Challenged by pain? Try these rural remedies.

Want to reduce aches and pains in your 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's? What works for you? I've discovered a few self care strategies. Check out my rural remedies to relieve swollen joints, aches, and fibromyalgia pain.

1. Cool not hot. Reduce heat and sun if possible. Try lukewarm or cool showers and baths. Relieve inflammation rather than adding to it with a hot bath. I drink ice cold beverages; studies show that ice water burns more calories. Need to work outside? I try to complete the most strenuous tasks early in the morning or after sundown.

2. Stay hydrated. I've cut out soda and carbonated drinks, including diet soda. It seems like carbonation bloats you up, adds to your BMI, and for me, it adds pounds. Who wants more weight pressing on their joints? I recommend decaffeinated green tea instead which boosts those anti-oxidants. Get rid of the straw and sip from the cup instead. Who wants extra air in their stomach?

3. No sugar. This remedy takes effort and diligence. Check labels carefully, there appears to be hidden sugar in so many processed foods and there are all kinds of tricky names that hide as sugar. If it's grown in the ground or on top of the ground and hasn't been modified, it's probably better than something you buy in a cardboard box at the grocery store. Try it for a week and see if you feel different; I can do anything if I know it's for a limited amount of time. I can decide after the trial time if it's worth the work of making it a habit for life.

4. Get a complete physical and review your medications, vitamins, and supplements with a trusted doctor. Don't trust yours? Find someone new. I was frustrated with how I felt and found out my mix of prescriptions recommended over the past 10 years was probably causing more harm than good. Don't forget to review how you're sleeping with the doctor.

5. Limit fragrances and chemicals. Reduce chemicals in your home as much as possible. Why breathe that stuff, stick your hands in it, wash your clothes in it, or spray it on your skin? It can't be good.

6. Remember how flexible you were in high school? Watch a dog get up from resting. Copy their moves. I added slow stretching before bed and first thing in the morning to my daily routine. Consult a fitness specialist or a trusted fitness web site or DVD for the best ones for specific aches and pains. Why not regain the flexibility of your youth? Just a little bit can make a big difference in how you carry yourself and complete your tasks during the day.

7. Move it or lose it. Limit computer, TV time, or anything that involves sitting like driving in the car. I take a little walk to limber up if I've been sitting for quite a while which seems to help. And check out the chair you sit in the most; is it adding to your aches and pains?

8. Firm up muscles with weight training. Studies show that weight training as little as once a week can improve your posture. Resistance bands are fairly inexpensive and you can do it at home. Who wants that stooped over look?

9. Be proactive. Become a stress (stress=pain) detective. Keep a daily diary to discover patterns in how you feel. Is pain worse after eating a heavy meal or sitting in a meeting for 8 hours? Use your diary to set small, reachable goals and eliminate trigger points for stress.

10. Is it your shoes? Ditch the flip flops, high heels, and shoes with no support. Are the heels run down on your favorite pair of shoes? Proper shoes can do a lot to relieve feet, ankle, knee, leg, back, shoulder, and neck pain. One day of "no shoes" or "cute flip flops" and the next day everything hurts.

Share. I'd love to hear what you've tried that works well to reduce pain and stiffness. My challenge: try just one rural remedy on this list and let me know how it goes.

Are you ready for Hot, Hot, Hot?

Flowers wilting
Sweet corn filling
Squash bugs multiplying
Mosquitoes biting
Weeds growing
Dogs panting
Crab grass spreading
Chiggers itching
Tomatoes need picking
Cold ice tea refreshing.

Are you ready for the heat index of 110 degrees today? Check out Kat's Rural Remedies to beat the heat:

1. I get up extra early to water plants and fill animal waterers as the sun rises. I get my daily dose of meditation while giving everything on the farm a refreshing splash of water.
2. The only product I use from the Avon company is something called "skin so soft". Pour a little in the grandkids bathwater to keep the chiggers and mosquitoes away. Give yourself a little splash in the shower; much nicer than chemical bug spray.
3. While the hose is running on the flowers in the morning, quickly pick the days harvest from your garden.
4. Got weeds? A little rock salt mixed with water in your sprayer can handle weeds better than chemicals. Just be careful where you spray it, plus mix and strain first to avoid clogging up the sprayer.
5. Recycle an old window air conditioners (a working one) by installing a small one in a garage window to keep the pets cool during the hottest part of the day. While this costs me a little in the pocket book on the electric bill, it saves me worrying about the Australian Shepherd overheating. I start it around noon and let 'Lady' rest for the afternoon in the garage. I turn it off as the evening cools off. Since my garage is attached, it cools the house a bit.
6. Fast ice tea. The Lipton family size Cold Brew bags are fast, fast, fast in a pitcher of cold water. I add two single green tea bags to up the antioxidants.
7. Drop a little vegetable oil on the silks of the growing sweet corn ears to keep worms away.
8. Recycle used aluminum foil by placing flat pieces around the squash plants: the bugs don't like the light reflection.
9. Time to watch those favorite movies and clean out the closets. During the heat of the day or those tremendously uncomfortable humid evenings, clean out the closets while listening to a favorite movie or your ipod music selections. You can take everything to the thrift store when its cooler this fall.
10. Stay away from the computer and work on your summer reading list instead. (Why stress yourself by reading about how hot it is across America?)