Mental health initiative focuses on improving treatment for trauma

4 Strategies for Emotionally Reinvigorating Your Family

Maintaining your family bonds can be a challenge as your children grow into adults. There may be moments of strife that can color all of your interactions. Family relationships are ones that need to evolve with the passage of time. Here are some strategies for how you can reconnect as a family.

Schedule Family Outings

You need to set aside time in all of your busy schedules to spend time together. Family game night will only get you so far. You need to create shared experiences so that you can learn more about each other. Many families will go out to dinner and the movies. This may be something that your family enjoys doing as well. Consider doing something that is new and different. Let each member of the family select an outing of their choice. This way everyone will feel included in the process.

Take an Exercise Class Together

Exercise is a great way to reduce your stress load. The physical exertion causes the release of endorphins that the body interprets as pleasurable. Enroll in yoga classesas a family to create a shared experience. You may find that it can help to center your whole family. There are other exercise classes that you may enjoy more. The point is to do something as a family.

Focus on Your Relationships

You may be tempted to get caught up in the drama of your day to day life. This can cause you to fail to see what is going on around you. The rest of your family may be stuck in a similar rut. Focus on the important things that are going on in your lives. Share details about your days. You really need to listen to the other members of your family. Being heard can help to invigorate your relationships.

Talk through the Issues

Communication is keyto maintaining healthy relationships. Don’t stop listening once you’ve finished talking. This can be damaging to the emotional health of the other members of your family. Hear what the other person is saying before formulating a response. People spend so much time thinking about what they want to say, that they don’t really pay attention to what the other person is trying to convey. Work through your issues everyday so that things don’t start to fester.

There are lots of different ways that you can improve the emotional health of your family. Focus on shared events. Reconnect to form a lasting connection.

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Do You Have the Jitters?

Surprising Things That Could Be Causing Anxiety

www.comprehendthemind.com

Anxiety is a mental illness that disrupts daily life causing feelings of impending doom along with unwanted thoughts and unpleasant physical symptoms.  Some people are more predisposed to anxiety than others. Did you know that there are “external” factors/habits in our daily lives that can increase anxiety?  Dr. Sanam Hafeez  a NYC based neuropsychologist and Teaching Faculty Member at the prestigious Columbia University Teacher’s College shares surprising things that could be causing anxiety. You may see several on this list that are causing jitters in your own life.

1. Cigarettes 

Often, people who smoke tend to rely on cigarettes to ease their anxiety. However, nicotine found in cigarettes affects your brain, including your mood. But nicotine also ramps up blood pressure and heart rate, two physical symptoms that can mirror anxiety. In addition, the carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke also may cause breathing problems that the body responds to as if it's suffocating, increasing the likelihood of panic attacks. The relief a smoker feels is temporary and will likely return and cause an even greater risk of anxiety symptoms Studies have found that those who quit smoking for more than two weeks had lower anxiety levels than when they were smoking regularly.

2. Caffeine

The jitters, shakes, and irregular heart rhythm one might get after a dose of caffeine can feel an awful lot like a panic attack, especially if you are already susceptible. That's because caffeine stimulates your "fight or flight" response, tricking the body into feeling like it’s being chased by a lion even when there is no danger present.  If caffeine makes you anxious switch to decaf coffee, and do not drink energy drinks such as Redbull which are loaded with caffeine. Be wary of PMS medications like Midol which contain a hefty dose of caffeine as an active ingredient.

3. Medications

Medicines that contain caffeine, such as Anacin, Empirin, Excedrin, No-Doz, and cough medicines. Decongestants, such as phenylephrine, including Sudafed PE can bring on symptoms of anxiety or panic.  Some ADHD medications also list anxiety or nervousness as a possible side effect. These medications include Adderall, Ritalin, and Straterra to name a few. Some birth control pills can contribute to feelings of emotional disturbance including depression and anxiety. Asthma medications can cause symptoms of anxiety for some patients. The National Institute of Health reports that the use of bronchodilators can lead to feelings of anxiety and nervousness. If you are prone to anxiety, make your doctor aware of this to be sure that both OTC meds and prescriptions will not exacerbate your symptoms.

4. Alcohol

Anxiety and alcohol use are often connected. People often drink to relax and reduce anxiety, and in some instances, chronic alcohol abuse can lead to anxiety. With both alcohol use and anxiety being so prevalent in the US, it’s no surprise that the two are often linked. Drinking alcohol can influence the brain chemistry and change the levels of serotonin. Alcohol can affect your mood and decrease the “feel good” chemical in your brain increasing feelings of anxiety and depression. Long-term heavy drinkers may be exposed to a higher risk of anxiety.

5. Hormonal Activity

Hormones are the messengers to the brain and when your body is under stress due to internal factors such as the menstrual cycle, this can lead to mood changes and irritability. Adrenal issues — imbalances in the body's stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol, and the precursor hormone DHEA — can cause a variety of symptoms that seem to be mental health-related, including depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Cortisol aka “the stress hormone” can have a powerful effect on your brain, and anything that increases cortisol production or decreases cortisol reduction (such as a lack of exercise) can cause anxiety. Other hormones such as estrogen, testosterone and thyroid can all affect anxiety. If you feel hormones may be the culprit of your anxiety, consult your internist who can do a full blood workup.

6. Skipping Meals

Skipping meals can affect your brain, which can lead to a drop in serotonin levels creating symptoms of anxiety. This can cause, mood swings, stress, fatigue and unsteady blood sugar levels.  As a result, one might experience shakiness, dizziness, confusion, and difficulty speaking.  Prevent these blood sugar swings by eating frequent small meals and keeping snacks on hand.

About the Doctor:

Dr. Sanam Hafeez PsyD is a NYC based licensed clinical psychologist, teaching faculty member at the prestigious Columbia University Teacher’s College and the founder and Clinical Director of Comprehensive Consultation Psychological Services, P.C. a neuropsychological, developmental and educational center in Manhattan and Queens. 

Dr. Hafeez masterfully applies her years of experience connecting psychological implications to address some of today’s common issues such as body image, social media addiction, relationships, workplace stress, parenting and psychopathology (bipolar, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, etc…). In addition, Dr. Hafeez works with individuals who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), learning disabilities, attention and memory problems, and abuse. Dr. Hafeez often shares her credible expertise to various news outlets in New York City and frequently appears on CNN and Dr.Oz.

Connect with her via twitter @comprehendMind or www.comprehendthemind.com

MYOS RENS Technology Introduces New Sports Nutrition Product Line, Yolked™, and Earns Prestigious "Certified For Sport®" Certification From NSF International

NSF "Certified for Sport®" Certification Further Demonstrates MYOS' Commitment To Providing Safe, Quality Products

CEDAR KNOLLS, N.J., April 10, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- MYOS RENS Technology Inc. ("MYOS" or "the Company") (NASDAQ: MYOS), a biotherapeutics and bionutrition company and the owner of Fortetropin^®, a proprietary bioactive composition derived from fertilized egg yolk that helps build lean muscle in conjunction with resistance training, announced today that it has received the prestigious Certified for Sport^® certification from NSF International for its new sports nutrition product line, "Yolked™".

Yolked™ is a novel advanced nutrition product based on Fortetropin^® that will be marketed specifically to competitive athletes.

Joseph Mannello, Chief Executive Officer of MYOS RENS Technology, Inc., stated, "Competitive athletes work harder than ever before in building lean muscle mass to gain greater strength, stamina and flexibility. We developed and formulated Yolked™ specifically to meet the needs of these athletes. Our goal for Yolked™ products is to have a major presence in locker rooms and training facilities of collegiate and professional sports teams."

"Athletic programs demand third party certification to protect their athletes and the NSF's "Certified for Sport®" certification is the gold standard. In late 2017, MYOS entered into a strategic partnership with IMG College, a division of IMG, to market its products to collegiate athletic programs and their fans. IMG College has a large national footprint across collegiate athletics that can open the way for MYOS to reach not only the athletic departments, but also the faculty and alumni. Importantly, achieving the Certified for Sport® certification for Yolked™ will enable MYOS to aggressively execute upon our strategic program with IMG," continued Mr. Mannello.

"Achieving NSF's Certified for Sport® certification demonstrates MYOS RENS Technology's commitment to quality, safety and clean sport," said Brian Jordan, CSCS, RSCC *D, Technical Manager of NSF International's Certified for Sport® program. "Consumers can choose Certified for Sport® products with confidence, knowing that those products have been tested for harmful levels of contaminants like lead and arsenic as well as more than 272 athletic banned substances."

The NSF Certified for Sport^® Program helps athletes, coaches and trainers make more educated decisions when choosing sports supplements. The program is recognized by the NFL, NFL Players Association, MLB, MLB Players Association, PGA, LPGA and Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sports.

The Certified for Sport® certification mark on packaging helps athletes of all levels choose supplements with confidence. Certified for Sport® supplements must meet rigorous standards that include comprehensive lab testing and extensive evaluation of the manufacturing process to ensure contaminated substances or hidden ingredients are not added to a product. To learn more about the Certified for Sport® program visit nsfsport.com or download our NSF Sport app from your app store.

About MYOS RENS Technology Inc. 
MYOS RENS Technology Inc. (MYOS), "The Muscle Company™", is a Cedar Knolls, NJ-based bionutrition company that develops and markets products that improve muscle health and performance. MYOS is the owner of Fortetropin®, a fertilized egg yolk-based product manufactured via a proprietary process to retain and optimize its biological activity. Fortetropin® has been clinically shown to increase muscle size and lean body mass in conjunction with resistance training. MYOS believes Fortetropin® has the potential to redefine existing standards of physical health and wellness. For more information, please visit www.MYOSRENS.com.

Buffbake Canada - Cookie Sandwiches - Review

A little while ago Buff Bake Canada sent me their cookie sandwiches to review! They were all great! The 3 flavours that they sent me were Peanut butter cup, double chocolate and snickerdoodle.

If I had to rate them in order I would say

1. Snickerdoodle (I just love snickerdoodle flavour)
2. Peanut Butter Cup (I never use to be a peanut butter fan until I started prepping)
3. Double Chocolate (chocolate is always good but chocolate is chocolate so nothing special there).

Thank you again Buffbake Canada! Im always available to try your spreads. Yum yum yum!

Buffbake Canada doesn't have their own website yet but you can go to the https://buffbake.com to check out more of their products.

What Exercises You Should Perform After Cosmetic Surgery

When it comes to after-surgery recovery, everything must be taken into consideration: from the actual entity of the surgery itself to how and what exercises perform when you leave the hospital. Cosmetic Surgery is on another level, as you wanna be sure about what you are doing to ensure the fact that you will recover properly. These are some exercises that might help you.

H1: Rest

As soon as you leave the hospital, the only thing you have to do is rest. With this include work, gym and parties. Recovering from a cosmetic surgery requires at least one week of rest, without doing anything. If you are not that young anymore, and you just received a mummy makeover, then this timeframe could be even longer, but first of all, you should listen to what your surgeon says to you after all the process.

H2: Gym Workout? Yes But Go Easy!

If you are a regular gym person, then staying at home recovering might be a problem for you. First of all, you should be aware that, after your "pure rest period" you won't be able to go at your normal speed with the usual gym workout (this based on how challenging the whole operation was), so try to do simple cardio and not too heavy lifting.

H3: No More Than 2 Times A Week

Especially if the operation was heavy and delicate, you should limit yourself going to the gym without being followed by a professional physiotherapist, otherwise, you might hurt yourself on a serious level. It's also important to understand the fact that your muscles will be still recovering from the actual operation, so your "resting timetable" should be longer. My personal advice is (if you are that convinced to go) to go Monday and Friday so you have at least 2 days of full rest between sessions.

H4: Avoid Lifting If Possible

As said before, lifting could be very painful for your body (depending on the area you are training). Lifting is in fact terribly dangerous for someone who just went through a mastopexy operation, as it might cause damages to the integrity of the whole surgery. Don't take the risk and skip the lifting part for a couple of weeks.

H5: Conclusions

In the end, recovering from a cosmetic operation is delicate and must be done with particular attention and self-respect (and also, you don't wanna waste an expensive process, don't you) and it's super important to consult an expert for advice and general instructions, as a medical professional will always be more relevant than some pieces of advice from the internet.