Author Archives: schatzi

How to Deal With Depression Without Medication – This is How to Fight Depression Naturally!

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If you are suffering from depression, then one natural way to deal with this problem is to change your diet. What we eat affects how we feel, both mentally and physically. Many studies show that certain types of food contain ingredients essential for a good mental health, and if these foods are absent from our diets this may lead to mental disorders such as depression.

According to two recent studies, conducted in Spain and London, a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, fish, nuts, whole grains and olive oil can prevent depression. It also seems that the Mediterranean diet protects against this condition.

Although depression is not caused by just one factor, eating well is a step in the right direction, and the deficiency of certain vitamins, minerals, amino acids and fatty acids appears to be directly related to our lack of mental health.

So, take a look at the foods you need to eat in order to fight depression:

  • Selenium: Studies have linked this condition to low levels of selenium. The consumption of raw grains, meat, eggs can be an effective way to increase your selenium intake, but the easiest way is to eat a handful of nuts. Brazil nuts in particular are an excellent source of selenium.
  • Fish: The omega 3 fatty acids contained in fish can improve your mood. Omega 3’s are found in oily fish such as tuna, mackerel and salmon, and vegetarians can consume oil from flax or pumpkin seeds.
  • Green vegetables: Several scientific studies have shown a link between low levels of vitamin B and psychiatric disorders. Folic acid (which is a B vitamin) is believed to play an important role in preventing depression. To increase the folic acid you consume you need to eat slightly undercooked green vegetables and legumes.
  • Foods rich in tryptophan: Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that can raise your serotonin levels. Low levels of serotonin are often associated with depression. Foods rich in tryptophan are chicken and turkey, tuna, salmon, beans and grains. These foods can be very helpful because serotonin acts exactly the same way as antidepressants.
  • Water: Drinking more water is essential because even a mild dehydration can affect your mood and physical health. For this reason you should drink at least half a litre of water a day.
  • Low glycemic index foods: The GI indicates how fast a certain food can raise the level of sugar in your blood. According to a study, there is a relationship between high GI and depression and that’s why you need to try to choose low GI foods like beans, legumes, and fruits such as apples and oranges. On the contrary, foods with high GI, such as refined white bread, potatoes and sweets should be avoided.

Dog Hair Care

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A dog is one of the favorite pets that people love to have in their homes. Families that keep dogs, often treat them as a member of their family. A dog’s hair is an important factor that has to be given regular attention, as it enhances their beauty. A dog’s hair should be kept clean to avoid being infected with diseases. Different breeds of dogs have different texture, color and length of hair and have to be given appropriate attention accordingly.

Hair loss in dogs can occur for many reasons. A thorough veterinary examination is necessary to find the cause. Dogs lose hair because of excessive scratching, brittle hair that falls off and sometimes for no reason at all. There is also an endocrine gland disease that can account for hair loses in dogs.

Different breeds have different needs in terms of the number of times they require bathing and with what type of pet shampoo. If a dog spends a lot of time outdoors, chances are it will require more baths using a flea protection shampoo. A veterinarian-approved dog shampoo should be used because it reduces allergic reactions. The other requirements for dog hair care are mineral oil for hair massage, cotton balls to clean areas around eyes, washcloth or sponge and towels.

When a flea bites a dog, a small amount of saliva is injected into the skin, which prevents blood coagulation. A number of dogs become sensitized to this saliva. In highly allergic dogs, the bite of a flea can cause severe itching and scratching. Fleas cause the most common skin disease of dogs – flea allergy dermatitis.

After bathing a dog, tick powder should be evenly applied on the coat and brushed with a soft brush all over. It is essential that a pet dog be seen by a good veterinarian regularly to check the hair and skin, as well as receive necessary vaccinations.

Some breeds, especially longhair breeds, require more bathing than shorthair breeds like German Shepherds. Dogs with smooth coats generally require fewer baths. Too much bathing will remove vital oils from a dog’s coat, causing the skin to dry out. Unless the dog is dirty, regular grooming can reduce the number of bathes required.

Raising a Difficult Child – The Best Strategies and Solutions

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We have to agree that it can be tiresome and difficult to raise a kid who is not in touch with the natural feelings of human beings. This may involve being stubborn, cunning, insensitive, angry and grumpy. As parents, it is crucial to accept that raising a child goes beyond feeding, clothing and caring. It also involves raising the kid to be a useful member of the society; thus it is an enduring task to raise a difficult child. However, the task of raising a difficult child that should be taken seriously, especially in young kids so that they do not grow to become antisocial adults.

There are many factors that do lead to a child becoming difficult, thereby developing a tendency of throwing tantrums and having aggressive behaviors while not following instructions. Even though most of these behaviors are blamed on poor parenting, researchers suggest otherwise. Researchers suggest that it is wrong to assume that a difficult child is as a result of poor parenting. Factors such as chronic ear infections and other body pains may be among the main factors that may lead to a child developing difficult behaviors.

Realizing and accepting that dealing with a difficult child is not easy is the first step towards achieving the positive results. Being calm with a child with difficult behaviors is the first step towards dealing with unruly behavior. Without denying it, when such kids throw tantrums and act violently, our brains become loaded with emotions and we become reactive by yelling, screaming and shutting them down. In real sense, none of these would help in dealing with such kids. Instead, they only act to worsen the situation.

Even though parenting can be an emotional experience, changing our perspective and being less angry can be helpful in dealing with difficult kids. It is crucial to realize that kids do act their age and may not be aware that their behaviors are negative. Be patient and tolerant with the kid and take it as a responsibility to guide him/her in making amends. This can be effectively done by guiding the child on what to do, rather than restricting him on what not to do.

Again, the identification of our underlying feelings towards our kids’ behaviors such as fear and shame towards their behaviors may be helpful in dealing with them. In this regard, ensuring that you fully understand the consequences of the child’s behavior and that he/she is acting his/her age is helpful. Acting quickly to the consequences of their unwanted behaviors is also vital just as staying calm, but firm in correcting them.

With all these in mind, it should be noted that being pleasant and praising a difficult child when they behave well is a crucial factor in ensuring that they develop positive behaviors.

Stage 4 Prostate Cancer – Learn the Treatments

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Even in this modern world of technological advancement and medical technology, we are still faced by diseases that are life-threatening. For one, cancer is considered one of the most serious causes of death around the world. Prostate cancer is one of those diseases feared by men. This type of cancer is common among men since the cancer cells affect the prostate gland found in men. It is a male reproductive gland that is responsible for the storage of seminal fluid which nourishes the sperm. The growth of the cancer cells in the prostate gland causes several mild to serious symptoms which are usually painful and can disrupt the daily routine of the man.

Like other types of cancer, prostate cancer has also stages which are categorized from Stage I – IV. As we see, Stage IV prostate cancer is the last stage and in a layman’s term, it is difficult to cure if not incurable. The stage of cancer is determined by how far the cancer cells have spread given that the cancer cells just first grow the prostate gland. Once it spreads to the nearby parts of the body, the stage increases. In Stage IV prostate cancer, the tumor has already spread to the pelvic lymph nodes and even the lymph nodes outside the pelvic area. Although this is difficult to cure, with some effective treatments, patients can live longer than expected.

Stage IV prostate cancer treatments are undeniably costly but they are worth it especially when a life of the person is at stake. Doctors, at first, recommend the Androgen Derivation Therapy (ADT) which is a treatment that decreases the level of androgen which is commonly testosterone to decrease the size of prostate cancer. The treatments includes taking medicines that primarily block the testicles from producing male hormones and a surgery called orchiectomy which is the removal of the testicles for the same purpose mentioned.

However, this kind of treatment only lasts for two to three years before the cancer comes back. This is the stage when the cancer is androgen-resistant making the ADT alone ineffective. The doctor then tries another kind of antiandrogen but some doctors also opt for radiation therapy which we commonly know as the chemotherapy to kill the cancer cells through radiation. To effectively treat cancer, oncologists recommend the combination of the hormonal and radiation therapy.

Being in Stage IV prostate cancer might be hard for the patient and for the family members as well because it seems incurable. Making the patient’s life comfortable, loved and cared are the best ways to divert the patient’s attention from his disease. Treating him like a normal person but with extra care would make him feel that his life is also worthwhile. Never forget to go out to get some vitamin D in the morning, do some light physical activities and eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. On top of it all, life may be short but learn to make the most out of it.