Teen went blind after eating only Pringles, fries, ham and sausage: case study

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Optimists live around 15% longer, results from a 70,000 person study says.

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Microplastics turning up in human stool

Microplastics turning up in human stool
Reuters: Health
(Reuters Health) - Tiny bits of plastic may be getting into our bodies via the air we breathe and the food we eat, a new study suggests.

Tuberculosis rates down in most U.S. children, but still high in some groups

Tuberculosis rates down in most U.S. children, but still high in some groups
Reuters: Health
(Reuters Health) - Over the past decade, the number of children and teens in the U.S diagnosed with tuberculosis has decreased by nearly half, according to a new study.

After heart attack stenting, coming back to open other narrowed arteries pays off - study

After heart attack stenting, coming back to open other narrowed arteries pays off - study
Reuters: Health
A new study offers some advice for doctors poking around the heart to reopen a clogged artery that has caused one type of heart attack: Come back again to finish the job.

5 Mental Health ‘To Dos’ Parents Need to Add to Their Back-To-School Checklist

As a parent of two, I live by a checklist during the back-to-school season. One, because I enjoy checking items off the list, and two, because I know in order to make my children feel secure in the new academic year I need to ensure they have the tools to prevail with confidence. To successfully do this, there are some key items not related to school supplies or bus routes that parents should consider including on their annual checklist. 

If you are like me, every year you make sure your children get their “back to school sports physical.” This is a necessity and is probably at the top of your to-do list — but have you given much thought to your child’s mental health and it’s prevalence during the back-to-school season?

Back-to-school is a time when many parents become increasingly concerned about cyberbullying, suicidality, self-harm, and substance use. Whether you’re preparing for your first back-to-school season or sending your child off to college, here are the five items I recommend adding to your back-to-school checklist in regards to mental health: 

1. Get to know the early signs of distress.

Back-to-school time is a season of change, and it’s important to understand that each child handles it differently. Even with plenty of preparation and support, some children can struggle with transitioning into a new grade, school, sports team, or even friend group. Parents can help their children manage this stressful period by monitoring for any changes in mood, sleep patterns or interest of being isolated from others. An example of an early sign of distress is when children pretend to be sick to stay home, especially when it becomes repetitive.

With older children, to avoid potentially negative coping mechanisms such as substance use, it’s recommended that parents communicate regularly with their teens and encourage healthy alternatives to managing stress such as exercising, eating nutritious meals, sleeping the appropriate amount of hours for their age, connecting with positive social groups and reflecting these coping mechanisms in their own actions.

2. Become familiar with the symptoms of common mental health conditions.

Some general symptoms of the most common mental health conditions in youth — anxiety disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and depression — include poor school performance or a decline in school performance, persistent boredom, frequent physical ailments such as headaches, stomachaches, sleep issues, signs of regression like bed wetting, and even aggressive behaviors. If you notice that your child is experiencing any of these symptoms, it’s recommended to talk about it with a licensed provider to get a formal evaluation. For more information on recognizing common symptoms, I recommend Mental Health America’s Back-to-School Toolkit.

3. Learn how to talk with your child about mental health.

One of the most important things you can do as a parent is to gain an understanding of how to talk with your child about mental health, including substance use. To make these conversations a familiar practice in your family, it’s key to make sure your child understands that you will support them through every step.

Talk about mental health the same way you would talk about physical health. A technique I have used over the years is to ask my child to share at least one “high and low” aspect about their day. This gets the conversation started. To build trust around these potentially difficult conversations, parents should make every effort to express care and speak from a place of empathy. It’s recommended you use general language — or language not associated with a particular disorder — such as “I am worried about you”, “I am here for you”, or “Can we talk about what is going on with you?” This type of language will encourage your child to feel comfortable sharing the feelings they are currently experiencing.

4. Further your understanding of bullying.

It is very common for youth to feel ashamed or embarrassed when they are being bullied, meaning they are less likely to share with you what they are experiencing. This is why it’s important to not only make sure your child knows the lines of communication are always open, but to also understand the different forms bullying can take, such as inappropriate jokes, teasing, and even physical violence.

While there’s not anyway to prevent bullying, you can work with your child to create a proactive plan to approach the situation if it ever is needed. The plan can include steps to resolve the situation based on the severity of bullying and assignments to the person in charge of accomplishing the task, potentially yourself or the child. An important note is to not promise to keep the bullying a secret if it were to happen, as adult intervention by a parent or teacher is almost always needed. Familiarize yourself with the basics on bullying:

Bullying can have long-term psychological and psycho-social impact on both the offender and the victim, which is why early intervention is so important. When it comes to the mental health of victims, there is a clear link between bullying and depression, and bullying and substance use. Offenders are also at increased risk of substance use and of becoming involved with the juvenile justice system. To learn more about how to deal with bullies and develop a healthy relationship between a parent and teacher, check out PsychCentral’s Back to School Mental Health Guide.

5. Proactively find resources on mental health conditions and substance use.

Don’t wait until you’re concerned to find reliable and accurate resources. Right now is the perfect time to begin looking for resources that can help you navigate mental health conversations, as well as be an advocate for your child and others. By doing this proactively it allows you to begin making mental health a normal part of everyday conversation in your family, just as physical health is. 

At Psych Hub, our online education library provides over 100 short, free videos on mental health, substance use, and suicide prevention with an entire library dedicated to youth topics.

Overcoming Life’s Obstacles With Primal Living

It’s Monday, everyone! And that means another Primal Blueprint Real Life Story from a Mark’s Daily Apple reader. If you have your own success story and would like to share it with me and the Mark’s Daily Apple community please contact me here. I’ll continue to publish these each Monday as long as they keep coming in. Thank you for reading!

Yup, success stories are back! And I’m looking for more. Follow-ups, mid-progress reflections—every story at every stage has the potential to inspire folks out there who are getting started or contemplating a new beginning. Contact me here to share your story. You never know who you’ll impact by doing it. Enjoy, everybody!

One of my greatest passions since early adulthood has been health and fitness. Yet, I can honestly say that my health has had its fair share of ups and downs over the last 35 years.

My generation played outside…we didn’t have computers back then. I participated in sports, I was very active, and I was lean and strong. My work was also very physical, so I stayed fit until my early 30s. A progressive shoulder injury ultimately led me to a sales career. I then discovered a hidden talent: the ability to pack on weight…60 pounds in less than 3 months. This also led to foot, ankle, knee, hip and lower back issues.

In 2002, I became a personal trainer. In 2003, I also started coaching. In the beginning of my career, I took my clients through brutal workouts, but over time I switched to workouts designed to alleviate pain and correct muscular and skeletal imbalances.

In 2009, I discovered The Primal Blueprint. This was the greatest health and fitness concept I’d ever come across, and it took my health and fitness to an entirely new level.

At the time the Paleo/Primal diet flew in the face of conventional wisdom. Ten years later, it’s practically mainstream…because it made perfect sense and because it flat out works! Over the next 5 years, my strength and energy levels increased as the body fat decreased. Life was good.

And then suddenly, it wasn’t.

From June 2014 – May 2015, I was crushed by some major life challenges. As a result, I suffered from depression and emotional eating and drinking. I had officially hit rock bottom! By May 2015, I had lost most of my strength gains and a lot of muscle mass, but I had ballooned up to 220 pounds. At this point I had enough. I needed a change. I needed to start over.

In July 2015, I moved to Portland, Oregon, which proved to be one of the best things I had ever done. I started working out again, and I became extremely active. I was back on track!

I found myself adhering more and more to the Primal Blueprint Laws once again. After going Primal again, by November 2016, I had lost 90 pounds of body fat, and I added back some muscle. For the first time in my life I had 6-pack abs…at the age of 53! And I’ve kept it off!

In the fall of 2017, I discovered Primal Health Coach Certification program. I was officially certified in early 2018. Since I already had a fitness background, this was an absolute no-brainer for me! The Primal lifestyle changed my life, and I decided to make it my mission to help others as well. I’ve overcome many obstacles: physical issues, chronic pain, rapid weight gain, depression, emotional eating, food addiction and alcoholism.

Since receiving my certification…

What I have learned through the Primal Health Coaching program has allowed me to serve all types of clients, with different needs, at a higher level than I ever dreamed possible. Since graduating, I’ve been building my health coaching business, creating my website, posting on social media and reaching out to friends, family and past clients for referrals. But the best thing I’ve done is to network with a local chiropractor. One of my areas of expertise is pain reduction, so this was a great fit for both of us.

— Rick Stype, PHC

The post Overcoming Life’s Obstacles With Primal Living appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple.