Stop Sciatica & Back Pain

What is protein?

Millions of different proteins occur in nature. Protein is made of chains of amino acids held together by peptide bonds. There are about 20 amino acids that can be bound together in various combinations to make the millions of different proteins. There are two groups of amino acids: non-essential amino acids, which are made by your body and essential amino acids, which have to come from your food.

Why do I need protein in a healthy diet?

Protein is an important part of muscle fibre, cell walls, skin, nails and hair. You are losing protein all the time as you shed dead skin cells, nails and hair and it has to be replaced. At times your body needs more protein, like when you’re growing, when you’re pregnant or breast-feeding, or when wounds are healing. Protein is a source of energy for your body and the amino acids are used to make things like adrenaline and antibodies to fight disease.

How does my body digest the protein I eat?

When you eat protein, your body’s digestive system breaks it down into its component amino acids. These are absorbed into your bloodstream through the walls of your small intestine and your liver. Your body puts the amino acids together in whatever combinations it needs, e.g. to make hair protein or new skin cells. Proteins include nitrogen molecules and one of the byproducts of digesting proteins is ammonia. This is converted into urea which is filtered by the kidneys and passed as urine.

How much protein does my body need?

Health authorities in the U.S.A., Canada and Australia recommend a daily intake of 0.75 - 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight. If you weigh 80 kilograms, that’s 60 grams of protein a day. High protein (or low carbohydrate) diets will recommend more.

Can my body store protein?

No. You need to eat the protein your body needs every day. Any excess protein is converted into urea and passed as urine.

Are all proteins the same?

Different proteins are made up of various combinations and amounts of amino acids. Proteins from animals, fish, poultry, soy and Amaranth contain all of the essential amino acids and are they are easily digestible. Proteins from plants and grains do not usually have all of the essential amino acids and you need to eat a selection of them to get all the amino acids you need.

What if I don’t eat enough protein?

Most people eat more than enough protein. If you don’t eat any animal products, you should eat a wide variety of plant and cereal foods. Some symptoms of protein deficiency are: poor growth, weight loss, muscle wasting, iron deficiency, swollen feet and ankles.

Is it dangerous to eat too much protein?

There are risks associated with following a high protein diet for a long time. Your kidneys have to collect and filter more toxic byproducts. This may affect the function of your kidneys, particularly if you have diabetes. It is possible for calcium to be lost from your body. If animal products are your main source of protein, you should avoid those that are high in saturated fats and cholesterol because they will increase the risk of a number of diseases including heart disease.

Read more about natural health at http://www.healthywealthyandhappy.com

I recently came across a back exercise which claims to make a big difference to back pain.

It uses the same basic ideas as the Better Back System in that it aims to condition and re-educate the muscles that support your back. (Most back pain arises from the muscles that support and protect your spine going into spasm as a protective measure in response to a perceived threat of injury).

REMEMBER: Always read our disclaimer before you attempt any exercise.

BACK PAIN RELIEF EXERCISE

1. Stand with your feet about 45cm (18 inches) apart.

2. Slowly rotate your head and shoulders as far as you can to the left. DO NOT TWIST OR TURN RAPIDLY. Stop when you feel tension or pain in the muscles of your neck and/or back.

3. At this point you will have turned somewhere between 90 and 180 degrees and be looking somewhere between to your left and to your rear depending on how supple you are.

4. Hold the position for a few seconds. THIS IS IMPORTANT. The hold time gives your brain a clear signal differentiation between your normal and maximum achievable muscle tension.

5. Next slowly return to the straight ahead position and then twist to the right hand side (i.e. in the opposite direction) and hold the position again a few seconds.

AND REPEAT

6. Do the exercise for at least 4 to 5 minutes a day and you should expect to see relief from most lower and upper back pain.

EXERCISE STANDING OR SITTING

When you do the exercise standing, twist your whole body. This
involves the muscles in your hips and legs also.

You can also do the exercise sitting in which case it works best if
you clasp your hands together on top of your head. Measure your
progress by monitoring how far around you can get your elbow. This
version focuses on the neck and shoulder areas.

The aim here is see as far behind your back as you can. This way you
get maximum rotation of both the neckbone and backbone. Repeat
this for 5 minutes, but start out doing less if it makes your back
pain worse.

REMEMBER: Always read our disclaimer before you attempt any exercise.

If you like this exercise you might also want to try the Better Back System.