What is depression? 
Depression is medical condition that affects people of all genders, races, ages, and income levels. People who are depressed feel hopeless and suffer deep emotional pain for prolonged periods. Depression can cause dysfunction in every aspect of one’s life.

Nearly one in five Americans will experience depression sometime in their lifetime, and more than 19 million Americans suffer from a depressive disorder each year. 

Types and Causes of Depression:
There are three basic types of depression: 
• Major depression is the most common type of depression. It tends to be episodic, but can persistently recur. 
• Dysthymia, which is a chronic, unremitting depression. A dysthymia diagnosis requires fewer symptoms than major depression, but must be present for at least two years.
• Bipolar Disorder, called manic depression, is depression alternating with elated or irritable moods and increased energy.

Major depression and dysthymia are twice as prevalent among women than men: 1 in 4 women and 1 in 8 men will experience these types of depression at some point in their lives. Many factors can cause depression, including biochemistry, genetics, family history, substance abuse, and an illness or other difficult life events. 

Getting Help!
Regardless of the cause, a person should be treated for depression. Two-thirds of people with depression do not seek treatment because they don’t understand their symptoms or have fear of the stigma of mental illness. Yet of those who do, 80% are treated effectively with medication, psychotherapy, or both.

It is important to seek medical help early because:
• Untreated depression is long lasting. A depressive episode, left untreated, can last six months, or chronically for years.
• Depression is likely to recur. If a person experiences a single episode of depression, there is a 50% chance of having another. The chance of recurrence is 70% after two episodes and 90% after three episodes.
• Depression can lead to suicide. Depression is the leading cause of suicide, and a suicide occurs every 17 minutes in the U.S

Depression Symptoms
If you have been experiencing several of the depression symptoms below for more than 2 weeks, contact your doctor. If you have been thinking about death or suicide, call your doctor today. 
• Feeling miserable and sad almost everyday?
• Losing interest in most activities?
• Feeling anxious or irritable?
• Having trouble concentrating or remembering?
• Feeling tired?
• Feeling guilty?
• Sleeping too much or too little?
• Eating too much or too little?
• Have medically unexplained aches and pains?
• Thinking of death or suicide?
In addition, excessive alcohol consumption and drug abuse is prevalent among those with underlying depressive disorders. 

Signs for family / friends
Common behaviors that family/friends often notice in people with depression (usually these are abrupt or sudden behavior changes):
• Talking very negatively
• Acting unreasonably, without concern for others
• Abusing alcohol or drugs
• Picking fights, being irritable, critical, or mean
• Withdrawing from family and friends
• Having trouble at work or school
• Talking suddenly about separation or divorce
• Complaining of aches and pains
• Eating too little or too much
• Sleeping too much or too little

Provided Courtesy of Wellness Proposals
Source:  www.familyaware.org

If you don’t have diabetes, why do you need to think about your blood sugar levels?

It’s simple: Blood sugar problems don’t happen overnight. And, as your blood sugar rises, not only does your risk of developing diabetes increase, but so does your risk of coronary heart disease.

Here’s what everyone needs to know about blood sugar levels:

1. Blood sugar, or glucose, provides vital energy to all our cells. The hormone insulin, produced in the pancreas, helps glucose get into those cells.
2. Blood sugar levels rise and fall to balance your body’s needs: up after eating, down when you need to eat.
3. When blood sugar rises too high, it causes insulin resistance and prevents glucose from
   delivering its energy properly.
4. Insulin resistance increases when you’re overweight, especially if you carry extra weight in your mid-section.
5. Only medical tests can show if you have a healthy blood sugar level. You may be tested
   after not eating (fasting) for a specific amount of time.

• Fasting blood sugar levels:
  · Normal: 70 to 99 mg/dl
  · Prediabetic: 100 to 125 mg/dl
  · Diabetic: 126 mg/dl or above
• You might also drink a sugary drink and then be tested with an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). If your OGTT score is 140 mg/dl to 199 mg/dl you’re prediabetic; above that is diabetes.

1. To achieve or maintain a healthy blood sugar level:

• Lose weight if you are overweight.
• Take a few minutes to walk every day. Work up to 30 minutes a day.
• Eat more fiber from oatmeal, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, beans and legumes to better control blood sugar levels.
• Reduce your use of sugary foods and drinks as well as refined starches, such as white bread, white rice and white pasta.
• Cut total fat intake to less than 30 percent of your daily calorie total, with saturated fat under 10 percent.

*To learn more about how to maintain a healthy blood sugar level, go to the Blood Sugar Awareness Tool Kit from the National Women’s Health Resource Center.

How to effectively use a step counter (pedometer):   
1. Place the step counter on your waistband or belt so that it is above your knee.

2. Walk 50 steps and check that the step counter.  If the counter recorded a number below 46 or above 54, try repositioning the step counter and resetting it, then check it again.

3. Wear the step counter during the day. 

4. For the first week that you have the step counter do your regular activities.  You should write down your daily step counts and at the end of the week you will have an idea of your average level of activity.  You can then decide on the action that you want to take. 

For example:

•  If your average activity level is less than 4,000 steps per day—you may want to choose the first action of ―taking more steps than I do now‖ with a personalized goal of 1,000 more steps per day.
• If your average activity level is between 4,000-6,000 steps per day—you could choose to increase your steps by 2,000 steps a day.  
• If your average activity level is greater than 6,000 steps per day—you may want to try to work toward 10,000 steps a day. 

Sources: Monarch Health Promotions , The University of Colorado Department of Family Medicine and Colorado on the Move.

Some people may groan at the fact that when seasons change, cleaning time arrives again (myself included), but it does you a world of good in all aspects of your life.

When we clear out the clutter from our daily lives, we are in fact saying to the Universe, “Yes, I can let go of my past baggage and I am ready for new opportunities and new experiences”. Each season is a time for new beginnings, let this be the year that you begin renewed and ready for anything!

Here are some simple Feng Shui cleaning tips to get you started…

Source: Feng Shui Market & Publishing

There are many ways to keep your child safe at Halloween, when they are more prone to accidents and injuries. The excitement of children and adults at this time of year sometimes makes them forget to be careful. Simple common sense can do a lot to stop any tragedies from happening.

Pumpkin Safety Tips
Pumpkins and jack-O-lanterns are a fun part of the holiday festivities. In order to keep this activity a safe part of every Halloween celebration, consider the following tips:

• When it comes to carving pumpkins, have your children draw the face and scoop the seeds. Leave the actual cutting and candle lighting to the adults.
• Have the children use markers to delineate the face they want carved out of their pumpkin.
• Once the seeds are scooped, rinse and spread them out on a cookie sheet, sprinkle with salt, and roast at about 325 degree Fahrenheit for about 15 to 20 minutes. Munching the seeds while the pumpkin is being carved will help to keep your child involved and occupied while the actual carving is taking place.
• Once the pumpkin is carved, if you’re using a candle to light up your jack-O-lantern, have an adult do the lighting.

Halloween Safety Tips
With witches, goblins, and super-heroes descending on neighborhoods across America, the American Red Cross offers parents some safety tips to help prepare their children for a safe and enjoyable trick-or-treat holiday. Halloween should be filled with surprise and enjoyment, and following some common sense practices can keep events safer and more fun.
• Walk, slither, and sneak on sidewalks, not in the street.
• Look both ways before crossing the street to check for cars, trucks, and low-flying brooms.
• Cross the street only at corners.
• Don’t hide or cross the street between parked cars.
• Wear light-colored or reflective-type clothing so you are more visible. (And remember to put reflective tape on bikes, skateboards, and brooms, too!)
• Plan your route and share it with your family. If possible, have an adult go with you.
• Carry a flashlight to light your way.
• Keep away from open fires and candles. (Costumes can be extremely flammable.)
• Visit homes that have the porch light on.
• Accept your treats at the door and never go into a stranger’s house.
• Use face paint rather than masks or things that will cover your eyes.
• Be cautious of animals and strangers.

Have a grown-up inspect your treats before eating. And don’t eat candy if the package is already opened. Small, hard pieces of candy are a choking hazard for young children.

Source: www.familyeducation.com, the American Red Cross and www.wellnessproposals.com

A Cold or The Flu? What to do?

The symptoms are confusing, but here’s a simple test: high fevers, body aches, extreme fatigue and a constant dry cough are likely to be flu, according to experts at eMedicineHealth. The common cold generally consists of; a runny or stuffy nose, a mild fever, and coughing.

In either case, antibiotics are not the cure for these virus caused illnesses, because antibiotics cannot fight viruses. In fact, taking prescription medications weakens their effectiveness for when you really need them; so reserve them for only bacterial infections.

Often, what you need to ease the symptoms of colds and flu can be found right at home.

For chest congestion:
•Drink plenty of fluids (8 to 10 cups a day) such as water, sports drinks, herbal teas, fruit drinks, or ginger-ale. Fluids help break up congestion, prevent dehydration and keep your throat moist.
•Inhaled steam can ease congestion too. Create steam with a humidifier, or steam up the bathroom by running a hot shower.

For nasal congestion:
• Relieve clogged nasal and sinus passages caused by excessive mucus with either decongestant pills or with a nasal spray. These are best taken (for a limited time) following a hot shower and lots of nose blowing to clear out the mucus as much as possible.

For fever and pain, body aches and tiredness:
• Rest in bed.
• Over-the-counter medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) can help decrease fever and ease sore throat pain and body aches.

For cough:
• For a dry hacking cough, you may choose a medication that contains a cough suppressant –Look for over-the-counter medications that contain dextromethorphan.
• For a cough that produces excessive mucus, or phlegm, you may want to use an expectorant that loosens phlegm. Guaifenesin the most common active ingredient.

For sore throat:
• A warm salt-water gargle can relieve a scratchy throat.
• Lozenges, mouthwashes, and sprays that contain a numbing ingredient can ease the pain.

Source: Consumer Health News

You are not alone in your quest to “grow” a healthy child; learn tips and find tools to help your child eat right, exercise more, make smart decisions, and grow up to be a healthier, happier adult.

Being the parent or other responsible adult in our home means being our kids’ primary role model, pretty much indefinitely.

You have a tremendous impact on eating habits. After all, you buy the food. You handle much of its preparation and set the tone during meals.

Every day – whether you intend to or not – you teach your kids what to eat and drink. They’ll see the foods and beverages you choose and how much or how little you put into your own body, and they will model your behavior.

You shape physical activity for your family by example too. Kids are more likely to limit TV and computer “screen time” if you do, and if they have fun family alternatives. They’ll be more likely to listen to your request to “go outside and play!” if you join in sometimes. They’ll learn that exercise is a natural, necessary – even fun – part of life when they see you engaging in a regular exercise routine.

You don’t have to be perfect. In fact, kids learn more when they see you working through frustrations, mistakes or setbacks. When you say, “I’d love to have two slices of cake but I’ll have one,” they’ll get the message that you’re making healthier choices too.

Healthy eating and physical activity don’t become habits overnight. It takes time and effort to make them part of a daily routine. Here are some ideas, to get you started.

5 Tips for Healthier Kids:
1. Get your whole family involved
Family; it’s a major part of every child’s life-and often the most important factor in helping a child make healthy changes. Research shows children are often more willing to eat healthy foods and be active if they see their parents and other family members doing these things first. That’s why it’s important to get every member of your family involved in healthy eating and physical activity.

2. Set realistic goals
When you make changes step-by-step and set realistic goals, you are more likely to succeed in reaching them. It’s best to set goals for healthy eating and physical activity that apply to the entire family.

3. Make the Most out of family mealtime
Eating meals together gives you a chance to help your child develop a healthy attitude toward food. It also enables you to serve as a healthy eating role model, ensure that your kids are eating nutritious foods, introduce your family to new foods, establish a regular meal schedule and keep in touch with family members.

4. Make sure your child eats a balanced diet
Every child needs appropriate amounts of calories, proteins, minerals and vitamins to grow. The best way to ensure kids get what they need while maintaining or losing weight is to provide a variety of nutritious foods that are low in fat and sugar. The food pyramid is a general guide for a balanced diet.

5. Get active
As with healthy eating, kids are more likely to want to be active when other family members are active too. Find ways to build physical activity-step-by-step-into your family routine.

The Caduceus (Kerykeion in Greek) is a winged staff with two snakes wrapped around it. It was an ancient astrological symbol of commerce and is associated with the Greek god Hermes, the messenger for the gods, conductor of the dead and protector of merchants and thieves.

The Asclepius Rod, is an ancient Greek symbol associated with astrology and with healing the sick through medicine. The Caduceus and The Rod of Asclepius are often used interchangeably. The Rod of Asclepius symbolizes the healing arts by combining the serpent, and the figure-eight shape the number eight; which is important to the practitioners of judicial astrology.

In the seventh century, the caduceus came to be associated with a precursor of medicine, based on the Hermetic astrological principles of using the planets and stars to heal the sick.

To learn more visit http://www.squidoo.com/caduceus

Since their introduction in the United States in 1991, colorful swirling Ribbons have quickly spread. They have wrapped their tendrils around the world to become lasting cultural icons of awareness, unity, support and hope.
Awareness Ribbon Color Meanings

Black= Melanoma Cancer, Sleep Disorders.

Blue (Navy) = Arthritis, Colon Cancer, Down’s Syndrome, Osteoporosis, Osteogenesis Imperfecta, Child Abuse, Dysautonomia, Hystiocytosis, Erb’s Palsy, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), Dystonia, Interstitial Cystitis, Bracial Plexus Injury, Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Alopecia, Reyes Syndrome

Blue (Light) = Prostate Cancer, Men’s Health and Behcet’s Disease.

Blue Pin Stripe = ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease)

Burgundy = Myeloma, Hospice Care, Sepsis, APS (Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome), FVL, Thrombophilia, Headaches and to support the Permanently Disabled.

Gold = Childhood Cancer and COPD.

Green = Celiac Disease, Transplants, Depression (both Adults and Children), Bipolar Disorder, Mental Health or Illness, Eye Injuries, Tourette’s Syndrome, Bone Marrow Transplants and Donation, Fanconi’s Syndrome, Glaucoma, Leukemia, Fibrodysplasia Ossificans, Kidney Cancer or Kidney Disease, Neural Tube Defects, Mitochondrial Disease, Cerebral Palsy and to support Stem Cell Research

Gray = Asthma, Juvenile Diabetes and Brain Tumors.

Orange = Hunger, Leukemia, Self Injury, Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, Skin Cancer (with a sun in the center of the loop), Addiction Recovery

Lavender = All Cancers (general cancer awareness), Epilepsy, Hypokalemic Periodic Paralysis, Rett Syndrome

Purple = Pancreatic Cancer, Chron’s Disease and Colitis, Cystic Fibrosis, Leimyosarcoma, Macular Degeneration, Sjogren’s Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Lupus, Sarcoidosis, Thyroid Cancer, ADD, ADHD, Alzheimer’s, Cancer Survivors (this is a general color that anyone who has survived cancer can wear), Chronic Pain, and Domestic Violence

Pink = Breast Cancer, Birth Parents, Cleft Palate

Pink/Blue = Prematurity, Birth Defects, Infertility, SIDS, Support for those who have had a Miscarriage

Puzzle = Autism.

Red = Aids/HIV, MDS & Aplastic Anemia, Substance and Drug Abuse (includes inhalants), MADD, DARE, Heart Disease, Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome (WPW), Pro-life, Hypertension, Evans Syndrome

Silver = Parkinson’s Disease

Teal = Ovarian, Cervical, Uterine (all gynecological) Cancers, Sexual Abuse, Myasthenia Gravis and Panic Attacks.

White = Lung Cancer, Diabetes, Adoption, Bone Cancer, Osteoporosis, Scoliosis, Support and Remembrance for Victims of Terrorism, Blindness and Holocaust Remembrance

Yellow = Bladder and Testicular Cancer , Liver Disease, Hydrocephalus, Suicide Prevention, Down Syndrome and it represents Hope.

More Ribbons

Wear BLUE, is a program designed to raise awareness of men’s health issues within your community, while at the same time raising money for The Men’s Health Network.

The Network is a national non-profit organization, whose mission is to reach men and their families, where they live, work, play, and pray with health prevention messages, tools, screening programs, educational materials, advocacy opportunities, and patient support.

To participate in this effort, please visit Wear Blue.Org for more information on how you can help!

Learn more at National Men’s Health Week