Posts Tagged ‘health’

Going Nuts

Depression and anxiety treatment has proven to be ineffective. An increasing number of U.S. adults are being prescribed combinations of antidepressants and antipsychotic medications, according to a report in the January issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Facts

To examine patterns and trends in psychotropic polypharmacy-or the prescription of more than one psychiatric medication-Ramin Mojtabai, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., of Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, and Mark Olfson, M.D., M.P.H., of Columbia University Medical Center and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, analyzed data collected from a national sample of office-based psychiatry practices. The number of medications prescribed and specific medication combinations were assessed from a total of 13,079 office visits to psychiatrists by adults (18 years or older) between 1996 and 2006.

Overall, there was an increase in the number of psychotropic medications prescribed during office visits. Between 1996 to 1997 and 2005 to 2006, the percentage of visits at which two or more medications were prescribed increased from 42.6 percent to 59.8 percent and the percentage of visits at which three or more medications were prescribed increased from 16.9 percent to 33.2 percent. In addition, the median (midpoint) number of medications prescribed at each visit increased from one to two (an average increase of 40.1 percent).

“While the evidence for added benefit of antipsychotic polypharmacy is limited, there is growing evidence regarding the increased adverse effects associated with such combinations,” the authors write. For example, some combinations have resulted in increases in body weight and total cholesterol level, whereas others may be associated with an increase in fasting blood glucose level.

Truth

A small new study provides more evidence that, on average, antidepressants may be little more effective than a sugar pill in most patients who take them.

“I think we’ve made decisions (about how to treat depression) more difficult,” says co-author Robert DeRubeis, a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania. The findings are published in today’s Journal of the American Medical Association. “I hope we have.”

“The health establishment needs to take stock and ask about costs and benefits” of antidepressants, DeRubeis says. Meanwhile, he says, his study “should give one pause” about prescribing antidepressants to mildly, moderately or even severely depressed patients. Instead, he says, doctors might want to consider non-drug options, such as exercise or psychotherapy.

Better Yet

Brain function is a product of nutrition. It is a known fact that a diet high in sugar and refined carbohydrates causes depression. Omega 3 fatty acids are needed for proper brain function. According to research published in 2003, kids that consumed soft drinks and sugary snacks performed at the level a 70-year-old in tests of memory and attention. Studies have shown that B vitamins have brain-boosting powers.

Sugar depletes vitamin stores, and causes nutritional deficiencies. A diet high in vitamins, minerals and omega-3 has been shown to affect psychological health. This is what holistic depression and anxiety treatment is based on.

There is a direct relationship between nutrition and aggression. In 2002, Bernard Gesch, a physiologist at Oxford University tested nutritional supplements on inmates in British prisons. He worked with 231 detainees for four months. He gave half the group of men, ages 18 to 21, multivitamins, minerals and fatty-acid supplements with meals. The other half were given placebos. Violence among the group taking the supplements fell 37 percent and minor infractions fell by 26 percent.

“Fruits and vegetables are like Mutual funds,” says university of Kentucky professor of neurology David Snowdon, PHD. “They’re a big pot of literally thousands of compounds that offer protection against a variety of diseases including Alzheimer’s disease.” Fresh fruits and vegetables have been proven to lower the risk of dementia.

Nutrients that feed the brain help it handle stress and stay alert. Good nutrition feeds body, mind and spirit.

Glen Olsen a Fomer Pharmaceutical Rep-Spills The Beans

Children’s health programs that presents the healthiest diet are a challenge. For this to work the whole family has to change their lifestyle. It is one that consists of the highest quality of food, the optimal activity level, and an optimistic outlook on life. Referring to the consequential damages of a poor lifestyle it is easy to show the link between diet and health. 

What to Eat

Diets rich in Omega-fats are associated with lower rates of cardiovascular disease. When we refine oils from plants, we are consuming a high omega-6 diet. Refined vegetable oils, high in Omega-6 fatty acids changed the way our bodies function. It causes our body to malfunction, and causes inflammation, poor skin quality, such as dry skin, increased oxidation.

Omega-3 fatty acids are an immune-enhancer. Whole foods are the source of Omega-3 fatty acids. It is found in small amounts in plant foods. The most abundant forms come from fish, but also from grass fed beef.

The colorful fruit and vegetables contain for vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and antioxidants. Low glycemic foods are better in controlling sugar levels.

Exclusions

What seems like limitations are what will provide lifelong health. By reducing these substances you avoid most chronic conditions. At the same time you slow down the aging process. This is a bold defense strategy that works. By eliminating most pre-packaged foods you are cutting down on most of the elements that shouldn’t be in our diet.

This includes the artificial colors and flavors, sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup, high percentage of omega-6 fatty acids, and preservatives.

Program

There are very creative and helpful programs that understand that learning, behavior, energy, attitude, health and happiness are tied to food and physical activity.

Once your habits are ingrained it is harder to change. However, it is a responsibility to both yourself and your family.

The L.E.A.N program that Kathy Bee will be talking about is one of the best places to start. It is a program developed by Dr. William Sears America’s pediatrician. This program realizes that a children’s health program begins with the parent. 

“The best gift you can give a child is the gift of health” Dr. Sears

One may ask, what is balance training and what are the benefits?

It can benefit a person in so many ways and it starts with the spinal cord.

The spinal cord is involved with voluntary and involuntary movement where information is carried up and down the spine by bundles of fibers in the central nervous system (CNS) where sensory and motor information signal a movement. The goal would be to build a faster reaction with technical movements. First, try dribbling a basketball and notice how little concentration is involved. Now, try dribbling a Reaction Ball -- WOW, what a difference! Concentration and level of difficulty is 10 fold and one can feel the impulses to react!

This is just the beginning of the effects of balance training…

Proprioception is the ongoing awareness of body position or joint position and it is regulated by sensory organs (i.e. eyes, ears, and specialized receptors in tendons, joints, and muscles). Proprioception gets challenged in balance training too! The visual sense gives pertinent data about external stimuli and are extremely important in skilled performances. Try a simple “eyes shut” exercise, while standing on one foot to see how your proprioception is challenged in balance training. Sometimes you may feel like you want to wave your hands around to maintain equilibrium. This signals coordination involvement in balance.

Coordination involves an involuntary response that results in specific motor response with that response being dependent on the type and duration of the stimulus received. So in everyday activities coordination is rarely challenged. However, try to balance on 1 foot -- turn one arm clockwise, the other arm counter-clockwise, and the other leg clockwise then counter clockwise. Now, we are talking about coordination! The results of working on that exercise over time will be building stronger somatic reflexes (reflexes involving skeletal muscle contraction).

Balance training is challenging body equilibrium and teaching nervous and sensory receptor systems to perform highly skilled movement patterns.

How can balance training help the elderly?

As I trained patients with high-level neuromuscular and neurological conditions, the best results came from combining “eyes shut” exercises with coordination exercises all while doing a light aerobic activity. Results and graduation to a new fitness level were achieved in 4-weeks. Aerobic activity alone produced no results and coordination drills with eyes open only produced minor results. So to get the most out of balance try an array of activities such as the examples above.

How can balance help kids and adults?

When in good health, a person wouldn’t even recognize their nervous system and muscles executing a simple movement, but when there is a problem their nerves and muscles can become impaired. People can easily begin reaping rewards from balance training and apply them to sports like tennis and basketball. Balance training also strengthens muscle stabilizers, so if you are apt to get ankle sprains -- then regular balance training can fix that problem!

Watch my client master a very difficult balance exercise that also works the core and quads!