Just recently I facilitated a Laughter Yoga session for the AIDS Network of Hamilton’s Health & Wellness Day.
One gentleman participant shared with the group that he couldn’t clap his hands because he has gout in both hands and feet and clapping was painful for him.
I shared with him the wonderful benefits of Laughter Yoga that I’ve seen with people with arthritis and how the bone structure can be corrected and the pain experienced from clapping can be reduced.
Just to see what would happen, I asked the gentleman to imagine that he was able to clap even if his hands weren’t able to make a clapping sound.
Within 15 minutes of doing our hand exercises and saying our “Very Good, Very Good, Yeahs”, he declared he was able to make a clapping sound connection and that he felt much less pain.
WOW! Here was yet another testament to the power of not only the imagination but of the therapeutic properties of Laughter Yoga!
Almost everyone has heard of gout, But not everyone realizes it is a form of inflammatory arthritis. Gout develops in some people who have high levels of uric acid in the blood. The acid can form needle-like crystals in a joint and cause sudden, severe episodes of pain, tenderness, redness, warmth and swelling. Gout occurs in about 4% of American adults – about 6 million men and 2 million women.
There are several risk factors for gout, including:
Genes: If family members have gout, you’re more likely to develop it.
Other health conditions: High cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease may raise your risk.
Medications: Diuretic medications or “water pills” taken for high blood pressure can raise uric acid levels; so can some drugs that suppress the immune system taken by rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis patients, as well as transplant recipients.
Gender and age: Gout is more common in men than women until around age 60. Experts believe natural estrogen protects women up to that point.
Diet: Eating red meat and shellfish increases your risk.
Alcohol: For most people, more than two liquor drinks or two beers a day can increase the risk of gout.
Sodas: The fructose in sweet sodas has recently been shown to increase gout risk.
Obesity: Obese people are at a higher risk for gout, and they tend to develop it at a younger age than people of normal weight.
Bypass surgery: Those who have undergone gastric bypass surgery have an increased risk.
www.health.harvard.edu suggests that an anti-inflammatory diet should include these foods: tomatoes, olive oil, green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, kale, and collards, nuts like almonds and walnuts, fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines, fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, cherries, and oranges.
So to avoid gout, eat your recommended foods, stay away from the bad foods and engage in Laughter Yoga for an all-around good feeling and healthy living.
I have been blessed with sharing the gift of Laughter Yoga with so many people over the past nine years. I look forward to the next ten years of many more joyful discoveries.
Love & laughter blessings,
Kathryn