Do People Love Who You Are or Who You Were?
April 30, 2009 on 12:30 pm | In Uncategorized | Comments Off
We all change, regardless of whether or not we try not to. We learn things. Life imprints new ideas into our minds.
Despite this, those who value us often wish we would not change for a variety of reasons.
Sometimes they want us to stay the same because of nostalgia.
Other times they got something out of the old you that they are afraid they will lost in the new you.
But beyond that, people often fear your change because they fear the unknown and they fear what might come next from you. This is a selfish reaction because those in your life are not trying to change you for you.
Instead, they are trying to change you for them. So how do you resist them without losing them as friends?
Everyone has a right to express their thoughts and feelings
Our emotions are a part of who we are. When your friends express dismay over your change, remember that when people are expressing their thoughts and feelings, they are giving you an opportunity to understand why they think what they do.
At the very least, you will know what you are up against. But if you care about the person who is resisting your change, you will probably want to know what is causing that feeling of sadness and how to fix that persons sadness over your change.
Just pay attention to what your loved one is saying. If they ask you any questions about your change, give them a respectful answer as to why you are changing the way you are.
State your position as clearly and articulately as possible so that your loved ones understand where youre coming from.
Spend time getting to know you
Do not let other people overwhelm you. Be aware that you need time to sort through your thoughts and feelings so that you do not find yourself manipulated by others.
Think carefully to what your friends are saying and compare this to the reasons why you began changing in the first place.
Recall your experiences before changing or taking decisions. Then think analytically about what other people are saying. Are they right? If you really think they are right, then reverse your course.
Are they only partially right? Then partially push yourself in the direction that they want you to go. Are they completely wrong? Then ignore them. Why would you want to do something that is going to make your life worse for people who are wrong?
Reducing Health Risks for Women and Children
April 29, 2009 on 11:27 am | In Uncategorized | Comments Off
Diet and nutrition counseling for virtually all overweight and obese women of childbearing age can reduce health risks linked to excess weight for mothers and children alike, as per a newly released position paper from the American Dietetic Association and the American Society of Nutrition.
The position, reported in the recent issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, represents the associations' official stance on obesity, reproduction and pregnancy outcomes:
Given the detrimental influence of maternal overweight and obesity on reproductive and pregnancy outcomes for the mother and child, it is the position of the American Dietetic Association and the American Society for Nutrition that all overweight and obese women of reproductive age should receive counseling previous to pregnancy, during pregnancy and in the interconceptional period on the roles of diet and physical activity in reproductive health, in order to ameliorate these adverse outcomes.
The joint ADA/ASN position and accompanying paper were written by Anna Maria Siega-Riz, PhD, RD, LDN, assistant professor of maternal and child health at the University of North Carolina; and Janet C. King, PhD, senior scientist at Children's Hospital and Research Center, Oakland, Calif.
An estimated 33 percent of U.S. women are obese, as per the authors, who write that a long-term goal of health professionals must be to reduce the number of women who become pregnant while obese. They add that the effect of a woman's nutritional status previous to pregnancy is an issue of great public health importance.
"Among obese women, who already have aberrations in glucose and lipid metabolism, the further adjustments induced by hormonal changes in pregnancy create a metabolic milieu that enhances the risk for metabolic disorders such as gestational diabetes mellitus and preeclampsia," as per the position paper.
Infants born to obese mothers have "a higher prevalence of congenital anomalies than do offspring of normal-weight women, suggesting that maternal (obesity) alters development in the sensitive embryonic period." The authors note neural tube defects such as spina bifida and anencephaly are about twice as common among children of obese women. "Other birth defects more frequent in offspring of obese women include oral clefts, heart anomalies, hydrocephaly and abdominal wall abnormalities."
Objectives of the new ADA/ASN position are to provide guidance to nutrition professionals in becoming aware of risks and possible complications of excess weight and obesity for fertility, course of pregnancy, birth outcomes and short and long-term maternal and child health; and to commit ADA and ASN to identifying gaps in scientific research needed to improve knowledge of risks and complications and develop effective strategies "that can be implemented before and during pregnancy as well as during the interconceptional period," the authors write.
The American Dietetic Association is the world's largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. ADA is committed to improving the nation's health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy. Visit the American Dietetic Association at www.eatright.org/.
Posted by: Evelyn Source
Depression, Helping Yourself Before Visiting A Doctor
April 28, 2009 on 12:30 pm | In Uncategorized | Comments Off
Depression seems to be a sign of the times we live in, with more people suffering from it across the globe.
There are many medicines that can be prescribed to alleviate depression, but before seeking medical intervention first try and see if you can help yourself.
Often there is no one there to ask how you are feeling, so you have no outlet and things can get bottled up inside.
By writing in a journal, it means that your feelings and thoughts are let out and will help you to understand possibly, what causes the unhappiness that you feel with your life.
Exercise in any form will be good for the mind, a brisk walk, yoga practice or a type of routine that you will enjoy could make a big difference to your mental well being. Do not force yourself to do something you do not like, this will have a very negative effect on your sense of self.
As you perform your chosen activity let your mind discharge all its worries and think things through ultimately clearing your head.Although it can be daunting at first, getting out and meeting people will be a big help.
Look out for groups or organizations that might interest you, if you like gardening join a club that meets regularly in the summer. Local papers often advertise these different social groups, detailing places and times where they meet in your area.
You can try and find an activity that will change your attitude and help bring you out of your dark place. Voluntary work, for example can be very rewarding and provide a great sense of self worth.
Clean Up The Clutter - Fight Your Pack Rat Urge
April 27, 2009 on 12:30 pm | In Uncategorized | Comments Off
Some of us waste our money on new possessions on a regular basis.
I knew a man who purchased a new hammer every time he couldnt find his old one.
Being wasteful can put an economic toll on our bank account by forcing us to spend money. But hoarding can be equally troublesome.
Especially for those with obsessive-compulsive disorder and poor impulse control, hoarding can hamper a home owners ability to work and manage daily activities.
Clutter also simply looks bad and creates a home full of dust-collectors. Even worse, many pack rats refuse to return borrowed items. Being a compulsive hoarder is often similar to stealing in many cases.
Causes
Compulsive hoarders often have all sorts of fears that drive their hoarding. Many pack rats think that any one of their possessions might become useful someday.
Some pack rats think that normally useless items have sentimental value, while other items might be missed by others if they are discarded.
Compulsive hoarders are also often afraid of being wasteful and attempt to hoard items in order to be economical.
However, truly important possessions are often lost and require hoarders to buy replacements of the lost item.
Its all literally in your head
Many researchers have actually discovered that some brain abnormalities might be the cause of compulsive hoarding. Brain lesions, strokes, surgeries, and infections can all lead to the compulsive hoarding disorder.
But compulsive hoarding can also come from past psychological trauma. Horrible family experiences and past stress can lead to symptoms of compulsive hoarding.
Sure, some people might hoard simply out of habit, but there are times when pack rats need a proper psychiatric evaluation and diagnosis in order to determine the cause and possible treatments for the individual suffering from compulsive hoarding.
Cleaning up the clutter
If compulsive hoarding comes from bad habits or past emotional stress, you might need cognitive behavioral therapy in order to recover from compulsive hoarding.
Oftentimes, psychotherapists will help patients develop healthy thinking patterns and thought exercises that will help the pack rat overcome anxieties over getting rid of unneeded possessions.
The medical treatment used for compulsive hoarding is the serotonin reuptake inhibitor medications. These are generally not effective because compulsive hoarders might not realize the harmful effect that hoarding has on their lives.
In order to cure compulsive hording, patients need to be able to identify their problem before effective treating can occur.
How you can recover from compulsive hoarding?
To get rid of your pack rat mentality, you must become aware that you are capable of providing for yourself and your family. You do not need all of the things that you hoard. Not only that, being a pack rat can often cost you money.
Many pack rats go out and buy new possessions that they thought they lost because those essential possessions are lost among the clutter.
Get rid of reading materials that you havent read in a month and every week get rid of things that you cant find a foreseeable use for in the future.
Children with low self-control more likely to become overweight
April 7, 2009 on 11:24 am | In Uncategorized | Comments Off Young children who do not display an ability to regulate their behavior or to delay gratification in exchange for a larger reward appear predisposed to gain extra weight by their pre-teen years, as per two reports reported in the recent issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
"Obesity in childhood and adolescence appears to track into adulthood, increasing the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus and certain cancers in adulthood," the authors write as background information in one of the articles. "To mount effective preventive efforts, we need better information regarding the factors involved in the etiology of childhood overweight and obesity".
In one study, Lori A. Francis, Ph.D., and Elizabeth J. Susman, Ph.D., of Pennsylvania State University, State College, assessed self-regulation behavior in 1,061 children. Data were collected when children were ages 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 12 years old. At age 3, the children participated in a self-control evaluation that involved sitting alone in a room with a toy for 150 seconds. Those who waited at least 75 seconds to play with the toy were classified as high in self-regulation. At age 5, the children participated in an exercise in delayed gratification that involved choosing a smaller portion of a favorite food immediately or a larger portion several minutes later. High self-regulation was defined as waiting at least 210 seconds to eat the food.
Compared with children who showed high self-control on both tests, those who were unable to regulate their behavior at both ages had the highest body mass index (BMI) scores for their age at 12 years and the most rapid increases in BMI over the nine-year follow-up.
"The findings reported herein have potential for early prevention of obesity," the authors write. "The implication is that interventions to enhance energy-balance regulation in young children will benefit from efforts to encourage self-regulation in other domains, such as encouraging self-control and delay of gratification, both of which are important factors in regulating energy intake".
In another study, Desiree M. Seeyave, M.B.B.S., of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and his colleagues used a similar self-imposed waiting task to gauge 4-year-olds' ability to delay gratification. The children were asked to choose candy, animal crackers or pretzels as their preferred food and then left alone with two plates of different quantities of the food. "The child was told that he would be allowed to eat the large quantity of the chosen food if he waited until the examiner returned," the authors write. "If he could not wait until the examiner returned, he could ring a bell to summon the examiner back into the room, at which time he could eat the small quantity".
Of the 805 children who participated, 47 percent failed the test, either by ringing the bell before the seven-minute waiting period elapsed, spontaneously beginning to eat the food, becoming distressed, going to the door or calling for a parent or the examiner.
Those who displayed a limited ability to delay gratification were 29 percent more likely to be overweight at age 11. The association was partially explained by mothers' weight status. "The influence of maternal weight status on child weight reflects genetic as well as environmental factors, such as feeding patterns and availability of food," the authors write.
Parenting techniques appears to be available to help children develop an ability to delay gratification, the authors note. "Some strategies that have been described in previous studies have been keeping the desired item (in this case, food) out of sight (and therefore out of mind) or distracting the child's attention from the food to another engaging activity. Another possibility is simply providing a logical structure to snacks and mealtimes such that the child learns that food is not to be eaten the moment it is desired, but to wait until the next snack or meal time," the authors write.
(Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2009;163[4]:297-302, 303-308. Available pre-embargo to the media at www.jamamedia.org.).
Editor's Note: Please see the articles for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.
Editorial: Possibilities Exist for Improving Children's Self-Control
"Can a child's self-regulation capacity be changed or is it an innate and immutable human trait?" write Robert C. Whitaker, M.D., M.P.H., and Rachel A. Gooze, B.A., of Temple University, Philadelphia, in an accompanying editorial. "Self-regulation is shaped by both nature and nurture; it is influenced by environments and experiences during early childhood".
"There are still not any tested 'office-based' interventions for improving children's capacity for self-regulation," they write. "However, there are promising results from randomized controlled trials showing that interventions in preschools can increase children's positive social behaviors".
(Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2009;163[4]: 386-387. Available pre-embargo to the media at www.jamamedia.org.).
Editor's Note: Please see the article for additional information, including author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.
Posted by: Evelyn Source
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