Do you have a random twitch or two that won’t stop or moves around? You may have “Benign Fasciculation Syndrome” (BFS) or its sibling, “Benign Cramp Fasciculation Syndrome” (BCFS). BFS is not fatal – thus, the term “benign,” but it can be disruptive and distressing. It varies in symptomology, duration, and intensity. For some, it might just manifest as a slight twitch in the thumb. For others (such as myself), it can involve full body tremors and internal shaking. Benign Cramp Fasciculation Syndrome can also involve muscle cramping.
Category: Health and Wellness
Naps are Good for Your Brain
When my Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) would flare up, taking a mid-day nap would be essential to functioning. People with CFS get “brain fog,” and there’s something about a nap that seems to reset or reboot the brain. My body might not actually be that tired, but the brain would be sleepy. A nap can make all the difference.
Acupressure for Hiccups
When I was a kid, if I had hiccups I’d take a spoonful of sugar and chase it down with a full glass of water. It works! But the sugar hiccup cure is not that convenient unless you happen to keep sugar on hand (I don’t even have it in my kitchen anymore). And it costs calories!
Acupressure is another way to cure hiccups and no props are needed. There are many different acupressure points that you can try for hiccups. Each person is individual, so you might find a certain combination works best for you.
Easy Do-It-Yourself Liquid Water Enhancer
We need to drink sufficient water to keep ourselves hydrated, but water on its own can be tasteless and bland. So what to drink? There is herbal tea of course, but I was always more of a tea “sipper” – it’s not something I drink in large quantities.
I was also never a big soda fan, but I love juice. Juice, sadly, has a lot of sugar in it. In an effort to cut down on the calories in sweetened drinks, I started drinking stevia-sweetened Kool-Aid.
Alas, using low-calorie sugar substitutes can paradoxically raise blood sugar levels, and after a few bouts of hypoglycemia, I started to wonder if the stevia Kool-Aid was the culprit. (Mind you, I was drinking it all the time!)
I started looking into the latest trend of “liquid water enhancers” and it is surprisingly difficult to find natural ones. Many are filled with chemicals and even “propellant.” Health food stores like Sprouts don’t seem to carry natural ones yet (last I checked, locally). The best I have found at my local HEB grocery store is Stur, which is all “natural” and sweetened with stevia.
Getting Centered in Nature
Modern life just seems to speed up more and more. The Internet is a blessing in many respects, but it also causes a tremendous amount of stress. Constant emails, text messages, and electronic distractions contribute to an overall sense of overwhelm.