products should not be ignored.. calcium contributes to good bone health.. but did you know that your body could be missing out on a lot of the calcium you consume due to lack of vitamin D? You need vitamin D which can be go from the sun to help you better absorb the calcium in your diet.


salt
Salty diets are bad? If you eat lots of salty snack it can actually be quite bad for your health.. not only does slat increase cholesterol and block your arteries but a salty diet can also increase the acidity in the stomach.. you body will then try to neutralize and restore the balance by using mineral reserves which are in your bones... reducing bone density and effecting bone health.. people with acid diets have a higher risk of developing osteoporosis.

Many read meals contain lots of salt to enhance taste so yet another reason to avoid them. Try not to also add extra salt to your food instead to enhance flavor to bland food try adding some healthy herbs and spices instead.


Sleep
Sleep right it is important for your health to get a good night sleep. Sleep is the chance for your body to repair itself.. not sleeping enough can reduce the time the body has to help restore itself.


Keep active

Now you know how to have a healthy diet it is also important to stay healthy through being active.. This doesn't necessarily mean that you must commit to a exercise regime as many nowadays are to busy for this.. it just means that you must be active for the majority of the day. Many of us today are not as active as our ancestors.. our body's have not been designed to be sat in front of a computer or tv screen for hours a day. It is important to stay active for our health.


Running is a great cardio exercise, but if you find running boring then why not playing sport with your friends? There really isnt a excuse not to stay active... even just walking more can help.




I do hope that you take this advise on board, good luck!

 I couldn't fit everything you need to know in one guide but you can read loads more health advise here on thephysiquemorpher, if you cant find something here there are plenty other health sites that can help you as well lead a more healthier lifestyle such as Nuovahealth.

Running insoles can and will make you run more comfortably and faster aswell

Not only shall a pair of running insoles make you run faster but a pair of these insoles has the added bonus of when you run your feet will be more comfortable as well because they will be cushioned and better supported.
Athlete all over the globe use running insoles to better there sporting careers and better their running. But that's not the only reason why athletes use them. Athletes have a increased risk of developing things like plantar fasciitis and damaging there feet because of excess use and strain. Ironically obese people also have a increased risk of foot damage due to the weakening of the foot muscles and tissues due to reasons such as under use.. plus obese people tend to have a even bigger risk of getting plantar fasciitis because the plantar fascia is put under greater pressure by the excess weight.
Running insoles can support the arch of the foot along with providing comfort and shock absorption as well all because running insoles have been built for this purpose with their orthotics in the design.

If you dont want to run the risk (excuse the pun) of getting foot problems then some of these insoles are really for you whether you run or not it is better to prevent future problems from developing in the first place.

Stuck trying to find a place where to buy a pair of running insoles? This site may help:

nuovahealth.co.uk/category/running/

Gel heel cups work to prevent heel pain

If your suffering from heel pain then walking can be a real chore and you cannot get on with your day. But with simply buying some gel heel cups that you inset into your shoes under the heel you will find heel pain will as if by magic go away. But it isn't magic. Heel cups cup your heel cushioning it from damage and shocks as well as providing the right amount of support. Foot and heel pain is no more thanks to these innovative shoe inserts. They are made out of gel that can mold to the shape of your heel and are flexible and durable yet offer firm support and with shock absorbing qualities these heel cups can absorb the shock that can hit your heels as you walk.