Food is Not Your Friend

Food is not your friend. Stop saying it is. Stop saying
that you eat to be comforted by a dependable friend. Food
is not, I repeat, not your friend.

Food is fuel for your physical body. Food can taste
delicious. Food can satisfy physical hunger. Food is a
reason to get together with friends, but food is not one of
the friends.

Here is a definition of friend:

Friendship is a term used to denote co-operative and
supportive behavior between two or more humans. In this
sense, the term connotes a relationship which involves
mutual knowledge, esteem, and affection. Friends will
welcome each other's company and exhibit loyalty towards
each other, often to the point of altruism. Their tastes
will usually be similar and may converge, and they will
share enjoyable activities. They will also engage in
mutually helping behavior, such as exchange of advice and
the sharing of hardship. A friend is someone who may often
demonstrate reciprocating and reflective behaviors. Yet for
many, friendship is nothing more than the trust that
someone or something will not harm them. Value that is
found in friendships is often the result of a friend
demonstrating on a consistent basis:

the tendency to desire what is best for the other, sympathy
and empathy, honesty, perhaps in situations where it may be
difficult for others to speak the truth, especially in
terms of pointing out the perceived faults of one's
counterpart, mutual understanding.

So let's play this out to make the point. How much does
food know you? How much affection does it have for you? How
much does it welcome your company? Does it have the same
tastes as you do? Does food engage in mutually helping
behavior? Does it give you advice? Can you trust food not
to harm you? Do you have food's best interests at heart? Do
you empathize with your food and does it do the same for
you? Are you honest with food? Do you tell your food the
truth? Does it tell you the truth? Does it understand you?

Oh, and here is my favorite question: Does food really
comfort you? Seriously…..

Food just is. It doesn't love you. It doesn't hate you. It
doesn't care if you eat it or don't eat it. It doesn't care
if you are sad. It doesn't care if you are happy. Food
doesn't give one damn about you. Food doesn't taste good on
purpose so you will be happy. Food doesn't try to be
dependable so you can rely on it. Food doesn't care if you
like it and FOOD DOES NOT WANT TO BE YOUR FRIEND.

So some of you might say that you feel better after you eat
something that tastes good. But is that really true? Think
about it. How do you really feel afterward? Ok, so you
might say that you feel better when you are actually eating
it. I will give you that even though I am not convinced
that it is true either. But while you are eating food, the
reason you feel better for a very miniscule amount of time
is because you are focused on the food tasting good and not
your thoughts. Your negative thoughts are what make you
feel negative emotion. And maybe for that one-minute you
are eating a cookie, you are distracted from your thinking,
and focused on the taste of the food. You just gave
yourself a state change by changing your focus. You didn't
make a new friend.

If you need a friend, be your own. Read the definition
above and see what kind of friend you are being to
yourself. See how much you are paying attention to treating
yourself well. Maybe you think food is a good friend
because you are a terrible friend to yourself. Maybe if you
put a little effort into being kind and warm and trusting
and understanding and honest to yourself, you could beat
out the Doritos and the Weight Watcher crackers in the
"good friend" category.

Food is not your friend. You are.

----------------------------------------------------
Brooke Castillo is the author of "If I am So Smart, Why
Can't I Lose Weight? and can be found at
http://www.coach4weight.com

A Little Friendly Advice About Death, Taxes and Back Pain

Did you know that one out of every two working adults,
that's 50 PERCENT, will suffer from back pain this year?

If you are thinking that you land in the "other 50
percent", the half that will not have to visit the doctor
consider this. 90 PERCENT of adults will need to see a
doctor due to some problem with their back. And, according
to the American Academy of Family Physicians, complaints
of low back pain are the fifth most common reason for all
visits to the doctor*. Those statistics cross ethnicity,
geography, age and job function meaning you are just as
likely to suffer from back pain if you are a laborer as if
you are an office worker.

Now, back pain can stem from many, many, many different
sources. You can get back spasms and neck pain from poor
ergonomics while you slump in front of your computer eight
hours a day. You can suffer acute low back pain and
numbness in your legs following a car accident. You could
be suffering from the cumulative affects of age and an old
football injury from your teen years that was never treated
correctly. And in a very small number of cases, you could
be suffering from a herniated disc or something as serious
as cancer.

The reality, though, is this. Those who suffer from back
pain far outpace those who do not in doctor's visits and
healthcare costs.

A 2004 study done by Spine.com (and based on 1998 Medical
Expenditure Panel Survey data), found that Americans who
suffer from some form of back pain spent 30 percent more
than those who did not suffer from back pain. Most of the
costs (which included health benefits payments, as well as
out of pocket spending) were due to CHRONIC BACK PAIN.

A LITTLE FRIENDLY ADVICE

Like death and taxes, it seems back pain may just be one of
the few things in life you can count on. So if you are
smart, you will plan for it.

One of the things you can do is take good care of your
back. If you do not have a regular exercise routine that
includes strengthening and lengthening, get one. At the
very least, you should work with weights at least twice a
week, stretch your back and legs once a day, and do your
crunchies every day.

Another thing you can do is make sure you have adequate
health benefits coverage. Perhaps because back pain is so
pervasive or perhaps because there can be so many causes,
many health benefits plans severely limit what is covered.
That may mean you pay a large deductible when being treated
for back pain. It may mean you have an annual limit set at
$1K - $2K. Your health plan may not allow for chiropractic
care. Whatever the case, make sure you check you health
benefits package to see what restrictions it places on
treatment for back pain.

If you find there are limits, check into Consumer Driven
Health Plans. Most Consumer Driven Health Plans also offer
supplemental health benefits packages designed to provide
affordable coverage for those healthcare areas that the
typical insurance carrier does not pay for.

But whatever you do, get prepared. Back pain will find you.

*"Diagnosis and Management of Acute Low Back Pain".
American Academy of Family Physicians. Retrieved March 12,
2007.

----------------------------------------------------
Jim Martinez is a National Sales Director for Ameriplan
USA, offering discount benefits plans that include
chiropractic care for as little as $19.95 per month. Visit
http://www.FamilyDentalHealthPlans.com for more health
articles and to sign up now for Ameriplan benefits plans.

Mental Health Disorder

There are many different types of mental health disorders,
any of which could affect any one of us at any time of our
lives regardless of our age, gender, background or status.
The most common type of mental health disorders are anxiety
and depression related disorders.

Certainly, all of us can experience anxiety at times,
especially when we have a particularly difficult situation
to deal with, like taking a driving test for example, or
going for a job interview, but when the anxiety is so
severe that it disrupts our daily lives, then it could be
that we are suffering from an anxiety- related mental
health disorder.

Similarly, each of us know what it's like to feel a bit
down in the dumps, we may even say we are depressed, but
true depression is where the symptoms don't subside after a
short period of time, they persist and are severe enough to
impair our ability to carry out our normal routines.

The following list represents some of the more commonly
known mental health disorders with a brief description of
their typical symptoms.

Phobias

A phobia is an anxiety related disorder characterised by
extreme fear, perhaps fear of a situation, an object, a
place or a creature and this fear is completely out of
proportion to the norm. There are literally hundreds of
known phobias but common ones include fear of public
places, confined spaces, flying, spiders, and fear of
heights. A sufferer will try to avoid their fear at all
costs, and when faced with it, will experience severe
anxiety which can include palpitations, nausea and panic
attacks.

Panic attacks

A panic attack can be a terrifying experience. Someone
experiencing a panic attack is engulfed by overwhelming
fear and panic often without warning. Various physical
symptoms can accompany a panic attack, which include
difficulty breathing, trembling, palpitations, dizziness,
sweating, and nausea and a feeling of impending death.

Post traumatic stress

Post traumatic stress can follow an intensely disturbing
experience such as a car crash, violence or rape, being in
extreme danger or basically any event that causes severe
psychological distress. The symptoms include constantly
reliving the event in the mind through flashbacks and
nightmares, disturbed sleep, anxiety and depression.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety related
disorder manifesting itself in irrational and obsessive
thoughts that spark illogical rituals and behaviours or
compulsions, for example, constantly thinking (obsessing)
that your hands are not clean causing you to repeatedly
wash your hands (a compulsion). Other examples include
excessive cleaning, checking and rechecking that doors are
locked and windows closed etc. Someone with OCD can feel
intensely anxious if they don't carry out their rituals so
performing them is a way to relieve their feelings of
anxiety and distress.

Depression

Depression is more than a period of the blues. Clinical
depression can be said to exist when the symptoms of
depression persist for longer than a couple of weeks and
are severe enough to interfere with normal daily routines.
There is also a loss of pleasure in activities that were
once enjoyed. There are many symptoms associated with
depression including feelings of sadness and despair,
lethargy, sleep disturbances, changes in eating patterns,
sudden changes in behaviour and mood, anxiety, guilt, and
thoughts of death and suicide. We can all experience some
of these symptoms at times but when truly depressed these
symptoms don't just subside, they persist.

Bipolar disorder (manic depression)

Bipolar disorder is characterised by extreme fluctuations
in mood with episodes of euphoria and mania alternating
with episodes of depression and despair. During a manic
phase the bipolar sufferer may need very little sleep, may
think and talk very quickly, can be highly creative, appear
completely confident and without inhibition, they could
leave their job, go on a spending spree or behave in other
potentially destructive ways. During a depressive episode
they may experience strong feelings of hopelessness and
despair and find themselves unable to muster the energy to
do even the simplest of tasks. They may also withdraw from
social situations and even contemplate suicide. Bipolar is
a lifelong disorder affecting around 1% of the population.

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a particularly severe kind of mental
health disorder, which is characterised by hallucinations,
delusions, and strange behaviour and beliefs.

Conclusion

Mental health disorders are complex so making an accurate
diagnosis yourself can be difficult, many people will
present with symptoms of more than one type of disorder and
many of the symptoms of each disorder overlap with each
other. Consequently, it is important to seek the right
help. In the first instance you should speak to your
doctor who will be able to make full medical assessment and
guide you towards an appropriate course of treatment.

Sadly, many people are afraid of seeking help and as such,
will suffer in silence which can be an isolating and lonely
experience with potentially devastating effects.
Fortunately, mental health disorders are treatable and
those who do seek help can go on to lead normal lives once
again.

----------------------------------------------------
Depression and anxiety are serious mental health conditions
that can strike anyone at anytime. For more information
about depression and selp help come and visit
http://www.fightingdepression.co.uk

Depression And The Oriental Health

The Oriental approach to depression is very different from
that of Western medicine. The former bases on the physical
to the exclusion of the psychological, whereas the latter
focuses on both the physical and the psychological aspects
of the disease.

The concept of depression in Eastern cultures is not as
well received as it is in Western cultures. This is not to
say that depression is less common in the Orient. In
Eastern cultures, illness is based on the physical rather
than psychological aspects. If you do not have physical
illness, you are not sick. Culturally, the idea of
psychological illness is not well accepted. This leads to
the frequent association of depression with somatic
complaints, because it is much easier for patients to have
a physical complaint than to have a psychological one. In
addition, depression is often a stigma in Eastern cultures.

From a Chinese medicine perspective, depression is largely
related to the stagnation of liver"qi." ("Qi" is internal
life energy coursing through the physical body, nourishing
your body cells with life-giving oxygen. When there is
blockage, instead of smooth flowing, of "qi", disease and
disorder occur.)

Essentially, stagnation of liver "qi" means the "qi" within
your body is not flowing smoothly, resulting in symptoms of
depression. Some of the common lifestyle habits which may
have contributed to the stagnation of "qi" are: lack of
exercise; poor dietary habits – especially fried foods
and/or alcohol; and repressed or overly expressed emotions
- especially anger and/or grief.

Alongside with or as a result of liver "qi" stagnation,
your heart, spleen and kidneys may also be affected. In the
short term, weakness in your spleen may lead to problems
with fatigue and digestion; in the long term, problems
related to phlegm not only can distort your thinking but
also deteriorate the quality of blood in your body, thereby
ultimately affecting your heart with symptoms of insomnia
and restlessness. Your kidneys, being strongly related to
the foundations of "yin" and "yang" in your body (the
Oriental medicine holds that "yin" and "yang" need to
balance and complement each other for harmony and
wellness), are also likely to play a role in your
sluggishness and sleeping problems, which are common
symptoms of depression.

Lifestyle factors also play an important role in improving
your mental health.

In depression, exercise is particularly important. As
depression is often linked to a stagnation of your liver
"qi", movement and the circulation of energy within the
body may resolve this stagnation problem. With the energy
of your body flowing more smoothly, the corresponding
symptoms related to "qi" stagnation should improve. Simple
exercises such as walking and riding a bicycle are often
beneficial, as well as Chinese exercises, such as Tai Chi
and QiGong. In depression, diet is also important. You
should avoid foods contributing to your liver "qi"
stagnation, such as fried foods, excessive meat intake, and
alcohol. Your diet should consist of wholesome foods, which
are beneficial to your liver, such as apples, cabbage,
cucumber and watercress, and which clear your liver qi
stagnation, such as ginger and onion.

Your liver is related to the emotions of anger and
frustration. It is important you learn how to manage your
anger and frustration, including expressing and repressing
them. Stress management plays a critical role.

Since "qi" regulates your spiritual, emotional, mental, and
physical balance, and "qi" is influenced by the opposing
forces of "yin" and "yang," the balance of which is
responsible for the natural flow of "qi" in your body,
acupuncture is most effective in controlling the symptoms
of depression.

In 1998, a study by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
reported that acupuncture resulted in a 43 percent
reduction in depression symptoms, and that more than 50
percent of patients no longer met the criteria for clinical
depression.

Acupuncture may help your body's immune system function in
an optimum way, thereby guiding your body to heal itself.
Acupuncture may also help your body recover from years of
abuse brought on by medication, excesses in food and drink,
poisoning of chemicals. Acupuncture may even enhance the
efficacy of Saint John's wort.

Your body has more than 2,000 acupuncture points on your
body, connecting with twelve main and eight secondary
pathways known as meridians, which conduct your body's qi
between your body's surface and internal organs.
Acupuncture stimulates these acupuncture points, unblocking
the stagnation of "qi", which in turn enable your central
nervous system to release chemicals into your muscles,
spinal cord, and brain, thereby promoting your body's
natural self-healing capabilities. According to the
National Institute of Health (NIH), studies have shown that
acupuncture may alter your brain chemistry by changing the
release of neurotransmitters and neurohormones in a
beneficial way, thereby attaining the balance of "yin" and
"yang", and the restoration of health and wellness to your
body and mind.

----------------------------------------------------
Stephen Lau is a researcher, writing synopses of medical
research. His publications include "NO MIRACLE CURES - Only
Wholesome Self-Healing," a book on healing and wellness. He
has created several websites, including "Longevity For You"
and "The Way Of Zen - A Healthy Lifestyle" on health, and
"Golf Tips And Information Center" on playing golf.
http://www.longevityforyou.com
http://www.zenhealthylifestyle.com
http://www.golfingsuccessinfo.com