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Your Life-Your Choice Issue 64
Your Life-Your Choice ISSN
1488-0253 October, 2000
Issue 64
Letter From the Editor
All through time stress has played a role in our lives. The
challenged economic environment that we live in today is a
perfect recipe for stress overload in many individuals. When
faced with stressful situations, the body produces an increased
amount of cortisol and epinephrine. This influx of hormones
affects a number of other facets in our body that are geared to
maintaining optimum health. It is becoming more evident that if
stress is not dealt with properly, it manifests itself into a
number of common disorders.
Aside from the obvious psychological turmoil, unmanaged stress
is believed to be a contributing factor in other health issues
such as asthma, migraines, depression, arthritis, diabetes,
ulcers, heart disease, and even digestive problems. Recurring
attacks of genital herpes may even be the result of stress
overload. Relaxation Therapy can offer some effective techniques
in learning to manage stress. Simple strategies can be learned
through self help books or in a Relaxation Therapy class. They
could be as simple as sitting for 15 minutes in a reclining
chair with closed eyes while you repeat the word "one" silently
each time you exhale.
A more active technique consists of focusing on one specific
area of the body, tensing all the muscles in that area, then
relaxing them. Usually this is started in the head, then you
move down to each other body part until and including the feet.
Controlled breathing is emphasized in most relaxation
techniques. You may decide to opt for a more sophisticated
version of progressive relaxation or formalized transcendental
meditation. It is important to get proper instruction through a
class, a book, or a professional to prevent hyperventilation
which may complicate the anxiety or stress. Thirty minutes of
vigorous, aerobic exercise completed three or more times per
week is helpful in controlling stress. Side benefits of this
include maintaining weight control, cardiovascular fitness, and
diabetes control.
Until next time... the best of health to you,
-----
Sources Columbia University - The Fundamentals of Good
Health The Canadian Medical Association Home Medical
Encyclopedia
Brigitte Synesael Editor of Your Life-Your Choice Make it
your business to be informed! No one cares more about you than
YOU. http://www.Life-Choices.com
===========================================
ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE:
1. School, Nutrition and Your Youngster 2. Editor's Pick 3.
Ask Garlic 4. Mood and Memory Wellness: How to be Spirited and
Sharp for 100 Years! (Part 4)
===========================================
Section 1 School, Nutrition and Your Youngster
by June Kaminski, RN MSN
http://www.visionsofadonai.com
It's a well known fact that balanced nutrition is important for
normal child development. Making sure that children receive all
of the nutrients they need on a consistent basis can be one of
the hardest and over time, longest tasks that any parent faces.
For what ever reason, a child's foods preferences often are not
the most nutritious ones. Once a child reaches school age, it is
even more of a challenge to ensure that the bulk of a child's
daily food intake is healthy and nutritious.
Somehow, children need to learn to value wholesome food. They
need to know what their daily food requirements are, and find
this important enough to feed themselves in a nutritious way.
Parents and teachers together can help this to happen. Health
care professionals can help as well. An important part of any
learning, especially when it comes to food, is to make it fun
and delicious. A variety of choices is also important. Children
who develop a taste for wholesome foods will ask for them, and
not trade them with other school children for less healthy
choices.
Breakfast: Start the Day Off Right Recent studies suggest that a
nutritious breakfast can make all the difference in your child's
school performance and ability to focus and learn in school. It
also helps to meet your child's daily nutrition requirements.
It's important to allow time in the morning for preparation as
well as eating. When time is at a premium, yogurt and fruit or
fruit and whole grain cereal with milk can be a quick nutritious
solution. Another key is to offer a variety of selections. There
are many quick and healthy foods that can start the day off
right.
Lunch Fortifies for Sustained Energy School lunches can be a
challenge for parents and a source of battle with your children.
It's not easy to keep their lunches tasty, interesting and
healthy. It takes some ingenuity and time, but lunch can be a
source of good nutrition and food pleasure. Let your child help
you plan the lunch menu for the week ahead. Think of the five
food groups and what you can afford. Although sandwiches are the
usual standby, your child can get their carbohydrates, protein
and vitamins from alternative sources. Crackers, homemade
popcorn, bagels and pretzels can all replace bread. Cut up
fruits and vegetables with dip often appeal to children. Yogurt,
cheese and creamed soups (in a thermos) can add calcium and
protein to their midday meal.
Let your child help you choose what to pack for lunch. Buy a
small chalkboard or erasable writing board and have them list
what they like in their lunch. Divide the list into categories,
such as "Sandwichs & Such", "Fruits & Veggies", "Drinks" and
"Snacks". This not only helps them feel in control, but reduces
wastage (no throwing things away and less trading) plus helps
them learn to plan a balanced meal. You can do the same for
breakfast and supper too!
Once your child is in middle and high school, they may well wish
to eat cafeteria food for lunch. Depending on the school
program, this may or may not be a healthy alternative. Some
schools take pains to provide nutritionally sound balanced meals
for an affordable price. Many though, serve high-fat,
high-sugar, low-fiber meals that cost a lot and meet little of
your quickly growing adolescent's needs. You may need to
negotiate with your child to bring at least a partial lunch,
with some nutritional food purchased at school. It's best not to
lecture young folk about nutrition, but foster an interest in it
by showing them how delicious high quality, nutritional food can
taste. Let their own sense of taste pleasure lure them into the
realm of balanced and wholesome foods.
It takes diligence and knowledge, but you too can feel good
about your child's eating habits and food choices. Helping them
to learn to make good choices is half the work. Providing
healthy and delicious alternatives is the other half. It can
make all the difference in your child's ability to learn, to
resist the usual childhood and seasonal illnesses, and grow up
knowing how to keep themselves nutritionally healthy.
-----
Resources The Food Pyramid for Children from the American
Dietetic Association is a visual tool you can use to teach your
child about their nutritional needs. Available at:
http://www.eatright.org/child/pyramid.html
Schoolmenu.com at http://www.schoolmenu.com/ gives kids an
online place to have fun while learning about nutrition and how
to eat to do well at school. Colorful, interactive and
educational.
Life Long Healthy Eating from the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention at http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dash/nutguide.htm
offers parents research-based guidelines on nutrition through
the entire lifespan.
Creative Lunches for the Back to School Season from the American
Diabetes Association offers some interesting and new ideas for
tasty lunches at:
http://www.diabetes.org/nutrition/article080198.asp
Sack Lunches from the Good Karma Cafe gives great ideas for
lunches at
http://www.goodkarmacafe.com/articles/Mar97/sacklunches.shtml.
Wonderful for kids, teens and working Moms and Dads too!
The eGG's Back to School Family Handbook offers loads of
information on planning quality meals for school aged children
at http://secure.foodwine.com/food/egg/egg0997/backschool.html
Fast Finicky Foods offers quick, ingenius alternatives for
nutritious breakfasts at
http://www.wral-tv.com/features/healthteam/finicky-recipes/breakfast/breakfastrecipes.html
-----
Read about June Kaminski on our Meet the Team page;
http://www.Life-Choices.com/team.html
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Section 2 Editor's Pick
I found a very unique service online that you've got to try! It
takes you through a self-examination, guided by online software,
to look for early signs of disease. When it finds any early
signs of disease, it gives you a full report showing simple and
natural steps to restore balance to your system. The whole
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you! http://www.mindxpansion.com/rebalance/
***************************************
Section 3
Dear Garlic,
What with the colder weather and all, I was considering if I
should still eat salads, wear sandals and generally try to stay
cheerful despite the time of year. Then I remembered it would
soon be Christmas shopping, large crowds and an empty wallet!
How can I shake off the doldrums now?
signed Dolly Defeated
~~~~~
Dear Dolly Defeated,
Don't be sad! It's a great idea to eat salads all winter with
soups, sandwiches, and for a snack. Sandals can be worn
indoors or in the sunroom. Remember how much chocolate you
will eat on Valentines Day, and then there's the Easter Bunny
buying a new hat. All those boxes of Kleenex you've bought to
cry over your tax return looking ahead there's mothers Day,
Fathers Day, and a humid summer. The list is endless, so keep
smiling, your wallet is going to be empty all year any way. So
you might as well go shopping and enjoy it!
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Section 4 Mood and Memory Wellness:
How to be Spirited and Sharp for 100
Years! Part 4
By Dr. John H. Maher
http://www.rxforwellness.com
Over 50
If you're over age 50, starting with an hgh secretagogue,
a mega-multi-vitamin/mineral and gingko biloba may be best,
as gingko biloba improves circulation to the aging brain, lifting
mood and protecting the memory. Ginkgo extract improves the
brain's utilization of oxygen and enhances neurotransmitter
activity, the chemicals that enable brain and nervous system
functions. Ginkgo improves memory, enhances mental alertness,
and also increases mental energy. It is being recommended to
treat tinnitis, dizziness, cataracts, macular degeneration, diabetic
neuropathy, senility and Alzheimer's disease, as well as
depression. Gingko is an antioxidant and a natural anti-stroke
blood thinner containing PAF, platelet anti-aggregation factor.
Indeed it should not be taken with other blood thinners w/o your
prescribing doctor's OK. Also, let your doctor and dentist know
before any surgeries!
Gingko also increases circulation to the extremities. As such
it is used for intermittent claudicating and Raynaud's disease.
Ginkgo is a specific for erectile dysfunction if the cause is
vascular, as it most commonly is. Interestingly, Gingko appears
to be even more sexually stimulating to women than men.
Ginkgo extract has been found to be 84 percent effective in
treating sexual dysfunction due to depression. Ginkgo also is
effective in enhancing all four phases of sexual arousal.
Gingko should always be standardized, containing at least
24% glycosides and 6% terpenes.
Gingko is usually taken at 60 mg twice a day, though more
stubborn or advanced problems call for 120 mg twice a day.
Generally, ginkgo is considered safe for long-term use in
recommended dosages, but higher doses (above 240 mg a day)
can lead to intoxication or disorientation.
In rare cases, ginkgo may cause headache, irritability, restlessness,
diarrhea, headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, or vertigo. These
effects are usually mild and transient.
After three to five weeks, re-assess your feelings. If you are doing
well continue. If not, then try St John's Wort fortified with folic
acid and B-12 and/or 5-HTP instead of Gingko Biloba, as explained
below.
Serotonin Enhancers
Much depression is related to dysregulation
of the neurotransmitter, serotonin. This major brain messenger
provides feelings of competence, calmness, satiation and
satisfaction. Many common anti-depressant drugs, such as MOA
inhibitors and SSRI's, are designed to increase serotonin.
Mono-amine oxide inhibitors inhibit an enzyme that breaks down
serotonin. Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors prevent
serotonin from being re-absorbed thus again increasing brain
levels. Eating carbohydrates can raise serotonin, which explains
many a late night raid of the refrigerator and cookie jar! St
John's Wort and 5- HTP are two natural products that increase
serotonin levels as well, and with much fewer side effects.
If gingko was not successful or you are under 50 a good place to
start (and the most economical one as well) is by using a
mega-multi-vitamin/mineral (iron free) and standardized St
John's Wort fortified with extra folic acid and B-12. Extra
folic acid and B12, are the precursors (building blocks) to SAMe
(S-adenosylmethionine), a new but very expensive natural mood
elevator from Europe. They are often deficient, especially in
the geriatric population. Take one tablet, containing 450 mg of
standardized St John's Wort fortified with B9 and B12, morning
and night.
Men over 40 and women at or past the 'change-of-life
may add a hgh enhancer and sex hormones as explained above.
Understand, however, that you have to be patient with St John's
Wort because it does take three to five weeks for the maximum
effect of this herbal + vitamin formula to be felt.
If you need something that takes effect more rapidly, and can handle
the extra expense, you can choose 5-HTP. As noted above, 5-HTP is
particularly indicated in those with low mood combined with poor
quality sleep and carbohydrate and sweet cravings. Start with 50
mg early AM and late PM. For some people, 5-HTP's mild
tranquilizing effect is not desirable during the day. A viable
alternative is to take St John's Wort in the day and one 5-HTP
at night. Some people may need up to 100 mg of 5 HTP three times
a day to get the desired effect.
After three to five weeks, again re-assess your feelings.
If you are still not having success, or your depression is related to
large amounts of anxiety causing stress, worry and tension, and
especially if marked by failing memory, consider the combination of
phosphatidylserine, DHEA and pregnenolone. These products are
'nootropics' (smart nutrients) which improve learning and
memory, reduce fatty deposits in aging nerve cells (lipofuscin),
and even support nerve and memory regeneration while relieving
stress caused depression. An Adrenal Stress Index (ASI) is
salivary hormone test that will pin point the supplementation
protocol that is best for the stage of stress you are suffering.
If still not improving after trying several of the above,
consider at such a time talking to your physician or a
mental-health counselor about using conventional
antidepressants.
-----
Read about Dr. John H. Maher on our Meet the Team page;
http://www.Life-Choices.com/team.html
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provided for educational purposes only. It is provided with the
understanding that authors and contributors are not offering
medical advice or services. We strongly encourage you to
consult with your own physician regarding any recommendations
with respect to your own medical condition. Advertisement in
the Your Life- Your Choice newsletter does not indicate
endorsement on our part. The opinions expressed by our sponsors
do not necessarily reflect our own.
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