Make Mental Health Your Priority Every Month

By Felicia Wong, M.D



As the month of May comes to an end, make a promise to yourself that personal mental wellness will remain a daily priority.  Mental Health America has been working for 100 years to promote well-being for all Americans and recently developed a resource called 10 Tools to Live Your Life Well based on extensive scientific evidence.

Each day, we face all sorts of demands and drama which can lead to insomnia, lack of concentration, problems in our relationships, and other mental health issues. 

These "10 Tools" provide proven, healthy ways to cope with stress and boost your overall well-being.  Make a commitment to follow this list and feel more relaxed, fulfilled, and focused long after Mental Heath Month is over. . .  

1) Connect with Others. People who feel connected are happier and healthier--and may even live longer.

2) Stay Positive. People who regularly focus on the positive in their lives are less upset by painful memories.

3) Get Physically Active. Exercise can help relieve insomnia and reduce depression.

4) Help Others. People who consistently help others experience less depression, greater calm, and fewer pains.

5) Get Enough Sleep. Not getting enough rest increases risks of weight gain, accidents, reduced memory, and heart problems.

6) Create Joy and Satisfaction. Positive emotions can boost your ability to bounce back from stress.

7) Eat Well. Eating healthy food and regular meals can increase your energy, lower the risk of developing certain diseases, and influence your mood.

8) Take Care of Your Spirit. People who have strong spiritual lives may be healthier and live longer. Spirituality seems to cut the stress that can contribute to disease.

9) Deal Better with Hard Times. People who can tackle problems or get support in a tough situation tend to feel less depressed.

10) Get Professional Help if You Need It. More than 80 percent of people who are treated for depression improve.

So now you know the tools. . . Today is the perfect time to start incorporating this list into your day-to-day routine.  For more information, go to http://www.liveyourlifewell.org/ . 

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Posted in: anxiety,balance,coping,depression,exercise,faith,Felicia Wong MD,getting help,happiness,health,healthy eating,mental health,mood,sleep,therapy,worry

Why Women Must Exercise for Mental Health

By Claudia Reardon, M.D.





Exercise has mental health benefits for men and women of all ages.  However, there are unique factors to consider in thinking about the mental health benefits of exercise for women in particular.  Compared to men, women have a two-fold increased prevalence of major depression throughout their reproductive life cycle.  Exercise can be a very useful treatment for depression in women at any of a number of different times in their lives:   

• During pregnancy and breastfeeding:  Depression is highly prevalent in women of childbearing age.  Medications are often necessary to treat moderate to severe depression.  However, many women wish to avoid treatment with medications during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.  At least one study has shown that women who exercised regularly reported less depression in the first and second trimesters compared with women who did not exercise.  The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has recommended 30 minutes of moderate exercise on most days.

• During the postpartum period:  Exercise can also help to treat and prevent postpartum depression.  One study has shown that postpartum women who exercised three times per week had less depression than postpartum women who did not exercise. 

• During the premenstrual period:  Exercise can be useful to treat physical and emotional premenstrual symptoms.  It is less clear if exercise by itself can treat the most severe of premenstrual syndromes (called “premenstrual dysphoric disorder”), but it is still a first-line treatment strategy that most physicians would recommend. 

• During menopause:  Several studies have shown that aerobic exercise can improve both depression and insomnia occurring during menopause.  Additionally, lower intensity exercise such as yoga has been shown to improve psychological well-being in menopausal women.

Importantly, women may experience barriers to exercise.  Here are some examples of these barriers, and strategies to help address them:

• Childcare issues:  Women are often responsible for childcare, which makes it difficult for them to find opportunities to exercise.  Gyms that offer childcare services can be helpful.  Also, partners can share the workload. 

• Intimidation:  Some women may feel uncomfortable working out in the coed environment of a gym.  Consider taking women-only exercise classes, or walking or doing other exercise with women exercise buddies.

• Self-consciousness about appearance:  If a woman is already uncomfortable about her appearance, then she might worry that she’s drawing even more attention to her body by exercising, especially if wearing skimpy sports clothes.  One strategy is to try walking, which can be done almost anywhere and in almost any type of clothing.

• Guilt:  Women, especially those who are family caretakers, sometimes describe feeling guilty about taking time for themselves to exercise.  Remember, it is not a selfish thing to exercise.  You are taking time to improve your physical and emotional health, which will allow you to more effectively be there for others.  Besides, you deserve to experience the benefits of exercise!   

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Posted in: Claudia Reardon MD,exercise,mental well-being,postpartum depression,PPD,women

Athletes Suffer from Depression Too

By Claudia L. Reardon, M.D.

Athletes don’t get depressed, right? After all, they are so physically fit and healthy that they must be equally emotionally healthy. Unfortunately, this is not true. Just like the rest of us, athletes can be at risk for depression. This is the case all the way from the school-aged child playing on a recreational team, up to the professional athlete who makes a living playing his or her sport.



Whenever we see a news story about a famous athlete with depression or an athlete who has committed suicide, it tends to come as a big surprise since athletes tend to be glamorized and admired in our society. However, here are some things we know about the reality of depression in athletes:



1. Athletes seem to be at least as likely as the general population to suffer from depression.

2. Athletes who suffer multiple concussions are up to four times as likely as other athletes to suffer depression. Athletes in some sports, including football, hockey, and soccer, are especially likely to suffer concussions.



3. Overtraining syndrome can occur in athletes who are seriously training for an event and do so beyond the body’s ability to recover. Overtraining can look very similar to depression and can actually lead to full-blown depression. Like depression, overtraining can include fatigue, insomnia, appetite change, weight loss, difficulties with motivation, and poor concentration. Overtrained athletes usually notice that their sports performance worsens. They may develop more injuries; experience muscle and joint pain, and lose enthusiasm for their sport. If an athlete is overtrained, the treatment is usually to cut back on physical activity or do cross training at a lower intensity until the symptoms start to improve. If overtraining leads to full-blown depression, medication and/or talk therapy may also be helpful.



4. Besides concussions and overtraining, other common factors that can lead to depression in athletes include injuries, competitive failure, aging, retirement from sport, and the same daily stressors that can lead to depression in the general population.



5. In recent years, athletes across several sports have started to open up about their struggles with depression. Hopefully this will help athletes with depression to feel better about seeking help for this disorder.

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Posted in: athletes,Claudia Reardon MD,concussion,depression,exercise,sports,stigma

Strong Legs Critical to Health

Strength, Endurance, Balance

NEW: February 2011 -
While traditional Chinese exercise for toning legs requires no weights or exercise equipment, there are many excellent Chinese-style exercises that can tone, firm and strengthen your legs from your thighs to your ankles. SOURCE

Cirque du Soleil
 
NEW: 24 September 2010 -
from Matthew Scott, Chinese Health Exercises

According to traditional Chinese medical wisdom you are only as old as your legs.

Chinese medical wisdom also says if you strengthen your legs you can slow down the affects of aging and stop certain health problems.

Naturally, there are many traditional Chinese exercises to strengthen your legs. These are done using your bodyweight only. Some are so easy anyone can do them, while others you may need to build up to.

The benefits of strong, flexible legs include:

1. Better support for your whole body

2. Better balance

3. Less chance of leg and lower back pain

Traditional Chinese leg exercises do more than this though. They stimulate important energy meridians in your legs and these meridians are linked to certain internal organs like your spleen, liver and kidneys.

Do the exercises and you benefit your legs AND your internal organs.

Exercise in the traditional Chinese sense also includes techniques like self-massage and acupressure. These techniques involve pressing and rubbing specific points and areas on your legs (and other body areas) to improve circulation, stop pain, increase flexibility and more. 

There are two programs on the site showing you on video traditional Chinese exercises for the legs. There is the Long Life Exercise Programfor overall better health and the Knee Exercises Program aimed specifically at the legs.

from January 2010 - Do You Have Strong Legs?

Lower-body strength translates into good balance, flexibility, and endurance.

As you get older, those attributes are key to reducing your risk of falls and injuries -- particularly hip fractures, which often quickly lead to declining health. Up to 20% of hip-fracture patients die within 1 year because of complications from the trauma.

"Having weak thigh muscles is the number one predictor of frailty in old age," says Robert Butler, MD, president of the International Longevity Center USA in New York City.

Here's one of many suggestions to strengthen them, I know this exercise as "wall sitting".

"Target your quads with the "phantom chair" move, says Joan Price, author of The Anytime, Anywhere Exercise Book. Here's how: Stand with back against wall. Slowly walk feet out and slide back down until you're in a seated position, ensuring knees aren't beyond toes and lower back is pressed against wall. Hold until your thighs tell you, Enough! Do this daily, increasing your hold by a few seconds each time."

I do some sort of leg strengthening exercise daily because, as a writer for most of my time, I do a lot of sitting.

One resource I like is http://www.chinese-holistic-health-exercises.com/

And there's more here.

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Posted in: exercise,prevent hip fracture,strong legs

Exercise 180+ minutes weekly for better bones

Exercise Forestalls Bone Loss

Exercise can forestall osteoporosis

ScienceDaily (2010-05-08) -- The stage for osteoporosis is set well before menopause -- but exercise can help rewrite the script, according to researchers. They hypothesize that higher levels of follicle-stimulating hormone decrease bone mineral density by influencing the production of cytokines. ... > read full article

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Posted in: bone health,exercise,exercise for bone health

"Green Exercise" 5 minutes a day for better mental health!

by Felicia K. Wong, M.D.



Researchers from the University of Essex found that as little as five minutes of a "green activity" can boost mood and self esteem. Jules Pretty and Jo Barton, who led this study, looked at data from 1,252 people of different ages, genders and mental health status taken from 10 existing studies in Britain.



They analyzed "green activities" such as walking, gardening, cycling, fishing, boating, horse-riding and farming. They found that the greatest health changes occurred in the young and the mentally ill, although people of all ages and social groups benefited.



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

Dr. Wong enjoying a spring stroll through the Portland Japanese Garden

Portland Japanese Garden



 

 

 





May is Mental Health month and these are all great activities to do during May and throughout the year!

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Posted in: exercise,health

Healthy Eating

by Felicia K. Wong, M.D.



In my previous blog post, I brought up the importance of exercise as an effective treatment for depression. Today, I’d like to focus on another aspect of lifestyle that you can control to improve how you feel about yourself:



Healthy Eating.



Psychiatric medications and mental illness can pose a double threat to maintaining healthy weight. A common challenge faced by people with mental illness is weight gain. Some psychiatric medications can stimulate appetite and lead to overeating. Others cause sedation, decreasing your energy expenditure and calories burned. Mood disorders have been shown to create carbohydrate cravings because carbs increase serotonin, a chemical that makes us feel better. Eating too many carb-rich foods can lead to repetitive episodes of weight gain or failure to succeed on weight loss regimens.

For people with mental illness, proper nutrition is extremely important to overall health. Weight gain is not only detrimental to emotional health, as it can lead to poor self-esteem and worsening depression - it can also be physically dangerous, increasing the risk for many medical problems including diabetes, heart disease, osteoarthritis, hypertension and gallbladder disease.

Here are some basic tips to jumpstart a healthier diet and promote weight loss:

1. Read the food label.



2. Pay attention to portion size.



3. Eat slowly to give the stomach time to signal the brain when it's full.



4. Eat more frequent small meals and snacks to lower insulin levels, reducing the production of body fat.



5. Differentiate between stomach and psychological hunger. Try not to soothe your negative feelings with food.



6. Reduce fast food intake.



7. Minimize soft drinks with sugar and other high calorie beverages.

8. Eat more fruits, whole grain, vegetables, lean meat, fish, and poultry.



9. Prepare food by broiling or baking more often instead of frying.



10. Keep food/activity diaries.



Start the New Year out with a resolution to eat healthier and lose weight!

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Posted in: exercise,healthy eating

Aging and Your Health

One very interesting item I came across in my research about 6 years ago was regarding maintinaing muscle mass as you age.

"ELIXIR GIVES ELDERLY MUSCLE" - Senior citizens could avoid aches & pains by taking athletes' natural amino acid supplements. These also help prevent muscle wasting after chemotherapy.  Contact us for excellent quality Natural Amino Acid Supplements

Prof. Melinda Sheffield-Moore led the research at University of Texas. She said that a burden of ageing is weakness & muscle wasting. Muscle mass increased by 2-4% in the elderly given small amounts of amino acids, even without additional exercise. She said that with exercise this would strengthen muscles even more. While there isn't necessarily one age where you wake up feeling old, 45 does seem to be an important age when it comes to cardio fitness. In one study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers studied over 20,000 men and women from 1974 to 2006. They looked at lifestyle variables such as body mass index, self-reported aerobic exercise, and smoking while measuring their cardio fitness by using a treadmill test. Researchers found that cardio fitness declines over time, but goes down hill at a faster rate after 45 years of age, at least for those participants who didn't exercise.

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Posted in: amino acids,exercise,muscle wasting. aging

Exercise - An effective treatment for mild to moderate depression

By Felicia K. Wong



We’ve all heard it before - “Exercise is good for you”. As holiday eating can lead to unwanted pounds, “Getting more exercise” will be a common New Year’s resolution. However, did you know that exercise has the potential to do wonders for your mental health?



Studies have found that regular exercise can be just as important as medication and therapy for the treatment of mild to moderate depression.



Exercise causes the body to release endorphins, natural chemicals that can reduce your perception of pain. Endorphins can trigger positive feelings and improve your mood quickly.



Regular exercise has been shown to relieve the symptoms of depression by:



- reducing stress



- increasing your energy level



- improving your sleep



- improving your physical fitness, which can improve your self esteem



- providing a distraction from anxiety and feelings of depression



- increasing your sense of mastery and control over your life



It can be difficult to motivate yourself to start moving when you’re feeling down. The goal is to exercise at least 20-30 minutes, three times a week to reap the maximum benefits of exercise for depression. But even a few minutes a day can help boost your mood! Here are some tips to help you get started:



Keep it simple! Set simple and realistic goals. You can start by getting outside and walking around the block. Increase the duration of exercise a little bit each day.



Choose an activity that you enjoy. Walking, biking, yoga – find something that appeals to you.



Keep it interesting. Vary the exercise so you don’t get bored.



Keep it cheap. Unless you plan to use them regularly, avoid buying a health club memberships or expensive equipment. Go outside, get active and enjoy the fresh air!



Make it social. Find friends to exercise with - talking to people will keep it fun and help you stay motivated.



Stick with it! If you exercise regularly, it will become part of your lifestyle and help reduce your depression.



Seeing your doctor is an important step in dealing with depression, and you should discuss treatment options including medication and therapy. However, exercise can be an important additional tool that can provide you with immediate and long-term relief from depression.

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Posted in: depression,exercise