Muscle up (mentions Curcumin)

[Guest guest]

Muscle up

By Barker

http://deliciouslivingmag.com/health/0601-muscle-up/

Back pain, jaw tension, leg cramps — so many common health problems

involve your muscles, those powerful tissues that make up about 40

percent of your body. And yet, " most people don't think about their

muscles until something goes wrong, " says Schoffro Cook,

doctor of natural medicine, holistic nutritionist, and author of The

Ultimate pH Solution (Harper, 2008). But because a loss of

muscle mass and proper function may cause you to be less active, it's

essential that you nourish, strengthen, and stretch your muscles

every day. Doing so can help prevent serious health issues such as

osteoporosis, heart disease, and even cancer, suggests R.

Wolfe, PhD, a researcher at the University of Texas in Galveston.

Adding the following steps to your daily routine can keep you feeling

strong from head to toe.

Eat muscle-building minerals

One of the most vital aspects of muscle health is the tissues'

ability to contract and relax properly. Because magnesium and calcium

are essential to those functions, Cook recommends loading up on both

every day. Dark green leafy vegetables offer a hefty dose of

magnesium and calcium, as well as potassium, which is crucial for

muscle growth. " You can never eat too many greens, " asserts Cook, who

encourages having a salad full of arugula at lunch and sautéed kale

for dinner. (See " Mineral-Rich Foods for Muscles, " page 44, for

information about the mineral content in particular foods.) " It can

be very hard to get enough calcium and magnesium, even if you're

extremely conscientious with your diet, " says Cook. For insurance,

supplement with 100-200 mg of each mineral, twice daily at mealtimes.

Boost your B vitamins

Dubbed " nature's energizers " by Cook, B vitamins help supply cells

with the energy they need to function. By supporting the nervous

system, they also help improve communication between muscles and the

brain. Moreover, taking a B-complex supplement may help reduce leg

cramps in pregnant women, according to a 2006 study published in the

International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Get plenty of B-

rich foods, including bananas, fortified cereals, and chickpeas, says

Cook, and take a 50 mg B-complex supplement twice daily with

meals. " B vitamins can increase your energy level, so it's better to

take them with breakfast and lunch, and not within five hours of

bedtime, " she cautions.

Mineral-rich foods [for muscles]

Magnesium

Pumpkin seeds (151 mg per ounce)

Quinoa (89 mg per ¼ cup dry)

Almonds (78 mg per ounce)

Spinach (78 mg per ½ cup cooked)

Soybeans (74 mg per ½ cup cooked)

Calcium

Low-fat yogurt (415 mg per 8 ounces)

Calcium-fortified tofu (204 mg per ½ cup)

Calcium-fortified orange juice (200-260 mg per 6 ounces)

Salmon (181 mg per 3 ounces)

Cottage cheese (138 mg per ½ cup)

Add spice

To prevent muscle pain, perk up your meals with inflammation-reducing

herbs and spices. Cook suggests experimenting with bright orange

turmeric in rice and curry dishes and adding fresh, chopped ginger to

soups, stir-fries, sautéed vegetables, and tea. A report released by

the University of South Carolina last year concluded that curcumin, a

compound found in the curry spice turmeric, tames inflammation and

eases exercise-induced muscle damage. And in a 2005 study published

in the Journal of Medicinal Food, researchers found that eating fresh

ginger alleviated muscle pain and inflammation more effectively than

taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Exercise, of course

Your muscles thrive on regular exercise, says Anne Demorest,

MD, a physician at the Women's Sports Medicine Center at the Hospital

for Special Surgery in New York City. Exercising daily can go a long

way in preventing muscle problems, but maintaining truly healthy

muscles calls for keeping active throughout the day, not just for 30

minutes in the afternoon, says Demorest. " A lot of people spend their

entire day sitting — in their cars, at their desks, on the couch when

they get home, " says Barbara Templeton, a yoga instructor in Redding,

Connecticut, and author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Stretching

(Alpha, 2007).

Staying sedentary can even impact your muscles on a biochemical

level, according to recent research from the University of Missouri.

Fat-burning enzymes in the muscles may become dormant within hours of

sitting, scientists found. Just getting up and moving around

throughout the day — walking to the watercooler, strolling at lunch,

or even working while standing up — can re-engage those enzymes and

keep your metabolism active.

Stretch it out

Stretching soothes muscle tension and promotes circulation, which are

increasingly important as you age, says Demorest. " When we get older,

our muscles tend to become less flexible, which can lead to muscle

pain and injury, " she says. Set aside at least ten minutes to bend

and flex each morning, recommends Templeton, and make your spine top

priority. " All of your core muscles are connected to your spine in

some way, " says Templeton. Be sure to move in all four directions:

gently bend forward, stretch back, and twist to one side, then the

next.

Practicing yoga delivers muscle benefits beyond the basic stretch. By

applying pressure to different parts of your body, says Templeton,

yoga can tone and massage your internal organs, including the most

precious muscle of all: the heart. According to a study conducted at

the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and

Research in Pondicherry, India, yoga even helps strengthen lung

muscles and enhance lung function.

Relax

Chronic tension takes its toll on your muscles, says Cook, leaving

you more prone to aches and injury and contributing to issues such as

temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder. What's more, chronically high

levels of the stress hormone cortisol may actually damage muscle

tissue, says Cook. Don't overlook the power of regular exercise and

stretching to melt stress, which can prevent further damage, she

says. " Even 30 seconds of deep breathing — while you're commuting or

sitting at your desk at work — can lower your body's levels of

cortisol. "

Templeton recommends practicing self-massage once a week, kneading

all your major muscle groups with sesame or jojoba oil. Rub your arms

and legs with long, heavy strokes, but use less pressure and circular

motions when massaging your knees, shoulders, and hips. Or try

progressive muscle relaxation, says Cook: As you lie in bed,

alternately tense and relax each muscle group one at a time, starting

with your toes and working up to your face and scalp.