Unless you experience pain in your joints, you tend to not think about joint health at all even though it’s a vital factor. As much as we all rely on having healthy joints so that we are able to live our lives to the full, we soon start considering the importance when niggling pains start to occur.
Looking after your joints before you start to experience pain is vital and it can help if you ensure that you have regular high nutritional intake if you wish to retain healthy and have supple joints for longer. The supplement glucosamine for example is really important and fortunately is easily obtained from your local health food store but many people have a deficient diet and plod along for years, not giving their bodies the fuel that it needs to repair itself or to stay healthy. Glucosamine is found naturally within the body too. It is an amino sugar and is used to repair cartilage and other tissues within the body. Unfortunately, glucosamine is not easily sourced within your diet so taking a supplement is important.
If you are on a diet, be very careful to ensure that you have enough important nutrients within the meals that you are cooking. Your body needs all of the essential fats, vitamins, minerals and proteins and if you have changed over to a vegetarian or vegan diet, then be sure to read up on the type of foods that you need prior to doing so. Essential fats keep your joints supple and flexible, but omega 3 is also important and you can source this in eggs, chia seeds and oily fish. Omega 3 fatty acids are found within every membrane of your body, not only do they keep your joints maintained; they help to keep a balanced immune system, heart and nervous system.
Exercising at least three times a week is an excellent way to ensure the health of your joints. Do make sure you wear supportive shoes that help to soften the impact on the joints and make sure that you warm up before you exercise and spend a few minutes warming down too. You can try some gentle exercises that do not impact the joints but rather encourage gentle movement such as yoga; you can also start swimming as this is excellent for the whole body but also eases joint pain.
If you have already experienced the ravages of joint pain and have been diagnosed with some form of arthritis, exercise is still important as it can help to combat the disability, stop it from becoming more serious and helps to keep the mobility of the joints functioning.
Eating a balanced diet will not cure arthritis or stop joint degradation however, it can help you to manage your weight and to reduce the stress on the joints plus, a well-balanced diet ensures that your body has the right fuel in which to keep your body healthy and mobile. Fruit, whole grains, vegetables, lean meats, fish, seeds, eggs and nuts are all extremely important if you wish to stay healthy. Try to keep any cholesterol, salt, trans and saturated fat intake very low.
If you smoke, then try to reduce the quantity of cigarettes smoked, not just because it can cause life-threatening illnesses but because it can be a trigger for rheumatoid arthritis which is an incredibly painful condition.
To keep your body healthy, try to ensure that you get plenty of quality sleep each night and if you find that your sleep pattern is broken or diminished, you need to create a new healthier sleep pattern so that your body can recharge its batteries and self-heal over night. Avoid alcohol or watching television before retiring for bed and add a few drops of your favourite essential oil to your pillow to help you sleep. Eucalyptus essential oil is good if either you or your partner snore or you could try lavender essential oil if you just wish to relax and drop off into a deep sleep.
Never take joint health for granted, because once problems set in, they can have a real detrimental effect on your life.
