Exercise Prescribed to Help Relieve Depression

When Dr. Madhukar Trivdei, professor of psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, noticed that several of his patient who suffered from serious depression reported that they felt better after a walk, he started to consider exercise as an additional therapy. These patients were taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors but were not responding fully. Dr. Trivedi and his colleagues wondered if prescribing a formal “dose” of exercise who aid their recovery. Instead of adding anther drugs to their regime, they focused on adding exercise.

Along with collaborators at Cooper Institute in Dallas, the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiano and other institutions, Dr. Trivedi recruited 126 people with depresseion who had used S.S.R.I’s for at least 2 months without a remission of depression. None of the patients in the study exercised. This group was then divided into two groups, one began a gentle aerobic exercise routine, the second group followed a more vigorous exercise program. After four months, 29.5 percent had achieved remission.

(American Journal of Clinical Psychiatry)

“I think that our results indicate that exercise is a very valid treatment option” for people whose depression hasn’t yielded to S.S.R.I.’s, he said. The study did not involve a control group and researchers feel more studies are needed. It is also expected that compliance with the prescribed “dose” of exercise will be a challenge.

Yet, Dr. Trivedi said that there is no reason for people with unyielding depression not to talk with their doctors about exercise as a treatment option. “Side effects are almost nonexistent,” he said, “while you get additional benefits, in terms of improvements in cardiovascular health and reductions in other disease risks.” Exercise is more cost efficient than pharmaceuticals and a natural wellness booster. (NY Times, Well)

Marnie Blount-Gowan, Editor

Are You Mindfully Eating? How to Tell

When learning how to eat mindfully, often we begin by focusing on obvious behaviors such as not watching television or driving while eating.  The more subtle aspects come later when we have mastered these and are more in tune with our own bodies and our environment.  However, suggestions to “focus on your food” may seem too vague to be sure we are eating mindfully.  What is most helpful is a checklist to evaluate our own eating awareness.

The acronym A.F.T.E.R.  is a checklist developed by K. Katrina, N. King, and D. Hayes in their book, “Moving Away From Diets”.  Although the acronym suggests its use when you finish your meal, it is actually more useful during the meal.  Keep this checklist handy wherever you eat so that you can be sure to get the full enjoyment from your meal.  Achieving most of the characteristics of A.F.T.E.R. will help insure that you are satisfied with your meal emotionally, as well as physically.  But don’t worry if EVERY meal does not measure up.  Sometimes we eat just to meet our hunger need even if the food isn’t as appealing as we would prefer.

A stands for appearance of your food.  You are encouraged to notice the color, shape, and design of the foods.  Pay attention to how it is served—attractively on a plate?  With a garnish?  With a tablecloth or placemat? It isn’t hard to make your food look good enough to eat!

F is for flavor.  Notice if there is one dominant flavor or do they all meld together?  How does it smell?  Are there certain spices or herbs that you can identify?

T is for temperature and texture.  Is the food warm or cold enough?  If not, you should correct the temperature before you eat it.  What about the texture?  Can you think of four adjectives to describe it?  How about crunchy, smooth, tender, chewy?  Is there a nice balance or contrast in textures?

E is for the overall experience.  Was it pleasant?  If so, what made it so?  Was the background noise conducive to enjoying your food?  How about the lighting, company, etc.?  Make a note of what improved your experience and be sure to repeat it.

R is for results.  When the meal ends, do you feel satisfied?  What other feelings do you experience?  Relaxed?  Pleased? Nurtured?  Did the food sustain you until the next time you ate?

Use the A.F.T.E.R. acronym checklist for your next meal and see if it improves your enjoyment and ultimate satisfaction with the experience.  Learning to respond to our own needs is a journey that takes many steps but is worth it!

Darlene Endy, MS, RD, CDN

www.nutritionbydarlene.com

Religion and Mental Health - Do they belong together?

Where does faith fit into therapy? A recent post on the NY Times blog Well, reports that a growing number of counselors and patients think it that religion belongs in therapy. According to Psychology Today, more patients look for conselors who can discuss their problems and goals from a religious frame of reference.

A Spiritual Director, or clergy of any religion, who is also trained in counseling would be best suited to incorporate a client’s religious beliefs into therapy. Yet how many people will actually seek out or find such a situation?

What is unfortunate is that our culture has separated religion and science is such a way that, even for those who desire it, any attempt at a hybrid approach is shunned as not being evidence based. However, the lack of interest and funding for research that seeks to bridge faith and health perpetuates this lack of evidence. While meditation has been shown to be effective in mitigating some psychological or physiological symptoms, only recently has contemplative prayer been of interest to a few researchers. 

Beliefs, including religious ones, can provide motivation for our actions. They can encourage us to pursue contemplative practices, positive social encounters and a healthy active lifestyle. If therapists and other healthcare providers are to consider the whole person, shouldn't they be better prepared to consider how one’s faith might be incorporated into the healing process?

With faith-filled intentions, all daily activities can become acts of prayer, praise, and connection to a divine power. Nourishing your body and exercise can be considered taking care of the gift of life. Reaching out to others to give or receive acts of kindness, compassion and social support can be considered acts of faithful service. Every thought and actions can become a prayer form by your intentions and desire. Self-care becomes an at of faith if that is your intention. Meditation, mindfulness, positive thinking, nutrition, exercise, and interactions with others and nature can resonant with your beliefs, by the transforming power of holy desire.

See Faith View for more information on relating faith and compassionate self-care.

Research Suggests…Love More, Feel Better

How relationships can affect your health is the subject of new research at Stanford University. A new study suggests that feelings of love can relieve pain. The notion of lovesick may turn out to be more like love-well. Research shows that even looking at a photo of a loved one can release dopamine and natural painkillers.          


Study researcher and senior author Dr. Sean Mackey, chief of the division of pain management at Stanford, said findings support the theory that pain patients who seek out pleasurable activities may find some relief.


“Find things to give you pleasure in life, whether it be through the one you love or going and listening to great music or reading a good book,” Dr. Mackey said. “It suggests that activating this intrinsic reward system ultimately can reduce your pain.”


This research should also help doctors with ways to help patients with care that doesn’t involve drugs or a procedure. “It’s caused me to change the education and how I talk with my patients and how they understand it,” Dr. Mackey said.  “When patients are doing markedly better and I find out they are in a new passionate relationship, I may be less likely to think it’s the new medication I put them on,” he said. “I realize that maybe it has nothing to do with me.”

A recent study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill suggests that hugging and hand-holding can also release feel-good chemical hormone oxytocin that reduces stress hormones, lowers blood pressure, improves mood, and increases pain tolerance.

According to Julianne Holt-Lunstad, Associate Professor of Psychology at Brigham Young University, "Our relationships help us cope with stress so if we have someone we can turn to for emotional support or advice that can buffer the negative effects of stress." She also suggests that romantic relationships can provide a sense of meaning and purpose in life that can encourage self-care and less risk taking.

Whether or not you are in a romantic relationship, strong connections with friends, neighbors or coworkers can improve your resilience and benefit your health. This Valentine's Day, celebrate your connections. Give a  little love and receive a whole lot more.

Stressed Out? Go "Offline"

Feeling stressed? Burned out? Do you have trouble thinking clearly, remembering things, dealing calmly with stressful situations? Maybe you need to take a personal timeout. According to Esther Sterberg, M.D at the National Institute of Mental Health, "If you feel stressed all the time, you need to take yourself 'offline'."

Can you consider taking a short vacation, a day off, or even a few minutes to nurture yourself? Maybe you can do it right now. Read this then shut down your computer. Turn off all tech gadgets that divert your attention and focus on something that you love to do, brings you joy, focuses your attention outside yourself and your current situations, or moves your body. For example, a walking meditation can offer relaxing/energy building relief for mind and body. Remember that while a personal timeout may seem to be just for yourself, it will also benefit your family and friends, maybe even people beyond your immediate circle. Because whatever is healthy for you can also be healthy for your relationships. If you feel you're on a treadmill, get off! Whether for a week or a few minutes. Anything can help and heal.

Dr. Sterberg says, "We reboot our computers when they are overworked, but we don't seem to do it with our bodies.If you're exhausted from constantly working on deadline or caregiving, take a vacation—they're not luxuries, they're physical necessities. Find a place of peace where you can stop, look, and listen." 

If you can't get physically away from your situation, try meditation to rest body and mind. "Evidence shows that meditation bolsters immune function by reducing stress hormones that dampen immune cells' ability to fight infection."

Exercise is also key to improved mood and developing the body's stress response. You can join a group program or take it slowly on your own but making movement a daily practice matters. Developing a routine of physical activity can boost resilience, strengthen your physical and mental health, and foster a more positive outlook and sense of self-control.  

"(Even) a few minutes are better than no minutes—you can gradually increase how much you exercise every day. You don't need to go jogging—walking has significant health benefits," states Dr. Sterberg.

Relaxation is also important to combating stress and encouraging a peaceful journey through life. There are many paths including yoga, meditation and prayer, music, reading, or art. "We need to find our place of peace and try to go there every day," she says.

The key phrase here is "every day". What can you do every day to move your body and find peace of mind? If you miss a day, react to it mindfully without judgement and just start again. Every moment of every day is an opportunity for renewed wellness, a stronger body and more peaceful mind.

You can take a mental vacation right now. Follow these simple steps for a meditation time-out:
3 MINUTE TIME OUT
You are invited to take a 3 minute timeout to give your mind and body a healthy break in the day, a taste of silence, and a chance to regroup before continuing your introduction to RealeWell.

1) Sit in a comfortable position.
2) Take a slow, deep, cleansing breath.
3) Let a wave of relaxation flow through your body, from your head, down your arms, and torso, and legs.
4) Rest in this moment and focus on your breath
5) Close your eyes, feet on the floor, hands in your lap.
6) With every breath you can calm your body and your mind.
7) If you have distracting thoughts, just let them pass by
and refocus on your breath.
8) Breathing in you calm your body.
9) Breathing out you rest and relax. This is a beautiful moment. 


Continue to focus on your breath for 3 minutes then read on.

“All things will be well and all manner of things will be well.” - Julian of Norwich