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Category Archives: MENTAL HEALTH

Mental health of a child


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YOGA FOR TRIMMING FAT

There are small variations in the way yogis do this sequence, but the most important thing is the synchronization of the motion of your breath with the movement of your body. Basically, all upward movements are coupled with inhalation, and downward movements with exhalation.

1. MOUNTAIN POSE

Start in Mountain pose: stand up tall, feet together or a little apart, arms at your sides. Place your palms together in a prayer position, roll your shoulders back and down and lift your chest.

2. INHALE

Inhale through your nose and extend your arms above and behind your head.

3. SWAN DIVE

Swan dive into a standing forward bend, exhaling through your nose and placing your hands on your legs as close to your feet as you can. Bend your knees a little if your hamstrings are tight, to protect your back.

4. HALF STANDING FORWARD BEND

Inhale and lengthen your spine forward into a Half Standing Forward Bend, with your fingertips on the floor and gaze focused ahead.

5. PLANK POSE

Exhale and step, or lightly hop, your feet behind you to get into a Plank pose, arms straight underneath your shoulders and legs straight behind you. Your back should be flat and your core engaged. Hold for a second, then, in a snake-like movement, lower yourself towards the floor. Then lower your chest and chin to the floor, keeping your elbows close to the sides of your ribcage, and flatten your feet to the floor.

6. COBRA POSE

Inhale as you push down with your arms and raise your head, shoulders and upper body as far as you can without straining. This is the Cobra pose. Look upwards, roll shoulders back and down and keep elbows in. Firm up your kneecaps and thighs to prevent them lifting off the mat.

7. DOWNWARD FACING DOG

Exhale into Downward Facing Dog; walk hands forward and slightly farther apart than shoulder width, and spread fingers wide for stability. Then curl toes under and press your hips upwards so your body is in the shape of a triangle, with your bottom as the apex. Make sure your neck and shoulders are released and relaxed. If your hamstrings are tight, keep your knees slightly bent. Take five deep breaths.

8. FORWARD BEND

Inhale, step forward one foot and then the other between the hands, looking ahead. Then exhale into a forward bend.

9. INHALE

Inhale and come up, arms above and behind head.

10. STANDING POSE

Lower arms into original standing pose.


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NEWS: SUICIDE LINKED TO POLLUTION

Findings: Suicide is the 10th-leading cause of death in the United States; At least 90 percent of people who die by suicide have a diagnosable mental disorder, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP).

Suicide may be linked to air pollution, according to new research that finds spikes in completed suicides in the days following peak pollution levels. Though the notion that suicide and air quality could be linked may not seem intuitive, similar studies in South Korea, Taiwan and Canada have also linked the two. It has long been recognized that deaths by suicide peak in the springtime months, which could be a result of social factors. However, a small but growing body of evidence suggests that physical inflammation might also be to blame.


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WHY IS YOGA THE BEST ANTIDOTE FOR MODERN DAY AILMENTS

Yoga had been tried by about 1.7 million children in 2012, representing an increase of about 400,000 since 2007.

21 million American adults now say they’ve tried yoga in the past year.

Increasingly, people are recognizing integrative medicine’s value, and that we’re not so much involved in something that is way out there, but rather that we’re often on the forefront of researching and understanding how the body really works.


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LATEST RESEARCH NOTE ON ADHD

STUDY: A study published in PLoS One by researchers at Columbia University’s Center for Children’s Environmental Health found that children exposed to high levels of air pollution during pregnancy were five times more likely to have ADHD by age 9.

DETAILS: The researchers measured levels of a common pollutant called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or PAHs. PAHs are a group of chemicals that are used in making dyes, plastics, pesticides and even medicines and in modern life they are pretty much unavoidable. The EPA has classified seven PAH compounds as probable human carcinogens: benzanthracene, benzopyrene, benzo fluoranthene, benzo fluoranthene, chrysene, dibenzanthracene, and indenopyrene.

The Center for Children’s Environmental Health reports studies that demonstrate that exposure to PAH pollution during pregnancy is related to adverse birth outcomes including low birth weight, premature delivery, and heart malformations. Also higher levels of PAH is associated with a 24% higher score of anxiety or depression for children ages six to seven than those with low exposure levels.

Suggestions:

a) Avoid regions with high air pollution

b) Some studies suggest that children with ADHD may have lower levels of zinc in their body. And some scientists have reported improved symptoms in children with ADHD who took zinc supplements along with traditional ADHD treatment.

c) There is some evidence that fish oil with high Omega-3 can help improve ADHD symptoms.

d) Scientific research on ADHD diets is limited and results are mixed. Some believe that including beans, cheese, eggs, meat, and nuts is good. Add protein foods in the morning and for after-school snacks, to improve concentration and possibly increase the time ADHD medications work. Include vegetables and some fruits (including oranges, tangerines, pears, grapefruit, apples, and kiwi).

Source: PLOS, Wikipedia, WebMD others