Friday 24 May 2013

FOOD AND MOOD --PART TWO..

Part  two of   FOOD..AND MOOD

How can I go about changing my diet?

It's probably a lot easier if you start by making changes slowly, one at a time, and just for a trial period. Changing what you eat takes a bit of effort and time; trying out new and different foods may mean you need to shop in new places. Hopefully, you will enjoy making these changes and find them to be a positive experience. Smaller changes, introduced one at a time, are easier to manage and keep up, should you find them beneficial. If you make more than one change at a time, then you won't be able to tell what is having an effect. Some changes may even be unnecessary, although you won't know until you try. This step-by-step approach can be broadened out later, and keeping a food and mood diary may be helpful.
Sometimes, a change to the diet produces some unpleasant side effects, for the first few days only. If people suddenly stop drinking coffee, for instance, they may get withdrawal symptoms, such as headaches, which then begin to clear up after a few days, when they start to feel much better. Symptoms such as these can be reduced if you cut down gradually, rather as if you were weaning yourself from a drug. There are, necessarily, some costs associated with making changes to what you eat, but these can be rewarded by significant benefits to mental and physical health.

Can foods interact with medication?

Some people like to try herbal alternatives, such as St John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum), which can help with the symptoms of depression. However, if you are already taking any medication, it’s essential that you consult your doctor for guidance prior to trying herbal remedies: some can interact with other drugs, stopping them working or causing additional adverse effects. Note: it is very unwise suddenly to stop taking any medication you are already prescribed. It’s also worth consulting a medical herbalist about using these herbs, as they don’t suit everyone.
The MAOI (monoamine oxidase inhibitor) type of antidepressant can interact with a naturally occurring substance in some foods called tyramine. This can cause a dangerous rise in blood pressure, which may be signalled by a throbbing headache. Foods containing particularly high levels of tyramine include: beans, yeast extract, meat extract, most cheeses, fermented soya bean extract and salted, smoked or pickled fish (especially pickled herring).
As the action of bacteria on protein produces tyramine, if you take MAOIs, you should avoid stale food or food that may be 'going off'. This is particularly relevant for protein-rich food, such as meat, fish or chicken. Avoid game meats completely. You can obtain a full list of tyramine-containing foods from your doctor, dietitian or nutritional therapist.

Monday 20 May 2013

FOOD AND MOOD------ PART ONE

What you Eat affects how you Think...FIND  OUT HOW....

Can food really affect my mental health?

Many people are seeking to take control of their mental health using self-help, and to find approaches they can use alongside, or even instead of, prescribed medication. One self-help strategy is to make changes to what we eat, and there is a growing interest in how food and nutrition can affect emotional and mental health.
Scientific evidence to back this up is developing, but there are many challenges for scientists to overcome and, in the meantime, some medical practitioners remain unconvinced of the link between food and mood. Nevertheless, positive responses from individuals who have made changes to their diet confirm the importance of food and nutrition for maintaining or improving their emotional and mental health.
In addition to self-help, experienced healthcare professionals may support individuals in making dietary changes, and recommend appropriate nutritional supplementation. The real effects of food on mood demonstrate how it can form part of a more holistic approach to the treatment of mental distress.
I forgot about my mood swings — they have almost disappeared.

How does food affect mood?

There are many explanations for the cause-and-effect relationship between food and mood. The following are some examples:
  • Fluctuations in blood sugar levels are associated with changes in mood and energy, and are affected by what we eat.
  • Brain chemicals (neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, dopamine and acetylcholine) influence the way we think, feel and behave. They can be affected by what we've eaten.
  • There can be abnormal reactions to artificial chemicals in foods, such as artificial colourings and flavourings.
  • There are reactions that can be due to the deficiency of an enzyme needed to digest a food. Lactase, for instance, is needed to digest lactose (milk sugar). Without it, a milk intolerance can build up.
  • People can become hypersensitive to foods. This can cause what are known as delayed or hidden food allergies or sensitivities.
  • Low levels of vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids can affect mental health, with some symptoms associated with particular nutritional deficiencies. For example, links have been demonstrated between low levels of certain B-vitamins and symptoms of schizophrenia, low levels of the mineral zinc and eating disorders, and low levels of omega-3 oils and depression.

What's the psychological relationship?

It's generally accepted that how we feel can influence what we choose to eat or drink (mood to food). What is less well known is how what we eat can affect our mental functioning (food to mood). The use of caffeine is one example of a complex relationship. Caffeine, found in tea, coffee, cola drinks and chocolate, is probably the most widely used behaviour-modifying drug in the world. We often choose to drink it if we are feeling tired and irritable, because it can give us a boost and help us to concentrate. Having a cup of coffee or tea also has a lot of positive psychological associations. We meet a friend for 'coffee and a chat' or give ourselves a break by sitting down with a cup of tea, and these things are very important. But too much caffeine (which is a different amount for each of us) can cause symptoms, such as anxiety, nervousness and depression. Any exploration into food and mood needs to take into account this two-way relationship and include the psychological aspect behind what we are choosing to eat.

How do I find out if food is affecting my mental health?

Before investigating the specific foods that could be affecting your mental and emotional health, it's well worth having a look at what you are already eating and drinking. Usually, the most reliable way of doing this is to keep a food and drink diary every day, for about one week. It seems to work best if you can write down what you eat and drink, at the time you have it. The more information you include in your diary, the more useful it is likely to be; for example, you could also note down the time and the approximate amounts you consume. People are often surprised when they look back over what they have eaten. Greater awareness is an important first step forward.


Saturday 11 May 2013

How much SLEEP DO YOU NEED...

SLEEP is a Important Bio Drive  and is a Active Process...please do consult your Doctor if  you  Have any Sleep related problems..and remember never self medicate..it can cause more harm..take care..

Myths and Facts about Sleep

Myth 1: Getting just one hour less sleep per night won’t affect your daytime functioning. You may not be noticeably sleepy during the day, but losing even one hour of sleep can affect your ability to think properly and respond quickly. It also compromises your cardiovascular health, energy balance, and ability to fight infections.
Myth 2: Your body adjusts quickly to different sleep schedules. Most people can reset their biological clock, but only by appropriately timed cues—and even then, by one–two hours per day at best. Consequently, it can take more than a week to adjust after traveling across several time zones or switching to the night shift.
Myth 3: Extra sleep at night can cure you of problems with excessive daytime fatigue. The quantity of sleep you get is important, sure, but it's the quality of your sleep that you really have to pay attention to. Some people sleep eight or nine hours a night but don’t feel well rested when they wake up because the quality of their sleep is poor.
Myth 4: You can make up for lost sleep during the week by sleeping more on the weekends.Although this sleeping pattern will help relieve part of a sleep debt, it will not completely make up for the lack of sleep. Furthermore, sleeping later on the weekends can affect your sleep-wake cycle so that it is much harder to go to sleep at the right time on Sunday nights and get up early on Monday mornings.
Adapted from: Your Guide to Healthy Sleep (PDF) The National Institutes of Health

How many hours of sleep do you need?

Average Sleep Needs by Age
Newborn to 2 months old
12 - 18 hrs
3 months to 1 year old
14 - 15 hrs
1 to 3 years old
12 - 14 hrs
3 to 5 years old
11 - 13 hrs
5 to 12 years old
10 - 11 hrs
12 to 18 years old
8.5 - 10 hrs
Adults (18+)
7.5 - 9 hrs
According to the National Institutes of Health, the average adult sleeps less than seven hours per night. In today’s fast-paced society, six or seven hours of sleep may sound pretty good. In reality, though, it’s a recipe for chronic sleep deprivation.
There is a big difference between the amount of sleep you can get by on and the amount you need to function optimally. Just because you're able to operate on seven hours of sleep doesn't mean you wouldn't feel a lot better and get more done if you spent an extra hour or two in bed.
While sleep requirements vary slightly from person to person, most healthy adults need between seven and a half to nine hours of sleep per night to function at their best. Children and teens need even more (see box at right). And despite the notion that our sleep needs decrease with age, older people still need at least seven and a half to eight hours of sleep. Since older adults often have trouble sleeping this long at night, daytime naps can help fill in the gap.
The best way to figure out if you're meeting your sleep needs is to evaluate how you feel as you go about your day. If you're logging enough hours, you'll feel energetic and alert all day long, from the moment you wake up until your regular bedtime.

Sleep needs and peak performance

There is a big difference between the amount of sleep you can get by on and the amount you need to function optimally. Just because you’re able to operate on seven hours of sleep doesn’t mean you wouldn’t feel a lot better and get more done if you spent an extra hour or two in bed. The best way to figure out if you’re meeting your sleep needs is to evaluate how you feel as you go about your day. If you’re logging enough hours, you’ll feel energetic and alert all day long, from the moment you wake up until your regular bedtime.

Think six hours of sleep is enough?

Think again. Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco discovered that some people have a gene that enables them to do well on six hours of sleep a night. This gene, however, is very rare, appearing in less than 3% of the population. For the other 97% of us, six hours doesn’t come close to cutting it.

Signs and symptoms of sleep deprivation and lack of sleep

If you’re getting less than eight hours of sleep each night, chances are you’re sleep deprived. What’s more, you probably have no idea just how much lack of sleep is affecting you.
How is it possible to be sleep deprived without knowing it? Most of the signs of sleep deprivation are much more subtle than falling face first into your dinner plate. Furthermore, if you’ve made a habit of skimping on sleep, you may not even remember what it feels like to be wide-awake, fully alert, and firing on all cylinders. Maybe it feels normal to get sleepy when you’re in a boring meeting, struggling through the afternoon slump, or dozing off after dinner, but the truth is that it’s only “normal” if you’re sleep deprived.

You may be sleep deprived if you...

  • Need an alarm clock in order to wake up on time
  • Rely on the snooze button
  • Have a hard time getting out of bed in the morning
  • Feel sluggish in the afternoon
  • Get sleepy in meetings, lectures, or warm rooms
  • Get drowsy after heavy meals or when driving
  • Need to nap to get through the day
  • Fall asleep while watching TV or relaxing in the evening
  • Feel the need to sleep in on weekends
  • Fall asleep within five minutes of going to bed

The effects of sleep deprivation and chronic lack of sleep

While it may seem like losing sleep isn't such a big deal, sleep deprivation has a wide range of negative effects that go way beyond daytime drowsiness. Lack of sleep affects your judgment, coordination, and reaction times. In fact, sleep deprivation can affect you just as much as being drunk.
The effects include:
  • Fatigue, lethargy, and lack of motivation
  • Moodiness and irritability
  • Reduced creativity and problem-solving skills
  • Inability to cope with stress
  • Reduced immunity; frequent colds and infections
  • Concentration and memory problems
  • Weight gain
  • Impaired motor skills and increased risk of accidents
  • Difficulty making decisions
  • Increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, and other health problem




Please  go through the previous  blogs for  other sleep related  issues...

Friday 3 May 2013

Sleep Disorders...The Long List..Of Sleep Problems


Sleep  is  a Vast  Subject  and  here is a list of  Disorders  Related to Sleep and sleep Disturbances...



  
  1. Dyssomnias
  2. Parasomnias
  3. Sleep disorders associated with mental, neurologic, or other medical disorders
  4. Proposed sleep disorders

Dyssomnias


Intrinsic sleep disorders
  • Psychophysiologic insomnia
  • Sleep state misperception
  • Idiopathic insomnia
  • Narcolepsy
  • Recurrent hypersomnia
  • Idiopathic hypersomnia
  • Post-traumatic hypersomnia
  • Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome
  • Central sleep apnoea syndrome
  • Central alveolar hypoventilation syndrome
  • Periodic limb movement disorder
  • Restless legs syndrome
  • Intrinsic sleep disorder NOS
Extrinsic sleep disorders
  • Inadequate sleep hygiene
  • Environmental sleep disorder
  • Altitudeinsomnia
  • Adjustment sleep disorder
  • Insufficient sleep syndrome
  • Limit-setting sleep disorder
  • Sleep-onset association disorder
  • Food allergyinsomnia
  • Nocturnal eating (drinking) syndrome
  • Hypnotic-dependent sleep disorder
  • Stimulant-dependent sleep disorder
  • Alcohol-dependent sleep disorder
  • Toxin-induced sleep disorder
  • Extrinsic sleep disorder NOS
Circadian-rhythm sleep disorders
  • Time zone change (jet lag) syndrome
  • Shift work sleep disorder
  • Irregular sleep–wake pattern
  • Delayed sleep–phase syndrome
  • Advanced sleep–phase syndrome
  • Non-24-hour sleep–wake disorder
  • Circadian rhythm sleep disorder NOS

Parasomnias

Arousal disorders
  • Confusional arousals 
  • Sleepwalking
  • Sleep terrors
Sleep–wake transition disorders
  • Rhythmic movement disorder
  • Sleep starts
  • Sleep talking
  • Nocturnal leg cramps
Parasomnias usually associated with REM sleep
  • Nightmares
  • Sleep paralysis
  • Impaired sleep-related penile erections
  • Sleep-related painful erections
  • REM sleep-related sinus arrest
  • REM sleep behavior disorder
Other parasomnias
  • Sleep bruxism
  • Sleep enuresis
  • Sleep-related abnormal swallowing syndrome
  • Nocturnal paroxysmal dystonia
  • Sudden unexplained nocturnal death syndrome
  • Primary snoring
  • Infant sleep apnea
  • Congenital central hypoventilation syndrome
  • Sudden infant death syndrome
  • Benign neonatal sleep myoclonus
  • Other parasomnia NOS

Sleep disorders associated with mental, neurologic, or other medical disorders

Associated with mental disorders
  • Psychoses
  • Mood disorders
  • Anxiety disorders
  • Panic disorders
  • Alcoholism
Associated with neurologic disorders
Associated with other medical disorders
  • Sleeping sickness
  • Nocturnal cardiac ischemia
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
  • Sleep-relatedasthma
  • Sleep-related gastroesophageal reflux
  • Peptic ulcer disease
  • Fibromyalgia

Proposed sleep disorders

  • Short sleeper
  • Long sleeper
  • Subwakefulness syndrome
  • Fragmentary myoclonus
  • Sleep hyperhidrosis
  • Menstrual-associated sleep disorder
  • Pregnancy-associated sleep disorder
  • Terrifying hypnagogic hallucinations
  • Sleep-related neurogenic tachypnea
  • Sleep-related laryngospasm
  • Sleep choking syndrome


 American Academy of Sleep Medicine Classification of sleep disorders 2005

  1. Insomnia
  2. Sleep Related Breathing Disorders
  3. Hypersomnias of Central Origin Not Due to a Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorder, Sleep Related Breathing Disorder, or Other Cause of Disturbed Nocturnal Sleep
  4. Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders
  5. Parasomnias
  6. Sleep Related Movement Disorders
  7. Isolated Symptoms, Apparently Normal Variants and Unresolved Issues
  8. Other Sleep Disorders

Insomnia

  • Adjustment Insomnia (Acute Insomnia)
  • Psychophysiological Insomnia
  • Paradoxical Insomnia
  • Idiopathic Insomnia
  • Insomnia Due to Mental Disorder
  • Inadequate Sleep Hygiene
  • Behavioral Insomnia of Childhood
  • Insomnia Due to Drug or Substance
  • Insomnia Due to Medical Condition
  • Insomnia Not Due to Substance or Known Physiological Condition
  • Unspecified (Nonorganic Insomnia, NOS)
  • Physiological (Organic) Insomnia, Unspecified

Sleep Related Breathing Disorders

  • Central Sleep Apnea Syndromes
    • Primary Central Sleep Apnea
    • Central Sleep Apnea Due to Cheyne Stokes Breathing Pattern
    • Central Sleep Apnea Due to High-Altitude Periodic Breathing
    • Central Sleep Apnea Due to Medical Condition Not Cheyne Stokes
    • Central Sleep Apnea Due to Drug or Substance
    • Primary Sleep Apnea of Infancy (Formerly Primary Sleep Apnea of Newborn)
  • Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndromes
    • Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Adult
    • Obstructive Sleep Apnoea, Pediatric
  • Sleep Related Hypoventilation/Hypoxemic Syndromes
    • Sleep Related Nonobstructive Alveolar Hypoventilation, Idiopathic
    • Congenital Central Alveolar Hypoventilation Syndrome
  • Sleep Related Hypoventilation/Hypoxemia Due to Medical Condition
    • Sleep Related Hypoventilation/Hypoxemia Due to Pulmonary Parenchymal or Vascular Pathology
    • Sleep Related Hypoventilation/Hypoxemia Due to Lower Airways Obstruction
    • Sleep Related Hypoventilation/Hypoxemia Due to Neuromuscular and Chest Wall Disorders
  • Other Sleep Related Breathing Disorder
    • Sleep Apnea/Sleep Related Breathing Disorder, Unspecified

Hypersomnias of Central Origin Not Due to a Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorder, Sleep Related Breathing Disorder, or Other Cause of Disturbed Nocturnal Sleep

  • Narcolepsy With Cataplexy
  • Narcolepsy Without Cataplexy
  • Narcolepsy Due to Medical Condition
  • Narcolepsy, Unspecified
  • Recurrent Hypersomnia
    • Kleine-Levin Syndrome
    • Menstrual-Related Hypersomnia
  • Idiopathic Hypersomnia With Long Sleep Time
  • Idiopathic Hypersomnia Without Long Sleep Time
  • Behaviorally Induced Insufficient Sleep Syndrome
  • Hypersomnia Due to Medical Condition
  • Hypersomnia Due to Drug or Substance
  • Hypersomnia Not Due to Substance or Known Physiological Condition (Nonorganic Hypersomnia, NOS)
  • Physiological (Organic) Hypersomnia, Unspecified (Organic Hypersomina, NOS)

Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders

  • Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorder, Delayed Sleep Phase Type (Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder)
  • Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorder, Advanced Sleep Phase Type (Advanced Sleep Phase Disorder)
  • Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorder, Irregular Sleep-Wake Type (Irregular Sleep-Wake Rhythm)
  • Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorder, Free-Running Type (Nonentrained Type)
  • Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorder, Jet Lag Type (Jet Lag Disorder)
  • Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorder, Shift Work Type (Shift Work Disorder)
  • Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorder Due to Medical Condition
  • Other Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorder (Circadian Rhythm Disorder, NOS)
  • Other Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorder Due to Drug or Substance

Parasomnias

  • Disorders of Arousal (From NREM Sleep)
    • Confusional Arousals
    • Sleepwalking
    • Sleep Terrors
  • Parasomnias Usually Associated With REM Sleep
    • REM Sleep behavior Disorder (Including Overlap Disorder and Status Dissociatus)
    • Recurrent Isolated Sleep Paralysis
    • Nightmare Disorder
  • Other Parasomnias
    • Sleep Related Dissociative Disorders
    • Sleep Enuresis
    • Sleep Related Groaning (Catathrenia)
    • Exploding Head Syndrome
    • Sleep Related Hallucinations
    • Sleep Related Eating Disorders
    • Parasomnia, Unspecified
    • Parasomnia Due to Drug or Substance
    • Parasomnia Due to Medical Condition

Sleep Related Movement Disorders

  • Restless Legs Syndrome
  • Periodic Limb Movement Disorder
  • Sleep Related Leg Cramps
  • Sleep Related Bruxism
  • Sleep Related Rhythmic Movement Disorder
  • Sleep Related Movement Disorder, Unspecified
  • Sleep Related Movement Disorder Due to Drug or Substance
  • Sleep Related Movement Disorder Due to Medical Condition

Isolated Symptoms, Apparently Normal Variants and Unresolved Issues

  • Long Sleeper
  • Short Sleeper
  • Snoring
  • Sleep Talking
  • Sleep Starts (Hypnic Jerks)
  • Benign Sleep Myoclonus of Infancy
  • Hypnagogic Foot Tremor and Alternating Leg Muscle Activation During Sleep
  • Propriospinal Myoclonus at Sleep Onset
  • Excessive Fragmentary Myoclonus

Other Sleep Disorders

  • Other Physiological (Organic) Sleep Disorder
  • Other Sleep Disorder Not Due to Substance or Known
  • Physiological Condition
  • Environmental Sleep Disorder