🌟 Hiya Gut Foodies! 🌟

For those of you with aches and pains ... which is a lot of us ... this series is for you! Because the gut has long arms ... and these are reaching into your bones and muscles. 

I didn't know it until I did research for this article that there's actually a gut-muscle axis that joins the roster of gut-(part of body) axes. What long arms the gut has! 

They reach into every corner of our being and affect each one! And ... next week ... I'm going to gift you with almost ALL my content that shows this ... ALL IN ONE PLACE!

So the research I'm presenting this week has pretty much definitive proof about those long arms and osteoarthritis. As well as a spotlight on a centuries-old spice whose active component is one of the ingredients in my brand-new Jill's Jivin' Joints supplement protocol.

And a smoothie recipe that uses that very spice. You're also going to meet the many benefits of fish oil, a "Back to Basics" Micro-Mindful, and a food-for-thought pain quote. 

All in this information-packed issue geared to ease YOUR pain. Eat it ALLLL up ...

GUT-TIP OF THE WEEK: TURMERIC

Actually ... Ahara (food) is only one of the three pillars of life according to Ayurveda; the other two being sleep and a regulated sexual life (WHOOPIE!). The classical texts of Ayurveda of 300 BC–700 AD (would you believe!) dedicate elaborate sections of their work to food, eating and Ayurvedic cooking.

Wholesome food, according to the ancient sage Charaka, is the cause of health and happiness. Unwholesome food is responsible for misery and disease. Wholesome food promotes positive mental health (sattva), enthusiasm and positive energy (orja).

Such food and drinks taken in an ideal way nourish the body tissues (dhatus), improve strength and immunity (bala), improve the skin’s complexion (varna) and soothe the sense organs.

Yes ... my spirituality is showing (I studied Vedanta ...one of the world’s most ancient spiritual philosophies ... for many years ... and ate [and cooked] copious amounts of Indian food)! But these ideas still ring true today ... in the midst of a sea of "unwholesome" plastic-fantastic processed foods.

Foods that those ancient sages couldn't have even imagined! Perhaps they were right all along. Whaddaya think?

RESEARCH DEETS 

🌟 Dive into the fascinating world where your gut meets joint health! Recent research lights up the link between our gut buddies—microbiota—and osteoarthritis (OA), the sneak-thief of mobility and joy. 🦴💔

The gutsy details? It’s all about balance! Healthy gut microbiota might just be your knight in shining armor against OA. They're involved in everything from immune responses to metabolism and even your brain's chatter through the gut-brain axis. 🧠🌿 This discovery opens up new alleyways for treatments that could make knee replacements a story of the past! 🚀

Imagine taming inflammation and supporting joint health simply by managing what's in your belly. Future studies might point to specific gut microbes that tip the scales toward or away from arthritis, potentially revolutionizing how we treat this common but pesky ailment. 🕵️‍♀️🔬 So, let’s keep our fingers crossed and our guts healthy!

My Gut-Take: 

This research, "Association Between Gut Microbiota and Osteoarthritis: A Review of Evidence for Potential Mechanisms and Therapeutics" pretty much nails the link between osteoarthritis and gut microbiota.

CDC estimates that 1 in 5 (or 53.2 million) US adults have some form of arthritis. Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form, affecting 32.5 million US adults. The high prevalence of arthritis manifests in enormous societal and personal costs. 

OA is the third most rapidly rising disabling condition ... right behind diabetes and dementia.  It also significantly limits the ability to manage other health problems.

A third of those with OA have 5 or more chronic diseases. And OA increases the risk of developing heart disease by 50%.

One-third of people with arthritis over the age of 45 suffer from depression or anxiety. And the total cost in dollars is a whopping $136 billion! All these statistics are from the Osteoarthritis Action Alliance.

Do these statistics scare you ... because they do me! After 35 years of daily running (I had to stop because my knees weren't happy) ... I have slight OA in them. And ... at almost 79 ... I worry that they'll stop working altogether.

So ... what we're actually looking at is a pandemic of 20% of all Americans. And over 60% of those have OA. And is the THIRD most debilitating condition.

According to this review, "gut microbiota has gradually been regarded as an important pathogenic factor in the development of OA. Gut microbiota can be regarded as a multifunctional “organ”, closely related to a series of immune, metabolic and neurological functions".

It gives extensive proof of research of all these functions. And includes dietary factors that cause it ... including saturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), antioxidants and amino acids. 

And proposes modulation of the microbiota by using probiotics and prebiotics ... which can modulate the gut microbiota of the host by directly or indirectly promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria. Research has also been noted about diet, L-arginine, L-glutamine, resveratrol, green-lipped mussel extract, chondroitin sulfate, and pycnogenol as OA modulators.

And concludes with ... "Future research should focus on whether there are specific gut microbiota composition or even specific pathogens and the corresponding signaling pathways that contribute to the initiation and progression of OA, and validate the potential of targeting gut microbiota for the treatment of patients with OA". 

AMEN ... not only for OA but all debilitating conditions caused by leaky gut.

SUPPLEMENT TAKES: OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS

Patients taking higher doses were able to discontinue nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and had reductions in disease activity lasting nearly eight months.

My Gut-Take: 

Pure and simple ... if I don't take my fish oils every day ... I CAN'T MOVE! Even at almost 79 ... I work out hard with a trainer twice a week, do QiGong (the precursor to Tai Chi) four times a week, and Pilates when I have time. 

Which is a far cry from where I was at seven or eight years ago when I wrote Confessions of an Exercise Dropout. After a really active life starting in my 30's working in a children's theatre and running into my 60's (I was a fat kid and never had an inclination to play sports [I was always last-picked for teams]) ... I started my business and sat down for 20 years.

My sis ... who's 84 ... plays tennis and golf almost every day ... and goes to the gym too. It's probably why she's in such great shape and still skinny after all these years. And ... even though one of my acting students ... a personal trainer ... told me I was one of the most physical people he's ever met ... I've never claimed that totally.

But I HAD TO ... as I was getting any younger. And I saw both my mother and nursing home patients die of inaction. So ... a couple of years ago ... I started again.

You're probably thinking ... what DOES that have to do with Omega-3 fatty acids? Well ... I've been taking them as long as I can remember. And ... even though they're mostly known as heart health supplements (they consistently raise HDL .. the good cholesterol) ... and anti-inflammatories ... they also are GREAT for joint pain and ... as you see above ... RA ... which is an autoimmune disease of the joints.

A lot of the research seems to suggest that higher DHA (there are three primary Omega-3's ... EPA, DHA, and ALA) may be best for helping joint and muscle pain. That's why I chose the supplement above. 

I gotta tell you ... I notice the difference if I forget to take my supplements EVEN ONE DAY! Especially in my knees. And I DO take 3 grams (3000 mg) daily ... the "upper range" recommended by the Arthritis Foundation above. 

But ... FYI ... PLEASE be aware that fish oil has a blood-thinning effect. So increasing your intake much beyond 3 grams a day isn’t recommended if you take a blood-thinner or aspirin.

So you can get this aIong with other joint pain supplements in my newly-created Jill's Jivin' Joints protocol at my Fullscript apothecary. Your knees (and other achy body parts) will LOVE you for it!

GUT RECIPE OF THE WEEK: IMMUNE SUPPORT SMOOTHIE

🌟 Wake up and whip up some wellness! 🍍🍌 Just realized I hadn’t shared my immune-boosting smoothie yet—this one’s packed with goodies for your muscles, skin, gut, and yep, your overall fab feeling. Dodging gluten and dairy like they’re dodgeballs, because who needs that inflammation? Not us!

Packing my blender with frozen bananas and pineapple, a dab of potent turmeric, and a splash of coconut milk makes this not just any smoothie, but a power-packed, immune-boosting concoction. 🌱 And guess what? You really can’t taste that spinach! Swapping out my tired old blenders for a robust Vitamix was a game changer—seriously, if you’re blending like a boss, invest in your tools.

Loaded with natural enzymes, antioxidants, and a sneaky hit of black pepper to make sure all that turmeric goodness gets soaked up, this smoothie isn’t just food—it’s fuel. 🚀 So blend up, drink up, and feel unstoppable!

MICRO-MINDFULS

You probably never thought that mindfulness can also help with chronic pain. But I'm here to say it can! Mindfulness can manage chronic pain by:

• Decreasing worry about pain

• Unhitching the pain-processing part of the brain from normal processing

• Improving coping and reducing intensity

• Increasing the ability to tolerate unpleasant feelings without stressing about them

And here is one of my "BASICS" ... a Micro-Mindful about sound and listening. I'd suggest that you begin at the beginning with "BASICS" audios to build your mindfulness skills before tackling pain ... another Micro-Mindful I will share with you soon.

Now let's talk about sound. In our smart-phone world, listening profoundly appears to be old-hat. But ... since I work mainly with people who are increasingly not noticed or listened to ... I think it's more important now than ever! 

So here's my attempt to reclaim the art of listening ... something I've been very blessed with from my acting training. I know how valuable it is ... I didn't grow up in a listening home ... which alienated me from my family as a kid. 

So don't forget to use mindful breathing ... and perhaps this new listening audio ... to calm you throughout the day: when you brush your teeth, stop at a red light, wait for an appointment, when the phone rings, etc. Find your own times to use mindful breathing and sense memory.

Put “breathe” signs on your mirror, kitchen cabinet, or dashboard to remind you to breathe, mindfully and deeply (I actually tell myself out loud using my name ... i.e. "Breathe, Jill"). 

In stressful situations and/or emergencies ... when you find yourself starting to feel tense, anxious, or in pain, use your breathing to calm you ... take 3 to 5 mindful breaths ... but even one can make a difference. 

You'll find this ... and all the getting-started audios ... in the "Back To Basics" section of "My Micro-Mindfuls" here! I'm designing these to use anywhere you feel stressed ... even if you're standing in a long checkout line or when you feel overwhelmed at work.

So download this one (BASICS FIVE) on your phone or other device so that you can use it whenever and wherever you’d like. I created a playlist on my phone music app and am downloading these weekly.

And … as more and more free mindfulness (and also guided imagery) snippets become available … you can pick and choose what resonates with you to create your very own playlist. So let’s begin …

Hearing the Unheard 🌬️👂... A Sensory Journey

Calming yourself wherever you are 🌿… Inhaling and exhaling deeply and slowly through your nose a few times 🌬️… listen closely to any noises coming from your breath. Focus on your sense of hearing and listen to the sound of your breathing 🍃.

Now… breathing normally again… try to hear the sound of your breath… in… and out. Don’t change your breathing or make it noisy or heavy in any way 🤫.

Now… expand your hearing focus to your entire body. Are you quiet enough to hear the sounds of your body… perhaps the rumbling of your stomach telling you that it’s time to eat 🍽️… or the shifting of your seat in your chair… or the rustling of your clothing as you shift position 🪑?

Now… widen your focus to tune in to any other sounds you can hear around you. You are now calm… still and quiet… so you might be able to hear the clock ticking ⏰… your animals mewing or barking 🐱🐶… the coffee maker boiling ☕… your children talking 👶…

Open up your awareness even further to the other sounds present in your space… maybe the whoosh of cars passing 🚗… movement of others within your home 🚶‍♂️… or the tweeting of birds 🐦… or swoosh of the sprinklers 💦. Whatever is present, tune in to it.

If your mind wanders… if you daydream… that’s OK. Whenever this happens just notice it without judgement and gently bring your focus back to the sounds around and within you 🔄.

The mind recognizes what it hears. When a car goes by… you immediately know it is a car. So… instead of identifying what each sound is… focus instead on the actual experience of hearing 🎧.

Imagine your ears as microphones… just picking up sound. Recognize the rising and passing of the noise… how far away it appears... and from what direction it is coming 🎤.

As one sound grabs your awareness… tune in to it for a few moments… experience the sound fully… then drop it. Open your consciousness and now listen for other noises… hearing mindfully, continue listening… investigating… and expanding your sense of hearing 🔍.

Continue in this way as long as you like… and then… when you’re ready… return your focus to the breath in… and out… gently open your eyes… reacquaint yourself to your surroundings… and go about your day with the heightened ability to hear sounds you’ve never heard before ringing in your ears 🔔.

PAIN QUOTE