Many people get confused as to when to use ice and when to use heat on an injury.  In some cases, you can really make an injury (or its symptoms) worse by using the wrong therapy.  Allow me to clarify the ice vs. heat confusion for you.

If your injury is new (the clinical term is acute) then you should use ice.  Likewise, if the injury has visible inflammation then you should opt for ice - or as we Dr’s like to call it, cryotherapy.  (We use big words to confuse you so we can justify charging a lot.)

On the other hand, if you have an older injury that doesn’t have inflammation involved, like maybe a tight/achey muscle, then using heat is likely the best option.

One of the worst things you can do is to put heat on a recent and/or inflamed injury.  Cryotherapy causes vasocontriction (decreasing blood flow) to the applied area.  This helps to reduce inflammation.  Heat has the opposite effect.  So even though it may “feel better” at that moment, putting heat on an inflamed area causes MORE inflammation - not good!

I often tell people, “when in doubt, use ice.”  As long as you don’t leave it on too long (more than 15-20 minutes), you can’t really hurt yourself with ice, but you can with heat.

Tip: after doing exercise that involves a painful or injured joint, put ice on it to help reduce the inflammation that would typically follow. 

Yours in health,

~Dr Clay

I would normally not worry you with a food recall.  However, many readers of DrClay.com shop at Whole Foods Market, so I thought I should share this with you.

Whole Foods has issued a statement that beef purchased from June 2 to August 6 (in select states) should be thrown out due to possible E. Coli contamination.

The contaminated beef has been linked to a large processing plant in Nebraska, so it will ultimately affect far more beef than just that found in Whole Foods.  For example supermarkets like Dorothy Lane and Kroger may be affected.

Whole Foods says that no beef found in their stores now came from the Nebraska plant in question. 

Tips for not getting E. coli: you can dramatically reduce your chance of getting food poisoning from E. coli by thoroughly cooking your beef and by not reusing (prior to washing) anything that has come in countact with the raw beef.  For example, don’t put raw beef on a plate and then use the same plate for the cooked beef. 

Here are the states affected by the Whole Foods Market beef recall:

• Connecticut
• Rhode Island
• Maine
• Massachusetts
• Florida
• New Jersey
• New York
• Kentucky
• Maryland
• Ohio
• Pennsylvania
• Virginia
• Washington D. C.
• Alabama
• Georgia
• North Carolina
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Illinois
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Missouri
• Nebraska
• Wisconsin
• Canada

Yours in health,

Dr Clay

There’s a Killer at Large…

I saw this movie trailer on Alwyn Cosgrove’s blog and thought I’d share. 

We (as a society) have to make a change.  And we need to help others make a change.

I would love to hear your comments below.

Yours in health and fitness,

Dr Clay

Joe Vitale (from The Secret), Siren (Valerie Waugaman) from the American Gladiators, Mark Joyner, Dax Moy, and many other personal development and financial success experts will all be part of what looks to be a great web-based seminar series called Mid Year Resolutions. 

I just became aware of this seminar a couple of days ago, so I thought I’d pass the info along to you.

If you’re like me and enjoy listening to and reading things that will help you become a better person and enrich your life, then I’m sure you’ll enjoy listening to these experts.

I’m not sure of the exact details just yet, but I see there is a completely free option and even one where you’ll be sent actual CD’s of the seminars. 

Anyway, check out Mid Year Resolutions and see what you think.

Yours in health,

Dr Clay

PS - check out the seminars ASAP because they start today (Monday, July 7th)!