How To Find A Good Mental Health Counselor

Many people have a difficult time in finding an effective mental health counselor. Just like everything in life, you have your good counselors and you have your not so great counselors. The key is to find one that will help you solve your current mental health problems. If you do not know what you are looking for or where to start, then here are a few ideas in how to find a good mental health counselor.

1. Talk To Your Doctor Or Primary Care Physician
Your medical or family doctor is a great source in finding a good counselor. Explain to your doctor your problems and he or she can put you in the right direction in seeking the proper help.

2. Go To Your Local Hospital
Your local hospital is another source you can use to find a good counselor. A hospital is also a good source of finding many different mental health programs in your area. Hospitals know a lot of good counselors and programs in your area and they can lead you in the right direction.

3. Ask Your Friends And Relatives
Use your network of friends and relatives to see if any of them know of any good counselors in your area. This can be effective if it does not bother you that other people know that you are seeking a counselor. Many churches and nonprofit mental health agencies have a variety of mental health programs and asking the people who run these programs could also lead you in the right direction.
When asking for a counselor or finding a mental health program, always ask for someone who has a good reputation. Remember that finding a counselor to help you depends on how you interact with the counselor and how they interact with you. It may take a couple of times to find the right person, but do not give up. Finding a good counselor will pay off for you in the long run, so be persistent in finding the right person for you.

Remember that the key components of having an effective mental health counselor is affordability, the ability to effectively talk to your counselor, and most importantly, is your counselor able to find the answers to your current problems. If you do not see any improvement in your mental health condition after a couple of months of working with your current counselor, you may want to find someone else. The main point of talking to a counselor is to help manage your mental health issues and to get better.

Treat Chronic Lung Disease with N-acetyl Cysteine (NAC)

N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) is a safe and effective amino acid derivative compound that can provide relief from cold and flu. Although little known, it has been available for the last 30 years.

NAC is currently used to treat acetaminophen (Tylenol™) poisoning and to prevent patients who have received a tracheostomy from getting crusting around the tube inserted in their windpipe. It has even been effective in eradicating the bacteria Helicobacter pylori, which has been linked to gastric cancer.

Instead of making this compound widely known, Big Pharma has instead chosen to patent it in several drugs, masking one of its lesser known, but highly effective, applications: Its ability to treat and prevent lung disease.

NAC to Treat and Prevent Lung Disease

Latest research shows that NAC may be under-utilized. Multiple clinical trials have shown that NAC is an effective treatment option for the following conditions:

• Treating and preventing the symptoms associated with asthma and chronic bronchitis – including eliminating mucus and opening the airways.
• Treating and preventing the symptoms associated with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).
• Improving lung function for those suffering from cystic fibrosis.
• Lowering homocysteine levels in the blood, a condition linked to increased risk of death if you have a stroke.
• Easing the symptoms of common colds and flus.

One of the ways NAC helps to treat and prevent lung disease and repair your body is by acting as a building block to one of the most powerful antioxidants found in your cells, glutathione – also known as the master antioxidant .

Naturally Raise Your Levels of the Master Antioxidant

NAC increases your level of glutathione (GSH), which in turn helps your body repair damaged lung tissue and cells. NAC acts as a suppressor that prevents the activation of cellular inflammation and supercharges glutathione’s ability to rejuvenate lung tissue.

As a natural anti-inflammatory and anti-viral, NAC has been used for years as complementary therapy for respiratory illness. A study published in the European Respiratory Journal found that people diagnosed with COPD spend one-third less time in the hospital when they use NAC to fortify their respiratory systems.

More than 1,200 participants admitted to the hospital for COPD-related complications were monitored after their release. The longer they took NAC, the stronger their respiratory systems became.

After nine months, the group given NAC was readmitted 85% less often than those who did not take it. The standard dose used throughout the study was 400mg per day.

In addition, the University of Maryland Medical Center is currently conducting clinical trials to test the effectiveness of NAC in the treatment of cancer, drug addiction and schizophrenia.

Most clinical studies have found 200 mg/day to be effective, but NAC has been known to cause stomach upset, low blood pressure, drowsiness and headaches in a small percentage of those who took it so supplement with caution.

NAC may also increase your daily requirements for zinc and copper, and physicians recommend taking a multi-vitamin when supplementing with NAC. Warning: Taking more than 7g of NAC is toxic!

If you are on nitroglycerin you should not take NAC, as it can enhance the effects of the heart medication and drop blood pressure dangerously low. There is not enough data to pronounce NAC safe for pregnant or nursing women. Always speak to your doctor before adding NAC to your supplement regimen.

If you suffer from chronic respiratory problems, adding cysteine-rich foods or taking a supplement of N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) will boost your immune system, lower inflammation in your lungs and get you breathing easier again.

Natural Sources of Cysteine

• Poultry – chicken, turkey or duck
• Dairy products – eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese and ricotta cheese
• Beans – lentils, kidney beans, chickpeas and peas
• Red Peppers, broccoli, onions and garlic
• Wheat germ, granola and oats
• Peanut butter

N-acetyl cysteine can also help regulate your blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity, as wells as stop the development of pathogens that can create cancer.

It’s a natural treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and can reduce the severity of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) by replenishing your levels of one of the most crucial antioxidants in your body, glutathione.

Four Ways That Diet Helps Preserve Muscle

Those toned abs, pecs, and quads didn’t come easy. You put hard work into them week in and week out at the gym—all those sets of crunches, presses, and painful squats! Now you’re getting older and you might be noticing that it’s tough to hold on to that hard-fought muscle.

You might also know that preserving muscle is critical to maintain your health. Muscle doesn’t just look good, but plays a large role in maintaining the strength of your bones, keeping your immune system functioning optimally, and supporting your cardiovascular health.


When should you start worrying about age-related muscle loss, or sarcopenia? For most people, muscle mass peaks sometime around age 30. From age 30 to 60, the average adult may lose about half a pound of muscle per year while simultaneously gaining about one pound of fat. This lack of muscle strength combined with an accumulation of body fat comes with increased risk of chronic disease, as well as an increased risk of frailty, fracture, injury, and even death.

What can you do to make the most of your effort in the gym? Nutrition is essential to preserving muscle with age, according to a new scientific review published by the International Osteoporosis Foundation Working Group (IOF). The group incorporated evidence from studies around the world and identified the following four ways that dietary components can assist both older and younger adults to help slow muscle loss with age:

1. Protein: Apart from resistance exercise, protein in the diet may be the most important way to preserve muscle. But, according to the authors, the protein amounts typically recommended may not be enough to optimize muscle and bone health. The type of protein matters, too—whey protein has consistently shown to be best for young and old adults who want to hang on to muscle.
2. Vitamin D: Mounting evidence suggests vitamin D plays a role in the development and maintenance of muscle mass and function. Getting adequate amounts can depend on regular exposure to the sun’s UVB rays—difficult during the winter months in North America— and through supplementation. Elderly adults are especially at risk of getting insufficient amounts of vitamin D for bone and muscle health.
3. Vitamin B12 and/or folic acid: Emerging data are showing that these two nutrients play a critical part in improving muscle function and strength.
4. Eat enough fruits and vegetables while avoiding processed meats and cereal grains: The high dietary intake of processed meats and cereal grains and a low intake of fruits and vegetables can contribute to a greater dietary acid load, which can produce a negative effect on bone metabolism.

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Baby Names Inspired By Healthy Living

As parents we naturally want to give our kids the best of everything. We want to set them up for success right from the start. We weigh nursing versus bottles because we want to ensure they're getting the best nutrients to grow and stress over a million other things so that they are their healthiest. But what about their names? Have you ever considered the role that could play?

Of course, no parent haphazardly names their baby. A lot of time and consideration goes in to naming a kid. And for good reason. 

If you want your child to have a healthy foundation from the start, and exude an air of health, fitness, and wellness throughout their life, consider giving your baby a name that means such things. Lacey cautions that it certainly won't determine their outcome, although we don't think it can hurt.

While naming your son Alan might not secure his destiny as a "warrior," naming your son Barack might just inspire him to become to be presidential. ThinkBabyNames.com says that Barack means "a valiant warrior who cooperated with the prophetess Deborah to win victory in a battle against overwhelming odds." Sounds about right.

Gwyneth Paltrow's daughter, named Apple, might not expressly mean health, but it is certainly implied. And Courtney Cox's daughter, named Coco, might not be about the nutrient-rich cacao plant but we're happy to pretend that was the inspiration. 

We scoured lists of baby names, and tapped Lacey's insight, to find 20 names that mean or imply some variation of healthy, strength, and fitness. They're beautiful names on their own but could be the start of a long, healthful life for your new baby.

• Audra
• Clementine
• Everest
• Gaia
• Galen
• Harmony
• Hunter
• Jace
• Jaycee
• Jordan
• Kaden
• Ken
• Kenzo
• Sage 
• Sierra
• Terra
• Valencia
• Valentine
• Valeria
• Zen

PepsiCo replacing Gatorade ingredient after online petition

(Reuters) - PepsiCo Inc is removing a controversial chemical from its Gatorade drinks following concerns from consumers and an online petition by a Mississippi teenager.

Gatorade said the change was not a response to the petition, although the 15-year-old girl claimed victory.

The ingredient, brominated vegetable oil (BVO), is a chemical containing bromine, which is found in fire retardants. Small quantities of BVO are used legally in some citrus-flavored drinks in the United States to keep the flavor evenly distributed.

It was present in Gatorade Orange and Lemonade and other smaller flavors.

Molly Carter, a spokeswoman for Gatorade, said BVO-free versions of those drinks will roll out across the United States in the next couple of months. She said the move to replace BVO has been in the works for some time, and was not a response to the petition by Sarah Kavanagh, the 15-year-old girl from Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

Kavanagh started a petition on Change.org, an online petition platform, to ask PepsiCo to remove BVO from Gatorade. It received more than 200,000 signatures, and on Friday, the teenager declared victory.

"When I went to Change.org to start my petition, I thought it might get a lot of support because no one wants to gulp down flame retardant, especially from a drink they associate with being healthy," the girl said via a statement on Change.org. "But with Gatorade being as big as they are, sometimes it was hard to know if we'd ever win."

"This is so, so awesome," she said.

According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a food safety watchdog group, BVO is a "poorly tested and possibly dangerous food additive and there's no reason to use it in Gatorade or other drinks."

"I applaud PepsiCo for doing the responsible thing and voluntarily getting it out of Gatorade without waiting for government officials to require it to do so," said Michael Jacobson, the group's executive director, in a statement.

Single-Larger-Portion-Size And Dual-Column Nutrition Labeling May Help Consumers Make Better Food Choices

The Nutrition Facts label was introduced 20 years ago and provides consumers with important information, including: the serving size, the number of servings in the package, the number of calories per serving, and the amount of nutrients for each serving of a packaged food. However, research has shown that consumers often miscalculate the number of calories and the nutritional content of products that have two or more servings per container but are usually consumed in a single eating occasion. 

Two nutrition labeling changes could have the potential to make nutritional content information easier to understand: 1) dual-column information that details single serving and total package nutrition information, and 2) declaring nutritional information for the entire container. 

Amy M. Lando, MPP, and Serena C. Lo, PhD, of the Food and Drug Administration's, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, College Park, MD, conducted an online study with more than 9,000 participants to measure consumers' accuracy in using modified versions of the Nutrition Facts label and to assess their perceptions of how useful, trustworthy, and helpful the label was. 

Says Ms. Lando, "FDA commissioned this experimental study to look at whether different ways of presenting the serving size and nutrition information on the Nutrition Facts label might help consumers. In particular we were interested in studying products that have two servings per container but that are customarily consumed in a single eating occasion." 

Study participants evaluated nine modified Nutrition Facts labels and the current label format for four fictitious products (two frozen meals and two grab-and-go bags of chips). The labels were classified into three groups. The first group of labels used a single-column format to display information for products with two servings per container; the second group used versions of a dual-column format to display information for products with two servings per container; and the third group used single-column formats that listed the contents of the product as a single, large serving. 

The study team also tested whether changes in formatting, such as enlarging the font size for the declaration of "Calories," removing the information on the number of calories from fat, or changing the wording for the serving size declaration, would be helpful to consumers in determining the calories and other nutrient information for a single serving and for the entire package. 

Study investigators determined that participants could more accurately assess the number of calories or amount of fat or other nutrients per serving and in the entire package when a single, large serving per container format or a dual-column format was used. 

"This research is just one step in understanding how some potential food label modifications might help consumers make better decisions. Ideally, we would like to see how these labels perform in a more realistic setting, such as in a grocery store, with actual packaged foods as opposed to large labels on a computer screen," concludes Dr. Lo. The Nutrition Facts label is only one tool that can help consumers make informed food choices and maintain healthy dietary practices, but it is a valuable tool so it's important to continue exploring ways to support effective use of the label for these purposes." 

Lose Fat Faster Before Breakfast

People can burn up to 20% more body fat by exercising in the morning on an empty stomach, according to new research from Northumbria University.

In a study published online in theBritish Journal of Nutrition on January 24, academics sought to find out whether the known benefits of exercising after an overnight fast were undermined by an increased appetite and eating more food later in the day.

Researchers, led by Dr Emma Stevenson and PhD student Javier Gonzalez, asked twelve physically active male participants to perform a bout of treadmill exercise at 10am, either after they had eaten breakfast or in a fasted state having not eaten since the evening before.

Following the exercise all participants were given a chocolate milkshake recovery drink. Later in the day, participants were provided with a pasta lunch which they were asked to consume until they felt 'comfortably full'. Their lunchtime consumption of energy and fat was assessed and calculated, taking into account the amount of energy and fat burned during the morning period.

The researchers discovered that those who had exercised in the morning did not consume additional calories or experience increased appetite during the day to compensate for their earlier activity.

They also found that those who had exercised in a fasted state burned almost 20% more fat compared to those who had consumed breakfast before their workout. This means that performing exercise on an empty stomach provides the most desirable outcome for fat loss.

Javier Gonzalez, who is currently undertaking a PhD in Exercise and Metabolism, said: "In order to lose body fat we need to use more fat than we consume. Exercise increases the total amount of energy we expend and a greater proportion of this energy comes from existing fat if the exercise is performed after an overnight fast.

"Our results show that exercise does not increase your appetite, hunger or food consumption later in the day and to get the most out of your session it may be optimal to perform this after an overnight fast."

Dr Emma Stevenson, Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Nutrition and Associate Director of Northumbria University's Brain, Performance and Nutrition Research Centre, added: "This research is very important in helping to provide practical guidelines relating to food intake to individuals who are exercising to maximise fat mass loss. It must be highlighted that this is a short-term study and we can only speculate on the longer term outcomes of such nutritional practices."

3 Keys To Overcoming Your Fitness Obstacles

My kids have this story called Caps For Sale. In it, a peddler walks up and down the street trying to sell the different colored caps that he’s carrying on top of his head. The unfortunate peddler doesn’t sell a single cap that day. He’s thwarted by hunger, fatigue, and a group of monkeys that steal the caps right off of his head while he’s sleeping. As a result, he spends a major portion of that day stymied with frustration.

Sometimes, when it comes to fitness and nutrition, we all feel like that peddler. But it’s how we deal with the roadblocks on our path to fitness that ultimately determine how successful we are. We all get hungry when we’re trying to lose weight. We all get tired when we’re out for a run. Hopefully we don’t get mugged by a pack of monkeys. But hey, stranger things have happened, right?

The next time you find yourself struggling to make progress on the fitness goals (you do have concrete goals, right?) try one of these quick and easy solutions to help get you back on track.

FIND A COMMUNITY

One of the primary reasons that I’ve been able to go from an overweight couch potato to a fit, semi-athletic, marathon runner is because I’ve been able to create a community at my blog. I write about my goals, my successes, and my failures. Sometimes I write about current research on nutrition and fitness and I try and answer questions that my readers ask of me. I love the community at Get Fit Slowly. It’s what finally got me writing again and it really does an awesome job of keeping me accountable towards making progress on my goals.

But you don’t have to start a blog. There are lots of communities out there. Daily burn, Daily Mile, Garmin Connect, Map My Run, and Spark People are all great places for you to find people with similar goals and ideals. The people you meet there will be your biggest supporters, but they’ll also call you out when you’re not performing. If you hate to disappoint people as much as I do, that can be a powerful motivator.

COMPETE

Competition really gets some people motivated to perform. If you don’t like to lose, then set up a friendly fitness or weight loss competition with some friends and watch how successful you can be. I once lost 20 pounds in 2 months because I didn’t want to eat a chili dog in public while not wearing a shirt.

If those kinds of competitions aren’t your style, you can always sign up for a race. Shelling out the entry fees is enough to motivate me to do my best. I’m betting it would work for you too.

GIVE YOURSELF A CARROT

I’m not talking about the kind of carrot that grows in the ground, either. If you’re still struggling to get over one of those obstacles, then it’s time to bring out the big guns. Set a goal, and give yourself a reward for completing that goal. Want to lose 10 pounds? Then promise yourself an awesome night out with your partner when you reach that goal. Maybe go to Hawaii if you lose 100 pounds? Think big here, because the bigger the reward, the more likely you are to work for it.

One of my favorite things about this strategy is that you can use it to break big goals down into smaller, more manageable goals. Break a 50 pound weight loss down into 5 chunks and give yourself small rewards for each successful step towards accomplishing the big goal. There are lots of ways to do it. Pick one that works for you and get it done.

It’s that time of year when everyone is setting goals for themselves. Sooner or later, we’ll all run into some obstacles. By thinking about what you’re going to do, and by having a plan in place for dealing with them, you’ll be better equipped and spend less time being derailed by those obstacles.

That peddler didn’t have much of a plan to deal with his obstacles. And he wasn’t very successful on that day. But he did have one thing going for him—tenacity! He never gave up. He kept peddling his wares until the sun went down. If you take my advice and try one or more of the suggestions given above and if you refuse to ever give up, you’ll be selling your caps in no time.

8 Healthy Diet Plans That Won’t Break the Bank

Image courtesy of iprole / http://www.sxc.hu

Health is a relationship between you and your body. There is a proverb ”First we make our habits then our habits make us.”

Bad food habits lead to sickness, for which you need to spend a hefty sum of your income on your medical bills. Hence you need to maintain healthy food habits to stay fit.

People say “Eat dinner like a pauper, lunch like a prince and breakfast like a king”.

You need to be conscious about the food you take during the whole day. Your day starts with breakfast and ends with dinner.

So plan accordingly, and make sure that your diet includes all vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates and nutrients required for a healthy body.

Here, you can find 8 healthy diet tactics that won’t cost much on your pocket.

1. Breakfast

•  Never skip your breakfast as this can make you overeat later.
•  Breakfast acts as a booster and helps to stay active all day long.
•  Breakfast should be the most nutrient-dense meal of the day.
•  Breakfast can include nuts, cereals, fruits, yoghurt, fresh vegetables and skimmed milk.

2.Lunch

Lunch should include more quantity of food when compared to dinner. Your lunch should include:

• Bread for good start;
• A bowl of rice for necessary carbohydrates;
• Yoghurt to give complete satisfaction;
• Cooked vegetables with little spices added to improve its taste;
• Leafy vegetables to add nutrients to your diet;
• Boiled pulses and grains to give proteins to your body.

3. Snacks

Avoid taking oily foods as snacks. Instead, you can have:

• Popcorn;
• Grilled vegetables;
• Semi cooked food to include vitamins in your diet;
• Dark chocolate to make your day sweeter;
• A glass of skimmed buttermilk as a final touch.

4. Dinner

Your dinner should include less quantity of food. In fact it’s better to take light food during dinner to make sure you don’t overload your digestive system. Your dinner should include:

• Grains for better nutrients;
• Meat to gain high amount of energy;
• Milk for good sleep;
• Vegetables to add nutrients and taste.

5. Salad

You may take salads before your meals in order to improve your diet. Your salad must include vegetables like carrot, cucumber, tomato, spinach and meat like chicken and fish. You can also include boiled veggies like peas and grams to make it delicious.

6. Desserts

Your menu may include low fat ice creams, banana, yoghurt, peanuts, dry and fresh fruits.

1. You can plan a diet of 6-7 healthy meals a day consisting of fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains and lean proteins and avoid direct intake of simple carbohydrates and fats.
2. Apart from following diet plans, you need to follow tips like cooking food with little quantity of oil or low fat oil, prefer to eat boiled, steamed or grilled foods rather than fried ones, having an egg daily to get the feeling of stomach fullness and so on.

Perfect diet leads to perfect life. If you don’t have enough knowledge on diet plans and their consumption, you can take the help of your dietician and eat prescribed foods.

You may have to spend some money, either for dietician’s consultation fees or for some specialized diet food. If you cannot afford to pay it, you can go for payday loans.