Clinical Depression In Stroke Victims

Shouldn’t a stroke victim expect to be depressed? Yes, of course, but there’s a rub. Just because it seems normal for a person who has just had a stroke to feel depressed, doctors sometimes don’t treat the depression. However, researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have found that brain injury during stroke may cause not only paralysis but depression as well – and unless the depression is treated, it may not go away.

While doctors have long known that depressions, some lasting for many months, may follow brain injury, there has been little effort up to now to treat them. One reason is that it’s been taken for granted that disabilities as a result of a stroke would make anybody feel depressed Another reason is that there has been little direct neurological evidence to indicate some particular abnormality that could be corrected.

Clear the Clutter!

Want an easy way to simply your life and clear your head? Clear the clutter.

I learned this trick recently when I put my house up for sale. My agent told me to store at least a third of my possessions to make the house look less cluttered to buyers.

So, I emptied closets and bookshelves and put furniture into storage. And guess what? I didn't miss a thing (except the tea kettle).

When you acquire fewer possessions, you not only save money on purchases, but you also reduce maintenance and storage costs (not to mention the inevitable moving costs).

You don't need a remodeled kitchen with more cabinet space if you have fewer gadgets. Who needs a popcorn popper or a crepe pan? A skillet with a lid will handle most cooking tasks. What about more than one set of dishes or table linens? White dishes are timeless.

Classic Cereal's Good for Health

Good old-fashioned cereal -- like corn flakes and shredded wheat -- lives up to its healthy reputation. Doctors say a single bowl of cereal a day can sharply reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke.

The key ingredient in cereal, according to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, is folic acid. The right levels of this substance, he said, could save more than 50,000 American lives every year.

The reason for the good news, Dr. Manilow said, is that the folic acid in cereals reduces homocysteine in the body. Homocysteine is an amino acid which clogs the arteries and causes heart disease.

Circadian Rhythms Cycle

There’s more truth than you may think to the old saying “there’s a time for everything, and everything in its time.” Researchers have found that the body has a host of rhythms affecting its chemistry. These determine how you feel and how well you function. Called circadian rhythms (from Latin meaning “about a day”), these “clocks” regulate such diverse body indicators as blood pressure, temperature, pulse, respiration, blood sugar, hormones and heartbeat. Because body functions can vary as much as 80 percent depending on the times of day, an early morning blood pressure reading can be deceptive on its own.

Celeb Fit Tip: Here's How Heidi Klum and Cameron Diaz "Sculpt" Their Bodies

Can you think of two leaner, fitter celebs than Heidi Klum (the supermodel mama who never ceases to amaze me with her upbeat attitude and healthy lifestyle) and super-gorgeous Cameron Diaz? Other than good genes, here's how they keep their bods toned, and how you can too...

According to People magazine, Heidi and Cameron are fans of Exhale, a "mind-body" spa in New York and Los Angeles--especially its Core Fusion classes, which mix pilates, yoga and core conditioning to "sculpt" their bodies.

Celeb fitness programs always seem so out of reach for the rest of us, don't they. Either because of the location or the money factor (hey, we all could look great with personal trainers and enough money to hang out at spas all the time! So I was pretty thrilled to see that Exhale has a fitness DVD out. "Exhale: Core Fusion Body Sculpt DVD" ($14.99), taught by founders Elisabeth Halfpapp and Fred DeVito, delivers five 10-minute exercises that promise to "target and tighten" your muscles.

Can You Think Yourself Slim? Maybe, Say Experts

Gals, on a scale of 1 to 10, what's your body confidence level today? What your answer may say about your future weight gain, or loss ...

I was reading on Oprah.com recently about a fascinating concept: The idea that we can "think" ourselves slim. No, no, I don't mean that you can do this without diet and exercise, but the latest evidence seems to suggest that how we feel about our bodies can affect how we look.

For example, in the book The Body Has a Mind of Its Own, the author talks about how often, for many women, the secret for lasting weight loss success is owning their new bodies. So if you've dropped some weight, and yet still see yourself as overweight, you're more likely to regain the pounds.

Can Calcium - and a Chair - Strengthen Our Bones?

Absolutely, even for post-menopausal women whose bones have become so fragile they can fracture easily. Until recently, bone weakening caused by osteoporosis was assumed to be 1) irreversible without medication 2) a part of the aging process, and 3) a condition that only affected very old people. But all three assumptions are false.

Bone fragility can be reversed – and without medication. In a remarkable study, women in their eighties actually increased bone-mineral content significantly by sitting in chairs and doing simple exercises thirty minutes a day, three times a week. The exercises increased the flow of blood and filled the bones with fresh supplies of calcium.