Day 113-Inheritance

You inherited your freckles from your dad, your blue eyes from your mom, and your earlobes from your grandma. 

Lots of gals think that they've inherited their unpleasant corns, bunions and hammertoes from their female ancestors, too. 

I'm too sexy for my feet...no, really.

Not so. 

But, you did inherit your posture, alignment and gait patterns from your mom or dad. For reals. 

My nephew was adopted from Russia when he was a toddler. Four years after he joined the Hemmat gang, I watched him walk after his adoptive father while we were in Hawaii. They walked EXACTLY alike, right out to the way they held their arms and turned their feet out. It was hilarious, and at the time, I didn't understand the ramifications of our alignment. 

It does matter, though. 

So, we inherit our walking and postural patterns from our folks, and we also can inherit our fashion ideals from our parents. If you've watched your mom totter and teeter along in too-high shoes from your infancy, then it's likely that you are going to assume that's what women wear on their feet. 

Our habits are not inherited. They are learned. Those bunions aren't your mother's. They're only yours. 

My kids were given some money for school clothes by their Bubbe, and they were allowed to pick whatever they wanted. Much to my chagrin, they both chose to buy "Heelys"--shoes that have little wheels in the heels. Yikes!

So, the shoes come from Zappos, we take them out of the box and I'm SHOCKED at how high and inflexible these shoes are---I wanted to cry about my poor little babies' alignment that was going to be thrown out of whack by these instruments of torture. 

Sigh. 

Fortunately, after clomping around in the house, BOTH kids decided they did not want to keep the shoes. I tried to keep cool as they made their decisions, but inside I was cartwheeling and cheering. 

Then, my little girl, my cool, strong, unique and self-assured little girl told me she instead wanted to buy shoes like I wear--my juvenile Converse Chuck Taylor oxfords. Simple, cool and HEALTHY. I was so proud. 

So, you see, we do inherit our habits from our parents. What are you modeling for those who follow in your footsteps? 

Did you know that the reason Michelle Obama exercises almost every day? So her daughters see a woman take care of herself. A woman who can be strong and healthy and love her body. She is remarkable, truly a woman of valor. 

And that is the potential within us all--to live our lives as a good example for those that follow, whether or not we have children of our own, or even if our children are grown. 

Live well, be well, 
Dani


 

Day 93-Berry My Heart at Aligned Knee

Today was a special treat walk--longer than usual and in a place I love--Fort Ward Park. It was early morning, but I had the delightful experience of running into a treasured friend as she was walking the other direction. I saw an eagle, lots of chickarees (tiny chipmunk-like things) and the Loch Ness Monster. At least, I'm pretty sure that's what was. 

Yesterday, we went berry picking. Okay, I mean, foraging. Yeah, yeah, you say picking, but I just wrote an article on foraging, so I'm holding the party line. 
        
Anyway, we were foraging for blackberries, and I noticed something. There are clumps of green and ripe berries together--the sun is spotty in the brambles and berries only ripen with ample solar encouragement.  When I'd reach in to pluck the ripe little prizes, the bramble branches would straighten up a little. That would give me access to even more berries as the clump shifted positions. The more I relieved the bush of its burden, the straighter it became, producing sweeter treats. And, of course I'd get scraped and poked, but nothing is without a cost.
                             
Sort of like improving your health through better alignment. 

You work on changing something--say, the way you hold your foot in alignment. At first, it may aggravate you. Your leg muscles are saying WTF? Why are you doing this to me? I don't like it. 

But then they start to get the picture. They learn that this is the way they are happiest. Their most natural position. So they relax, quit kvetching, and your leg feels different. Better different. This causes sort of a chain reaction. Your leg feels better, and just like giggles in church, that feeling of correct alignment is infectious. Your hip begins to understand that the way you've been neglecting is isn't right, and it asks for help, too. So you change the way you're using your hips. And you straighten up or align a little more, giving your blood and lymph clearer pathways and your muscles the ability to function as intended. 
Better alignment = better health. 
                             
More berries for everyone, 
Dani

 

Day 92- One, two, buckle my shoe. My healthy shoe.

You remember that bit that Eddie Murphy did in his first movie, Delirious? About his mother throwing her shoe at him and his brothers for disciplinary purposes? 

I won't post the video here, because it's chock full o' swears, but look it up---it's funny. 

I don't throw my shoes, nor anything else, at my kids, but I do think about shoes. A lot. 

See, summer isn't endless, and I can't wear my monkey toe shoes and sandals all year long here in the Pacific Northwest. I've got to think about covering up my tootsies while still remaining in alignment and not torturing my feet. 

Yes, there are always Earth shoes. I've got several pair and love them, but they aren't always the look I'm going for. 
                           
And there are some seriously cute ballet flats out there, as long as your toes can move, for Pete's sake. 

                                       
I'm a casual girl. Hopelessly casual, in fact. For me, dressing up is like rubbing sandpaper across my buttocks. I'm no Fancy Nancy. 

So while I've got my Earth shoes for "dressing up", I want shoes for casual Friday. And Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. 

On Sunday, I have to look fairly respectable since I teach Sunday school at our synagogue. That's when the Earth shoes will come out.

But for every other day---it's going to be: 

And:

and even:

                                                

I know, right?

I'm sure the sphincters of every fashion-minded person reading this are sucked up tighter than Tutankhamun's skin, but I can't help it. I've been wearing comfortable shoes for most of my life, and now that I know so much more about wellness and alignment and how badly we're messing ourselves up with our shoes and daily habits, well...I don't just want comfortable shoes any longer. 

I want comfortable AND healthy. 

When I was a teenage skate punk, I lusted after low-top Chuck Taylor Converse All-Stars, but falsely believed that because I had "high-arches", I needed shoes with arch support. So I never had a pair. 

Sniff. 

Last year, I threw caution to the wind and got some, and ended up loving loving loving them. 

I'll probably buck up and buy a pair of comfy ballet flats, as well. You know, in case I get invited to the Oscars. 

Don't hate me because I'm beautiful, 
Dani

Day 84-Quasi-uh-oh, Part II

Right! 

Remember yesterday, when I tossed you the idea that osteoporosis was not the cause of the dowager's hump, but possibly caused by poor posture and hunching over? Oh, and wearing the wrong shoes?

Well, now it's time to explain myself. 

The cells that generate, or BUILD BONE, are called osteoblasts. They are called into action by little cells called mechanoreceptors. Mechanoreceptors are cells that must be loaded by either compression or tension in order to work. When there is compression or tension, they call out : "Dudes! Start building more bone, 'kay?"

Osteoclasts are cells that are like the wrecking crew. They break down old bone and throw it out into one of those big, blue dumpsters. When the osteoblasts
and the osteoclasts are doing their jobs, all is well. Old bone is broken down and new bone is built to replace, keeping your bone density at a nice, healthy...well, density. 

When someone has osteoporosis, or low bone density, they can take an expensive and frightening pharmaceutical that is supposed to help them. Do you want to know what it really does, now that you know so much more about how your bone density is regulated?

It prevents the osteoclasts from doing their job. They are not allowed to take out the old bone junk to make room for new bone. So, these nifty drugs don't build new bone, they only allow you to keep the old, gross, dying bone cells in your body. 

Awesome, huh?

Just say no. 

To those drugs. 

Instead, think about your skeleton and the job it can totally do perfectly well if you allow it. Here's the scoop:

Gravity is a perfect assistant, and it's freakin' free!

When your body is aligned--I mean aligned--, and you are in a vertical position--not sitting on your *ss--then your body can do it's job.  No positive heel shoes (this even means tennis shoes!), your shoulders are lined up over your pelvis and your hips can extend fully and the backs of your legs can stretch out--hey, wait--like, when you're walking? 

Yes! If you walk a lot (daily!) and if you wear neutral or negative-heeled shoes (or spend lots of time in no shoes! Woot!), and you PAY ATTENTION to your alignment:

Then you will be properly LOADING YOUR BONES with the free effect of gravity, which throws those little mechanoreceptors into gear, and they holler to the osteoblasts to punch the time clock, and then you build new bone.

Why on earth would anyone choose any other option? 

Last night, the kids and I were watching a Disney movie with Selena Gomez.

This is actually not a coy pose. That jutting shoulder blade is permanent!

According to my son, she's like, one of the most famous actresses in the world. So, imagine how everyone on the couch screamed every time she turned sideways and showed her hump! She's twenty years old, and she's got a hump! Too much texting, too many high heels, not enough walking or movement. While I couldn't find a freaky good picture of her hump, I found plenty of other young bucks and does with kyphosis, and I found it interesting that they are NOT OLD LADIES. So put that in your pipe and smoke it. 

Biebs! What's up with that? You auditioning for the spot between  B and D?

Hermione! Did you NOT take your Skele-grow?

Tsk. Tsk. Nice shoes, by the way. You look awesome.

Smokin' hot, if you like S-curves.

She's 18. EIGHTEEN.

Better watch it, Maggie, or you'll pass that habit on to the Wee One.

Okay, now I'm completely grossed out and disappointed in our parents, us, shoe manufacturers, fashion standards, doctors---c'mon!

This is epidemic. Look around at people when you're out and about. If you don't believe that your habits are affecting your health and wellness, have someone take your picture from the side as you stand with your back to a wall, then again when you're wearing positive-heeled shoes. Wear something tight-fitting, like pants and a tank top so you can see your body. Compare the two pictures. Chances are, if you're a regular high-heel wearing person, your flat-foot picture will be out of whack, too. But hold them up, side by side, and see what it's doing to your alignment. 

Is this what you want? 

With love, 
Dani


P.S. Have you read Katy Bowman's book on foot health yet? It's SO worth your time and money.