Arthritis Wisdom

Inspired tips and information elevating autoimmune living

sleep

Ten Tips To Tranquility

Two adorable lambs snuggled together sleeping peacefully is how I want to sleep every night in order to best manage my RA

Peace and tranquility, the kind of restful sleep my body demands in order to best manage my RA.  I want to sleep like these cuties!

Ten tips to tranquility are a great help to ensure a restful sleep.  Sleep is very important to best manage rheumatoid arthritis (RA).  It is one of the five FRESH areas I focus on to keep my disease in check.  It is what the S in my FRESH acronym stands for.  I use the acronym daily to live a healthy autoimmune lifestyle.

I had to review these tips to tranquility as I was waking up and wandering around my house in the middle of the night several times this week — once at 4 in the morning.  I knew it wasn’t good for my joints and I needed to do something before I had an arthritic flare.  I’m again reminded how I’ve designed as much of my lifestyle as I can around managing my RA.  I wouldn’t characterize it in a negative way because I believe my disease has helped guide me to a healthier lifestyle.  I am motivated to make changes in order to feel so much better.  That in itself is a powerful motivator.  That is using Arthritis Wisdom!

I aim for at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night.  Sleep is time of restoration.  It is when our mind and body recovers from our all-in-a-day’s-work stuff.  One of the stages of sleep is called rapid eye movement stage, or REM stage.  It is during the REM stage of sleep the brain organizes important information for long-term memory.

Without a good night’s sleep our immune system doesn’t function as well.  Lack of proper rest can affect our ability to think, important for making better decisions and having more fruitful interactions with others.  My patience shortens when I am tired or fatigued  and I know that matters when I try to communicate.  Hormonal influences can be disrupted by a poor night’s sleep.  Sleep is when hormones are regulated.  This is probably why  I tend to go for junk food, something quick, when I’m not well rested.  Here are my tips:

Ten Tips To Tranquility

  1. Avoid caffeine after 2 pm.  That includes chocolate and any caffeinated teas.
  2. Getting physical activity during the day.  Gardening, yoga, pilates, walking.  You name it.  Just get moving!
  3. No screens two hours prior to bedtime.  Turn off your computer, smart phone,and put away electronic games.  They stimulate the mind when it’s time to wind down.
  4. A cool temperature in the bedroom is comfortable for sleeping.
  5. Wear comfy pajamas.
  6. Read uplifting, soothing materials before turning in for the night.
  7. Certain essential oils have a calming effect to facilitate sleep.  Lavender, Frankincense, Sweet Marjoram, and Tangerine are a few.  They can be diffused into the bedroom.
  8. Avoiding eating after 6pm, especially a heavy and/or spicy meal.  This helps to prevent acid reflux as well.  A cup of warm milk can be soothing and signal that it is time to sleep.
  9. Develop a bedtime routine so your body knows it is time to wind down for sleep.
  10. “White noise”, such as a fan, can help tune out other noises in order to fall asleep.  It also circulates the air in the room.

Knowing how critical sleep is for someone with RA, I wanted to go back to my basics to nip a potential bad habit in the bud.  In my professional world of pharmacy, we call this good sleep hygiene.  The practice of preparing for a good night’s sleep.  I wish you all happy zzzz’s!

Let me know your tips for getting a good night’s sleep by sharing a comment or two!  (Aren’t those little lambs just the sweetest thing?  I want to sleep like they do!)

XXOO Cathy

photo: Daniel o’down at Unsplash

 

 

HEART-TO-HEART ABOUT RA and CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

RA and Cardiovascular Disease

The time is now for a heart-to-heart chat about RA and Cardiovascular Disease!

HEART-TO-HEART ABOUT RA AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

It is time for a heart-to-heart chat about rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and cardiovascular disease.

Cardiovascular disease tops the list of serious complications people with RA suffer.

Eric L. Matteson, M.D., chair of the Division of Rheumatology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, notes that people with rheumatoid arthritis have a 50 percent higher risk of heart attack, twice the risk of heart failure and more peripheral vascular disease than people who don’t have rheumatoid arthritis.

These statistics and my participation in a cardiovascular research study inspired a personal call-to-action!  I will explain.

In addition to aggressive pharmacotherapy, I have made major healthy lifestyle changes with very favorable results.  It didn’t happen all at once, it has been a process.  My goal is to move toward a great quality of life that, of course, includes good disease management.  The process hasn’t been instant pudding or perfect, but after several years the two-steps-forward-one-step-back dance has netted a control of RA symptoms I’m satisfied with.  I hit my target!

I realize my disease management success today does not guarantee success tomorrow, so I must be vigilant and wise.  Hence, I’ve committed to increasing my Arthritis Wisdom!

The right medication and the right dose, which did take years to figure out, are only part of my management plan.  Healthy habits are the rest of the story.  I am continuously refining my healthy lifestyle in five different areas.  In fact, I created an acronym, FRESH to keep it simple.

Let me share my FRESH life story.

  1.  F for Food  I read a lot about the anti-inflammatory diet and was basically overwhelmed by all I should and should not eat.  So I settled on cutting out processed food and limiting added sugars and salt.  Any product with a multi-syllable-chemical-type name in the ingredients list was a no go.  I’m a foodie and love to cook, so it was easy to cook with fresh fruits, vegetables, seafood, poultry, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices and a few whole grains.
  2.  R for Relaxation or Stress Reduction  I’ve made the hard decisions altering my professional career in order to place my health first.  The stress reduction has made a dramatic difference in my disease management.  I also meditate often and am very careful with my schedule.  I do not over commit.
  3.  E for Exercise  I do a 50-minute pilates session every week, walk my dog 2 to 3 miles most nights and, this is fun, I just started tap dancing once a week.  We will see how that goes.  The thought is to strengthen the muscles in my legs and feet.  Swimming would be a great activity, also.
  4.  S for Sleep  I aim to get 8 hours of sleep every night.  I use what we call in the pharmacy world, good sleep hygiene.  No caffeine after 2 in the afternoon and a nightly routine to wind down.
  5.  H for Hydration  The nutritionist suggested to take your weight in pounds, divide that number in half giving you the ounces of water to drink daily.

FRESH is a quick and easy reference to use when I am just not feeling up to par.  A rundown through the letters helps me assess if any slacking in any of the five areas is happening to perhaps cause the soreness or fatigue or any other RA symptom.

Making the effort to “know your body”  has been extremely beneficial for me.  We are all unique and the disease expresses itself differently in each individual, so we each need to listen to our own body to pick up on what it is telling us.  It is then up to us to respond.

Hopefully, the FRESH acronym can be used to jump-start building a personal healthy habit campaign for you to not only help manage the RA but help prevent comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease.

I am compelled to address smoking because it is a big deal.  It is a risk factor for RA and heart and vascular disease.  Smoking cessation is so critically important.  There are numerous products available to help you.  Your doctor and/or pharmacist would be delighted to discuss the options.

The mechanism(s) of how and why people with RA have an increased cardiovascular risk are not known at this time.  What is known is that heart and vascular disease is significantly more prevalent in the RA population.  For this reason, heart-healthy lifestyle choices need to be a part of the conversation from the time of diagnosis.  And that is using Arthritis Wisdom!

What are your thoughts and ideas on this important subject?  We would LOVE to hear them all.

Thanks for the heart-to-heart chat.  Come visit us again, soon!

XXOO Cathy

 

Three Takeaways From The Big 8 Challenge Analysis

Big 8 Challenge analysis

Sunset on the eighth day is the perfect time to analyze the results of THE BIG 8 CHALLENGE.

THREE TAKEAWAYS FROM THE BIG 8 CHALLENGE ANALYSIS

I decided on three takeaways tonight as I analyzed the Big 8 Challenge I just wrapped up.  This gorgeous sunset was the perfect inspiration to start my analysis!  

I’m always purposing to move toward healthy lifestyle habits because I’m convinced they play a huge role in how well my RA (rheumatoid arthritis) is managed.  The Big 8 Challenge was something I spontaneously embarked on 8 days ago in hopes it would kick my awareness of healthy choices into high gear.  It sure did and it was a fun way to engage myself in the process.

It seemed I was referring to my FRESH acronym all the time.  Way too often for my liking as I don’t need to refer to FRESH if my joints are happy and not giving me signals, or more like sensations, there may be inflammation brewing.  I have learned how to read my body and if I step out of line with my diet or the Food I’m eating, being stressed in need of Rest and Relaxation, not Exercising, lacking Sleep or not Hydrated  I experience a weird sensation in my joints.  The BIG 8 CHALLENGE was the result of my desire to focus on making healthy choices become a habit.

By challenging myself to get 8 hours of sleep each night, eat 8 different fruits and vegetables each day and drink 8 glasses of water every day for 8 days I’d be able to perhaps identify some weaknesses in my personal FRESH life story!  And it did!

There is nothing like a challenge to bring out the best in man.    Sean Connery

 

THE THREE TAKEAWAYS FROM THE BIG 8 CHALLENGE ANALYSIS

Number One:  Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices Become a Habit is a   Process

Making healthy lifestyle changes involves trial and error and a whole lot of learning.  My goal is that I am continually learning what helps my body function the best it can.  I figure that will give me the best opportunity to manage my RA and prevent any further health problems.  Heart and Lung disease come to mind!  Then take that information and incorporate it into my lifestyle.  I am satisfied as long as I’m on a healthy lifestyle trajectory.  In other words, as long as I am moving toward a healthier day-to-day living, I am satisfied.  By doing the 8-day challenge I realized I wasn’t always drinking 64 ounces of water every day.  I also need to make sure I’m getting a wide variety of fruits and vegetables every day.  One day I only got five.  This is making me do more detailed menu planning and taking a bottle of water everywhere to sip on.  It is okay to live and learn what works for you remembering developing healthy lifestyle habits is a process.

Number Two:  What I Thought Would Be the Biggest Challenge Was   Actually the Easiest to Accomplish! 

I thought the sleep part of the challenge would be hardest to hit my goal, but it was the easiest.  In fact, one night I got 10 hours of sleep.  I think I was able to get my sleep was because I planned ahead, knowing it would be tricky to sleep at least 8 hours each night.  I looked at my schedule and identified two nights I had evening commitments, so prepared in advance so I could get to bed on time.  I also am training my four-legged friend to “sleep through the night”, just like a baby!  I learned not to predict what may or may not be doable.  Make a reasonable plan and give it a try.  Like me, you may be pleasantly surprised!  And that feels oh so good!  It also makes me confident to challenge myself again to keep on that positive healthy lifestyle direction!

Number Three:  Challenges Work for Me!

I learned by doing THE BIG 8 CHALLENGE I became very engaged in meeting my goals each day.  I didn’t end up quite where I wanted to be with the fruit, vegetable and water consumption every day, but I am more aware and have already made changes to meet the goals going forward.  WIN!

I will work on what I’ve discovered doing the challenge for awhile, then I will be ready for another one to advance my healthy lifestyle even further!

And that is using Arthritis Wisdom!

XXOO Cathy