I knew it was my biology!

Sometimes those dietary temptations are just too hard to resist.

Finally science has proven my assertions to be true.

In a study recently published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), Gene-Jack Wang of Brookhaven National Laboratory found that women’s brain mechanisms for controlling food intake are dramatically different than men’s, which makes them less able to inhibit their responses to foods.

In the study, 13 men and 10 women were quizzed about their favorite foods and then asked to fast overnight. They were also taught a technique called cognitive inibition to suppress thoughts of hunger and/or eating. The next day they underwent brain scans while implementing the technique and, at the same time, being offered their self-described favorite foods.

Both genders claimed that the inhibition technique decreased their hunger, and the brain scans did indeed show significant decrease in activity in the male brains. Such was not the case, however, in the female brains.

“Even though the women said they were less hungry when trying to inhibit their response to the food, their brains were still firing away in the regions that control the drive to eat,” Wang said. “There is something going on in the female <brain>. The signal is so much different.”

According to  co-author, Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse and Addiction, the female brain is hard-wired to eat when foods are available because the traditional role of the female is to provide nutrition to children.

Wang and Volkow will next search to discover if female hormones are reacting directly with specific parts of the brain.

Which leads to something else I’ve always known…

It’s my damn hormones!

Elizabeth Gilbert

A Different Way to Think about Creative Genius

Her fascinating perspective from the 2009 TED conference

“Don’t be afraid. Just do your job…If your job is to dance, DANCE… Ole′ to you!”

Although I’ve written about military suicides a few times in the past, the newest statistics are more personal to me since a loved one is now serving in Iraq. The facts are frightening.

The number of American soldier suicides in January 2009 reached 24, the highest monthly total since the Army began keeping such statistics in 1980.

By comparison, in January 2008, five soldiers committed suicide, leading to the highest annual suicide rate among soldiers ever recorded. By the end of 2008, soldier suicides had risen for the fourth year in a row, with as many as 143 soldiers killing themselves.

“Each of these losses is a personal tragedy that is felt throughout the Army family,” said Gen. Peter Chiarelli, the vice chief of staff of the Army, who is leading suicide-prevention efforts. “The trend and trajectory seen in January further heightens the seriousness and urgency that all of us must have in preventing suicides.”

In response to the spate of suicides in January, veterans’ advocates say the Army has failed for years to meet the mental health needs of troops returning home from war. Despite some progress, problems remain widespread, the advocates say. There are too few mental health and substance abuse services, the Army is reluctant to send soldiers to civilian therapists, and mental health screening is inadequate.

Linda Bean, mother of Sgt. Coleman S. Bean, who killed himself in New Jersey in September after two tours of duty in Iraq, says it is essential for the Army to persuade soldiers to get mental health help because most are reluctant to seek help for fear it will negatively affect their careers.

Army officials report that the stress of long deployments to war zones plays a role in the increase, and that the most common factors appeared to be financial, personal and legal problems, as well as job-related difficulties.

“This is not business as usual,” said Chiarelli. “We need to move quickly to do everything we can to reverse the very disturbing number of suicides we have in the U.S. Army.”

Secretary of the Army, Pete Geren, said the Army wants to bolster its efforts to prevent suicide and is prepared to allocate the human and financial resources to do so. He also pointed out that the Army had “stepped up its efforts in the last two years as the numbers began to climb. It hired more general practitioners, usually the first health care providers to identify soldiers in distress, 250 more mental health care providers, and hopes to hire more.

“We are hiring, and we need your help,” said Col. Elspeth Ritchie, a psychiatric consultant to the surgeon general of the Army. “We want to make sure we get ahead of it.”

The Army also announced that it will conduct a training day dedicated to recognizing signs of suicidal behavior and ensuring that soldiers get help, even if that means escorting the person to a clinic. The training day will be followed by an on-going program extending from the top ranks to enlisted men and women, with an emphasis on seeking treatment. The Army is also working with its chaplains in suicide prevention programs.

Let us all pray that these efforts work and that the trend is reversed.

Simon Barrett Reviews Mommy I’m Still in Here

Here is an excerpt:

“Mommy I’m Still In Here is an important book, it is easy to sweep the subject of Mental Health under the rug. It is actually as acute and incapacitating as a physical problem, yet it is often ignored.

I would be remiss in not explaining the title of the book, the title says it all. Bipolar is not a constant. It is not like the ‘Trade Winds’ that took the early explorers to discover the world, it is instead it is the shifty wind that sailors hate. They never know where the next puff will come from, or if that next light puff will turn into a hurricane. The title for this great book comes from a comment made by Chloe while in hospital after a very bad episode “Mommy I’m still in here” she entreats…get your copy of this well written, and insightful book from Amazon.”

Click here to read the entire review.

Three incidents involving ineffective generic drugs recently occurred in my life.

Incident #1:

After taking Zoloft for years I switched, without problem, to the generic Sertraline carried by my local pharmacy. Then, in an effort to economize, I ordered my prescription through a popular mail-delivery system which sent Sertraline manufactured by yet another company. Within a month my depression returned and I knew the antidepressant wasn’t working. I switched back to the local generic and felt improvements in just over two weeks.

Clearly, even though the active ingredient was guaranteed to be the same, those two generics were not identical.

Incident #2

I recently received an online newsletter from Julie Fast, who blogs at bipolarhappens, in which she shared her recent medication woes.

Open about her life with bipolar disorder, Julie shared details of the past few months, citing changes in energy levels, focus, sociability, and anxiety levels.

In one paragraph, Julie says “…I felt like I was going to jump out of my skin. I was so restless. But I was also super tired! Then the depression started. It was the kind of depression where I not only felt hopeless, I cried a lot and had trouble completing tasks. I have been like this many times in my life, so I kept going, but it was hard.”

All of these changes occurred despite the fact that Julie carefully managed her lifestyle and consistently took her meds. Then it occurred to her– just prior to her deterioration, Julie had switched from Lamictal to the generic Lamotrigine.

Incident #3:

My daughter Chloe suddenly began rapid-cycling, even though she, too, was completely medically compliant, saw her doctors regularly, and managed her lifestyle.

I asked, “Have you switched to any generics in the last few weeks?”

Sure enough, like Julie, Chloe has switched to a generic form of Lamictal just a couple of weeks before her health worsened. And like Julie, when Chloe returned to non-generic, brand-name Lamictal, she stabilized and felt better.

How can this be?

Aren’t generic drugs supposed to be exactly the same?

Well…not exactly…

Even though the active ingredients must be the same as their brand-name counterparts, generics can be manufactured with different fillers and  inactive ingredients. These minor alterations sometimes cause the medication to metabolize and work differently.

Don’t get me wrong…generics are usually just as good as the brand names and they save millions in healthcare costs each year. But in those rare instances when they are not as effective as the original, they should not be used. So try generics, but be aware of how well they’re working. Be your own best advocate.

Practice preventive maintenance.

This will not only de-stress your life, but also save an unbelievable amount of time, money, headaches and heartache.

When it comes to material goods, all that you possess is in your stewardship. It’s your responsibility to care for it so that it retains its value and purpose, otherwise why possess it?

So, first and foremost, purchase or keep nothing that you’re not willing or able to properly maintain. If you don’t need it, get rid of it.  Before bringing anything new into your home or your life, ask yourself, “Do I need this?  Am I capable of taking good care of it? Am I willing to commit to what that entails?” If you cannot say yes to all three, it’s not for you.

Once you own a car, appliance, gadget, home… keep it in peak condition. Get the car lubed regularly, add oil to the lawnmower and chainsaw, defrag your computer and keep your virus and spyware programs updated. Stick to a weekly schedule of household chores so that value and equity are not decreased due to lack of maintenance. Add those items to your calendar and budget far in advance.

When something needs repair, take care of it immediately. Sew on that button the day it comes off. Mend tears and hems immediately. Glue the broken china, wax away the water ring, wash the hand prints off the wall, spackle,sand and paint the little cracks that appear, replant the flowers in the broken pot…whatever the task, complete it TODAY.  If finances prevent this, make a prioritized list of items needing repair and keep an envelope into which you add any extra cash that will ultimately add up to the necessary amount.

If it belongs to you, take pride and maintain it at its best.

***

Material goods aren’t the only things in your life requiring preventative maintenance. You must also take good care of the people in your life. Function under the guidance of the golden rule.

Nurture relationships.

Love generously.

Be kind.

Be respectful in action and word.

Encourage those around you and support their efforts.

Look for the good and praise it.

Forgive yourself and others.

Spend time and energy positively effecting the lives of others and your life, your level of contentment, will reflect that effort. Attitudes all improve all around.

Practicing preventive maintenance and following these simple stewardship guidelines will save time, money, headache and heartache. You’ll be amazed.

This is the most recent installment in an ongoing series elaborating on 52 proven stress relievers identified by researchers at Texas Woman’s University.

Results from a recent study, cited in the journal SLEEP, shed some interesting light on sleep, physical activity, environment and childhood depression.

“We reported in a study previously, that genes were the most important factor in explaining the association between sleep problems and depression in eight year olds,” said lead author Alice M. Gregory, senior lecturer in the department of psychology at Goldsmiths College in London.

“However, when we examined this issue at age 10, we found that genes were less important in explaining the association and that environmental influences had become more important. This could be because environmental experiences are becoming more relevant as children grow older and could therefore play a role in both sleep problems and depression.”

Could it also be that the reduction or elimination of free play or recess in schools is contributing to increased depression in children?

Based on the information in yesterday’s post, I think we need to consider it.

Source: American Academy of Sleep Medicine

Julie Fast has created incredible tools that empower people with bipolar disorder to manage their illness, its symptoms and the challenges they create. Click on the photo below for more information.

Recess Makes Students Better

My son Michael had a gifted and creative teacher for grades four and five who packed the school day with inventive activities and new approaches to learning.

The only downside?

She deemed recess less important than her curriculum, and the kids often got only one twenty-five minute lunch break between the hours of 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Tack on the to-and-from bus rides, and those kids spent 8 or nine hours with the one wee break.

Michael began to dislike school.

After a few weeks the teacher and I talked. She was confused by the changes in Michael’s classroom behavior. He fidgeted, lost focus and talked at inappropriate times. This was all new.

My Suggestion:

“Let him go outside for 10 minutes every morning and every afternoon. Give him a responsibility if you want, but let him release some energy outside of the classroom.”

Michael became the tether ball and net monitor, responsible for installing and removing the playground equipment each day. His teacher saw an immediate improvement in classroom behavior, and Michael liked school a whole lot more.

Problem solved.

Now, over a decade later, other professionals are talking about the phenomenon of school days without breaks.

Dr. Romina M. Barros, from Pediatric Developmental Behavioral Health in New York, and her colleagues looked at a national database of over 11,000 third and forth graders. Children had one of two levels of recess: none/minimal (1 to 15 minutes a day) or “some recess.” The population was divided equally between boys and girls.

The Findings: Kids with more recess behaved better in school, according to a teacher rating system.

Barros says, “…we have to think that recess should be part of the education system, and if we have to get more help, we’ll have to get more help. Even if we don’t have space, if they could have 15 minutes indoors. Unstructured time, that’s all that they need.”

It’s clear that the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 resulted in less recess for the majority of American children. “They started to find out that kids in the U.S. were not doing well compared to other countries and started penalizing schools when kids weren’t passing the state test,” Barros explained. “That’s when schools [reduced or eliminated recess] not only because of space, but also because they wanted to put more in academics.”

Dr. Barrios isn’t the only medical expert speaking out for more recess time. And exercise isn’t the only reason.

“Conflict resolution is solved on the playground, not in the classroom,” said Dr. Jane Ripperger-Suhler, an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral science and pediatrics at Texas A & M Health Science Center College of Medicine. She recommends at least one 20-minute break during which children participate in freely-chosen physical activities,  saying that Asian students tend to out-score their American counterparts and that “most Asian elementary schools allow children a 10-minute break after every 40 minutes to 50 minutes of instruction.”

Perhaps we need to reevaluate the manner in which we “leave no children behind,” and reconsider the Alfred Adler quote, “Play is a child’s work and this is not a trivial pursuit.”

Mental Health

IT’S OFFICIAL!

We’ve been voted

2008’s #1 MENTAL HEALTH BLOG

and #15 of the TOP 100 in all areas of health!

Woo Hoo!

Thanks for all your support!

Please continue to visit, exchange ideas and request topics; and let’s do it again in 2009!