I Survived Depression - so can YOU!

Do you suffer from chronic depression? Are you being treated with anti depressant medication and talk therapy? Are these treatments working for you? These treatments seem to work for many people. I have been on Zoloft for over two years and am feeling probably the best that I ever have been in my entire life. Medication has come a long way.

Unfortunately there are others who cannot seem to get the same effects. Is this you? No matter which meds they try and regardless of who they talk to they can’t seem to find relief. What’s so disturbing is that this is not uncommon. Depression is a complex disease that affects as many as 20 million people and we are all different.

It’s not easy for a therapist or doctor when it comes to figuring out just the right combination of medication and talk therapy considering just how different we all are and how differently we respond to treatment. Wouldn’t it be helpful if we could put ourselves in a position where we had a much better chance of getting these treatments to work?

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Did you ever feel like you were coming down with a cold just by going out side? You were fine inside, but just by going outdoors your sinuses got congested, your eyes began to water and you felt like you were getting sick. If you ever have had this happen to you, you’re not alone; about 40 million people suffer like this. What you are experiencing is not a virus or a cold, but seasonal allergies.

Allergies are caused by plants releasing into the air millions of spores of pollen that travels from plant to plant. Many plants are brightly colored and sweetly scented so that they attract insects that will touch down on them and when they fly away take spores with them as they move from flower to flower.

Other flowers that are not at all attractive, in either scent or appearance, rely on the wind for the pollen to be spread. When the pollen is thrust into the air humans as well as wildlife inhale it. Some humans have a genetic tendency to have an adverse reaction to the pollen.

It is not hard to tell if you are suffering from allergies. Some very easily recognized symptoms include: (more…)

Having trouble losing weight is one problem facing anyone that follows a diet. Keeping the weight off enters into the picture when the weight loss is gained right back again. Two different problems with one solution - THE RIGHT DIET.

Most of us look at the word “diet” and think of losing weight, yet it is our present “diet” that allowed us to be in that position where we now need to lose the weight. Finding a proper diet is the goal. A diet that will shed the pounds so we lose the weight is the objective.

Sometimes the diet for losing weight that we might have undertaken is the culprit. It is easy for many individuals to scapegoat the diet. But more often than not, the real culprit is ourselves. We lost enthusiasm and then lost sight of our commitment to losing the weight. (more…)

With all the talk about steroids in sports today its no wonder the discussion is shifting to golf. Where it used to be that working hard in the off season and seeing the progress on the course was good has now been tainted. An ounce of greatness is now clouded by suspicions of steroids and is continuously hurting sports such as golf. So the question remains, “Are there steroids in golf?”

First thought has to be, “Are you kidding me?” Simply because only 10% of all golfers in the world score under 100 and is there really a steroid out there that is going to help keep you from 3 putting? If there is I want one and so do a million other golfers out there!

The answer obviously is no, especially when you need finesse and not brawn to put the ball in the hole. However, there are other things for professional golfers that make us wonder. If a professional golfer already has the skills to make the pro tour how exactly would steroids benefit his game? (more…)

When talking supplements there are two types. The good and the not so good. Although my usual posts talk about good nutrition and and a healthy lifestyle for the sports enthusiast and the idea of supplements is dedicated to better health and improving your game, there is another type of supplement available that can improve your game, but can also kill you.

The type of supplements that I am referring to are called steroids and more specially anabolic - androgenic steroids. “Anabolic” refers to muscle-building, and “androgenic” refers to increasing masculine characteristics, but they are simply called anabolic steroids. Anabolic steroids are a synthetic reproduction of steroids produced naturally in the human body including testosterone and estrogen which are good for you and promote normal growth and body characteristics. (more…)

Ever get to the end of an 18 hole round and you felt so exhausted that you didn’t think that you could carry your bag to your car? Sometimes it doesn’t even take you 18 holes to feel this way, you begin to feel the fatigue coming much earlier.

Unfortunately, if you are like many amateur golfers, you have had this feeling. Many golfers loose focus and concentration during the later rounds of a golf game. They also become tired and aches and pains begin to set in.

Have you ever felt the pain in your back about an hour after the game?

Unlike other sports such as tennis which is much more physical, amateur golfers take good nutrition lightly. Golf is slow game, comprised mostly of walking so the need to stay in shape is not considered necessary. The fact is nothing could be further from the truth. (more…)

OK, so it’s the new year and the holidays are over. Your clothing is feeling a little tight and you are wondering why. Do you remember that just a couple of short weeks ago it seemed everywhere that you went there where cookies, candies, high calorie alcoholic drinks and egg nog?

Did you find yourself telling yourself that it was OK to indulge, after all you would be starting your new diet in January? Or, have you just said what the heck, “I’ve been bad all year, why stop now?”. Let’s face it, it was the holiday season and as far as healthy eating went, obstacles were all over the place.

By now many people are beginning to realize that they may have over done it.

Maybe you have noticed your waistline feeling a little tight or maybe you are feeling sluggish going up and down stairs that last month were no problem or maybe you just don’t like the way that you look in the mirror! It doesn’t really matter - what does matter is the average person gains between 5 and 10 pounds during the holiday season.

It’s time to pay for those moments that you just couldn’t help yourself. So here is a list of ideas that I have put together to help you take that weight off and then keep it off. (more…)

Do you know anyone who has diabetes? If you answered yes, you are like most people. There are 20.8 million people in the United States who have diabetes.

Does the person who has diabetes watch their diet? Are they aware that the number one factor in controlling diabetes is controlling their diet?

There is absolutely no doubt that diet is the cornerstone of diabetes care says Mary Dan Eades MD medical director of the Arkansas Center for Health and Weight Control.

Hopefully they do understand the importance of a good diet, but what is the best way to control diet? We’ll get to that in a moment, but before we do there is one thing you need to understand about diabetes. (more…)

Got a child with ADHD? It can be very difficult as well as frustrating. I know because my friend’s son is nine and has had ADHD all his life. Gregory is all over the place. One minute he is playing a video game, the next minute he is playing with something else and the next moment he wants a snack.

It’s difficult for the adults in Gregory’s life because it’s so hard to keep up with him and it’s frustrating because we all know it’s not his fault.

One of the most noticeable symptoms of ADHD is a difficulty in concentrating. Everything attracts him and it’s very easy for him to loose focus on what he is doing. Although Gregory can be very trying at times, he is a very kind, intelligent, likable kid that just needs special attention and a little understanding. There are several courses of action that can be taken to make Gregory’s life easier and they include: (more…)

Ever wake up in the morning just wishing that you could sleep another hour or two? You know that you have to get up and begin your day, but your body just wants more sleep. Then once you drag yourself out of bed your still not really feeling all that great - UNTIL you have your first cup of morning coffee.

Then bang, your all charged up and ready to go.

Now we all know, that you can attribute that to the caffeine in the coffee, but wouldn’t it be nice if you could control all of your emotions just by by controlling what you eat?

Well, you can!

Your emotions are derived from the physical states that your body is in, in that particular moment. (more…)