by ldn5071 | Sep 30, 2019 | Uncategorized
It is very important to eat healthy. This doesn’t mean that we can’t have some ice cream or a cookie here or there when we are craving it, but it is very beneficial to try to eat healthier most of the time. This not only helps our body physically, but it can help us mentally as well. Eating better can improve your mood and memory, as well as reducing stress which is a big part of being healthy.
While many of us try to make an effort to eat healthy, the companies who make our products are making this even harder for us. We may think that we are eating the right things, but hidden ingredients can be very dangerous. I would suggest reading food labels before buying something. I know this seems like a lot of work, but it’s worth it.
One ingredient that always comes to mind is aspartame, an artificial sweetener. This can be found in a lot of “healthier” drinks that have no sugar. It’s very appealing to consumers because it replaces sugar and has low calories. When someone sees a drink with very little to no calories and no sugar, they levitate towards it because it must be healthy, right? Wrong. For starters, some studies have found that artificial sweeteners, including aspartame, have actually led to weight gain, which is ironic because people think they are doing the opposite. These sweeteners also put you at risk for diabetes, heart disease and stroke. It has also been reported that these sweeteners could increase your appetite, leading to you consuming more calories than you typically would. Some believe that aspartame may also put you at risk for seizures, cancer, lupus, ADHD, and even more.
Soy products, like soy protein isolate, are other ingredients that you should keep an eye on when trying to eat healthy. This product is used as a plant based protein which is common in vegan and vegetarian foods, but in other foods as well. Many believe that soy can put you at risk of developing breast cancer. The reasoning behind this is that soy contains isoflavones, which work like the estrogen in our bodies. Many forms of breast cancer feed off of estrogen which helps them to grow, so many people worry that the isoflavones in soy may do the same thing. A couple people who are very close to me have had breast cancer or have the gene for breast cancer and their doctors advised them to strongly stay away from soy and other products with estrogen in them. Soy can also affect thyroid function by blocking the absorption of iodine. Studies have also shown that the isoflavones block the production of thyroid hormones (Groves, 2018). Soy is also very commonly genetically modified. In fact, over 90% of the soy in the United States is genetically modified. And many people believe that it is not safe for us to consume genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
There are many other dangerous ingredients that are hidden in “healthy” food as well. I would strongly suggest doing some research and looking out for specific ingredients when shopping. I know this seems like a lot of work, but it’s really not bad. Once you know what to look out for, it only takes a few seconds to can through the ingredient label to check what is in your food.
Sources
Groves, M. (2018, November 22). Is Soy Good or Bad for Your Health? Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/soy-good-or-bad#downsides.
Lillis, C. (n.d.). Aspartame side effects: The truth about the risks. Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322266.php.
by hjm5340 | Sep 30, 2019 | Uncategorized
Most of us have heard the saying that an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but how true does that ring for mental health and not just physical health? It is common knowledge that proper nutrition is a vital aspect of physical health and wellbeing, but there isn’t much public knowledge on how proper nutrition or lack thereof can influence mental health and performance. Since health psychologists focus much of their research on how behavioral changes are affected by psychological factors, we know there is a connection between mental health and behaviors. According to Gruman, Schneider, and Coutts (2017), health psychologists use psychology to promote healthy behaviors and prevent illnesses. We have seen over the years a gradual change towards health promotion and healthy behaviors like minimizing fast food and having a more active lifestyle to achieve optimal physical health. Can the same healthy recommendations affect mental health and performance in the same way? Would it be possible to treat mental illness with healthy behavioral changes like proper nutrition?
Some research suggests that certain nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids can have a positive impact on mental disorders like depression. According to one meta-analysis that analyzed the results of 26 studies, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids showed improvement on depressive symptoms, while DHA did not exhibit any change (Liao et al., 2019). By increasing omega-3 fatty acids in one’s diet, it can limit the onset of depressive episode and possibly prevent mental health disorders like postpartum depression. A blog by Harvard Medical School showed that omega-3 fatty acids can be used alone or in conjunction with prescription antidepressants with promising change for improvement for depression and other mood disorders (Mischoulon, 2018). In addition to treatment for mood disorders, nutritional changes can affect disorders like schizophrenia. Although the causes of schizophrenia are still unknown, it causes patients to experience disorganized behavior and an altered reality involving hallucinations and delusions. In order to combat this, some research suggests that a diet with a high dose of vitamin B6, B8, and B12 can help schizophrenia symptoms. In one meta-analysis study, researchers found that B vitamins showed a significant reduction in schizophrenic symptoms in patients when administered early on(Science Daily, 2017). If we can see improvement in mental disorders with dietary changes, can people without mental disabilities improve their mental health with the same changes?
Brain food is a common term used to describe foods that can improve brain functioning and mental performance. Can a banana or a stalk of broccoli help you solve crossword puzzles or perform better on tests? If true, this could become a useful tool in various environments like schools and work settings to increase productivity. Eating breakfast regularly has been promoted as an essential part of a diet because of its effects on overall health, but especially for children who attend school. In one study, it was found that 10th grade students who skipped breakfast frequently exhibited poor academic performance, fatigue, and increased distress (Lien, 2007). If more parents and schools encouraged daily breakfast, it could have amazing improvements on academic performance and overall mental wellbeing in children as well as adults. We know that there are types of foods that are known for improving mental performance such as fruits and vegetables, but there are specific foods that can improve certain aspects of brain functioning. For example, dark chocolate and blueberries contain antioxidants and also help improve memory loss. The vitamin K present in broccoli has shown to improve memory, but can also fight brain damage. Eating healthy is not only good for physical health, but also can improve mental functioning and wellbeing.
We have seen over the years the changes made to dietary recommendations to ensure that the public achieves optimal health. Dietary recommendations like the Food Pyramid or the Healthy Eating Plate have given guidelines that sought to educate the public on the types of food groups and servings of each that were to be consumed for a healthy diet. Although a healthy physique is an important aspect of life to fight off issues like obesity and diabetes, we also need to focus our attention on what a healthy diet could do for our mental health and wellbeing. I think more work should be done in the field of health psychology to investigate diets that could help treat or even cure mental disorders that often lead to a lack of nutrients in the body and brain. In order to promote health, we need to expand on ideas that help treat and prevent mental disorders and diseases. We could help children who battle eating disorders in school or veterans who suffer from PTSD just by analyzing and changing their diets to serve their mental needs. I think the problem with recommendations like the Food Pyramid and other food guidelines are that they are too one size fits all because everyone has different needs mentally, physically, and emotionally. Diets need to take on a more biopsychosocial perspective and become individualized for each person. I hope in the future we can move away from less pharmaceutical drugs to treat mental illnesses and focus more on nutritional healing.
References
Gruman, J. A., Schneider, F. W., & Coutts, L. M. (2017). Applied social psychology: understanding and addressing social and practical problems. Los Angeles, CA: SAGE.
Liao, Y., Xie, B., Zhang, H., He, Q., Guo, L., Subramaniapillai, M., … Mclntyer, R. S. (2019). Efficacy of omega-3 PUFAs in depression: A meta-analysis. Translational Psychiatry, 9(1). doi: 10.1038/s41398-019-0515-5
Lien, L. (2007). Is breakfast consumption related to mental distress and academic performance in adolescents? Public Health Nutrition, 10(4), 422–428. doi: 10.1017/s1368980007258550
Mischoulon, D. (2018, August 2). Omega-3 fatty acids for mood disorders. Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/omega-3-fatty-acids-for-mood-disorders-2018080314414.
Science Daily. (2017, February 16). B vitamins reduce schizophrenia symptoms, study finds. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/02/170216103913.htm.
by sdp33 | Sep 30, 2019 | Uncategorized
Stress always sounds like a frequently used bad word. If you ask a fellow student, a parent, a family member, or a coworker how they feel, “stressed” is usually one of the common words they might use in description along with sleepy, exhausted, and burnt out.
To get technical, stress results from things that happen in our environment, according to the transactional model of stress. Unfortunately, this model implies almost anything can cause stress, “people, events, and situations” (Gruman, 2017). Those categories mentioned are called stressors and there are many things that fall into those three categories.
In these situations, our brains appraise the situation. Appraisals can happen consciously or subconsciously. When this happens think of fight or flight. Either we can think this situation is threatening to us or it’s something we can conquer or get over. We also have secondary appraisals that evaluate and assess our resources to determine how we handle the stressor.
Appraisals can be different for everybody even if it’s the same situation. For example, if I saw a snake (it could be at PetSmart), I would immediately appraise the situation to be threatening. My secondary appraisal would be my resources, my legs to move away from the aisle or my car keys to escape just in case the snake escaped its cage. My husband on the other hand, would appraise the situation as something he could overcome or may not be stressed by the situation at all. If we were looking at the same snake however, his stress maybe because of my reaction to the snake, not the snake itself. What can stress one person out may not phase another.
Appraisals can also change over time. Another personal example, at one point I used to be terrified of dogs. I had been bitten as a child. If I saw a dog, my subconscious appraisal was that the situation was threatening, and I would cry, scream, and beg to leave whatever place the dog(s) were. About 7 years later my cousin, whom I was very close with, got a dog. His gentle nature and my constant appearance in his home changed my appraisal. I no longer saw the situation as threatening. Later on, I grew to be a dog lover with my own two spoiled puppies.
This is an example of coping. Coping is “thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that people engage in when trying to reduce stress” (Gruman, 2017). In essence this means what do you do to reduce the stress that the event, person, or situation caused.
In my last example, I unknowingly was involved in problem-focused coping which is exactly how it sounds. I faced my problem head on to reduce the power it had to stress me out. Did I consciously think “Hey, you really have got to get over your fear of dogs. It’s ridiculous.” No, I did not, I was 10. But I did think, “I want to be around my older cousin more so if that means dealing with her dog then fine.” Pepper was a gentle lovable dog, he made it easy to start to look forward to his cuddles when I saw him. Pepper himself didn’t make my fear of dogs obsolete, but his nature did help me cope. Eventually he was a point of stress relief and now so are my dogs.
There is another type of coping called emotion-focused coping. It deals with how people try to regulate their own emotions in order to reduce the effects of stress. It’s commonly thought of in terms of things we can not change, however, it’s important to note that this does not mean that we avoid the stress. Avoiding stress can lead down a destructive pathway which could possibly bring on more stress.
I experienced emotion-focused coping when I found out that Pepper died. I do not like to be sad, but I let the emotion come forth and I also thought about all the things Pepper opened me up to. Because of Pepper I have two dogs that I love so much. I learned how to take care of an animal because of him. I also learned how to train a dog and instill obedience. My dogs have a better life because of my own interaction with Pepper.
If you notice my end results in both dog examples was that they lead to a healthy outcome. Using the coping methods appropriately lead to a healthy management of stress. Other coping mechanisms for stress management are relaxation training, expressive writing, and using cognitive behavioral therapy to identify stressors, discuss appraisals, and practice coping strategies (Taylor, 2018). Stress may not cause illness; however, it can greatly exacerbate it. Other factors affect stress like socioeconomic status, negative events. Stress can also impact sleep and the time frame to recover from the physiological effects on stress on the body.
To reduce the likelihood of developing chronic stress or incur any of the negative effects of stress it’s important to also have a support system. Social support according to Taylor is information from others that one is loved and cared for, esteemed and valued, and part of a network of communication and mutual obligations. This means that people are better able to cope and have healthier outcomes with social support.
There are difference types of support such as tangible assistance, which is like a monetary gift or someone physically helping you move. Informational support is getting advice or information on situations we’ve never faced before such as getting marital advice as a newlywed. Emotional support is what we receive from people that love and care about us and our well being. Though this doesn’t list all types of support, these are just a few things to possibly reduce our haste to stress out.
Stress is something that can’t be avoided. Our bodies were made to respond to it for our survival, but it can be managed so that it won’t take over our lives and our health. Let’s make use of all of those strategies to keep up healthy and thriving.
References
Gruman, J. A., Schneider, F. W., & Coutts, L. M. (2017). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems (3rd ed.). Los Angeles: SAGE.
Taylor, S. E. (2018). Health Psychology. New York: McGraw Hill Education.
by Mauricio Vega | Sep 30, 2019 | Uncategorized
Fitness is a very important part of our health and remaining active is a key aspect of leading a healthy life. Exercises has many different options and can be very different depending on the individual. It is important to find something of interest so it is easier to commit long term and make it part of our daily routine. It could be something as simple as walking every day or even more intense group workouts such as CrossFit. Each option provides different results and includes different exercises. Individuals can select group exercises, solo exercises, cardio based workouts, weight training and many other different options. Due to so many options out there, it can be hard to separate everything and select the best workout plan depending on the goal for that individual. They key is that any type of exercise has been shown to have a positive impact on the health of that person so it is very important to add this any daily routine.
Exercise has been shown to have a very positive impact on health. Research has shown that frequent exercise can lower the risk of many diseases, help control weight, improve mood/state of mind, promote better sleep, boost energy and improve your social life (Mayo, 2019). There are so many benefits associated with exercises but unfortunately not enough people take advantage of this. I personally go to a gym where they provide a group exercise program. This helps keep me accountable and it has helped me join a community that shares a common interest. It is important to find something that you enjoy so you keep attending and eventually make it part of your daily routine. Research showed that people over 70 who exercised regularly for year had lungs, heart and muscles that were equivalent in shape to those of people in their 40s (Cohut, 2018). This is an important study because it shows is that the benefits of exercise are not only in the present but it can have a long lasting impact even as we get older and help us in our future.
It is important to educate people about the benefits of leading an active life and the harm of not being active at all. According to the health belief model the actions that we take towards our health are actually influenced by a number of general factors (Gruman, Schneider, & Coutts, 2017). In order to actually cause a person to change their behavior these factors have to be taken into consideration. People won’t just change their behavior for no reason, they actually need to believe that the need to change and they must alter their behavioral intentions (Gruman et al., 2017). This is something that people need to introduce to children when they are young because ultimately children follow what they learn or see. If they see mom and dad just eating burgers and not being active they will follow that trend and pay for it later. There is no hiding all of the benefits associated with an active lifestyle. It is up to us to take care of ourselves because ultimately It is our body and it is up to us to take care of it.
References:
Cohut, Maria. (November, 2018). Regular exercise can keep the body decades younger. Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323850.php
Gruman, J. A., Schneider, F. W., & Coutts, L. (2017). Applied social psychology: understanding and addressing social and practical problems. Los Angeles ; London ; New Dehli ; Singapore ; Washington DC ; Melbourne: SAGE.
Mayo Clinic. (May, 2019). 7 great reasons why exercise matters. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise/art-20048389.
by Jonathan P Breland | Sep 30, 2019 | Uncategorized
Video games are one of the most prevalent forms of entertainment in the market today. It is estimated that 65% of adult Americans actively played video games in 2018 (ESA, 2019). While video games have been examined for their psychological effects since the 1990s, these studies were mostly centered around their potential negatives, rather than attempting to look at whether or not there are potential positive uses for video games. With the rapid expansion in technological capability, video games are more powerful and immersive than ever before, with virtual reality gaming starting to become a readily affordable, and affordable technology.
Accordingly, researchers have began studying the effect of virtual reality video games in relation to various mental health issues. While there have been a number of areas in which video games have been shown to improve the symptoms of various mental illnesses, some of the most promising data as it relates to VR gaming specifically is in relation to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (“PTSD”).
One of the most effective methods of treating PTSD is through the use of exposure therapy. This is where a patient is exposed to imagery that they relate with the traumatic event that is creating stress. Over time, the patient will become desensitized to these images, and will learn to be able to have things that were once trauma inducing elicit no response what so ever. The beauty of virtual reality technology is that it has the ability to create an exposure experience that is all-encompassing, and far more realistic. This can be used to expose the patient to a much more realistic version of their fears, which can theoretically result in a far greater degree of desensitization than traditional treatment has been able to accomplish (Tull, 2019).
As the symptoms of PTSD can be quite debilitating for countless individuals, the vast majority of whom are veterans, any piece of technology that is able to reduce the symptoms of PTSD is something with incredible value. Additionally, VR technology is still quite primitive, with new improvements being made on a daily basis, so the ability of this technology to make effective change in the lives of the individuals who suffer from PTSD will only increase over time. Finally, the fact that VR technology is something that is relatively affordable, easy to obtain, and doesn’t require insurance further illustrates that this technology is something that needs to be examined for its potential benefits as much as possible.
References:
Entertainment Software Association. (2019, August 19). 2019 Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry. Retrieved from http://www.theesa.com/esa-research/2019-essential-facts-about-the-computer-and-video-game-industry/.
Tull, M. (2019, June 19). How Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET) Treats PTSD. Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/virtual-reality-exposure-therapy-vret-2797340.
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