Late on Bills? Stay Positive

by: continuum wellness - November 1st, 2011   Filed under: healthy mind, stress, wellness Add Comment

Mortgage delinquency associated with mental health impairments and lack of access to health-related resources             

A national study released today in the American Journal of Public Health found that mortgage delinquency increased the risk of declines in health, particularly depressive symptoms, in Americans over the age of 50; mental health impairments were exacerbated by the lack of sufficient access to health-relevant resources.

Researchers investigated whether mortgage delinquency was associated with decreases in health and access to health-relevant resources over a two-year period in a nationally representative cohort of Americans older than 50 years.

In 2008, 2,474 participants reported whether they had fallen behind on mortgage payments since 2006. They compared changes in health, including any incidence of elevated depressive symptoms and major declines in self-rated health, as well as monitored changes in access to health-relevant resources, such as food and prescription medications. Compared with nondelinquent homeowners, the mortgage-delinquent group developed elevated depressive symptoms, food insecurity and cost-related nonadherence with prescription medications.

The study’s authors said, “The rise in mortgage defaults may have important public health implications that could ultimately prove costly to affected individuals, employers, the health care system, and society…Our results also suggest that the housing crisis may be exacerbating health disparities because lower-income and minority homeowners were at higher risk than other homeowners for mortgage default.”

[From: “Mortgage Delinquency and Changes in Access to Health Resources and Depressive Symptoms in a Nationally Representative Cohort of American Older than 50 years.” Contact: Bill Seiler, Media Relations, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, bseiler@umm.edu or 410-328-8919].

Reseach: Singing Lowers Patient’s Blood Pressure Prior to Surgery

by: continuum wellness - July 27th, 2011   Filed under: arthritis, music, self-healing, seniors, stress, wellness Add Comment

This research highlights the amazing power within. When we focus our intention on healing ourselves with action steps blood pressure can be reduced and many ailments can even be healed. Singing, that worked, not the drugs. Tap into the healing within you and amaze yourself.

Singing May Offer Alternative Therapy for Chronic Pain; Surgical Interventions in Osteoarthritis

Doctors report that singing reduced the blood pressure of a 76-year-old woman who had experienced severe preoperative hypertension prior to total knee replacement surgery for osteoarthritis (OA). While the patient was unresponsive to aggressive pharmacologic interventions, the woman’s blood pressure dropped dramatically when she sang several religious songs. This case-report appears in the April issue of Arthritis Care & Research, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR).

Traditional therapy for preoperative hypertension, doctors say, involves drug-based therapies that include diuretics, beta blockers, calcium-channel blockers, and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. These medications are used to lower blood pressure to acceptable levels for surgery, however, a number of patients do not respond to these treatments. In patients unresponsive to standard therapies, as in the current case study patient, alternative hypertension interventions are needed.

“Several studies suggest that listening to music can be effective in reducing blood pressure by calming or diverting patients prior to surgery, which lessens stress and anxiety,” explains lead author Nina Niu, a researcher from Harvard Medical School in Boston. “Our case study expands on medical evidence by showing that producing music or singing also has potential therapeutic effects in the preoperative setting.”

The current case subject was a 76-year-old woman from the Dominican Republic who had hypertension and a 15-year history of bilateral knee OA. The patient was treated with ACE inhibitors and calcium-channel blockers for high blood pressure and diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), for knee pain. She was accepted into Operation Walk Boston, a philanthropic program providing total join replacement to poor Dominican patients with advanced OA of the hip or knee. The case study authors served as members of her medical team.

Upon admission to the hospital for surgery the patient’s blood pressure was 160/90 mm Hg, controlled by her normal regimen of nifedipine and lisinopril. In the preoperative area, the woman’s blood pressure increased to 240/120 mm Hg and persisted, requiring doctors to postpone surgery. The Operation Walk medical team was onsite site at the Dominican hospital for a limited time; therefore it was imperative that the patient’s blood pressure be reduced so surgery could proceed.

The patient asked doctors if she could sing, which the patient reported doing frequently to calm herself down and to help with sleeping. The medical team encouraged her to so, and after two songs checked her blood pressure which had lowered to 180/90 mm Hg. With continued singing for 20 minutes, the patient’s blood pressure remained lower and persisted for several hours after. As instructed by doctors, the patient sang periodically through the night which kept her blood pressure at acceptable levels. The following morning, the woman was cleared for knee replacement surgery, which was successful and without complications.

Niu commented, “Singing is simple, safe, and free. Patients should be encouraged to sing if they wish.” This single case study showed the positive effective of singing in reducing blood pressure and controlling pain. “To be formally considered as an alternative therapy for the OA patient population, larger studies are needed to explore the effects of signing on hypertension and chronic pain relief,” said Niu.

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Be Happy with You

by: continuum wellness - July 14th, 2011   Filed under: depression, healing, healthy mind, inspiration, self-care, spirit, spirituality, stress, thoughts, wellness Add Comment

The majority of folks have heard the phrase, “be happy with yourself.”  Not new, right? Well, but are you?  Happiness  always seems to be just the corner.  It is on the plate for sure, but always seems to be the next course.  How often do we put something else on the plate for the next bite?

How are You Delaying Your Happiness?

Typical happiness delays include:

    I’ll be happy after I finish my degree,

      after I get a job,
      after I get a raise,
      after I “find myself“,
      after I have children,
      after the children are grown,
      when I lose weight,
      after I get that man or woman,
      after I move and so it goes, on and on…

    Until. 
    Until the day you stop. Stop trying to be amazing, unique, fabulous, special or any other “ego” supporting word you choose. The truth is, happiness is not something you have to earn or deserve. It is your birthright.
    Claim it.
    And don’t allow or permit anyone to take it from you.

    Cheers,

    Catherine

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Mindfulness Meditation Can Benefit Youth

by: continuum wellness - September 22nd, 2010   Filed under: adolescents, healing, Health, healthy mind, stress Add Comment

Mindfulness meditation increases well-being in adolescent boys

‘Mindfulness’, the process of learning to become more aware of our ongoing experiences, increases well-being in adolescent boys, a new study reports.

Researchers from the University of Cambridge analyzed 155 boys from two independent UK schools, Tonbridge and Hampton, before and after a four-week crash course in mindfulness. After the trial period, the 14 and 15 year-old boys were found to have increased well-being, defined as the combination of feeling good (including positive emotions such as happiness, contentment, interest and affection) and functioning well.

Professor Felicia Huppert of the Well-being Institute at the University of Cambridge said: “More and more we are realising the importance of supporting the overall mental health of children. Our study demonstrates that this type of training improves well-being in adolescents and that the more they practice, the greater the benefits. Importantly, many of the students genuinely enjoyed the exercises and said they intended to continue them – a good sign that many children would be receptive to this type of intervention.

“Another significant aspect of this study is that adolescents who suffered from higher levels of anxiety were the ones who benefitted most from the training.”

For the experiment, students in six classes were trained in mindful awareness – mindfulness. Mindfulness is a ‘way of paying attention. It means consciously bringing awareness to our experience, in the present moment, without making judgements about it’*. Students in the five control classes attended their normal religious studies lessons.

The training consisted of four 40 minute classes, one per week, which presented the principles and practice of mindfulness. The classes covered the concepts of awareness and acceptance, and taught the schoolboys such things as how to practice bodily awareness by noticing where they were in contact with their chairs or the floor, paying attention to their breathing, and noticing all the sensations involved in walking.

The students were also asked to practice outside the classroom and were encouraged to listen to a CD or mp3 file for eight minutes a day. These exercises are intended to improve concentration and reduce stress.

All participants completed a short series of online questionnaires before and after the mindfulness project. The questionnaires measured the effect of the training on changes in mindful awareness, resilience (the ability to modify responses to changing situations) and psychological well-being.

The researchers found that although it was a short programme, the students who participated in the mindfulness training had increased levels of well-being which were proportional to the amount of time the students spent practicing their new skills.

Professor Huppert continued: “We believe that the effects of mindfulness training can enhance well-being in a number of ways. If you practice being in the present, you can increase positive feelings by savouring pleasurable on-going experiences. Additionally, calming the mind and observing experiences with curiosity and acceptance not only reduces stress but helps with attention control and emotion regulation – skills which are valuable both inside and outside the classroom.”

The success of this initial study has recently led to the creation of an exciting 8 week mindfulness curriculum for schools in both the state and private sectors. This new curriculum, which includes games and video clips, should have even greater benefits.

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For further information, visit here

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Relax and Reduce Stress – Take a Forest Walk

by: continuum wellness - July 13th, 2010   Filed under: relaxation, self-care, self-healing, stress, women's health Add Comment

Embracing the natural world is deeply connected with well-being. Explore how the Japanese are healing stress by promoting this timeless behavior. Isn’t this better than taking medications or overeating? Feeling stressed out, go for a walk in the woods. It is probably wise to go with a friend or in a place not too isolated and enjoy yourself.
New York Times, July 6, 2010, page D5
The Claim: Exposure to Plants and Parks Can Boost Immunity
One study published in January included data on 280 healthy people in Japan, where visiting nature parks for therapeutic effect has become a popular practice called “Shinrin-yoku,” or “forest bathing.” On one day, some people were instructed to walk through a forest or wooded area for a few hours, while others walked through a city area. On the second day, they traded places. The scientists found that being among plants produced “lower concentrations of cortisol, lower pulse rate, and lower blood pressure,” among other things.

Trends in research related to “Shinrin-yoku” (taking in the forest atmosphere or forest bathing) in Japan.
Environ Health Prev Med. 2010 Jan;15(1):27-37.

Tsunetsugu Y, Park BJ, Miyazaki Y.

Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, 1 Matsunosato, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8687, Japan, yukot@ffpri.affrc.go.jp.
Abstract

“Shinrin-yoku”, which can be defined as “taking in the forest atmosphere or forest bathing”, has been receiving increasing attention in Japan in recent years for its capacity to provide relaxation and reduce stress. Since 2004, the authors of this paper have been involved in an investigation designed to ascertain the physiological effects of “Shinrin-yoku” within the framework of the “Therapeutic Effects of Forests” project. We have conducted physiological experiments, both in actual forests and in the laboratory, to elucidate the physiological effects on individuals of exposure to the total environment of forests or to only certain elements of this environment, such as the odor of wood, the sound of running stream water, and the scenery of the forest. We have obtained physiological measurements of central nervous activity, autonomic nervous activity, and biomarkers reflecting stress response that can be applied in this line of approach. Using these measurements, we have summarized the separate elements of forests in terms of the five senses. We have also reviewed a selection of field studies and introduced a number of results from ongoing projects as well as those from early studies. Future perspectives are also discussed.

J Int Med Res. 2006 Mar-Apr;34(2):152-9.
The effects of exercise in forest and urban environments on sympathetic nervous activity of normal young adults.

Yamaguchi M, Deguchi M, Miyazaki Y.

Department of Material Systems Engineering and Life Science, Faculty of Engineering, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan. yamag@eng.toyama-u.ac.jp
Abstract

In Japan, forest-air bathing and walking (shinrin-yoku) has been proposed as a health-facilitating activity in which people spend a short period of time in a forest environment. Initially, we examined the usefulness of salivary amylase activity as an indicator of an individual’s stress levels in a forest environment. The circadian rhythm of salivary amylase activity was measured in healthy young male subjects under stress-free conditions. The salivary amylase activity remained relatively constant throughout the day. Salivary amylase activity was then measured before and after walking in both urban and forest environments using a hand-held monitor. Our results indicated that (i) the circadian rhythm fluctuations in salivary amylase activity were much smaller than the stressor-induced variations; (ii) salivary amylase activity was an excellent indicator of the changes in sympathetic nervous activity; and (iii) the forest was a good environment in which people could experience much less environment-derived stress.

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Are You Making Music with Your Life?

by: continuum wellness - September 16th, 2009   Filed under: happiness, inspiration, life, motivation, spirit, stress, success, thoughts, wellness Add Comment

It is very common for people to delay the enjoyment of life. That’s because we say we are waiting. Waiting for “IT” to happen. And when it does, we will be happy. The only problem is that then we are missing the whole purpose of life.

Music and Life by Alan Watts

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Homeopathy, Children and Life, A Deeper Look

by: continuum wellness - January 1st, 2009   Filed under: alternative medicine, children, complementary medicine, healing, healing philosophy, Health, health beliefs, healthy mind, Homeopathy, life, mind and body, stress, thoughts Add Comment

What I love about this article below is that it captures succinctly a number of key points of homeopathic philosophy.  For example, that you are not your illness.  That the origins of a ‘disease’ that you are experiencing *today* may have ancestral roots.  But whatever the cause of the problem it has something to do with inter-relationships of things in your world, your life and how it effected you.  I don’t have the name of the author, but the article appeared in “The Daily Mirror” 12/25/08, an Indian paper.  And read the Arsenicum case in the article, so cool.

A person is not simply a disease. Instead they are the totality of their physical and psychological characteristics. This totality is a dynamic and evolving system. In Homeopathy we recognize that our whole entire being is influenced not only by infections and day to day stresses but also our environment and our emotions and that of those around us.

In the case of children we can clearly see a link in the stresses surrounding their births and even conception going onto having a bearing in their “total health.”  In some cases this will be revealed by the child’s inability to gain weight, to sleep well or a recurring ear infection, craving certain foods and so on. Instead of looking within ourselves and the shadow side of our behavior and emotions we look for the quick fix to patch our children back to “health” with antibiotics and vitamins. This is not a true cure. We need to always consider the root cause. And more often than not it has its roots in the realm of emotions. Sometimes it is an emotion of an ancestor that we carry with us and keep reliving it.   Remember that all experiences we have leave an energetic imprint on us.

This brings me to a case I read of when a mother came to visit a Homeopath with her son who always woke up at 3 am. The mother had frontal sinusitis. The child seemed very agitated and in contrast the mother was calm and dressed all in black. Of course like most modern mothers she claimed her pregnancy was problem free and how much she had achieved during her pregnancy, but her child was presenting with much agitation and sleep issues. So the homeopath has to dig a little deeper to find out what had been going on during her pregnancy. Many months later the mother recalled that she watched the assassination of President Sadat on the television when she was pregnant. This apparently really shocked her and she was also able to recall that ever since then the baby moved around so much in her stomach. She put it down to him just being active and all boy! But through the Homeopathic lens of understanding we are able to see that this negative image was transferred to the unborn baby while in utero. The Homeopath prescribed a few doses of Arsenicum Albumen for the indication of the fear of death. The boy began to sleep through the night and became much calmer.

In today’s world a pregnant woman is exposed to so much negativity on a daily basis. For example, take the 24 hour news channels that allow us to relive disturbing and traumatic events on demand. We absorb these images and emotions and make it part of our psyche.  We have moved very far away from the days when pregnant women were revered and placed in calming and beautiful surroundings in order to imbibe feelings of harmony and joy to their children. Today even a child’ birth is scheduled in most parts of the developed world. Very little is left to the natural rhythms of the Universe. We have to find a middle path, a path on which we can enjoy the benefits of the modern world but not let it destroy our spirit.

In our busy world we seem to have forgotten that our physical body and our emotions are inextricably linked. In order to truly put our lives back in balance we need to look a little deeper than the superficial symptoms. We need to truly look at the dis-ease in our being.  In order to ascertain the fundamental cause of disease and then treat what needs to be cured it takes some self reflection. All the stresses of our day to day life impact our vital force.  In treating children we see how strong their vital force is and through Homeopathy you can maintain this vitality and enhance it.

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The NIH is Targeting Stress Related Illnesses

by: continuum wellness - December 16th, 2008   Filed under: alternative medicine, complementary medicine, healing, healing philosophy, Health, health care, holistic, holistic medicine, medicine, meditation, stress Add Comment

It appear that the approach taken is analytical using a segregative approach in search of “active components”. Most likely to produce drugs. The methodology of a holistic approach is that all of the components of a root or an herb, etc. work in a synergistic way, together to produce the healing effect. To read about the research products see below for the article.

New Complementary and Alternative Medicine Research Centers Target Stress-Related Illnesses, Obesity, Cancer, and Other Conditions

The National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) has added four new Centers of Excellence for Research on Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CERCs) to its research centers program. The new centers will add to knowledge about complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) approaches and their potential in treating and preventing diseases and conditions that are common among Americans.

In NCCAM’s CERC program, highly accomplished researchers across a variety of disciplines apply cutting-edge technology to projects in CAM. The new centers and their projects are as follows.

Wisconsin Center for the Neuroscience and Psychophysiology of Meditation
Principal Investigator: Richard J. Davidson, Ph.D.
Institution: University of Wisconsin, Madison
Dr. Davidson’s team will examine the impact of two forms of meditation — loving-kindness/compassion meditation and mindfulness meditation — on the brain and body, focusing on the regulation of emotion and on emotional reactivity. Potential applications in health include biological and behavioral processes linked with emotions and/or stress, such as recurrent depression.

Metabolic and Immunologic Effects of Meditation
Principal Investigator: Frederick M. Hecht, M.D.
Institution: University of California, San Francisco
Dr. Hecht and his colleagues will study a program combining mindfulness meditation, mindful eating (the practice of awareness and attentiveness in the present moment while eating), and a diet and exercise program, for use in obesity and metabolic syndrome. They will test whether this program helps alter participants’ hormonal responses to stress and helps enhance and maintain weight loss. Metabolic syndrome involves a cluster of abnormalities–including increased cholesterol, high blood pressure, and insulin resistance–that increases one’s risk for developing diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

CAM as Countermeasures Against Infectious and Inflammatory Disease
Principal Investigator: Mark A. Jutila, Ph.D.
Institution: Montana State University, Bozeman
This center will study biologically based CAM therapies and their effects on immune system function in infectious and inflammatory diseases. One project focuses on effects of botanical extracts — from apple polyphenols, which are concentrated in apple skins, and from yamoa, which comes from the bark of an African gum tree — on white blood cells, using models of infection and inflammation of the intestinal mucosa. A second project examines two compounds in licorice root — glycyrrhizin and 18-glyrrhetinic acid — for their potential antiviral effects in models of influenza and stomach virus. A third project will focus on bacterial products to see how they treat autoimmune diseases, like arthritis, which may also help build understanding of probiotics’ action.

Center for Herbal Research on Colorectal Cancer
Principal Investigator: Chun-Su Yuan, M.D., Ph.D.
Institution: University of Chicago
Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related death. Dr. Yuan and his colleagues will examine the anti-tumor effects of different preparations of the herbs American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) and notoginseng (Panax notoginseng). They will seek to learn more, through laboratory and animal studies, about how these herbs act upon cellular and molecular pathways of the mechanisms of cancer inhibition.

“The new CERCs, all based on strong preliminary work, apply natural-product and mind-body CAM approaches across a range of health conditions that affect the American public,” said Josephine P. Briggs, M.D., NCCAM director. “Their multidisciplinary, collaborative structure increases opportunities for improving health and discovering insights into important aspects of human biology.”

The grants provide five years of support and bring the total number of CERCs to 11. To learn more about NCCAM’s research centers, go to nccam.nih.gov/training/centers/.

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine’s mission is to explore complementary and alternative medical practices in the context of rigorous science, train CAM researchers, and disseminate authoritative information to the public and professionals. For additional information, call NCCAM’s Clearinghouse toll free at 1-888-644-6226, or visit the NCCAM Web site at nccam.nih.gov.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation’s Medical Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit the NIH

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Ease Stress with Flower Essences

by: continuum wellness - December 16th, 2008   Filed under: alternative medicine, complementary medicine, healing, healing philosophy, Health, holistic, home remedies, relaxation, self-healing, stress, women, women's health, wound healing Add Comment

Flowers dazzle us with their sublime beauty. A lover gifting his beloved with a flower bouquet is sure to warm the heart of the beloved. Yet, the gift of flowers extends even further. Flowers not only dazzle, they can also assist us in maintaining wholeness.

The use of flowers for healing was known in times past, but had fallen out of favor until the pioneering work of Dr. Edward Bach. His work to reduce the suffering of his fellow man lead him to the flowers and the development of the Bach Flower remedies. The Bach remedies recognize 38 conditions that are aligned to states of dis-ease within the psyche. In addition is a special formula known as ‘rescue remedy’.

Rescue Remedy is a combination blend consisting of: Rock Rosefor terror, Star of Bethlehem for shock, Cherry Plum for loss of control, Clematis for unconsciousness and Impatiens for stress. This blend is useful for easing stress as well as helping to restore calm in emergencies.

The flower essences are non-toxic and easy to take. A drop or two taken under the tongue or in a small amount of water and sipped. Very easy. For more information check here.

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Build your health with Quercetin

by: continuum wellness - September 23rd, 2008   Filed under: Health, health benefits of food, healthy body, healthy eating, nutrition, stress, tips Add Comment


What is Quercetin?
Quercetin is a flavonol and antioxidant which is found in plant foods, such as onions, broccoli, apples, red wine, tea and coffee. Yea, plants. Onions and garlic are rich sources of the potent anti-cancer bioflavonoid quercetin. Cooking onions does not destroy the effectiveness of quercetin.

Health Benefits of Quercetin
Benefits of quercetin: reduces inflammation, reduces symptoms of prostatitis (enlarged prostate) and fights viruses. Toss some fresh chopped onions in your salad or finely chopped garlic. Tastes good and good for you.

Quercetin Research
A study done with mice shows protective benefits of quercitin to reduce stress. Read below…

Quercetin protects against acute immobilization stress-induced behaviors and biochemical alterations in mice

Oxidative stress is a major contributor to the alterations of various pathological conditions, including neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric problems. Antioxidative flavonoids, ubiquitously included in vegetables, fruits, and teas, are expected to prevent degenerative diseases. Recently, flavonoids have been characterized as neuroprotectants in the treatment of various neurological disorders. The present study was designed to investigate protective effects of quercetin, a bioflavonoid, against acute immobilization-induced behavioral and biochemical alterations in mice. Mice were immobilized for a period of 6 hours. Quercetin (20 and 40 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered 30 minutes before subjecting the animals to acute stress. Behavioral tests (mirror chamber, actophotometer, and tail flick test) and biochemical analysis (malondialdehyde, reduced glutathione, catalase, nitrite, and protein levels) were subsequently performed. Acute immobilization stress for a period of 6 hours caused severe anxiety, analgesia, and impaired motor activity in mice. Biochemical analyses revealed an increase in malondialdehyde and nitrite levels as well as partial depletion of reduced glutathione and catalase activity in immobilization-stressed brain. Behavioral and biochemical parameters were significantly altered as compared to naive mice. Pretreatment with quercetin (20 and 40 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly reversed immobilized stress-induced anxiety and analgesia and reduced locomotor activity. Biochemically, quercetin treatment attenuated malondialdehyde accumulation and nitrite activity and restored the depleted reduced glutathione and catalase activity. Neuroprotective effects of quercetin were significantly improved as compared to control (immobilized stressed) animals.

Results suggest that neuroprotective properties of quercetin can be used in the treatment and management of stress and related disorders.

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