Yoga for MS
The practice of yoga may be able to help people suffering from multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease where the body’s own immune system attacks the myelin tissue that covers the nerves in the brain and the spinal cord. The myelin acts as as insulation for the nerves that send electrical impulses from the brain t the body. Without the insulation, these electrical signals would come out confused and misdirected.The connection that yoga has with multiple sclerosis is based on physical activity. One of the ways to manage multiple sclerosis is through physical activity. One of the symptoms of MS is impaired physical coordination, fatigue and muscle tension. These symptoms can be relived in a way through regular physical activity. Yoga is a practice that would suit very well with people with multiple sclerosis, either they show outward symptoms of the disease or not.
Yoga is an ancient body and mind practice that originated in India. Although based on spiritual ideas, yoga is also known for its practice of several postures (asanas) that is said to aid in meditation and spiritual enlightenment. It is as a form of exercise that yoga may be able to become a benefit for people with multiple sclerosis.
Yoga, as a form of exercise can help improve the body’s flexibility by assuming the different types of postures or asanas associated with its practice of meditation. And for people with multiple sclerosis, this can prove to be very helpful. An improvement in body flexibility would mean that the muscles go through a regular workout. The practice of low-impact yoga exercises is just perfect for those people with multiple sclerosis.
In fact, studies have shown that low impact exercise like some forms of yoga can actually help alleviate some of the symptoms associated with multiple sclerosis. A regular exercise program of 30 minutes to an hour for at least three times a week have seen patients experiencing less fatigue to a certain degree. Not only that, people also benefit from having improved balance as well as an improved muscle tone just by doing simple low impact yoga exercises.
What makes yoga quite attractive is that it is fairly simple and easy to start with since it does not require the use of exercising equipment. But in order for such exercises to be effective in managing MS, people should first consult with their doctor first before starting any yoga exercise program. Then, talk with a yoga instructor who will be able to give you yoga classes aimed for people with multiple sclerosis. Since there are different difficulty levels to the practice of yoga exercises, start off with the beginner program which is usually the ideal form of yoga for managing MS.
Pregnancy And Diet Soda
There have been growing concerns whether diet soda may have an effect on a woman’s pregnancy. Since pregnancy is a sensitive stage in a woman’s life health wise, there are some things that just need to be avoided in order to ensure that women go through a safe and healthy pregnancy. Consuming diet soda seems to be a question mark on many pregnant women’s minds, but they do not really know why.
Is diet soda safe?
Under normal circumstances, diet soda is fairly safe to consume. It can even help women stay in shape by trying to avoid the ordinary sugar that comes with ordinary soda. But during pregnancy, there are certain issues that pregnant women should know about diet soda to fully understand if they are to be considered safe to consume. One of them is the issue about the sugar substitute used on diet sodas.
Aspartame
There are two types of sugar substitutes used in the manufacture of diet sodas. They are aspartame and saccharin. Aspartame is a non-caloric sweetener that is used in diet sodas and other foods. This sweetener is made up of two amino acids and is broken down by the body just like any other protein during digestion. This sweetener has been found in studies not to penetrate into the placental barrier of the fetus, hence not affecting the baby as it is developing.
Although considered safe, the sweetener aspartame may instead affect pregnant women who may have a history of a condition known as phenylketonuria or PKU. It is a rare hereditary condition where a person has trouble in metabolizing a particular protein known as phenylalanine. This protein is found in aspartame. Pregnant women should have themselves tested for PKU since high levels of phenylalanine can cause damage to the fetus.
Saccharin
Saccharin is another sweetener used in diet sodas. Unlike aspartame, saccharin has been found in studies to have a direct effect on the fetuses of animal models. Rats given high doses of saccharin experienced significantly higher birth defects when becoming pregnant. In this case, diet drinks containing saccharin may be something that pregnant women should avoid in order to stay safe.
Caffeine
Another thing worth considering with diet sodas is that some of them may contain caffeine. Caffeine is a stimulant that can raise the blood pressure and the heart rate. What’s more, caffeine can pass through the placental barrier of the fetus. This means that what can affect the mother can also affect the fetus. Caffeine can affect the sleep patterns as well as the normal movement patterns of the baby. The fetus can’t metabolize caffeine the same way as the mother can and therefore should be avoided at all times during pregnancy.
