Posted: under Cancer.
The recognition that changing behavior and attitudes may be a matter of life and death is a significant motivator for change. Many of our patients have reported that one of the benefits of their illness was that they could no longer ignore their true needs. The illness permitted them to override their social conditioning and begin to grow as humans beings: to express their feelings and go about meeting their needs openly and directly. Without the incentive of the illness, they could have continued to live lives of quiet desperation.It is essential to recognize that the needs being met through the illness are fully legitimate and deserve to be met. The body is demanding attention in the only way it knows how. Whether it is Willie’s need to feel that he has some control over his life, the psychiatrist’s need to resolve his guilt, the young professional’s need to balance his work with other parts of his life, or the businesswoman’s need to say no, all Of these are needs that human beings must meet to maintain their physical and emotional health. From this viewpoint, the intent of the organism is constructive, even in illness. Illness is an opportunity for the individual to achieve emotional growth.*37\347\2*
Jul 26 2011
Posted: under Weight Loss.
As I have pointed out, according to research, the average American male is eating 216 more calories each day and the average female is consuming 112 more calories each day than they did twenty years ago.One of the reasons for this additional consumption is that Americans have become visually accustomed to a larger portion size on their plates. They seem oblivious to the fact that the larger portion equates to a greater number of calories. Many people are shocked when I tell them that they are simply eating too much food. They are truly not aware of the caloric value of what they are eating because they have become conditioned to consume these large amounts on a daily basis. What they see in front of them looks “right.” My weight-loss management firm had a client who has struggled with her weight for several years. When she came to us for help, she was eating a very healthy diet. However, even healthy diets can contain too many calories. Once we got her caloric consumption under control, she began to lose weight. Her problem, similar to that of so many others, was essentially “portion distortion” and lack of awareness. To reverse this trend, homework and planning are necessary.Recall the case of my client who was raised in Santiago, Chile. She and her family, none of whom were overweight, ate five-course European-style meals for lunch and dinner, including everything from meat to cheese to a sweet. Why weren’t they overweight? What this underscores is the tremendous difference that exists between American and European portion sizes. Self magazine did a great piece on this subject. Here are some of the comparisons highlighted:
EUROPEAN VERSUS AMERICAN PORTION SIZE AND CALORIC CONTENTFood item European AmericanFrench croissant 2 ounces, 215 calories 4 ounces, 430 caloriesChocolate truffles 25 ounce, 40 calories 1.5 ounces, 240 caloriesSteak 8 ounces, 545 calories 20 ounces, 1,360 caloriesCappuccino 4.5 ounces, 50 calories 12 ounces, 140 calories
Do you notice how substantial the differences are? If we were to reduce those portion sizes, we would reduce our body size. John Travolta has said that he lost weight by eating all the foods he previously ate, but now he eats only half-portions – half a cheeseburger, half a bagel. It worked for him, and portion control can dramatically work for you, too. Go back to your Balance of Energy Equation. Reduce the energy in and body weight will go down. In addition to reduced portions, Europeans, and many thin Americans, observe a few simple eating rules. *62/280/5*
Jul 14 2011
Posted: under Pain Relief-Muscle Relaxers.
Most people are reluctant to take drugs. The two reasons given for this are side-effects and dependence.
Side-effectsThere are very few medicines which are entirely free from unpleasant or harmful effects. If a drug works, it does so by acting on the body’s tissues, so that when taken in excessive amounts, it will necessarily be harmful. People vary in their reactions, and some are more sensitive than others. Even the most widely taken drugs such as aspirin produce unpleasant effects, e.g. vomiting of blood in certain individuals, and most are familiar with the side-effects of the most popular of drugs-alcohol.
DependenceMany drugs, particularly those having effects on the brain, such as sedatives and tranquillizers, have a reputation of dependence. This means that when the drug is stopped, the individual suffers from unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. The most well-known and dramatic of these is seen in chronic alcoholics and morphine addicts who, when their drug intake is suddenly stopped, develop hallucinations and tremor.In chronic or recurrent disease, of which migraine is one example, it is particularly important to avoid dependence. The withdrawal symptoms seen after long-term administration of sedatives or tranquillizers are comparatively mild but can lead to insomnia, irritability, and depression.For these reasons drugs should be taken only when necessary; the indication in migraine is when attacks are severe and interfere with daily life. When attacks are frequent, drug therapy may be more effective if preventive (prophylactic) treatment is given rather than waiting for the attacks which, when started, may not be so easily remedied.Most people with migraine have mild attacks and the patients cope themselves without going to the doctor. It is only the severe migraine attacks, not controlled by the usual simple measures that prove to be a treatment problem.
*51/152/5*
Jul 04 2011