Organic Vs Inorganic Minerals

Most minerals found in their natural form and those found in water are primarily inorganic in form. Therefore, unless they are chelated, they cannot be absorbed by living cells. Unless they are converted through chelation, they will contribute to various ailments and diseases related to the colon, such as kidney stones, gall stones, and plaque buildup in the colon and arteries or in the joints of the body. Source

Jeff Halevy: Cooped Up At Home Today? Your Indoor Hurricane Fitness Routine

Jeff Halevy: Cooped Up At Home Today? Your Indoor Hurricane Fitness Routine

If you're like me, getting holed up because of a hurricane -- like Sandy! -- is the ultimate bummer. You can't get to the gym and work out! (After all, what else is there to life anyway?)

To ease your burning desire for a burn, here's a workout you can do without even leaving your apartment or home, even if it's as small as this guy's!

A Hurricane Sandy Workout

For more by Jeff Halevy, click here.

For more on fitness and exercise, click here.

Follow Jeff Halevy on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jeffhalevy

FOLLOW HEALTH AND FITNESS

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

6 Ways To Improve Your Looks At Any Age

In our mid years our female hormones begin to reduce causing significant changes in our face. Here are six easy suggestions to improve your looks at any age. Full article

6 Ways To Improve Your Looks At Any Age

In our mid years our female hormones begin to reduce causing significant changes in our face. Here are six easy suggestions to improve your looks at any age. Read here

Why Do Some Wrinkle Creams Work and Others Fail?

There are so many completely different wrinkle creams available on the market today. Many of these are thought to be magical fountains of youthfulness. Others simply clog your skin pores and give you acne. How can you tell which ones really work? Of course you don't want your skin issues to worsen right? This article will walk you through looking at all of the different wrinkle creams on the market and make objective opinions on each one. The best creams on the market are discussed here so keep reading. Full article

What's the Difference Between Your Real Age and Calendar Age?

What's the Difference Between Your Real Age and Calendar Age?
There is a difference between our real age and our calendar age. Our real age is how old our body actually feels; whereas our calendar age is how old we really are. Of course, we know we're born, we live and we die-but we do have some control over the rate of aging in our lives.
Source: EzineArticles.com

Senior Fitness: Target Is My Walking Track

More than ever, doctors are telling seniors to get off the couch and get moving. Regular physical activity helps to keep them limber, ward off heart attack, and maintain a healthy weight. Walking is the easiest and cheapest form of physical activity. This article tells how one grandmother uses the perimeter of a discount store as her track. Full article

Senior Fitness: Target Is My Walking Track

More than ever, doctors are telling seniors to get off the couch and get moving. Regular physical activity helps to keep them limber, ward off heart attack, and maintain a healthy weight. Walking is the easiest and cheapest form of physical activity. This article tells how one grandmother uses the perimeter of a discount store as her track. Full article

Best Anti Aging Snacks

Snacking usually has a bad reputation because it has long been associated with junk food and sweets. But did you know that if you make smarter snack choices, it can actually benefit your health and the way you look? With this, let me share to you some of the best anti aging snacks that you can try to help keep you look young and radiant. Here are some of them. Full article

Robin Amos Kahn: The Only Way Out Is Through

Robin Amos Kahn: The Only Way Out Is Through

The first time I heard that I thought, "Damn! I don't want to go through this. I want to go around it, over it, under it. I want to sleep through it, wake me up when it's over, fast forward me to happy days are here again."

"It" is a dark night of the soul, which by the way is a misnomer. It generally is dark "nights" -- although I have heard of people who have a spiritual awakening in one night, most notably Eckhart Tolle, who was suddenly enlightened and began immediately writing bestselling books. But for most of us, "a dark night" is a longer period, often a year, maybe even a few years. And if you are simultaneously an agnostic, an atheist and a believer, as I considered myself for most of my life, it is a challenging path out of what feels like hell. ("If you're going through hell, keep going." -- Winston Churchill.)

You can, if you want, try to avoid the pain -- drinking, drugs, sleeping, lying, stealing, cheating, shopping, sleeping around, eating gallons of ice cream, bags of potato chips, staring at the television, gambling -- you can do any or all of those things, but sooner or later the grief you are avoiding will show up in a meltdown, a pile of debt, another divorce, an illness, an accident, or any number of other possibilities.

My dark night was years of caregiving and then a tsunami of loss. My life became a blank canvas that had to be re-painted at a stage in my life when I was not expecting it. I feel like I should have made a T-shirt for that first year so that if anyone asked me how I was, they could just read the T-shirt:

"separatedmotherdieddaughtermoved3000milesawaynojobnohome2dogs"

When my dark nights began, people recommended books. First was Pema Chodron's When Things Fall Apart:

I used to have a sign pinned up on my wall that read: Only to the extent that we expose ourselves over and over to annihilation can that which is indestructible be found in us ... It was all about letting go of everything.

Then came The Dark Nights of the Soul by Thomas Moore:

Many people think that the point of life is to solve their problems and be happy. But happiness is usually a fleeting sensation, and you never get rid of problems. Your purpose in life may be to become more who you are and more engaged with the people and the life around you, to really live your life. That may sound obvious, yet many people spend their time avoiding life. They are afraid to let it flow through them, and so their vitality gets channeled into ambitions, addictions, and preoccupations that don't give them anything worth having. A dark night, may appear, paradoxically, as a way to return to living. It pares life down to its essentials and helps you get a new start.

I definitely needed a new start, so then I read...

Getting Naked Again: Dating, Romance, Sex, and Love When You've Been Divorced, Widowed, Dumped, or Distracted by Judith Sills. I managed that pretty quickly, thanks to the "divorce diet," it was much easier than I imagined it would be. But it didn't change anything; I was still deep into my dark nights.

Crazy Time by Abigail Trafford was helpful: "Breaking up a marriage may be as common as Main Street nowadays, but when you finally do it, the psychological experience seems as uncharted as the dark side of the moon." That made sense to me. And -- if you were the complacent partner in the marriage and you suddenly stand up for yourself -- all hell breaks loose. I could see that happened in my divorce.

In fact, my divorce was such a nightmare, that I had to turn to the Psalms:

"Even in the midst of great pain, Lord,
I praise you for that which is.
I will not refuse this grief
or close myself to this anguish.
Let shallow men pray for ease:
'Comfort us; shield us from sorrow.'
I pray for whatever you send me,
and I ask to receive it as your gift.
You have put a joy in my heart
greater than all the world's riches.
I lie down trusting the darkness,
for I know that even now you are here."
-- Psalm 4, Stephen Mitchell translation

Somehow, that brought me comfort.

Recently, I read this very powerful quote by August Gold: "To enter the conversation with Life we only have to change one key word: We have to stop asking, 'Why is this happening to me?' and start asking, 'Why is this happening for me?' When we can do this, we're free."

And this: "Life, as the biblical tradition makes clear, is both loss and renewal, death and resurrection, chaos and healing at the same time; life seems to be a collision of opposites." -- Richard Rohr, Falling Upwards.

Over the last 20 or so years, I have watched many friends walk through hell. I didn't understand how truly difficult their lives were at the time because I had no reference point. I understood it intellectually, but not deeply, not emotionally. I have watched friends deal with cancer and illnesses I've never even heard of, deaths of beloved spouses and children, long-term caregiving, loss of homes, businesses, jobs, and deeply painful divorces.

Now I understand. Now I understand that no one is immune, nor should they be. I wouldn't trade any of my dark nights. "Only to the extent that we expose ourselves to annihilation can that which is indestructible be found in us."

The only way out is through -- which it is kind of like a birth, or re-birth. It is a path to a more meaningful life, though it might not feel that way at the time. It is the path to a second half of life that is deeper, and about tuning out some of the noise of the outside world and listening to that inner voice in the quiet of a dark night.

For more by Robin Amos Kahn, click here.

For more on emotional wellness, click here.

Follow Robin Amos Kahn on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@rakahn

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Ina E. Djonlagic, M.D.: How Does Sleep Affect Emotional Well-Being?

Ina E. Djonlagic, M.D.: How Does Sleep Affect Emotional Well-Being?

Join HealthyLiving's #livehealthychat Wednesday, October 17 at 12p.m. ET!

Imagine yourself in a bubble without alarm clocks and schedules, and being able to let your body determine how much sleep you were getting. Most of us would find ourselves sleeping longer than we currently do, most likely leveling out somewhere around eight hours. That's the amount most people need.

If you find yourself "sleep-binging" on the weekend or your days off, that's a sign that you are probably not getting enough sleep during the week. We often sacrifice sleep because of long workdays that spill over into our "leisure time," watching late-night TV, and sometimes because that is the only time that we have to ourselves after we put the kids to bed.

It's a serious sacrifice.

Several studies have shown that healthy sleep habits are linked to better cognition, alertness, and emotional well-being.

And it's not just about the amount of time, but also about the timing of our sleep schedules, our biological clocks, that we need to be aware of. This is especially important in teenagers, who at the onset of puberty, undergo changes in their circadian rhythm, which regulates sleep. This is linked to the brain's release of melatonin, the chemical that helps us sleep. Teenage brains tell the body to go to sleep at 11 p.m. At the same time, their bodies still require at least nine hours of sleep per night.

No surprise, then, that studies comparing students with earlier and later school start times find that students with later start times get better grades, and are less depressed and irritable. Students also rated themselves as more motivated to do schoolwork and extracurricular activities. This extends well into college, as those college students who sleep longer also tend to have better grades.

Why is this? During sleep, our brains actually continue to process information from the day and form new connections that stabilize and enhance our memories. We can even find new solutions or insights into problems, all while we are "sleeping."

And it is not just the sleep after learning that is so crucial: If you are sleep-deprived and tired, the brain has a much harder time absorbing new information.

Besides, you just aren't "yourself" anymore if you don't get enough sleep. Any parent with a new baby will be able to sympathize with Anne Lamott's humorously gritty description of evil Lady-Macbeth-like thoughts that go through her sleep-deprived mind as she is walking her sobbing baby.

There is a reciprocal relationship between sleep and mental health, and it comes as no surprise that sleep problems are common in patients with anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and even post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

While studies have taught us that sleep problems may contribute to the development of some psychiatric disorders, treating a sleep disorder, on the other hand, may help alleviate symptoms of a mental health problem.

So, while we are still far from knowing why we sleep, we know that without a good night's sleep we are sacrificing a lot of our emotional and mental well-being.

For more by Ina E. Djonlagic, M.D., click here.

For more on sleep, click here.

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Facial Exercise - Natural Homemade Remedies for Anti-Wrinkles

Facial Exercise - Natural Homemade Remedies for Anti-Wrinkles
Let's face it, aging is unavoidable and sooner or later we'll all have to face it at some point in time. But what's important is that we age gracefully.
Source: EzineArticles.com

Dr. Robert Oexman: Can A Mattress Really Impact Your Sleep?

Dr. Robert Oexman: Can A Mattress Really Impact Your Sleep?

Sleepless nights, tossing, turning and exhausted mornings -- we all know the feeling. But did you know that sleeping on the right mattress can help alleviate these problems and remind you what it feels like to be rested? We now know that mattresses really do matter when it comes to getting a good night's sleep!

According to a study by Research Triangle International and Drs. Andy Krystal and Jack Edinger from Duke University, you may not have to be a princess to feel the pea under your mattress. Their four-year study looked at how different support levels of mattresses impacted sleep, pain and daytime functioning. More than 16,000 nights of sleep were evaluated on 128 subjects, making this one of the largest studies ever completed on normal pain-free sleepers and how mattresses impact their health.

Previous Studies Stumble

Very few studies have looked at the effect mattresses have on sleep and pain, and the ones that have been done only looked at small numbers of people or small numbers of mattresses. The small sample sizes often led to the conclusion that "medium-firm" mattresses are the best for sleep. The error in this conclusion is two-fold. First, there is no recognized definition for what a "medium-firm" mattress would feel like. A 250-pound person may describe a mattress as soft while a 125-pound person may describe the same mattress as firm. Second, there were people in the study that slept well on other mattresses. Should they sleep on medium-firm mattresses even though they slept better on a softer or firmer mattress?

Other studies have come to the conclusion that mattresses have no impact on sleep. These studies have typically used small numbers of subjects or have used university students. The use of university students is a poor choice, since this group is often very sleep-deprived. These students, given an opportunity, can sleep just about anywhere -- laying on the floor or sitting in the classroom!

Mattresses Matter

The study by Krystal and Edinger overcame the shortcomings of previous studies by examining a large number of people (128), a large variety of different firmness of mattresses (seven), and a large number of nights on each mattress (four weeks). After evaluating more than 16,000 nights of sleep it was clear that even small differences in mattress support (soft, medium, firm) correlated with changes in sleep and pain. This is a clear indication that mattresses really do matter. However, the study had a second powerful conclusion: We may not be able to determine which mattresses are best for us when we are awake.

Attention Shoppers!

The fact that people are very poor at selecting which mattresses would allow them to sleep pain-free should immediately interest consumers in the midst of mattress shopping. What's the reason for this phenomenon? The answer lies in what happens to our body while sleeping. We pass through different stages of sleep each night. One of those stages called "rapid eye movement" (REM) is the stage of sleep when our most vivid dreams take place. To prevent us from acting out our dreams, we lose skeletal muscle tone. The skeletal muscles that support our back relax and we lose spinal support. So, a mattress that felt supportive while you were awake with the muscles active may perform differently when you are in REM sleep.

It would appear that we can all be a princess (or prince) when we sleep, meaning we really can feel those mattress differences, especially when we're catching some Zzzs.

Disclosure: The Sleep to Live Institute sponsored this research.

For more by Dr. Robert Oexman, click here.

For more on sleep, click here.

FOLLOW HEALTH AND FITNESS

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Stars Who Packed On The Pounds For Movie Roles

Stars Who Packed On The Pounds For Movie Roles

When you're an actor, you have to be willing to do whatever it takes to nab that dream role -- including dropping and gaining weight to portray a character.

And that's exactly what some of Hollywood's biggest stars have done.

From George Clooney and Matt Damon to Charlize Theron and Renee Zellweger, celebrities have packed on the pounds (and we're talking serious, serious pounds) for films they are truly invested in.

But a little cellulite never hurt anyone, especially when all those cupcakes and donuts put you in the running for an Academy Award.

Check out 15 stars who've chowed down for movie roles:

• George Clooney

  George Clooney gained 30 pounds to play former CIA agent Robert Baer in 2005's "Syriana." Thankfully, the weight gain paid off -- he won an Oscar!

• Matt Damon

  Damon gained 30 pounds for his role in "The Informant!" in 2009, but the actor says packing on the weight was "fun." “It was very, very easy to gain the weight. Very, very fun,” he <a href="http://www.accesshollywood.com/matt-damon-talks-gaining-weight-for-the-informant-it-was-very-very-easy_article_22621">confessed</a>. “I just basically ate everything I could see for a few months.”

• Renee Zellweger

  Zellweger gained 28 pounds (twice!) for her lead role in "Bridget Jones's Diary" and "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason." Reportedly, she'll be reprising her famous character for another installment of the franchise, "Bridget Jones's Baby." Another round of weight gain?

• Charlize Theron

  Theron gained 30 pounds to play serial killer Aileen Wuornos in "Monster." She also gained something else along the way -- an Academy Award for Best Actress!

• Jared Leto

  Leto put on 67 pounds to play John Lennon's assassin, Mark David Chapman, in "Chapter 27." The movie didn't get the best reviews, and Leto's body took a beating. Let's just say he probably won't do it again.

• Gwyneth Paltrow

  Paltrow added 20 pounds to her thin frame for her role as a washed out country star in "Country Strong." <a href="http://www.people.com/people/package/article/0,,20316530_20440520,00.html">With the help of her personal trainer</a>, Tracy Anderson, she dropped the pounds in two weeks!

• Ryan Gosling

  Ryan Gosling and his "Blue Valentine" co-star Michelle Williams each gained 15 pounds for the movie, in which they played a couple stuck in a troubled marriage.

• Julia Roberts

  Roberts gained 10 pounds to accurately portray Elizabeth Gilbert in "Eat, Pray, Love," which is based on a true story. Gilbert gained 30 pounds in real-life, so Roberts figured she needed to pack on some pounds to be authentic.

• Christian Bale

  Not only did Bale lose over 60 pounds for his leading role in "The Machinist," he also gained tons of muscle weight to play Bruce Wayne, a.k.a. Batman, in Christopher Nolan's epic trilogy.

• Russell Crowe

  Russell Crowe gained 63 pounds for his role in 2008's "Body of Lies." He did it <a href="http://socialitelife.com/russell_crowe_explains_weight_gain-09-2008">with a little help from his food friends</a> -- cupcakes and cheeseburgers.

• Hilary Swank

  Swank didn't just have to gain weight for her role in "Million Dollar Baby," she had to bulk up! The actress put on 19 pounds of pure muscle and walked away with an Oscar.

• Eric Bana

  In 2000, the normally buff Bana put on 28 pounds to play a murderer in "Chopper." But, no worries. Bana was allegedly back in tip-top shape within months.

• Joseph Gordon-Levitt

  The former "Third Rock From the Sun" actor turned into an action star for the final Batman flick, "Dark Knight Rises." Just like his co-star Christian Bale, Gordon-Levitt packed on the muscle (and it shows).

• Robert De Niro

  How could we forget De Niro, who made gaining weight for a role cool thanks to "Raging Bull"? He famously gained 60 pounds for the movie and paved the way for Hollywood body transformations.

• Chris Pratt

  The funny guys is currently eating up a storm while his wife, Anna Faris, tries to shed her baby weight. He has already gained 40 pounds since June in preparation for his role as a lawyer in the upcoming comedy "Starbuck."

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Ann Brenoff: 7 Things Boomers Need To Know About The VP Debate

Ann Brenoff: 7 Things Boomers Need To Know About The VP Debate

Vice President Joe Biden and Republican vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin shake hands after the vice presidential debate at Centre College, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/Pool-Michael Reynolds)

Vice President Joe Biden and Republican vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin shake hands after the vice presidential debate at Centre College, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/Pool-Michael Reynolds)

Vice President Joe Biden and Republican vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin gesture after the vice presidential debate at Centre College, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/Pool-Michael Reynolds)

Vice President Joe Biden and Republican vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin gesture after the vice presidential debate at Centre College, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/Pool-Michael Reynolds)

Joe Biden, Paul Ryan

Vice President Joe Biden, left, and Republican vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan, of Wisconsin, shake hands following their the vice presidential debate at Centre College, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Joe Biden, Paul Ryan

Vice President Joe Biden and Republican vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin shake hands after the vice presidential debate at Centre College, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Joe Biden, Jill Biden

Vice President Joe Biden kisses his wife, Jill Biden, following the vice presidential debate with Republican vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan, of Wisconsin, at Centre College, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Vice President Joe Biden talks to Janna Ryan, wife of Republican vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin after the vice presidential debate at Centre College, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/Pool-Michael Reynolds)

Paul Ryan, Janna Ryan

Republican vice presidential nominee, Rep. Paul Ryan, of Wisconsin, kisses his wife Janna following the vice presidential debate with Vice President Joe Biden at Centre College, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Republican vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan's wife Janna, left, shakes hands with Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, following the vice presidential debate at Centre College, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Joe Biden

Vice President Joe Biden listens to Republican vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan, of Wisconsin, during the vice presidential debate at Centre College, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Paul Ryan

Republican vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin answers a question during the vice presidential debate at Centre College, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Paul Ryan, Joe Biden

Republican vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan, of Wisconsin, right, listens to Vice President Joe Biden during the vice presidential debate at Centre College, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Paul Ryan

Republican vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin answers a question during the vice presidential debate at Centre College, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Vice President Joe Biden and Republican vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin participate in the vice presidential debate at Centre College, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/Pool-Rick Wilking)

Vice President Joe Biden and Republican vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin participate in the vice presidential debate at Centre College, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/Pool-Rick Wilking)

Paul Ryan, Joe Biden

Republican vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan, of Wisconsin, right, and Vice President Joe Biden discuss a point during the vice presidential debate at Centre College, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Vice President Joe Biden and Republican vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin participate in the vice presidential debate at Centre College, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/Pool-Rick Wilking)

Paul Ryan, Joe Biden, Martha Raddatz

Republican vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan, of Wisconsin, right, and Vice President Joe Biden, center, listen to moderator Martha Raddatz during the vice presidential debate at Centre College, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

US-VOTE-2012-DEBATE

A combination picture of the vice presidential debate between US Vice President Joe Biden (L) and Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan (R) at the Norton Center at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, October 11, 2012, moderated by Martha Raddatz of ABC News. AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/GettyImages)

Vice President Joe Biden and Republican vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin participate in the vice presidential debate at Centre College, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/Pool-Michael Reynolds)

Vice President Joe Biden answers a question during the vice presidential debate at Centre College, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/Pool-Michael Reynolds)

Paul Ryan

Republican vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan, of Wisconsin, makes a point to Vice President Joe Biden during the vice presidential debate at Centre College, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Joe Biden, Paul Ryan

Vice President Joe Biden and Republican vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin answer a question during the vice presidential debate at Centre College, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

US-VOTE-2012-DEBATE

US Vice President Joe Biden (L) and Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan (R) participate in the vice presidential debate at the Norton Center at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, October 10, 2012, moderated by Martha Raddatz (C) of ABC News. AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/GettyImages)

US-VOTE-2012-DEBATE

US Vice President Joe Biden (L) and Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan (R) participate in the vice presidential debate at the Norton Center at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, October 10, 2012, moderated by Martha Raddatz (C) of ABC News. AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/GettyImages)

US-VOTE-2012-DEBATE

US Vice President Joe Biden participates in the vice presidential debate with Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan (out of frame) at the Norton Center at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, October 10, 2012. AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/GettyImages)

US-VOTE-2012-DEBATE

US Vice President Joe Biden (L) and Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan (R) participate in the vice presidential debate at the Norton Center at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, October 10, 2012, moderated by Martha Raddatz (C) of ABC News. AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/GettyImages)

US-VOTE-2012-DEBATE

US Vice President Joe Biden (L) and Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan (R) participate in the vice presidential debate at the Norton Center at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, October 10, 2012, moderated by Martha Raddatz (C) of ABC News. AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/GettyImages)

Paul Ryan

Republican vice presidential nominee, Rep. Paul Ryan, of Wisconsin, speaks during the vice presidential debate at Centre College, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Vice President Joe Biden speaks during the vice presidential debate with Republican vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan, of Wisconsin, at Centre College, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Jill Biden, Beau Biden, Hunter Biden

Jill Biden, center, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, sits with her sons Beau Biden, left, and Hunter Biden, right, before the start of the vice presidential debate, at Centre College in Danville, Ky., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Paul Ryan

Republican vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin answers a question during the vice presidential debate at Centre College, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

US-VOTE-2012-DEBATE

US Vice President Joe Biden (L) and Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan (R) participate in the vice presidential debate at the Norton Center at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, October 10, 2012, moderated by Martha Raddatz (C) of ABC News. AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/GettyImages)

US-VOTE-2012-DEBATE

US Vice President Joe Biden (L) and Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan (R) participate in the vice presidential debate at the Norton Center at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, October 10, 2012, moderated by Martha Raddatz (C) of ABC News. AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/GettyImages)

US-VOTE-2012-DEBATE

US Vice President Joe Biden (L) and Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan (R) participate in the vice presidential debate at the Norton Center at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, October 10, 2012, moderated by Martha Raddatz (C) of ABC News. AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/GettyImages)

Vice President Joe Biden answers a question during the vice presidential debate at Centre College, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/Pool-Rick Wilking)

Republican vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin answers a question during the vice presidential debate at Centre College, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/Pool-Michael Reynolds)

Joe Biden

Vice President Joe Biden reacts to a question during the vice presidential debate at Centre College, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Joe Biden, Paul Ryan

Vice President Joe Biden, left, and Republican vice presidential nominee, Rep. Paul Ryan, of Wisconsin, challenge each other during the vice presidential debate at Centre College, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Republican vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin watches as Vice President Joe Biden answers a question during the vice presidential debate at Centre College, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/Pool-Rick Wilking)

Vice President Joe Biden and Republican vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin participate in the vice presidential debate at Centre College, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/Pool-Rick Wilking)

Joe Biden

Vice President Joe Biden answers a question during the vice presidential debate at Centre College, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Joe Biden, Paul Ryan

Vice President Joe Biden, left, and Republican vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan, of Wisconsin, respond to moderator Martha Raddatz during the vice presidential debate at Centre College, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Janna Ryan, Ted Olson, Lady Booth Olson, Betty Douglas

Janna Ryan, second from right, wife of Republican vice presidential candidate, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., his mother Betty Douglas, Ted Olson, second from left, former solicitor-general of the U.S. and his wife Lady Booth Olson sit in the audience before he start of the vice presidential debate, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, at Centre College in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

US-VOTE-2012-DEBATE

US Vice President Joe Biden participates in the vice presidential debate with Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan (out of frame) at the Norton Center at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, October 10, 2012, moderated by Martha Raddatz of ABC News. AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/GettyImages)

US-VOTE-2012-DEBATE

Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan (R) participates in the vice presidential debate with US Vice President Joe Biden (out of frame) at the Norton Center at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, October 10, 2012, moderated by Martha Raddatz (L) of ABC News. AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/GettyImages)

US-VOTE-2012-DEBATE

Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan (R) participates in the vice presidential debate with US Vice President Joe Biden (out of frame) at the Norton Center at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, October 10, 2012, moderated by Martha Raddatz (L) of ABC News. AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/GettyImages)

Vice President Joe Biden answers a question during the vice presidential debate at Centre College, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/Pool-Michael Reynolds)

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

WATCH: The Cornerstone To Keeping Yourself Fit, From Terri Walsh

WATCH: The Cornerstone To Keeping Yourself Fit, From Terri Walsh

Celebrity fitness trainer and lifestyle expert Terri Walsh spoke about why walking is underestimated when she met with me on Mondays With Marlo. Walking is a cornerstone of keeping yourself fit and the more you walk, the better you will feel.

For more tips on getting fit and staying in shape, see Terri Walsh's Tips For Fitness And Beauty:

• Glamorous Glow

  Got five minutes before stepping out? Jog in place for five minutes. Your increased heart rate will give your face and skin a beautiful, healthy glow while providing a mini cardio workout and energy boost.

• Instant Tummy De-Bloater

  Ditch starchy carbs three days before going to a special occasion. You’ll have a flatter stomach and won't look or feel bloated for your big night out.

• Skintastic

  Take a teaspoon of extra virgin olive or coconut oil mixed with fresh lemon juice every night before bed. It’s a terrific way of making your skin and hair look radiant while promoting digestion.

• Sleep Your Way Thin

  Did you know that being sleep deprived can make you pack on the pounds? Your body needs rest to be able to function correctly. Get a minimum of six hours a night, but aim for eight.

• Stretching Burns Calories (When Done Correctly)

  Make sure you dedicate a "workout day" to your flexibility. Maintaining your mobility takes a lot more than a five-minute post-workout stretch. Aim to improve your flexibility, not just maintain what exists.

• Walk Taller

  Pay attention to your body's posture and alignment (feet, navel, ribs and shoulders) when walking can help you lengthen your spine and burn extra calories just walking around.

• Sweet Makes You Sassy

  Raw, organic and unprocessed honey is packed with beneficial nutrients and enzymes that are missing from pasteurized honey. Take one teaspoon a day to set your metabolism up to work its best.

• Meal Exchange Program

  Here’s a fat burning secret -- treat breakfast like lunch, treat lunch like dinner and treat dinner like breakfast. Eating your smallest meal at night means you'll burn off your largest meals when you are most active.

• Protein Powder

  Protein is the building block of muscle! Muscle is what burns fat. Replenish your protein daily. Women should aim for a minimum of 30g of protein if they work out regularly.

• Weight Gain

  Women shouldn't be afraid of lifting weights. Using weights doesn't make you look bulky. On the contrary nothing makes a woman look younger than toned, strong muscle that you can only achieve by using weights.

• Be Versatile

  Don’t stick to a routine. When it comes to movement and working out, learn as many things as possible. The more you learn and try different things, the better your results, the more you'll understand your body and how it moves, and the more fun you’ll have staying fit and fabulous.

See more clips

Add Marlo On Facebook:

Follow Marlo on Twitter:

@MarloThomas

Weekly Newsletter

Sign up to receive my email newsletter each week - It will keep you up-to-date on upcoming articles, Mondays with Marlo guests, videos, and more!

Sign up here

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

WATCH: Must-Do Workout Tips For 40+ Women, From Terri Walsh

WATCH: Must-Do Workout Tips For 40+ Women, From Terri Walsh

Resistance training is the fountain of youth for women. Celebrity fitness trainer and lifestyle expert Terri Walsh discussed how weight-bearing exercises help stimulate muscles and make bones stronger when she joined me on Mondays With Marlo.

For more tips on getting fit and staying in shape, see Terri Walsh's Tips For Fitness And Beauty:

• Glamorous Glow

  Got five minutes before stepping out? Jog in place for five minutes. Your increased heart rate will give your face and skin a beautiful, healthy glow while providing a mini cardio workout and energy boost.

• Instant Tummy De-Bloater

  Ditch starchy carbs three days before going to a special occasion. You’ll have a flatter stomach and won't look or feel bloated for your big night out.

• Skintastic

  Take a teaspoon of extra virgin olive or coconut oil mixed with fresh lemon juice every night before bed. It’s a terrific way of making your skin and hair look radiant while promoting digestion.

• Sleep Your Way Thin

  Did you know that being sleep deprived can make you pack on the pounds? Your body needs rest to be able to function correctly. Get a minimum of six hours a night, but aim for eight.

• Stretching Burns Calories (When Done Correctly)

  Make sure you dedicate a "workout day" to your flexibility. Maintaining your mobility takes a lot more than a five-minute post-workout stretch. Aim to improve your flexibility, not just maintain what exists.

• Walk Taller

  Pay attention to your body's posture and alignment (feet, navel, ribs and shoulders) when walking can help you lengthen your spine and burn extra calories just walking around.

• Sweet Makes You Sassy

  Raw, organic and unprocessed honey is packed with beneficial nutrients and enzymes that are missing from pasteurized honey. Take one teaspoon a day to set your metabolism up to work its best.

• Meal Exchange Program

  Here’s a fat burning secret -- treat breakfast like lunch, treat lunch like dinner and treat dinner like breakfast. Eating your smallest meal at night means you'll burn off your largest meals when you are most active.

• Protein Powder

  Protein is the building block of muscle! Muscle is what burns fat. Replenish your protein daily. Women should aim for a minimum of 30g of protein if they work out regularly.

• Weight Gain

  Women shouldn't be afraid of lifting weights. Using weights doesn't make you look bulky. On the contrary nothing makes a woman look younger than toned, strong muscle that you can only achieve by using weights.

• Be Versatile

  Don’t stick to a routine. When it comes to movement and working out, learn as many things as possible. The more you learn and try different things, the better your results, the more you'll understand your body and how it moves, and the more fun you’ll have staying fit and fabulous.

See more clips

Add Marlo On Facebook:

Follow Marlo on Twitter:

@MarloThomas

Weekly Newsletter

Sign up to receive my email newsletter each week - It will keep you up-to-date on upcoming articles, Mondays with Marlo guests, videos, and more!

Sign up here

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Peter S. Goodman: Romney's Compassion Problem

Peter S. Goodman: Romney's Compassion Problem

One little problem with the compassion thing that Mitt Romney keeps touting in his recent television ads: He doesn't seem to have any.

We can safely assume that he cares about his wife and their boys. He must feel concern for the fellow congregants of his church and perhaps for some of his neighbors at one or another of his residences. He probably even liked that dog he stuck on the roof of his car.

But somewhere between his traditional social circle and the broader world -- a place inhabited by strangers whose jobs might require elimination in pursuit of profit -- Romney seems to lose emotional regard for the troubles of others.

It looks that way in part because Romney has made it look that way, cultivating the image of a stern and unsentimental disciplinarian in the face of wasteful federal spending in a bid to win over the anti-government zealots who dominate his party. This is how best to understand his decision to train his sights on Big Bird in last week's debate.

It looks that way because Romney is a creature of privilege, the son of a CEO and governor who spent his formative years at elite institutions of higher learning, and then in the exclusive ranks of premier business consulting and private equity firms. One can assume he didn't meet hordes of poor people at Harvard Business School or Bain Capital. It's hard to summon compassion for people who, within one's own experience, effectively don't exist.

In any event, it looks that way.

When you spend months bemoaning an expansion of food stamps in response to the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, as Romney has done, word gets around that you are perhaps not the biggest-hearted mansion-owner on the lake.

When you lie about your challenger's supposed efforts to weaken limits on welfare while implicitly contending that anyone who needs government help is a loser, word gets out that concern for the vulnerable is not your defining feature.

And when you tell a room full of well-heeled campaign contributors that you have written off nearly half the country as a bunch of government-dependent parasites, compassion is not the word that springs first to mind.

Not that any of this recent history gave Romney pause when laying claim to compassion in his ads. Those in the business world like to celebrate themselves as self-made. Romney is self-made-up: He gloms on to any word that seems capable of selling the product, which is whatever incarnation of Mitt Romney he is playing that day.

"We shouldn't measure compassion by how many people are on welfare," Romney says in one ad. "We should measure compassion by how many people are able to get off welfare and get a good paying job."

That's a smart, politically opportunistic line, one that plays on the crucial need for jobs as well as on a traditional disdain for welfare recipients held by large slices of the electorate. It's also devoid of anything resembling genuine compassion.

Many people on welfare are there because they have tried and failed to secure decent paying jobs. The last Republican president put his imprint on the weakest so-called economic expansion in modern memory. Romney has been running on a pledge to extend and enhance Bush's policies, giving tax cuts to the wealthy, which would necessitate cuts to the social safety net. Yet here he is, invoking compassion as grounds for voters to congratulate themselves for their sensitivity while they join him in doing something small and mean-spirited: Cutting welfare (along with Medicaid, Medicare, food stamps and unemployment benefits) in order to hand out the proceeds to the affluent.

Romney seizing on this buzzword "compassion" seems like the result of the desperation manifest in not having enough of it in the first place.

From the beginning of the race, Romney has been plagued by troubles that stem from one fundamental truth: He is a prisoner of his own limited social experience. He can't adequately connect with people, and the people to whom he reaches out can see through him. He lacks authenticity.

In a recent national poll by NPR, half of those surveyed said they had "cool" or "unfavorable" feelings toward Romney. A recent ABC News/Washington Post poll asked registered voters which candidate "better understands the economic problems people in this country are having," and which one "seems like the more friendly and likeable person." Obama trounced Romney on both counts, by 52 percent to 39 percent, and 62 percent to 29 percent, respectively.

Translation: People don't relate to Romney, even the people who will vote for him on policy grounds. They don't understand him, and what they do understand they don't much like. Worst of all, they think that he is in no position to understand them.

The potential electoral consequences of these numbers seem clear enough. When people don't like you, and when they don't think you have a grasp of their problems, they maybe don't work up the same passion about helping you to become the president of the United States.

The broader consequences of a compassion deficit seem to exacerbate Romney's problems, sowing stress that seems to make him prone to saying the bumbling and unsympathetic things that have undermined his candidacy.

Those who are emotionally disconnected from others suffer physiological consequences, according to academics engaged in the scientific exploration of compassion. Research has found that taking care of others actually yields health benefits, lowering stress levels, delivering more oxygen to the brain and relieving strain on the heart.

"Compassion is simply recognition of another's suffering," said James R. Doty, a neurosurgeon who heads Stanford University's Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education. "We know -- and evidence has borne this out -- that a person who cares for others actually has improved immune states and lower levels of stress hormones. When you are more compassionate and caring for others, you actually improve your physical and mental health, because there are mechanisms in us that actually improve when we care for others."

So maybe if Romney had more of the stuff he's advertising, he would be calm enough to think before he speaks and avoid costly gaffes. Maybe he would sleep better, and perform better on the stump. Maybe he would be better attuned to what is happening around him in the rooms where he is addressing voters, and in the country he seeks to govern.

Or maybe not. Romney is surely not invoking such an elevated conception in his campaign ads. He's just trying to win a few votes by draping a selfish impulse -- 'Quit wasting taxpayer money on lazy poor people!' -- in morally palatable language.

But if compassion is a tempting word for politicians to throw around, it is also a dangerous thing to claim for those who don't really have much of it, warn psychologists who have identified a clear backlash that tends to result.

"Viewers have the ability to feel that viscerally," Emma Seppala, associate director of the Stanford compassion center, tells me. "Romney may be better off sticking to sincerity. If he's sincerely compassionate, then great, people will buy it and his policies will reflect that. If he's pretending, however, he's likely going to make more enemies than friends and create discomfort among his viewers."

The one consolation for Romney in that scenario: If viewers feel discomfort, he probably won't notice. And if he does notice, he probably won't care.

Follow Peter S. Goodman on Twitter: www.twitter.com/petersgoodman

FOLLOW HEALTH AND FITNESS

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Judith J. Wurtman, PhD: Choosing Between Good Mood and Bad Weight

Judith J. Wurtman, PhD: Choosing Between Good Mood and Bad Weight

The woman's story was familiar. She had suffered on and off from depression most of her adult life. Often it was necessary to be on antidepressants for a year or more and then, as she explained, she would be well enough to stop taking them.... for a little while.

"I have resigned myself to needing treatment possibly for the rest of my life" she told me. "But what I cannot accept is the weight gain. I know it is caused by the drugs because as soon as I stop taking them, the weight comes off. But then I get depressed."

This woman -- let us call her Joanne -- is experiencing one of the more common side effects of antidepressants: weight gain. She is one of the lucky ones, as she rarely gains more than 30 pounds each time she starts on the drug. Some medications, such as those used for bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, can cause 100 or more pounds to be gained in a year. The mood disorders may be under control, but the subsequent weight gain produces its own constellation of problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, orthopedic pain, and an increased risk of infection.

People who become obese in association with their antidepressant or bipolar disorder treatment are not like others who struggle with eating issues all their adult life. Many of them had been thin before drug treatment; they ate healthy diets, and never had problems with cravings, controlling portion sizes, or exercising on a regular basis. When we saw such patients at our psychiatric hospital-based weight loss clinic, we often had to explain to them how to follow a diet, since many had never previously dieted in their lives.

There are no data on what percentage of people taking these medications become obese. But surveys from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have reported an astonishing large number of Americans 12 years of age and older who are taking antidepressant medications. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys conducted from 2005 to 2008 found that 11 percent of Americans are on these medications and of this group, more than 60 percent have been taking the antidepressants for two or more years. Apparently antidepressants are the third most common prescription drug taken by Americans of all ages during this timeframe. However, until surveys on the health of Americans inquire about a link between weight gain and antidepressant and related drug treatment, we can only speculate if these drugs are contributing to the obesity "epidemic."

But for Joanne and others whose weight gain is directly linked to antidepressant treatment, help should not have to wait until they become a statistic for help. The 11 percent of Americans who are on antidepressant medication, mood stabilizers and antipsychotic drugs may represent a sub-group within the population at risk for obesity. They are on these medications because of their illness, but they should not have to choose between weight gain and a stable mood.

Programs dealing with the special dieting needs of this population are not common. Perhaps it is, sadly, because they are viewed as obese individuals who simply have to stop eating fried cookies, bacon cheeseburgers, and 64-ounce sodas, and instead start a vigorous exercise program to lose weight. This simplistic approach works for no one, because the causes of obesity are complex. But those formerly thin individuals who now weigh 60 or 100 pounds more than they used to because of their medication need dietary advice that is compatible with their drug's effect on their brain neurotransmitters. Often the advice is non-existent, the individual is told to sign up for a generic weight-loss program, or given the wrong dietary advice. Several years ago, after our book The Serotonin Power Diet was published, I received a frantic phone call from a woman in the Midwest. She suffered from severe depression but responded to antidepressants. Unfortunately, she had gained over 50 pounds, and her doctor told her to lose weight by cutting out carbohydrates. "I read your book, the doctor told me and I know that my brain won't make any serotonin unless I eat carbohydrates. And my drugs need serotonin in my brain in order to work. But the doctor insisted and so I went on the Atkins diet. " Two weeks later, she told me, her depression increased and she was still unable to control her food intake.

Although some research has pointed to a possible interaction of some of these drugs with cells sites that normally control food intake, there is still remarkably little information as to why these drugs remove satiety and normal meal termination (jargon for not eating any more once you are full). Our approach has been to attempt to increase the brain's control of satiety through diet. Consuming small amounts of carbohydrates such as oatmeal, pasta, and/or bread eaten with little or no protein and fat, results in an increase in brain serotonin. And it is established that one of the functions of brain serotonin is to halt food intake.

We developed a food plan that increases serotonin at intervals through the day and found that patients at our weight management center were able to lose weight. Many of them were on two or three medications, each one of which caused weight gain, so their weight loss was significant. But to be effective, weight loss programs for the antidepressant user must also include exercise recommendations that are sensitive to the embarrassment many expressed at taking their suddenly overweight bodies to the gym.

Finally, support groups or workshops should be available so people who have suddenly moved from a normal weight to overweight or obese can share their experiences and give each other support. No one should have to choose between a good mood and a good weight.

For more by Judith J. Wurtman, Ph.D., click here.

For more on weight loss, click here.

Follow Judith J. Wurtman, PhD on Twitter: www.twitter.com/stopmed_wt_gain

FOLLOW HEALTH AND FITNESS

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Fewer Teens Are Doing This Dangerous (And Illegal) Activity

Fewer Teens Are Doing This Dangerous (And Illegal) Activity

Fewer teens are drinking and driving, according to a new government report.

Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that drunk driving among teens has decreased by 54 percent over the last 20 years.

The study included data from the national Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System between 1991 and 2011 (there were anywhere from 10,904 to 16,410 students who participated each year). Among the findings:

- In 2011, nine out of 10 teens ages 16 and older said that they didn't drink and drive.

- Binge drinking seemed to be linked with drunk driving in teens. Specifically, 85 percent of teens who said that they had driven under the influence of alcohol in the last month also said that they had participated in binge drinking (five or more drinks).

- High-school boys who were at least age 18 were the most likely to say that they'd driven drunk -- 18 percent -- while 16-year-old high-school girls were the least likely to say they'd driven drunk -- 6 percent.

"We are moving in the right direction. Rates of teen drinking and driving have been cut in half in 20 years," Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H., said in a statement. "But we must keep up the momentum -- one in 10 high school teens, aged 16 and older, drinks and drives each month, endangering themselves and others."

According to previous research reported by the CDC, more than 40 percent of high-schoolers have admitted to drinking alcohol in some amount over the previous month.

Also on HuffPost:

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Dr. David White, M.D.: How Much Sleep Do Students Actually Need?

Dr. David White, M.D.: How Much Sleep Do Students Actually Need?

The challenges of a new school year begin to enter the minds of students and parents around this time of year. Nobody wants to be set up for poor performance before the first bell even rings. However, poor sleep habits of elementary, middle and high school students are making them sluggish during the day, may hinder their success at school and will likely contribute to long-term health problems.

How much sleep do students actually need? There is some variability based on the needs of individual children. The generally established values are as follows:

Age (years)	Total Hours of Sleep	Typical Range
6	10.5	10-11
10	10	9.5-10.5
14	9.5	9-10
18	9	8.5-9.5

The subjective quality of feeling rested when waking up, or general sleep satisfaction, is difficult to quantify but may also impact performance. While most studies include imperfect and subjective metrics (such as subjective reports of sleep quality, variable measures of academic performance ranging from grade point average to teacher comments), the preponderance of data suggests that reduced total sleep time, erratic sleep schedules, poor sleep quality (difficulty falling asleep or waking up at night), and sleepiness during the day are all associated with poorer academic performance.[1],[2]

Most of these effects are small to moderate, with only modest correlation between grades and subjective sleep measures. Many other variables are likely to influence school performance including school size, family socioeconomic status, teacher salaries, school facilities, and student hours of employment, among others.

A large majority of students, especially those in middle school and high school, have a very hard time developing and keeping proper sleep habits. Adolescents and teenagers go to bed too late. Constant use of technology (Internet, television, text messages, etc.) and an "always plugged in" lifestyle contribute to many students' bedtime habits. There is increasing evidence that adolescents, particularly pubertal or post-pubertal teens, may have trouble falling asleep early enough to get adequate rest even if they are willing to try.

The explanation for this relates to a delay in circadian rhythm. The circadian clock in our brain drives many behaviors over the 24-hour daily cycle, one of which is when we sleep and when we are awake. If this clock dictates a late bedtime and late rise time (a so-called "delayed phase"), it is difficult to both fall asleep at night at a reasonable hour and get up in the morning in time for school. Why adolescents tend to have a delayed clock is just beginning to be understood.[3],[4]

Some students may have an actual sleep disorder. The common disorders in children and adolescents are insomnia and an extremely delayed circadian phase (as outlined above). Some students may have sleep apnea as well. These disorders can all affect sleep duration and sleep quality and contribute to poor performance during the day.

So, what can be done?

Promote consistent bedtime and wakeup routines. Children and adolescents should have enough time in bed to get the required sleep based on the numbers provided above. Consistent bedtime and wakeup time also promotes better sleep quality.

Turn off the light. Exposure to bright light in the evening tends to further delay the circadian clock making it more difficult to fall asleep at the desired bedtime. Softer lighting and less time in front of a computer screen is advisable in the evening.

Talk to a specialist. If the child or adolescent has consistent difficulty falling asleep or wakes up during the night with difficulty returning to sleep a physician's advice should be sought. This could be a true delayed sleep phase disorder or another type of insomnia. If there are signs that the student is sleepy during the day, the cause should be explored medically, particularly if the student appears to be getting adequate sleep at night.

As students get back into a school year routine, it is important to make sure everyone gets a passing grade in Sleep 101!

For more by Dr. David White, M.D., click here.

For more on sleep, click here.

References:

[1] Wolfson AR and Carskadon MA. Understanding adolescents' sleep patterns and school performance: a critical review. Sleep Med Rev 2003; 7: 491-506.

[2] Dewald JF, Meijer AM, Oort FJ, Kerkhof GA, and Bogels SM. The influence of sleep quality, sleep duration and sleepiness on school performance in children and adolescents: A meta-analytic review. Sleep Med Rev 2010; 14: 179-189.

[3] Hagenauer MH, Perryman JI, Lee TM, and Carskadon MA. Adolescent changes in the homeostatic and circadian regulation of sleep. Dev Neurosci 2009; 31: 276-284.

[4] Crowley SJ, Acebo C, and Carskadon MA. Sleep, circadian rhythms, and delayed phase in adolescence. Sleep Med 2007; 8: 602-612.

FOLLOW HEALTH AND FITNESS

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com