Mood Foods surge in Popularity

It is a chocoholic's dream. Not only can they indulge in their favourite treat, but they can also say, honestly, that it is doing them good. "Mental Balance Chocolate Gaba" is not just any chocolate, however. It is one of a number of products being pushed in the food industry's latest marketing hype: mood foods.

Britain's obsession with life-enhancing, health-promoting foods generates more than £1bn annually, with the market for anti-carcinogenic, macrobiotic, lifestyle foods reaching near saturation point - Mintel, a market research company, estimates sales to have been worth £1.1bn up to 2006, having grown 143 per cent since the start of the decade.

The focus has been on the physical benefits of food and nutrition supplements. Now firms are changing their marketing strategies to "mood foods".

The market for foods containing omega-3 is worth £67m. Read more on mood foods

Hidden dangers of herbal supplements

People are mixing supplements, herbs and over-the-counter medications and prescription drugs to cure themselves of ills, unaware that they could be making themselves sicker, says George Grossberg, M.D., director of the division of geriatric psychiatry at Saint Louis University.

Dr. Grossberg is about to change all that. He is the co-author of a new book, The Essential Herb-Drug-Vitamin Interaction Guide, which is a comprehensive listing of what various herbs and supplements do, possible side effects and how they might interact with other medications and foods.

"People think if it doesn't require a prescription, it's got to be safe, and that's not true. There could be life-threatening effects."

Dr. Grossberg first became interested in the topic after a routine six-month visit with a patient he had successfully treated for depression. He had been seeing the patient for four or five years, and asked if the man was dealing with any new health problems.

The patient mentioned that he was scheduled to go in for cystoscopy in a couple weeks because there had been blood in his urine. The procedure involves inserting the pencil-thin tip of a probe through the urethra, up to the bladder to detect the cause of the problem.

The patient had undergone thousands of dollars of MRIs and CAT scans of his lower abdomen and pelvis, which had not revealed the reason for the bleeding, and the test was the next diagnostic step.

Dr. Grossberg asked if the patient had changed anything – perhaps had started taking a new medication.

No new medicine. Then the patient's wife pulled from her purse a vial containing a supplement she had purchased from the health food store to enhance memory. Both husband and wife had started taking the herbal memory enhancer, which largely contained ginkgo biloba

"One of the side effects of ginkgo biloba is an increased risk of bleeding. He had no awareness of this. I told him to stop taking the herb and get rechecked before having cystoscopy. The bleeding stopped, and he didn't need the test."

Dr. Grossberg ticks off other common herbs that people take without realizing their side effects or how they might interact with medications.

St. John's wort sometimes is taken for anxiety and depression. Those who also are taking antidepressants or anti-anxiety medications, such as Prozac, Zoloft or Paxil, should beware. Mixing St. John's wort with these medicines can cause serotonin syndrome -- with symptoms that may include agitation, rapid heart beat, flushing and heavy sweating -- that may be fatal.

Dong quai, which some women take for menstrual disorders and to ease symptoms of menopause, has been linked to cardiovascular problems, such as irregular heart rhythm and low blood pressure. If a patient takes the herb along with an antihypertensive drug, her blood pressure could plummet, putting her at risk of stroke.

Some people take echinacea, which enhances the immune system, for the common cold. However, those who also take Lipitor, Celebrex and Aleve face an increased risk of liver damage. Echinacea also can be harmful for those who have multiple sclerosis, diabetes, HIV infections or allergies.

Dr. Grossberg and his co-author Barry Fox make it clear that they're not anti-herb or anti-medicine.

"There just are a lot of things people can take that have a lot of bad interactions. And on some level it makes sense for them to think that what they're doing is safe. They associate natural remedies with nature and think if the supplement wasn't safe, they couldn't pick it up without a prescription.

"Hopefully this will get them to think more about it so they look before they leap. People can look up what they're thinking of taking and see if there's efficacy. And they should always talk to their doctor about everything they're taking."

Many doctors don't know much about herbal remedies, which have been used as medications for thousands of years.

"When I trained, there was nothing like this in our medical education," says Dr. Grossberg, who graduated from medical school in 1975. "The younger doctors are more likely to know this than older doctors."

Elderly people, he says, use herbal remedies and don't always tell their doctors and pharmacists. They should.

"A lot of our older patients are buying herbals and botanicals. In addition, while those over 65 represent about 14 percent of the population, they consumer 40 percent of over-the-counter medications," he says.

Emotional Eating Tips

I was asked to provide some emotional eating strategies and tips for a recent magazine interview so I decided to share these tips with you:

• Identify the need being filled by food and find other ways to meet that need
• Identify your triggers: the situations, moods and foods that are most likely to trigger overeating
• Have a coping strategy prepared in advance for dealing with the trigger situations you identified above
• Consider keeping a food and mood journal: if you bite it, sip it or slurp it, write it down together with a record of your mood before and after eating
• Make a list of reasons for quitting emotional eating. Focus on the benefits of better eating rather than on missing out on foods you like.
• A lot of people don’t enjoy working out but exercise does help. It improves energy and mood reducing reliance on food to boost mood and energy
• If you can’t be trusted with food buy small portions and never keep binge foods in the house, your desk or car. Remove food from visible surfaces and place it in cupboards or drawers so it is less tempting
• Identify gaps in your life or emotional issues that trigger emotional eating and make a plan to deal with them
• Chew each mouthful 20 times
• E.A.T. – when at home always Eat At the Table
• Buy or serve small portions when you are eating at the movies, in front of the television, computer or other places where you are likely to subconsciously overeat.
• Rest your knife and fork/fingers between mouthfuls; reassess your hunger every few minutes.
• Distract yourself from food. When you feel a craving do something else for five minutes and your craving may disappear.
• Eat consciously and mindfully
• Consider taking a stress management course or learn meditation, yoga or tai chi to improve your coping skills and inner calm
• Consider visiting your doctor to identify physiological issues that may be impacting on your eating, such as, depression, anxiety, Syndrome X, diabetes, hypothyroidism, vitamin B12 or iron deficiencies

Heart rate indicates when we lack will power

According to researchers our heart rate alters when we're resisting temptation. This could help warn people when they are at risk of emotional eating or addictive behaviour.

We’ve all had our moments of weakness when trying to control ourselves; eating that donut on your diet, losing your temper with your kids, becoming upset when you’re doing your best not to. It isn’t like we plan on these lapses in judgment. It’s more like they just sort of happen.

There is scientific evidence that explains this phenomenon of everyday life. Self regulation, our strength to inhibit impulses, make decisions, persist at difficult tasks, and control emotions can be spent just like a muscle that has been lifting heavy weights. When we spend our strength on one task (trying to control your emotion around a petulant boss), there is less to spend on others (avoiding the Ben & Jerry’s when we get home).

The funny thing about being vulnerable to saying, eating, or doing the wrong thing is that humans are typically unaware that they are in a moment of weakness, unlike the strain and fatigue we feel in our muscles after a workout. Fortunately, new research conducted by University of Kentucky psychologists Suzanne Segerstrom and Lise Solberg Nes suggest that there may be a biological indicator to tell us when we are working hard at resisting temptation and consequently when we are vulnerable to doing things contrary to our intentions.

A measure of cardiac regulation called “heart rate variability” (HRV) appears to be linked to self regulation according to the article published in the March issue of Psychological Science.

The authors conducted a two-part study in order to test their hypothesis. In the first, participants were instructed to fast for three hours in order to take part in what they believed was a “physiology of food preference” experiment. Participants’ HRV was monitored while they were presented with a tray of cookies, candy and….carrots. Temptation, in this case, was indicated by giving into the tastier but decidedly less healthy snack of cookies and candy.

HRV as it turns out was considerably higher when people were working to resist temptation (eating carrots rather than cookies and chocolate) than when they were not, suggesting that HRV was mirroring the self regulation taking place.

In part two of the experiment, after resisting or giving into temptation, the authors had the participants attempt to complete difficult anagrams, some of which were impossible to solve. The authors measured how long participants persevered at the anagrams and as predicted, those who had exerted high self regulation by resisting sweets were more likely to give up earlier on the task.

Moreover, the people who had higher levels of HRV by nature, regardless of giving into temptation, were likely to endure longer at the anagram task.

HRV was not singled out as an indicator on a lark. Segerstrom and Solberg Nes noted that the brain structures involved in self regulation overlap considerably with the structures that control HRV which suggested that HRV would accurately reflect self regulation.

So, will we be wearing a cardiac monitor in the near future to gauge whether we are vulnerable in our self regulating abilities? It’s doubtful, say the authors. However, when considering special populations with more serious consequences of self regulatory failure (say, alcoholics) HRV feedback could be helpful to determine when those critical relapses in regulation will happen.

In the news

The truth about phobias
An interview with Allen Shawn, a writer and composer who suffers from agoraphobia (fear of being in places or situations from which escape might be difficult or embarrassing). He writes about his struggles with the illness in his book Wish I Could be There: Notes from a Phobic Life.

I used to think I had an unusually long list of things that made me anxious—driving on highways, being in the middle of a crowd, passing through a tunnel in a train, being in an airplane, walking or driving down an empty road, being in an elevator, being in glassed in buildings or malls where the windows don’t open, being in the middle of a large field with no buildings around etc., etc. When I finally encountered the concept of ‘agoraphobia’, I recognized myself. I have an intense fear of being trapped or isolated. I start to become panicky if I perceive myself to be alone or far from help or unable to escape. I fear both emptiness and being closed in. I need not only to feel reasonably ‘near safety’, but to have control of how I get to safety.

Caregivers at risk of depression
Caregiving for family members who have a terminal illness is an arduous and thankless task. A new study of family caregivers of people with ALS (most often spouses) finds that the caregivers are likely to become depressed and feel burdened.

Brain Scans Reveal Cause of Smokers' Cravings
Anyone who has attempted to quit smoking will tell you, it isn’t easy. Brain scans of smokers studied by Duke University researchers revealed three specific regions deep within the brain that appear to control dependence on nicotine and craving for cigarettes. These regions play important roles in some of the key motivations for smoking: to calm down when stressed, to achieve pleasure and to help concentration.

Older people are more positive
Research conducted at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs proves not everything goes downhill when it comes to aging.

More than 150 participants viewed images determined to be positive (a bowl of chocolate ice cream, pretty sunsets), neutral (a chair, a fork) and negative (a dead cat in the road, a car crash). Viewing images for only seconds, participants clicked a mouse to categorize these photographs while their brain reaction was monitored.

"Whereas younger adults often pay more attention to emotionally negative information, older adults tend to assign equal importance to emotionally positive information," explained Kisley. "This has implications for many domains including, for example, decision making."

"Like previous studies, we found that younger adults, 18-25, tended to pay more attention to emotionally negative images than to positive ones," Kisley said. "But the new finding from our study was that the older adults, ages 55 plus, didn’t show this so-called ‘negative bias.’ Instead they tended to show a better balance between paying attention to both negative and positive images."

Kisley and Wood conducted a follow-up study to be published in Psychological Science in fall 2007 in which they found that the change in emotional priorities gradually develops from age 18 to 80.

Phone-based therapy eases depression long-term

Phone therapy has proved effective when combined with drug treatment.

When people receive brief telephone-based psychotherapy soon after starting on antidepressant medication, strong positive effects may continue 18 months after their first session. So concludes a Group Health study in the April Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.

This paper describes one more year of follow-up since a 2004 Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) report on the same random sample of Group Health patients.

“With close to 400 patients, this is the largest study yet of psychotherapy delivered over the telephone,” said Evette J. Ludman, PhD, senior research associate, Group Health Center for Health Studies, the paper’s lead author. “It’s also the first to study the effectiveness of combining phone-based therapy with antidepressant drug treatment as provided in everyday medical practice.”

Long-term positive effects of initially adding phone-based therapy included improvements in patients’ symptoms of depression and satisfaction with their care, said Ludman. At 18 months, 77 percent of those who got phone-based therapy (but only 63 percent of those receiving regular care) reported their depression was “much” or “very much” improved. Those who received phone-based therapy were slightly better at taking their antidepressant medication as recommended, but that did not account for most of their improvement. And effects were stronger for patients with moderate to severe depression than for those with mild depression.

“We were surprised at how well the positive effects were maintained over time,” said Ludman. “As with weight control, maintaining improvement is the hardest part of treating depression.”

As is usual in clinical practice, the patients’ primary care doctors diagnosed their depression and prescribed their antidepressants. Half of the patients also received eight sessions of telephone psychotherapy during the first six months, then two to four “booster” sessions in the second six months as well as medication follow-up and support from masters-level therapists.

The patients and therapists never met face to face, only over the phone, said Ludman. Patients weren’t always easy to reach by phone, and the therapists worked hard to reach them all. Therapists followed a structured protocol for psychotherapy. They encouraged the patients to identify and counter their negative thoughts (cognitive behavioral therapy), pursue activities they had enjoyed in the past (behavioral activation), and develop a plan to care for themselves.

“The patients participated more fully in psychotherapy and completed more sessions than do most depressed people in the community,” said Ludman. Nationally, only about half of insured patients receiving depression treatment make any psychotherapy visit, and less than a third make four or more visits. By contrast, in this study, three in four patients completed at least six phone therapy sessions. This is striking, she added, because the study did not include people who were already in counseling or planning to be.

“Giving psychotherapy to people with depression who were not seeking therapy may help them significantly,” said Ludman. Depression symptoms, including feeling discouraged and avoiding other people, can prevent people from seeking help. One in four depressed people who make appointments for in-person therapy are no-shows. “They slip through the cracks,” she added.

Few of the patients who received phone-based therapy—even fewer than those who did not receive it—sought in-person therapy. “This suggests the phone-based therapy met their needs, without whetting their appetite for more,” said Ludman. Phone-based therapy is more convenient and acceptable to patients than in-person psychotherapy, she said.

The monkey on your back

What excuses or justifications do you use for overeating?

Visit Mark Joyner for more of his

personal development brain puzzle cartoons.

Weather forecasts may predict your mood and health

According to Manfred Kaiser Bioweather forecasts can warn you of conditions that increase pain, trigger medical ailments, affect your mood and behaviour, or are simply uncomfortable. Most of us are aware that lack of sunshine can contribute to Seasonal Affective Disorder, hayfever and other chills but according to Kaiser the weather has more far reaching effects.

The bioweather forecast for my region predicts that I can expect to feel great for the next three days and cranky on day four, so watch out!


Since ancient times, people have associated certain weather conditions with increases in pain or with feeling unwell, and it is not just the elderly or the sick who are affected, as stress and our modern lifestyle has made us all more susceptible. In 1999, the Weather Channel surveyed its viewers and found that 70 percent of Americans believed the weather influenced their wellbeing. A more scientific approach to a survey in Germany concluded that more than half of the German population believe that there is some connection between weather and health.

Instinctively we know that the weather influences are more than a feeling, because we talk about it more often than we probably realize: “The heat is killing me. I can’t stand the cold. This wind is driving me crazy.”

With so many people complaining about the weather, science had to either support or disprove the claims of the “hypochondriacs.” Researchers soon realized that medicine alone could not explain all ill effects and a new science was created: biometeorology. It is a combination of many science disciplines, but chiefly meteorology, medicine and biology.

So, why do we respond to the weather? Our gradual detachment from nature and our modern lifestyle, with air conditioners, humidifiers and heaters has made us more sensitive to environmental influences. Our senses are no longer trained to cope with the “shocks” of rapidly changing weather elements.

As long as a person is fit and healthy, the shock may remain unnoticed, or pass as a minor nuisance. But when the body is weakened by illness or old age, the senses may go overboard in their responses to outside interference.
European scientists have compiled a list of the symptoms of those who are “weather sensitive.” These include:

• Increased irritability and aggressiveness, anxiety, depression, listlessness, fatigue, lack of concentration


• Sleep disorders


• Headache and migraine


• Heart and circulation irregularities


• Nausea


• Dizziness


• Scar pain or "phantom pain"


• Rheumatic pain.

The symptoms vary from person to person and their intensity generally increases with age, lower level of fitness and a body weakened due to illness. Of course, they can also mask or be the result of an underlying disorder that has nothing to do with weather, so see your doctor before settling for blaming them on the changing weather.

There are scientific reasons for some of these symptoms. The body reacts to heat by opening the blood vessels in the periphery of your body. So, the heart has to pump a larger volume of blood and at a faster rate. This may be too much for a sick heart.

A significant drop in barometric pressure leads to an expansion of air in isolated body cavities and of fluids in membranes. This can put pressure on the inflamed or injured tissues in joints or muscles, causing increased pain. Some people experience the same phenomenon during air travel when the cabin pressure drops during the take-off climb.

Another reason for weather sensitivity pain is the irritation of nerve ends from rapid changes in weather elements and from a high number of positive ions. Also, bones and muscles have different densities, and the unequal expansion and contraction during temperature and humidity variations may increase the pain in inflamed or injured joints and muscles.

Bioweather forecasts are available
In Australia
In the United Kingdom and
In New Zealand

Mood and health prediction based on the weather is an interesting concept. I notice I feel better on sunny days (except during hayfever season) so I know that the weather has some influence on my mood and health. However, given the difficulties meteorologists have predicting weather and the complex factors that contribute to an individual's well-being it seems unlikely that the bioweather forecast will be much better than a zodiac (star sign) prediction. What do you think?

Source: Bioweather

Richard Jeni death a suicide according to family

The news that popular comedian Richard Jeni committed suicide shocked fans. Jeni shot himself in the face, apparently in the presence of his girlfriend, who phoned for help.

It seems a senseless waste of life and I can’t even begin to imagine the trauma that his girlfriend suffered in dealing with the aftermath of the shooting. Many of you are probably asking why someone might commit suicide when they appear to have so much going for them. Why does someone who is successful and popular commit suicide?

Suicidal ideation (thoughts of suicide) are rarely logical and are usually a response to feelings of hopelessness, poor coping skills or an inability to see other options. According to the NIMH substance abuse (drugs and alcohol), depression and other mental illnesses are significant risk factors for suicide.

To the outside world Richard Jeni who appears to have a great career, supportive friends, a loving girlfriend and positive future prospects. However depression can distort thinking and unhelpful - and in this case dangerous – thoughts can intrude.

According to a statement by Richard’s family:

The truth is: earlier this year Richard Jeni was diagnosed with severe clinical depression coupled with bouts of psychotic paranoia. One only needs to have a family member or friend with a mental illness to understand that there is nothing rational, predictable, or fair about these diseases. Mental illness is as serious as any physical affliction and can be just as devastating.

What can you do if someone you love is contemplating suicide?

• Suggest they visit a health professional such as a doctor, psychologist, counselor or psychiatrist.


• Ask them to make a ‘no suicide’ contract with you. A no suicide contract is an agreement that the individual concerned will not commit suicide without first talking to you or someone else you name (such as a doctor or therapist).


• Don’t blame yourself. You are not responsible for someone else’s actions.


• Take care of yourself. Give yourself some time each day for your own well-being and to recharge your batteries.


• Educate yourself about depression and suicide.


• Consider getting support from a doctor or therapist to help you deal with the situation or from a telephone helpline such as Lifeline or Samaritans. You could also join a support group to meet other caregivers in a similar situation.


• Make a list of support services and phone numbers for your loved one to call. This should include suicide phone lines, Samaritans, Lifeline, health professionals and any friends or family that would be willing to help.


• Be willing to listen and provide a sounding board.


• Try not to criticize or judge their decision to consider suicide.


• Lock medications in a secure cupboard and only provide enough pills for each day’s allowance.


• If your loved one is skipping their medications, encourage them to resume taking pills.

Resources:
A list of suicide prevention resources and support is available here

Emotional Eating Carnival March 2007

Welcome to our latest carnival. Check out these posts for tips and techniques for dealing with stress eating or emotional eating.

Cris suggests you can beat your cravings if you calculate your net worth and use financial management tools in Shift your paradigm - “my body is a bank”

Hal Sommerschield say weight gain is a reflection of attitude in Why Did I Gain Weight?

Lorraine Roach describes how changing her attitude and reducing anxiety helped her lose 66 pounds (30 kg) over two years.

Graham Foster gives his perspective on the rise in anorexia saying dieting has gone too far.

Alvaro Fernandez presents exercises and tips for better stress management to help curb emotional eating.

JoLynn Braley presents If You’re Not Hungry, Why Are You Eating? saying, "This is a technique that I am currently using daily to avoid emotional eating."

Do you worry too much?

A recent study of patients visiting their primary care doctors has found that anxiety disorders such as Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) are as common as depression.

A new study by researchers led by Kurt Kroenke, M.D., of the Indiana University School of Medicine and the Regenstrief Institute, Inc. reports that nearly 20 percent of patients seen by primary care physicians have at least one anxiety disorder.

While the study found that many patients had symptoms of both depression and GAD, researchers were able to identify distinct characteristics that closely correlated with a diagnosis of GAD using the GAD-7 questionnaire.

GAD-7 Anxiety Screening Quiz

Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by the following problems?

1. Feeling nervous, anxious, or on edge

2. Trouble relaxing
3. Not being able to stop or control worrying
4. Being so restless that it's hard to sit still
5. Worrying too much about different things
6. Becoming easily annoyed or irritable
7. Feeling afraid something awful might happen

For each of the seven questions score as follows:
0 = not at all
1 = several days
2 = over half the days
3 = nearly every day

Add the scores for the seven questions. If the total is 10 or more and your worry is so great that it significantly interferes with with your relationships, your ability to work, or your ability to get things done then then there is a possibility that you have Generalised Anxiety Disorder.

For a diagnosis of Generalised Anxiety Disorder according to the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual IV these symptoms need to persist for six months or longer.

If you are concerned that you may have an anxiety disorder please print this questionnaire and your answers and discuss them with your doctor. You might also like to consider yoga, meditation, mindfulness training and other stress management tools.

Related posts:
Anxiety
Yoga may help depresssion and anxiety
Anti-Depressants: Is the cure worse than the illness?

Recommended Books
Stress Management and Relaxation
Anxiety and Panic

Useful phone numbers
A list of phone numbers and other resources for anyone who needs urgent help, or who would like to talk to a crisis line.

Will Work for Food: How Food & Money are Linked

Guest Post By Wray Herbert Director of Public Affairs for the Association for Psychological Science.

The words are often scrawled on a piece of cardboard and always painful to read, because they remind us of life’s fragility. They also pluck a deep chord in our psyche, because they reduce life to our most fundamental needs. After all, the sentiment behind those poignant words can be traced all the way back to the African savannas, to a time when our earliest ancestors did indeed do just that. In the eons before minimum wages and credit cards and 401-Ks, the closest thing to earnings and savings was bounty from the hunt. Food was more than nourishment; it was an asset.

Given this deep and ancient connection, it’s not implausible to think that food and money might still be tightly intertwined in our psychology, even deep-wired in our neurons. And in fact, behavioral scientists are very interested in the links between scarcity and hunger and gluttony on the one hand, and frugality and charity and stinginess on the other. Put simply: Could comfort food translate into feelings of financial security? Might there be a link between satiety and generosity? Can we literally be hungry for money?

Psychologists at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium decided to explore this dynamic in the laboratory. Barbara Briers and her colleagues did a series of three experiments designed to tease apart the connections between nourishment and personal finances. In the first, they deprived some people of food for four hours, long enough that they wouldn’t be starving but they would almost certainly have food on their mind. Others ate as usual. Then they put all of them in a real-life simulation where they were asked to donate to one of several causes.

Those with the growling stomachs consistently gave less money to charity, suggesting that when people sense scarcity in one domain, they conserve resources in another. Put another way, people with physical cravings are in no mood to be magnanimous.

In the second study, Briers actually let the participants eat as usual, but with some she triggered their appetites by wafting the scent of baked brownies into the lab. Then they played a computer game that, like the earlier simulation, tested their generosity.

Again, those with food on their minds were less willing to part with their cash. Interestingly, in this study none of the participants was actually hungry, meaning that the desire for brownies alone was powerful enough to make them into tightwads.

That’s pretty convincing evidence. But the psychologists decided to look at it the other way around. That is, they wanted to see if a heightened desire for money affected how much people ate. They had participants fantasize about winning the lottery, but some imagined winning big (25,000 euros) while the rest thought about a modest prize (25 euros). The researchers wanted the more outlandish fantasy to increase desire for money, so they had the winners further fantasize about what this imaginary windfall would buy them—sports cars, stereos, and so forth. They basically made some of the participants greedy and not others.

Then they had all the participants participate in a taste test of two kinds of M&Ms, although unbeknownst to them the scientists were actually measuring how much they ate. And yes, the greedy people scarfed down significantly more candy. It appears that the desire to accumulate money (and stuff) is a modern version of the ancient adaptation to accumulate calories. (For what it’s worth, people who were watching their weight did not break their diets, even if they were salivating for a large-screen TV. So perhaps we are not complete slaves to our evolutionary instincts. )

This final experiment is consistent with a classic study from the 1940s. In that study, poor kids consistently overestimated the size of coins, while rich kids did not. The new findings are also consistent with earlier research showing that poor men prefer heavier women. With both the poor kids and the poor men, financial insecurity was powerful enough to distort something as fundamental as perception.

The Belgian scientists (who report all three studies in the November issue of Psychological Science) speculate that all of this is wired into the brain.

Both food and money are rewards, they give pleasure, and it’s possible that both (and perhaps other rewards as well) are processed in the same clusters of neurons devoted to savoring rewards.

Whatever the underlying neurology, the findings could help explain a phenomenon that has long perplexed public health officials: the high prevalence of life-threatening obesity among society’s most disadvantaged.

It seems counterintuitive that those with the least money should be eating the most. But it may be, Briers suggests, that material success has become so important that when people fail in their quest for money, they get frustrated and their brains switch between two intertwined rewards. In effect, they're reverting back to a primitive state, when high-calorie food was the common currency. So those living hand to mouth do indeed work for food, but unhappily just not nutritious food.

Thanks to Will Chen of Wise Bread for the link. For more insights into human nature, visit the Association for Psychological Science website.

Why most diets fail

Visit Mark Joyner for more of his personal development brain puzzle cartoons.

In the News: The pursuit of happiness

There is an excellent article in Newsweek discussing men and depression.

the facts suggest that, well, men tend not to take care of themselves and are reluctant to own up to mental illness. Although depression is emotionally crippling and has numerous medical implications—some of them deadly—many men fail to recognize the symptoms. Instead of talking about their feelings, men may mask them with alcohol, drug abuse, gambling, anger or by becoming workaholics.

NBC have been running a series on The Pursuit of Happiness. You can check out the article and a video on happiness and the links to health as well as a quiz on life satisfaction.

There's a Detroit study of nuns that started in the 1930s. In the nuns' diaries, researchers looked at references to positive words and number of different types of positive words. Those nuns who had most references to positive feelings and positive words lived nine years longer than nuns with more negative thoughts.

Part of having a positive emotional style is a feeling of calmness. Research shows that happier people have a lower resting pulse at work, as well as at leisure.

How to get over depression

This satirical cartoon video highlights the well-meaning advice that friends, family and co-workers give people who are depressed.

A word of warning: Tip #5 contains swearing

Free Bipolar Guide

From The Organization for Bipolar Affective Disorders (OBAD) you can download a free comprehensive 60 page guide to bipolar disorder that includes the history of bipolar disorder, an overview of the condition, how it is diagnosed and options for treatment.

Should we care about Britney?

Britney having a nervous breakdown?

There has been rampant speculation about Britney Spear's erratic behaviour - suggestions include post-partum depression, bipolar disorder, alcoholism or an old fashioned nervous breakdown.
However, comedian Craig Ferguson recommends that we learn to be more tolerant of other people's shortcomings. In this YouTube video he speaks on his past problems as an alcoholic and why he will not ridicule Britney Spears and her shaved head crisis.



Thanks to Therese for the head's up.

A lifetime Insomniac gets help from the Sleep Doc

I reviewed Good Night: The Sleep Doctor's 4-Week Program to Better Sleep and Better Health by Dr Michael Breus at the start of my four week trial of his sleeping program. After a couple of weeks journaling my sleeping habits I’ve made an unwelcome discovery.

It turns out that some aspects of my self-care are lacking. For the first three nights I went to bed more than an hour after my planned bedtime and I was doing nothing specific to relax before climbing into bed. I’m now starting to get into some better habits and reaping the rewards.

Not everyone can afford to replace their mattresses every seven years. Are there ways to prolong the life of your mattress?

In truth not every mattress needs to be replaced every 7 years -- for example, Tempurpedic, other visco-foam surfaces, Select Comfort, or a latex mattress may last for up to 12 years or longer. However, I would encourage anyone with a traditional innerspring mattress to go ahead and bite the bullet and get another mattress.

The Stats would suggest that the weight of your mattress will double every 7 years from collecting dust mites, oil, and sweat from your body.

The best way to prolong the life as far as the sweat, oil and dust mites are concerned is to get an allergen proof cover for the mattress. You will want something that completely blocks out all allergens. Commercially these are called Mattress Encasings.

For example, does turning the mattress over and switching from end to end increase the life of the mattress?

Not really. It may level out the use, but remember you cannot flip a pillow top mattress because there is a pillow-top on only one side. Rotating it usually does not help because people usually sleep in the middle if they are sleeping without a partner, so you rotate it and stay in the same spot, or if you sleep with a bed partner you just end up sleeping in their “spot”.

Are those NASA inspired foam toppers that you see on infomercials a way of making your bed like new?

Yes and no. It depends upon what you are trying to do. If there is a sag in the middle of your mattress, your topper will sag as much as the mattress. If you have back problems and your bed is too firm, then a visco foam can be more supportive. It may also make a mattress easier to sleep on, if you are uncomfortable.

Can you really learn a foreign language, get rich or quit smoking while you’re sleeping? (i.e. subliminal affirmations etc)

There is no data to suggest that these claims would be true. However, the brain does process information while sleeping.

What are the most common mistakes you see with people who have sleep problems?

The number one problem I see is that insomniacs and people who have problems sleeping get in bed too early and stay in bed too long. All this does is increase people’s anxiety that they are not sleeping.

The second largest problem is caffeine. Most people never realize that caffeine has a half life of up to 12 hours, so the Diet Coke you had at noon could be what is keeping you awake at midnight.

Light. Light is the single greatest influence on the internal biological clock that tells us when you should fall asleep and when you should wake up. Most people continue to get light exposure up until the moment they shut their eyes. I have people set the mood for sleep with lower lighting.

Finally, the last “biggie” is the lack of a regular sleeping schedule. The body likes structure, so it needs it every night. If it is used to going to bed at a certain time then it will continue to get sleepy at that time.

Any tips for helping your children/babies sleep?

This is not my best area, however I can tell you that the only thing that got my son to stay in his bed were bribes of Hot Wheels cars each morning.

Is there any substitute for sleep?Proponents of meditation and flotation tanks make claims that these devices reduce your need for sleep. Is that true?

There is no data to suggest that either of these or any techniques can replace sleep. Every living creature that moves has a period of inactivity. The issue is we still do not know why.

Do you believe that dream interpretation books are of any use?

Again there is no data to support any of these interpretations. You or I can interpret a dream and we would both be right and both be wrong.

Tell us about your own sleep habits. Have you had insomnia?

I have been fortunate enough to have never experienced prolonged insomnia. During times of high stress I can have a sleepless night or two.

What exactly do you do for Crowne Hotels?

My work for Crowne Plaza was twofold. I helped develop the Sleep Advantage Program (this is a sleep awareness and hygiene program that is currently in 60,000 rooms across the Americas) and I was the spokesperson for this program as well.

Getting help

At what stage should people seek help?
It is easiest to go to my website, Sound Sleep Solutions, and take the in-depth adult analysis. The results are great to print out and give to your doctor.

What information should people take to their doc if they are concerned about their sleep and think they need serious help?

I like it when people can be as specific as possible. I suggest taking a log of their sleep habits over the course of a week and give me time to bed, time in bed, time to fall asleep, number of awakenings, caffeine intake, naps, wake time and feelings of being refreshed. With this type of information I can really get to the bottom of the problems right away.

Dr Mike aka The Sleep Doctor is the author of Good Night: The Sleep Doctor's 4-Week Program to Better Sleep and Better Health and a relaxation CD

He is also offering a FREE download of a Body Relaxation Audio Track to all those who sign up to receive his Beauty Sleep Newsletter. I guess that means I'll be signing up again to get the freebie!

What kind of Intelligence do you have?

Did you know there are several different types of intelligence? You may score higher in some intelligence tests depending on the types of intelligence being tested.

Verbal/linguistic
Logical/Mathematical
Musical/Rhythmic
Visual/Spatial
Kinesthetic/Physical
Intrapersonal
Interpersonal

The last two types of intelligence are components of Emotional Intelligence

Your Dominant Intelligence is Linguistic Intelligence

You are excellent with words and language. You explain yourself well. An elegant speaker, you can converse well with anyone on the fly. You are also good at remembering information and convincing someone of your point of view. A master of creative phrasing and unique words, you enjoy expanding your vocabulary. You would make a fantastic poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, or translator.

What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?

Learn more about intelligence from BBC

Talia Interviewed on Beyond Blue

Therese Borchard asked me to discuss:

• Tips for staying calm
• How I recovered from depression and burnout
• Emotional Eating
• Improving your life

Check out my answers here

Blog Success

Centre for Emotional Well-Being ranked in the top 100 blogs in the Blogburst network for the fourth quarter of 2006. The BlogBurst 100 is a list of the top 100 blogs ranked by audience views each quarter throughout the BlogBurst Blog Syndication network. BlogBurst currently reaches more than 25 million readers through its major media partners that span the top names in broadcast, newspaper and publishing industries including Reuters, FOX News and USA Today. Check out the full list of the top 100 blogs here

The problem with meds

Earlier I posted about the side effects of antidepressants Part 1 and Part 2. Recently I disovered Furious Seasons, run by Philip Dawdy, a blogger who has a lot to say about psychotropic meds such as antidepressants and antipsychotics.

What I am is a long-time psych patient who has become quite skeptical about where we are with mental health in this country

In a recent post, Philip discusses problems with Zyprexa (Olanzapine), an antipsychotic prescribed for bipolar and schizophrenia, with side-effects of significant weight gain and hyperglycaemia. These health risks have prompted the Japanese to issue warnings that the medication results in increases in blood glucose levels and should not be prescribed to diabetic patients. Meanwhile the Eli Lilly marketing machine marches on...

March 1st is National Self Injury Day

Self-injury (SI) – is any deliberate, non suicidal behavior that inflicts physical harm on one's body to relieve emotional distress. People who SI are often trying to:

• Distract emotional pain


• End feelings of numbness


• Calm overwhelming feelings


• Maintaining control


• Self-punish


• Express thoughts that cannot be put into words


• Express feelings for which there are no words

Read more at Dr Serani's blog or at the American Self-Harm Information Clearing House