Monday, January 31, 2011
here we go again
Saturday, January 29, 2011
second try
Today has been super busy... finally taking down all our Christmas decorations (I know!) and mounds of laundry and cleaning. I wanted to paint again but I've run out of time. I also found out that our cat Chloé not only has lost a back tooth but has bad gingivitis and needs another extracted, and if we don't get her teeth cleaned, she could eventually lose them all! And of course, a cleaning for a cat means under anesthesia. Which means the big bucks. So Craig doesn't want to do it but I can't see putting her through the misery of a rotting mouth. I know she's a cat but I just don't believe in letting anything suffer needlessly. Maybe there was a reason we were the ones to adopt her? I wanted to spend some money on blood tests for me, but I guess if I get Chloé her medical needs, I can't afford my extra stuff for awhile. I can't even really afford hers! Dilemma. It's still been snowing here but the roads are clean. Craig's been buried under a huge project at work and I've barely talked to him in the past few days. Balance...right?!! We need a restful, family Sunday.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Balancing the yin and the yang
 |
| "End of the Trail" by Hongnian Zhang |
Value: Dark/Light
Composition: Up/Down, Left/Right, Front/Back, Big/Little
Color Temperature: Cold/Warm
Color Intensity: Soft/Strong
Color Hue: Green/Red, Purple/Yellow, Blue/Orange
Texture Application: Thin/Thick
Paint Quality: Transparent/Opaque
Brushwork Length: Short/Long
Brushwork Speed: Slow/Fast
Brushwork Edges: Blurred/Sharp
Evaluating my painting based on each one of these elements helped me to see certain things that were working and not working! My color range was too broad, which made my colors get muddy and lose their intensity. My original idea (and your first impression when doing a landscape is so important to remember!) was that there was a great contrast between the blue (yin) and the orange (yang). In the painting above by Hongnian Zhang you can see the same color palette, yet these two "parent colors" make lots of colors when mixed. There is a good sense of direction created by the sunlight on the snow and the brushstrokes create movement also. Of course the trees vary in size-- big in front, small in back, warmer colors come forward, cooler recede. There are more details on the closer trees and basic areas of color in the background. I am so excited to paint again with the right palette of colors and to consider the yin/yang balance in my own work. "Balance" seems to be my word for 2011. Every time I think of my health, my attitude, my emotions, my work load... I think of this word and try to remember that balance is what I should strive to achieve in everything I do. That is what brings happiness and contentment no matter what the circumstance.
I hope you have a really good weekend! We are finally going to take our Christmas decorations down!! Ha! January has just flown by and it just looks so cozy with all the twinkling lights inside! ;)
Thursday, January 27, 2011
new music
COCOON - Owls
Uploaded by SoberAndGentle. - See the latest featured music videos.
French pop folk band. My song obsession for today!
progression
What you eat matters
These Foods and Nutritional Deficiencies Can Make You Depressed or Violent
Posted By Dr. Mercola | January 27 2011
The U.S. is still reeling from another tragedy -- the attempted assassination of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, and the murder of several civilians during the attempt.
Many are asking what the cause might have been -- whether it was pervasive, over-the-top violent rhetoric in the culture, or simply mental psychosis.
But, even if the former, there is still the underlying cause of mental psychosis to consider.
And what if people are lashing out with such destructive force, at Columbine, Virginia Tech, and now Arizona, not because of what they are hearing, but at least in part because of what they are eating?
Soy infant formula has damaging effects on the development of the brain, but soy is a common ingredient in many processed foods and soy products are being mistakenly touted as a healthy option. Copper toxicity can also cause mental disturbance, and a diet high in grains and low on animal products is also likely to be high in copper. Animal-based omega-3 fats are crucial for fetal brain development.
Writing in her blog, Kimberly Hartke, a publicist for the Weston A. Price Foundation, says:
"Our USDA dietary guidelines currently advise to restrict meat and eggs, in favor of vegetables and grains ... Could our government policies be misguided and leading us down the wrong path? ... Let's stop focusing exclusively on the environmental influences in the home and in our culture, but start looking at the internal influence of the Standard American Diet on mental health."
Sources:
Hartke Is Online January 10, 2011
NOW Toronto January 13-20, 2011
CNN January 14, 2010
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
Kimberly Hartke, a publicist for the Weston A. Price Foundation, brings up an important yet largely ignored factor in violence, namely diet.
This is yet another case of common sense being swept under the rug in favor of political discussions about how to handle people with mental "issues." But trying to figure out how to identify potential violent offenders before they strike is actually avoiding the real issue of why emotional and mental health problems are on the rise in the first place. New laws and stricter gun control will have no impact on the root of the problem whatsoever.
I've previously written about the detrimental impact of antidepressants and other drugs. Many of these can exacerbate emotional problems and lead to senseless violence against yourself and others.
In fact, a study by The Institute of Safe Medication Practices published last year, highlights 31 commonly-prescribed drugs that are disproportionately associated with cases of violent acts toward others. Topping the list is the quit-smoking drug Chantix, followed by Prozac and Paxil, and a number of drugs used to treat ADHD.
It's not presently known whether Jared Loughner, the young man who shot Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and killed several civilians, was taking medication, but there are indications that he did not have a healthful diet.
Many people may scoff at this discussion, but like Hartke says, we cannot continue focusing solely on environmental influences such as upbringing and culture. Our mental health is so clearly linked to our diet and lifestyle that it simply cannot be ignored any longer. And if our government and health authorities really want to improve the mental health of the people, they must begin to reconsider their dietary recommendations.
More people than ever are medicated to supposedly address their mental anguish, yet people seem to be more depressed, despondent, and violent than ever. The "magic" fix it pill paradigm is simply not working. It's time to rip off the Band-Aid and look deeper.
The Gut-Brain Connection
When you consider the fact that the gut-brain connection is recognized as a basic tenet of physiology and medicine, and that there's no shortage of evidence of gastrointestinal involvement in a variety of neurological diseases, it's hard to fathom why diet is still so widely ignored by the mental health field.
In a very real sense, you have two brains, one inside your skull and one in your gut.
These two organs actually originate from the same type of tissue during fetal development. One part turns into your central nervous system, while the other develops into your enteric nervous system. These two systems are connected via the vagus nerve, the tenth cranial nerve that runs from your brain stem down to your abdomen.
This is what connects your two brains together, and explains such phenomena as getting butterflies in your stomach when you're nervous, for example. They work in tandem, each influencing the other. And this is why your intestinal health can have such a profound influence on your mental health, and vice versa.
For an interesting and well-written layman's explanation of this, read through Sandra Blakeslee's 1996 New York Times article Complex and Hidden Brain in Gut Makes Stomachaches and Butterflies.
Further evidence of this connection includes the fact that a number of neurotransmitters such as serotonin can be found not only in your brain, but also in your gut. In fact, the greatest concentration of serotonin, which is involved in mood control, depression and aggression, is found in your intestines, not your brain!
Nutrition Affects Your Mood and Mental State
As a result of this connection, it should be obvious that your diet is closely linked to your mental health. Furthermore, it's requires almost no stretch of the imagination to see how lack of nutrition can have an adverse effect on your mood and subsequently your behavior.
As Hartke points out, foods that contain beneficial nutrients for optimal brain function and mood control have been "demonized" in our culture. B3- and protein-rich foods such as raw dairy products, eggs and meat have been more or less blacklisted, accused of being too high in cholesterol and fat.
Hartke also mentions soy, which is frequently recommended as a healthier substitute. Popular soy foods include soy infant formula, which we now know is extremely harmful to infants, especially their brain. Trans fat is another area of concern. According to Dr. Mary Enig, a well-known researcher and scientist, the USDA's dietary guidelines endanger the health of our children.
Are You Getting Enough "Brain Food"?
One nutrient in particular that is essential for optimal brain development and functioning is omega-3 fats. It's one of the few supplements I recommend to all the patients at my clinic. Omega-3 fats are especially important during prenatal development, and, unfortunately, most people are sorely deficient.
Could rampant omega-3 deficiency be a contributing factor to deteriorating mental health? I believe so—along with vitamin D deficiency, which also plays an important role.
NOW Toronto also touches on the subject of omega-3 fats and violence in a recent article stating:
"Hamburgers and fries are rarely accused of causing violent behavior in male youth who subsist on them. But the standard junk food diet of North America is dangerously low in many nutrients, notably the omega fatty acids found most easily in fish and walnuts, fats that were likely crucial in early human evolution.
I say "dangerously low" not only because of the body's physical need for such fats, but because these fats deliver mental health benefits that counter depression. Washington-based National Institute of Health clinician Joseph Hibbeln created a momentary stir in 2001 with research showing lower murder rates among prisoners who ate fish regularly.
Harvard's Andrew Stoll wrote about EFAs as "the new pharmacology of aggression" in his 2001 book, The Omega-3 Connection, and expressed "hope that at least part of the answer" to such problems as intermittent explosive disorder "may be as simple as omega-3 fatty acid."
Research has shown that low plasma concentrations of DHA (a type of omega-3 fat) is associated with low concentrations of brain serotonin. This decreased amount of serotonin can be associated with depression and suicide.
In fact, not getting enough omega-3 fats is known to change the levels and functioning of both serotonin and dopamine (which plays a role in feelings of pleasure), as well as compromise the blood-brain barrier, which normally protects your brain from unwanted matter gaining access. Omega-3 deficiency can also decrease normal blood flow to your brain, an interesting finding given that studies show people with depression have compromised blood flow to a number of brain regions.
Finally, omega-3 deficiency also causes a 35 percent reduction in brain phosphatidylserine (PS) levels, which is relevant considering that PS has documented antidepressant activity in humans. Fish used to be the ideal food for obtaining omega-3 in your diet; however, fish stocks around the globe are now so polluted I cannot recommend eating fish anymore. Especially not if you're pregnant.
After doing extensive research in this area, I'm convinced that the ideal source of omega-3 fats is krill oil, which also contains astaxanthin, an extremely potent antioxidant that also benefits the brain, in addition to protecting the oil from going rancid. Krill oil is also more potent than fish oil, which means you need less of it.
Omega-3 fats such as those in krill oil have actually been found to work just as well as antidepressants in preventing the signs of depression, but without any of the side effects. I can also attest to this, as throughout my years of medical practice many of my patients were able to eliminate their antidepressants once they started taking omega-3 fats.
Researchers Around the World have Linked Bowel Problems to Brain Disorders
Brain disorders can take many forms, one of which is autism. In this particular area you can again find compelling evidence of the link between brain and gut health. For example, gluten intolerance is frequently a feature of autism, and many autistic children will improve when following a strict gluten-free diet.
Dr. Andrew Wakefield is just one of many who have investigated the connection between developmental disorders and bowel disease. He has published about 130-140 peer-reviewed papers looking at the mechanism and cause of inflammatory bowel disease, and has extensively investigated the brain-bowel connection in the context of children with developmental disorders such as autism.
I realize he has taken a lot of unfair heat in the media recently and I hope to report on that more fully, but always remember that there are two sides to every story and the one telling the story now is Brian Deere. If you want to hear the other side of the story you can view the interview I did with him last year.
A large number of replication studies have also been performed around the world, by other researchers, confirming the curious link between brain disorders such as autism and gastrointestinal dysfunction. These studies include:
1. The Journal of Pediatrics November 1999; 135(5):559-63
2. The Journal of Pediatrics 2000; 138(3): 366-372
3. Journal of Clinical Immunology November 2003; 23(6): 504-517
4. Journal of Neuroimmunology 2005
5. Brain, Behavior and Immunity 1993; 7: 97-103
6. Pediatric Neurology 2003; 28(4): 1-3
7. Neuropsychobiology 2005; 51:77-85
8. The Journal of Pediatrics May 2005;146(5):605-10
9. Autism Insights 2009; 1: 1-11
10. Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology February 2009; 23(2): 95-98
11. Annals of Clinical Psychiatry 2009:21(3): 148-161
12. Journal of Child Neurology June 29, 2009; 000:1-6
13. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders March 2009;39(3):405-13
14. Medical Hypotheses August 1998;51:133-144.
15. Journal of Child Neurology July 2000; ;15(7):429-35
16. Lancet. 1972;2:883–884.
17. Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia January-March 1971;1:48-62
18. Journal of Pediatrics March 2001;138:366-372.
19. Molecular Psychiatry 2002;7:375-382.
20. American Journal of Gastroenterolgy April 2004;598-605.
21. Journal of Clinical Immunology November 2003;23:504-517.
22. Neuroimmunology April 2006;173(1-2):126-34.
23. Prog. Neuropsychopharmacol Biol. Psychiatry December 30 2006;30:1472-1477.
24. Clinical Infectious Diseases September 1 2002;35(Suppl 1):S6-S16
25. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2004;70(11):6459-6465
26. Journal of Medical Microbiology October 2005;54:987-991
Can Your Diet Prevent Mood Disorders and Aggression?
I've already addressed the importance of omega-3 fats in brain development and mental health above. However, although extremely important, that's not the only nutrient needed for optimal brain function and mood control. Your overall diet is just as important. Eliminating most sugars and grains from your diet is high on the list, as these will increase your risk of insulin resistance, which is also linked to depression.
Researchers have discovered a positive connection between higher levels of insulin resistance and severity of depressive symptoms in people with impaired glucose tolerance, even before the occurrence of diabetes. Based on these findings, it was suggested that insulin resistance could be the result of an increased release of counter-regulatory hormones linked to depression.
Additionally, excessive insulin release can lead to hypoglycemia (falling blood sugar levels), which in turn causes your brain to secrete glutamate. High levels of glutamate can cause agitation, depression, anger, anxiety, panic attacks and an increase in suicide risk.
Many food additives, preservatives and food colorants can also cause behavioral changes, so avoiding candy and processed foods is important.
Fermented foods, on the other hand, have been found to have mental health benefits, which again ties into the gut-brain connection, as fermented foods are rich sources of healthful probiotics.
Optimizing your vitamin D levels is yet another way to boost your mental health.
Have you ever noticed how great it can feel to spend time outdoors on a sunny day? Getting safe sun exposure, which allows your body to produce vitamin D, is actually great for your mood. One study even found people with the lowest levels of vitamin D were 11 times more prone to be depressed than those who received healthy doses.
As for food sources containing vitamin D, lard from organically-raised pigs and butter from grass-fed cows are two viable sources. Sylvia P. Onusic, PhD wrote about this on Hartke’s blog:
"Lard is a good fat to use in cooking because it is hard at room temperature which means it will not spoil or become rancid as quickly as liquid oils at room temp do. But lard purchased in the supermarket is usually hydrogenated and thus a trans fat to be avoided….
Butter from pastured cows on green grass also contains nice amounts of natural vitamin D as does farm fresh milk. The vitamin D is in the butterfat. Conventional milk, produced from cows that are usually fed either/and /or corn, soybeans, candy, brewery wastes, does not naturally contain vitamin D. These cows may never even see the pasture or feel the sun in their lifetimes."
Other Lifestyle Factors for Mental Balance
Last but not least, exercising and having effective tools to address your stress also play important roles in caring for your mental health. Regular exercise is in fact one of the "secret weapons" to overcoming depression because it helps to normalize insulin resistance while boosting "feel good" hormones in your brain.
As for managing your stress levels, my favorite strategy is the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT); a form of psychological acupressure that you can learn how to do yourself. However, if you have depression or serious stress it would be best to consult with a mental health professional who is also an EFT practitioner to guide you.
Of course, there are other stress-management methods out there as well, such as meditation, journaling, breathing exercises, yoga, or simply sharing your feelings with a close friend. Ideally, pick the method that feels best for you.
To read more of Dr. Mercola's articles go here and sign up. I am taking his Krill Oil tablets (no after-taste... they are great!), his B12 spray, his vitamin D spray (they taste good), and I take a probiotic too from here.
Posted By Dr. Mercola | January 27 2011
The U.S. is still reeling from another tragedy -- the attempted assassination of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, and the murder of several civilians during the attempt.
Many are asking what the cause might have been -- whether it was pervasive, over-the-top violent rhetoric in the culture, or simply mental psychosis.
But, even if the former, there is still the underlying cause of mental psychosis to consider.
And what if people are lashing out with such destructive force, at Columbine, Virginia Tech, and now Arizona, not because of what they are hearing, but at least in part because of what they are eating?
Soy infant formula has damaging effects on the development of the brain, but soy is a common ingredient in many processed foods and soy products are being mistakenly touted as a healthy option. Copper toxicity can also cause mental disturbance, and a diet high in grains and low on animal products is also likely to be high in copper. Animal-based omega-3 fats are crucial for fetal brain development.
Writing in her blog, Kimberly Hartke, a publicist for the Weston A. Price Foundation, says:
"Our USDA dietary guidelines currently advise to restrict meat and eggs, in favor of vegetables and grains ... Could our government policies be misguided and leading us down the wrong path? ... Let's stop focusing exclusively on the environmental influences in the home and in our culture, but start looking at the internal influence of the Standard American Diet on mental health."
Sources:
Hartke Is Online January 10, 2011
NOW Toronto January 13-20, 2011
CNN January 14, 2010
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
Kimberly Hartke, a publicist for the Weston A. Price Foundation, brings up an important yet largely ignored factor in violence, namely diet.
This is yet another case of common sense being swept under the rug in favor of political discussions about how to handle people with mental "issues." But trying to figure out how to identify potential violent offenders before they strike is actually avoiding the real issue of why emotional and mental health problems are on the rise in the first place. New laws and stricter gun control will have no impact on the root of the problem whatsoever.
I've previously written about the detrimental impact of antidepressants and other drugs. Many of these can exacerbate emotional problems and lead to senseless violence against yourself and others.
In fact, a study by The Institute of Safe Medication Practices published last year, highlights 31 commonly-prescribed drugs that are disproportionately associated with cases of violent acts toward others. Topping the list is the quit-smoking drug Chantix, followed by Prozac and Paxil, and a number of drugs used to treat ADHD.
It's not presently known whether Jared Loughner, the young man who shot Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and killed several civilians, was taking medication, but there are indications that he did not have a healthful diet.
Many people may scoff at this discussion, but like Hartke says, we cannot continue focusing solely on environmental influences such as upbringing and culture. Our mental health is so clearly linked to our diet and lifestyle that it simply cannot be ignored any longer. And if our government and health authorities really want to improve the mental health of the people, they must begin to reconsider their dietary recommendations.
More people than ever are medicated to supposedly address their mental anguish, yet people seem to be more depressed, despondent, and violent than ever. The "magic" fix it pill paradigm is simply not working. It's time to rip off the Band-Aid and look deeper.
The Gut-Brain Connection
When you consider the fact that the gut-brain connection is recognized as a basic tenet of physiology and medicine, and that there's no shortage of evidence of gastrointestinal involvement in a variety of neurological diseases, it's hard to fathom why diet is still so widely ignored by the mental health field.
In a very real sense, you have two brains, one inside your skull and one in your gut.
These two organs actually originate from the same type of tissue during fetal development. One part turns into your central nervous system, while the other develops into your enteric nervous system. These two systems are connected via the vagus nerve, the tenth cranial nerve that runs from your brain stem down to your abdomen.
This is what connects your two brains together, and explains such phenomena as getting butterflies in your stomach when you're nervous, for example. They work in tandem, each influencing the other. And this is why your intestinal health can have such a profound influence on your mental health, and vice versa.
For an interesting and well-written layman's explanation of this, read through Sandra Blakeslee's 1996 New York Times article Complex and Hidden Brain in Gut Makes Stomachaches and Butterflies.
Further evidence of this connection includes the fact that a number of neurotransmitters such as serotonin can be found not only in your brain, but also in your gut. In fact, the greatest concentration of serotonin, which is involved in mood control, depression and aggression, is found in your intestines, not your brain!
Nutrition Affects Your Mood and Mental State
As a result of this connection, it should be obvious that your diet is closely linked to your mental health. Furthermore, it's requires almost no stretch of the imagination to see how lack of nutrition can have an adverse effect on your mood and subsequently your behavior.
As Hartke points out, foods that contain beneficial nutrients for optimal brain function and mood control have been "demonized" in our culture. B3- and protein-rich foods such as raw dairy products, eggs and meat have been more or less blacklisted, accused of being too high in cholesterol and fat.
Hartke also mentions soy, which is frequently recommended as a healthier substitute. Popular soy foods include soy infant formula, which we now know is extremely harmful to infants, especially their brain. Trans fat is another area of concern. According to Dr. Mary Enig, a well-known researcher and scientist, the USDA's dietary guidelines endanger the health of our children.
Are You Getting Enough "Brain Food"?
One nutrient in particular that is essential for optimal brain development and functioning is omega-3 fats. It's one of the few supplements I recommend to all the patients at my clinic. Omega-3 fats are especially important during prenatal development, and, unfortunately, most people are sorely deficient.
Could rampant omega-3 deficiency be a contributing factor to deteriorating mental health? I believe so—along with vitamin D deficiency, which also plays an important role.
NOW Toronto also touches on the subject of omega-3 fats and violence in a recent article stating:
"Hamburgers and fries are rarely accused of causing violent behavior in male youth who subsist on them. But the standard junk food diet of North America is dangerously low in many nutrients, notably the omega fatty acids found most easily in fish and walnuts, fats that were likely crucial in early human evolution.
I say "dangerously low" not only because of the body's physical need for such fats, but because these fats deliver mental health benefits that counter depression. Washington-based National Institute of Health clinician Joseph Hibbeln created a momentary stir in 2001 with research showing lower murder rates among prisoners who ate fish regularly.
Harvard's Andrew Stoll wrote about EFAs as "the new pharmacology of aggression" in his 2001 book, The Omega-3 Connection, and expressed "hope that at least part of the answer" to such problems as intermittent explosive disorder "may be as simple as omega-3 fatty acid."
Research has shown that low plasma concentrations of DHA (a type of omega-3 fat) is associated with low concentrations of brain serotonin. This decreased amount of serotonin can be associated with depression and suicide.
In fact, not getting enough omega-3 fats is known to change the levels and functioning of both serotonin and dopamine (which plays a role in feelings of pleasure), as well as compromise the blood-brain barrier, which normally protects your brain from unwanted matter gaining access. Omega-3 deficiency can also decrease normal blood flow to your brain, an interesting finding given that studies show people with depression have compromised blood flow to a number of brain regions.
Finally, omega-3 deficiency also causes a 35 percent reduction in brain phosphatidylserine (PS) levels, which is relevant considering that PS has documented antidepressant activity in humans. Fish used to be the ideal food for obtaining omega-3 in your diet; however, fish stocks around the globe are now so polluted I cannot recommend eating fish anymore. Especially not if you're pregnant.
After doing extensive research in this area, I'm convinced that the ideal source of omega-3 fats is krill oil, which also contains astaxanthin, an extremely potent antioxidant that also benefits the brain, in addition to protecting the oil from going rancid. Krill oil is also more potent than fish oil, which means you need less of it.
Omega-3 fats such as those in krill oil have actually been found to work just as well as antidepressants in preventing the signs of depression, but without any of the side effects. I can also attest to this, as throughout my years of medical practice many of my patients were able to eliminate their antidepressants once they started taking omega-3 fats.
Researchers Around the World have Linked Bowel Problems to Brain Disorders
Brain disorders can take many forms, one of which is autism. In this particular area you can again find compelling evidence of the link between brain and gut health. For example, gluten intolerance is frequently a feature of autism, and many autistic children will improve when following a strict gluten-free diet.
Dr. Andrew Wakefield is just one of many who have investigated the connection between developmental disorders and bowel disease. He has published about 130-140 peer-reviewed papers looking at the mechanism and cause of inflammatory bowel disease, and has extensively investigated the brain-bowel connection in the context of children with developmental disorders such as autism.
I realize he has taken a lot of unfair heat in the media recently and I hope to report on that more fully, but always remember that there are two sides to every story and the one telling the story now is Brian Deere. If you want to hear the other side of the story you can view the interview I did with him last year.
A large number of replication studies have also been performed around the world, by other researchers, confirming the curious link between brain disorders such as autism and gastrointestinal dysfunction. These studies include:
1. The Journal of Pediatrics November 1999; 135(5):559-63
2. The Journal of Pediatrics 2000; 138(3): 366-372
3. Journal of Clinical Immunology November 2003; 23(6): 504-517
4. Journal of Neuroimmunology 2005
5. Brain, Behavior and Immunity 1993; 7: 97-103
6. Pediatric Neurology 2003; 28(4): 1-3
7. Neuropsychobiology 2005; 51:77-85
8. The Journal of Pediatrics May 2005;146(5):605-10
9. Autism Insights 2009; 1: 1-11
10. Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology February 2009; 23(2): 95-98
11. Annals of Clinical Psychiatry 2009:21(3): 148-161
12. Journal of Child Neurology June 29, 2009; 000:1-6
13. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders March 2009;39(3):405-13
14. Medical Hypotheses August 1998;51:133-144.
15. Journal of Child Neurology July 2000; ;15(7):429-35
16. Lancet. 1972;2:883–884.
17. Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia January-March 1971;1:48-62
18. Journal of Pediatrics March 2001;138:366-372.
19. Molecular Psychiatry 2002;7:375-382.
20. American Journal of Gastroenterolgy April 2004;598-605.
21. Journal of Clinical Immunology November 2003;23:504-517.
22. Neuroimmunology April 2006;173(1-2):126-34.
23. Prog. Neuropsychopharmacol Biol. Psychiatry December 30 2006;30:1472-1477.
24. Clinical Infectious Diseases September 1 2002;35(Suppl 1):S6-S16
25. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2004;70(11):6459-6465
26. Journal of Medical Microbiology October 2005;54:987-991
Can Your Diet Prevent Mood Disorders and Aggression?
I've already addressed the importance of omega-3 fats in brain development and mental health above. However, although extremely important, that's not the only nutrient needed for optimal brain function and mood control. Your overall diet is just as important. Eliminating most sugars and grains from your diet is high on the list, as these will increase your risk of insulin resistance, which is also linked to depression.
Researchers have discovered a positive connection between higher levels of insulin resistance and severity of depressive symptoms in people with impaired glucose tolerance, even before the occurrence of diabetes. Based on these findings, it was suggested that insulin resistance could be the result of an increased release of counter-regulatory hormones linked to depression.
Additionally, excessive insulin release can lead to hypoglycemia (falling blood sugar levels), which in turn causes your brain to secrete glutamate. High levels of glutamate can cause agitation, depression, anger, anxiety, panic attacks and an increase in suicide risk.
Many food additives, preservatives and food colorants can also cause behavioral changes, so avoiding candy and processed foods is important.
Fermented foods, on the other hand, have been found to have mental health benefits, which again ties into the gut-brain connection, as fermented foods are rich sources of healthful probiotics.
Optimizing your vitamin D levels is yet another way to boost your mental health.
Have you ever noticed how great it can feel to spend time outdoors on a sunny day? Getting safe sun exposure, which allows your body to produce vitamin D, is actually great for your mood. One study even found people with the lowest levels of vitamin D were 11 times more prone to be depressed than those who received healthy doses.
As for food sources containing vitamin D, lard from organically-raised pigs and butter from grass-fed cows are two viable sources. Sylvia P. Onusic, PhD wrote about this on Hartke’s blog:
"Lard is a good fat to use in cooking because it is hard at room temperature which means it will not spoil or become rancid as quickly as liquid oils at room temp do. But lard purchased in the supermarket is usually hydrogenated and thus a trans fat to be avoided….
Butter from pastured cows on green grass also contains nice amounts of natural vitamin D as does farm fresh milk. The vitamin D is in the butterfat. Conventional milk, produced from cows that are usually fed either/and /or corn, soybeans, candy, brewery wastes, does not naturally contain vitamin D. These cows may never even see the pasture or feel the sun in their lifetimes."
Other Lifestyle Factors for Mental Balance
Last but not least, exercising and having effective tools to address your stress also play important roles in caring for your mental health. Regular exercise is in fact one of the "secret weapons" to overcoming depression because it helps to normalize insulin resistance while boosting "feel good" hormones in your brain.
As for managing your stress levels, my favorite strategy is the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT); a form of psychological acupressure that you can learn how to do yourself. However, if you have depression or serious stress it would be best to consult with a mental health professional who is also an EFT practitioner to guide you.
Of course, there are other stress-management methods out there as well, such as meditation, journaling, breathing exercises, yoga, or simply sharing your feelings with a close friend. Ideally, pick the method that feels best for you.
To read more of Dr. Mercola's articles go here and sign up. I am taking his Krill Oil tablets (no after-taste... they are great!), his B12 spray, his vitamin D spray (they taste good), and I take a probiotic too from here.
snowed in
A big branch from our neighbor's tree fell in our front yard last evening from the heavy snow. Thank goodness it didn't hit anything! Elle started barking and we knew something had happened. Craig and Nathaniel are out there shoveling and blowing snow but he said it was going to be awhile until they even got the driveway clear. No tennis for me today! I'm supposed to take Chloé to the vet too. I think I'll just paint today and enjoy it. I love being snowed in! I might even move north (New Hampshire?) when the kids are grown, just so I can have days like this!
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
origami
"Between the Folds" a documentary. I spent a whole Christmas vacation doing origami one year during college. And subsequently taught it to my art students! Click on the contributing artists and scientist links to see their work-- fascinating!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
getting healthy
I told you in the last post that I've been reading more about health lately, spurred on by this book. Normally I pay no attention to "diet" books but this isn't really one of those. In fact, it pretty much lays out why all the diet books they displayed at my bookstore don't work. Sugar cravings can be a sign that you're not getting enough nutrition that your body needs and you lack energy... so you reach for the simple carbohydrates. And you know that they raise your insulin levels, causing spikes, that if abused, can lead to diabetes. SO... instead of fighting the losing battle of "willpower", it's best to find out why. Sometimes it's inflammation, caused not necessarily by food allergies (where there are obvious signs) but by food intolerances that eventually wear down your system and sometimes become food allergies but sometimes not. Or sometimes they lead to actual immune diseases or celiac disease because your intestines can't handle the gluten anymore. Just because you are eating a diet of all healthy food, doesn't always mean that you are absorbing that nutrition from your intestines as it digests. Our bodies have been bombarded with chemicals (just check out ingredient lists) from most store-bought food in packaging and from the chemicals we put on our body day after day after day in lotions and cosmetics and hair care products. The skin is a very large organ and absorbs what you put on top of it. When chemicals are ingested or applied and absorbed, our bodies cannot alway completely get rid of them, it overtaxes the liver, and the reason we have fat is to store the "extra" stuff we're not using. So when you see an overweight person drinking a Diet Coke, all those chemicals in that stuff (poison) are being stored in the fat, and their body is creating more fat so it can accomodate all of the stuff it doesn't know what to do with! Detoxing is absolutely necessary if you want to lose fat and cellulite. Having a clean intestinal system is necessary too. Have you ever found fruit molding in your fridge drawer? Guess what... that's what is going on in your intestines if you aren't getting enough natural fiber and lots and lots of water to clean it out! One of the worst things I ever did as a parent was give my children Juicy Juice to drink when they were young. Thinking it was all-natural fruit juices, I thought they were getting good things from it. Fruit juice without the fiber of being whole, is just sugar. And guess why they had cavities? Exactly that. Your skin also is a good clue to what is going on inside... adult acne has increased as it is just inflammation. Doctors will tell you that what you eat doesn't affect it, but that is not true for everyone. If your skin has broken out after eating a lot of salty chips or sugar, then you know you have a sensitivity. Or too many chemicals on it will aggravate your pores. And then throw in some hormone fluxuations and it will show up on your face! While we are detoxing are bodies by avoiding chemicals (which basically means looking for organic food or growing your own), there are so many household cleaners that are toxic also. About eight years ago I started looking into using natural cleaners and I've been using Seventh Generation's products for awhile now. It is just as easy and cheap to mix your own (see here). I've been using a cloth I found at Walmart that cleans glass and mirrors with just water (no ammonia!). Ever smell someone's laundry and it has a high perfume smell? We are smelling all those fumes and it's not doing anything good for our bodies! Chemicals are hormone disruptors too and if your hormones are out of balance, then you will gain weight, feel badly and not have good health. This is basically what the aging process is... the loss of certain hormones. So, when you heard in the news about how bad hormone replacement was, they were talking about synthetic hormones that were not bioidentical to human hormones. These bioidentical hormones have been used for years with positive results in both men and women. Just on Sunday, Jack Lalanne passed away at age 96. He has been an excellent example of the fact that aging has nothing to do with muscles... the only reason you lose muscle tone and strength has to do with not using them! You can be strong and vital into your 90's if you are exercising regularly and you will avoid so many ailments that older people suffer with because of a lack of bone and muscle strength. Basically it's your own fault if you are weak. Which means me! I need to do this! And stretching is so important too... don't let those muscles get tight and lose your agility and breadth of movement! This is why I love yoga... a few sun salutations in the morning and I feel great! Our bodies were created to move and also to conserve energy. If you let yourself be lethargic, then that's what your life will be. There are no shortcuts, but moving can be very enjoyable... you just have to find what feels good to you. There are no shortcuts in food either. No "diet foods" that are better than eating real food. No chemicals which are good substitutes. Sugar is more addictive than cocaine and we are a society addicted to it and suffering. If you let your system be abused and inflammed by the wrong foods, unfortunately the result could end in cancer. You just don't want to risk that when instead you could feel healthy and strong and energized. So this year, I'm making changes to make sure that I start to feel better, that my inside is healthy as well as the outside, and that my family learns to be healthy too.
Here are some sites I go to for a lot more information. If you're like me, you don't just trust anyone, but these have proven to be reliable for information:
Life Extension: Sign up for a free magazine! They are nonprofit researchers and offer high quality vitamins and supplements. They also offer blood testing for a variety of things including hormone levels and food allergies/intolerances which can be done in a lab near you and brought to your doctor.
Dr. Mercola: If you sign up for his email newsletters, you'll be amazed at the articles! I found out facts about Fluoride that your dentist should have told you but didn't... using fluoridated water to make baby formula is poisonous! Fluoride was never meant to be ingested but just a temporary band aid barrier on top of the teeth. It can cause more harm than good. B12 is needed for energy and you usually get it from red meat (though most of us don't consume much red meat anymore). And if it's in your multivitamin, the vitamin C and another mineral will change it so that it is not absorbed properly, therefore meaning you still need it! Sometimes it takes ages for information like this to be accepted into the mainstream medical community because it goes against what doctors have traditionally said. Get the news now and avoid the consequences later.
Suzanne Somers: As ditzy a character as she played on tv, she's really the exact opposite in real life. Her books are easy to understand and she presents information that has changed so many people's health. We might not have the wealth she has to spend time with the best doctors but she shares all of this information she's gathered with us so we can know too. Her book on hormones cameo'ed in this movie for very good reason! She's also beaten breast cancer so her health journey is a matter of survival for her.
Kat James and "The Truth About Beauty": I bought this book years ago when it was first published and pulled it out to read again... it is still right and still one of the best resources for changing your mindset and practices about beauty, natural cosmetics and being healthy. She came out with an updated reissue of the book and it's so worth getting. I reference it when I want to try something new.
seventh generation: They continue to lead the way in developing products that are good for you and your family, and good for our earth.
I'm sure there are many other places to gain great information. These are just some I've been going to lately. I hope you decide to join me in becoming healthier this year!
p.s. Nathaniel's teeth pulling went really well... he laughed the whole time! Supposedly he hummed "Here Comes the Bride" as they walked him back to the chair after being given the anesthesia juice! He always has that office laughing when he goes there. How did I raise such a comedian??? ;D
p.p.s. Pacific Foods: OH my gosh... heaven!!! My favorite has been The Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato but today I'm having the Chipotle Sweet Potato and it's out of this world good! Their broths are wonderful too... all organic. I can't recommend this highly enough... I feel like I'm eating out for lunch in a gourmet restaurant!
Monday, January 24, 2011
mentors
This is Larry, dressed as a pastry chef, because that's what he did... pursued his passions. Everyone should have a mentor in life-- someone who believes in them and their talents, who gives them their first shot as something, even if they don't have any evidence that they can do the job. Larry was this for me. He took a big shot on me and I think he believed I could do it more than I ever thought I could! As I'm finding out, many of the others I worked with at BSB/Leff & Squicciarini thought so also. He was a mentor to a lot of great people. It's been really heart warming to reconnect briefly with all these old friends and to see what successful leaders they've all become in their professions. I'm so proud to have been part of this group!I spent Saturday in Chadds Ford, at my favorite museum which we decided to become members of this year (that means I'm going back!) and got to eat out a couple times. I didn't pick up my paint brush. I needed some time off of creating to just think about things. It's all good. I've been reading a lot about health topics and could write a book on here! Does anyone want to hear it? Craig's Steelers won last evening so the house is happy! I'm baking more granola right now (what's new?!) and tomorrow Nathaniel gets his two teeth pulled. There will also be Belgium waffles in our future because I got the second half of my Christmas present! (I was supposed to be at the Hershey Spa this weekend but it must be incredibly popular because they are booked until spring! Ah well.) I'm also back to doing yoga and have a stack of books to read. I'm ready for that big snow storm tomorrow night!....
Friday, January 21, 2011
Please help
| Support Organics and Non-Genetically Engineered Crops |
 | |
| URGENT! Take Action Now! | |
| Support Organics and Non- Genetically Engineered Crops | |
 *Alfalfa is the main food for dairy cows, beef cattle and honey bees. | The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is about to announce its decision on deregulating genetically engineered (GE) alfalfa.* | ||
| Do you believe organic and non-GE farmers have a right to grow foods without fear of contamination from genetically engineered crops? Do you want the choice to buy organic and non-GE products? | |||
| If so, please consider taking action immediately! Contact the USDA, the White House, and your Congressperson by Monday, January 24. |
| 1. | Email the USDA and call the White House (202.456.1111) and tell them you support the COEXISTENCE option of conditional deregulation. | ||
| 2. | Ask your Congressperson to contact House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas to express support for USDA Secretary Vilsack’s COEXISTENCE plan. | ||
| 3. | Share this with everyone you know and ask for their support. |
| The COEXISTENCE option means the USDA would place restrictions on growing genetically engineered alfalfa to limit contamination of organic and non-GE crops. Find out the details on the USDA’s upcoming decision and background on the issue on our Whole Story blog. | ||
halfway there
I put in the larger areas of color today. I can't wait to start getting in more detail, though it was fun to get a lot of paint down today. And I tend to rush, so I'm going to have to slow down a lot to do the trees well in the background... there's so many and they are going to be very thin.
My kids are going to their grandparents' house this weekend so I'm planning on some fun things here. Hope you have a good weekend too!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
the job of mothering
Craig asked me if I had seen an editorial in our paper that referenced this article in the Washington Post "Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior" which is an excerpt from Amy Chua's new book "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother". I had just seen the above illustration on Penelope's blog and had been thinking about the Chinese kids Caroline talks about from school who have parents who expect this kind of work from their children. After reading the article I still feel the same way I did before, and maybe even more so. I have high expectations for my children's performance. I know what they are capable of and even more so, I expect them to be responsible for it themselves. BUT I also know that expecting straight A's is not something I insist on. I was a teacher... I know how sometimes there are things that someone just can't grasp in the amount of time a teacher has to teach it. And seriously, I want my kids to be more well-rounded than these narrowly focused students. They don't have to be doctors and lawyers to be successful in life. Only if they want to. They just have to do their best. Caroline came home today and at dinner (this is why I believe so strongly in the family dinner!) she brought up the fact that she might not get a good grade in French (alas... the class I want her to excel in most right now!) because of one test and that "I should be helping her to remember her work at home"... or in other words, "it's somehow your fault that I am not getting an A this time". Well, it came down to the fact that she didn't read all of the test directions and missed a part, which brought her grade down and she would have aced it. UGH! So... I reminded her that every day I ask about their homework and that I expect them to write down what is due and do it... without me hovering over her back. Because really, I won't be there when she's grown up and has work to get done. SHE should want to succeed at her responsibilities. I did it when I was her age. I have offered to quiz her for tests in the past, but she turns me down. Hopefully she will let me do that sometime. In Eighth Grade she's getting midterm exams and finals and will have to study. So... onward goes the learning on both of our parts! At the end of the day I am proud of her and I tell her that all the time. And she knows it.
Penelope Dullaghan is one of my favorite illustrators and is also the founder of Illustration Friday AND a yogi! No wonder her pictures tend to be more peaceful (except for this one). Time to get my Yee on and find that peaceful place. It's been a very emotional day today.
call me librarian
Took this fun Storage Personality Quiz on the BHG site which I saw on Sweet Tidings post. Looks like I'm the Librarian... I like everything in its place. "Detailed, task-master, energetic, a perfectionist sometimes to a fault." Well, I knew that. I still wish I had become a librarian back in the day. Or maybe I should just get a job at Barnes & Noble? Take the quiz if you're wondering what your organizational personality is!
cuckoo
"There's a sad sort of clanging from the clock in the hall, and the bells in the steeple too, and up in the nursery an absurd little bird is popping out to say 'cuckoo... cuckoo'!"Well, you know where that song is from! I was reading my new friend Kay's blog and decided to check out her great etsy shop here! There are all kinds of wonderful little things in it and when I saw that she had a cuckoo clock, I knew this was the one for me! Though I doubt the little cuckoo bird goes in and out. I grew up with one in the house which my Dad still has, so I've always wanted one in my own home. I thought this one would look cute against my red walls. And I've been known to shop when I'm feeling down... this just made me happy again. I hope you're having a good day where you are.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
sad news
I just found out from someone who knew him well, that my Creative Director and owner of the advertising agency I worked at in Columbus, Ohio passed away this past Saturday from a brain tumor. Even though I haven't seen him in years, I feel the loss. Larry Squicciarini, may you rest in peace.
♱♱♱♱ Thank you for all of your kind comments. I hope he's looking down and seeing how much of an impact he's had on so many people. ♥
ana ventura
"Dreaming of You"
"White Garden"
from Paper Doll Series
Cut and Paste
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
color
I was reading this book last evening and was thinking about the colors of my painting and the Klimt paintings-- my goal is to capture the feeling of winter, the values that make it feel like there is atmospheric depth and create a pleasing picture. Instead of mixing away, I took a different approach and used my Adobe Illustrator program to manipulate colors in simplified shapes. I am liking the subdued palette of more burgundy, purples and blues. I think this is the direction I was headed with the paint, but hadn't quite gone this far. I usually do warm colors (which fits my personal theory that people pick colors that are reflective of their own complexions) so this would be a stretch for me. I wanted to do browns in the trees but that seems so disparate. The complimentary colors of the orange leaves and yellow fence (and greenish evergreen) give the composition a little spark of interest in places. Now to figure out the composition of shapes. I wonder if anyone else is stressing out as much as I am about this lesson?? That would be typical of me (now, not in college when I just went for it but didn't learn quite as much by doing that). Thanks for putting up with me blabbering on and on about this!!! It's about time to add some cute illustrations to all this serious art stuff, isn't it? :D
Other things going on: kids had school off today because of ice and snow, went to the salon, took N to the orthodontist, read more about bioidentical hormones, adrenal support and health stuff, found out the flu vaccine might be a bad choice, got my first copy of Anthology magazine in the mail which is just super cool, received a note from Willow, and made plans with friends for a fun night out this weekend at a Chili cook-off!
Monday, January 17, 2011
second try
After Tom and Jamie gave me feedback on the last little color sketch, I mixed a more violet background, a gray-brown for the trees and a few other little changes, so that there is more atmospheric depth to the picture. Now I'm missing that punch of color that made the first more interesting. AaaAaaghhHhhh!!!!!!!!! (frustration) Don't think this oil painting thing is easy! It's not like this is my first time painting either. I'm not giving up yet though. Hopefully they'll steer me in a better direction. Thank goodness we are doing all this practice first.
I also toned my two wood boards and my little canvas. I know this is not interesting, but thought you might like to know that when the artist starts, usually they take a color and mix it with their thinning medium (or turpenoid in my case) which is sort of like a light watercolor wash. We used yellow ochre for this which will give the painting a warm glow underneath the color, especially the white of the snow. I can't wait to start the real painting... as soon as I figure out my color palette!!! :P
get your knit on
photo by Holly Joliffe
The Westminster Dog Show is coming up Feb. 14-15 and if you're into that sort of thing, here's a free knitting pattern to create your own Jack Russell Terrier! He is already house-trained and won't jump on your guests! It's from a new book of patterns for dogs Best In Show by Sally Muir and Jo Osborne in the UK. (Not sure about availability here.) Of course there's no Rough Collies so I'm out of luck... No Elle.
starstruck
photo by Ralph Elliot Starkweather
❄ ❅ ❆ Buy her book here!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
planning
At last, I finished this week's assignment for my oil painting class. I prepared a palette of colors from the photo for my painting (from these photos it's hard to see the light rose color... aagh... photography problems!!!) and then did a little color sketch to see how they would look on canvas before we begin the real painting. I've never done this before but it definitely is the best way to really see what is going to happen so I can change or adjust what I'm doing. I'm so excited to do the large painting, though I also remembered how little patience I have for oils drying. I could barely wait for the paint to dry on this little sketch to paint on top of it! Why is my lesson in life always patience?!! ;)
{Update on the gingerbread house... last night some animal got nosey and the roof is off! I hope they do eat it. I haven't walked up there to see if they tried it or not.}
chicken b'stilla
Yesterday I was in a cooking mood, especially since I really didn't cook anything interesting all week due to being laid up. I pulled out my Christmas present (which Debbie highly recommended) : Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan and this recipe sounded good. There are lots of chicken recipes in this but that's fine with me since I love chicken. I started at 1 pm and dinner was served by 6 pm. It took a long time: marinate an hour, cook an hour, then bake for 40 minutes, plus prep time... but it was really easy... all except for the filo pastry dough which I always seem to struggle with. It still worked despite my silly crust. And it was tasty! And the house smelled like it when I woke up this morning, which to us is the smell of home. I can't wait to try another recipe out of it.
Friday, January 14, 2011
relocation
Once upon a time there was a little house made out of gingerbread which was found in the middle of a forest...
There was a loyal valiant beast who guarded it from all who dare to nibble...
But this guardian could no longer resist the sweet smell of the gingerbread and sugar icing...
So she reluctantly gave up her post and the house was given to the forest creatures to inhabit (or eat, which is probably what will happen!)...
Our little gingerbread house has been gifted to the deer, the squirrels, and the occasional fox who might pass through our backyard as a little Christmas present!
There was a loyal valiant beast who guarded it from all who dare to nibble...
But this guardian could no longer resist the sweet smell of the gingerbread and sugar icing...
Our little gingerbread house has been gifted to the deer, the squirrels, and the occasional fox who might pass through our backyard as a little Christmas present!
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