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Promoting mental health: 10 tips for a healthier mind

healthy-mindThough it is harder to observe, mental health can be just as important as physical health to achieving overall wellness and quality of life.

Chris Frasz, who teaches mindfulness training and seminars in Petoskey, noted that it’s important to be proactive with mental health if striving for overall well-being.

“If we want to be in good physical shape we engage in various physical activities. Similarly, if we want strong mental health, we need to be proactive about it,” he said.

Because stress can make the brain more susceptible to mental illness and issues, Frasz suggests meditation techniques at his workshops as a means of coping with stress.

Here are some other suggestions from top health sources that can help support a healthy mind.

1. Physical exercise

According to The Washington Post, a 2014 review in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry found that physical activity reduced symptoms of depression in people with mental illness and even reduced symptoms of schizophrenia.

2. Use social media wisely

This one may come as a surprise, but time spent on social networking has been linked to depressive symptoms in some studies. According to The Washington Post, research suggests that reading other people’s “chipper status updates” can actually make people feel worse.

3. Get more sleep

According to Harvard Health Publications, sleep problems may increase the risk for developing mental illnesses. Studies also show that treating sleep disorders may help alleviate symptoms of mental health issues such as anxiety.

4. Consider nutrition

Eat what nourishes the whole body, including your brain. According to Psychology Today, healthy carbohydrates increase serotonin which has a calming effect on mood. Protein increases dopamine and tyrosine which can help combat stress. Omega-3 fatty acids are necessary for cognitive function.

5. Supplement if needed

Most doctors will agree that it is difficult to get all nutrients from food. Experts suggest adding supplementation, especially Vitamin D. An article from Harvard Medical School notes that Vitamin D deficiencies have been linked to depression.

6. Be grateful
Gratitude has been linked to improved well-being as well as happiness. According to Psychology Today, research now shows that keeping a gratitude journal or making a daily list can be effective in developing a healthier perspective.

7. Take a break

Though routines get us through the week and keep us efficient, doing something out of the ordinary can do wonders for shifting mindset and battling stress. Researchers at the University of Michigan suggest that this can include taking a vacation or even just walking in a new park or trying a new restaurant.

8. Laugh

University of Michigan studies show that laughter can boost immune function, ease pain, relax the body and reduce stress. Laughing also lowers cortisol (stress hormone) and increases endorphins, which elevate mood.

9. Quiet your mind

Meditation — or the practice of harnessing one’s thoughts — can be effective in dealing with the root of problems such as anxiety and stress. Try mindfulness training (as suggested by Frasz) or explore other techniques such as those taught in yoga, or Tai Chi.

10. Seek professional help

According to the University of Michigan Health Services, seeking help is a sign of strength not weakness. A professional counselor or psychologist may be able to suggest an effective treatment plan in combating mental health issues.

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Staying fit during pregnancy

Kickboxing for Two: East Texans staying fit while pregnant

Published: Wednesday, June 29th 2016, 7:03 pm EDT
By Delaney Brey, Sports Reporter

TYLER, TX (KLTV)

Kickboxing isn’t something new to the exercise world or East Texas. But have you ever heard of an athlete kickboxing for two?

“I’m in my fifth month of pregnancy,” said Stephanie Licciardi, mother-to-be and exercise enthusiast. “Physical active is a lifestyle for us, and I want my children to grow up knowing that. It’s not just a fad you do, or a diet, or exercise when you feel like it. Sometimes it something you do when you don’t feel like it.”

Welcoming her seventh child into the world with a punch, Stephanie Licciardi isn’t just showing her kids how important a healthy lifestyle is, but also others who may need that extra push.

“When they see a pregnant woman doing the class it doesn’t scare them as much. I know a lot of people get frightened when they see the kickboxing class and there like well maybe I shouldn’t because I have this, this, and this. So, it eliminates the excuses,” said Josh Rincon, XTC fitness coach and former professional boxer.

“I just think it’s common because I’ve done it ever since I was pregnant with my almost 12-year old. So it is apart of my life, but I do get a lot of inspiration and compliments from other people,” said Licciardi.

Not a stranger to those hard days of being sore and wanting to skip out, this supermom says even she has to remind herself of all the benefits that keeping in shape has too offer.

“Easy delivers, and then it’s easier to get back in shape. I usually jump back in three weeks after I deliver, and get back down to per-pregnancy within a couple of months,” said Licciardi.

Licciardi will continue kickboxing until around 8 months, than it’s just spin class until she delivers. So if you are expecting or just someone wanting to try something new…”It’s such a good mental release and stress-reliever. You just feel better afterward,” said Licciardi.

Copyright 2016 KLTV. All rights reserved.

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Are you a single working mom? Take care as your heart health is more at risk

Single working moms, you may want to take extra care of yourselves as according to a recent study, your heart health is most at risk.

single-mom-and-daughterSingle working moms, you may want to take extra care of yourselves as according to a recent study, your heart health is most at risk. Researchers from Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, examined data on health, work and marital status for almost 11,000 women in Europe and 6,000 women in the US who were born between 1935 and 1956.

The odds of being a single working mother were twice as high in the US than Europe, they found. In the US, 11 per cent of women had been in that position at some point in their lives, compared to 5 per cent of women in Europe.

Compared with married mothers who worked, single mothers with jobs were 40 per cent more likely to have heart disease and 74 per cent more likely to have a stroke. They were also 77 per cent more likely to smoke, the study found.

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