Shelby – Page 3 – Healthy for a Happy Life

Beware of Post-Operative Delirium

March 17, 2018 Shelby Comments 0 Comment

My father recently had open-heart surgery, shortly after two other major surgeries. While caring for my Dad and observing other patients in recovery, I became keenly aware of a complication known as Post-Operative Delirium. I am sad to say that this is a common complication that may affect the majority of patients following major surgery.

If you or a loved one are preparing for a major surgery, I offer the following tips:

Discuss the risks with the medical team before the surgery. Chances are that if the patient is going to be sedated, heavily medicated, previously experienced any symptoms of post-operative delirium, is likely to be immobilized, may not be exposed to sunlight on a regular basis, and/or is elderly, they are at great risk for post-operative delirium. Ask the medical team for their risk assessment of post-operative delirium and their mitigation plan for the patient.
If your friend or loved one shows signs of delirium after surgery, try to implement the following actions:
1. Ensure the patient has a room with a window. A lack of sunlight after surgery contributes to the chance of delirium.
2. Make sure artificial lighting is minimalized at night and maximized during the day. In my Dad’s case, the staff was insensitive to lighting issues. It would be 2AM and they would have all the lights on to take his vitals. Conversely, after a night of fitful sleep, they would turn the lights off so he could nap.
3. Get the patient an illuminated 24-hour clock.
4. If the patient is not in significant pain, encourage the doctor to substitute narcotics with Tylenol or other appropriate medication.
5. If possible, encourage the patient to get out of bed and move around during the daytime. Going for a walk with views of the outdoors can be very helpful for resetting the internal clock. In addition, sitting in a chair for meals is preferable to eating in bed in a reclined position.
6. Encourage the members of the medical team to talk to each other and streamline their efforts. My Dad had a different team every 12 hours, making it very difficult to coordinate his care effectively.
7. Encourage the medical team to make major changes while the patient is alert if possible. My father was moved from the ICU to recovery at 5AM while he was asleep. When he woke up, in strange surroundings connected to unfamiliar IVs and blood transfusions, he was dangerously confused. He actually ripped out all the tubing and got out of bed.
8. Ensure a friend or family member is with the patient as much as possible. My father was fine when I was with him, but when he was alone in strange surroundings, the delirium would resurface.
9. Ensure the patient receives clear, concise instructions before the surgery. My dad was provided with over 100 pages of instructions, which were incomplete and riddled with inaccuracies and inconsistencies.
10. Find out who the case manager is and hold him or her accountable. There was no case manager to assist my father and coordinate his care, which contributed to his confusion and distracted from a holistic, effective healthcare approach.

Unfortunately, the current state of our healthcare system often requires friends and family to step up to be healthcare advocates for our loved ones. I hope you never have to implement these tips, but, if you do, I hope they help.

Save Supplement-Geek.com!

January 28, 2018 Shelby Comments 0 Comment

You may remember Joe Cannon from my post “Stepping Out for Health.” Joe is a great mentor and instructor and now he needs help to save his website. His website Supplement-Geek.com has been offline for over a week, because the owner of another supplement website convinced his internet service provider that Joe was violating his trademark. This argument is completely false, and Joe can prove that he existed for years before this other guy’s site was around.

The major problem is that Joe never trademarked his site and the other guy did. And although their sites are very different, this perpetrator threatened Joe’s internet service provider, keeping Supplement-Geek.com offline. To exacerbate matters, this guy, who sells supplements, is demanding that Joe give him ownership of Supplement-Geek.com. This immoral and illicit activity has forced Joe Cannon to spend thousands of dollars of his own money in legal fees.

Joe’s website provides excellent advice and all the content is completely free and unbiased. Please consider reading Joe’s story on his GoFundMe page. https://www.gofundme.com/save-supplementgeekcom

The Case for Happiness Based Decision Making

January 24, 2018 Shelby Comments 0 Comment

I recently returned from a vacation in Europe, where I was impressed with how happy and content the Europeans are. The experience made me question how dependent our happiness is upon our government and society in general and how policies that affect our happiness should affect the decisions we make.

While on my vacation, I was particularly amazed by the transformation I observed in Budapest. The last time I visited this charming Hungarian city was in 1987, when it was still under Communist rule. At the time, the grey and gloomy city was seemingly packed with solemn residents. Today, Budapest is a beautiful, vibrant place, full of relaxed and joyful people.

We know what makes us happy as individuals – family, friends, a sunny day. But are there some special social elements that play a role in determining our level of happiness?

Dan Buettner is an award-winning happiness expert who has been researching what makes us healthy and happy for over 15 years. The author of the recently published “The Blue Zones of Happiness,” Buettner identified three of the world’s happiest people and followed them throughout their days to learn their best practices for happiness. As a result of his quest, he discovered three different threads that weave together to create lifelong enjoyment. He calls them pleasure, purpose, and pride. By introducing us to these people and exploring the countries where they live, Buettner helps us discover the secrets to what makes Alejandro in Costa Rica, Douglas in Singapore, and Sidse in Denmark much happier than the average human.

He first followed Alejandro Zúñiga, a healthy, middle-aged Costa Rican father who socializes at least six hours a day and has a handful of trusted friends. He enjoys a diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables, walks to work, gets at least seven hours of sleep, and volunteers a few hours every week. Although Alejandro loves his job and coworkers, he limits his workweeks to 40 hours. To sum it up, his daily choices encourage happiness and his Costa Rican neighbors share his attitude.

Buettner also studied Douglas Foo, a wealthy entrepreneur, who drives a $750,000 BMW when he is not luxuriating in his $10 million house. He is married, with four polite children who are exceptional students. Douglas put himself through school while working four jobs and started a company that became an international success valued at $59 million. Even though he is a dedicated executive, he finds time to dedicate to his philanthropic passions, earning him the respect of employees, colleagues, and community members. While he admits that he worked very hard to achieve his success, Douglas confides that he could not have created this life anywhere other than Singapore.

The third happy human Buettner followed is Sidse Clemmensen, a woman with a devoted partner and three young children. She is a sociologist who lives in a friendly, communal neighborhood, where families share meals, chores, and childcare. Although she pays high taxes, she and her family get guaranteed healthcare and education, along with secured retirement income. Throughout her country of Denmark, people live in happy comfort, secure in the knowledge that their government will take care of them.

As Buettner points out, Alejandro, Douglas, and Sidse illustrate his three different strands of joy that harmoniously intertwine to produce eternal happiness. Like many of his fellow Costa Ricans, Alejandro lives life to the fullest in a society that relieves stress and emphasizes happiness. Scientists call this type of pleasure “experienced happiness” and it is measured by determining how often a people smile, laugh, or feel joy. According to Buettner, Costa Rica is not only the happiest country in Latin America, but it is also a country where people feel more pleasure or “experienced happiness” than nearly any other place in the world.

Typical of Singapore’s apparent obsession with individual drive and success, Douglas exhibits a strong sense of pride and motivation for success and accomplishment. Researchers at Project Happy also call this the “life satisfaction” strand of happiness and measure it by asking people to rate their lives on a scale of zero to 10. According to Buettner, life satisfaction is the best predictor of well-being, and Singapore consistently ranks first in Asia for life satisfaction.

Sidse embodies a brand of happiness typified in the purpose-driven life of Danes. Like other characteristics of happiness, the purpose-driven life assumes that one’s basic needs will be provided so that people can pursue their passions at work as well as at home. Scholars refer to this as “eudaimonic,” a Greek term that defines happiness in terms of the degree to which a person is fully functioning. In Aristotle’s works, eudaimonic was used to describe the highest human good, believing that true happiness comes from leading a purposeful life. Denmark, a country that consistently tops Europe’s happiness rankings, makes it relatively easy to live a purposeful life.

Alejandro, Douglas, and Sidse are strongly dedicated to their ambitions, but they pursue them in a manner that still seems to foster happiness. In some part, they are able to do this because their societies support them and help drive them towards behaviors that foster long-term happiness. As results of these reports imply, we should all feel inspired to be socially aware and involved in the factors that shape our happiness. The next time you cast a vote, support a cause, or choose how to spend your precious time, ask yourself how that decision will impact your happiness.

Tips for Weight-Loss Resolutions

December 29, 2017 Shelby Comments 0 Comment

It’s that time of year again when more people resolve to lose weight than any other time of year. As we take down the holiday decorations and determine our New Year’s resolutions, here are a few tips from some nutrition experts to help you succeed:

Establish a sense of purpose – understand why you want to lose weight.

As registered dietitian, Angela Lemond suggests, “Good reasons why you want to lose weight include having more energy and maximizing overall health. I have yet to have a person be successful in long-term weight loss for just a number on the scale. It must be a deeper, more meaningful reason."

Create realistic goals.

Willow Jarosh, registered dietitian and coauthor of the upcoming "Healthy, Happy Pregnancy Cookbook" states, "Before crafting your goals, look at where you are in terms of your eating habits. With your determined New Year’s resolutions, it can be tempting to create super lofty goals and just focus on the big picture, which can be daunting and wind up sapping motivation. Instead, build in challenging-yet-doable food goals from your starting point. Be sure to revisit and revise these goals as you move forward.” If you have smaller goals that push you out of your comfort zone little by little, they'll add up to major results later in the year and lasting results that you can be proud of this time next year.

Leave your fruit on the counter.

Caroline Kaufman, registered dietitian and blogger at www.CarolineKaufman.com, tells us to "Clear all the food off of your counters except for a fruit bowl. A study out of Cornell University found that people who keep fruit out weigh 13 pounds less than those without visible healthy snacks. Interestingly, those who left cereal on the counter weighed an average of 20 pounds more than those who stashed it in the cupboard. It's hard to rely solely on willpower, especially when you get home from work at the end of a long day, so make it easier on yourself by taking willpower out of the equation."

Get at least seven hours of sleep.

Pat Baird, registered dietitian, author, speaker and founder Confident Health, reminds us that "People who sleep less than seven hours per night tend to weigh more. The National Institutes of Health confirms that sleep deprivation leads to obesity and chronic disease. This takes some planning, but, in the end, it pays off with pounds off."

Keep track of what you eat and drink.

Ilyse Schapiro, registered dietitian and coauthor of "Should I Scoop Out My Bagel?: And 99 Other Answers to Your Everyday Diet and Nutrition Questions to Help You Lose Weight, Feel Great, and Live Healthy" says that a food log is key: "Don't underestimate the power of a food log – it can be tedious, but it really does help. Research shows that people who record their food intake lose twice as much weight as those who don't keep track of their food. Whether you're writing it down, sharing it with a friend, talking to a nutritionist or using a food journal app, tracking what you eat can help keep you in check. It will also make you more aware of your choices and will usually cause you to think twice before making an unhealthy decision. Most people will cut down their calories and be smarter about what they eat when they see it in writing. Dropping pounds will usually follow."

6. Fill up on veggies.

"My best weight-loss tip is to eat more vegetables. I know this sounds trite, but after looking at hundreds of food journals every year from my clients, the one food group that is missing is the vegetables one! As long as they are not fried or swimming in oil and fat, they are very low in calories, provide great phytonutrients (the colors of the plants are loaded with health benefits) and contain lots of fiber," states Felicia D. Stoler, registered dietitian and author of "Living Skinny in Fat Genes: The Healthy Way to Lose Weight and Feel Great"

Spring clean your pantry.

Finally, registered dietitian and nutrition and culinary consultant for Hispanic Food Communications, Inc. Sylvia Klinger suggests, "Clean up your pantry and kitchen from top to bottom. Make sure you place highly nutritious foods in the front, less nutritious foods in the back and discard any unwanted temptations.”

A Healthy Breakfast Can Save Your Life

October 8, 2017 Shelby Comments 0 Comment

You have heard it countless times before – breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It is true. Here are five reasons you should eat a healthy breakfast, including new evidence that suggests that skipping breakfast contributes to heart disease.

1. A healthy breakfast protects your heart

A recent study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, links skipping breakfast with hardening and narrowing of arteries, also known as atherosclerosis. For the study, researchers analyzed the eating habits of over 4,000 people. The subjects were then split into three groups, based on how many of their daily caloric intake was attributed to breakfast: less than 5%, between 5 and 20%, and more than 20%. Only about 3% of people fell into the first category, meaning they skipped breakfast entirely and only had coffee, juice or another beverage. The majority, about 70%, ate very little for breakfast, such as toast, while less than a third, approximately 28%, ate substantial morning meals.

Being in one of the first two categories, either skipping or skimping on breakfast, was associated with several risk factors for heart disease. People who ate less than 5% of their daily calories at breakfast were 2.5 times more likely to have generalized atherosclerosis, meaning their arteries had early signs of plaque in different locations, compared with those who ate healthy breakfasts. Those who skimped on breakfast were also at increased risk for early signs of plaque in their arteries.

In a recent study that involved almost 27,000 men, researchers found that those who didn’t eat a morning meal were 27 percent more likely to develop heart disease than those who did. The research indicated that people who skipped breakfast gained weight and were at an increased risk of high cholesterol and blood pressure—all of which raise the risk of heart disease.

2. A healthy breakfast lowers your risk of type 2 diabetes

Studies have shown that a healthy breakfast helps avoid fluctuating glucose levels, which often lead to diabetes. A study reported by Consumer Reports found that when men did not eat breakfast, they raised the risk of type 2 diabetes by 21%. For women, skipping breakfast was an even greater risk factor. Women who skipped breakfast even just a few times per week were 28% more likely to develop diabetes than women who routinely enjoyed a healthy breakfast. And a note of caution to those of us who skip breakfast in a rush to get to work: full-time workers who skip breakfast are at an even greater risk of type 2 diabetes as researchers predicted that job stress tends to raise glucose levels even more.

3. A healthy breakfast gets you moving

A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition determined that people who ate breakfast were more physically active than their breakfast-less counterparts. This may be due to the fact that a temporary increase in blood sugar provides an energy boost. It is also interesting to note that, while those who ate a healthy breakfast consumed more daily calories overall, they did not gain weight because they were more active and had an increased metabolism.

4. A healthy breakfast may give you a mental edge

A study from the University of Milan found that a healthy breakfast enhances memory, creativity, mental processing speeds, attention span, verbal skills, and learning capacity. These same scientists reviewed 15 studies and found that these benefits were derived from the stable glucose levels that a healthy breakfast provides.

5. A healthy breakfast may help manage your weight

Studies have found that a person who skips breakfast usually has a greater waist circumference, a larger higher body mass index, and higher blood pressure, cholesterol, and fasting glucose levels. Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute wrote that skipping breakfast causes hormonal imbalances and alters circadian rhythms, contributing to people eating more calories, and perhaps more unhealthy foods, later in the day.

In summary, you can enjoy a lot of health benefits from making, or sustaining, a daily healthy breakfast.

A Pure and Simple Case for Water

August 27, 2017 Shelby Comments 0 Comment

When you are shopping for water these days, the choices can seem overwhelming. The variety of drinks claim additional health benefits with added vitamins and minerals, but are they really better for you? Probably not, say the experts at Consumer Reports.

The most important factor regarding fluid intake is the hydration factor. Leslie Bonci, a dietitian and the director of sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, says, “Any liquid is going to be hydrating, even coffee.” She asks, “Do vitamins and minerals add to hydration? No. What’s hydrating is the fluid.”

According to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 90 percent of Americans get enough of the important nutrients and therefore do not need fortified drinks. In addition, many of these beverages are loaded with unnecessary preservatives, sodium, food coloring, sweeteners, and other additives.

In an analysis of 20 flavored and fortified beverages, here is what the experts and Consumer Reports found:

Sports drinks

These beverages were developed to help replace electrolytes, carbohydrates, and fluids lost through perspiration. Most of these sports drinks have a lot of sugar. A 16-ounce container of Bodyarmor, for example, costs $2.70, has 140 calories and 36 grams of sugar. A 16.9 fluid-ounce bottle of Pepsi, in comparison, contains 210 calories and 58 grams of sugar. These added sugars may increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes and obesity. Other sports drinks that have lower calories may not have added sugar, but they might have artificial sweeteners, which may carry their own set of health risks.

If you are working out intensely and perspiring heavily, you may need a sports drink to replace lost electrolytes. If not, stick to water. Drink it before, during and after exercise to replace lost fluids. For more information on hydration during exercise, see my article titled “Healthy Hydration.”

Coconut water

Sales of coconut water have skyrocketed in the past decade and are expected to double from its current global market of $2.6B to $5.4B in 2020. Several of the coconut water companies claim their beverages offer better hydration. Zico, for example, claims that its Pure Premium Coconut Water is a “miracle of hydration and replenishment.”

The popularity of coconut water has also spurred a host of other unique beverages, with their own set of health claims. The maker of artichoke water, for example, states that its product (which sells for $2.70 for an eight-ounce bottle) can “elevate antioxidants, increase metabolism, enhance digestion, and purify toxins.” A maker of maple water, Happy Tree boasts that its Organic Raw Maple Water (which costs about $4 a serving) is 100 percent maple sap with “nothing added,” and has 48 calories and 12 grams of sugar in a 16-ounce bottle. Consumer Reports’ tasters described it as “sweetened water.”

If you want an occasional change of pace, coconut water and its unique cousins, may provide a nice, but relatively expensive, alternative.

Vitamin water

Vitamin waters are another, very popular alternative. Vitaminwater’s orange-flavored drink sells for $1.20 for a 20-ounce bottle and contains 150 percent of recommended vitamin C and 100 percent of three B vitamins. However, since you do not lose vitamins when you sweat, you do not waste money on a vitamin water after exercise. In addition, the Consumer Reports study cautions that fortified drinks may contain excess sweeteners. A 20-ounce Pomegranate Cherry Sobe Lifewater, for example, has 25 grams of sugar and 100 calories.

An occasional vitamin-supplemented water is fine if it helps you hydrate, but still want to ensure you get your vitamins from a balanced diet.

Dreaming of a Good Night’s Sleep?

July 2, 2017 Shelby Comments 0 Comment

A good night’s sleep is an essential component of a healthy, happy life. Known as “sleep hygiene,” there are several behaviors we can follow to get better sleep.

Maintain a regular sleep routine. Go to bed and get up around the same time every day of the week. Ideally, you should try not to deviate by more than 20 minutes.
Avoid naps if possible. When we nap, it decreases the amount of sleep at night. This can lead to difficulty falling asleep and may cause sleep fragmentation.
Don’t lay awake in bed for more than ten minutes. The American Sleep Association (ASA) recommends getting out of bed and sitting in a chair in the dark if you find your mind racing or worrying about not being able to sleep. “Do your mind racing in the chair until you are sleepy, then return to bed,” the ASA suggests. Definitely do not turn on the TV or pick up your phone during these periods. They will just stimulate your brain and make it even more difficult to get to sleep. Consider keeping a notepad nearby so you can jot down any random thoughts. This might help clear your mind and make it easier to fall asleep.
Try to reserve your bed for two things only, with sleep being one of them.
Be careful with caffeine. Try not to drink any coffee, black tea or caffeinated sodas after noon.
Try to limit alcohol, cigarettes and over the counter medications that may cause sleep fragmentation – especially two hours or so before you go to bed.
Get regular exercise early in the day and try to avoid rigorous exercise before bedtime. Strenuous exercise stimulates your endorphins, which may make it difficult to fall asleep if conducted late in the day.
Make sure your bedroom is quiet and comfortable. Turn off your TV, phone, and other extraneous items that may disrupt your sleep. Consider adding some white noise, like a fan or nature noises. Free apps including Calm and Beltone offer soothing nature sounds that can promote sleep. Turn off lights. Even blue lights can disrupt sleep, so consider turning them off, moving them, or covering them up. Hide your clock. Make sure you have a comfortable mattress and pillows. Most of us will spend a third of our life in our bed, so it is important that is comfortable.
Implement a soothing pre-bedtime routine. Consider meditation, a warm bath or a shower.

Make yourself a checklist, or just print this article to help remind you of the steps to take for a better night’s sleep. If you slip up or have a bad night, don’t worry. By following most of these recommendations most of the time, you will be well on your way to making your dreams of better sleep come true.

Coping with Loss

May 7, 2017 Shelby Comments 9 comments

The loss of a loved one is one of life’s most stressful events and often causes a major emotional crisis. Many of us tell ourselves that death is a natural part of life. In fact, death gives meaning to our lives because it reminds us how precious life is.

After the loss of someone you love, you experience bereavement, which literally means “to be deprived of someone” by death. Grieving is a natural process that most people experience when they lose someone or something important to them. The way one grieves depends on several factors, including the type of loss, your upbringing, religion, beliefs, relationships, and physical and mental health.

In general, anxiety and helplessness come first. Anger is also a very common early reaction, including feeling angry at someone for “leaving you behind.” Sadness, often extremely intense, usually sets in next. All of these feelings are normal and common reactions to loss. You may not feel prepared for the intensity and duration of your feelings, emotions, and mood swings. But understanding that these feelings are healthy and appropriate will help you cope with loss. It is important to remember that it takes time to grasp the impact of a significant loss. You will probably never stop missing your loved one, but the pain eases after time and helps you move on with your life.

Grieving is the physical, emotional, and psychological expression of loss. Many experience physical symptoms that include loss of appetite, stomach pain, intestinal issues, loss of sleep, and lack of energy. Preexisting medical issues may exasperate these conditions as well. If these physical symptoms of grief are prolonged to the point that you are having difficulty performing daily functions and/or if they evolve into anxiety attacks, depression, or suicidal thoughts, please see your doctor or seek medical assistance.

Helping Yourself

Living with grief is a painful reality but the ability to cope with loss is important for our physical and mental health. The best thing you and your loved ones can do is to allow yourself to grieve. Some of the coping mechanisms recommended by the community-based nonprofit organization Mental Health America include:

Seek out people who care. Talk to friends and relatives who understand your feelings. Consider joining a support group where you can talk to others who are experiencing similar emotions.
Express yourself. Talk to others about how you are feeling – it will help you work through your personal grieving process.
Take care of your health. Try to get plenty of rest, practice healthy eating habits, maintain your exercise routine, and be cautious of reliance on alcohol or medication.
Accept that “life is for the living.” It takes time and considerable effort to live again in the present without dwelling on the past. Be good to yourself and praise yourself when you make little strides towards recovering from the effects of grief.
Postpone major decisions. Hold off on other major life changes, such as changing jobs, moving, and remarrying, as these additional changes can exasperate stress.
Be patient. It can take months or years to adjust.
Seek help if necessary. If your grief feels like it is too much to bear, or if the symptoms are interfering with your life, seek professional assistance.

Helping Others

If someone else loses a loved one, consider the following tips:

Listen. Encourage them to talk about their feelings and to share their memories of their loved one. Do not make statements like “it was for the best” or “you’ll get over it in time.” Such comments are often perceived as phony and are usually unhelpful.
Offer practical assistance. Consider cooking, running errands, house-sitting, or baby-sitting to help.

Remember, it takes time. But, with effort, patience, and support, you will survive grief. Someday, the pain will decrease, making room for cherished memories.

10 Strategies to Successfully Cope with Stress

April 4, 2017 Shelby Comments 1 comment

Pausing to make a plan for coping with stress can help you feel more calm, balanced, and effective. You usually cannot plan for a stressful event, but you can plan for how to deal with it. To get you started, here are 10 coping strategies to triumph over stress—in the heat of the moment and beyond:

1. Pause

Unless it is a life-threatening emergency, don’t react immediately to stress. Instead, take a few moments and some deep breaths to let things settle and allow you to form a more objective point of view.

2. Be in the moment

Experts say the ability to live in the moment -- and reacting to the situation based strictly on what is present -- is among the most important factors in handling a crisis of any type. "Being in the moment does not mean being unaware of the consequences of any actions you take; it means you do not have a prejudgment about those consequences," says disaster expert Anie Kalayjian. This, she says, keeps you from panicking over what could happen, and keeps a person focused on what is happening. Likewise, Al Siebert, PhD, says the best survivors are the ones who are able to "read" the new reality rapidly, focus on problem solving, and take practical action -- all within the moment.

3. Be flexible

"There's a fair amount of flexibility needed -- the personality who can adapt quickly to changes and feel certain about their ability to do so is usually the type that handles a crisis well," says Siebert, author of The Resiliency Advantage and founding director of ResiliencyCenter.com.

4. Remain calm

Ladany says the ability to keep emotions under control is also key. "You can't be plagued with ruminative anxiety. You can't agonize about the consequences of a decision. Those who function best in a crisis are those who can be comfortable with ambiguity in a heightened sense," says Ladany.

5. Have a solid value system

Experts say that the more emphasis we put on material goods, the less likely we are to cope when the threat of losing those goods becomes a reality. "If the meaning of your life is wrapped around material things, then you will be shattered at the thought of losing everything, which can happen in 10 seconds when disaster strikes," says Kalayjian.

6. Learn to cope

If you think that some people are born with survivor qualities, think again. Experts agree that the ability to champion a crisis is a learned behavior and not the result of your genetics. In fact, the crisis behaviors we exhibit as an adult are often entrenched in what we learn as children, often causing us to react without even thinking. "If a child is in a car accident and the entire family becomes hysterical, then the child learns that this is how you react to crisis," says Kalayjian. "At a young age, we don't have a psychological sorting process to reason out that our parents are going overboard." Experience this kind of family reaction to crisis enough times, she says, and it will cause this reactive behavior to be hardwired into your brain. "As a child you have no experience, no comparison, no judgment -- so you just think, 'Oh, this is what I'm supposed to do in crisis,' and that can lay down the groundwork for how you will react as an adult," says Kalayjian.

7. Embrace experience

How well you weathered the storm of a previous crisis in your life is also important. "My 40-some years of research into the nature of life's most resilient survivors shows that experience in coping with and surviving previous emergencies and tragedies is the best preparation for handling new ones," says Siebert. In fact, nothing prepares one for a crisis like a crisis -- even if the incidents are radically different. "The very act of surviving one crisis helps us survive another," he says. Maurice Ramirez, DO, relates the concept back to a phenomenon known as "plasticity" -- a desensitizing of sorts that occurs as we are exposed to adversity. "If you become desensitized to one type of crisis, you will function better in all crisis situations, even if the crisis is different and requires different things from you. Science shows it carries over from one area of life to another," says Ramirez, founding director of the American College of Disaster Medicine and founder of High-Alert.com. Conversely, Siebert says, if you're the classic 'drama queen' with a history of emotional outbursts, this will also impact your crisis reaction. "If you are someone who 'awfulizes' things, focuses intently on losses ... If you have a tendency to act like a victim, these are the kind of characteristics that can keep you from coping with a crisis, and often cause you to make things worse for yourself and for others," says Seibert.

8. Prepare for future crises

Any type of disaster training program will help train you for any kind of disaster. "There are deliberate education programs -- disaster life training courses -- that can provide the kind of repetitive, psycho-motor activity that helps enforce good response behaviors. Knowledge is power and practice is what sets it in concrete," says Ramirez. "Even doing something as simple as taking a first aid course or learning CPR can teach you how it feels to intervene in a crisis situation and give you some extra measure of confidence going into a real crisis -- even if it has nothing to do with CPR," Ladany says.

9. Prepare yourself emotionally

Accepting the fact that “@#$%” happens and accepting the idea that things are going to happen that are out of your control will help prepare yourself emotionally for the unavoidable crises of life. "If you can accept the fact that nothing except your breath is under your control, you'll be far less likely to panic during any situation in which control must be surrendered," says Kalayjian.

10. Build resiliency

The following long-term strategies can help strengthen your resilience to stressful events. Being physically fit, spending time with people you enjoy, and community involvement are healthy ways to reduce stress, distance yourself from stressful situations, and help you see life from a fresh perspective.

Healthy Hydration

April 3, 2017 Shelby Comments 0 Comment

Did you know that by the time you are thirsty you are probably already dehydrated? As Joe Cannon points out in his article “Preventing Hydration,” if your body is short just 2% of its required fluid level, it negatively impacts your body and your mind. In addition to thirst, even “mild” hydration can cause dizziness, confusion, irritability, constipation, drowsiness, and fever. Other signs of mild to moderate dehydration include headaches, stiff joints, nausea, cramping, dry mouth, muscle weakness, and sunken eyes.

For athletes and people with physical occupations, dehydration also reduces the ability to perform properly, thereby increasing the risk of injury. Joe Cannon’s research indicates that athletes and those with jobs that involve physical exertion; dehydration reduces athletic performance by 30%. This is because water helps your body to exercise efficiently. It lubricates your entire body and is a vital part of all of the chemical reactions that enable us to survive.

Average adults should drink approximately half your body weight in ounces of fluid. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you should drink 75 ounces of fluids. Of course, this figure should be adjusted if you are exercising intensely, training in the heat, etc.

Other tips for active adults:

Drink a glass of water before you exercise, several small amounts periodically during your workout, and a glass after your workout.
Drink enough fluids to replace approximately 150% of the weight lost during exercise.
If your workout facility doesn’t provide cups next to a water cooler, be sure to take your water bottle with you.
Hydration is not provided by water alone. Recent studies have debunked the myth that coffee is not a good source for hydration and indicate that coffee, in the amount that you normally consume, hydrates as well as water over a 24-hour period. Also, remember that a healthy diet provides hydration as well. For example, broccoli is 80% water!

Bearing all this in mind, it is possible to get too much of a good think. Overhydrating can be just as dangerous as being extremely dehydrated. The clinical term for over hydration is hyponatremia. It is a condition in which the level of sodium in your blood dips to dangerously low levels. When this occurs, your body’s water levels rise and your cells begin to swell. This swelling occurs throughout the body, including vital organs such as the heart and brain. Some of the symptoms of hyponatremia include headache, nausea, confusion, fatigue, loss of appetite, muscle weakness, spasms or cramps, seizures, vomiting, lack of consciousness and coma. If you suspect a case of hyponatremia, get the victim to the emergency room as soon as possible.

To avoid this dangerous condition, follow the following advice:

Drink small amounts of fluid at regular intervals. You should never feel “full” of water.
Eat a small banana before you work out to provide your body with potassium.
When exerting yourself in hot conditions or for extended periods of time, drink a sports drink with sodium and potassium.
Eat a salted snack during and after long periods of exertion.