6 Natural Ways To Quit Smoking

6 Natural Ways To Quit Smoking

Feel the urge to reach for a cigarette?

Hop on the treadmill.

A new review of studies shows that exercise really does help smokers trying to quit by decreasing the urge for nicotine, Reuters first reported.

"Certainly, exercise seems to have temporary benefits, and as such can be strongly recommended," study researcher Adrian A. Taylor, professor of exercise and health psychology at the University of Exeter, told Reuters.

The review of studies, published in the journal Addiction, showed on a whole that doing some sort of physical activity -- whether running, or taking a bike ride -- was linked with decreased cravings for nicotine, compared with doing something less active.

"Despite a high degree of between-study heterogeneity, effects sizes of all primary studies were in the same direction, with PA [physical activity] showing a greater reduction in cravings compared with controls," the researchers wrote in the study.

PsychCentral reported that the study participants did not use any other kinds of smoking cessation programs or products, so it's possible that these may work better than exercise to quell urges. But, at the least, the study suggests exercise could be a useful tool to help kick the habit.

This isn't the first time fitness has been pinpointed as an aid for smoking cessation. University of Exeter researchers previously found that exercise changes activity in the brains of smokers, which corresponded to a lowered craving for nicotine. That study was published in the journal Psychopharmacology.

For more natural ways to help you kick the butt -- and thereby lower your risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke and a myriad of other deadly health problems -- click through the slideshow:

• Mindfulness

  Mindfulness training helped participants in a <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21723049" target="_hplink">2011 <em>Drug and Alcohol Dependence</em> study</a> to stay off cigarettes. That study included 88 people who smoked 20 cigarettes daily, on average, who were split up into two groups: One received four weeks of mindfulness training, while the other group went through four weeks of an <a href="http://www.ffsonline.org/" target="_hplink">American Lung Association stop-smoking program</a>. The researchers found that more of those who went through the mindfulness training smoked fewer cigarettes -- and stayed off them -- than those who went through the other stop-smoking program. The mindfulness training included <a href="http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/minding-the-body/201204/can-mindfulness-help-you-quit-smoking" target="_hplink">realizing when you're facing a craving</a>, accepting it, thinking about what's happening and then taking note of the sensation (whether it's tightness or pressure), <em>Psychology Today</em> reported.

• Weight Lifting

  Jogging and bicycling aren't the only exercises that could help you kick the smoking habit -- <em>Shape</em> magazine reported that <a href="http://www.shape.com/latest-news-trends/study-says-weight-lifting-can-help-smokers-quit-and-lose-weight" target="_hplink">weightlifting could help</a>, too. The research, published in the journal <em>Nicotine & Tobacco Research</em>, showed that doing two hour-long weightlifting sessions for 12 weeks <em>plus</em> undergoing treatment to quit smoking was linked with greater success in quitting smoking, compared with just undergoing the stop-smoking treatment.

• Eat Produce

  <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/10/fruits-vegetables-quit-smoking-smokers-tobacco_n_1581465.html" target="_hplink">Eating lots of fruits and veggies</a> could help smokers maintain a tobacco-free lifestyle, according to research from the University of Buffalo. The study, published in the journal <em>Nicotine and Tobacco Research</em>, included 1,000 smokers ages 25 and older. The researchers had the participants answer surveys about their smoking habits and their fruit and vegetable intake. Then, they followed up with them 14 months later and asked them if they used tobacco over the past month. The researchers found that there was a relationship between the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/10/fruits-vegetables-quit-smoking-smokers-tobacco_n_1581465.html" target="_hplink">amount of fruits and vegetables</a> the study participants ate, and the likelihood that they quit -- and stayed off -- tobacco. In fact, people who ate the most produce in the study were three times more likely to report that they'd been tobacco free in the previous month. The researchers also found a link between increased produce consumption and taking longer in the day to have the first cigarette, smoking fewer cigarettes, and decreased dependence on nicotine (based on test results).

• Acupuncture And Hypnosis

  A review of studies suggests there is evidence that <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/07/acupuncture-quit-smoking-hypnosis_n_1497348.html" target="_hplink">acupuncture and hypnosis</a> can work to help quit smoking, Reuters reported. Researchers, who published their findings in the <em>American Journal of Medicine</em>, said that other options -- like medications and counseling -- should be tried first, but that <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/11/hypnosis-quit-smoking_n_1248444.html" target="_hplink">hypnosis</a> and acupuncture could help if those options don't work, or if people don't want to go on medications, according to Reuters.

• Text Messages

  Who knew your phone could be used to help you quit smoking? A recent study published in the <a href="http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(11)60701-0/abstract" target="_hplink">journal <em>The Lancet</em></a> showed that smokers who enrolled in a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/05/smoking-text-message_n_888188.html" target="_hplink">program called "txt2stop"</a> -- where they received encouraging text messages to quit smoking -- were twice as likely to kick the habit after six months, compared with smokers who didn't get any encouraging messages. In the study, conducted by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, one group was able to text words like "lapse" and "crave" to a phone number, and <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-27083_3-20075843-247/want-to-quit-smoking-try-text-message-support/" target="_hplink">received an encouraging text</a> message in return, CNET reported. The other group of people, however, only got one text message every two weeks, and that message just thanked them for being part of the study.

• Quitting Smoking And Health

  Eletta Hansen explains some facts about smoking, and discusses if your body gets healthier after you quit smoking

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Joseph Blady, M.D.: A Real Health Care Debate

Joseph Blady, M.D.: A Real Health Care Debate

The health care debate has become surreal. Politicians talk about fixes that bear no relation to real world experience. This is not surprising when one considers that the medical profession has no essential role in the discussion.

I practiced community hospital anesthesia for 20 years before leaving the profession in 2000, but keep close contact with many of my colleagues. At the time I retired, Medicare paid me less per patient than it did when I started in 1980. During those 20 years, I NEVER submitted a bill to Medicaid because the compensation was so low that it wasn't worth the trouble to do the paperwork. Apparently, things have only gotten worse for providers, according to my friends.

Did you ever wonder why you have all those itemized costs on your doctor and hospital bills? It seems that you get charged for the doctor walking into the examining room, walking out, taking your blood pressure, hitting your knee with his little hammer, etc. Many activities are covered by different billing codes, and the compensation for each of those codes is so low that the only way to make seeing Medicare patients profitable is to bill for all those separate codes.

In my last year of practice, I was on call on Easter Sunday. An elderly woman was brought to the operating suite that afternoon with a broken hip. Because of her many health problems, she needed to be cleared for surgery by her regular internist. He was off, and we got his covering doctor. His response, "I'm not leaving Easter dinner with my family for $35. Do her tomorrow." That was in 2000!

Medicine in this country, while still the best in the world (don't believe the doctored statistics), isn't what it was, because you're going to get what you pay for. The discussion always comes down to the same issue of how to avoid gutting health care while relieving the crushing cost burden of a service that is both tech- and personnel-intensive. It is already more difficult to get doctors to take Medicare and Medicaid patients than it used to be. The response is sometimes the establishment of "mills" that crank through patients at breakneck speed, and with the expected results. The solution is not to reduce further provider compensation.
What to do? The solution needs to be radical and multifaceted. Tort reform should be a part of the equation, regardless of the path pursued. But since we've decided as a nation that medicine is a business, simple business principles might be in order.

Some time back, big retailers realized that they were paying distributors an extra cut to get product from manufacturers to their stores. Some smart guy realized that he could deal directly with the manufacturer and cut out the middleman. The distributor rapidly disappeared from the scene with no apparent harm to the retail landscape.

How are the insurance companies any different? In 2011 they reaped record profits providing what? They don't practice medicine, and will, in fact, find any way possible to keep you from getting access while thinking of any gimmick possible to hold off paying your bills as they gain interest payments on that held money. The fact that both parties embrace ideas that include these companies in managing Medicare is unfathomable.

Think of diverting all those billions in profits toward simply lowering health care costs. The replacement: consortia of doctors and regional hospitals that sell insurance directly to patients. They could be competitive, forcing down costs. The policies would have riders to care for people hurt or ill while traveling. Federal and state governments could take an oversight role to prevent gouging and needless duplication of services, rather than trying to figure out fee schedules that don't work. Medicare could be folded in by providing a voucher that pays the entire premium in the system the person chooses. Medicaid could be handled similarly. The system would be tweaked at intervals as results were observed. And the overall system would be non-profit. Pharmaceuticals could be included, as well. All this is actually being done in some areas of the country.

It still won't be cheap. onservative economist Eliot Janeway once pointed out that maybe medicine has to be as expensive as it is or you can't have the medical care you want. How much care we want is another discussion. But however much that is, it will be more if we don't shovel billions of our health care dollars into insurance company coffers and receive absolutely no value added to our health care in return.

The problem, as always, is the politics. What will counteract the lobbying dollars the insurance companies use to paper the offices of representatives of both parties, or the patently inane arguments made by both parties in the heat of election season? The solution presented here may not be THE solution, but the point is that we need to start thinking about truly innovative approaches to our health care dilemma, or we'll simply continue to get less care for ever growing costs.

FOLLOW HEALTH AND FITNESS

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Ed and Deb Shapiro: More Benefits Of Meditation: Boost Your Self Esteem

Ed and Deb Shapiro: More Benefits Of Meditation: Boost Your Self Esteem

We may all have had times we've been put down, undermined, when our belief in ourselves is shaken, questioned or threatened, or when we feel we're simply not good enough. Such self-doubt can lead to hopelessness, inferiority, even depression. A lack of self-esteem is demeaning and just not an easy feeling.

The Dalai Lama met with a group of Western psychotherapists, and he asked them what was the most common issue that their patients came to see them about. They were unified in their response: a lack of self-esteem. Apparently the Dalai Lama found this quite hard to believe, as self-esteem is not a known problem in Tibet. We talked to one of his translators, now living with his wife and child in London. Tashi told us that children growing up in Tibet would be welcomed and loved by the whole village, which he found very different to the way children are raised in our more nuclear-oriented family culture.

We watched as an eager young television reporter from CNN asked the Dalai Lama what was the first thing he thought of when he awoke in the morning. We thought that the world's most famous meditator would say something deeply profound or insightful, something along the lines of vowing to save the world from its own ignorance. Instead, the Dalai Lama simply replied, "Shaping motivation." He said that we all, including himself, have to be vigilant so that our intentions are focused in the right direction, and how shaping his motivation on a daily basis reminds him to extend loving kindness and compassion to all others. Such motivation takes us beyond ourselves so that we are not limited by a lack of confidence or self-esteem.

There are two very specific ways that meditation can help us to transform a lack of self-esteem into inner confidence, self-acceptance and self-belief.

Firstly, it enables us to meet, greet, and make friends with ourselves. We get to know who we are and to accept and embrace ourselves just as we are. We soon find that our doubts, insecurities or fears are really only superficial as we begin to connect with a deeper place of trust, dignity and self-worth.

Secondly, as we bring acceptance and loving kindness to all aspects of ourselves, we may surprisingly uncover a deeper belief that we do not deserve to be happy, that we do not believe we are good enough -- a sort of unconscious built-in self-destruction clause. But we can invite kindness into that self-negation and lack of self-esteem until such uncertainty dissolves into love.

Meditation awakens us to the interconnection between every one of us, that we are not alone here. Rather, we are each a part of this wondrous planet together, and the more we extend ourselves with kindness the less we will be focused on our own limitations. Discovering our inter-connection takes us from a place of self-centeredness to other-centeredness. The Dalai Lama says kindness is his religion. You can read more in our book, Be The Change, How Meditation Can Transform You and the World.

Loving Self Meditation

Find a comfortable and upright place to sit. Take a few deep breaths and watch the flow of your breath as it enters and leaves.

Bring your focus to your heart, and as you breathe in feel as if your heart is opening and softening; as you breathe out, release any tension or resistance.

Now bring into your heart either an image of yourself or repeat your name and hold yourself in your heart, tenderly and gently. Silently repeat, "May I be freed from self-doubt, may I be happy, may all things go well for me."

Keep breathing into your heart, holding yourself with love, and repeating the words. This will generate a deep loving kindness and appreciation for yourself.

When you are ready, take a deep breath and let it go. Then go about your day with a caring heart and a smile on your lips.

Does your self-esteem need a boost? Do comment below. You can receive notice of our blogs every Thursday by checking Become a Fan at the top.

Your Body Speaks Your Mind A four-week webinar (online course) with Ed and Deb Shapiro, to learn how repressed, denied, or ignored thoughts and feelings are linked to specific body parts and illness. Starts Sept. 12, but you can join in and download classes anytime

Meditation: The Best Friend You Will Ever Have A four-week webinar (online course) with Ed and Deb Shapiro on discovering the greatest friend you could have: meditation. You can join in and download classes anytime. A free introduction on Sept. 20 and a four-week webinar starting Sept. 27.

See our award-winning book: BE THE CHANGE, How Meditation Can Transform You and the World, forewords by the Dalai Lama and Robert Thurman, with contributors Jack Kornfield, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Byron Katie and many others.

Deb is the author of the award-winning YOUR BODY SPEAKS YOUR MIND, Decoding the Emotional, Psychological, and Spiritual Messages That Underlie Illness.

Our three meditation CDs: Metta -- Loving kindness and Forgiveness; Samadhi -- Breath Awareness and Insight; and Yoga Nidra -- Inner Conscious Relaxation, are available at: www.EdandDebShapiro.com.

For more by Ed and Deb Shapiro, click here.

For more on meditation, click here.

Follow Ed and Deb Shapiro on Twitter: www.twitter.com/edanddebshapiro

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

20 Ways To Help Reduce Cancer Risk

20 Ways To Help Reduce Cancer Risk

Each year, 300 of every 100,000 Americans are diagnosed with some form of cancer, according to the latest statistics.

And with the disease affecting so many families, it's no wonder that so many of us are interested in doing whatever we can to avoid a diagnosis.

So when Whole Living teamed up to create an all-digital issue of their magazine, focusing entirely on ways to promote cancer-free living, we wanted to help get the word out. Read on for the first 20 tips and then click over to read the rest on their dedicated site. Each click will raise money for cancer research, so you can protect those around you at the same time as you're learning how to protect yourself.

• Cheer The Blues

  In terms of antioxidant power, fresh blueberries are stars, with high concentrations of anthocyanins, which may curb cancer cell proliferation.

• Put On The Kettle

  White and green tea contain EGCG, a plant chemical and antioxidant that may protect cell health.

• Add Some Zing

  Ginger may reduce the risk of colon cancer by quelling inflammation in the digestive tract.

• Have A Salad -- In A Glass

  Kale contains isothiocyanates, which help purge the body of carcinogens, and apples appear to have anticancer effects on the colon.

• Get Strolling

  A brisk, daily 30-minute walk can improve sleep and energy and potentially reduce the risk of diabetes and cancer.

• Enjoy Downward Dog

  Yoga may relieve stress and strengthen the immune system.

• Take A Family Health Snapshot

  Sit down with your oldest relatives and ask about your family health history. This can be helpful in determining which diseases to be screened for and how often.

• Decide How To Be Nudged

  The <a href="http://nationalbreastcancer.org/edp/" target="_hplink">National Breast Cancer Foundation's early detection plan</a> is one of many that lets you choose how to receive your mammogram reminders; options include e-mail, text and calendar updates.

• Acknowledge Emotions

  Cancer can affect mental health as well as physical health. When you meet with your oncologist, be sure to bring up any mood issues.

• Don't Wait To Exhale

  Breathe out. Now in. A daily five-minute session of slow, measured breathing can help counter the negative effects that stress has on physical and emotional health.

• Focus On Fiber

  Oats are a good source of fiber, which, in addition to helping the body eliminate toxins, can ward off hunger by keeping blood sugar levels steady and making the body feel fuller longer.

• Embrace Coffee

  Regular consumption is associated with a lower risk of basal cell skin cancer.

• Go Organic

  Blueberries are one of the most heavily sprayed fruits, so it's best to choose pesticide-free whenever possible.

• Tart It Up

  Blackberries, cranberries and cherries are rich in the antioxidant compounds anthocyanins, which may slow the growth of certain cancers.

• Tuck Into Green

  Broccoli is a source of compounds called indoles, which have inhibited cancer growth in lab studies.

• Have A Hot Plate

  Red pepper flakes contain capsaicin, which can damage cancer cells by attacking their energy source without hurting healthy cells nearby.

• Roll Out The Red

  Tomatoes contain lycopene, which may reduce the risk of lung and stomach cancers.

• Preheat The Oven

  Our bodies get more cancer-fighting lycopene from cooked tomatoes than from raw ones.

• Grab Some Good Eggs

  In addition to boasting proteins and essential lipids, eggs contain antioxidant properties that may help prevent cancer.

• Try Turmeric

  The golden-hued Indian spice gets its color from a pigment called curcumin, which is also an antioxidant that fights inflammation.

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Dr. Michael J. Breus: This Is Your Immune System On Sleep Deprivation

Dr. Michael J. Breus: This Is Your Immune System On Sleep Deprivation

You've probably heard about how significant a role stress is believed to play in the development of illness and disease. The immune system, the body's defense system against infection and disease, is weakened and undermined by the physical effects of stress. The result is an increased risk for all types of illness. If you've ever come down with a cold or the flu after a particularly stressful period -- think exam-time or a family crisis -- then you've experienced this firsthand. The long-term effects of stress on the immune system include a heightened risk of serious disease.

Here's some sobering and important news: New research indicates that lack of sleep can be as damaging to the immune system as stress.

An international team of scientists from the Netherlands and the United Kingdom examined the immune response of 15 healthy men under conditions of highly regulated sleep and also under conditions of severe sleep deprivation. What they discovered was a significant disruption to the normal functioning of immune system white blood cells when the men were deprived of sleep. This cellular response to sleep deprivation "directly mirrored the body's stress response," according to a member of the research team and the study's lead author.

The 15 adult men, all of whom were under the age of 30 and in good health, were put on a highly-regimented sleep schedule for one full week. This included a nightly eight hours of sleep, and early-in-the-day exposure to sunlight -- 15 minutes of outdoor light exposure within 90 minutes of waking. During the last three days of the week, the men consumed no caffeine or alcohol, and they were prohibited from using any medication. This schedule helped to diminish any sleep deprivation that existed among the men and also to strengthen and regulate their circadian clocks.

After this sleeping week was completed, researchers measured and analyzed the numbers and functioning levels of the men's white blood cells. (White blood cells are one of the major cell types of the immune system.) The men were then subjected to a period of extreme sleep deprivation, staying awake for 29 straight hours without any sleep. Researchers again measured white blood cell activity after this period of prolonged sleep deprivation. They found that white blood cell counts rose significantly after sleep deprivation, particularly a type of white blood cell called granulocytes, one of the most common and important cells in the immune system. This spike in white cell count from sleep deprivation essentially mimicked the physical response the body undergoes during episodes of stress, when white cell counts surge in a "fight-or-flight" type of stress response.

There's a substantial body of evidence that stress weakens the immune system and makes us vulnerable to infection and disease -- everything from a sniffly nose or a cough and cold to serious and chronic illnesses such as cancer and heart disease. This relationship between psychological distress and physical illness is at the heart of the mind-body relationship that has received so much attention -- deservedly so -- in recent decades.

We've also known for some time of a relationship between sleep and a healthy immune system, and the damage that a lack of sleep can have. Previous research has established links between sleep deprivation and immune function:

• There's a significant body of research to show that immune function is tied closely to the body's 24-hour circadian clock. When sleep is deprived, this cycle is weakened and disrupted, and the immune system suffers.
• Many studies -- including the current one -- use exposure to extreme sleep deprivation to identify and analyze sleep-related disruptions to the immune system. But this research showed that even mild sleep deprivation was associated with deterioration in immune function.
• The impact of even a few nights of disrupted sleep on immune function can linger even after sleep levels have improved. This study found disruptions to immune function after just two nights of full sleep deprivation, or four nights of partial sleep deprivation. Researchers continued to monitor immune function during a sleep recovery period. They found that while some cells involved in immune activity returned to their normal levels after several nights of recovery sleep, other immune system cells did not.

This new study, by linking the physical response of sleep deprivation to that of stress, brings additional clarity and also urgency to our understanding of just how dangerous sleep deprivation can be to our body's most basic defense system.

We continue to hear a lot about how important it is to manage stress in order to live a healthy life. Turns out, it is every bit as important to manage sleep.

Sweet Dreams,
Michael J. Breus, PhD
The Sleep Doctor™
www.thesleepdoctor.com

The Sleep Doctor's Diet Plan: Lose Weight Through Better Sleep

Everything you do, you do better with a good night's sleep™
twitter: @thesleepdoctor
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thesleepdoctor

For more by Dr. Michael J. Breus, click here.

For more on sleep, click here.

Follow Dr. Michael J. Breus on Twitter: www.twitter.com/thesleepdoctor

FOLLOW HEALTH AND FITNESS

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Mary Pritchard: How To Stop Fear Before It Starts

Mary Pritchard: How To Stop Fear Before It Starts

I recently posted a blog on stopping fear before it starts. For many people, though, this is much easier said than done. And as I pointed out, after 20, 30, 40, or 50-plus years of conditioning your own fear response, it can take some time to undo.

What should you do in the meantime? I have a few suggestions. In this week's blog, we'll discuss the first: proactive coping. Proactive coping is an upfront effort to ward off your fears and potential stressors. So in other words, instead of stopping fear in its tracks, you are stopping it before it even starts. Sounds good, right?

So how do you do that? The first thing you need to figure out is how susceptible you are to the potential stressors in your life. Some of us seem to be stress magnets, whereas others seem to fly through their days without a care in the world (I really envy those people, too). What makes one person more susceptible to stress than others? There are a number of things involved, but it boils down to how healthy you are to begin with. Do you avoid tobacco? Get enough sleep? Eat healthily? The idea is this: The more worn down your body is from the daily grind, the less likely it is you'll be able to deal with potential stressors.

The fix, then, is relatively simple. Do more things on this list to increase your health. According to the research, here are the six things that are the most important:

• 1. SELF-COMPLEXITY

  <strong>I know, I know, anything with the word "complex" in it makes you think of psychobabble, and "complexity" makes you think people are just making things more complicated than they have to be. But bear with me. Self-complexity means that we each have a number of roles in our lives -- we are fathers, daughters, brothers, wives, mentors, employees, bosses, students, grandparents.... The list goes on. And it's a really good thing it does. To put it all in perspective, how much does that presentation you're giving at work really matter in the grand scheme of things? I'm not saying that you should blow it off -- by all means, give it your all -- but is it really more important than your daughter's fifth birthday party? To <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/sermons/the-greatest-of-these-is-love-an-introduction-to-the-series" target="_hplink">paraphrase theologian John Piper</a>, no one lies on their deathbed saying, "I wish I'd worked more." The bottom line: Don't sweat the small stuff, because you are so much more than whatever it is you're afraid of. </strong>

• 2. RELAXATION

  <strong>The relaxation response is diametrically opposed to the fight-or-flight response. You can't be freaked out and relaxed at the same time -- it's not physiologically possible. The cool thing is that you can train yourself to relax in the face of potential stressors, reconditioning your stress response to be a relaxation response. Similarly, <a href="http://psychcentral.com/news/2012/07/25/research-uncovers-yogas-stress-reduction-secrets/42192.html" target="_hplink">people who use relaxation techniques like meditation on a regular basis are less vulnerable to potential stressors</a>. You know those days off work you get every week? Try actually taking them off! You might be amazed at what happens to your stress levels.</strong>

• 3. HUMOR

  <strong>The ability to laugh at life can go a long way toward mitigating the stress response. In fact, the immune system improves after watching 60 minutes of a funny video; <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11253418" target="_hplink">the effects</a> last up to 12 hours! Maybe mom was right: Laughter really <em>is</em> the best medicine. Regardless, take advantage of those sitcoms, stand-up comedians, and anything else that makes you chuckle. Your body will thank you for it.</strong>

• 4. EXERCISE

  <strong>I talked last time about how going for a run when you're stressed can help because you're giving your body exactly what it thinks it needs (flight). As with the relaxation response, it turns out that regular exercise can help you better deal with potential stressors before they happen. Don't have time to exercise? You don't have to run a marathon. Try parking a little farther away from the grocery store entrance, taking the stairs at the office, or getting up 10 minutes earlier to do some yoga. A little goes a long way when it comes to stress prevention.</strong>

• 5. SOCIAL SUPPORT

  <strong>The importance of having an adequate social support network cannot be emphasized enough. It's not the quantity of relationships that matter, it's the quality. Having even one person you can count on in a time of need plays a critical role in buffering the harmful effects of stress on the body. It may also offer what is known as the "direct effect," helping you prevent the fight-or-flight response before it occurs. This is because your network of friends can help you solve problems before they even become problems, thus stopping the stress from occurring. So go ahead and vent. Your friends just might give you the solution you need to your latest issue. </strong>

• 6. OPTIMISM

  <strong>Do you look at the glass as being half-full or half-empty? If you said "half-full," good for you! Like social support, having an optimistic life orientation can help dampen the effects of stress on your body. Optimists are also<a href="http://www.psy.miami.edu/faculty/ccarver/documents/10_CPR_Optimism.pdf" target="_hplink"> less likely to report feeling distressed</a> than their more pessimistic counterparts. So smile more and think positively. No one likes a downer, anyway.</strong>

In sum, if you want to become fearless, you need to take care of your health first. Your body won't be able to ward off or cope with potential stressors well if you don't take care of yourself. So go talk to a friend, watch a funny movie, run a mile. Becoming fearless has never been so easy!

Stay tuned for the next installment: "Coping with stressors after they've occurred" or, "I just screwed up. Now what?"

For more by Mary Pritchard, click here.

For more on becoming fearless, click here.

Follow Mary Pritchard on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Mary E Pritchar

FOLLOW HEALTH AND FITNESS

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Healthy Eating Tips From Olympic Mountain Biker Georgia Gould

Healthy Eating Tips From Olympic Mountain Biker Georgia Gould

Welcome to our "Like An Olympian" series. During the 2012 London Olympics, HuffPost Healthy Living will take a look at lifestyle and fitness lessons from competitors, coaches and former Olympians alike.

As the reigning American cross country mountain biking national champion and second-place finisher at the 2011 London test event, Georgia Gould is poised for greatness at the 2012 Olympic Games.

A member of the LUNA Chix Pro Team since 2006, Gould has been riding mountain bikes since 1999 and finished eighth at the 2008 Olympics.

We asked her some questions about what it takes to train for the biggest race of her life -- and what you can learn from her, even if you've only biked around the block.

What have you learned through your Olympic training that you carry over into your everyday fitness routine?

The biggest thing I have learned over the years is the importance of staying fresh mentally. Sometimes certain workouts just seem way more daunting than others. I have a great coach, and we work hard to make sure that I am motivated for my workouts in order to get the most out of them. In the off-season, I like to take a break from the bike and run, ski or do other stuff.

How important is nutrition in your training?

I think nutrition is really important. I don't like taking vitamins and supplements -- I prefer to get my nutrition from real food. I like cooking and eating, and I eat really well, even when I'm not training and racing.

I make sure I eat right after training or racing, and I try to incorporate carbs and protein to help my body recover from those hard efforts. People always ask me if I have a strict diet, but really I just use common sense. I find it is important to be flexible, especially since I travel so much. I have tried being really strict about my diet, but it didn't work for me: I need balance and I like to be able to eat whatever I want in moderation.

What are some healthy eating staples for you?

It sort of depends on what my body is craving. But for lunch, I love a big salad. I throw in whatever I have on hand and whatever sounds good: lettuce, carrots, avocado, tomato, olives, a little feta cheese and sometimes a can of sardines or wild salmon. Leftover roasted veggies often end up in my salads, too.

I also love eggs. I take some kind of greens (spinach, arugula, etc.) and whatever else I feel like (zucchini, mushrooms, sausage, peppers) and saute them for a few seconds. Then I make a few little nests, crack an egg in each one, sprinkle with a little salt, pepper, and maybe some good quality cheese. Then I turn the heat down and throw a lid on the pan until the eggs are cooked the way I like them (a little runny). I usually eat that with some toast and maybe a little avocado on the side. If I'm short on time, I just scramble everything together and it's still pretty delicious!

I snack on things like sliced apples with peanut butter, toast (I make my own bread!), yogurt with homemade granola and berries and my favorite LUNA Bar, the Chocolate Dipped Coconut flavor.

How important is sleep in your training? What do you do to ensure you are rested for a race?

Sleep is very important. When I am traveling, I sleep with earplugs and an eye mask to ensure that I get quality sleep (I call it my "total isolation chamber"). That said, there are definitely nights when I have trouble sleeping because I am excited and/or nervous. When that happens, I try not to stress about it, because that only makes it worse. I focus on relaxing, and eventually I fall asleep.

Any other tips for managing pre-race nerves?
Embrace it. Nerves are good -- being nervous means you care, and it helps you to push a little harder when you need to. Be excited that you are nervous, and let that motivate you! Also, have a routine. A race-day routine like eating breakfast, packing your race gear and warming up gives you structure and keeps you from being scattered or chaotic. A familiar routine allows you to focus and relax (while still embracing your nervousness!). When I have a lot of free time leading up to a race, I find it useful to stay busy and distract myself. I read, do crossword puzzles, play games or chat with a teammate to keep myself from obsessing about the race.

For more from our "Like An Olympian" series, click here.

Related on HuffPost:

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Why Not All Cold Sore Treatments Are Working For You

http://bit.ly/NCXfLP
Why Not All Cold Sore Treatments Are Working For You
Herpes medicines are prohibited to be used by those people who have poor immune system. Also, you are not allowed to take these medicines if you have certain health problems such as genetic defect or HIV infection. Patients who are having chemotherapy, taking high doses of corticosteroids or immunosuppressants are not permitted to take them. These patients must consult their doctor at first, and they should never attempt to use these medicines while not asking their doctor.

Sheenie Ambardar, M.D.: 6 Surprising Ways To Find Happiness

Sheenie Ambardar, M.D.: 6 Surprising Ways To Find Happiness

As a follow up to my previous post in May entitled "10 Ways to Improve Depression and Anxiety Without Meds," I thought I would offer up a few more suggestions on how to live a happier and more contented life, gleaned from my years observing and treating patients as an adult psychiatrist. The following six ideas may seem counterintuitive at first blush, but bear with me -- you might find a kernel of truth in each that resonates with you:

• Make Less Money

  Yes, you read that right. Work fewer hours, make less money, live in a smaller house, do work you like, have fewer possessions, and enjoy life! While this idea may run counter to the Great American Way of Life, where materialism and money rule the day, the inescapable fact of the matter is that all the shiny objects in the world won't make you a happier person. As a corollary to this, if you hate your job and it's contributing to your depression and anxiety, you probably shouldn't be doing it, right? I know life may not always seem that handily straightforward, but in reality it always is; you have a choice! Is doing work you dislike, simply because it pays well, any way to be spending the beautiful days of your life? As writer Annie Dillard so logically put it: "How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives." How would you like to spend your life?

• Don't Get Married

  Now before you call the cops on me, I'm not suggesting that you never, ever get married or settle down, but please, please only do so if you are 100 percent sure, deep down in your own heart, that it is the absolute right decision for you and your life, (and not because it's the next to-do item on your Life Checklist). Unhappy unions, relationship strife, marital discord, feelings of claustrophobia in bad marriages -- this is the stuff of psychotherapy and psychiatric visits across America every day. I often remind patients that marriage isn't a panacea for everything that ails us; it's a serious social venture, one that involves very serious commitments of time, energy, money, and emotion. Of course, there are great and wonderful rewards that can accompany it too, like love, companionship, and long-term security, but don't automatically discount alternative lifestyles or ways of living that may be more suited to your individual nature, like that of the single bachelor or bachelorette. Just like not all human beings are naturally heterosexual (a concept that wasn't widely accepted even just 50 years ago), not everyone is built for marriage.

• Be Selfish

  Now I've always been a firm believer in having compassion, empathy, concern, and care for our families, friends, and fellow human beings, but never at the expense of ourselves or our own personal fulfillment. It's interesting to note that depressed patients are sometimes labeled selfish or self-absorbed by unsympathetic observers; I've actually found just the opposite to be true. Most depressed patients I see have forgotten how to be selfish, how to truly look out for No. 1. They sweep their own wishes and desires under the proverbial rug, all the while attending to and ministering to the needs of others. If compassion and kindness are virtues to be lauded, why don't we start by being compassionate and kind to ourselves? It's only when we first look out for our own personal needs that we can then take care of the needs of others. So go ahead, take that sick day at work, plan your next mini-vacation, switch careers, get out of that bad relationship, ask a family member to pitch in at home, or teach your children to fend for themselves... it's okay to be selfish!

• Be Ignorant

  Is it really essential that we know the nitty gritty details of what's going on in the world at all times? Does it make us feel any better or improve our lives in any tangible way? The humongous information overload we experience on a daily basis from television, Internet, radio, movies, magazines, newspapers, iPhones, etc. is rapidly turning us into a frenzied, harried, emotionally-insecure society, unable to relax and find peace within. A 2010 study published in the <em>American Journal of Preventive Medicine</em> declared that TV watchers were more likely to be anxious and depressed than their non-TV watching counterparts. Likewise, numerous studies have indicated that people who watch less TV are happier and more engaged in life than avid couch potatoes. Sounds about right, doesn't it? And if you think about it, why should we concede control over our mental well-being to the 24-hour news cycle, with its sensationalized rhetoric and incessant chatter? I don't mean to suggest that we throw away our TVs or laptops or never go to the movies (entertainment has its own psychological value after all), but media overexposure may be contributing more to our low mood than we as a society are consciously aware. Let's try ignoring our gadgets and gizmos every once in a while... we just might have to find something else to do with our time!

• Have Fewer Friends

  True friendships, the kind that sustain the test of time and space, are precious and few and most of us will be really lucky if we can count them on one hand throughout the course of our entire lives. Perhaps the sooner we accept this reality the less likely we will be to feel disappointed or despondent when people don't measure up to our grand expectations. Let's try to move beyond the constant need to be surrounded by an endless stream of people and things; let's learn to be happy and content on our own. This may be the single most important skill we can develop in cultivating true inner happiness. Of course, we can't deny our inherent social natures, and humans will always have a need for one another -- but quality always trumps quantity, and spending time with the wrong kinds of friends or acquaintances just to fill a void may actually end up doing more harm than good. Are you worried about being alone if you pare down your friend circle? As Dr. Wayne Dyer so wisely put it: "You can't be lonely if you like the person you're alone with." Brilliant!

• Never Try To Fit A Round Peg Into A Square Hole

  Always remember that you are the lovely round peg and the square hole is any job, profession, person, relationship or experience that doesn't feel quite right to you. You can jam the peg into the hole and try to make it fit, and sometimes it even manages to get wedged in there pretty darn good, but not without considerable discomfort and heartache to the peg (you). You will be so much happier and at peace if you develop the fortitude to wait patiently, choose wisely, question broadly, and only accept good things into your life that are truly worthy of your time and energy. And it's never too late to start along this path -- whether you're 30 or 70. Your reward will be a life well-lived and a sense of freedom and liberation that only comes to those willing to experience life on their own terms... you can do it!

• Sam Harris on Happiness

  Author Sam Harris talks about the absence of neuroses as a key to happiness.

For more by Sheenie Ambardar, M.D., click here.

For more on happiness, click here.

Follow Sheenie Ambardar, M.D. on Twitter: www.twitter.com/DrAmbardar

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Lynn Posluns: More Women Get Alzheimer's, so Why Don't we Study Their Brains?

Lynn Posluns: More Women Get Alzheimer's, so Why Don't we Study Their Brains?

I'm fortunate that no one in my immediate family has dementia -- heart and stroke seems to get us ultimately -- but I'm at the stage where I wonder if it's distraction when I can't find my car in the parking lot... or if something more serious is going on. And it scares me.

What is more frightening is learning that almost 70 per cent of new Alzheimer's sufferers will be women, but research today still focuses on men. Early Alzheimer's studies were conducted where scientists had easy access to patients, primarily on men in veteran's hospitals. But even today, at the grass roots level of research, it is the male rat that's studied because the hormones in the female rat make it too complex. Whoa.

Scientists recognized 20 years ago that a man's heart attack was different from a woman's, and addressing those differences meant a healthier outcome for both. Naturally, I wondered who was studying the female aging brain to understand where differences occurred, and what was being done about it -- I was flabbergasted to discover the real lack of female-based research. Besides, with three sons, who was going to look after me in the old folks' home?

In the U.S., someone new succumbs to Alzheimer's -- the most prevalent form of dementia -- every 68 seconds. Worldwide, there are more than 35 million people living with dementia. This number will more than triple by 2050 to more than 115 million!

When symptoms surface it is likely that the damage to the brain began 10 to 20 years prior. The cost of care in Canada alone will be more than $872 billion and 756 million hours in informal care. Women, as the major caregivers, and the most susceptible, will be hardest hit. What does that mean for me as a mother and as a daughter?

Will I become a caregiver for my mother or my in-law parents, or worse yet, will my future include grandchildren who I will not recognize? And like you, I am not alone in my fears. In a recent report a Johns Hopkins psychiatrist stated that Alzheimer's is now ahead of cancer as the most feared disease.

Once I was armed with all this great news about the future of women's brain health, I had to decide what I was going to do about it. The more I learned, the more compelled I felt to raise money to fund research to combat women's brain aging disorders. No stranger to fundraising, I created a unique campaign to raise money for the first research chair in women's aging brain health.

The more people I spoke to about the need to fund research to combat women's brain aging disorders (like Alzheimer's), the more encouraged I became. I raised $2.5 million for Baycrest, a Toronto Health Sciences Centre focused on innovations in aging, but I found that interest was not confined to Toronto. I was hearing from women across Canada, and that really got me thinking: If Canadian women were worried about the quality of their brain health as they aged, then obviously so were women all over the world.

Time to branch out... and so the Women's Brain Health Initiative was born.

Our promise is a simple one. We cannot and will not forget the women in our lives. We will not forget that women are twice as likely to become victims of aging brain disorder -- the most significant health and social crisis facing the world. We cannot forget that there is neither a theory to explain this nor a will to find one. And we will not stand idly by and wait for this oncoming disaster to strike without raising a finger to stop it.

Our mandate is therefore clear and resolute.

We will raise awareness of this imminent crisis, as well as raise money to combat it. We will focus on the stories of those affected instead of just those afflicted, and will raise a global movement inspired to combat women's brain aging disorders through investment in focused and innovative research.

It's not that we don't want to look at men's brains. We just want to level the playing field by ensuring research dollars are also focused on women in the area of aging brain health. As I build this new global foundation, I haven't lost sight of all the women who are frightened because there is a history of dementia in their families, or are frightened because they don't know where to get the information they need to make critical decisions for themselves or a loved one.

The Women's Brain Health Initiative is for women like them. Like us. Committed to sharing information about what researchers are currently studying and what their findings will mean to all of us.

For example, new research has shown that the incidence of dementia increases 140 per cent if you have a hysterectomy and both ovaries removed before natural menopause. That you're more likely to succumb to Alzheimer's if your mother had it than if your father did. And that the majority of Alzheimer's cases are lifestyle related and are not caused by a genetic predisposition.

The good news is that it's not too late to make some effective changes that will have a positive influence on how one ages. There is lots of evidence that what is good for your heart is also good for your brain. Research has shown that good eating habits, exercise, and social connectivity will all have a positive impact on your brain health.

My marketing and business background gave me the fundamentals necessary to bring together a small but dynamic team to create an innovative awareness building campaign. Designed as a movement that escalates concern over the unchecked growth of dementia and other aging brain diseases in women, the campaign reminds us of how our ability for cognitive thought is connected to every aspect of our lives.

Details about the awareness campaign are currently under wraps and will be released soon, but in the meantime to learn more about us, please visit http://womensbrainhealth.org. Together, we can make a difference for women everywhere.

Source: www.huffingtonpost.ca