TMJ Headaches Again; DIY Healing; Heat; No Juice is Good Juice

This past month or so, I've had TMJ headaches in the morning, along with some mild stomach issues and acne the past week or so. I think it's muscle memory from years ago, back when I wore a night guard for TMJ pain.

Since getting my braces off and getting dental implant in early June, I've been wearing an upper retainer at night. When I wear it to bed, it reminds me of the old upper retainer I used to wear when I was grinding my teeth some years ago after a car wreck. I think I've started grinding my teeth at night again. I wasn't grinding my teeth just before I got my implant, when I was wearing a retainer during the day. I'm not grinding my teeth now, wearing my retainer after dinner and before bed, as my orthodontist recommended. Since I haven't worn my retainer for a few nights, my headaches and neck pain are gone. My skin is clearing up, too. (Inflammation can become systemic and affect other parts of the body.)

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The toe I stubbed a month ago is continuing to heal. When I injured it, I recalled my visit to an orthopedic surgeon last year when I fractured my arm. He looked at my arm, looked at the x-rays, and said, "It'll probably heal on its own in a month." That's what $300 got me. I decided to save my money this time and trust that my body knew how to heal a badly stubbed toe. I put a Bandaid on top and used another Bandaid to attach a piece of cotton ball between the toe pad and the ball of my foot for support. After three days, I was walking fairly well on it. It got infected; I healed the infection with hydrogen peroxide and coconut oil. I have a new toenail now, but it's still thin, sensitive and funny-looking, so I'm still wearing a Bandaid on it. The other toenails are sporting an injury-inspired nail color. And I've kept my money.

You Don't Know Jaques! from OPI. Image from Allure.com.

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Speaking of Allure magazine, this month's issue (September 2013) says that high heat ("overheated workouts") can cause free radicals in the skin and can worsen hyperpigmentation and rosacea. I say overheated workouts are miserable. Exercise that makes you feel that lousy probably isn't good for you.

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Would you believe Allure also gives a thumbs-down to juice fasts? They quote a professor of dermatology who says that all that sugar (comparable to a can of Coke) spikes blood sugar and insulin, along with androgen, an acne-causing male hormone. It also AGEs* you:

Sugar molecules in the bloodstream can also latch onto and degrade collagen and elastin fibers in a process called glycation, which leads to wrinkles and sagging....The skin needs protein to build new collagen and elastin, and nut-derived milks** are also rich in good fats--essential for a healthy, hydrated skin barrier.

What--fats are essential and sugar is bad? Next issue, maybe they'll be telling us that whole grain bread is  just as junky as a danish.

*AGE = advanced glycation end products. You don't want candy-coated collagen, do you?
**Beware carrageenan, a thickener used in many nut-derived milks. It's an inflammatory.

"Surprise Skin Sins" by Jolene Edgar. Allure magazine, September 2013, page 236.