Depression Self-Assessment

Depression Self-Assessment
Depression is the most commonly occurring psychological
problem in the United States, with several estimates
putting the number of depressed people at roughly twenty
percent of the US population. While this percentage may not
seem extraordinarily large on its face, as a number it may
add up to sixty million people, or one in every five US
citizens. Common though it may be, depression often goes
undiagnosed and many depressed people may not actually be
aware of their condition, while other people may suspect
that they’re depressed but may not be entirely
certain.

Though it’s sensible to seek a professional diagnosis
if depression is suspected, there are methods for getting
an indication of whether depression has taken hold that can
be performed entirely on one’s own, within a private
setting. Specifically these methods involve personal
assessment for depression through the taking of a
self-assessment test. Self-assessment tests for depression
are quite common, and in fact are often used in
professional settings during efforts to make a mood
disorder diagnosis. Studies have found that people are
typically quite honest in answering questions about their
mood, and this may be especially true when answering
questions in written form.

Depression self-assessment tests aren’t some
arbitrary question and answer form: they are typically
simple to perform, but have been designed to be
exceptionally accurate in testing for depression and are
based upon established psychological principles. In
addition to asking particular questions about a
person’s outlook, a credible depression
self-assessment test will also typically gauge intensity
and duration of symptoms. This type of inquiry can often
distinguish between genuine depression and other, temporary
mood disturbances.

Arguably the most popular of the depression self-assessment
tests is the Beck Depression Inventory, or the BDI. The BDI
was developed by Aaron Beck, a psychiatrist and well-known
practitioner of the popular cognitive therapy form. The BDI
came into use in the early 1960’s and has since been
copyrighted and used on a large scale. The Beck Depression
Inventory is composed of twenty-one questions with four
possible responses each, with each response graded from
zero to three. The BDI is completed entirely by the
individual being assessed for depression, even when the BDI
is performed in a clinical setting.

There are other depression self-assessment tests besides
the Beck Depression Inventory, with many psychological
resources developing their own depression self-assessment
tests. Because of the tendency for depression to be
expressed in emotional and physical terms, many if not all
depression self-assessment tests are broken into assessment
for psychological and physical symptoms. The psychological
and physical symptom results are then combined to make as
accurate of an assessment of depression status as possible.

----------------------------------------------------
Zinn Jeremiah is an online author. To find depression help
resources, visit
http://www.hubonline.biz/get-better-now.htm or
http://www.hubonline.biz/healthy-mood.htm .

Never Gain a Pound - Learn to Eat What Ever You Want

Never Gain a Pound - Learn to Eat What Ever You Want
"I EAT ALL DAY LONG AND NEVER GAIN A POUND." Why It Is
Important to Eat Five Meals a Day

How would you like to become that skinny person who says
“I eat all day long and never gain a pound.”?

It’s true that for some people, that way of life is
so natural that they never even realized that they were
doing anything right. We ask them their secrets and
ultimately we chalk it up to the mystery of a “great
metabolism,” and wish that we had one too.

It’s not a mystery.

The truth is that anyone can maximize their metabolism not
just personal trainers if they just learn to eat like a
skinny person. We’re not talking about a lifelong
sentence of salads and carrot sticks. We’re talking
about eating little meals all day long.

From a health standpoint, one of the worst things that
happened to us as a society was the advent of the three
meal day that came with industrialization. The problem with
eating three times a day (or fewer for some of us), is that
it allows too much time to pass between meals. We let
ourselves get too hungry, and then eat to overcome that
sensation.

We are just innocently eating the way we were taught.
Meanwhile, we are sending signals to our bodies that are
not so innocent. We get overly hungry and that tells our
body that there is a shortage of food; it’s time to
store fat just in case. Then, we get so hungry, we eat more
calories in one sitting than our body can process. Our
bodies can’t discern how much to feed itself. It just
knows that it can’t process it all and dumps
everything we’ve eaten to fat storage as well.

The key is to eat five, small meals throughout the day to
avoid the valleys and peaks of hunger and fullness (see
Live’s sample nutrition plan). By providing enough
calories for your metabolism to burn at a steady rate
throughout the day, you are telling your body that there
will always be enough food for it to burn at a higher rate
and feed off of the stored fat in your body as well as the
food you consume. When you combine this eating plan with
exercise, you will be able to raise your metabolism even
further, making you that skinny person who eats all day and
never gains a pound.

----------------------------------------------------
About The Author: Everything Pills has over 20 years of
professional fitness - http://www.everythingpills.com/ -
visit the website for more information on products.

Feel The Force Of The Kettlebell and Kettlebell Training

Feel The Force Of The Kettlebell and Kettlebell Training
Kettlebell Training has been around for hundreds of years.
Some say it stems from Russia where they were first used by
them for athletic prowess and warrior training. But some
say that the Greeks first challenged the Kettlebell
thousands of year ago. But the Chinese may have first
started using kettlebells known as 'Padlocks' which were
rectangular in shape to help compliment their fighting
skills-Kung Fu. But today athletes,The Russain Military and
Hollywood stars are using the F.O.R.C.E. of this excellent
strength and conditioning tool.

Kettlebell Traning has largely become so popular in the UK
due to the ever growing popularity of Kettlebell Coach
Jamie Lloyd and World Champion Vasilijs Ginko.

If you want to get fantastic results then you will feel the
F.O.R.C.E. of this ultimate training tool unlike no other!

F = Fun. You will not get bored with Kettlebell Training.
As the kettlebell comes in various sizes 9-88lbs you will
not get bored! You can workout the whole body in under ten
minutes! You can even juggle, spin, throw the kettlebell
and pass it hand to hand.

O = Offset handle means that you will have to engage your
core to control the force of the kettlebell. The handle
creates a secondary lever arm which forces you to brace
your abdominals throughout every exercsie-this is so that
you have to absorb the impact of the bell when doing 2 arm
swings for example. When you "absorb" the kettlebell when
throwing it behind you the agonists and and antagonists
must work together to reduce the force of the bell and slow
down the weight....known as decelaration. This can be seen
when we change dierction in sport and even in everyday life
walking. Therefore unlike traditional weight training,
kettlebell training helps you train acceleration and
decelaration which will help you move better for everyday
life.

R = Range of movement. Kettlebell Training allows you to
train in full range over a joint from full flexion to full
extentsion or from full adduction to full abduction. As the
kettlebell allows you to perform a movement in full range
of movement in an excercise, this means that the balance
and integrity over the joint is maintained and flexibility
is promoted. Exercises like Windmills are fantastic as they
allow you to stretch out the hamstrings whist helping you
to stabilise the glenohumeral joint and retractthe sacpulae
and even strenghtn the torso at the same time.

C = Core Control. The Kettlebell forces you to maintain the
structure of the spine, pelvis and torso know as the core.
Using abdominal pressure we are able to tighten the belt
around our body (multifidus and transversus abdominus) to
help stabilise our core so that we can lift more weight.
Therefore using abdominal pressure to our kettlebell
training will add strength to your training and give you
rock hard abs.

E = Energy Expenditure. The typical energy expeniture of a
Kettlebell workout will exceed 800 cals which is more than
a Pizza at your restaurant. Or better still it is more
productive than running on a treadmill, doing traditional
weight training at your local gym. Try a set of 10 minute
of snatches for real living proof.

Feel the F.O.R.C.E. today and get Kettlebell Training!

----------------------------------------------------
Jamie Lloyd is a Kettlebell Coach and a Fat Loss Specialist
and is passionate about helping people reach their peak
using kettlebells. He is the owner of Russian Kettlebells
UK in Wimbledon, London and is one of few Russian
Kettlebell Challenge Instructors in the UK. He is available
for private Personal Training, Kettlebell Classes and
Kettlebell Workshops.
http://www.jlpersonaltraining.com
http://www.russiankettlebellsuk.com

The Longevity Diet?

The Longevity Diet?
Have you heard of the Longevity Diet or Calorie Restriction
Diet? It's been in and out of nutrition news for many
years, the theory and related research starting in the
1930s. The concept is that by eating less total calories
and ensuring that the calories we do eat are highly
nutritious, we can extend our life span. So what's the
science behind this? No one knows exactly, but the research
is growing, and so are the numbers of people trying it out.

In the 1930s, researchers studying growth patterns and food
deprivation in mice noticed that adult mice that were
underfed lived much longer than their well fed
counterparts. Since then, there have been studies done on
different animals, including primates, with basically the
same results: those animals that were fed much fewer "high
quality" calories lived longer and had better overall
health.

Do you remember Biosphere 2? It was the project where they
built a sealed, self-contained facility in Arizona and
people lived there for 2 years. Well, the food production
part of the experiment didn't go so well yet the
participants stayed anyway. It was observed that although
they became very thin, their health profiles (particularly
the biomarkers of aging: cholesterol, blood sugar and
c-reactive protein/inflammation) improved considerably.

This led to the formation of the Calorie Restriction
Society by one of the Biosphere 2 members, Dr. Roy Walford.
The society aims to raise money for research as well as to
educate people on the benefits and risks of Calorie
Restriction as a lifestyle. They have renamed the concept:
Calorie Restriction with Optimal Nutrition. This is an
important distinction, because if one restricts their
calories from between 10 to 30%, it is imperative that what
is eaten is high quality in terms of nutrition. No junk
food allowed!

What have researchers found are the benefits of Calorie
Restriction with Optimal Nutrition? Well, in humans it's
not an easy research study to design because we live so
long and there aren't many people willing to go to such
extremes. But there have been some interesting findings.

This year, a research group studied 25 members of the
Calorie Restriction Society (aged 41-65) who had been
following the lifestyle eating 1400 to 2000 calories per
day for an average of 6 years, along with another 25 people
who had been eating "normal" American diet of 2,000 to
3,000 calories per day. They measured the diastolic
function of all of them. This is a biomarker of age in
hearts. The calorie restrictor's diastolic readings were of
people 15 years younger.

One research group has been able to prove that calorie
restriction in mice slows down death rates, particularly of
cancer and kidney failure. Well fed, sedentary lab rats
commonly die of these afflictions. They demonstrated that
calorie restriction slows down the growth speed of breast,
skin and white blood cells... which means a slower tumor
growth rate.

One researcher is studying the implications of the fact
that calorie restriction lowers the levels of insulin and
insulin growth factor -another cancer trigger. This also
can't be bad in the fight for diabetes prevention and
control!

And yet another research group is studying the idea that
slowing down the amount of energy given to the mitochondria
of our cells gives us fewer free radicals (cellular
respiration generates free radicals). Hmm... many of us are
taking anti-oxidant vitamins to combat free radical damage
- maybe we just need to eat less.

Although the concept really hasn't been studied enough to
lend concrete answers, it deserves the attention of those
of us who are looking to live longer and more productive
lives. Many of the principles put forth by this lifestyle,
such as to eat more nutrient dense foods (veggies, fruits,
lean dairy, fish, lean meats and whole grains) and eat
fewer empty calories (sugar, white flour, white rice and
other processed foods), couldn't be bad for anyone!

It's pretty obvious that being overweight is a risk factor
for a shortened lifespan, so why wouldn't being mildly
underweight lengthen lifespan? It's an idea well worth
consideration.

To find out more, check out the Calorie Restriction Society
web site at http://www.calorierestriction.org/.

----------------------------------------------------
About the Author:
Ainsley Laing, MSc. has been a Fitness Trainer for 25 years
and writes exclusively Body for Mind eZine. She holds
certifications in Group Exercise, Sports Nutrition and
Personal Fitness Training. She is also a professional
engineer and mom. To see more articles by Ainsley visit
http://www.bodyformind.com or the blog at
http://www.bodyformind.blogspot.com

A Fat Loss 4 Idiots Review

A Fat Loss 4 Idiots Review
The latest "craze" in the internet diet world is a program
called "Fat Loss 4 Idiots." Originally it was named Weight
Loss 4 Idiots but the name was changed last year to Fat
Loss 4 Idiots to key in on better search engine results in
our opinion.

The Fat Loss 4 Idiots program is web based and offers very
little in one-on-one support. The eating plan is very
simple to view. With this program, like many others, it
depends on your dedication to stick with proven tested ways
to eat our daily bread. This program will give you some
more nuggets of information that together with a reasonable
exercise program and positive support can make a big
difference in your life.

The 11 day menu via a "shifting calories" approach keeps
your metabolism guessing as to what is next. This allows
your body to burn calories consistently. Don't get us
wrong, there are NO magical pill, cure, and diet or
flavor-of-the-month program like The Fat Loss 4 Idiots
program that will provide you with the ONE answer.

The Fat Loss 4 Idiots program does not restrict calories
consumed. The system talks of eating until you are full
but not stuffed. The software generates 11 days of meal
plans according to your food preferences. Success after 11
days includes 3 cheating meals to make you feel good.

The diet tends to be low in carbs and higher in protein.
If you are also lifting weights and bodybuilding, this will
help you burn fat faster while increasing muscles. For
those who are not actively working with weights, the high
protein diet may be hard to maintain going forward.

For those looking for a quick fix diet that will drop
substantial calories forever, a word of reality is in
order. Eating less calories and exercising more is the
basis for weight loss. The Fat Loss 4 Idiots program is a
good guideline to start getting yourself around the
necessary changes that must happen. The key issue is
maintaining a diet that will allow you to not get bored but
keep going.

One key component that you must remember in Fat Loss 4
Idiots is the need to eat smaller but more frequent meals.
Eating five to six meals a day create much better fat
burning and level calorie intakes. Combine this plan with
exercise, tell everyone you know about your efforts and
keep your motivation high. You will start to loss the
weight and increase your endurance.

We feel that many programs like "Fat Loss 4 Idiots" each
can give you nuggets of amazing truth that combined
together with ACTIONABLE steps will create the body and
fitness level you desire. So something, right now, don't
wait, it is your body that matter!

----------------------------------------------------
Are you looking to get in top physical shape without the
hype and lies? Keith Crovatt has assembled leading experts,
tips, tricks and techniques to guide you. “One Body,
One Mind, One Day At A Time”™ Sign-up for the
FREE ProvenFitness.com newsletter and get the mini-course
"Why You Should Say No To Quick Weight Loss!"
Click here=>
http://provenfitness.com/reviews/fat-loss-4-idiots/

Yes, Gum Disease Could Be That Harmful

Yes, Gum Disease Could Be That Harmful
Periodontal or gum disease is the number one cause of bad
breath and tooth loss. Most people know that. But did you
know that gum disease may also lead to far more serious
health problems? New research has shown that not taking
care of your gums can lead to an increased risk of getting
diabetes, heart disease, stroke, pancreatic cancer, and
respiratory disease. Pregnant women have an increased risk
of delivering a low birth weight baby. Men have to be even
more careful because they have an eleven percent greater
chance of having periodontal diseases then women do. Men
and women with periodontal disease have a 24 to 45 percent
higher risk of dying. Yes, dying; and if the possibility of
life threatening health problems isn’t enough, gum
disease also makes you look older.

But here is the good news; the first stage of gum disease,
called gingivitis, is preventable and reversible. What are
the early warning signs? Your gums may bleed when you brush
your teeth, they may be red, swollen or sensitive. You
might even have bad breath, loose or separating teeth.

Gingivitis and periodontal disease begin when plaque forms
on your teeth. Plaque is an invisible sticky film that
sticks to your teeth. Plaque is forming all the time. That
is why when you brush your teeth right before bed, you
still wake up with dry, smelly, morning mouth. Bacteria in
this layer of plaque produces poisons that irritate and
harm your gums.

Over time, the plaque on your teeth mixes with minerals in
your saliva and hardens to form calculus or tarter. Here is
where the real problem begins. As this rock hard calculus
forms on your teeth, it irritates your gums and could cause
them to recede (shrink away). The tissue that connects your
gums to your teeth breaks down and forms pockets or areas
where bacteria can hide. The bacteria multiply causing bad
breath and tooth decay. Over time, the infection in your
gums can lead to bone loss. Soon, there is not enough bone
to hold your teeth in your jaw. When this occurs,
perfectly healthy teeth will fall out.

Why suffer when gum disease is preventable? You need to
brush and floss your teeth and visit your dentist regularly
to have your calculus removed. Removing calculus from your
teeth can only be done by a dental hygienist or a dentist.
So, if it has been a while, schedule that dental cleaning
that you have been putting off. It just might save your
life!

----------------------------------------------------
For more information, you may visit
http://www.bigsmiledental.com .

How To Stop Over Eating

How To Stop Over Eating
When you were a baby you ate whenever you were hungry and
stopped when you felt satisfied. However as you age, your
mind and body become exposed to numerous fad diets, ads,
the habit of rewarding yourself with food, and using food
as an outlet. This causes you to unfortunately lose the
satisfying feeling and overeat.

What's very important to implement into your lifestyle is
to eat when you're hungry and stop when you're satisfied.

So how can you relearn how to eat when you're hungry and
stop when you're full? Follow the 5 tips below and you'll
be enjoying your food a lot more with the added bonus of
losing a few pounds in the process.

Slow Down

Honestly, this isn't rocket science over here. Anybody can
start eating a bit more slowly…even you. If you've been
reading my newsletters for the past year you might remember
some other eating tips I recommended such as "sip water
between bites" or "chew your food before swallowing".

These tips are all aimed to slowing you down when you eat.
What's interesting is that it takes 12 or more minutes for
food satisfaction signals to reach the brain of a thin
person, but 20 or more minutes for an obese person. By
eating slowly, this ensures that these important messages
have time to reach your brain so you feel satisfied and not
stuffed like a turkey.

Awareness

Take your eating to a whole new level. Instead of just
eating while you work or drive sit down and enjoy your meal
with no distractions. When you do eat while you work, or
drive this distracts you and most importantly your body
will tend not to register the food (calories) and you'll
begin to over eat.

Try and find a quiet place with no distractions to enjoy
your food. I enjoy eating my meals outside, it's peaceful
and there isn't anything to distract me from my meal.

It's all about the first bites

Believe it or not, food enjoyment comes from the first few
bites. After the first few bites your taste buds start to
lose their sensitivity to the chemicals in your meal that
make it taste good. Nourishing your taste buds by really
savoring those first few bites can help you stop eating.

Change it up

Instead of using those enormous plates and filling them up
right to the edge. Switch to smaller plates. This will
help you pay more attention to the presentation of the meal
and increase your awareness of the food in front of you.
The way it works is that your brain looks at the plate and
analysis the portion to see if it's enough. It takes some
time, but in the end it's a lot more beneficial to have a
smaller plate.

Smaller plate = Smaller portion.

Go for the satisfying foods instead

You know the foods that are not so satisfying but still
pack on the calories? You want to stay away from them.
Keep in mind that the higher the fiber, protein, and/or
water content of a food, the more likely it is to be
satisfying in your stomach without going crazy on calories.

Here's a quick list of some satisfying foods.

Turkey Sandwich on whole wheat

Oatmeal

Bean Burrito

Grilled cheese on whole wheat

Veggie omelet

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Marci Lall is a Womens Weight Loss & Body Sculpting
Specialist. visit his website to get his FREE report "16
tips on how to get maximum weight loss and fitness results
in minimum time"

http://www.lallpt.com

What is the Best Alcohol to Drink When on a Diet

What is the Best Alcohol to Drink When on a Diet
We have all heard to cut alcohol out of your diet when you
are attempting to lose weight. Alcohol is empty calories
if you look at from the calorie perspective. There are
good qualities to alcohol assuming that the consumption is
moderate and not associated with any addiction. Different
alcohols or spirits can be a part of a good weight loss or
healthy diet. The best may be the Bacardi and Diet Coke.

First we have to look at alcohol being consumed in
moderation. The liver can remove 2 glasses of beer or
wine, and one mixed drink per day. Sorry, you are unable
to save them up to have 10 on the weekend. On the LIVE
Nutrition Plan one light beer, glass of wine, or distilled
spirit is one fat exchange. The average person will have
3-4 fat exchanges throughout the day. Remember what we
said about your liver, using all of your fat for alcohol
would not be a good idea for the health of your liver.

Alcohol has many stress relieving properties. Alcohol is a
depressant which means that it will support your ability to
relax. Drinking alcohol in moderation, less than two a
day, has been demonstrated to lower stress so that you live
longer than people who drink no alcohol. Just remember two
or less.

Light Beer on a Diet

Light beer seems to be the obvious choice when on a diet.
The average lite beer is less than 100 calories with some
of the new ultra beers having even less. If you can keep
your consumption of these beers to two or under a day this
is a good choice. The problem with lite beer is the
quantity that most people can drink. Many people can
consume multiple light beers with ease. Though each beer
has few calories they start to add up having if you have
4-6 on a night.

Microbrews on a Diet

Wow, I get to drink dark beer on a diet? Aren’t dark
beers more calories? The answer is yes dark beers are more
calories; the good thing is it is easier to drink just one.
The average person who could drinks 5 light beers will
probably only be able to drink one dark beer, and the total
calories. You total calories from one dark beer will be
less than the 5 light beer calorie total.

Diet Wine

Wine in moderation has been known to lower the risk of
heart disease. It doesn’t seem to be wine
specifically, but the stress relieving properties of
alcohol, as long as they are consumed in moderation. Wine
works the same as light beer, less than 100 calories per
glass and one fat exchange on the LIVE diet plan.

Bacardi and Diet Coke

One Bacardi and Diet Coke has 66 calories. Two of these
mixed drinks are only a few more calories than one beer.
Two Bacardi and diet Cokes are a lot less caloric than many
beers on the market. This isn’t Bacardi specific,
most distilled spirits and diet soda are going to be around
the same number of calories. Remember that even though
they have less calories, your liver doesn’t care when
it comes to the amount of alcohol. Moderation of 2 or less
is still best. Bacardi and Diet Coke is simply the most
popular, which I found out while in Puerto Rico touring the
Bacardi Distillery.

Alcohol as a part of a responsible diet can be a part of a
person’s weight loss program or healthy diet.
Remember the key is moderation and picking drinks lower in
calories. Enjoy your next party.

----------------------------------------------------
About The Author: Charles Carter, BS in Exercise Science is
President of LIVE, llc of http://www.liveleantoday.com -
visit the website for more information on weight loss, core
fitness programs, optimal diets, and online personal
trainer and dietician services. For more information on
products go to http://shop.liveleantoday.com .