I find so much freedom in running, leaving my computer behind for at least 20 minutes and getting around on my own physical power. It is how I allow my brain to rest and renew while I engage myself physically. After being cooped up as a result of winter weather, getting active feels great!

Although I have to add some extra layers to run in the cold and the snow, I banish claustrophobia by escaping and actually being outside. Even when my car is stuck behind a wall of snow and must be shoveled out, I can find some place to run as long as the roads are plowed. I can get out and go somewhere under the power of my own two feet.

This is my first year ever running in cold weather. It took some convincing for me to try it, but once I did I was sold and felt empowered. Even in Central Indiana there is no reason to pay for a gym membership. If I plan well, I can run outside several times per week, and stick with my fitness plan.

Banish the winter blues and free yourself from claustrophobia by running away, no matter the weather.

Post from: Diets in Review Blog

Running Away From Winter Claustrophobia

It is common for depression to accompany the need to lose weight. Thus you may be less likely to notice the improvements that you are making day by day on your journey to weight loss and/or health. If you are working towards a goal and not noticing progress, it can get pretty frustrating, which can make depression worse.

Another danger is that depression often includes apathy and low energy, all factors that could lead someone to give up, so it is important to find a way to notice the results of your hard work.

Find a system for tracking, preferably using more than one measure. There is much debate about which measures matter most, and at times progress can be seen in one area when we seem to plateau in another. Whether you keep track in a journal, on a chart, on a calendar, or using an phone application, find a system that works for you and log daily or weekly results.

Consider tracking measurements and BMI, in addition to weight. If you lift weights, write down the weight you use and how many reps you do, you will be able to notice an increase in strength. If you run, pay attention to distance and time to notice an increase in endurance and/or speed.

Sometimes others can be our best mirror. Pay attention to what others are saying to you. Even if you do not see what they see, they may be right. Ask a supportive friend or family member (who is not depressed) to look for progress towards your goal and provide you feedback.

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Tracking Progress Essential for Weight Loss and Depression

Pregnancy does a number on your body, but happily, many of those changes are temporary. At the end, you have a beautiful baby to show for it. What you don’t know, though, is that some of the changes that your body goes through can raise the risk of other struggles later in your life.

For example, if you suffered from pre-eclampsia during your pregnancy, you may show symptoms of heart disease as many as three years sooner than those women who had normal blood pressure readings. Make sure to keep track of your blood pressure readings at every check up.

If you were diagnosed with gestational diabetes, you will need to be tested every year for type 2 diabetes, for your chances of being diagnosed with this disease increase as much as 50 percent.

For those women who suffer from postpartum depression, as many as 15 percent of all pregnant women will be afflicted with this debilitating disease, they are more than twice as likely to find themselves depressed later in life. Perimenopause and menopause may also be more likely to cause depression to surface.

These are definitely not reasons to avoid a pregnancy, though! They are all the more reason to actively pursue a healthy pregnancy. With careful planning and monitoring, these situations can be avoided and all that will remain at the end is your cute and cuddly little one!

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Health Effects of Pregnancy on a Woman’s Body

According to a new study, only low-fat diets will help with long-term mood improvement.

“This study looked at one factor, and prior studies haven’t focused on psychological factors,” says Dr. Ewald Horvath, interim chairman of psychiatry at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. “This is a great study focusing on something very important.”

The key difference between low-fat diets and low-carb diets is the long-term effect on mood. Studies have previously found short-term improvements in the mood of people who chose a wide variety of different diets. This new study reaffirmed the evidence of improvements over the first eight weeks of dieting on various plans. But it’s after the initial two months that low-carb dieters tended to return to their depressed moods.

“The exact mechanism for the observed effects on mood still remains largely unknown,” says study author Grant D. Brinkworth, a research scientist with the food and nutritional sciences division of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization in Adelaide, Australia.

But, it is known that carbs can increase serotonin concentrations in the brain, whereas added fat and protein can reduce it. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that is involved with controlling mood, anger, and aggression.

(via: Yahoo News)

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Low-Fat Diets Improve Your Mood

The link between what we eat and mental health: The participants in the “processed food” group were 58 percent more likely to develop depression, while those with a “whole foods” diet were 26 percent less likely to develop depression. Interestingly, the researchers were cautious to draw any specific conclusions based on these correlations.

Researchers proposed several explanations for their results. It was suggested that antioxidants in fruits and vegetables could have a protective effective against depression for those with a “whole foods” diet. It was also suggested that the polyunsaturated fatty acids in fish could have a protective effect from depression. Researchers also proposed that the combined effect of different nutrients from a variety of foods was important in preventing depression. Although the researchers recognized that a healthier diet can help create a healthier mood, the possibility that a diet heavy in “processed food” may actually harm mental health was not mentioned. I think there are many reasons why this should also be considered.

The average age of participants was 55; the title of the orignal research article “Dietary pattern and depressive symptoms in middle age” (published in the British Journal of Psychiatry); however, this does not mean this research is not applicable to those who are not yet “middle age.” The habits you create now, and the habits you are creating for your children, will create your dietary patterns for the rest of your life, and may have a major impact on mental health as well.

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Eat Whole Foods to Avoid Depression

According to a new study at Harvard School of Public Health, there were about 12 suicides per 100,000 adults in 2004 and 2005. However, with every three percent increase in obesity in any given state, there were three fewer suicides per 100,000 adults. This even took into account the fact that states with higher rates of obesity also had higher rates of gun ownership, adults who smoke, and lower rates of household income.

The study did not prove a cause and effect, but the author did emphasize an obvious point:

“The risks of obesity far outweigh any potential benefit on suicide prevention,” says study author Dr. Kenneth J. Mukamal.

The key word is “successfully.” It doesn’t mean heavy people are happier.

The study’s authors think that poisonings may be less likely to be lethal in an obese person, since they would need a higher dose. They went on to morbidly speculate that in the case of an attempted hanging, suffocation may be less common because “the steps involved in hanging may be burdensome (and) uncomfortable” in an obese person.

One last downer of a statistic and I’ll let you get on with your day: More people in the United States die from suicide than homicide.

(via: Yahoo)

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Obese Less Likely to Commit Suicide

Dr. Carolyn A. McCarty of Seattle Children’s Research Institute and her colleagues conducted the first study to look at how theses three problems relate to each other over years in the life of young adults.

They also found that almost half of the women and the men suffered from at least one of the problems between the ages of 21 and 30. The study was very extensive, as it has been following its subjects since 1985 (they were in the fifth grade at the time).

Looking at men compared to women, at 21-years old, eight percent of women and 12 percent of men had at least two of the three problems. As they got older, having multiple problems became more common, but less so for the men.

Here’s a look at how the unhealthy descent worked for the women in the study:

• Women who were depressed at 27-years old were more than three times as likely to abuse alcohol at age 30
• Women who had alcohol abuse problems at 24-years old were nearly four times as likely to be obese at age 27
• Being obese at 27-years old more than doubled the risk of depression at age 30
• Being in a lower-income bracket was an equal opportunity criteria, as both men and women were at greater risk of depression and obesity

Yale psychologist Dr. Susan Nolen-Hoeksma referred to the three problems as a “toxic triangle” of “eating, drinking and over thinking.”

(via: Yahoo)

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Obesity, Alcohol, Depression: Toxic Combo for Women

The study was conducted on a group of 26 other studies that included 9,417 patients. After examining the results, researchers found that death rates were as much as 25 percent higher with patients who showed symptoms of depression. But the rates were higher (39 percent) in patients who were officially diagnosed with depression.

While it’s always a good idea to keep a positive outlook on life to maintain optimal health, the researchers don’t want people to think it’s life or death to be chipper.

But they do think that the findings emphasize the need to screen cancer patients carefully for signs of psychological distress, since it is a small, but a real, risk of affecting the medical outcome of patients.

“Cancer patients need not panic if they are experiencing depressive symptoms, but it is certainly reasonable to talk to their physicians about their mental health,” says lead researcher Jillian Satin.

So, what’s the actual physical reason for the risk? Previous research has linked stress with the growth of tumors or spreading of cancer. The reason could be that stress may have an impact on hormones or the immune system. Or maybe a depressed person can tend to engage in behavior that affects the outcome, such as not complying with scheduled treatments.

“There are still many unanswered questions as the effects observed in this study are quite small and may be due to other factors,” says Dr. Julie Sharp, of the charity Cancer Research UK.

“More research will be needed to explain whether these observations are true and if so why.”

(via: BBC)

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Depression May Cut Cancer Survival

There is benefit to trying something new, shaking things up, or re-focusing. Doing so will re-energize you and put things in perspective. When you need encouragement may be the best time for you to encourage someone else.

Some people have difficulty believing positive messages directed to them even those given to them by themselves. Sometimes it is easier to encourage someone else and share positives messages for them. You may even believe the positive things that you say and find they can be applied to you when you first direct them to someone else.

When you are feeling stuck or you have hit a plateau, use that time to focus on someone else; you will likely emerge energized and refocused. Join someone else’s workout. Send them encouragement. Be a positive voice. You may be the best support for someone else because you understand what will be most helpful and what you would appreciate. You may even be inspired by the progress you see in your friend. In return, your workout buddy will be more likely to be there for you when you need extra encouragement.

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Be the Workout Buddy You Would Like to Have

The researchers say that the connection is due to the socioeconomic status of the person who is both obese and in debt. The people on average are young, less educated and more likely to be depressed, overweight, or obese.

The researchers compared the group to the general population. About 11 percent of the general German population is obese, while 25 percent of the indebted group are obese. The indebted people are also more likely to be regular smokers.

Psychology is a major factor as well. Indebted people may eat to cope with stress and depression, which leads to an even greater risk of being overweight or obese.

“Energy-dense food such as sweets or fatty snacks are often less expensive compared to food with lower energy density such as fruit or vegetables,” the researchers add.

Eva Muenster of the University of Mainz and her colleagues surveyed 949 people who were receiving counseling for debt and insolvency at centers in two German states. They then compared their circumstances to 8,318 people who participated in a 2003 health survey by phone.

It is estimated that three million German households (7.6 percent) are in debt.

(via: Yahoo)

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Obese People More Likely to be in Debt