How to break the stress-fat connection

Recognizing Seasonal Affective Disorder: Getting Relief From SAD

Recognizing Seasonal Affective Disorder: Getting Relief From SAD

One more gray day looms large, yes it's that time of year and if you are one of the 5% of the people living in the northern hemisphere that experience from S.A.D or Seasonal Affective Disorder your life can be pretty depressing at the moment. The feelings usually start in the Autumn season and carry on throughout until Spring. It is recognized that up to half a million folks in the United States could be suffering from S.A.D however not everyone knows they have it as the symptoms are quite quite often mistaken for conditions like depression or insomnia amongst others.

Younger women seem to be worst affected however they are more likely to seek a doctors advice so that could be why. Symptoms include a general feeling of being down, irritability, mood swings, poor sleep patterns and loss of appetite which swings towards binging and over indulgence.

So how can you help alleviate the condition?
There are aspects of your daily routine that you can change to offset the affects of Seasonal Affective Disorder that can really help you, such as:

Getting outside as much as possible when the days are just that bit brighter as the more daylight you are subjected to the better you will feel.If you're lucky you could get a day when the sun shines, if that is the case make the most of it, go sit in it for a while.

Try to make your working environment as bright possible, try moving your desk closer to the window, Take regular breaks, and if possible take your lunch break away from your office.

If you are a homeworker try to build a routine which will allow you to get out of the house at least once a day.

Using a light therapy lamp to simulate daylight. You can purchase them online and aren't too expensive. Light Therapy Lamps have been proven to make a difference. Simply use it in the background fro thirty minutes a day and you will feel so much better.

If you are suffering from SAD regular exercise has been known to help, if you are of an age and are fit you could try jogging or a brick daily walk. If that is not your thing try yoga. You can also help your S.A.D symptoms with the power of exercise it will help keep your body healthy at the same time. It is a good idea to plan your week in advance as we are all guilty of putting things off, however if they have been scheduled you are more likely to see it through.

Food cravings can also be a component of Seasonal Affective Disorder, usually people crave sweet things like chocolate, biscuits and cake, if this is the case try to satisfy your appetite by substituting the sweeter foods with other carbohydrates such as pasta, or you could eat more fruit and vegetables.

In the end it all comes down to being proactive with your Disorder and tying to meet it head on, There is no one cure fits all but once you recognize that you have SAD then you can begin to treat it.
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Arnold Hexden writes on Seasonal Affective Disorder as well as other subjects, however S.A.D is an issue close to his heart and he has spent a lot of his time developing his jdeas. You can read more about S.A.D at his his website over at http://www.lightthearapyboxes.net

Happiness

Happiness

By Alfred D. Souza

For a long time it seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time to still be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.

This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. So, treasure every moment that you have. And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time . and remember that time waits for no one.

So stop waiting

until you finish school,

until you go back to school,

until you lose ten pounds,

until you gain ten pounds,

until you have kids,

until your kids leave the house,

until you start work,

until you retire,

until you get married,

until you get divorced,

until Friday night,

until Sunday morning,

until you get a new car or home,

until your car or home is paid off,

until spring,

until summer,

until fall,

until winter,

until you are off welfare,

until the first or fifteenth,

until your song comes on,

until you've had a drink,

until you've sobered up,

until you die,

until you are born again

to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy.

Happiness is a journey, not a destination.

A GOOD WOMAN

A good woman is proud of herself. She respects herself and others.

She is aware of who she is. She neither seeks definition from the person

she is with, nor does she expect them to read her mind.

She is quite capable of articulating her needs.

A good woman is hopeful.

She is strong enough to make all her dreams come true.

She knows love, therefore she gives love.

She recognizes that her love has great value and must be reciprocated.

If her love is taken for granted, it soon disappears.

A good woman has a dash of inspiration, a dabble of endurance.

She knows that she will, at times, have to inspire others to reach the

potential God gave them.

A good woman knows her past, understands her present

and moves toward the future.

A good woman knows God. She knows that with God the world is her

playground, but without God she will just be played.

A good woman does not live in fear of the future because of her past.

Instead, she understands that her life experiences are merely lessons, meant to bring her closer

to self knowledge and unconditional self love.

I am a good woman. Are you or Do you know a good woman?

SMILE

SMILE

Author Unknown

A Smile costs nothing, but gives much.

It enriches those who receive, without making poorer those who give.

It takes but a moment, but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever.

None is so rich or mighty that he can get along without it,

and none is so poor, but that he can be made rich by it.

A Smile creates happiness in the home, fosters good will in business,

and is the countersign of friendship.

It brings rest to the weary, cheer to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad,

and it is nature's best antidote for trouble.

Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen,

for it is something that is of no value to anyone, until it is given away.

Some people are too tired to give you a smile

Give them one of yours, as none needs a smile so much as he who has no more to give.

http://www.ZigZiglar.com

A Beginner's Guide to Menopause Support

A Beginner's Guide to Menopause Support

Menopause is different for each woman. I think we all know the common list of issues that are associated with menopause. Hot flashes, irregular periods, headaches, night sweats, mood swings, depression, anxiety, irregular sleep patterns, skin and vaginal dryness, heart palpitations, and the list goes on. The most important thing to get from this list is not a sense of being overwhelmed, but a sense of wow I am up against a lot, so I needs to understand that this will take some time to figure out. Try to realize that if I you are going to get back to your old self you need to be aware of your symptoms and try find treatments that target your specific issues. Also realize that you might be going through the change, but your friends and family are along for the ride as well. Their love and emotional support can be very healing. Try to use humor when you can and explain to them what is happening. A good friend told me she sat her husband down and told him "Do not speak, do not argue with me, just let me do the talking. I know that I am the one who is trying to get my hormone levels under control and I am the one taking the hormone pills, but some how when I take these pills you become very stupid and very annoying. I know the pills should not effect you, but they are making you into a stupid and annoying jerk, so please be aware of that and do your best while I am going through this to try not to be stupid or annoying."

Because she was able to tell him exactly what she was thinking he was able to understand she did not hate him, and they were able to joke more about the mood issues. She was also able to get an honest outside opinion from someone who knew her well. He told her that she was not going crazy and that indeed since she started taking the pills there had been a major change in her temper and overall mood. When she went to the doctors he was able to be her advocate. He was able to tell the doctor what her symptoms were like as an observer because she was not in denial about her symptoms. This made it much easier for the doctor to understand what was happening and faster to find a treatment plan that worked. I am happy to report, once she got off the hormone replacement her husband recovered nicely from his spell of being an annoying, stupid jerk. On the flip side, many women find hormone replacement therapy is the only thing that does provide relief and emotional stability. Menopause help is self help. Realize that when it comes to treatment and therapies that one size will not fit all, so start researching, give therapies time to work, and be ready to try something new if a treatment is not working out for you.

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Millard Hiner editor and publisher of noxobmp. com and author of many articles Behavioral Modification Products has a collection of these on his new website http://www.menopausalsupportnoxo.com/ which includes information and articles about Menopause Help.