Miracle Drug

In keeping with yesterday's blog, (which was horrendously lengthy--dear heavens, forgive me--nothing like writing a week's worth of blog posts in one post), I wanted to BRIEFLY share (much to your joy) a health tip.  As a runner of nearly 30 years now, I have begun to notice that my joints are showing the effects of all that abuse.  In the last few years especially, the pain I experience at times in my knees, hips and ankles can be a real annoyance.  A sweet friend at church shared a tip with me this past December that has literally changed my life.  She told me how she and her husband began taking Glucosamine Chondroitin for their joints and that it has not only stopped their pain, but it has changed their exercise life.  Upon the realization of their own benefits from taking the health supplement, they decided to give it to their aging dog that was no longer able to climb the stairs in their house at night to join them for bedtime.  So they decided to perform a trial on the pooch to see if the "Glu-Cho" (as I call it) could help their beloved family friend.  Not only was the dog able to climb the stairs after a short time, but he could join them on walks again, as well.

After hearing her testimonial, I literally rushed out to purchase the supplement that night.  I am happy to say that "Glu-Cho" has also changed my life and that of my husband.  Before taking it, we both had noticed over the past few years that our stamina in our running and the distance at which we were able to run without severe pain were both decreasing significantly.   After taking it for less than a week we both noticed amazing improvements.  Neither one of us had knee pain any longer.  My hip pain was also totally gone.  Within a month, we were able to run twice as far as we had been able to prior to taking it.  We had not been able to run farther than a 5K for the past few years without major pain.  Minus the stifling heat we've had to deal with this summer, our 4-7 mile runs feel like a walk in the park instead of a battle of the wills between our joints and our pain tolerance.  Now Matt and I can run the Lawrence trails or run the entire trail at Lake Shawnee and not regret it.  Thanks to this drug, life is good.

This dietary supplement is formulated to support, build, and strengthen bone and joint tissue.  It also boasts claims to provide joint comfort and mobility, lubricate joints, and renew/rebuild cartilage. I feel confident in telling you that it lives up to its reputation.  It is a little pricey, but that is a lot of bang for your buck when you are dealing with pain and trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle of fitness with middle-aged joints.  It comes in a variety of brands and formats, but I have found the best to be Walmart's Equate Triple Strength brand with MSM included. Some people find that they do better with the MSM added and others do better taking brands that do not include it.  The Equate brand is the least inexpensive and only requires you to take two caplets a day (many other brands require you to take more per day, and they are already more costly on top of that).  The other thing I like about the Equate brand is that you can take both caplets at one time (many other brands require you to take them at different intervals each day).  It is important to give warning that most "Glu-Cho" does have shellfish in it.  So if you have an allergy, take heed.  There are other forms on the market now that do not include shellfish ingredients, but you have to really check the label (and they are probably pricier).  It is also important to warn you that some people have nausea related to taking this drug and would probably do better taking one of the lower strength formulas and/or one that requires you to spread the pills out over the day.  We've had nothing but good effects from it and seriously thank God that this friend shared this tip with us.  I ran my first 8K race ever this past Memorial Day, and would have never been able to do that without this drug.

Everyone I've ever told about it feels the same way after taking it--like it is a "fountain of youth" pill that they can't live without.   Who would have thought that at 42 years of age I'd be blogging about joint pain dietary supplements.  I sound like an old lady!  Don't worry, I won't be blogging about Metamucil, Poligrip, or Activia anytime soon (or ever)!  But hey, since this getting older thing isn't easy, whatever we can do to help each other live better lives is only a good thing.  Happy running!