Health is Wealth

We've all been there before. We all have moments when we feel down and think or do things that we would not normally do. In my own personal experiences, I tend to think/do some of these things below. I thought I would put a top 10 list of some of these, as these actions and thoughts are neither therapeutic, nor are they helpful for our health and well-being. FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO STOP DOING TO BE HAPPY 1) Trying to be perfect and working yourself to craziness if you aren't . Face it - no one is perfect. And while it is great to work hard to make goals, it is impossible to be excellent in all aspects of life. It is one thing to do your best, but it is quite a different thing to work excessively and not take breaks because you want to be 'perfect. Research shows that perfectionism leads to anxiety, depression, bad moods, and even a less healthy body. Instead or trying to be perfect, focus on the goals that you have, and see if they are reasonable. If not, make new one...

There seems to be a tendancy for many ED patients to avoid sweets or desserts. In fact, this is usually the first thing that patients 'cut out' from their diet when they begin to restrict. From one perspective, this makes sense: people can easily hide ED as simply eating heathier by not eating too many desserts. But, this is where things get a bit more interesting: if someone is dieting or cutting down on their desserts, they crave them. And when they want one, they can eat one without any guilt or massive anxiety. However, when a patient with ED is refeeding and is about to eat a dessert, they become anxious, angry, frustrated, and sometimes rebellious. Why the difference? Why is eating desserts or something sweet so hard for patients with ED? (NOTE: this does not apply to all patients; I am stating this out of my own personal experience as well as based on many others). A study found that patients with ED have altered brain responses to eating desserts. ( http://www.dsm.psy...

This coming weekend is Easter! I would like to wish you all a Happy Easter. This year is unique because my Easter, that is, for Coptic Orthodox Christians, is actually on the same day as for other Christians (it usually is not!). I hope everyone enjoy this wonderful time. Why is Easter important? For Christians, Easter is more than just the death of Christ. It is realizing that Jesus - God, gave up His life for us. He saved us from our sins and took the burden upon Himself. God, in all His glory, chose to die for us. What humility and what love! Do you love others as this? Can you honestly say that your love for others mirrors how Christ loved us? I can't. I wish I could - this is something I am trying to work on. This doesn't mean that I have to die for others, but it does teach me that I need to refine what I mean when I say that I am Christian. Am I Christian by name only, or do my actions show it? Can others see Christ through me? The season of Easter is also a celebr...

Throughout my studying, I noticed that very little information is available to students about ED. In elementary school, the focus of health teaching was on nutrition and how to avoid obesity. We hardly mentioned anorexia or bulimia. But what about in nursing or medical education in universities? Is it included? In my experience, not very much. Now, I know that obesity may seem to be more of an epidemic, but does that mean that we should not learn about ED and how to help our patients? Maybe it will be covered in a 'mental health' setting as opposed to general medical information. Bur I still feel that it should be given its time. As well, when ED is mentioned, I still believe that people are not getting the facts right. Let me explain... One of my nursing textbooks (this is a paraphrase, not direct quote; nonetheless, the message is essentially the same) says that anorexia is a 'disease where young women feel overweight when they clearly not. They are irrational and perfe...

God is so good! He has yet allowed me to be published on Fr. Anthony's website. What a blessing! http://franthony.com/2014/03/are-you-strong-and-courageous/ This time, I write about a specific Bible verse and how it can motivate us to stay hopeful when times are tough. This is very important for all of us - even if you are not religious. The verse in the Bible tells us that we are not alone; God is always with us. You do not need to rely on yourself because God is with you and He will help you. Have you ever felt overwhelmed? Tired? Frustrated? Angry? Hopeless? Sad? Stressed? I am sure these feelings are not strangers to most of us, if not all. Well, this post is about how to maintain hope, even in the toughest times. It is about staying hopeful and realizing that you are not alone in whatever you may do. It is about realizing that sometimes, we need to take time to breathe. Take time to know that you are not alone, that God is there for you. Pray and ask others, God first, to ...