Archive for the ‘Mental Health’ Category

Back to School and Back to Sleep: How to Get Your Child Back on a School Sleeping Schedule

Thursday, August 19th, 2010

As parents and their children enjoy their last few weeks of summer, school is looming right around the corner. Now is the time to get back into a school sleeping schedule, after having such a lax sleeping schedule over the summer months. According to the Federal Citizen Information Center, adequate sleep will boost your child’s energy and enthusiasm and can also help your child learn more easily and may reduce behavioral problems. Children between the ages of 6 and 9 require at least 10 hours of sleep per night and older children require at least 9 hours.

Here are a few ways to get your child in the school sleeping schedule:

• Create a regular bed time and make sure you and your child stick to it.
• Make sure your child avoids eating a heavy meal before their bed time.
• Make sure your child avoids caffeine at least 6 hours before their bed time.
• Allow for play and relaxation time before their bed time. However, make sure this a calm and relaxing time, meaning no TV or video games
• Set up a bedtime routine possibly including a bath, a snack, or a bedtime story. According to healthcentral.com, laying out the next day’s wardrobe could also be a part of the routine.

It’s also helpful to realize that each child’s approach to sleep is different. Some take extra time to fall asleep, while others may wake more during the night. After a little trial and error you should be able to successfully find the sleep routine that best suits your child and family.

All of these pieces of advice will help to make the transition to a school sleeping schedule a smooth one for you and your child.

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Need a Good Night’s Sleep? Try These Bedtime Snacks

Thursday, July 15th, 2010

A good night’s rest is good for your overall well-being and is also helpful in keeping a youthful appearance and will make you feel younger too. So which foods should you snack on if you’re finding it hard to get to sleep and counting sheep just isn’t working?

According MSNBC.com, among the best natural sedatives is tryptophan. One of the ingredients necessary for the body to make serotonin, the neurotransmitter best known for creating feelings of calm, and for making you sleepy.

Experts suggest the following snacks to induce “feel-good relaxation chemicals” thereby calming your nerves and slowing your brain towards relaxation:

• Non fat popcorn
• Oatmeal with sliced bananas
• One cup of plain yogurt with mixed nuts or granola
• Sesame seeds
• Pretzels
• Low fat vanilla pudding
• Grapes
• Healthy cereal with skim milk
• Low-fat granola bar

It’s also suggested that bedtime snacks not exceed more than 200 calories

So next time you’re tossing and turning opt for any of the snacks above to achieve a peaceful night’s sleep that you need and deserve. Good night!

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Straight From the Headlines … Just Five Minutes A Day Outdoors Can Boost Mood

Thursday, May 20th, 2010

Research conducted by the University of Essex and  highlighted on MSNBC.com shows that just five minutes a day spent outdoors can improve mental health as well as increase self confidence and contribute to a sense of overall well-being.

Researchers found that as little as five minutes of a “green activity” such as walking, gardening, cycling or farming can boost mood and self esteem. Prior to the study, experts were unsure of how much time was required to make these changes in individuals.  But the study revealed that just five minutes is plenty of time to have an impact on a person’s mood.

Jules Pretty and Jo Barton, researchers at the University of Essex who led this study, looked at data from 1,252 people of different ages, genders and mental health status taken from ten existing studies in Britain. They analyzed activities such as walking, gardening, cycling, fishing, boating, horse riding and farming.

They found that the greatest health changes occurred in the young and the mentally ill, although people of all ages and social groups benefited. The largest positive effect on self-esteem came from a five-minute dose of “green exercise.”

“We believe that there would be a large potential benefit to individuals, society and to the costs of the health service if all groups of people were to self-medicate more with green exercise,” Barton said in a statement about the study, which was published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.

All natural environments were beneficial, including parks in towns or cities, they said, but green areas with water appeared to have a more positive effect.

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Put on the Weight by Adding to Your Resistance Training

Tuesday, May 4th, 2010

weight lifting helpAdding weight can be a good thing – if you are adding to your resistance training!

In an article on Medicinenet.com Richard Weil, an exercise physiologist and the director of the New York Obesity Research Center Weight Loss Program provided a thorough question and answer guide to those interested in or beginning a weight training regimen.

In the article, Weil explains what resistance exercise consists of as well as the benefits of an effective weight resistance program.

Resistance exercise is defined as any exercise where muscles contract against an external resistance with the objective of increasing strength, tone, mass, and/or muscular endurance. The resistance can come from dumbbells, weight machines, elastic tubing or bands, cinder blocks, cans of soup, your own body weight (for example, pushups), or any other object that forces your muscles to contract. Results occur when you train consistently over time.

The benefits of adding weights to your exercise routine includes improvement of muscular strength, endurance, functional capacity and ability, blood pressure, osteoporosis, low back pain, insulin resistance and glucose metabolism, resting metabolic rate and psychological well being.

Senior Workout - PowerAnd it’s never too late to start a resistance program either. In a classic study in a Boston nursing home, 100 residents ranging from 72 to 98 years of age performed resistance exercise three times a week for 10 weeks. Muscle strength increased 113%, walking speed increased by almost 12%, and thigh-muscle area increased 2.7%!

Although it may be intimidating to start, Weil provides some basic rules for properly lifting weights:

• Take your time and lift mindfully.
• Feel it in the belly of the muscle you’re trying to work and not in the joints.
• Select weights that your body can handle without having to cheat or force the weight up (leaning way back, using momentum, etc.).

Here are a couple starter weight lifting programs that Weil suggests. They are broken up by muscle group and are three days per week. You can experiment with splits, exercises, and the number of days per week. He suggests 12-15 repetitions and one to three sets per exercise for beginners (remember, you can gain significant strength with just one set). He’s included more than one exercise for each muscle group. You can stick with one exercise if you like, or experiment with more than one. Increase the weight when you can perform 15 reps easily. If you’re using elastic tubing, start with the tube that you can lift 12-15 times to fatigue, and then increase when you get stronger.

Day 1: Chest (bench press with bar or dumbbell press, flies, pushups), triceps (bench dips, kickbacks)

Day 2: Back (bent-over rows), biceps (curls, standing or seated)

Day 3: Shoulders (lateral raises, front raises), legs (squats, lunges)

Here’s a different split.

Day 1: Chest (bench press with bar or dumbbell press, flies, pushups), back (bent-over rows, pull-downs)

Day 2:
Biceps (curls, standing or seated), triceps (bench dips, kickbacks)

Day 3: Shoulders (lateral raises, front raises), legs (squats, lunges)

Resistance exercise is worth it. You’ll gain strength, endurance, and confidence. It’s feels great to feel strong, so give it a try! For more information and examples of resistance exercises that will help you to “put on the weight,” visit Medicinenet.com.

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All Day Energy: Ways to stay energized all day long

Monday, February 15th, 2010

Tired woman are sleepingLet’s face it, in today’s rush-rush world we are always trying to cram as much as possible into our 24-hour day. Sadly, many people are turning to energy drinks and pills to help get them through their long days, when in actuality there are plenty of natural energy boosters that you could rely on to help you stay energized.

Just try these simple strategies to make sure that you wake up feeling refreshed, stay motivated throughout the day and be able to wind down and get a relaxed night of sleep.

Consistent wake-up time- Many people would think that sleeping in would actually give them all-day energy, but it is more harmful than it is helpful. Instead, opt for the same wake-up time everyday and get yourself into some light, whether you get your sunlight by actually going outdoors or just by opening up the blinds.

Reduce your carbs and add in more protein-
While carbohydrates will give you that quick burst of energy, eating too many carbohydrates will actually drain you. Opt for getting a healthy mix of carbs and protein to feel more energetic throughout the day.

Make sure you’re getting your share of iron and magnesium- According to ABC News rather than walking into a health-food store to get a boost, look for food that gives you energy and the vitamins, minerals and chemicals that work together to give you the energy you need. Magnesium and iron will help to re-energize. Iron food sources include Total cereal, lentils, oatmeal, tofu, beef, whole wheat spaghetti and beet greens. Magnesium is another powerhouse mineral used in more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. Magnesium food sources include artichokes, halibut, black beans, almonds and spinach.

Skip your morning cup of joe- Instead of downing your coffee first thing in the morning opt for having an afternoon cup of coffee when tiredness typically sets in. This caffeine burst at an appropriate time will also help to keep your energy flowing throughout your afternoon.

Avoid grazing and eat your meals at consistent times-
Believe it or not, your body runs on the food schedule that YOU set. When you skip meals your body suffers by going into shut down mode, like it does when it is time to sleep. Keep your meals consistent and at consistent times to avoid the daily drain. Grazing should be avoided, too, as it leads to overeating and over hunger.

Relieve stress through meditation- Because it may be hard to carve out set times to simply relax and meditate, try to do it when you have a few free minutes throughout your day. Even simply three minutes of mediation can reduce stress hormones that create body tension and constricted blood vessels. Find a quiet spot, practice your breathing techniques and take a few minutes to rejuvenate through relaxation.

Power walk instead of power nap-
While it may seem like a short little cat nap will help you through that afternoon slump, a short little power walk will be more beneficial. Get out for a brisk walk if you are able to and your body will thank you for it. If you can’t get outdoors, sit by a window and bask in the daylight for some quick light energy.

exercise treadmillExercise to music-
Exercise may be the most obvious way to increase your energy levels throughout the day, yet many people still avoid it. If you are having trouble getting the motivation to work out, try listening to music before exercising. Studies show that people who listen to music prior to and while working out, feel like they have exerted themselves less than those who don’t listen to music while working out.

Wind down before bed- It’s important to take the time to wind down before catching those zzz’s. According to MSNBC.com artificial light from computer and television screens tell the brain that it’s not time to wind down. Therefore, it’s a good idea to shut off the TV and to not use phone or computers at least an hour before bed. To help wind down before bed you also may want to dim the lights, take a warm shower, write in a journal or read a book.

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More Reason to Pamper Yourself: Health Benefits of Massage Therapy

Thursday, February 4th, 2010

massage therapyFor more than 120 years, experts have been researching the benefits of massage therapy. And besides the obvious stress-free feeling that people experience following a massage, there are plenty of other benefits to this ancient healing procedure.

Below are several different ways that massage therapy can make you feel better physically and mentally.

Physical Benefits- There are a number of physical benefits associated with massage. A benefit of massage therapy that researchers have found is a decrease in blood pressure. Massages also help to alleviate the pain of those who suffer from migraine headaches. It can also: reduce your heart rate, increase blood circulation and lymph flow, relax your muscles, improve your range of motion, and increase endorphins.

Research has also shown that while massage therapy does not increase your muscle strength, it can stimulate your weak and inactive muscles and can thereby aid muscles that you may not have worked out in quite some time. Massage therapy can also speed up your recovery process if you do have an injury.

Some other physical benefits of massage therapy include: relieving muscle tension and stiffness, alleviating discomfort during pregnancy, reducing muscle spasms, promoting deeper and easier breathing, enhancing the health and nourishment of your skin, and improving your posture.

According to MSNBC almost 30 percent of those who had a massage in the past five years said that they did so for medical or health reasons other than stress relief. Their reasons included recovery from an injury, pain reduction, headache control and overall health and wellness.

Mental Benefits- Massage therapy, while a physical act, is not all about physical benefits. There is also an array of mental benefits. Some mental benefits include: promoting mental alertness, relieving mental stress, reducing levels of anxiety, improving motor skills, creating body awareness, and fostering a feeling of well being.

Stress Management- Massage can also help with stress management. According to CBS News massage can relieve tension in your muscles. It can also boost your immune system and cause a release of endorphins, which is the body’s natural painkiller. In addition, it may also increase joint flexibility, improve circulation, reduce spasms and cramping, and help athletes prepare for or recover from a strenuous workout.

While this article only touches on a few benefits of massage therapy, both physical and mental, there are plenty more out there that researchers are learning about each and every day. So, whatever your reason may be, pamper yourself today and reap all of the benefits of a great massage.

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Exercise Your Brain: Three Ways to Improve Brain Vitality

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

brain power 2Despite what many people think, our brain can remain sharp, active, vital and creative no matter what our age. Our brain will continue to create new brain cells and new connections over the years, but our brain vitality is completely up to us. Maintaining that vitality is truly a “use it or lose it” situation.

Studies done by a number of schools of medicine suggest that the more stimulating and intellectually challenging that we make our lives, the better our odds are to keep our brain sharp as we get older.

Some additional ways to keep our brains sharp include:

Exercise regularly: Exercising delivers more oxygen-rich blood to the brain which is vital for producing new brain cells and preventing atrophy. According to CBSNews.com exercise also helps provide your brain with more blood flow. More blood means more nutrients and oxygen to help your brain function better. Exercise also helps reduce stress, which can produce memory-damaging hormones.

Eat low-fat and healthy: Glucose spikes and fatty plaque deposits due to overeating can damage the brain, so a lower-calorie diet promotes better circulation and helps to control weight. It’s also important to avoid trans fats found in junk food, because this type of fat narrows the blood vessels and reduced the flow of blood, nutrients and oxygen to the brain. Complex carbohydrates on the other hand can give the brain a lift by increasing sugar levels in the bloodstream.

crossword puzzleChallenge your brain: Challenging your brain by learning and doing something new every week helps to create new neural pathways, helping to make your brain more versatile and able to multi-task. As found on CBSNews.com the more intellectual stimulation your brain gets, the better it functions. One theory is that intellectual stimulation prevents deterioration by strengthening the neural connections in the brain. The more stimulating the experience, the stronger the connections grow.

By keeping your blood moving, paying attention to what you eat and keeping your mind stimulated you can actively strengthen your brain.

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Eight Tips for Staying Motivated During the Winter Months

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

winter motivationWhen the weather outside is cold, it’s easy to get lazy and to lack the motivation to even get out of bed some days. The low winter light and cold temperatures can combine to make even the most resilient people want to just lie down and hibernate for the winter. So how can you stay motivated when it seems like everything is keeping you down? Here are eight tips for staying motivated during the winter:

1. Set Goals and Document them- By keeping a physical list of things you would like to accomplish it keeps your goals fresh and at the top of your mind. Not only are they easier to rate in order of importance but you will also see them on a daily basis. As a result you will feel more inclined to want to check things off your list.

2. Set Deadlines- Set clear dates of when you need to complete things by, whether they are long term or short term goals. By giving yourself a deadline, you will work harder to keep them.

3. Reward Yourself- Giving yourself incentive for meeting your deadlines and reaching your goals is a great way to actually accomplish them. Whether you allow yourself to buy something nice or a day of pampering at the spa, you will work harder to do things when you know there is a reward at the end.

4. Be Inspired- Listen to motivational tapes and/or read motivational books to help gain some inspiration to keep going.

5. Breathe- Learn to breathe correctly. You will instantly feel more relaxed and when you are more relaxed you will also be more apt to stay motivated than when you are stressed.

6. Stay Positive- Keep a positive attitude. Even though it is easy to be depressed when the long, cold winter months drag on, try to remain positive and you will notice that motivation comes along with being happy.

7. Progress not Perfection-
Remind yourself that progress is what is important and not perfection. This is especially essential when you are looking at your long-term goals, as they may seem more unreachable. Remember all of the short-term goals that you have met and you will be more successful.

8. Support- Build a support system of friends and family members that are typically motivated. By keeping like-minded people close to you, you will become motivated by just being in their presence. In addition, according to msnbc.com one of the best ways to stay motivated is to feel challenged by a friend. Buddy up with someone in order to hold each other accountable for your own individual goals. You can challenge each other to reach certain goals and then celebrate together once you hit them. You won’t believe how much more accountable you will be when you know someone else is right on your heels.

While these are only a few tips to get you motivated during the next few months, everyone is different, so do what works best for you, and you will see that spring will be here before you know it!

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Winter Immune Boosters

Friday, January 22nd, 2010

winter immune boostersWe’re right smack in the dab of winter and it’s more important to boost your immune system this time of the year more than any other. Winter time is synonymous with cold and flu season, so why not try a few methods for warding off those winter sniffles?

Here are some winter immune boosters that will help to keep you healthy right through spring:

Diet- What you eat and what vitamins and minerals that food contains is also a huge boost to your immune system. Many doctors agree that a balanced and varied diet is key to warding off sickness. A diet rich in vitamin C, zinc, iron and selenium will give your immune system that boost.

According to CNN.com your nutrition profoundly affects your ability to fight these diseases. Filling up your plate with lean protein, including chicken, fish and fat-free dairy products is essential. The molecules that fight disease are made of protein.

Certain fats also improve cellular function and the ability to fight disease. Healthy fats such as olive oil, canola oil and nuts are healthy fats that can boost immunity.
It’s also important to include fruits, vegetables and whole grains in our diet. These contain important antioxidants that keep blood levels of vitamin c, beta-carotene, zinc and B-vitamins high.

Exercise- Exercise, in moderation, is a great way to boost your immune system for the winter. Because exercise improves your circulation, immune cells are able to get around your body better to target viruses.

winter immune boosters 2Sunshine- Vitamin D, which is produced in the skin after exposure to the sun, is a great boost for your immune system and cell defense. Even getting outdoors when the sun is shining, despite the cold weather, will do wonders for your body.

Echinacea- According to a study put out last year, Echinacea, an herbal medicine, could reduce the risk of you catching a cold by half. The study also looked into its effectiveness in treating more serious respiratory infections, as well. Echinacea is said to regulate the immune system’s response to infection.

Stimulants- Be aware of the amount of stimulants that you put into your body. Where no research shows that an abundance of stimulants have an adverse effect on your immune system, moderation should be used when dealing with caffeine, alcohol and over-the-counter drugs. If you are looking for a stimulant that could help your immune system try green tea instead. The antioxidants in green tea will help to prevent illness in the long run.

Sleep- If you are looking for a surefire way to help ward off a cold and the flu this year, be sure to get your seven hours a sleep per night. Sleep is extremely important and many doctors agree that lack of sleep can have a negative response on our immune system and our body as a whole.

Meditation- Even just 20 minutes a day of peace, quiet and relaxation can have a major impact on your immune system and can help to ward off winter colds. If you are able to put your body into a meditative state at least once a day, your bodies’ cells will be able to rejuvenate tremendously. Meditation is also a good stress reliever and can allow you to re-energize.

Mood/Stress- Being positive and avoiding stressful situations are both excellent immune boosters. While everyone’s mood and stress levels are different, studies have shown that chronic stress and depression have been linked to a weakened immune system. It’s important to find the stress in your life and work to deal with that stress in a positive way or to eliminate the stressful situations entirely.

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How to Finally Achieve Your New Years Fitness Resolutions

Wednesday, December 30th, 2009

New Years ResolutionsSo we survived the Holidays and New Years is just around the corner. A wonderful time of celebration, friends, champagne, and of course New Year’s Resolutions. Resolutions are wonderful ways to better ourselves and finally attempt to become the productive, happy, healthy person that we know we can be.

The trouble with New Year’s Resolutions is that after time our enthusiasm to make changes tend to wane once we realize we can’t change everything overnight and the commitment to make these changes becomes less exciting and too much work. According to www.proactivechange.com 40%-45% of American adults make one or more resolutions each year. Among the top New Year’s resolutions are those dealing with weight loss and exercise. In addition, according to this site a mere 46% maintain these resolutions after six months.

In order to make lasting changes, there are several things that you can do to stick to your fitness resolutions and actually see the results that you’ve been wishing for since New Year’s Day 1989. By modifying your attitude, changing your lifestyle and coming up with an effective and realistic plan for success you can make 2010 the year that you actually did it.

Modifying your Attitude- According to exercise.about.com by having the wrong attitude about fitness you’re setting yourself up for failure before you even started. Oftentimes people consider exercise merely a punishment for bad eating habits, an obligation, painful and time consuming, boring, or impossible to sustain over a long period of time.

By modifying your attitude about exercise in general you are more likely to stick with your program and see positive results. Try out a different perspective because after all, you’re the only one that can truly change your attitude and therefore the outcome. Instead of boring or painful look at exercise as a break from a stressful day, a way to boost energy and mood, time for yourself, time for your mind to rest, a reward for your body or a way to improve your quality of life.

Here are some additional key points about exercise from exercise.about.com:

1. Sheer willpower doesn’t work- Willpower is for short-term success. Long-term success requires planning, discipline and finding new and different ways to motivate yourself every day.

2. Motivation will not magically happen-
What motivates you will change from day to day. You will have to recommit to your goals each day, tweak them to fit changes in your lifestyle and attitude and find new ways to motivate yourself over the course of your entire life.

3. You will not always want to exercise and eat healthy- This is something that you will have to work on every day.

Adjust your Lifestyle- By adjusting your lifestyle you will have the best chance of success in sticking to your New Year’s fitness resolutions. Although you’ve probably heard this before, let it really sink in this time: losing weight and maintaining that weight is a lifetime prospect. You will never stop working to maintain your fitness and weight. So, before you start a diet or exercise program, old or new, ask yourself if you can sustain this diet for the long term or if your exercise program is something that you can commit to every day.

Simply put, being overweight is the fault of an unhealthy lifestyle, eating too much and not allowing enough time for exercise. This being said, one you recognize the gravity of permanently losing weight, you’ll need to change your lifestyle to accommodate this goal. Here’s a couple ways to do just that:
eating healthy
1. Figure out your bad habits- Keep a food/activity journal for an entire week. Be completely honest with yourself and do it without shame- this is simply a way to figure out habits that may be hurting your weight loss goals.

2. Replace bad habits one at a time- Replace bad habits with good habits. You can’t break bad habits without forming new ones. If you take away your daily morning donut and don’t replace it with something else that’s better for you you’ll drift right back to your old unhealthy habit.

This may sound easy but it’s not. Giving up something yummy for something healthy isn’t easy. You need to change your environment to make it impossible to have or even want that donut. Try these ideas:

1. Figure out beforehand what you’re going to eat instead of that donut. Stock up on breakfast foods that you like and that are healthier. Try different flavors of meal replacement bars or fruit shakes/smoothies.

2. Take stock in every bite that you put in your mouth, if it’s not healthy is it really worth it? For sure you’ll enjoy that first bite or flavor explosion but after that what do you really get out of it? More than likely all you get is fat, calories and guilt.

3. Eat before you get in the car in the morning so you won’t be starving and tempted to go through the drive thru or to your favorite bakery to pick up a bite.

4. Change your driving route so you don’t even have to pass by your favorite bakery.

5. Write down your weight loss goal and tape it to your steering wheel or your glove compartment so that you are constantly reminded of your goals.

Make a Plan for Success- So thus far you’ve figured out how to change bad eating habits by replacing them with good ones and to create for yourself a healthy environment that doesn’t allow your bad habits to exist. Now you need to make a plan for what you really want.

1. Set Goals- Write down specific goals including how much weight you want to lose (make sure it is reasonable for your height and frame), a target date to reach your goals, why you want to lose this weight, and how you’ll maintain your weight loss once achieved. Remember, it’s a lifetime commitment you can’t just quit once you reach your goal.

2. Set up your program- A complete program involves cardio, strength training and stretching.

3. Ensure your success-
Here are just a few suggestions regarding ensuring your success and staying consistent. Enlist family members to help you out; hire a personal trainer; get a friend to exercise with you; set aside time every week to plan out your exercise routines and meals; keep a workout bag packed and ready; keep a fitness journal to track workouts and progress; reward yourself with massages, shopping, or vacations; change your workout program every 6 weeks to avoid plateaus; revisit your goals every six months to see where you’re at and if further narrowing them down is in order.

Losing weight requires modifying your attitude, changing your lifestyle and making specific plans. You will need to change the way you think about exercise and eating, change the way you schedule your day and be prepared for what’s ahead in order to stick to your New Year’s Fitness Resolutions.

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