Natural Pain Relief

Curamin, a safe yet effective alternative to NSAIDs like Celebrex.

One thing every athlete faces is pain.  After a hard workout, you can almost expect sore muscles and sometimes even joints. We've all learned the RICE method.  You know the drill: rest, ice, compression and elevation.  You also know that the earlier this is implemented, the better you'll do at controlling inflammation.  Still, what if you could head off the episode by having inflammation under control before the event?

The truth is, oxidative stress and inflammation account for nearly 90% of all diseases including but not limited to coronary aliments, cancer and arthritis.  This is basically how NSAIDs or non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs work, (i.e. Celebrex or Celecoxib, Aspirin, Ibuprofen), by inhibiting compounds that cause swelling called prostagladins but at a price. Prolonged use of NSAIDs have been found to cause heart as well as kidney damage and stomach upset due to internal bleeding .

Safe and Effective Solutions

I can speak from experience when I say that cross training stresses your body tremendously.  My doctor prescribed a variety of NSAIDs but I would never stay on them due to fear of side effects.  I found Celebrex worked best out of the medications but once again, I would not take it for more than 3-4 days.
While researching natural inflammation suppressors, I came across Terry Naturally's Curamin and found the literature compelling.  I knew about the anti-inflammatory benefits of rhizomes like Ginger and Turmeric (found in curry), but also know you'd have to eat a truck load to receive any therapeutic benefit. Curamin is formulated to make the plant isolate, curcumin more concentrated and bioavailable...up to ten times more so than standard 95% curcumin extracts.  Looking at it from a pharmaceutical standpoint as far as supplements go, bioavailability is everything so I was excited to see it packaged in capsule form.


Celebrex vs Curamin

My previous experience with Celebrex showed that nearly all of my aches and pains would be gone after taking it for about three days.  I tried Curamin at 3 capsules a day, and surprisingly noticed pain relief in about the same amount of time.  Unlike the Celebrex, however, there are no side effects even if taken on an empty stomach, (something you should NEVER do with a NSAID)!  I also sleep better without waking up constantly due to stiffness after working out.  If I've really overdone it I topically apply Mission Skincare's Maximum Muscle Rehab. If I've had an injury or sprain, I combine the Curamin with a Rainbow Light PhytoKinetic Calcium or open the capsule into some juice and add a packet of Totally Calcium powder. Even just taking two capsules of Curamin daily has given me benefits of less stiffness and recovering more as I did when I was younger.



More Than Just Pain Relief

The benefits of Curamin go above and beyond just pain relief.  The active compound in Curamin, namely BCM-95 is a powerful antioxidant benefiting the heart, digestive system and brain.  It is also indicated in normalizing blood sugar and the suppression of cancer cells.  It is rare to find a product that is safe yet effective and improves your health in other areas.  If you have arthritis, joint or muscle pain, I recommend that you give Curamin a try.  It can make a huge difference in your ability to perform and recover..safely.  If you'd like to learn more about food, herb and drug interactions / side effects please reference my book: How Not to Kill Yourself With Deadly Interactions  - Xlibris

Available now at Amazon.com

Cross Training Super Foods

Stronger Faster Healthier offers a new twist on an old training table favorite.  Chocolate, vanilla, mint, tangerine & lemon flavored fish oils.

There is so much confusion over carbs, fats and gluten these days that most of us in training may tend to under eat.  Nothing is worse than bonking on a hill.  Your legs go dead and you know you've just run out of gas.  If you are like me, a heavy breakfast before hitting the trail doesn't appeal much either.  You end up feeling slowed down which isn't good.  Not a problem though.  I've found that by downing a high protein smoothie with a bit of Chobani Greek Yogurt, some strawberries, a teaspoon of SFH SO3 Omega 3-Tangerine Fish Oil and Rainbow Light Protein Energizer, I'm good to go and can do quite well on my morning walk, bike ride or run. 

If you think the added fish oil will ruin the shake, think again.  Stronger Healthier Faster's flavored Fish Oils are made from sardines and anchovies but is surprisingly NOT fishy at all.  In fact their Chocolate Fish Oil is the only such product our resident teenage athlete will take.  Mixing the Fish Oil with a little fat found in the shake emulsifies it, making it easy to digest.  It's concentrated so you don't need much.  Two teaspoons will deliver between 2700 - 5400mgs of of EPA and DHA which is very important for your immune system and to head off post exercise inflammation.  Added bonus?  Less colds and incredibly moist, glowing skin!  Here's the full list of cross training super stars:

Training Table Super Foods:

Dried Plums (aka prunes).  Loaded with even more nutrients, enzymes and antioxidants than blueberries, these dried fruit powerhouses are easy to take along individually wrapped or blended in your smoothie.

Ginger (Dried)  A little goes a long way and the anti inflammatory qualities of ginger make it a perfect recovery snack.  Try the dried pieces alone or added to a little trail mix.

Super Blue Green Algae One of the best natural supplements for alkalizing the blood.  High acidity is deleterious to your body's tissues and can exacerbate inflammation.  The high amount of natural chlorophyll has the added benefit of helping you to smell fresher after your workouts.   Dosage: 1 teaspoon per day of Klamath Valley Super Blue Green Algae dissolved in water or juice.

Mushrooms One can go from an exotic Shitake to the common button mushroom.  Nearly all mycelium contain the same natural  immune system boosters.  I use fresh raw and marinated mushrooms on salads, in omelettes and in place of pickles.  Rainbow Light makes a super Mushroom Therapy Cellular Defense supplement with Organic Mushrooms but for me eating them whole is half the fun.

Turmeric  This savory seasoning is what gives Indian Curry it's authentic kick.  Turmeric is a rhizome related to ginger and known as a powerful anti inflammatory.   Add a dash to your eggs or if you are not fond of the flavor, try Terry Naturally's Curamin  which contains a super-absorbable BCM-95 that can be up to 10 times stronger than plain turmeric isolate products.  Curamin and other ingredients in the formula such as the enzyme, nattokinase, not only boosts healthy circulation, it has a direct impact on muscle pain and helps quell discomfort from injuries and arthritis.  Dosage: 3 capsules per day.  You should notice a major decrease in muscle and joint stiffness/pain after using this product for 5 days.  It works!

Fish Liver Oil  Perhaps you have childhood memories of taking cod liver oil in the wintertime.  Unless you are eating loads of salmon, mackerel and sardines, you probably  need to supplement.  Fish Liver Oil is rich in Omega 3 Fatty Acids, DHA & EFA's and newer formulas such as SFH's have even conquered the fishy taste issue.  See more information on SFH Super Omega 3 Fish Oil above or click this link to visit their website.

Organic Multi Vitamin & Mineral Capsules A good whole food based, organic multi vitamin until now has been a bit hard to find.  Even harder is to find one packaged in an environmentally responsible way in capsule form.  The ones I personally take and recommend are  Rainbow Light's Women's Organic Multi Vitamins.
Two piece gelatin caps allows the contents to easily break down.  This formulation contains enzymes to aid in complete absorption. No stomach upsets with these.  Dosage: 4 capsules per day with meals.