FLF #8 - Free exercise video for bad knees and more

We are always told by medical professionals that we need to exercise, and they are right. The problems begin when you have an illness or injury that prevents you from doing it. It's difficult to find the drive to do something when you know it is going to cause pain - not the "feel the burn" kind of pain, but the shooting, stabbing, debilitating kind of pain.  But we have to work to overcome this. 

Then, if you are like me, you face another issue of being embarrassed to exercise in public. I feel humiliated by my size and I don't want to be seen in a bathing suit when I go swimming or to be the fat woman who cant keep up, or god forbid, I have to stop exercising due to my pain while everyone else is still going. Whether it's true or not, in my mind these people are looking at me and thinking negatively about me. This is a life long issue I'm still trying to overcome, though I'm not very successfully right now.

So then we have to look at ways around this. I have an recumbent exercise bike at home that I can use even though it bores me witless. I have a lot of room outside at home so I can go about my business in private when it's daylight savings, if I have any energy left after work. I have a treadmill but it's not home at the moment. I can play games with my partner to get some exercise and have fun, i.e. we played cricket out the front the other day and we go to the pool when it's quiet (Steve can't go swimming at the moment due to an eye injury). Or I can do exercise inside the house following exercise videos.

The last one suits me the best right now because there are a lot of free options online via Youtube to choose from. After much testing and pain I have found the following routine that is only 10 minutes long and is suitable for people with bad knees. I try to do it three times a day. This works because it's low impact, takes up hardly any room so I can do it in my office (with the door shut), it requires no equipment and best of all I can at least get some exercise in via intervals. I'm embarrassed to admit that even 10 minutes is painful for me but if it gets to much I march in place. So far it's the best option I've found.

I think this would be a good start for a lot of people. Even if you work up to completing the 10 minutes over time, at least we can do something.

Check out the video and if you know of more please let me know. This video is from a woman named Jessica Smith & her little dog Peanut, and she has a good range online. I also have a list of other recommendations posted bythe  myfitnesspal blog that I will share below. But check out this first one and let me know what you think.

http://youtu.be/f0yVP_eixEI

My Fitness Pal Recommendations go to the following article which has all the links:  http://greatist.com/move/best-free-workout-videos-youtube

FLF #6 - Chinese Medicine Ingredients

For those who have asked me what kind of herbs are used in the herbal tea, I think I have a solution of sorts. I travel sometimes for work and can't take the jungle juice with me in the plane so the Chinese doc has given me some pills to take. He advised that they have some similar ingredients to what I prepare for the tea but at a weaker concentration and he suggested whenever I haven't had the time to prepare the tea or when I am traveling to take 15 of these pills. The box these pills come in say they are 'for the temporary relief of the pain of arthritis and rheumatism'. They are like little ballbearings in size and they contain the following herbs: 

Angelica pubescens root

Spatholobus suberectus stem 

Gentiana macrophylla root 

Ledebouriella divaricata root ( spell check made that diva ricotta!) 

Asarum heterotropoides whole plant 

Eucommia ulmoides outer bark 

Paeonia lactuflora root 

Angelica dahurica root

Rehmannia glutinosa root 

Angelica polymorpha root

Cyathula officinalis root

Codonopsis pilosula root

Poria cocos fruiting body 

Glycyrrhiza uralensis root

Cinnamomum cassia stem 

I wish I could take them all the time just so I don't have to taste the jungle juice but I must admit I'm getting used to it. I used to gag, but now it's no big deal. The pills have no taste or side effects at all.

I hope this is of use to those that asked or are generally interested. 

FLF #5 - Chinese Herbal medicine & how you prepare it

I've been slowly improving and losing a bit of weight. My energy leaves have improved so much that I'm able to do exercise, it just takes the next day to recover. All in all I'm very happy with my efforts so far. I'm off the MS Contin and have no steroids. I've maintained the lyrica at 300mg twice a day and mercyndol as I need it; about 3 times a day while I'm on holidays at home.

A number of people have asked me about the herbs I use and what they are called. It is such a large mixture of herbs that it's impossible for me to say what they are. Thé Chinese medicine doc I am seeing is a very well respected professional in the field with 30 years experience. His name is Steve Clavey and as you can see by his name he is not Asian, but I have seen a few Asian students, as well as others, being taught by him in the practise. He specialises in gynocology but he assures me that he is well aware of lupus and fibromyalgia and can achieve excellent results. So far it is really helping so I'm very pleased. I've not experienced results in years. But please note this is not cheap; I think the money is well worth my health improving though. The first consultation cost $75 and the herbs $60 but they lasted about 6 weeks. The consult gets a bit cheaper for return visits. He is at 126 Russell St Melbourne. I'm sure there are plenty around that are as good as him so look around. As he is so well known in the profession I can ask about individuals if people want feedback. It may or may not be useful. 

So here is what the herbs I am currently using look like: 

The type varies from visit to visit as a result of what pain I am focusing on. The first visit the doc asked what pain there was but when I said it was everywhere he made me choose the two greatest issues I had at the time. I chose fatigue and the pain in my right knee. He told me my body was "damp" and this also needed to be addressed. I was too unwell for acupuncture which is what I went there for in the first place.  Now I'm on herbs. 

So I take the herbs and put them in the teapot below. I cover them in boiling water and soak them for 10 minutes. Then I put them on the stove, bring them to boil and the simmer slowly for 40 minutes, making sure the lid of the teapot is letting some steam out. 

I then drain the liquid through a sieve into a jug, cover the herbs with boiling water again and simmer for another 40 minutes. After seiving this lot of liquid I do the last step again. So it has been strained three times in total. This is what the herbs look like after straining. 

When you are finished the process you have a large jug of 'herbal tea' or what I refer to as 'jungle juice' left to drink.

I portion it out into the quantities advised by the doc and drink it morning and night. I'm on 100ml in morning and 130ml at night. 

I have some ready in the fridge in small containers for convenience. It tastes horrible so I always have a glass of water ready as a chaser. 

According to my partner my energy levels have increased by 60%, my knee is still a problem but is improving, enough so now that I don't automatically limb first thing in the morning and if I pace myself correctly I don't limp all day. This has happened about 5 times now (I'm still learning) 😀

I hope this answers some of your questions. Feel free to ask more and help keep me motivated to get this sorted. I go back to work next week so that will be a huge pressure to incorporate into my lifestyle. Wish me luck!