5000 IU Vitamin D3 Vitamin D is necessary for keeping cartilage healthy and strong. A daily dose of at 2000 IU D3 can cut your risk of OA dramatically and slow its progression. If you're under 50, take at least 2,000 IU per day. If you're 50 or over, take at least 5,000 IU per day of vitamin D3. For OA, I would feel fine about taking 5,000 IU regardless of age. An average-sized adult can, under normal circumstances, take 5,000 IU per day. Always take your vitamin D with a fat-containing meal to ensure absorption. Your need for vitamin D3 is affected by age, skin color, and the severity of any deficiency Don't be concerned that 2,000-5,000 IU will give you too much. The human body can make 10,000 IU of Vitamin D in 30 minutes of sun exposure – children included – with no ill effects. In addition, no adverse effects have been seen with supplemental vitamin D intakes up to 10,000 IU daily. To this day, medical textbooks mention the risk of vitamin D toxicity. Yet, the scientific literature suggests that toxicity occurs only with very large intakes of vitamin D over prolonged periods (more than 10,000 IUs daily for longer than 6 months). Except in people with disorders known as granulomatosis (such as sarcoidosis or tuberculosis), little risk (if any) is associated with vitamin D supplementation. WHO IS DEFICIENT IN D? Most people are deficient! • Body-mass index (BMI) and obesity • Older people • Dark-skinned people • Strict vegetarians • People with celiac, Crohn’s disease, and cystic fibrosis • Heredity • Certain medications • Regular use of sunscreen • Northern Latitudes (above that of Atlanta, Georgia) D3 in pill form is very poorly absorbed. Be sure to take the oil-filled gelatin capsules, and take them with a meal that contains fat to help with absorption. If you have your D3 levels tested and you’re low, you can go up to 10,000 IU per day for a couple of months, and then re-test to see if there's improvement. If you get your D3 levels tested, I think the ideal is to get them to levels of at least 60-70. If it turns out that your body just doesn't absorb vitamin D very well, you may wish to talk to your doctor about whether 30 minutes of daily sun exposure in warm weather or very short tanning sessions in cold weather would be appropriate. 640 mg Strontium significantly reduces back pain by building bone density and even prevents arthritic progression 400 mg willow bark eases back pain – twice as effective as Motrin. Willow Bark is the herbal cousin of aspirin and OA pain dramatically. Omega-3 Fatty Acids – Carlson’s Fish Oil – Omega 3s are anti-inflammatory Make sure to get a good, high-quality fish oil A good Fish Oil - 10 grams daily – choose a high-quality oil that contains at lest 200 mg of the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA in every 1-gram capsule. Diets which are higher in fish oils (omega-3's) result in reduced inflammation. CAVEAT: DO NOT TAKE FISH OILS IF YOU ARE ON ANY BLOOD THINNER. OR WITHIN 2 WEEKS OF ANY PLANNED SURGERY. OR IF YOUR DOCTOR ADVISES YOU NOT TO TAKE. Glucosamine sulfate - a safe, natural anti-inflammatory supplement that has no side effects. Most studies show that 500 mg taken three times a day is sufficient. Be patient. It could take two or three months before you feel a difference. Some people take glucosamine sulfate alone; others take it with chondroitin sulfate. These nutrients do help – especially glucosamine sulfate. Try it for 3 months and see if you notice a difference Evening Primrose Oil may help reduce pain, swelling, and morning stiffness. As with most supplements, it may take 1-3 months before you see any benefit. Take it on a full stomach in 2 divided doses, equally spaced during the day. Take up to 500 mg EPO 2-3 times daily or 2000 mg total daily Expect to wait up to 8 weeks to see results. 40-80 mg Hyaluronic Acid (HA) – “Hyal-Joint†A daily dose of B complex (50 mg) will restore spent energy 5 grams of the sugar D-ribose twice daily will stimulate the production of ATP, the fuel that powers your body’s tissues and muscles. People who suffer from excessive joint and muscle pain and fibromyalgia (widespread muscle pain) often have low levels of ribose. Boswellia – 300-750 mg 3 times daily with food. Look for a formula standardized to 60 percent boswellic acids. Boswellia has been clinically proven to have strong anti-inflammatory effects. It’s known to reduce congestion and heat in the joints. Pycnogenol – at least 150 mg daily – helps with osteoarthritis of the knees. Take a 50 mg tablet 2-3 times daily with meals. Ask your doctor if you’re taking hypertension meds. Don’t take over 200 mg a day. MSM – 2 grams daily 800-1600 mg Sam-e daily – always take on empty stomach (take with large doses of B Vitamins). I read that a 1200 mg daily dose of this amino acid controls pain and improves function as effectively as Celebrex. Daily 5 gram dose of rose hip can reduce joint pain and other arthritis symptoms. Rose hip is nearly 3 times more effective than OTC meds.

Juice Your Joints “Live†juices help rebuild the body and the joints—and all you need is a juicer to make them. I suggest alternating between these two combinations: carrot & celery juice one day (8 oz of each), followed the next day by 10 oz carrot and 6 oz spinach juice. Make them fresh every day and consume immediately. Carrot juice is loaded with zinc, vitamin E, copper, and beta carotene. Celery provides potassium and sodium, and it has an alkalinizing effect on the body. An alkaline diet supports joint healing. Hydrate Your Joints with Pure H2O To stay fully functional, joint cartilage has to be fully hydrated. As children, our cartilage was made up of almost 85 percent water, but as we get older that usually drops to 75 percent—and even lower if we don’t drink enough water. Lots of water translates into more resilient joints. I recommend drinking at least eight, 8-ounce glasses of pure, clean water. And avoid sodas and other carbonated beverages that can leach minerals from your bones. Those who eat the most from the onion family – including garlic, shallots, chives, and leeks – are less likely to develop osteoarthritis of the hip. Consuming at least 3 cloves of garlic a week provides the strongest protective effect. Substances found in these types of plants may block the enzymes that break down joint cartilage. SUPPLEMENTS More illnesses are caused by a need for magnesium than for calcium. Calcium is often a problem with arthritis, causing stiffness, because calcium causes muscles to contract. Magnesium, on the other hand, causes muscles to relax. Most supplements already contain more calcium than magnesium. When you take additional calcium supplementation, you upset the calcium/magnesium balance even more. This causes more contraction than relaxation. So calcium could, indeed, be part of the problem. Arthritis and joint pain are caused by excessive calcium and insufficient magnesium. Magnesium is a key mineral that many are deficient in. Anything that is tight, irritable, crampy, and stiff -- whether it is a body part or an even a mood -- is a sign of magnesium deficiency. For most people on a healthy diet, 400 mg of Magnesium daily should be sufficient. But for those who have symptoms of deficiency (and most of us are deficient), I would recommend more, but probably no more than 1200 mg. Add in more magnesium gradually. Your body knows how much it can handle according to how much your bowels can tolerate. The stools should feel soft, but not excessively loose. Take in divided doses and with meals to ensure optimal absorption – preferably more at night I have read that it’s preferable to not take magnesium at the same time as calcium. Others say that it’s fine. This is where I am confused. I think the former makes more sense. The most absorbable forms are: Magnesium Citrate Magnesium Glycinate Magnesium Taurate Magnesium Aspartate Magnesium Malate Magnesium Succinate Magnesium Fumirate Avoid: Magnesium Oxide Magnesium Carbonate Magnesium Gluconate Magnesium Sulfate These are not absorbed well and are the cheapest forms Side effects from too much magnesium include diarrhea, which can be avoided if you switch to Magnesium Glycinate. People with kidney disease or severe heart disease should take magnesium only under a doctor's supervision.

Avoid: white potatoes, tomatoes, milk, red meat, sugar, citrus fruits, green peppers, salt, and eggplant for a few weeks and see if your symptoms improve. These affect cartilage. Eat: eggs, onions, garlic, liver, asparagus, green leafy vegetables, fresh vegetables, nonacidic fresh fruits, whole grains, oatmeal, brown rice, fish – particularly all oily fish: salmon, mackerel, sardines (canned sardines) and herring. Lots of ginger and turmeric. Avoid: corn oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, margarine. Your best oil: olive oil. Olive Oil’s high concentration of monounsaturated fatty acids (particularly oleic acid) seem to protect against joint inflammation. In one study, participants who consumed about 3 tbsp of olive oil a day lessened their chance of developing RA by 61%. But be sure to use it as a replacement for less healthy saturated fats like butter, since 3 tbsp can add almost 400 calories to your daily diet. A Mediterranean diet rich in fruits, vegetables, grains, fish, and olive oil has been found to give great relief to arthritis patients. Simmer Up a Joint-Boosting Broth Bone broths are easy to make. Begin with bones from fish, poultry, beef, lamb, or pork. The bones can be raw or cooked, and they can be stripped of meat or still contain meat remnants and skin. You can also add leftover eggshells because the membrane that separates the white from the shell contains four joint-boosting nutrients—hyaluronic acid, glucosamine, chondroitin, and collagen. Place the bones and eggshells with water in a pot—and add a couple of tablespoons of one of the following per quart of water: apple cider vinegar, red or white wine vinegar, or lemon juice. Gently stir and then let it sit for about 30 minutes to let the acid go to work. After 30 minutes, bring the pot to a boil, then cover and simmer for 4 to 6 hours for fish, 6 to 8 hours for poultry, and 12 to 18 hours for beef, lamb, or pork. Keep a lid on the pot, and add water when necessary. Once it’s done, you can strain it immediately and sip it as a soup (but don’t reheat the broth in a microwave—certain amino acids may become toxic if microwaved).

Pineapple contains bromelain, an anti-inflammatory compound. Bromelain suppresses inflammation and pain and minimizes swelling. Sunflower Seeds are a great source of selenium. Selenium reduces swelling and helps keep delicate joint tissue healthy. More selenium-rich foods: Brazil nuts, pumpkin seeds, lamb, shrimp, snapper, tuna, and salmon. Leafy dark green veggies are loaded with vitamin K, a nutrient that helps build and repair joint tissue. People with K-rich diets are much less likely to develop arthritis in their knees and hands. At least 200 mcg daily – the amount in 1 oz of kale, Swiss chard, or parsley. Or stir-fry 1 oz each of spinach, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. Cooking your greens with a little bit of olive oil will triple your vitamin K absorption. Cloves help arthritis pain. Try to get ½ teaspoon a day. Saute 1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley, 1 clove crushed garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon cloves in 1 tablespoon olive oil. After 3 minutes, add 4 cups shredded leafy greens (rhubarb chard), and fry until soft and tender, about 5 minutes. Serve hot with chicken or fish. Limit or avoid: Polyunsaturated vegetable oils (corn and soy oils) Partially hydrogenated oils (margarines, vegetable shortenings) Processed foods that contain these fats Fewer animal products Spend a day or two getting ready for this experiment. Eliminate all nightshades entirely – 100 percent – for two full weeks. Did your pain subside or disappear during this time? If so, nightshades are a problem for you. At the end of the two weeks, eat one food from the nightshade family by itself, like a tomato or bell pepper, and watch for any reactions. You may feel tired, agitated, your heart may race, you could have more pain, or you could have other undesirable side effects. If so, continue to avoid them for three months or more. If not, bring them back into your diet. Some people with arthritis can eventually add small amounts of nightshades back into their diet – like the amount found in salad dressing. Others can’t. But it’s important to avoid them completely for at least two or three months if they trigger arthritis pain. Nightshade vegetables (potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, some spices, and tobacco) may aggravate inflammatory conditions like arthritis and fibromyalgia. Inflammation and pain go hand-in-hand, and food sensitivities cause inflammation. Even tiny quantities of nightshades hidden in other foods can contribute to excruciating arthritis pain, and nightshades are everywhere. Potato starch is disguised in many frozen and processed foods in the form of modified food starch, modified vegetable protein, modified vegetable starch, and hydrolyzed vegetable protein. Look for it meatballs, mock crab, sausages, and deep-fried foods that have been cooked in the same vegetable oils as French fried potatoes. Some Rx and OTC medications use potato starch as their fillers. You need to find out. Tomatoes are an ingredient in brown meat sauces like Worcestershire sauce and steak sauce, as well as salad dressings, some luncheon meats, gravies, and baked beans, so read labels carefully. Green olives may be stuffed with pimentos, a sweet red pepper, and dried pepper flakes are often sprinkled over pasta dishes. Avoid sauces, especially Thai, barbecue, Cajun, Mexican, Southern, and Jamaican dishes, as well as Tabasco sauce, prepared mustards, and Cayenne pepper. Safe foods you might think are unsafe include sweet potatoes, yams, and black pepper.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids – Chia Seeds, Walnuts, Flaxseeds – these are naturally anti-inflammatory Magnesium is a key mineral that many are deficient in. Anything that is tight, irritable, crampy, and stiff -- whether it is a body part or an even a mood -- is a sign of magnesium deficiency. The following foods are rich in magnesium: Almonds Avocado Barley Beans Brazil nuts Brown rice Buckwheat Dark Chocolate Dates Figs Garlic Greens (including Collard Greens and Dandelion Greens) Kelp Molasses Millet Parsley Pecans Rye Sea vegetables (seaweed and kelp – but make sure they come from non-polluted waters and are high-quality) Shrimp Walnuts Whole Grains Wheat bran Wheat germ Green Tea - 4 cups of green tea daily with a squirt of lemon juice. Green tea can help reduce joint pain greatly. Turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory. Some studies suggest it works to ease the pain of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. It may also help with other inflammatory conditions, such as tendinitis. Try to consume a soupspoon of turmeric every day, with a pinch of black pepper and olive oil. You can use it in all your cooking. Season meals with ginger and turmeric as often as possible. These spices have anti-inflammatory properties. Eat 1 cup a day of red or purple fruits, such as berries, cherries, pomegranates, red grapes – or drink 1 cup of juice without added sugar – these food-based antioxidants help ease inflammation and joint disease like arthritis Eat cherries as often as possible. Consuming 20 a day (about 2000 mg of cherry fruit extract) has been proven to provide more pain relief than aspirin and other painkillers. Sesame Seeds provide plenty of copper, a nutrient essential for joint health – just don’t overdo copper Ginger and Chili – Or you can take 255 mg of Ginger Extract twice a day. You can add fresh ginger to soups, salads, veggies, entrees. Be careful if you’re taking blood thinning medications. 5-9 daily servings of fresh fruits and veggies from across the color spectrum

Katie, yes, thanks for clarifying. Due to time limitations, I'll just copy and paste all my info. Happy to hear that in your case it's not your larger joints, etc. Do with the info as you wish. It can be very overwhelming. :grouphug: • OA can appear at any age • Genetics play a definite role • If you have a history of being overweight, inactive, or injury prone, your odds increase dramatically • Every pound you gain is like 4 extra pounds bearing down on your knees • If you lose 10 to 15 pounds, the pain of OA can be reduced by 50 percent • More common in women • Women whose index fingers are shorter than their ring fingers may be twice as likely to develop OA in the knees. DIET Pain is often a loud voice shouting that you have an inflammation that needs to be addressed. When any condition ends in “itis†it means that inflammation is present. One of the main determinants of “silent†inflammations in our bodies that promote the development of cancer is the balance between omega-6 fatty acids (which favor inflammation) and omega-3 fatty acids (which reduce it). Since World War II, the farm animals that give us meat, butter, milk, cheese, cream and eggs are no longer nourished with grass and leaves; they are fed soy and maize instead. Grass is very rich in omega-3s, but maize contains none at all, and soy products contain very little. The animal products that we eat now are thus highly unbalanced, with far too many omega-6s and very few omega-3s. On average, people in the West have 10 to 15 times more omega-6s in our bodies than omega-3s. This is one of the reasons why all the diseases that are nourished by inflammation (arthritis, allergies, heart trouble, Alzheimer’s, depression and cancer) are in constant progression in Western countries. To check your own omega-6/omega-3 ratio, you can ask a technician to draw your blood and send it to a specialized lab that measures omega-6s and omega-3s present in the hematids. (But be careful – not the levels present in the serum, but in the membrane of the hematids, in other words, the red blood cells). The ratio between them is a relatively constant reflection of the proportions of omega-6s and omega-3s throughout the body, including the brain. If the ratio omega-6 (total) / omega-3 (total) is higher than 10, your body is in a state of inflammation – inflammation that is at least “silent†and possibly manifest (arthritis or other illness). In order to better protect yourself from cancer, you should ideally bring this ratio down below 3. If you have cancer in an active phase, some naturopathic practitioners I have worked with recommend you bring the ratio to under 1 – in other words, you should aim to have more omega 3s than omega-6s in your body. Be careful, though, because when the omega ratio drops too low – under 0.5 – it may increase the risk of hemorrhage, as we see in certain Inuit populations. (Nosebleeds are among the first symptoms). The omega-6s and omega-3s in our bodies come exclusively from our diet. They thus reflect exactly what we eat and drink. To lower the omega ratio, all we need to do is reduce dietary sources of inflammation-promoting omega-6s: red meat, especially if it is produced by industrial farming techniques and if it does not carry an “omega-3†label; dairy products; eggs not marked “omega-3â€; sunflower oil, corn oil, safflower oil, and soybean oil. Use olive oil, rapeseed oil, or a mixture of the two. We should also increase all sources of omega-3s: oily fish twice a week (sardines, anchovies, mackerel, salmon); omega-3 eggs; nuts; lambs’-ear salad; green vegetables; linseed or flaxseed oil and flax seeds. Some people (and I’m one of them) also take omega-3 supplements (roughly 1g or 0.03 oz of the EPA-DHA combination) to make sure they have a regular and constant absorption of omega-3s even when they are traveling and find it difficult to maintain a healthy daily diet. You can measure your omega ratio again after a period of at least two months: this will give your biology time to catch up with the changes in your diet. If you have followed the nutritional guidelines, your ratio will drop rapidly, and you should also begin to see positive changes such as silkier hair, stronger nails, softer and less blemished skin, and a better mood!

again, later today, hopefully - sorry

more info later - sorry

My OA word document is very unorganized, so I'm copying and pasting as making adjustments as I go through it. May come in bits and pieces, due to time limitations. • OA can appear at any age • Genetics play a definite role • If you have a history of being overweight, inactive, or injury prone, your odds increase dramatically • Every pound you gain is like 4 extra pounds bearing down on your knees • If you lose 10 to 15 pounds, the pain of OA can be reduced by 50 percent • More common in women More info to follow later.

Paula's Choice

Katie, so sorry that you're suffering. :grouphug: If you need tips and lots of possibly overwhelming ones, let me know. I can share them here. If not, I won't be offended ;) :D.

Rosie, this looks interesting. Thank you. Added it to my wish list. :)

Stacia, how do you get all of yours to look so nice? :tongue_smilie: I want mine to look as nice as yours. :lol: :grouphug: You and my dh are my favorite computer whizzes. :D

Bar Method: Super Sculpting I - oh. my. goodness :eek: - fabulous workout :D

:D :grouphug: :D I hear you ... that was us a week or so ago. Lots and lots of Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake. So good.

for someone like me who tends to bulk up quite easily. especially in the lower body (or, actually, pretty much everywhere)? For years and years, my focus has been mainly on cardio, weights, etc. It's only recently, at the age of 43, that I'm just learning ballet-based workouts, pilates, etc. I am now loving all these new changes to my workouts. I also love swimming. I feel that ballet, pilates, and swimming lead to the ideal body - looks-wise anyway. I could be wrong. I would much prefer a leaner and more sculpted look. When I look at most ballet workouts, the instructors have a much leaner look than in some of the weight ones, etc. I'm tired of bulking up. My plan is to try to do ballet or pilates every other day and to alternate on the other days with swimming, rebounding, weights, cardio, walking, etc. Would greatly appreciate your thoughts and feedback on this. Has anyone experienced a leaner-looking body from ballet, pilates, or swimming? Thank you. :)

My favorites read of 2011: The Geography of Bliss - must have read this about 3 times in the past year or so - love it. and these are interesting, since they're the last few that I have read, literally almost back-to-back. It was a good month or two! :) Confessions of a Prairie B*tch: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated Middlesex The Poisonwood Bible Mindset

I just ordered some workbooks (lots of them actually) from Remedia. Love their stuff. 20% with coupon code: THANKR No minimum purchase. Offer valid for online purchases only. Use coupon code: THANKR at checkout. One coupon per order. Offer excludes Curriculum Textbooks. Expires Monday, November 28, 2011.

Lotte Berk: Hip Hugger Abs - great workout, short and effective

Cyndi, wow, so sorry :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:. That stinks. One of my pet peeves. ;) Hope tomorrow is a better day. :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

Lotte Berk Method: High Round Assets - really liked this one :)

Wendy, I tried so hard to read this book for pleasure a few years ago. It definitely failed my 10% Rule :lol:. :iagree: In this case, and in the case of The Dragon Tattoo books, my 10% Rule does not apply. :D :lol: Diane, I have to say, at first I thought that you were also doing a Wendy and not going to tell us which book you hated :D. Then I scrolled down. I hated Anna Karenina also. I cannot stand Russian literature :tongue_smilie:. Dh read it. I couldn't get very far.

Stacia, these are great. :D Thank you for sharing. :) I really love the Wizard of Oz one especially. You are so made for pinterest :lol: ;) :leaving:

Different moves - weights, stretches, etc. I can either give them to you bit by bit, or, if you have the patience, give me a few weeks or a month if you want a full and more detailed review. :) Tip from the Zen Habits site: You can do a lot of things wrong when you're trying to form a new habit - just jumping into it without a plan, not having public accountability, not having the right support, etc. But there's just one thing you can do wrong that will cause the habit change to absolutely fail. The One Deadly Sin of Habit Change? Not doing the habit. If you don't do it, it won't become a habit. As obvious as that may sound, too many people fail at this one thing. They start the exercise habit (or flossing habit, or filing their papers habit, or waking early habit) and they do it with enthusiasm for a week or two, and then they stop. For whatever reason - work, or family problems, or other interests taking over. Life gets in the way, right? Well sure, but if you're not doing the habit, the habit will never form. If you want to form the habit, you have to do it regularly. Happy Wednesday everyone! :D

Wendy, please, please share. :lol: :D