Diabetics: Eat This Not That

There's no question that diabetes is on the rise in America, but since most of the risk factors are diet related, it's often preventable by simply making prudent diet and lifestyle choices. Even if you've already been diagnosed with diabetes, it's possible, in some cases, to reverse the disease or, at the very least, control it through diet. And, by the way, this doesn't mean depriving yourself totally of foods you love or resigning yourself to a lifetime of nothing but bland and boring "health foods."

A healthy diet designed to prevent or control diabetes is really no different than any other healthy diet. The most significant risk factor for contracting diabetes is being overweight, especially if the weight is being carried around the abdomen as a "spare tire." Several studies have suggested that waist size is a better indicator of potential risk for diabetes than the body mass index.

Eating right is the #1 defense against diabetes. While exercise is important, diet is the most important factor regarding weight loss. It's untrue that you have to cut out every bit of sugar and it's also a myth that a high-protein diet is best since too much protein, especially animal protein, has been shown to promote insulin resistance. You also don't have to cut out all carbohydrates. A healthy diet is a balanced diet consisting of fats, carbs and protein. The secret is to eat the correct types of these foods. Carbohydrates, for instance, should consist of whole grains because they contain essential fiber that slows the digestion of, and therefore the release of carbs (sugars) into the bloodstream, helping to regulate blood sugar levels.

Carbohydrates have the biggest impact on diabetes risk - much more so than proteins or fats. You should limit consumption of refined carbs such as white rice and bread, pasta, snack foods, sodas and candy. Slow-release, high-fiber, complex carbohydrates are digested more slowly and help blood sugar levels stay more even and allow the body to produce less insulin. They also make you feel fuller for longer and provide more long-lasting energy.

Here are some suggestions you may want to incorporate into your diet:

• Instead of white bread, try whole-grain bread such as a whole-wheat
• Replace white rice with brown or wild rice
• Eat high-fiber breakfast cereal such as Raisin Bran instead of the high-sugar alternatives
• Replace instant oatmeal with rolled or steel-cut oats
• Use whole-wheat pasta instead of regular pasta
• Replace cornflakes with bran flakes
• Opt for green leafy vegetables instead of peas and corn
• Replace your white potatoes, French fries and mashed spuds with yams (or sweet potatoes), squash or a mash made from cauliflower

What to Expect After Herniated Disc Surgery

Not much can be more debilitating and painful than a back injury, and you never quite realize just how many muscles from your back are involved in simple movements. When it comes to a herniated disc in your spine, most of the time your best option will be surgery. So you go under the knife and the surgery is a success. Problem solved, right? In many ways, yes, but your body now needs to adjust to having less of that disc between your vertebrae. Let’s talk about what you can expect post-herniated disc surgery and how to best take care of your back in the long run.

Things to Do After Herniated Disc Surgery

Your body won’t magically get back to 100% after surgery. It’ll take time and hard work to guide it along the way and prevent future injuries from occuring. You’ll eventually want to start taking physical therapy to aid in the recovery of your back. This is important for two reasons:

1. You need to  build strength in all of the muscles that support the spine. These muscles need to be even stronger than they were to shoulder the load of having less cartilage in your back.
2. Your body needs to repair weak or deadened nerves in that area of your spine. A slipped disc pushes all sorts of delicate nerves out of place, and your body will need time to restore them to their former glory.

So what muscles are important to strengthen? Your physical therapist will know this, but for your own reference, the perispinals, abdominals, obliques, psoas, glutes, and piriformis all play a part in back strength. You’re looking to strengthen your whole core, basically. So how do you achieve strength without stressing your back? Consider the following exercises:

Planks – propping yourself off the ground and bracing yourself on your toes and forearms while keeping your back straight

Bridges – laying on your back with your knees bent at a 45 degree angle and gently lifting your torso off the ground and slowly lowering it back down

Supermans – laying face down on the floor and lifting your arms and legs off the ground, keeping them from touching the floor

 

Things to Avoid After Herniated Disc Surgery

It’s incredibly easy to damage your body shortly after surgery. The muscles, skin, cartilage and nerves are all in a very delicate state, so it’s good to practice some everyday routines to let your body heal itself.

• It’s incredibly important to immobilize that part of your back after surgery. You can achieve this through the use of a back brace. These braces aren’t so much used for support as they are to remind you not to move that particular section of your back.
• Don’t exercise! It may be tempting to whip yourself back into shape, but exercise will put strain on the surgical spot and your back as a whole. 
• Don't sit in one place for too long. Standing is great for keeping your spine straight. Take walks, work at a standing desk, do whatever is necessary to prevent your spine from compressing.

The road to recovery won’t be the same for every patient. Age and overall athleticism can play a part in your recovery. That being said, it’s not unreasonable to assume that if you’re an older patient with a less active lifestyle, your recovery period will be slower than that of a younger person. Overall, the approach is the same; build your core strength, repair your weakened nerves, immobilize the surgical area, and give it time!

Inspiring Jackie Robinson Quotes

Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in modern baseball, paving the way for a more ethnically diverse and representative group of players in Major League Baseball. In the face of insurmountable odds and discrimination, Robinson was poised to represent himself in a respectable manner with a winning, competitive spirit. Here at MMAR, we wanted to review some of his famous quotes and imagine how they might’ve inspired athletes who came after him. Enjoy.

Image credit: draftdaysuit.com

I’m not concerned with your liking or disliking me. All I ask is that you respect me as a human being.
Starting this article with Tiger Woods might be divisive, and plenty of people have their opinions about the man off the golf course. One thing you can’t deny is Woods’ competitive spirit. After an arthroscopic knee procedure didn’t do the trick two months before the 2008 U.S. Open, Woods fought through intense knee pain to win the tournament in a playoff round against Rocco Mediate that has been heralded as one of the best 1x1 competitions many have seen in recent golf memory. It was Woods’ 14th Major golf championship.

Image credit: CNBC.com

Above anything else, I hate to lose.
Back in the fall of 2004, the Boston Red Sox were trying to do the impossible: beat the New York Yankees in four straight games after falling behind in the best-of-seven American League Championship Series 0-3. They turned to a determined yet hobbled Curt Schilling to take the mound in Game 6 with a torn tendon sheath in his right ankle. Schilling hated to lose and didn’t want to be the one to end the Red Sox season. The result? Seven innings of pitching brilliance while fighting through pain and soaking his sock in blood. The Red Sox went on to win the ALCS and the World Series.

Image credit: worthpoint.com

There’s not an American in this country free until every one of us is free.
Okay, okay, we’re stretching a bit with this one back before Robinson became a famous athlete, but Olympian Jesse Owens’ performance in the 1936 Berlin Olympics speaks to racial acceptance and freedom across the board. Despite the obviously tense situation in Germany with Adolf Hitler and the Nazis in power, Owens became a household name by winning four gold medals. It may have been several years later before the Nazi regime’s control ended, but a simple showing of sport and athletics by Owens spoke volumes for how the rest of the world felt about the unrest going on in Europe.

A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.
One of the most underrated baseball players in terms of skill and his impact on the world was Roberto Clemente. Widely considered to be the Latin American player that opened the door to Major League Baseball for future Hispanic generations, Clemente saw the importance of using his fame and fortune for good. He regularly involved himself in charity work throughout his native Puerto Rico and other Latin American countries, providing children with baseball equipment to encourage the spread and popularity of the game as well as delivering food to needy families. Clemente truly understood the importance of impacting others with his life. MLB recognized it, too, making him the first Latin American inducted into their Hall of Fame and creating an award in his honor given to players that put charity first.

Baseball is like a poker game. Nobody wants to quit when he’s losing and nobody wants you to quit when you’re ahead.
Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo certainly didn’t want to quit against the Miami Heat in Game 3 of the 2011 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals when his team was losing. After dislocating his elbow in the middle of the game, Rondo got his elbow set, treated as much as it could in the training room, and then  came back out to finish the game playing one-handed. Nobody wants to quit when he or she is losing. Boston would win the game but unfortunately lose the series.

Adversity and challenges in sports are part of what make them more than just games. They become tools for learning, improving, inspiring, and growing as a person. Visit MMAR Medical to see more ways you can improve and grow as an athlete, and sound off in the comments section below to tell us about times you overcame adversity or injury in sports to be a stronger, better person.

How to Prevent Common Summer Injuries

At MMAR Medical, our goal is helping you stay healthy and happy.   Keep in mind some of the most common summer injuries (below in the infographic) and learn ways to prevent or minimize your risk.  

Have you or your family had an injury this summer? What happened, and what advice do you have to others?

5 Safe & Fun Family-Friendly Sports

If your family never gets enough time outside, use the summer season to change things up! Running out of fun family activity ideas? Have no fear - we’ve got you covered. Here at MMAR Medical, we know that with hectic schedules, getting enough time outside can be difficult. Here is a list of 5 outdoor family activities that are fun for everyone:

Capture the Flag

Divide the family into two teams and give each team a flag – it can be anything of your choosing (even a piece of fabric). Split up your yard into two equal boxes: one box for one team and another box for the other team. Place a flag at the back line of each box and line up the players of each team on their respective flag line. Once the game starts, the players sprint to the other side and try to gather the other team’s flag to take back to their flag line. If any player is tagged in opposing territory, he’s out and must stand behind the other team’s flag line. If he brings the flag back to his home flag line, he is safe and scores a point. The team that scores 3 points first wins.

Flag Football

Flag football has been a P.E. class favorite for a long time. Why not bring it to your backyard? The rules are similar to regular football except each player has 2 foot long flags suspended from a removable belt or tucked into their shorts. The tugging off of a flag resembles the typical football tackle. So, if a player were to have his flag taken, the player is therefore “tackled.” If you want a safer way to play football, flag football is the best alternative. Invite the whole neighborhood over and get playing!

Biking

Get out your bikes and explore your neighborhood the old fashioned way. If you live in a suburban neighborhood, bike around with your kids and see all the things that you might have missed while driving. If you’re neighborhood isn’t the safest place for kids to bike, check out local nature trails or biking trails. Not only will this be a great bonding experience for your family, it will also help your kids get some necessary outside time. Tell your kids to bring a friend for added incentive to get outside!

H.O.R.S.E

If you have a basketball hoop or a neighborhood basketball court, why not take the kids over to play a good-old fashioned game of H.O.R.S.E? Decide on the order of the players: who goes first, who goes second, etc. The first player attempts a shot at the hoop from any position and any style. If the first player makes the shot, the player that follows the first player then has to mimic exactly how the first player made the shot. If the second player is not able to make the shot the same way the first player did, they get the letter “H”. If player 2 makes the shot, the third player has to attempt to make the same shot the first player made. If player 3 fails to make the shot, they get the letter “H”. Whoever makes it to HORSE first, loses the game.

Geocaching

Geocaching uses GPS units to find hidden treasure in your neighborhoods, common parks, or nature trails. There’s also an app for your phone! If your kids love to treasure hunt, then they will love geocaching. Dress your kids for the outdoors and bring along water, snacks, a pen and a few assorted trinkets (think playing cards, figurines, etc). Input the basic coordinates of the cache and try to find it with your kids! Once you find the cache, there should be a few small items around it. If you decide to take something from the cache (for memories!), then you must replace the item with one of your little trinkets. There might also be a logbook at the cache site. If so, use your handy pen to sign the guest log! The geocaching website also lists family-friendly and kid-friendly caches.

Use the summer months to get your kids active! This list is only a small selection of fun
family outdoor activities! For information on sports and injuries, check out MMAR Medical.

Best Knee Braces for Common Basketball Injuries

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DonJoy Playmaker Knee Brace vs. DonJoy Playmaker II Knee Brace

Have you always been a sports enthusiast? Being an athlete can take a toll on your body and it takes a lot of effort and care to stay fit and be in shape. Once in a while, even the fittest athlete is hit by some sort of injury.

If you are a runner or skier, or play sports such as basketball, tennis, squash, soccer, or golf, you are very likely prone to ligament tears and instabilities. Fortunately, with advances in technology, ligament troubles are not a problem.

The DonJoy Playmaker Knee Brace and the DonJoy Playmaker II Knee Brace are two braces that will allow you to keep playing the sports you love without worrying as much about future injuries. Both of these products are similar yet different. Let us take a look at both the products to help you make an informed decision as to which product would suit your purpose better.

Differences between the DonJoy Playmaker & DonJoy Playmaker II

The DonJoy Playmaker Knee Brace is a flexible brace that provides support and is made for mild to moderate knee ligament troubles. The Playmaker is a soft-hinged brace but it differs from other braces because it has an exclusive and patented arrangement of straps. These straps have been proven to reinforce and increase stability in the knee ligaments.

The Playmaker comes in two different materials. One of them is neoprene which is used mainly for surfer’s wetsuits. The other material is called Drytex and is lightweight and more breathable than neoprene. Drytex helps during warm weather due to better airflow. The Playmaker can also be worn in water and you can use a cover over the brace to prevent the water current from loosening the straps. In addition, the Playmaker can be worn in either leg which gives you the option of buying just one.

Also, you can choose from a sleeve or wraparound Playmaker. With the sleeve, you will have to slide it onto your foot, while the wraparound with its Velcro straps can be opened and placed on the knee directly. Finally the Playmaker Brace comes in seven different sizes to suit your needs.

On the other hand, the DonJoy Playmaker II Knee Brace is very similar to the Playmaker Knee Brace. It is meant to help with ligament tears and instabilities. Also, the Playmaker II also comes in seven different sizes to choose from. It also comes in two different materials, Neoprene and Spacer. The Playmaker II has been further enhanced with Hi10, which is a high tenacity nylon/spandex fabric. This offers supreme comfort and fit making it very comfortable to pursue any kind of sport. The spacer fabric further adds to the comfort by providing a cool environment.

Finally, the Playmaker II continues to use the same design as the Playmaker Knee Brace with molded strap tabs which assist with effortless adjustment of the knee brace.

So what are you waiting for? Pick your knee brace today and enjoy the freedom of playing your loved sport.

MMAR Medical carries a huge selection of sports braces that will help you get back on your feet after an injury. Visit our store for our entire selection of therapy products.

ACL Injury Trivia: Famous ACL Injuries in Sports

An ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) injury can often spell the end of a career for some athletes. Hearing the famous "pop" of the ACL normally means the end of the season and the beginning of a long journey to recovery. However, an end of the season certainly doesn't mean the end of a career for these nine athletes. Here at MMAR Medical, we put together a quick trivia quiz of famous ACL injuries in sports. We brought together soccer knee injuries, football players with ACL injuries and basketball players who were also affected by tearing their ACL in our trivia.

See if you can guess these famous athletes' ACL injuries before you check the answers under the pictures.

NFL

1. Which Minnesota Vikings player broke the all-time record for rushing yards in a season in the NFL a year after he tore his ACL?

2. How many yards did Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles rush in the 2012 NFL season – just a year after he tore his ACL?

3. Which Patriots player, in the same year he tore his ACL, finished the 2010 season with 86 receptions for 848 yards and seven touchdowns in his total 15 games played?

NBA

1. How many months did it take Kendrick Perkins to return to basketball after rehabbing his ACL tear?

2. Which Indiana Pacers player played all 82 games the year after he tore his ACL?

3. Baron Davis was the number ____ pick in the 1999 NBA draft after he tore his ACL in that same year.

Soccer

1. After he was out for 12 months due to a torn ACL, which soccer player holds several records for Juventus, including the club’s top scorer and the club's most appearances?

2. In 2000, this soccer player missed the last two months of the season but still came out with plenty of awards, including top assist maker in the League, FWA footballer of the year and Arsenal's player of the season.

3. The following season after Michael Owen tore his ACL in the 2006 World Cup, he broke Gary Lineker's record for most ________________________ for England.

Answers

NFL

1. Adrian Peterson

2. 1,509 yards

3. Wes Welker

NBA

1. 6 months

2. Al Harrington

3. Third pick

Soccer

1. Alessandro Del Piero

2. Most Goals in Competitive Internationals

3. Third pick

ACL injuries are painful and disruptive, but they don’t always have to mean ending your career. Use these nine athletes as inspiration for your recovery period and you’ll be back on the field or the court in no time. For more information on ACL injuries and more visit our website MMAR Medical.

How Yoga Benefits Athletes & the Everyman

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Product Spotlight: Freedom Spinal LSO Back Brace

When you suffer from back pain, finding effective treatment is more than a relief—it can completely change your lifestyle. The Freedom Spinal Lumbar Sacral Orthotic (LSO) is named for the freedom that comes with back pain relief, and it is also one of the few LSOs that truly allows for an active lifestyle while wearing the device.

The Freedom Spinal LSO is designed to treat back pain related to spondylosis, chronic lumbar instability, post-operative rehabilitation, degenerative disc disease, chronic back pain, spinal stenosis, herniated lumbar discs, and more through relieving the load on your lumbar discs.

How does the Freedom LSO work?

The Freedom LSO relieves the load your body puts on your lumbar discs by lifting and compressing your anterior weight. The LSO features two straps that are tightened to improve posture and decrease pressure on your lumbar discs, relieving pain.

Three removable panels on the Freedom LSO offer varying levels of support. As you move through treatment, these panels can be removed so that you can gradually improve your lumbar strength according to your treatment regimen.

The low-profile design of the device gives you a wide range of motion so that you can continue your active lifestyle. In fact, it's recommended that you use the Freedom LSO only when you're engaging in activities that can aggravate your lumbar discs, or when you are experience pain symptoms. This allows your lumbar discs to strengthen and heal without pain when you are both active and resting.

If you have an active lifestyle and have recently discovered that your back pain is related to lumbar issues, the Freedom LSO back brace is one of the most effective braces of its kind. Talk to your doctor or order today from MMARMedical.com.

MMAR Medical is a retailer of a wide range of medical devices for patients and doctors including back braces, heating pads, lumbar traction devices, and other therapy products.