Head to Toe: Did You Know?

We are going to take a journey that I call

“Top of your head to the tip of your toes Did you know” Journey.

I will share some of the many things I found about our bodies that  at one time or another really stuck with me, and have made me stop and appreciate what a miracle our body is. Every part of us was built for a specific reason, not one thing on us or in us  goes to waste, and there isn’t a part of us that doesn’t have a very hard and taxing job.

Alright, let’s start this journey with hair.

First- is your HAIR

I think it is safe to say that most of us have a love hate relationship with our hair which is why we panic the minute we see large amounts of our hair in the shower and on our combs and brushes. BUT, before you sound the alarm, you should know that  most of us naturally lose about 50- 100 hairs every day, and it’s absolutely normal.

Hair is everywhere we look, it’s on the floor, on us , on the couch, the counters, its everywhere. It sounds like a lot of hair loss until you realize you have around 100,000 hair follicles on your scalp, so losing a few dozen hairs daily is nothing at all.  Your hair is constantly growing, resting and shedding as part of its natural cycle.

That your hair is actually at its weakest when its wet,  and it is strongest when it is dry?

Water causes each strand of hair to swell- making it  more elastic and easier to stretch farther than normal, which means it’s also easier to break.

Wet hair stretches and breaks a lot easier than dry, so be very  gentle with your wet hair.

Honestly, whenever possible It’s  best to let your hair air dry naturally before combing it- if you can’t wait for a natural air dry then please use a wide-tooth comb this works through the tangles instead of forcing a brush through your wet hair.

This is important.. hair is one of the first places our bodies gives us a clue that something is out of balance.

If you notice that you are losing/shedding hair more than usual  your body may be trying to tell you that something has changed. Increased shedding can sometimes happen after a significant illness, major stress event, rapid weight loss, hormonal changes, certain medications, or maybe you are not getting enough protein or iron.

Aging Mask takeaway..

Healthy hair starts from the inside out.

Feed your body with enough protein, iron, zinc, healthy fats, daily movement, good sleep, and good stress management. Be gentle with wet hair.

And if you start losing more than 100 hairs a day-please don’t ignore it- maybe, your hair is telling you to take a hard look at what’s happening  inside your body.

Eye Lashes

Eye lashes. The envy of many.

The are one of the first things we notice, long, full eye lashes are so desirable that there is an entire industry built around making eye lashes long and full. We have extensions, lifts, mascara, and serums.

The funny thing is.. eyelashes were not made to be admired.. they were designed to protect us.

They are the first line of defense against dust, dirt, pollen, teeny tiny insects, and other particles that can get in and irritate your eyes. Eyelashes trigger the blink reflex when something gets too close  giving your eyes an extra layer of protection.

Just like the hair on your head, eyelashes have their own life cycle of growth, rest and shedding, and because they are on different schedules you don’t lose them all at once.

Each eye lash typically lives about 4-11 months before it naturally falls out and is replaced by a new one. 

Aging Mask takeaway.. 

if you are spending a small fortune on eyelash products , castor oil may be worth trying. Its inexpensive, and it conditions your lashes and your brows making them look healthier and fuller.

Remember I am not an ophthalmologist, so if you have an eye condition, or your eyes are sensitive, check with your eye doctor before using anything  in or around your eyes.

Nose-

Let’s travel down to the nose. We don’t really appreciate our noses.

Every breath you take passes through your nose, where the air is filtered, warmed and humidified before it ever reaches your lungs.

And while our human sense of smell is pretty amazing, it is still no match for a dog’s. It is estimated that humans have around 5-6 million scent receptors, while a lot of dogs have close to 300 million.

And depending on the breed, a dog's sense of smell is 10k-100k times more sensitive than ours.

Did you know that your nose doesn’t actually use both nostrils equally all day long. Instead, it follows something called the nasal cycle. Every few hours, one of your nostrils becomes slightly more open while the other becomes a little more congested- then they switch- turns every couple of hours.

And then theMucus.

Your nose and sinuses produce about 

1 to 2 quarts of mucus every day. That’s equivalent to a standard 32-ounce carton of milk every single day, that to me is mind blowing- we don’t even notice it as  Most of it drains down the back of your throat, and you swallow it without ever noticing it. 

That mucus is not there by accident- It is constantly trapping dust, pollen, bacteria, viruses and other tiny particles before they can make their way deeper into your body. When you have a cold or allergies, your body simply makes more mucus to help flush out whatever its trying to get rid of…so next time you need to blow your nose- just know your body is protecting you.

Aging mask Takeaway

Whenever possible, try breathing through your nose instead of your mouth- Your nose was designed to filter, warm and humidify  the air before it reaches your lungs and that’s important.

 And don’t forget to stay hydrated!! Water helps keep your mucus thin so it can do its job of  protecting your airways without becoming thick or uncomfortable.

Glutes- Butt cheeks

Most of us think about our glutes from a cosmetic/ Aesthetic  standpoint.. We want them bigger, firmer, stronger, but glutes are about so much more than appearance.

The gluteus maximus (its true name) is the largest muscle in your entire body…that’s right.. the biggest muscle you have is the one you are probably sitting on right now, and it’s not just designed for sitting… your glutes are designed to  power some of our most important movements. Every time you stand up from a chair, climb stairs, walk uphill, lift something off the floor, or simply maintain your balance.. your glutes are hard at work.

When your glutes are strong, they help- keep your body moving efficiently, but when they are weak, other muscles have to compensate, which puts extra stress on your hips, knees and especially your lower back.

So take note that weak glutes don’t just affect your butt cheeks, they affect the way your entire body moves.

The Aging mask takeaway..

As we age, one of the biggest gifts we can give ourselves is strong glute muscles.

If you spend a lot of time sitting, make it a habit to stand up and move throughout the day.

Walking, climbing stairs, squats, step ups, and resistance exercises all help keep your glutes strong.

Again, Strong glutes  aren’t just about looking good- they help protect your knees, support your hips, stabilize  your pelvis, and reduce strain on your lower back.. if you have pain in any of those areas, check your glutes before going in for tests.

Take care of them, keep them strong and give them love for everything they do to keep you standing, walking and living an active life.

We end the tour today with one of the hardest working parts of your body- your Achilles Tendon.

It’s the thick, strong tendon at the back of your ankle that connects your calf muscles to your heel bone. Every time you walk, climb stairs, stand on your tippy toes, or push off to take a step, your Achilles is hard at work.

And it is the strongest and largest tendon in your body. It is capable of handling incredible amounts of force, when you walk, run, or jump.

and yet despite its strength, it is also one of the tendons that gets injured most.

Aging Mask lifestyle tip-  

 Your Achilles tendon works every time  you take a step so you want to make sure that you take care of it the best you can… and the best way is to keep your calve muscles flexible and strong is by doing calve stretches, heel raises, and of course walkingas much as possible, these will keep those Achilles healthy. However; if you suddenly feel pain, swelling or tightness in the back of your heel, don’t ignore it. Ease up on the activity causing it, give it a little rest. If you feel a “pop” don’t wait, go get it looked at.

Tendons usually appreciate a gradual load, not sudden overload. 

Your Achilles is the strongest tendon in your body, but even the strongest can get hurt once in a while. So take care of them, you need them.

Stretch your calves regularly to keep your Achilles flexible.

That was the end of our head to toe journey. I know we only scratched the surface. There are hundreds of amazing things our body does everyday, and these were just a few that I find the most interesting, and honestly, they are ones I have had the most personal experience with.

Enjoy!

Joanne Demers

The Aging Mask- A Lifestyle Medicine Podcast

(949)236-1529

Follow along on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/theagingmask

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hi, welcome back to the Aging Mask Podcast, a lifestyle medicine podcast where together we explore lifestyle, wellness, and our everyday choices that shape the way we age. I am Joanne de Meurs, your weekly wellness companion. Thank you for listening. I hope all is well with you today. I've been wanting to do this episode for a while, and today's the day. We are going to take a journey that I call Top of Your Head to the Tip of Your Toes, Did You Know Journey. Sounds like a little kid's book, but it's not. It's just me. I just want to share some of the quadrillion things that I have found about our bodies that at one time or another have really stuck with me. And they have made me stop and appreciate what a miracle our body is. You just realize that every part of us was built for a specific reason, and there's not one thing in us or on us that goes to waste. And there isn't one part of us that doesn't have a very hard and taxing job every day that we live. And in addition to my appreciation of these body parts, I appreciate them for being good conversation starters. If you ever need a conversation starter, these are fun. They're very fun. All right, let's start this journey with hair. And I think it's safe to say that most of us have a love-hate relationship with our hair, which is why we panic the minute that we see large amounts of our hair in the shower and on our combs and in our brushes. But before you sound the alarm, you should know that most of us naturally lose about 50 to 100 hairs every day. And it's normal. It's completely normal. 50 to 100 hairs lost every day is normal. You know, hair is everywhere we look. Everywhere we look. It's on us, it's in the shower, it's on the ground, on the couch. It sounds like a lot of hair loss until you realize that each of us have around 100,000 hair follicles in our scalp. So losing a few dozen hairs daily is nothing. It's nothing. Your hair is constantly growing, resting, and shedding as part of its natural cycle. So no need to throw the alarm. Did you know that your hair is actually at its weakest when it's wet, and it's at its strongest when it's dry? I realize how some people think that it's the opposite, that it would be the strongest when it's wet and the weakest when it's dry, but that's not the case. Water causes each strand of our hair to swell up, making it more elastic and easier to stretch farther than normal, which means as you stretch it, it's also easier to break. Wet hair stretches and it breaks a lot easier than dry hair. So be very gentle with your wet hair. And if I can tell you honestly, that whenever possible, it's best to let your hair air dry naturally before you comb it. And if you can't wait for a natural air dry, then please use a wide tooth comb. A wide tooth comb because this works through the tangles of your hair instead of forcing a brush through your wet hair and ripping and pulling, which sometimes you can literally hear your hair being pulled and broken with a brush. Um back to the air dry naturally. When I say air dry naturally, I'm saying before you even comb it, let it dry. So get out of the shower, you know, put your little towel on it, squeeze out the moisture as much as you can, then let it just dry, uncombed. That's the best and healthiest way to keep your hair, you know, beautiful and full. So make sure if you have bangs, you can comb your bangs down, otherwise they go haywire, but then just let the rest roam and dry freely, and then brush it or excuse me, comb it when it's dry. I don't really like a brush. I like those wide tooth combs. I feel like it just really does wonders for your hair. And this is very important. Your hair is one of the first places that your body gives a clue that something is out of balance. Your hair gives it the first clue that something is out of balance. And if you notice that you are losing or shedding hair more than usual, your body might be trying to tell you that something has changed. Increased shedding, like a lot of hair loss, can sometimes happen after you've been really sick, or you've had a major stress event, or you've lost weight really quickly, or you're having hormonal changes. There are certain medications that cause hair loss, or maybe you're just not getting enough protein or iron. And make sure you look at that stuff before you go buying the latest trending miracle hair growth shampoo. Because I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there is no shampoo out there that has been shown to magically grow or regrow hair or stop the shed. It's just not out there, it doesn't exist. You just have to take care of your hair. I'm I'm gonna tell you this story. When I was about eight, my sister said she would trim my hair. My hair was below my, I remember this like it was yesterday. She said, Oh, I'll trim your hair. She's a couple of years older than me. And I let her. Anyway, she trimmed my hair up to above my ears. No lie, this is a true story. My mom still made me go to school. It looked like someone put a bowl. My history teacher asked what size bowl that I used to do my hair. And that was not a lie either. He really did, and he was so cute, and I was so embarrassed. But anyway, I was at the bus stop, and my little girlfriend, she noticed my hair. Her mom was a hairdresser, and she told me that her mom said cardiovascular exercise helped with hair growth because it increased circulation to the scalp. And I'm like, what's cardiovascular exercise? And she said, jumping rope and running. And I believed it. And when I wanted my hair to grow, which I did then, I binged cardio from that day forward. I believed it was true. And personally, I still think to this day there is something to it. I truly 100% believe that cardiovascular exercise makes your hair grow faster and healthier. And I'm sticking to it. And of course, science hasn't clearly proven that cardio makes hair grow faster, but they will admit that regular exercise does improve circulation and it supports your overall health by increased blood flow to your scalp, and because cardio exercises reduce stress, so it's less hair loss, and moving consistently does help improve your circulation and it helps reduce stress, both of which support healthy hair. They will say that they will say it supports healthy hair, regardless. I think it's a hundred percent effective. But if you start losing more than 100 hairs per day, please don't ignore it. Maybe it is a sign that something is wrong with your body. So take a good hard look at what's happening inside your body before you just discount it. You only get 100 hairs a day at the most to lose. All right, moving down to eyelashes. The envy of many. Aren't eyelashes, they're the one of the first things that we notice on people, the long, full eyelashes. We always make comments of someone's eyelashes are so long. They're so desirable that there is an entire industry built around making eyelashes long and full. You have mascaras that claim to do it, extensions, lifts, and of course, serums. And the funny thing is, eyelashes were not made to be admired, they are designed to protect us. Think of them, think of your eyelashes as defensive linemen. They are protecting the quarterback, which are our eyes. They are the first line of defense against dust, dirt, pollen, teeny tiny insects, and other particles that can get in and irritate our eyes. Now, eyelashes also trigger the blink reflex when something gets a little too close to our eyes, which gives our eyes an extra layer of protection. And just like the hair on your head, your eyelashes have their own growth cycle of rest and shedding. And because of this, they're all on little different schedules, which means we don't lose them all at once. Thank God, right? And each eyelash typically lives about four to 11 months before it naturally falls out and is replaced by a new one. And like so many other things on our body, genetics plays a big role in whether we get the longest, fullest eyelashes or the smallest, sparse eyelashes. And also hormones, age, and certain medications also have an effect. So prescription growth serums. Okay, I fell for them. I had my ophthalmologist prescribe me um growth serum. Now, growth serums can help extend the growth phase of the eyelashes, which is why eyelashes might become longer and thicker while you are using the serum. But once you stop the serum, your lashes are going to gradually return to their normal growth cycle. That's just a fact. And it is also said that some of those serums that you spend hundreds of dollars on just condition your lashes, which reduces the breakage rather than making them grow. Now, with that being said, as you know, I studied Ayurveda, I shared that with you. And castor oil has been used traditionally for centuries to nourish hair, which includes the eyebrows and the eyelashes. And here again, modern research has not proven that castor oil stimulates new eyelash or eyebrow hair growth, but many people, including me, swear by it. I stopped using the expensive prescription growth serums, and for years now I've just been using castor oil. And this is the story, this is the true story. So I stopped using the serum a couple of years ago, and when I went in to get my eyes checked because I wear glasses and contacts, my eye doctor actually asked me if I was still using his prescribed serum. He said, I said, no, why? And he said, Well, your lashes are so full. And then I told him, no, I got off of that. It was just too much money every month, and I didn't think it would. I did hear that it stopped once you got off of it. So I'm like, this is gonna be a monthly bill. I'm not doing it. So I did it the Iurvada way, and I used castor oil. But when I was telling him that, he didn't say anything, he just went mute. He's like, oh I yeah, he didn't want to hear about my castor oil, but anyway, I I honestly think castor oil made my lashes grow and they're longer. I'm just saying. I I know it's I know they condition the lashes, and conditioning helps the breakage, but honestly, I see the results. And I'm also just gonna tell you this little side note that when he checked my eyes the last few times, they haven't gotten any worse. They've paid my prescription has stayed pretty much the same. And did you know that traditional medicine believes that castor oil also helps with eyesight? They recommend putting drops in your eyes. There's this whole thing. I'm not going there. I'm just wanting to share with you that when you put it on your eyelashes, you know, with your little fingertips, if you happen to get castor oil in your eyes, don't worry about it. It don't worry about it at all. I'm just saying. I I think it's I love castor oil, and I don't know if I mentioned this, although it was only two seconds ago. Make sure you get castor oil if you want to try it in a glass bottle, a dark glass bottle. That has to be the container. Do not get a plastic one. Now, the aging mask takeaway on the eyelashes is again if you're spending a small fortune on eyelash products, castor oil may be worth trying. It's inexpensive and it conditions your lashes and your eyebrows, making them look healthier and fuller. And I believe it helps them grow. Now, remember, I'm not an ophthalmologist, so if you have any eye condition or your eyes are sensitive, please check with your eye doctor before using anything in or around your eyes. I'm sorry, I just don't want to get in trouble. Um now moving down to the nose. Let's travel down to the nose. We don't really appreciate our noses, huh? But every breath that you take passes through your nose, okay? Where the air is filtered, warmed, and humidified before it ever reaches your lungs. So that's really important. We really want to breathe through our nose so the air is filtered and it's warmed and humidified before it reaches your lungs. If you're a mouth breather, it doesn't do that. So it's important to try and learn to breathe through your nose. And I wanted to bring this up. While our human sense of smell is pretty amazing, we all know that, it is still no match for a dog's. It is estimated that humans have around five to six million scent receptors in our nose. While get this, a dog has close to 300 million scent receptors. Isn't that crazy? And depending on the breed of the dog, a dog's sense of smell is 10,000 to 100,000 times more sensitive than ours. I always said that I would love to be a dog just for one day. Okay, because I don't know about you, but I have a good smeller, and some of the smells that I smell, I wish I didn't smell. I just I can't imagine. I just can't even imagine what it's like to be a dog and smell the smells they smell. I think I would be driven crazy. I don't understand how they are not crazy. It is crazy. Anyway, did you know that your nose doesn't actually use both nostrils equally all day long when you breathe? Like you think they're both working, but they're actually not. Instead, it follows something called the nasal cycle. So every few hours, one of your nostrils becomes slightly more open while the other one becomes a little more congested. Then they switch. One breeze, one's congested. One breeze, and one is congested. And that happens every couple of hours. That too is pretty amazing. Now let's talk about mucus. Your and this is your nose and sinuses produce about one to two quarts of mucus every day. One to two quarts. You know that's equivalent to one of the standard 32-ounce carton of milk. Yeah, it is. All of that is mucus that we make every single day. And the thing is, we don't even notice it. Most of it drains down the back of our throats and we swallow it without ever even feeling it or noticing it. That 32 ounces of mucus a day. And that mucus is not there by accident. Mucus is constantly trapping dust for us, pollen, bacteria, viruses, and other tiny particles before they can make their way deeper into our body. And like when you have a cold or an allergy, your body will simply make more mucus to help flush out whatever it is trying to get rid of. So the next time you need to blow your nose, just know your body is protecting you. The takeaway, the aging mask takeaway, whenever possible, try breathing through your nose instead of your mouth. Because remember, your nose was designed to filter, warm, and humidify the air before it reaches your lungs. And that's really important. So try not to be a mouth breather. Breathe through your nose and don't forget to stay hydrated. Water helps keep that mucus thin so it can do its job of protecting your airways without becoming thick, gross, and uncomfortable. Okay, so stay hydrated. Now we move to the butt cheeks. The glutes. Do you have pancake butt cheeks or muffin butt cheeks? I'm kidding, I'm kidding. I'm talking about glute muscles to be politically correct. Your gluteus maximus. And most of us think our glutes, we think about them from a cosmetic or aesthetic standpoint. We want them bigger, firmer, stronger. But glutes are so much more than appearance. Now, the gluteus maximus, its true name, is the largest muscle in your entire body. That's right. The biggest muscle you have is the one you are probably sitting on right this minute. And just so you know, it's not just designed for sitting, your glutes are. Designed to power some of the most important movements that your body makes. Every time you stand up from a chair, you climb some stairs, you walk uphill, you lift something off the floor, or just simply maintaining your balance, your glutes are hard at work. They are hard at work. When your glutes are strong, they help keep your body moving efficiently. But when they're weak, your other muscles have to compensate, which puts extra stress on your hips, knees, and especially your lower back. I'm gonna read that to you again because this is so important for people who have knee problems and back problems and hip problems. When your glutes, your gluteus maximus, your butt cheeks, when they are strong, they help keep your body moving efficiently. But when they are weak, other muscles have to compensate, which puts extra stress on your hips, knees, and especially your lower back, which obviously causes pain. So take note that weak glutes don't just affect your butt cheeks, they affect the way your entire body moves. So if you have knee pain or hip pain, take a look at the shape of your gluteus maximus. The aging mass takeaway here is that as we age, one of the biggest gifts that we can give ourselves is a strong glute muscle. If you spend a lot of time sitting, make it a habit to stand up and move all throughout the day. Do your one minute every hour. You've got to keep those glutes strong. And again, strong glutes aren't just about looking good, they help protect your knees, they support your hips, they stabilize your pelvis, and they reduce strain on your lower back. So if you have pain in any of those areas, just check the condition of your glutes before you go and spend money on tests. Take care of them, keep them strong, and give them love for everything they do to keep you standing, walking, and living an active life. Thank the glutes. Now we are to the Achilles tendon. This is where we end our tour today. And it's one of the hardest working parts of the body, your Achilles tendon. It's the thick, strong tendon at the back of your ankle that connects your calf muscle to your heel bone. Okay, it's do you get that? It's that thick, strong tendon in the back of your ankle, and it goes up to your calf muscles. It connects your calf muscle to your heel bone. Every time that you walk, you climb stairs, you stand on your tippy toes, or even when you push off to take a step, your Achilles tendon is hard at work. And it is the strongest and largest tendon in your body, and it's capable of handling an incredible amount of force. An incredible amount of force when you walk, when you run, or when you jump. And he looks good playing it. I'm asking you this because this movie is where I learned the name, where the name Achilles tendon came from. It's story time again. According to Greek mythology, Achilles, his mom wanted to make him invincible. So she dipped him into the mythical river sticks. Now, this river was believed to grant protection. So holding him by his heel, she dipped him in the water. Right? She just holding him by the ankle, she dipped him in the water. But because her hand was covering the Achilles, which they didn't know was the Achilles then, it never got touched by the water, which made that spot vulnerable. So it never received its magical protection, which made it his only vulnerable spot. And legend says that during the Trojan War, a poisoned arrow hit him right there in that spot where her hand was, leading to his death. And that gave us the expression Achilles' heel, meaning someone's weak spot. So that's where they got the name Achilles Achilles tendon. And the expression Achilles heel came from that meaning someone's weak spot, weak point. Did you like that story? Go see Troy. It's a good movie. And it's fun to find out where the name Achilles tendon came from. The aging mouse lifestyle tip here, friendly reminder: your Achilles tendon works every time you take a step. So you want to make sure that you take care of it the best that you can. And the best way to keep your calf muscle flexible and strong is by doing calf stretches, heel raises, and of course walking as much as possible. These will help keep those Achilles healthy. However, if you suddenly feel pain, swelling, or a tightness in the back of your heel, don't ignore it. Just ease up on your activity that's causing it. Give it a little rest. And if you feel a pop, you don't wait. Just go get it looked at right away. You will feel it pop if something happens. Tendons usually appreciate a gradual load, not a sudden overload. So just be gradual in all the things that you do. And your Achilles, again, is the strongest tendon in your body, but even the strongest can get hurt once in a while. So take care of them. You need them. So stretch your calves regularly to keep that Achilles flexible. That was the end of our head-to-toe journey. I know we only scratch the surface. There are hundreds of amazing things that our body does every day. But these were just a few that I found the most interesting. And honestly, they're the ones that I've had the most personal experience with. Knock on wood. The others can wait for another day. Hopefully, I don't, nothing happens to anything else. Um, I hope you enjoyed this episode. And I realized that every part of our body has a purpose, and I hope you did too. Even the parts that we don't like and that we criticize, and even the parts that we ignore, they all work for us every day, all day. So be grateful. And staying strong is one of the best investments that you can make in healthy aging. That's all for today. Thank you for listening. Until next week, live in gratitude, keep on moving, and go live your best day yet. Enjoy. If you enjoyed this episode and just can't wait to hear and learn more, don't forget to subscribe to the Aging Mask, a lifestyle medicine podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. And I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. So please leave a review on the Aging Mask Instagram or if you don't have socials, feel free to text me at the Aging Mask 949 236 1529. We can talk about this episode or any of my prior episodes. Let's have a conversation. I'm here, I'm ready to listen, and I would love to help where I can. Bye.