Blog Update 2/15/2011

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What Are the Warning Signs of Stress? - medicinenet.com

From medicinenet.com

What Are the Warning Signs of Stress?

When you are exposed to long periods of stress, your body gives warning signals that something is wrong. These physical, cognitive, emotional and behavioral warning signs should not be ignored. They tell you that you need to slow down. If you continue to be stressed and you don't give your body a break, you are likely to develop health problems like heart disease. You could also worsen an existing illness.

Below are some common warning signs and symptoms of stress.

Physical signs

Dizziness, general aches and pains, grinding teeth, clenched jaws, headaches, indigestion, muscle tension, difficulty sleeping, racing heart, ringing in the ears, stooped posture, sweaty palms, tiredness, exhaustion, trembling, weight gain or loss, upset stomach
Mental signs

Constant worry, difficulty making decisions, forgetfulness, inability to concentrate, lack of creativity, loss of sense of humor, poor memory

Emotional signs

Anger, anxiety, crying, depression, feeling powerless, frequent mood swings, irritability, loneliness, negative thinking, nervousness, sadness

Behavioral signs

Bossiness, compulsive eating, critical attitude of others, explosive actions, frequent job changes, impulsive actions, increased use of alcohol or drugs, withdrawal from relationships or social situations

How Can I Cope With Stress?

After you've identified the cause of stress in your life, the next step is to learn techniques that can help you cope with stress while fighting heart disease. There are many techniques you can use to manage stress. Some of which you can learn yourself, while other techniques may require the guidance of a trained therapist.

Some common techniques for coping with stress include:

Eat and drink sensibly. Abusing alcohol and food may seem to reduce stress, but it actually adds to it.
Assert yourself. You do not have to meet others' expectations or demands. It's OK to say "no." Remember, being assertive allows you to stand up for your rights and beliefs while respecting those of others.
Stop smoking. Aside from the obvious health risks of cigarettes, nicotine acts as a stimulant and brings on more stress symptoms.
Exercise regularly. Choose non-competitive exercise and set reasonable goals. Aerobic exercise has been shown to release endorphins (natural substances that help you feel better and maintain a positive attitude.)
Relax every day. Choose from a variety of different techniques (see below).
Take responsibility. Control what you can and leave behind what you cannot control.
Reduce causes of stress. Many people find life is filled with too many demands and too little time. For the most part, these demands are ones we have chosen. Effective time-management skills involve asking for help when appropriate, setting priorities, pacing yourself, and taking time out for yourself.
Examine your values and live by them. The more your actions reflect your beliefs, the better you will feel, no matter how busy your life is.
Set realistic goals and expectations. It's OK, and healthy, to realize you cannot be 100% successful at everything all at once.
Sell yourself to yourself. When you are feeling overwhelmed, remind yourself of what you do well. Have a healthy sense of self-esteem.
Get enough rest. Even with proper diet and exercise, you can't fight stress effectively without rest. You need time to recover from exercise and stressful events. The time you spend resting should be long enough to relax your mind as well as your body. Some people find that taking a nap in the middle of the day helps them reduce stress.

How Can I Keep a Positive Attitude?
A positive attitude and self-esteem are good defenses against stress and heart disease because they help you view stress as a challenge rather than a problem. A positive attitude keeps you in control when there are inevitable changes in your life. A positive attitude means telling yourself there are things you can do to improve certain situations and admitting that sometimes there's nothing you can do. To maintain a positive attitude during a stressful situation (or to prepare yourself for a potentially stressful situation), keep these tips in mind:

Stay calm. Stop what you're doing. Breathe deeply. Reflect on your choices.
Always tell yourself you can get through the situation.
Try to be objective, realistic and flexible.
Try to keep the situation in perspective. Think about the possible solutions. Choose one that is the most acceptable and feasible.
Think about the outcome: Ask yourself, what is the worst possible thing that can happen? (Chances are that won't happen)
Tell yourself that you can learn something from every situation.

How Can I Reduce My Stressors?
While it is impossible to live your life completely stress-free, it is possible to reduce the harmful effects of certain stressors on you and your heart. Here are some suggestions:

First identify the stressor. What's causing you to feel stressed?
Avoid hassles and minor irritations if possible. If traffic jams cause you stress, try taking a different route, riding the train or bus, or car-pooling.
When you experience a change in your life, try to continue doing the things that you enjoyed before the change occurred.
Learn how to manage your time effectively, but be realistic and flexible when you plan your schedule.
Do one thing at a time; concentrate on each task as it comes.
Take a break when your stressors compile to an uncontrollable level.
Ask for help if you feel that you are unable to deal with stress on your own

Pineapple Mango Salsa - weelicious.com

I love fruit! If someone can find a way to incorporate it into a meal I'll try it. From weelicious.com

Pineapple Mango Salsa

There are a handful of recipes that I’ve been making for years for my family but always forget to put on weelicious. What a shame because you definitely need to have this one in your arsenal. This unbelievably easy and flavor-packed salsa has so many uses. Made with fresh, sweet, ripe pineapple and mango, it’s the perfect accompaniment for grilled fish, chicken or even to eat straight out of the bowl like my kids and husband like to do!

Pineapple Mango Salsa (Serves 6)

1 Cup Pineapple, peeled & diced
1 Mango, peeled & diced
1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
Half a Small Red Onion, about 1/3 Cup, diced
2 Tbsp Cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1 Lime
1/2 Tsp Salt
Grilled or Broiled Fish (Tilapia, Halibut, Opah or any other white flaky fish)

1. Place all ingredients in a bowl and combine.
2. Serve over fish or with tortilla chips.

Raspberry Banana Puree - weelicious.com

This sounds like a yummy dessert for Valentines Day that won't make you feel guilty the next day. From weelicious.com

Raspberry Banana Puree

I love February 14th — what girl doesn’t — so I start experimenting early with new Valentine’s Day recipes (TUNE IN NEXT WEEK!). For the occasion, I stocked up at the Farmer’s Market on baskets of fresh, juicy red raspberries. I was mashing some with banana as the base for a Valentine’s dessert idea I had when Chloe looked at the contents of the bowl and started shrieking “I want some!!!” My girl went on to eat every last drop when suddenly, it hit me: what baby wouldn’t love this bright, pink homemade puree that’s packed with potassium and Vitamin C?

Luckily I had pints more of raspberries on hand, so I quickly mixed up a new batch to taste for myself. What can I say, my daughter has good taste. It was delicious. Even though this recipe is perfect for babies given it’s smooth texture and simple composition, there’s no reason adults won’t love it too. Swirled into plain Greek yogurt or even served on top of ice cream, it’s a treat that you can serve your special someone this Valentine’s Day or any day you want to offer a them something naturally sweet.

Raspberry Banana Puree

1 Banana, peeled
1/2 Cup Raspberries, rinsed

1. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and puree, or place in a bowl and mash with a fork until smooth.
2. Serve.

All About Oatmeal

Thanks to theorganicjourney I now know why oatmeal is so good!

(Click on the image to make it bigger)

The Glomerulus

The tiny structures that do the work in your kidneys are called NEPHRONS. Each of your kidneys contains about one million nephrons. Each nephron has a small blood vessel that brings in unfiltered blood, a GLOMERULUS (glow-mare-Yule-us) that filters the blood, a tubule that caries away filtered waste materials in the urine, and a small blood vessel that returns filtered blood to the body.
From unckidneycenter.org

Health Quotes

Some quotes to inspire:

“So many people spend their health gaining wealth, and then have to spend their wealth to regain their health.” - A. J. Reb Materi

“It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.” - Gandhi

“To wish to be well is a part of becoming well.” - Seneca

“Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise” - Benjamin Franklin

“Before healing others, heal yourself”

“Health is not simply the absence of sickness.” - Hannah Green

“Age does not depend upon years, but upon temperament and health. Some men are born old, and some never grow so.” - Tryon Edwards

From thinkexist.com

Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint. ~Mark Twain

Diseases of the soul are more dangerous and more numerous than those of the body. ~Cicero

If you have health, you probably will be happy, and if you have health and happiness, you have all the wealth you need, even if it is not all you want. ~Elbert Hubbard

People who are always taking care of their health are like misers who are hoarding a treasure which they have never spirit enough to enjoy. ~Laurence Sterne

A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book. ~Irish Proverb

Health is like money, we never have a true idea of its value until we lose it. ~Josh Billings

From the bitterness of disease man learns the sweetness of health. ~Catalan Proverb

Life is not merely to be alive, but to be well. ~Marcus Valerius Martial

From quotegarden.com

Interpreting Urinalysis Results

***These are my notes from physiology lab, and are by no means a way to diagnose yourself or others.

At one point in our jobs or careers we may have to be subjected to the slight humiliation of a urinalysis. But what do the results mean? Here are some definitions that may clear it up for you.

Glycosuria: having glucose in the urine
     Levels of glucose in the urine should be minimal (less than 40mg/dl) or none at all. Glucose in urine could be caused by carbohydrate heavy meals, too much sugar, or could be an indicator of diabetes mellitus.

Bilirubinuria: presence of bile pigments and bilirubin in urine
     This can be caused by erythrocyte (red blood cell) breakdown
(hemolytic anemia), blockage of the bile duct or liver damage from hepatitis or cirrhosis.

Ketosis: ketone bodies in urine
     This can be caused by our bodies using up fat storage that is meant for times of starvation or in individuals with diabetes mellitus or in an abnormally high fat diet.

Hematuria: red blood cells have ruptured and are present
     Instead of having erythrocyte destruction, as in bilirubinuria, the erythrocytes have ruptured such as during a menstrual cycle or kidney stones.

Albuminuria: presence of a common blood protein called albumin
     This can be due to diabetes mellitus, renal damage (kidney disease), extreme physical activity or hypertension.

Pyuria: elevated levels of leukocytes
     Leukocytes are white blood cells which are used to fight pathogens in the body. High levels of leukocytes could mean a urinary tract infection or bladder or kidney infection.

***These are my notes from physiology lab, and are by no means a way to diagnose yourself or others.