Caring For Someone With Depression

Depression is a mental disorder characterized by sadness, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, low energy and poor concentration. 

Depression affects people of any gender, age or background, it affects over 120 million people worldwide and is a leading cause of disability.

Depression can become chronic affecting the person's ability to take care of himself or to do everyday chores.

Depression can lead to loss of employment and relationships with family and friends.

If your loved one is suffering from depression there are things you can do to help and make them feel.
 better. 

The loved one will need support, but support is more than a shoulder to cry on.

If you are a care giver,  you must realize that treatment is important.
 
Here are some ways to go about giving your help.

• Get active in their care- If you are a care giver , get active in their care.
• Talk about it- let them know you care
• Stay in contact-Call, visit or involve them
• Focus on small goals- Praise their small achievements
• Keep informed
• Give them help to get to and from appointments
• Encourage and remind them to take medication
• Remind them to keep doctor's appointment

This article is about many ways you can help a family member or loved one who is suffering from depression.
View the ways and read about each in more detail, they are in slide format.

Controlling Cholesterol Level With Diabetes

 There are two types of cholesterol:

1. Bad, also called LDL
2. Good, also called HDL

Adults with type 1 & 2 diabetes are at risk for heart disease and strokes even if their cholesterol level is normal. The risk is; however,  greater if the LDL cholesterol is high. 

The goal  for diabetics is to lower the bad or LDL cholesterol because it increases the risks of cardiovascular disease. The good cholesterol reduces the risks of these diseases, so increasing it will contribute to a healthy LDL: HDL ratio.

Diabetics should have their cholesterol tested every 1-3 years. if they are taking cholesterol medication it may be more often.

You can control your cholesterol  with  healthy eating, being physically active and maintaining a healthy weight. These can all be combined and  done at home with self care.



 There is also cholesterol testing  that can be done at home.

Unhealthy eating, physical inactivity and overweight are avoidable health risk factors that can be eliminated without cost.
 
Healthy Eating

• Choose food with little or no cholesterol-Aim for less than 200mg per day
• Choose food with little Saturated Fat
• Choose food with no Trans Fat
• Choose food high in fibre- Aim for 25g per day or more

Physical Activity-Thirty minutes of physical activity per day or 150 minutes per week is recommended.
Walking is a simple way to keep active and to get the recommended physical activity.

Weight Control- Maintaining a health body weight is important, this can be accomplished by combining physical activity with healthy eating and by eating wisely (not overeating or binging).

Assessment of your body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference can help you develop a healthy body weight plan.  These two measurements are used by experts and are highly recommended.

There are online health programs that teach people to self-care at home to manage diseases like diabetes. Even with no medical coverage people every where can learn to take control and improve their health.

Click here for details of a Free program that can help you self-care at home and develop healthy habits.

Nutrition And The Food Groups

Proper nutrition is about healthy eating, for healthy eating food is classified into four groups. The four food groups are essential to a balance diet, but they are not equal in value.

The four groups are shown in the picture below. Can you identify them?

The four food groups in order of importance are:

1. Vegetables & Fruit
2. Grain Products
3. Milk and Milk Alternatives
4. Meat & Meat alternatives 

To maintain a healthy lifestyle and a healthy weight, it is important that the right amount of food from each group is consumed daily. The amount we need is measured by the number of servings and the size of a serving.  

Although the size of a serving is the same for everyone, the number of servings we require is based on age and gender. The number of servings we need also varies from one food group to another.

The daily food intake for overweight and obese people is the same as for everyone. With the daily recommended exercise overweight people can control weight gain.

It is essential that we eat foods from all four groups and not eliminate any from our diet. The most important group is 'Vegetables & Fruit, the second most important is 'Grain Products.' These two groups provide most of our essential nutrients.

Milk and Meat Products are the next two groups, they are associated with caution when choosing them.  They are both associated with saturated fat, for this there is a limit on  how much should be eaten and which ones should be avoided. Too much animal meat is linked to cancer, for this it is wise to eat no more than is recommended.  legumes, beans and lentils are excellent alternatives to animal meat and can be eaten without restriction.

Diabetes in Childen and Adolescents

Type 1 diabetes is a disease which occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar. The disease was previously called juvenile diabetes.

Due to  deficient insulin production, children with Type1 diabetes require daily administration of insulin.
Type 1 diabetes affects children of all ages, but the poorest are hit the hardest.  Unfortunately there is no known way to prevent it.  Here are some facts:

• More than 200 children develop type 1 diabetes daily.
• 700,000 children annually under the age of 15
• 50% of children develop complications 12 years after diagnosis
• Over 50% of type 2 diabetes can be prevented
• Children die because they cannot get medication
• Children with diabetes can live full productive lives.

Due to deficient insulin production, children with Type1 diabetes require daily administration of insulin.
Warning signs:

• Urinary frequency
• Excessive thirst
• Increased hunger
• Weight loss
• Tiredness
• Lack of interest and concentration
• Blurred vision
• Vomiting
• Stomach pain

Promoting a health lifestyle will prevent them from developing type 2 diabetes. This includes:

1. Maintaining a healthy weight
2. Keeping physically active
3. Developing a healthy eating pattern
4. Avoiding exposure to second hand smoke

These children cannot afford to be overweight. They need to adopt healthy eating habits. Parents can help by setting an example and by preparing nutritious healthy meals.

Health agencies can help by supporting and funding Initiatives to reduce incidents of diabetic ketoacidosis, this will reduce the number of deaths.