a healthier life

Vitamin D 'is mental health aid'

Vitamin D can help stave off the mental decline that can affect people in old age, a study suggests.

Source:Vitamin D 'is mental health aid'

How to Mentally Prepare Yourself to Quit Smoking

Do you want to quit smoking? Most people fail the first time, or even the 2nd or 3rd time, they try to quit smoking. How about you? Have you tried to stop smoking before and failed? Do you know why you failed to quit smoking? Chances are you didn’t mentally prepare yourself first. Read on to learn some tips to help you mentally prepare yourself first to quit smoking and increase your chances of success.

Do you really want to quit smoking?
The first question to ask yourself is what are the reasons why you want to quit smoking? If your answer is because someone told you it would be better for your health, it costs too much money, someone else wants you to quit or some other reason along those lines; chances are you probably won’t succeed. You have to really want it for you! Make a list of the reasons why YOU want to quit smoking for YOU.

Why do you like to smoke?
Now make a list of all of the reasons why you like to smoke. Is it the taste of the cigarette? Alone? With Coffee? After a meal? Or perhaps it’s the way it makes you feel. Happy? Pleasurable? Relaxed? Powerful? Important? Or perhaps smoking helps you not to feel. Does smoking numb your feelings? Reduce your feelings of stress? Or fear? Relieve your feelings of boredom? Or loneliness? Whatever the reasons, write them down.

What will you substitute for smoking?
Next you need to decide what you’ll substitute for smoking. Yes, you can get a nicotine substitute for the physical sensations you’ll feel when you quit. But what are you going to substitute for the emotional sensations you’ll feel when you quit smoking? Next to each reason you listed why you like to smoke, write down something you can do to generate those same or similar sensations or feelings.

Some suggestions are:
- Surround yourself with positive, supportive people who will help you feel good about yourself.
- Take up a new hobby such as knitting, model airplanes, scrapbooking or puzzles; anything that will keep your hands and mind busy, generate feelings of pleasure and give you a sense of accomplishment.
- Incorporate physical activity into your daily routine. Whether it’s a 10 minute walk or a bike ride with your kids, any activity that will support your efforts to quit, reduce your stress level and improve your overall health.

Following the tips covered in this article may increase your chances of successfully becoming a non-smoker. What are the reasons you really, really, want to quit for YOU? Why do you like to smoke? What else can you substitute to generate those sensations or feelings that you get from smoking? Remember, if you want to increase your odds of successfully quitting smoking, become emotionally ready first.

Acupuncture 'works for headaches'

Traditional acupuncture is effective at preventing headaches, a scientific review finds – but so is a sham form.

Source:Acupuncture 'works for headaches'

Can you spot a cute baby? Well apparently men cannot

Woman can instinctively tell if a baby is cute or not, whereas men cannot, according to research.

Source:Can you spot a cute baby? Well apparently men cannot

Staying calm 'prevents dementia'

People who are more laid back are less likely to develop dementia in old age, a study suggests.

Source:Staying calm 'prevents dementia'

Anxiety Panic Attacks

Just ask anyone who has ever suffered from an anxiety panic attacks just how horrible it feels. Many of us have probably had one and just didn’t know what it was. According to statistics by www.anxietypanic.com, one out of every seventy-five people worldwide will experience anxiety panic attacks once in their lives. Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress, but when anxiety becomes excessive, even routine situations become dreaded. At this point, it has become debilitating; anxiety is now panic with sudden surges of overwhelming fear that occur without warning or reason. Palpitations, hyperventilation, dizziness, chest pain, headache, tingling of the hands or arms, feeling sweaty or nauseous, and the immediate need to get the heck out of where ever you are and fast, are just a few of the most common symptoms of a panic attack.

These feelings of impending doom are not easy to get rid of once they start, especially when you’re sitting in a room full of people, or when you’re in the middle of Wal-Mart screaming silently in your head. Depersonalization and derealization can also occur with panic, like you are living in a dream, feeling that you are not really a part of what is going on around you, that you’re detached and looking from the outside in. As symptoms continue and intensify, avoidance behavior develops which can produce agoraphobia, causing the sufferer to restrict social interaction and retreat to safety until total withdrawal occurs. It’s important for people with anxiety panic attacks to learn all they can and be knowledgeable about the illness and the available treatments. There are many theories about what causes anxiety and panic disorder; is it biological, psychological or psychodynamic, that is, is the disorder caused by a past experience or trauma?

The most commonly used treatments for anxiety, panic attacks, and phobias is a combination of medication and psychotherapy, including cognitive therapy to change negative thought processes and behavioral therapy to change daily habits. There are also drug-free therapies to induce relaxation, release tension, lower blood pressure, slow heart rate and breathing, in addition to meditation, hypnotherapy to overcome specific phobias, and other alternative therapies. For the most recent research and more about anxiety panic attacks and related topics, go online to National Panic & Anxiety Disorder News at www.npadnews.com. Information is updated regularly about new conventional and alternative treatments for anxiety disorders. If you feel like you have, or could be developing anxiety panic attacks, go online and take a self-screening test at one of many informative sites to see if your symptoms indicate an anxiety disorder.

Men 'can fight food urges better'

Men are more likely than women to be able to resist a plate full of tempting treats, US research suggests.

Source:Men 'can fight food urges better'

'Tragedy' of maternal death

Women in poor nations are 300 times more likely to die due to childbirth or pregnancy complications, Unicef warns.

Source:'Tragedy' of maternal death

Insomnia: Put It to Rest

Are you unsatisfied with your quality of sleep? Do you feel tired and un-refreshed on waking in the morning? Do you stay that way throughout the day or lack energy and have difficulty concentrating?

The World Health Organization says that one-third of the world’s population experience insomnia at some stage in their lives, with approximately five per cent needing medical treatment.

To avoid medical intervention, try these natural techniques and remedies, and help put your insomnia to rest.

Relaxation
Relax before going to bed. Do some deep breathing, listen to soft music. According to Dr. Timothy Sharp from Sydney University, avoiding caffeine, alcohol and nicotine will also help.

Bedtime routine
Develop a bedtime routine so your body knows it’s time to go to sleep. By winding down your physical activities and following a set routine prior to bed, your body will start to associate some of these actions with going to sleep. Start with a cup of hot milk. Milk contains a protein called tryptophan, which helps to promote sleep. This can be substituted with chamomile tea, which is known to calm the nerves. Follow this with a hot bath or shower, the heat will help to lower your internal body temperature, again telling your body to go to sleep.

For sleeping only
Make your bedroom your sleep-room. Turn the lights off as soon as you get into bed. Don’t read, eat or watch television in your bedroom, or do any activity that is not sleep related. Make sure the room is dark and cozy; include extra pillows on the bed and even some teddy bears. Make your bedroom into a sleep sanctuary, a room that you will instantly feel secure and comfortable in, and best of all, a room that you will crave to sleep in.

Clear your mind
Clear your mind of the day’s activities or things that are due to be done tomorrow. Write a ‘to do’ list for the following day. Organize uniforms, lunches, etc … the night before. Make arrangements earlier than usual so you don’t worry.

Mind demons
Kill all the mind demons from yesteryear. Many of us have issues or events from the past that may still affect our daily lives. These issues can also mess up our sleeping patterns. Whatever these issues may be, now might be a good time to finally set things straight; forgive that person, give back that item, start talking to that family member again (or even make that appointment to see a psychologist if necessary).

Give time back to yourself
Allow time to sleep. Instead of trying to cram as much as you can into the day then find you haven’t left much time to sleep, try to find short cuts or solutions to give a little time back to yourself. Make a double casserole and freeze half for another night. Spot clean the house as you go. Have more barbecues, using paper plates (less washing-up). Offer to pay the kids, or the neighbour’s kids, to do some extra chores.

Check your diet
A balanced diet helps to make a balanced mind. If you’re lacking in essential vitamins and minerals your body cannot operate at its best. Throw out the junk food and fizzy drinks, and make a new start to good physical and mental health. Add in some regular exercise and watch your body respond with some improved sleep.

Get up
Don’t lie in bed if you can’t sleep. If you don’t feel sleepy enough to drift off, your mind will probably anguish over the fact that you can’t get to sleep. This will only make it harder to get to sleep each time you experience this. Get out of bed and go into a different room. Do something to distract yourself until you do start to feel sleepy and then try to sleep again later.

Medications to watch
Medications may interfere with your sleep. It has been shown that some of the medications below may cause sleep problems. Check with your doctor if you are experiencing insomnia and are also taking any of these medications – amphetamines (diet pills), antidepressants, beta blockers (heart and blood pressure), cimetidine (ulcers), clonidine (blood pressure), cortisone, diuretics (fluid), levodopa (parkinsons), methyldopa (blood pressure) and ventolin (asthma).

Above all, de-stress. Sharp says that stress is the worst cause of insomnia. Use some of the techniques above and try to remove as much stress out of your life as possible, and finally put your insomnia to rest.

'Body double' aids stroke victims

A virtual “body double” system has been developed by Dutch researchers to help people regain movement after a stroke.

Source:'Body double' aids stroke victims