At SierraSil, our vision is to help one or million or more people live healthier and more active lives. This is our joy, and this is what gets us excited – knowing that we’re helping you live a healthy and active lifestyle. In this blog post, we look at the different aspects that come together to support a healthy lifestyle. Now, we don’t want you to get bogged down with yet another blog post that encourages you to eat better, to exercise more, and to improve your sleep habits. Yes, these are all critical components of healthy lifestyle, but we believe there is so much more to you than what you eat, how you move, and when you sleep. At its core, a healthy lifestyle is highly personal and individual. Your healthy lifestyle likely looks very different from the lifestyles of the elite athletes who use SierraSil or even that of our CEO, Michael Bentley. Your healthy lifestyle is one that makes you feel good, happy, and comfortable.

 

Physical Wellness

Notice how we didn’t simply use the word “exercise” here? The thing is that exercise can be such a loaded word. Pick up a health magazine or browse your favorite health websites, and you’re inundated with advice on how to run farther, to hike more, to squeeze in that extra yoga class, and why CrossFit is the best training option. But here’s the thing – how, when, why, and where you move your body is completely personal. If you’re recovering from knee replacement surgery or are living with osteoarthritis, you’re not about to run five miles. But you might go to a light stretching class, enjoy a walk with friends, or do some chair yoga. We want you to think about your physical wellness. This is your ability to easily get around your home, community, and social activities. You have the ability to walk with ease, to play with your kids, to plan a city tour, etc. This ability to physically move allows you to interact and be part of your community and family. This is very different from hitting the gym three days a week or signing up for a marathon. We want you to have the ability and freedom to move your body without any restrictions on your joint health and mobility. And yes, it would be great if you could get 30 minutes of aerobic exercise daily and fit in some kind of strength exercises – but it’s also important to recognize that this is not possible for every person. There is no good or bad when it comes to your physical wellness – it is what it is, and we don’t want you beating yourself up because you’re not doing what the magazines and websites say you should be doing. Find what you enjoy and do this.

 

Creative Opportunities

There is more and more research about the importance of having creative outlets and opportunities. Think of activities such as journaling, drawing, knitting, woodworking, pottery, music, dance, etc. These are the times when you can fully immerse yourself in an activity and really let your mind run free. Your head becomes uncluttered, you’re not thinking about your work deadlines, the latest news headlines, or that lingering to do list. Think of the joy in your children or grandchildren when they show you their recent artwork from school or when they build a giant Lego tower. It’s that feeling of accomplishment – of starting from nothing and creating something that is so important. This feeling of accomplishment that comes with creative opportunities is key to living a healthy lifestyle. The photo you took and have framed on your wall, that scarf you knitted, or the shelf you built – are all reminders that you have so many strengths and dimensions.

 

Human Connections and Community

In this digital age, it has become so easy to be alone. Yes, you might be texting or chatting with your Facebook friends – but think about the last time you met new people in real life or went out to a community event. The Internet is awesome because it connects us – but it also has the ability to disconnect us from human connections. Instead of picking up the phone and calling your friend, you text. As part of living a healthy lifestyle, it’s important that you have regular human connections and a community where you feel comfortable and safe. This is not a digital community, but a real live human community that can give you the friendship, love, and companionship that we all need.

 

A Curious and Active Mind

Knowledge is the stuff of life – it empowers you, inspires you, supports you, and encourages you. This is why having a curious and active mind is a key aspect of living a healthy lifestyle. Now, we’re not saying you need to spend your days reading about medieval history – but we do want you to think about what piques your curiosity. This curiosity makes it easier for you to get involved with your community, to meet new people, to explore your creative opportunities, and to be connected.

 

Quality and Enjoyable Food

Eating food that nourishes you and tastes good is so important. Too many people get caught up in eating as healthy as possible and end up losing the joy in eating and in food. We don’t want you to do this. Yes, we want you to get vegetables and fruit in your daily diet, we want you to think about how much red meat you’re eating, and we want you to make sure you’re supporting your physical activities through nutrition. But this doesn’t mean you need to give up cake, white flour, dairy, sugar, bread, chocolate, etc. Eat the foods you enjoy. Make sure your food is as high quality as you can comfortably afford. Enjoy the cookies but try to get in a vegetable soup for lunch or some fruit with your breakfast. What and how you eat is highly personal – what you enjoy and feels good in your body is likely not the same as your work colleague enjoys. Eat what feels good for you.

 

Your Healthy Lifestyle

A healthy lifestyle is all about you and what makes sense for you. You might love working out hard. You might enjoy and feel best on a vegan diet. You might have a deep passion for watercolor painting. You might feel happiest when your social calendar is full of events. You do you. You do the healthy lifestyle that makes you feel good – inside and out. When you think about a healthy lifestyle, we really want you to think beyond food, exercise, and sleep – the fun stuff is so important in contributing and supporting a healthy and active life.

You wake up in the morning and your knees are creaky and sore. You have noticed swelling and redness around your wrists and knees. You feel like your knees and fingers don’t move as easily as they once did. These are all examples of sensations and body signals that can indicate you’re dealing with stiff joints. Stiff joints can happen simply as a result of aging or can be an indicator of a more serious conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. As you know, we’re committed to improving your joint health and as part of this company mission and goal, we want you to have all the information you need to be informed about your joint health. Keep reading to learn more about why stiff joints happen, how you can treat your stiff joints, and some lifestyle changes that can help you ease joint stiffness. We always want to hear from you, so please visit the SierraSil Facebook community page and tell us about your experiences with stiff joints. Tell us how you live a full life while managing your joint stiffness.

Why Do Stiff Joints Happen?

Stiff joints can happen for a number of reasons and factors, including:

• Your age: as you age, the cartilage which protects the ends of your bones starts to wear out. Cartilage is spongy material that provides joint cushioning and as you age it starts to dry out and deteriorate. As well, with age, your body makes less synovial fluid. This fluid is a lubricant that helps you your joints move easily.
• Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA): Rheumatoid Arthritis or RA is an autoimmune disease. With RA, your immune system attacks your joints causing inflammation and damage to your joint tissue. Many people with RA have chronic pain, slightly deformed or immobile joints, and balance issues. RA typically impacts your hands, wrists, and knees.
• Osteoarthritis: according to the Centers of Disease Control, over 30 million American adults are living with osteoarthritis. This type of arthritis is the most common and often impacts the hands, hips, and knees. Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage protecting your bones is completely worn down and you get bone-on-bone friction. This type of arthritis develops over time with common signs being swollen joints, stiffness, and a reduced range of motion.
• Lupus: this autoimmune disease causes inflammation and swelling through-out your body including your joints, kidneys, skin, blood cells, heart, brain, and lungs. Lupus can be hard to diagnose and can include symptoms such as joint stiffness and swelling, fatigue, headaches, fever, chest pain, fever, photosensitivity, dry eyes, a butterfly-shaped rash on your face, and shortness of breath.
• Fibromyalgia: this type of arthritis causes all-over body pain, sleep problems, fatigue, and emotional stress. Often people with fibromyalgia have a higher response to pain than most people. People with lupus or RA are more likely to develop fibromyalgia.
• Joint injury: you likely know a runner or other active person who has suffered from bursitis in their knee or tendinitis in their elbow. These joint injuries often result from overuse or from having muscle imbalances that place undue stress on the joints.
• Lack of movement: in the morning you might find it hard to walk down the stairs, to get out of bed, or to bend over and put on your socks. This kind of joint stiffness happens after you’ve been asleep or even have been sitting still for a long period of time. You likely feel better after you’ve been moving around for a few minutes – this is why stretching feels so good.

It’s important that you do not ignore your joint stiffness and discomfort. If you’re experiencing persistent and sore joints, do seek medical attention. The sooner you can get a diagnosis for your stiff joints, you can get on the path to joint health.

How Can I Treat My Stiff Joints?

The treatment for stiff joints really depends on why your joints are stiff. This might sound like an ambiguous answer, but it’s important that you’re treating the underlying cause of the joint stiffness. For example, people diagnosed with RA may need to take advanced level biologic medications to treat this autoimmune disease. Someone living with osteoarthritis might find relief with muscle-strengthening non-impact exercises such as swimming and by taking a natural joint supplement such as SierraSil Joint Formula 14. Because swelling and inflammation are common with most joint stiffness, it is important that you take measures to reduce these factors. This can be done with lifestyle changes that include more exercise, diet changes, and attention to your joint health. Before undertaking any treatment for your stiff joints, you must see your doctor or other health practitioner. Do not self-diagnose and choose a course of treatment based on your interpretation of your symptoms.

How Can My Lifestyle Impact My Joint Health?

Think of that person you know who is in her 80’s and looks like she’s in her 60’s. This lady is active and involved in her community. You see her out gardening, walking, and being active. This lady really seems to never complain about stiff joints or about feeling old. You might want to chalk this up to good genetics and while genes do have a lot to do with joint health, there are many factors you can also control.

• Exercise: by keeping your body moving, you’re able to build strength, flexibility, and prevent stiffness. You don’t need to take up marathon training or some other vigorous type of exercise, but daily movement is critical. Getting out for a morning and evening walk, swimming or aquafit, sports such as kayaking, bicycling, canoeing, working out in the gym and lifting weights, or exercise such as yoga, Pilates, and regular stretching – can help ease joint stiffness. It’s important that you reduce the load on your joints by building and strengthening the supporting muscles, ligaments, and tendons.
• Diet: you are what you eat, and when it comes to joint health and easing joint stiffness, it’s important you pay attention to food. Certain foods and ingredients such as curcumin, fish high in omega-3 fatty acids, olive oil, cherries, broccoli, citrus such as oranges, whole wheat grains, nuts, and garlic have all been shown to have properties that can reduce inflammation. As well, these key foods are part of a healthy and balanced diet that helps contribute to your overall bone health, muscle strength, and general wellness.
• Supplements: a quick Google search on supplements for joint health reveals a long list of supplements that can help support joint health and ease stiffness. It’s important that you only take supplements that have been thoroughly researched, studied, and have deep unbiased clinical support. We urge you to thoroughly research any supplements before you take them. We also want to remind you of the benefits of taking SierraSil. SierraSil has been proven to safely and effectively promote joint health and function. Read the FAQ section on our website and learn how our natural joint relief products can help give you the joint health support you’re looking for.

Along with these key fundamentals to maintaining healthy joints, your life attitude can make a big difference. This can be hard to define, but we want to urge you to try your best to be positive and have a long-term outlook. Know that what you do today will help you live a better, longer, and healthier life. We know that people with a positive optimistic outlook are happier, more involved in their communities, and can live longer healthier lives. Remember that lady in her 80’s who has limitless energy and is always out-and-about? We want you to be like her. Enjoying the best of life and happily sharing this with others. Taking care of your joint health includes not only good physical habits but good mental habits as well. As always, we want to hear from you. Let us know about how you maintain good joint health on our SierraSil Facebook community page and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You know that food does more than solve your hunger. Quality food from a range of sources is key in keeping your body in top shape. This includes your physical health, mental health, and the ability to heal and recover. It’s this ability to heal and recover that makes us so interested in turmeric and curcumin. You’ve likely seen the spice turmeric in your grocery store aisle and in many recipe ingredient lists. Recent research is supporting long-held beliefs that spices such as turmeric have the ability to ease inflammation and help you recover from joint discomfort. In fact, turmeric is becoming so popular that it has become the must-have spice. From smoothies and drinks such as golden milk or adding it to your scrambled eggs or adding a dash or two to your soup – turmeric is everywhere. Continue reading to learn more about the health benefits of turmeric and curcumin and how you can easily reap the rewards of this anti-inflammatory superhero.

What are Turmeric and Curcumin?

Turmeric grows as a root or plant, similar to ginger. It is available as a ground spice or whole as a root, but it is typically not easy for the body to absorb. Because of the absorption challenges, turmeric is often paired with other ingredients (or used in foods high in natural fats) to aid in absorbability. Fresh whole turmeric root has an orange color and has a thin skin that can be peeled or left on. Both the spice and the root are sold in most grocery stores. Curcumin is the chemical or active ingredient in turmeric that gives it the distinctive yellow (spice) or orange (root) color. Curcumin is widely recognized to have strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. However, it’s important to understand that curcumins range from about 2 or 3% to up to 7% of the root and come in a variety of “curcuminoids”. These includecurcumin, desmethoxycurcumin (DMC) and bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC) and developing research shows that the BDMC may be the health workhorse among the curcuminoids. If you are looking for the wonderful health benefits of turmeric, you’ll either need to consume about 10 grams regularly with fatty foods or use a supplement rich in bio-available curcumins, including the critical BDMC. At SierraSil, we chose the Merivaâ curcumin due to its high bio-availability of BDMC, and it’s been shown to be highly complementary to our minerals. Clinical research has shown that it alleviates the symptoms of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) among other benefits, and we like that the quality testing ensures that its free of artificial curcumin and free of pesticides. We’ll explore this further, and why that’s important, in a future article.

What are the Health Benefits of Turmeric and Curcumin?

Turmeric and it’s powerful active ingredient, curcumin have been widely researched and recognized for their health benefits.

• Reduces inflammation. Inflammation occurs naturally in your body to help protect you from infections, viruses, and disease. However, chronic inflammation can be detrimental to your health, causing joint discomfort, mobility issues, and auto-immune disease such as arthritis.
• Alleviates muscle soreness. That heavy sore feeling you get in your muscles after a hard work-out or a long day in the garden is called DOMS. Recent research reveals that curcumin can help you recover from this muscle soreness.
• Enables skin health. Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, curcumin has shown to help keep your skin healthy and glowing. A recent study shows how curcumin can help protect your skin from damage and enable skin healing.
• Blood sugar regulation. High blood sugar can cause diabetes and recent research shows that curcumin might help you regulate your blood sugar levels. Curcumin supports a reduction in glucose production, reduces inflammation, and helps stimulate the increase insulin secretion from the pancreas.
• Reduces joint discomfort. The joint discomfort that comes from osteoarthritis can be debilitating. Recent research reveals that turmeric and curcumin can be as effective as ibuprofen in alleviating osteoarthrosis discomfort and mobility issues.

How to Use Turmeric and Curcumin

The good news is that you can easily incorporate turmeric and curcumin into your cooking, beverages, and even take it as a daily joint health supplement. Turmeric is easily available in the spice aisle and most grocery stores carry it in whole root format (look for it next to the ginger root and garlic). Along with taking Joint Formula Curcumin, we’ve put together some of our favorite ways to incorporate turmeric and curcumin into your cooking and beverages. Do you have a favorite recipe that features this spice or root? Share your favorite recipe on the SierraSil Facebook community page and help spread the good word about the power of curcumin and turmeric.

• Soups and stews. Turmeric and curcumin give vibrancy and warmth to soups and stews. Add a dash to your favorite vegetable soup or chop up the root and it into your stews.
• Smoothies. Smoothies are a great way to add in extra healthful ingredients. Along with adding in spinach or kale, add some chopped whole turmeric root to your favorite smoothie combination.
• Drink it up. Golden Milk and other turmeric teas have become a very popular for their health benefits and warming flavors. Check out these recipes for Turmeric-Ginger Tea and for Golden Milk.
• Roast vegetables. The next time you’re roasting a tray of vegetables, add a dash of turmeric spice. Turmeric has a slight peppery flavor that can enhance the flavor of roast cauliflower and root vegetables.
• Rice or quinoa. Shake up your bland rice and quinoa with a dash of turmeric during cooking. Your rice or quinoa will take on a vibrant yellow color and give you some extra health benefits.
• Try something new. It’s time to explore and try a new recipes, such as an Indian or Moroccan dish.

We urge you to experiment with turmeric and find easy ways to get more of this powerful spice and root in your daily diet. The health benefits of turmeric have stood the test of time moving from traditional medicine to modern medicine. Contact us with your questions about Joint Formula Curcumin and how our natural supplement can help alleviate your joint discomfort and recover from DOMS.