Mick's up With Stretches

Is your back stressed, during this Stress Awareness Month?

If you have a job, like I do, which involves sitting for most of the day... or even if your job includes standing for most of the day (like I used to)... then your back is probably screaming at you for help.  Our back muscles can tighten up and let us know that we need to do something about it.

Did you know?  As we take a good look at stress... that it is actually a cause of back pain, too!  Yes, our stress can actually settle in our backs and cause us physical pain.  So, one thing to do is: Try to decrease the stress in your life.  I know:  That's easier said than done.

Tangent alert!
Stress was originally created to be a good thing (you know, saving us from a life or death situation, by using the fight or flight instinct).  However, we tend to hold on to stress for the long haul, which wears down bodies to cause pain and illness.  What can you do today to start the process of relieving yourself of stress?

As I mention in my post on Muscles and Spine Health, chiropractic care can help you know if the pain is skeletal or muscular or both.  In that article, I talk about stretches that might alleviate back pain.  Since then, I have learned some more stretches that can also be helpful.

Remember, too, to work on your core muscles.  That means, strengthen all those muscles in the middle of your body, such as your abs, obliques, latissimus dorsi, etc.  You can find a variety of exercises to add to your workout routine to help build up that strength and balance.

  

Also, remember good posture!  I have to admit that I recently realized I've been a bit lax in pulling in my tummy, whether I'm standing, walking, running, or sitting.  Conscientiously tightening up those tummy muscles, during normal daily activities, surprisingly will improve your condition.

So, what are some of these stretches?

Well, as mentioned in the previously published post, which I have conveniently included for you below, hamstring stretches are a wonderful help for low back pain relief.  You can lay on the floor and stretch as directed in that article, and you can include stretches shown in the video link at the end of this post.  (With one leg straight up in the air, bend it at the knee, and then straighten again.  Repeat several times.)  

You can also stand on one leg, while resting the other leg straight out on a step or some sturdy object that is at a comfortable height for you.  Gently bend forward at the waist, toward your raised leg's knee.  Hold for several seconds, return your torso to an upright position, relax, and then repeat.

My favorite recent discovery is that the psoas also affects the low back.  

Can I interject something here?  Of course I can!  It's my blog!  Well, I just have to say that I am forever grateful for my former job with Curves. (Thank you, Dawn and Rosslyn!!)  I learned so much wonderful information!  Not only did I get to assist ladies with improving their lives through nutrition and exercise, but I also got to use science in it all (explaining to the members how they are using their muscles, like the psoas and obliques, etc.).  Yes, I admit it.  I love science!

OK. Thanks.  Now, back to stretches.

There are a couple of ways to stretch the psoas.  One way is to do a lunge.  That means you step forward with one foot (a really big step forward), and drop your back leg down toward the floor.  Be sure your front knee does not go past your toes (to avoid too much pressure on the knee, so as not to cause knee pain).  Keep that back leg straight, rather than letting that back knee drop all the way to the floor.  If your back knee stays off the floor, you'll get a better stretch.  Hold for several seconds, and then repeat.  

Another way to do this stretch is in a standing position.  While standing on one leg, place the other leg on a step or other sturdy object at a comfortable height, and as you bend that leg, lean in toward your knee.  I like to pair this stretch with the standing hamstring stretch I just mentioned in above.

So, now the ball is in your court.

It's up to you to find out if your back pain is from your skeleton or from your muscles.  Start by getting the bones checked out first.  They are the foundation of your body.  That foundation needs to be safe.  Then, you can start working on getting those muscles to do what they're supposed to do... oh, and start working on not being stressed out.

Stretching is an amazing thing!  Unfortunately, we don't do it enough.  Now's the time to do something about that!

_________________________________________________________

Post from
October 18, 2011

Mick’s in with Muscles and Spine Health

_________________________________________________________

"Chiropractic just makes you feel so much better.
When I walk out of the clinic, I feel like I'm about three inches taller and everything's in place.
And as long as I see the chiropractor, I feel like I'm one step ahead of the game."
Tom Brady3 Super Bowl Championship Rings MVP award winner Quarterback - New England Patriots

After doing some sort of exercise, like climbing a mountain, there might be some pains and other consequences to deal with.  You know what I mean.  We 40-something moms really know what I mean.

In reality, addressing certain things, like spinal health, before exercise is the best way to go.  Be sure you know what’s going on with your spine, before you get too serious about your exercise regimen.  “Depending on the extent of your [subluxations] and posture misalignment the doctor may have you abstain from certain high input activities that may adversely affect your spine.” (Nikitow Chiropractic Wellness Center )

Something I learned, and for which I am truly and forever grateful, is that not all back pain is due to subluxation.  I tend to have lots of lower back pain.  Yes, some of it is due to tailbone issues, and some is because of curvature in my spine, of which I am on a quest to correct.  However, some of it... in fact, a lot of it is also due to tightness in my muscles.

So you deal with low back pain?  If so, try stretching out your muscles.  Not only is it good for flexibility and reducing overall tension in the body, but targeting certain areas can have an incredible affect on your back pain.  Hamstrings tend to be the biggest culprit, when muscles are to blame for low back tension.

Try this exercise:
Lay on your back, with one leg straight up in the air, the back of it against the wall.  (You’ll need to do this in a doorway, so your other leg can be resting flat on the floor.)  Push with your leg against the wall, holding for 20 seconds or so, and then release.  Move your body closer to the wall, causing more tension in your leg.  Repeat the push and release.

If you have someone who can help you, it works much better.  Your assistant will push your leg toward you, causing the resistance.


“Tight hamstrings can restrict movement of the pelvis, which can cause a compensatory increase in rounding of the low back.  This increases the forces on the lumbar spine during forward bending, which can lead to injuries in the low back.  However, there are many causes of low back pain, with tight hamstrings being only one of many potential contributors to the problem.  Additional causative factors and potential treatments should be explored with a health care professional. ” (National Academy of Sports Medicine)

“The sensation of tightness in the hamstrings can be due to various reasons.  Typically it can be from poor postures, altered movement and walking patterns, or compensation due to other muscles being weak such as the gluteal muscles.  The hamstrings attach to the bottom of your pelvis.  With tightness, it can pull on the pelvis causing it to put more stress on the pelvis and back.  In these cases, education to mildly elongate or stretch the hamstrings may help.  Regardless, it is more important to retrain the proper strength and movement patterns of the legs and trunk so proper mechanics of the back can be restored.

“Sometimes tightness in the hamstrings can also be a protective mechanism from underlying nerve pathology in the sciatic nerve.  We have seen patients trying to stretch their hamstrings and instead develop sciatica as stretching irritated the nerve rather than stretch the muscle.  Further differential diagnosis of the hamstrings and their relationship to low back pain should be determined by a qualified health care practitioner.” (Brian Yee)

As the experts say, low back pain can be caused by a multitude of things.  The only way to know for sure the status of your spine health is by having a chiropractor view an x-ray of it.  What better time to go to your nearest corrective-care, principled chiropractor’s office to get an x-ray of your spine than during October:  Chiropractic Awareness Month?!

~

Jabez cried out to the God of Israel,

“Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory!

Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm

so that I will be free from pain.”

And God granted his request.

1 Chronicles 4:10 (NIV)

~

A recent video (early 2013) shows more ways to stretch hamstrings, as well as strengthen your core:
Dr. Lombardozzi at Kempsville Chiropractic

~

Mick's up With Your Day

You've noticed the spiral.



Little by little, time for exercise is squeezed out of your day, until it's non-existent.  Next, your quiet time, set aside for prayer and Scripture, dwindles, too.  You start feeling like there is no time to fully accomplish anything.  Your nutrition suffers, because your meal planning is rushed, and you might even be grabbing drive-through items, just to get by.  Then, you're feeling tired, worn out, and discouraged.

We've all been there.

 Really.  We have.  

If you have enough time to read to this point, take a deep breath, and stop.  Just rest... for a few minutes.

You know what you need to do.

If you truly want to be the most helpful and loving to your family and to yourself, you will do what you know you need to do.

Make a resolution right now.

It might not be January 1st, or the start of any particularly special month or day, but make a resolution.

Decide now that you will figure in a few minutes for prayer and a few minutes for exercise tomorrow.

That might mean setting your alarm clock 15 minutes earlier than normal.  That won't kill you.  I promise.

It might also mean switching a couple things around in your morning (or afternoon or evening) routine, but you'll survive that, too.  Trust me.  It didn't hurt me to do it (a time-sensitive person of consistency and schedule), so I'm sure it won't hurt you, even if you're as stubborn as I am.

Here are some ideas for you.

Follow a HIIT, burst, or surge technique, which entails a couple of minutes of intense exercise, several times in a row.  This will only take a very short bit of time out of your day, and will have many added benefits, which you can read about in other Mick's up articles.  Incorporate these sets into your morning routine.

For example, during a 100-Days of Burpees challenge I took on, with a suggestion from a wonderful trainer's Facebook post, I accomplished my goal by breaking down the large number into more do-able spurts, while fixing breakfast for the family each morning.  15 - 25 burpees (depending on the day's number)... then check on breakfast... 15-25 more burpees ... then check breakfast again... 15-25 more burpees... another peek at breakfast... final set of burpees... and breakfast is served!

As the weather gets more pleasant, getting outside is easier.  If you don't think you have time, consider your need to clear your head in the middle of your work day.

If you don't think it's necessary, ask your boss for an opinion.  A good boss, like mine, will tell you to take a break in the middle of your day, in order to keep up your productivity.  It decreases your stress level, and it allows you to take on a new perspective, when you return to your project.  Now, granted, this might mean giving up a few minutes of your lunch hour, but it sure is worth it!  

A recent article by Dr. Ben Lerner talks about balance between work and life.

I am so excited to hear friends around me talk about how they are fitting exercise into their days:  lunch time walks around the block; measuring how many times around the building equals one mile; at home after work, walking off the stress of the day; getting involved in a "biggest loser" contest at the gym; working extra time one day of the week, in order to take off early on another day that offers a special fitness class; and on and on it goes.

Even my high-school age son knows this.  He has been known to take a quick jog around the neighborhood to wake himself up before delving into his homework... or to relieve stress of the week, when he gets home on a Friday.  (That makes a mom proud!)

Just the other day, my son and I had a fun, impromptu "date" that included a sort of exercise:  We were talking about silly dances, and in his curiosity, while I was mentioning line dances, he pulled up the Cha Cha Slide (after we realized how OLD the Electric Slide is... ha ha!  That one is from MY day!).

Think about it.

We can make it work, if we really want to.

"Do not be anxious about anything,

but in every situation, by prayer and petition,

with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,

will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

~

Mick’s up With Germs

Have you noticed lots of people out sick at work and school, during this past couple of months?  I have.  In fact, at our office, we've all noticed.  I overheard one of my coworkers ask, “Why is everyone sick right now?”  So, I decided this would be a good topic for a Mick’s up Life.

Let’s think about it for a minute. 

With all the many different celebrations going on over a 2 month period, candy and desserts are everywhere!  Not many of us can say we didn't sneak a candy or two from the Halloween bowl.  At Thanksgiving time, so many wonderful homemade desserts surround us (not to mention the carbs ingested before we even reach dessert), and then during Christmastime, we are bombarded from both sides, with candy in the stockings and punch and pastries on the table.

My neighbor friend and I were just talking about this.  Sugar is the main ingredient of those beloved confections, and as we know, sugar is an inflammatory, dragging down our immune systems.

Next, let’s step outside to take a look at the temperature.  With the chill in the air, some of us get scared inside to snuggle up (with a sugar-laden hot chocolate and/or latte, perhaps?), cozily soaking in the glow of the lights of the season… when we’re not scrambling for time to run the kidderz to their new school-year events, shopping for all those aforementioned celebrations, and running to parties, plays, and just plain busy-ness of the holiday season.  With all that happening, how many of us are keeping up with our exercise routines?  Plus, we are trying to cram so many activities into a day, we might not even be getting the amount of sleep (or at least not good sleep!) that we need.  Again, our immune systems are jeopardized.

Oh, can you step outside with me one more time?  When you feel that chill, what do you notice yourself doing?  Do your shoulders tense up?  Are you rubbing your arms to keep warm?  I am!  (In fact, I was doing that at my desk at work for a while, until the temperature got regulated.)  You know what else?  The season, along with my job, keep me at the computer longer.  Do I have perfect posture at the computer?  No!  Do you?  Maybe for a short period of time, but if you’re there, or in any position, for an extended length of time, you just might find your upper back and neck getting tight, stiff, and uncomfortable.

When we are tense in our upper backs and necks, do you know what might be going on inside?  There is more opportunity for our vertebrae to shift out of place.  Do you know where the nerves serving your sinuses and face and throat are directed from?  That’s right!  Those vertebrae that are being affected by the tight muscles have a very close relationship to those nerves.  Hmmmm… yes, you probably guessed it.  If there is pressure on the nerves in that region, you could be finding yourself having sinus issues, headaches, throat problems, etc.  For that reason alone, a visit to your chiropractor would be a wonderful gift to yourself, not to mention a boost to your immune system.

Yes, those things did happened to me this season, too.  I fought off a nasty cold and fever, but it was a quick, easy fight.  I got myself back on track (and drank lots of extra water!), keeping the immune system enemies at bay, especially sugar.  It’s really amazing how much quicker the healing process is, when sugar is taken out of the equation.

So, let’s try to be sure this is a jolly season. 

• Let's reduce stress during these months, no matter how crazy things get, and that includes minimizing physical stress (you know, the posture thing we were just looking at)… and remember to sleep… sleep well.
• Say “Merry Christmas” to you our chiropractors more often at this time of year.  (In other words, schedule more visits.  This can help with the sleeping, too!) 
• Make better choices of what snacks we enjoy, foods we prepare, and drinks we consume, in order to eliminate (or at least minimize) sugar (look for alternatives, and be sure to read all ingredients!).
• Enjoy our coffees (again, look for alternatives for flavorings)  healthier hot chocolate (make your own mix), but in moderation, because as we know, nasty things thrive in an acidic environment, which these yummy concoctions do, unfortunately, promote. 
• Finally, let’s remember to take time to do some quick interval exercising (only 15 or fewer minutes of your day!), and be sure to fit in stretches.  (The stretches can help with that upper back/neck tension thing we previously touched on.)

As it is said, “Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

"When it snows, 

she has no fear for her household."

Proverbs 31:21 (NIV)

~

A Goal-setting Mick’s up

My husband and I are excited to start off the new year debt free!!  Whew!  What a load off our shoulders!

We have made many dumb decisions over the years, but with the help of family along the way and financial common-sense taught in settings like Financial Peace University, we dug ourselves out of the mess, and now we can have a fresh start, doing it all the RIGHT way.

It is a wonderful feeling to not be in debt:  no car payments, no business debt, no college debt, no credit card payments.  It is amazing how much stress we don’t even realize we are putting on our bodies, when we are under the weight of debt.

It’s the same with all areas of our lives.  Do you have dreams, goals, a mission in life?

God wants us to be successful.  Follow His guidance.  Seek His direction.  Write out goals and a mission statement to help you be more productive where God wants you to be, so you can bring glory to Him.

To be more successful at reaching our goals, Dave Ramsey gives us some goal-setting techniques:  set a time limit, make it specific, take ownership, make it measurable, put it in writing.  He also guides us in clarifying our dreams and missions.

If finances is an area of focus for you this year, start out with developing an emergency fund.  That is an extremely important first step! From there, work on a budget, maybe even learning along the way through a class, like Financial Peace University. 

Of course, Dave Ramsey isn’t the only resource out there, even though my husband and I found his M.O. to be the most effective. There are other resources, such as Larry Burkett’s Financial Matters renamed to Crown Ministries, as well as Kerry K. Taylor’s blog Squawkfox, where you can find budgeting tools and the free eBook Frugal Food and Fitness.

If workouts is an area of focus for you this year, try using a workout log, and remember to only do a short amount at a time.  (Don’t discourage yourself!)  Why not add nutrition to that focus?  It does, after all, work together with exercise to bring you fitness. 

Now, just add proper rest and a healthy nervous system, and you’ll find yourself heading toward overall wellness!

While the holiday memories are still fresh in your mind, why not make use of the Holiday Expense Tracking Worksheet and be a step ahead for planning next Christmas?

Well, one of the changes I’m making for 2012 is not posting daily.  I will be changing my schedule to one or two posts weekly, instead.  I truly enjoy sharing my research with Mick’s up Life readers, and I can still supply the same amount of information, while reaching goals in other areas of my life at the same time.  Let me know if there are certain days, topics, etc. that you prefer reading. 

Now, go set those goals!  Happy achieving!

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD,

“plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11

~

Mick’s up with Emotional Toxins

We have learned that stress can come from all different areas, and it can affect our health.

We kind of touched on this with Mick’s up with Accountability, but let’s take a look at how the people we hang out with can be toxic.  Not only can they influence us in our eating patterns and our fitness, but they can also influence our attitude.

I’m sure you’ve heard about it.  A very popular topic that has been around is Toxic Friendships.

Like I’ve said before, I do believe that God wants us to be a blessing to everyone we encounter.  So, I’m not saying you should be selfish and think only of yourself and your own well-being.  However, it is important for you to stay as healthy as you can, so you can keep on efficiently doing work for God as long as possible.  You do not want to have to take time away from what God wants you to do, all because you didn’t take care of yourself to begin with, and then you have to concentrate on yourself more, so you can heal from being sick.

---

“Those who fail to take the time to be healthy

will ultimately have to take the time to be sick.”

(Dr. James Chappell)

---

You know all the warnings we give our kidderz about being careful in choosing the types of people they hang around.  Why should it be different for us?  We can be bombarded by emotional toxins (negativity, discouragement, pessimism, worry, fear, put-downs and verbal abuse, etc.), just as easily as chemical toxins. 


At the same time, true friendship can be a great antidote to what ails us.  What a blessing!

Be a friend to those who need a friend, but make sure your relationships remain healthy, so that you can remain healthy.

A cheerful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

Proverbs 17:22 (NIV)

~

Mick’s up with Accountability

As we look at our stress levels and attitude toward each day’s events, let’s also look at who we hang around.

Dave Ramsey says in his lessons in Financial Peace University:  If you want to be rich, talk to rich people, and do what rich people do.

Why don’t we look at that for our health and wellness, too.  Doesn’t it make sense to seek out people you want to be like?  I’m not saying you should be judgmental and snobbish.  We certainly are placed in people’s lives to make a difference, for the glory of God.  However, you can’t constantly give without refueling… and how you refuel is important.  We can view this in a spiritual sense as well as in a health sense.

Think about it.  If weight loss is your goal, but you are regularly joining in get-togethers with friends who eat out constantly… and not healthily… then isn’t that going to have a negative impact on your health?

That’s why it’s always helpful to have an accountability partner… again, spiritual and wellness.  You know how difficult it is to “diet” and cook healthy meals at home, when the rest of the family is still eating the same stuff you are all familiar with… the stuff that you now realize is keeping you from being fit.  It’s not easy stepping out of that comfort zone with your family… so you can imagine it seems almost impossible to make the necessary changes without the support of your family.

Bring somebody along on the journey with you.

I explained this concept to my 8-year-old daughter last month.  After spending time with friends, I asked her if she noticed how addicting the munchies seemed to be to those we were with.  She did.  I then pointed out what ingredients made up the munchies, and I asked her if she thought those were what we like to include in our foods.  She knows they are not.  I asked her if she thought the friends seem to be a healthy bunch.  She understood that they are not.  I then explained that, just because the munchies had the word “veggie” in the name, the friends thought they were healthy.  To them, healthy and tasty meant they should eat more!  By not paying attention to the ingredients, the friends got pulled into thinking they were eating something good for them, and they allowed themselves to get hooked on the taste.

The moral of the story is:  Just because the name sounds healthy, and just because your friends are eating it, does not mean the food is guaranteed to be a healthy choice.  As I’ve said before, look at the ingredients, and know what you’re looking out for!  If you’re hanging around people with similar health goals, you can help each other out, and you won’t get drawn to bad eating habits… at least not without facing your accountability partner.

Seek out an accountability partner today!

…there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Proverbs 18:24 (NIV)

~

Mick’s up on Stress

“Chiropractic is Proactive.“

(Dr. Patrick Gentempo)

We all deal with stress of some kind in our lives.  We are faced with any one or a combination of the three stresses, which are physical, emotional, and chemical.
 
Physical stress can be a variety of things, from sleeping in a weird position to being in a car accident.

Emotional stress is obvious.  We worry.  Our feelings get hurt.  Tragedies happen.
 
Chemical stress is anything from seemingly harmless caffeine, to pollution, to drugs.
 
The Central Nervous System, which consists of your brain and spinal cord, lies between stress and illness.
 
“Stress is managed and processed through the Central Nervous System.  That means how you handle stress is dependent on the condition of your nervous system and how well it can manage the stress you are under.  If there is interference, its ability to handle stress will be hindered, and you may find yourself in ill health.  Chiropractic offers lifestyle support to help better address whatever your challenges might be.  If you want a healthy lifestyle, chiropractic is a critical component.” (Dr. Patrick Gentempo)
 

 

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.

Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:34 (NIV)

 

~

Mick’s up with Optimism

”Eat a live frog first thing in the morning, and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day!”

Mark Twain

I saw this posted on Facebook last week:
“When you feel optimistic your metabolic rate can rise & you can lose weight eating the same amount.  When you feel pessimistic your metabolic rate can fall & you can gain weight eating the same amount of food.  If you're not fulfilled & you feel stressed you can sometimes eat to calm yourself & sedate your inner frustration.  Setting realistic expectations on self & others helps reduce stress & moderates eating patterns.” 



That’s great food for thought for all of us.

Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.

Psalm 90:14 (NIV)

~

Have You Gotten a Mick’s up of Chiropractic

You might have gathered by now that I am very thankful for chiropractic care.  I never used to know why chiropractic is so good for me, but I just knew I felt better and was healthier when I received regular care. 

I am so thankful my parents became friends with a chiropractor so many years back, which first introduced us to this form of healthcare.

I’m thankful I found a wonderful office through the yellow pages and got back into regular chiropractic care, when I was pregnant with our first child, after I discovered chiropractic is excellent for pregnant ladies.  I was no longer in pain, regained comfortable sleep during those crucial months, improved my attitude, and later had a healthy baby because of chiropractic.

It is amazing to me the gifts God has given chiropractors:  the skill to be able to feel each bone in the spine and know it by name; the precision for moving the proper bone in the necessary manner; the understanding of where each nerve leads and what it helps, as well as what is hurt when it is not able to function properly; the compassion to care for each patient and their needs; even the knowledge of all other bones in the skeletal system, so as to aid in supplying answers for bewildered patients.

If you have not yet discovered the world of chiropractic, I urge you to do yourself a favor and look into it.

Listen to what Dr. Patrick Gentempo, owner of the Chiropractic Leadership Alliance, says: “Now that this whole wellness revolution has come into this world, chiropractic is expanding and growing because we've had such great training….  Chiropractic is proactive,” meaning we take the approach of, “Let's not wait for you to get sick and then do something.  Let's keep you healthy.”

As we enter into the more stressful holiday season, it’s good to contemplate what that stress is doing to us and what we can do to handle it in a healthier way.  Dr. Gentempo continues on to say, “Everybody knows that lifestyle stress adversely affects your health.  How stress is processed and managed is through the nervous system.  What's between stress and illness?  The Central Nervous System.  You live your life through your nervous system.  What chiropractors do is evaluate your nervous system, see how stress is affecting that, and if it’s causing disturbance in how your nervous system functions, we want to release those disturbances so your body can heal and regulate.”

Is chiropractic a lifetime commitment?  Dr. Gentempo explains, “Chiropractic doesn't treat conditions...  It gives lifestyle support to help better address whatever your challenges might be.”  This question is like asking, “Once you go to the gym, do you have to keep going back?  Once you eat healthy, do you have to keep eating healthy?”  As the doctor says, “If you want a healthy lifestyle, chiropractic is a critical component.”

Many thanks to Conway Family Chiropractic for encouraging me to use their video in my blog.  This is a great summary of what chiropractic is and why we need it.  Enjoy!

Remember, don’t stress this holiday.  Read the Proverb below.  If you find yourself stressing, be sure to see your local chiropractor!

 

A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.
Proverbs 14:30 (NIV)

 

~