Quiet Disposition / Slow Destruction

A man gets angry and blows his top. A woman is pushed to her limit and rages ij the check-out line. A child throws a temper tantrum. All of these outbursts of negative emotions are detrimental to good health.It is not at all hard to realize the destructive qualities of the more obviously negative emotions. But perhaps even more destructive are the more quiet of negative emotions. 

I sat with a woman last night who lost her husband a few months ago. Her relationship with her husband was one of love and respect. They shared mutual interests and joys. Their lives were completely intertwined. His sudden death left her alone and ultimately lonely. She no longer found joy in things that they had shared. It seemed that everything that she did reminded her of her loss. She had sunk into despair, loneliness and depression. No one had noticed. As far as her neighbors and family knew, she was adjusting well. She kept to herself, but they did not recognize her isolation as a response to the desperation that she felt. 

It was her son that recognized that she was not doing well. I came to her home, and immediately saw signs of high blood pressure, stress, and physical anxiety. 

We sat together, and within two hours, I saw her stress level go down. She talked of her past, her grandmother, her husband, their friendship. She was calm sometimes, she cried others. It was a healthy dialogue. Quickly she was sitting calmly and her flushed face and trembling hands were folded demurely in her lap. 

This woman was suffering from depression and isolation. Her emotions were eroding her health. 

I spoke with her about the importance of finding a new outlet for her emotions. Instead of her desire to internalize her pains, she needs to find various activities that will expose her to future friendships and relationships that will give her an outlet for her emotions. She no longer attended church. She used to be involved with elderly in the home where her mother used to live. I encouraged her to attend church this weekend, to bake a dozen cookies and visit the home where her mother lived.

Just getting out and engaging with others will help her. She will find people who will value her and she will be able to release some of the great pain that she feels. She will IN TURN be blessed with the positive happenings and emotions that we feel when we interact with others. I am looking forward to her growth through this grieving process and into the new life that she will find!

Emotions are VITAL to your health!

Emotions affect Many things.

If we can realize the great strength that we have over our own bodies by focusing and recognizing the effect that our emotions have on our bodies, we cannot deny that our emotions will also greatly affect those around us. 

Have you ever come home happy at the end of a day, just to find your spouse “fuming” about some incident? How does that affect your feelings? Do we allow the whims of others to affect us? 

Make a decision today to have a positive effect on your emotions and therefore a positive effect on your own physical being. 

By deciding to be in charge of your own emotions, you can still relate to others who might be having a tough time. But you can also realize that their emotions will not dictate to you how YOU will feel. 

We have learned the strength of emotions. We will continue to attempt to educate each other regarding various emotions and how our emotions and emotional responses can affect us physically.

The University of Sonoma lists 262 emotions. Choose wisely what emotions you are willing to dwell on. They will mold your tomorrows, both emotionally and physically.

Mind of Matter? or Mind our Emotions?!

Emotions affect you Mind

Just as it is true that our Mood affects our emotions, if we continue to think on negative things and respond with negative emotions. It is these negative thoughts that will eventually compromise our heart-health. 

Worry is an emotion that can immediately affect our blood pressure. Anger is another. The list can go on...

Despair, Fear, Agitation, Insecurity, Betrayal, Revenge.... See! your mind has already recognized and isolated certain emotions and certain instances that you relate to these feelings. Continuously dwelling on these emotions will eventually have a deleterious affect on your health. 

The "Wises Man in the World" (King Solomon) wrote:

"A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones." He also wrote this about what we do having a positive affect on our emotions. He said "he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he."

We have all known people that seem to enjoy dwelling on negative emotions. These people also have a negative thought-life. If they are regularly sad or blue, their thoughts will evolve to conform to their emotions. But we can choose to be better. I can choose to be bettter. YOU can choose to be better! 

Have a GREAT day!

and a Positive Mind!

Mood and Emotions go Hand in Hand!

It will be my intention to focus on the affects of our emotions and our emotional responses upon our physical being.

It won’t take you long to notice or admit that your emotions often will affect your being. The University of Chicago has released a study that reveals and discusses the physiological alterations that are brought about by our emotions. http://psychology.uchicago.edu/people/faculty/cacioppo/jtcreprints/cbkp97.pdf These affects are often referred to as Somatic Theories of Emotion.

For today, we’ll just take a quick glance of some of the most obvious ways that our emotions can affect us physically.

Emotions affect Mood.

According to Sonoma University our Mood is “A disposition to acquire certain emotional states of mind in certain situations.” http://www.sonoma.edu/users/s/swijtink/teaching/philosophy_101/paper1/listemotions.htm  More clearly stated. Our mood will make it easier to respond to or feel certain emotions. For instance if our mood is “good” then we will be more prone to feel the emotions of joy or elation. If our Mood is “bad” we will more quickly respond with emotions of anger, sadness or sorrow.  Therefore, the contrary is also true. If we want to change our mood, reacting and responding with “positive” emotions will help to affect our Mood. Watching a funny movie, talking to a friend that you know will “pick you up” can change your mood and in turn change your day and ultimately change your physical being.

We should be continuously attempting to better ourselves. This includes socially, educationally and physicaly. we should TRY to make a difference when we CAN make a difference. attempt to have an "open" mood today so that you will be willing to encourage and allow positive emotions. these positive emotions will better your day and possibly add even MORE days!

Happy St. Valentine's Day!

love you, Dad!
~Kathy (your half-dollar-eyes)

Bless Your Heart!

My heart bleeds

My heart longs

My heart breaks

My heart is blessed

Our heart is often ‘blamed’ for many things. But in our culture our heart is understood to be the organ that processes and circulates our blood. The “heart” in the above statements is understood to mean our emotions. Then why do we refer to our heart? It is not a new concept, but an interesting thought. Our feelings do affect our heart.

Often if I find myself in an emotionally stressful situation, I can notice certain physiological changes in my being. If I am worried I will notice my blood pressure rise. If I am content I might realize my blood pressure lowering a bit. These changes in our emotions have an instant affect on our physical health. Over a longer period of time, these emotions can have a literal effect on our physical being.

When completing a physical examination a doctor might ask about a patient’s emotional health. If the person tends to worry a lot or tends to give into anger a lot, they will often attempt to prescribe a “fix” to the emotional problem. These doctors recognize the roll of emotions in our physical health.

Valentine’s Day is coming upon us. And as much as it is fun and fulfilling to think about our emotional heart, take some time to link our emotional heart with our physical heart. If you can make a change in your negative emotions, it stands to reason that you will be able to make a permanent change in your physical heart as well.

“Happy Valentine’s Day”

“Bless your Heart”

“My heart goes with you!”

REHABILITATION!

So, I know my blog's been posting (and I'm so glad it has), but i've been out of commission since October!
I had a stroke on October 5th! what a frightening ordeal! the details would take too long, and seem only interesting to me right now, so I won't make you suffer through them.
I am 45 years old. I have 5 children. I am overweight. I do NOT exercise... or atleast... I didn't!
But of course, now, my health has become extremely important. It was something that I ignored and took for granted. But now I'm a new person, with a hightened awareness of my heart and blood health!
I'll be saying more in the near future about some of the things i have learned, and some of the things that may be able to help YOU!
TTYL :-)

Your Heart - the ELECTRIC Wonder!

Your heart has electrical wiring, which keeps it beating. Electrical impulses begin high in the right atrium and travel through specialized pathways to the ventricles, delivering the signal to pump.
The conduction system keeps your heart beating in a coordinated and normal rhythm, which in turn keeps blood circulating. The continuous exchange of oxygen-rich blood with oxygen-poor blood is what keeps you alive.
The primary purpose for circulation is to provide fresh blood and nutrients to the rest of the body. The lungs are a vital part of the circulatory system as they are used to expel carbon dioxide a deadly toxin.

The health of all of the components of this intricate system are vital. If one area is not working to it's peak, your health suffers.

Pay attention to your bodies functions by taking note of reactions to little things such as:

• Excercise
• Excitement
• Sudden surprises

 If immediately after a heart palpitating episode you feel any unique symptoms, NOTE THEM and check with your doctor. This knowledge may help lead you to early diagnosis and prevention of heart ailments.

"Holiday Heart" - an ER term

Holiday heart syndrome most commonly refers to the association between alcohol use and rhythm disturbances in apparently healthy people, primarily Atrial fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation is a common heart rhythm disturbance that often produces significant symptoms, and can even lead to stroke. It is a rapid and irregular heart arrhythmia, caused by chaotic electrical impulses in the atria of the heart (the two upper chambers).

http://heartdisease.about.com/od/atrialfibrillation/a/holiday_heart.htm

In many cases, atrial fibrillation is caused by underlying heart disease or by aging. Sometimes it has no identifiable cause. But in Holiday Heart, the cause is an unusual sensitivity to alcohol consumption. This does not indicate however, a person susceptibility is increased by the amount of their consumption. Some individuals are extremely sensitive to alcohol, such that even moderate amounts - two or three drinks, and sometimes a single drink - can trigger episodes of atrial fibrillation.

Up to 60% of people who ‘binge’ drink will experience episodes of atrial fibrillation

Eat MORE Turkey!

Turkey is a good source of protein with 24 g of protein per 3-oz. serving. One 3-oz. serving of light turkey meat has 132 calories and 3 g of fat. Turkey contains no carbohydrates. In addition, turkey is a good source of selenium, vitamin B6, niacin, and tryptophan.

Selenium is a trace mineral that is essential to good health but required only in small amounts. Selenium is incorporated into proteins to make selenoproteins, help prevent cellular damage from free radicals.

Additionally, selenium can protect the heart, primarily by reducing the "stickiness" of the blood and decreasing the risk of clotting, in turn, lowering the risk of heart attack, and stroke. Moreover, selenium increases the ratio of HDL ("good") cholesterol to LDL ("bad") cholesterol, which is critical for a healthy heart. Smokers or those who've already had a heart attack or stroke may gain the greatest cardiovascular benefits from selenium supplements, though everyone can profit from taking selenium in a daily vitamin and mineral supplement

Researchers for more than 20 years animal studies have suggested that tiny amounts of selenium in the diet can reduce the risk of cancer in several organs, but much less is known about the anti-cancer benefits of selenium in humans. In recent years, laboratory experiments, clinical trials and epidemiological data have established the role of selenium in the prevention of a number of degenerative conditions including cancer, inflammatory diseases, cardiovascular disease, neurological diseases, aging, and infections. Most of these effects are related to the function of selenium in the antioxidant enzyme systems.

Tryptophan is an amino acid that the human body cannot make and can only be obtained through food. It is a protein without which humans could not survive. It comprises one of the building blocks of DNA and is vital to the production of serotonin and melatonin.

In the body, tryptophan is converted into 5-HTP, which then can be converted into serotonin (a potent neurotransmitter in the brain). Serotonin is involved in mood, appetite, sleep and impulse control. When carbohydrates are consumed, an increase in insulin is created, removing from circulation other amino acids that compete with tryptophan. This makes it easy for tryptophan to enter the brain to make serotonin, which influences the brain in regulating food intake and sleep patterns.

Certain old-fashioned cures for sleeplessness were based on the consumption of foods with tryptophan. For example, drinking a glass of milk before bed was said to aid in sleeping. Though people were unaware at the time that such a thing as tryptophan existed, it is clear that such early prescriptions for increasing sleepiness were at least mildly effective. Today, one may hear similar prescriptions for including tryptophan foods in the diet not only to promote sleep but also to improve mood.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-tryptophan.htm

http://www.vitamins-nutrition.org/vitamins/selenium.html

Read more at Suite101: Turkey Nutrition Facts — The Health Benefits of Turkey http://www.suite101.com/content/turkey-nutrition-facts--the-health-benefits-of-turkey-a311757#ixzz16EeH9FBx

http://www.nutritional-supplements-health-guide.com/benefits-of-selenium.html

I had a STROKE! / I'm going to DIE of a Heart Attack!

I turned 45 in September. I have never smoked or drank any kind of alcohol.

On October 5th I woke up to use the restroom at 6:05 am and as I was walking out of the bathroom the world began spinning. I fell to the ground because at the rate the spinning was increasing, I would eventually fall to the ground... So I chose to fall (I did not hit my head or anything).

Someday I'll tell the whole story, but for now, and after 2 days, and much confusion I ended up at Ohio State University in the SICU diagnosed with a stroke. A stroke is when part of the brain has been deprived of blood flow and therefore has not had oxygen.

It was not a heart attack, it was a stroke!

So, I've been home for couple weeks and I went to see my regular family doctor.

After talking at length with him,

He says to me, "Do you know what you will die from?"

I didn't answer!

"You may come in here with a stroke or cancer...but the one thing that will probably kill you will probably be a heart attack!"

We continued to talk about all of the statistics and studies done by the American Heart Association. And the odds are that I will die, and YOU who are reading this, will die of a heart attack!

The number one cause of death in America is a heart attack!

If we are so consumed with taking care of certain parts of our body (our skin, our eyes, our muscles), we should concentrate on our main concern ~ our heart!

Fearfully & Wonoderfully Made!

Have you ever stopped to think of what an amazing machine the human body is?

As intricate as our bodies are it is amazing what abuse our bodies can withstand. Our body can withstand extreme temperatures, extreme climates and adapt to maintain basic functions.

But as tough as our body is, it can only take so much. Eventually the stress that we put on our bodies by requiring that they over work or when we provide less than adequate quality food supply will have a permanent affect. 

It will be then that we will have plenty of time to educate ourselves and to try to remedy our ails. Wouldn't it, however, seem prudent to apply a bit of preventative actions now so that we can try to delay or prevent a disruption of the normal operations of our bodies.

Try today to remove stressful things.

   Before getting uptight about something, ask yourself...

• Will this matter 10 years from now?
• Does this affect my integrity?
• Why is this so important?
• If I wait 1 hour, can I come back to this with a clearer head?

Looking forward to the Holiday Season, try to enjoy your days more by looking on the bright side of life, and letting go of some of the Stress that you carry around each day!

Healthy Habits ~ Happy Heart!

Trying to become more heart healthy conscious is important. We spend our lives taking for granted the constant strain and the importance of this organ.

We have a new list to ponder. But instead of dealing with a heart attack after it has happened, it would seem prudent to do what we can to prevent it in the first place.

1. Stop Smoking.
2. Cut down on salt.
3. Watch your diet.
4. Monitor your alcohol.
5. Get active.
6. Manage your weight.
7. Get your blood pressure and cholesterol levels checked by your doctor.
8. Learn to manage your stress levels.
9. Check your family history.
10. Make sure you know the signs of coronary heart disease.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2005/mar/17/NHS1


Have you learned and put to memory the 12 symptoms of a heart attack?? If you have, you're already on your way to a healthier heart!
Educating yourself about the symptoms and remedies will help change your thinking! Changing your thinking, will eventually change your actions! See! It's not so hard!

Heart Attack Help

There is so much to be understood by the common person about the types of heart attacks and the various symptoms that are detected.  But this is one of those occasions when ignorance is NOT bliss. And you would think that as we further educate ourselves, and as we become increasingly aware of our own health, that we would be more vigilant in getting treatment for something that we cannot understand or diagnose ourselves.

But in a report by Jennifer Warner of WebMD we learn that statistics show that from the years 2001 to 2006 the time between when a patient observes symptoms and when that person seeks medical attention averages two hours. TWO HOURS! 60% of these patients reported waiting more than two hours to seek treatment, and even more alarming 11% of these waited as much as 12 hours after experiencing symptoms.

The ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the most dangerous type of heart attack occurs when one of the hearts arteries has a sudden and complete blockage. But whether the heart attack is discovered to be a STEMI or non-STEMI immediate attention will lessen the damage done to the body.

http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20101107/many-with-heart-attack-symptoms-delay-care

Timing is Everything~ And the TIME is NOW!

There is so much to be understood by the common person about the types of heart attacks and the various symptoms that are detected.  But this is one of those occasions when ignorance is NOT bliss. And you would think that as we further educate ourselves, and as we become increasingly aware of our own health, that we would be more vigilant in getting treatment for something that we cannot understand or diagnose ourselves.

But in a report by Jennifer Warner of WebMD we learn that statistics show that from the years 2001 to 2006 the time between when a patient observes symptoms and when that person seeks medical attention averages two hours. TWO HOURS! 60% of these patients reported waiting more than two hours to seek treatment, and even more alarming 11% of these waited as much as 12 hours after experiencing symptoms.

The ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the most dangerous type of heart attack occurs when one of the hearts arteries has a sudden and complete blockage. But whether the heart attack is discovered to be a STEMI or non-STEMI immediate attention will lessen the damage done to the body.

http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20101107/many-with-heart-attack-symptoms-delay-care

2020 Goals for AHA

From the American Heart Association 2010 report Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics, we see the importance of keeping a constant vigil against the deadliest disease to Americans. According to this report more than one in three adults in America have one or more types of Cardiovascular disease (81,100,000). Approximately 47 percent of these are over the age of 60 (38,100,000).

The AHA lists high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, heart failure, and stroke as Cardiovascular Diseases.

The most recent statistics for one year are from 2006. And in 2006 More than 151,000 American killed by CVD were under the age of 65. Nearly 33 percent of people who died from CVD died before their 75^th birthday.

To put these numbers in better perspective, here is a comparison of other leading causes of death and their mortality rate.

Cardiovascular Diseases: ................... 1,347,000

Cancer................................................. 559,888

Alzheimer’s disease............................... 72,432

HIV (AIDS).............................................. 12,113

In hopes to change these statistics, the American Heart Association has committed to what they are calling the 2020 Impact Goal.

“By 2020, to improve the cardiovascular health of all Americans by 20 percent while reducing deaths from cardiovascular disease and stroke by 20 percent.”

Stay in School ~ It's Good for your health!

It has long been noted that lower income people have poorer health. Deductive reasoning would imply that a higher education level effects your income, therefore, it effects your health.

Now there can be various reasons for this, but whatever the slant of view, the facts cannot be denied.

You may not be able to change your situation in life, and you may just now be getting a hold on your own health. But we need to encourage others toward healthy living.

The character that it takes to complete school, and then to go on to higher education will only aid in successful living.

"We found that even after accounting for various risk factors, people in poverty still had higher CRP {C-reactive protein (CRP), a risk factor for heart disease}," said Dawn Alley, another corresponding author and a recent doctoral graduate from the USC Davis School. "This suggests that even beyond issues like health behaviors and chronic conditions, there is something about poverty that makes people sick, and at least part of this effect is working through CRP."

Education IS healthy!

http://www.emaxhealth.com/92/7494.html

A HIGH Quality Life!

Quality of life is a term often referred to toward the end of our lives. But what are we doing to ensure that we live a Quality Life now? In the coming days I’ll be discussing things that most of us already know, but obviously a little reminder won’t hurt. And if I can help just one person to live a longer, healthier life, my goal will have been accomplished.

IS YOUR EMOTIONAL HEART HEALTHY?

I know that life gets complicated, and sometimes there are twists and turns in life that we never anticipated or planned for. But I want to encourage you, that if there is something in your life that has you emotionally distressed “Deal with it!” No really, I MEAN deal with it.

Sometimes things happen completely out of our control (ie: grown children making poor decisions, friend or loved one ill) and we allow these things to affect our physical health by worrying, & stressing over things that we CANNOT change. If you can’t change it, admit that you can’t change it. But you CAN change how it affects you! And if there are things that emotionally have you down that you CAN change… then devise a plan to change those things so that they are no longer a negative factor.

Now, don’t everybody get mad at me all at once! I’m not a pie in the sky person, and I do live in reality. I’m just saying, WE ALL allow things to bother us that will eventually have a negative impact on our physical health if not handled properly. So, deal with those things! Face them, don’t make them bigger than they already are, and then find something positive to dwell on! Trust me, it will help!

IS YOUR PHYSICAL HEART HEALTHY?

The Center for Disease Control reports that Heart Disease is the leading cause of death in American Adults. Now I would think that just the awareness of this fact would bring down the statistic. Why don’t we make sufficient changes that are required to prevent our lives ending in this way?

But even for those of us who do make a conscious effort to increase our awareness of our physical health, sometimes there are factors beyond our control that will still remain with us.

The most complicated questions usually have pretty simple answers. So I’m not trying to be an expert. I will be here stating the obvious and discussing matters of our heart health.

Have a great day today – do something positive for your heart! And if you’re toward the end of your day, look back on today and see the good things that you did. You can’t change your mistakes, but you can learn from them to have an even better tomorrow!

Congress has Agreed:

Congressional Bill #106 Title IV "Cardiac Arrest Survival"

states the following findings accepted by the United States Congress.

(1) Over 700 lives are lost every day to sudden

(2) Two out of every three sudden cardiac deaths

(3) More than 95 percent of these cardiac arrest

 occur before a victim can reach a hospital.victims will die, many because of lack of readily available life saving medical equipment.

(4) With current medical technology, up to percent of cardiac arrest victims could be saved if victims had access to immediate medical response, including defibrillation and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

(5) Once a victim has suffered a cardiac arrest,every minute that passes before returning the heart to a normal rhythm decreases the chance of survival by 10 percent. (6) Most cardiac arrests are caused by abnormal heart rhythms called ventricular fibrillation. Ventricular fibrillation occurs when the heart's electrical system malfunctions, causing a chaotic rhythm that prevents the heart from pumping oxygen to the victim's brain and body.

(7) Communities that have implemented programs ensuring widespread public access to defibrillators, combined with appropriate training, maintenance, and coordination with local emergency medical systems, have dramatically improved the survival rates from cardiac arrest.(8) Automated external defibrillator devices have been demonstrated to be safe and effective, even when used by lay people, since the devices are designed not

to allow a user to administer a shock until after the device has analyzed a victim's heart rhythm and determined that an electric shock is required.

(10) Limiting the liability of Good Samaritans

and acquirers of automated external defibrillator devices in emergency situations may encourage the use of automated external defibrillator devices, and result in saved lives.

(Emphasis mine.)

 http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-106hr2498eas/pdf/BILLS-106hr2498eas.pdf

(9) Increasing public awareness regarding automated external defibrillator devices and encouraging their use in Federal buildings will greatly facilitate their adoption.cardiac arrest in the United States alone.

Simple Device Saves Lives

According to a study by Pila Martinez of the University of Arizona, almost 75% of people who receive defibrillation within the first 3 minutes after a heart attack survived their heart attack. That is opposed to only 50% of those who received treatment after the 3 minutes.

America is seeing a widening trend in laws that are mandating the provision in AED defibrillators in public places. Studies have already proven the effectiveness of these devises. It’s only going to be a matter of time until they are considered a regular part of a company’s first response or first aid.

Approved by Governor Crist, and effective July 1, 2011 house bill No. 945 requires that assistedliving facilities with 17 or more beds must have a defibrillator on site.

All one has to do is search on the web for stories where on site defibrillators have saved the lives of young and old alike. For the small financial investment that these defibrillators suggest, it is a small price to pay to be able to save the life of one person. 
 http://www.defibrillatoroutlet.com/