Fountain Of Youth? The Ultimate Antioxidants!

Posted by tradrmick on October 4, 2011 Comments Off

Over the years I’ve always had some type of health ailment that I had to deal with most of which were caused by stress. My back and neck bothered me for years, next it was carpel tunnel and fibromyalgia. This was when I discovered Yoga and Orhtotic Inserts which have both helped me dramatically. About the time I got over those I had something burst in the back of my right eye about 1mm from my field of vision. If it would’ve been in my field of vision I would’ve basically been blind in that eye instead of just having a slightly warped view of the world. My optometrist told me this too was caused by stress and that I needed to get on a good antioxidant for my eyes. Over the past year or so I’ve dramatically reduced my stress level by changing the types of projects I work on and also learning to control my thoughts more actively.


As you have read on this blog my recent plague has been my swollen foot and general lack of energy. Again I started to think about my circulatory health and how stress has taken it’s toll on my system over the years so I began doing research on antioxidants once again. I’ve heard so many companies talk about how their product has the highest ORAC values and their fruits are the best etc. that I had become a bit jaded. I went out and tried to find scientifically oriented, non biased information and came up with two antioxidants.

TWO OF THE WORLD’S MOST POWERFUL ANTIOXIDANTS!

Astaxanthin – which is a carotinoid (similar to betacarotene) which is derived from algae. It is one of the few antioxidants able to cross the blood/brain barrier making it extremely valuable for brain and eye conditions. Here is a video put together by a pharmacist that does a good job of telling you the basics:

GliSODin – is the second amazing antioxidant I came across in my research. It’s actually a combination of the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase (known as SOD) which is derived from Cantaloupe and Gliadin which is a wheat protein designed to protect SOD during the digestive process. SOD has been used topically for years by celebrities and those in the know to keep their skin young looking and vibrant. However, SOD by itself was useless taken internally because it was quickly destroyed by the digestive system. This however has changed with the patented breakthrough of GliSODin.

Since taking these two supplements the first benefit I have noticed is an easing of the wrinkles in my face which is awesome! However, I am hoping that in the longer term there will be other beneficial affects throughout my circulatory and nervous system. The other area I hope to see good results is in the health of my eyes. I spend so much time working on a computer that having good eye protection is a must!

Antioxidants aren’t an overnight remedy for anything but seeing results in my skin so quickly has me convinced that other good changes are taking place as well. I am going to continue with this regimen in the anticipation of having good news to report the next time I go in for a physical. I’ll keep you posted on my results!!


Turbulence Training

Compression Garments For Lymphedema & Edema

Posted by tradrmick on September 7, 2011 Comments Off

Recently I was looking at all the different compression garments that are available for those who suffer from edema and lymphedema. There are specialized products for almost every imaginable place you could have swelling. It’s rather scary when you start reading about some of the problems people have with their bodies, it makes you want to take better care of yourself!


Two of the most common edema / lymphedema problems are in the foot / leg and in the arm. It seems that most of the arm problems are a side effect of having lymph nodes removed during breast cancer surgery. Damage done to the lymphatic system during aggressive surgery can cause persistent ongoing problems with swelling. One of the ways women manage the swelling is through the use of a compression sleeve that covers the entire arm. There are many different types of compression garments to choose from but for arm swelling this is a simple solution. It’s amazing how well a bit of tension works, most times it doesn’t take much pressure in fact I’ve found that less usually works better.

Over the past few months I’ve fallen in love with Compression Stockings, I can’t believe how much better my feet feel when I wear them all day. In the past I’ve used NSAIDs but for foot pain and swelling using a good pair of compression socks is a much better way to go. I can be on my feet all day long with very little pain whereas in the past I would’ve been in agony.

If you do a little online research you will see that there are customized compression products available for almost every part of your body. If you suffer from edema and swelling I recommend you give them a try!


Turbulence Training

Tips On The Best Compression Socks

Posted by tradrmick on August 29, 2011 Comments Off

When I first started having problems with my swollen foot I bought a compression bandage and wrapped around my foot. This helped to reduce the inflammation somewhat but the real benefit is the reduction of pain. I’m surprised how much compression helps with pain management, it’s more effective than anything else that I tried. Advil didn’t help my situation at all, taking Aleve at night when I went to bed was a little better. But overall, compression and elevating it were the two things that worked best.


Compression bandages work fine on your foot as long as you are going to be sitting or laying around. As soon as you start walking around the layers begin to move around and it’s hard to keep them in place. After using them for a couple days I found it necessary to find a different solution. That’s when I started doing some research on compression socks as there are quite a few different varieties to choose from. The ones I tried first were the Jobst compression socks which are actually dress socks. The toes don’t have any compression so since my toes were swollen I actually cut the toe section off and stitched them up. Since I’m not a fan of knee highs I cut the top section off as well. My wife and kids have been laughing at me all summer because I wear these little black socks all the time. Their favorite is when I wear them at the lake with my Orthotic Sandals, that really makes their day!

The other type of compression socks I found was the compression toe socks which have the individual toes in them.

I found that these worked extremely well at night, but they irritated my feet when I wore them with shoes. That’s why I stuck with my custom black beauties by day and wore the toe socks when I slept at night. I have also been using the toe socks for doing yoga as they had good enough grip whereas most socks are too slippery. Runners use these compression socks after running marathons to keep swelling to a minimum. I must say I like wearing them, they make your legs and feet feel pretty good.

So there you have it, my observations and thoughts regarding the best compression sock solutions for swollen feet and toes. During the day I found the custom crafted dress compression socks to be the most comfortable and effective when wearing shoes and at the compression toe socks were unbeatable.


Turbulence Training