Your Health
By Christine Evans
Eat to Improve Your Mood
Feeling blue? Pop a piece of
chocolate in your mouth and turn
your mood around.
While chocolate’s mood-boosting
abilities can be overstated – think
of the movies you have seen where
a woman eats an entire box of
chocolates and quickly recovers
from a broken heart – the
physiological benefits of chocolate
and other foods are well
documented.
Chocolate releases
endorphins, a natural stress
reliever, throughout the body. It’s
also rich in tryptophan, an
essential amino acid which is
connected to the production of
serotonin, long-believed to be a
mood regulator and the primary
chemical found in many
antidepressants. But, what if you
want to boost your mood but
don’t want the calories associated
with chocolate?
Try some of these other mood-lifting foods:
Milk – Even low-fat and nonfat
milk contain Vitamin D,
which has been used to treat
people suffering from Seasonal
Affective Disorder (SAD).
Whole grain rice or pasta –
Boosts serotonin levels and,
because your stomach will feel full
for a longer period of time, you’ll
theoretically be happier.
Broccoli – Rich in stressrelieving
B vitamins as well as
folic acid, which has a positive
impact on mood disorders.
Bananas – High in
potassium, which helps soothe
feelings of anxiety, irritability and
stress.
Blueberries – Full of vitamin
C, which promotes a healthy
immune system and is a stressfighter.
Omega 3 fatty acids – Found
in fish such as salmon, tuna,
halibut, mackerel and trout, as
well as in many nut oils. This
substance helps nerve cells
communicate with one another,
which is vital for maintaining
good mental health.
A Bad Night’s Sleep or a Sleep Disorder?
With the switch to daylight
savings time earlier this month,
you might be feeling extra groggy
in the morning as your body
adjusts to an hour less sleep at
night. But how do you know if
your bad night’s sleep is an
occasional annoyance or a moreserious
sleep disorder?
Carol O’Korn, lead sleep
technologist at The Washington
Hospital’s Sleep Center, contends
that some of the signs of a
possible sleep disorder include:
• Daytime irritability or
sleepiness
• Difficulty staying awake when
sitting still, such as when
watching TV or reading
• Falling asleep sometimes
while driving
• Difficulty paying attention or
concentrating at work, school, or
home
• Performing below your
potential in work, school, or at
sports
• Often get told by others that
you look tired
• Memory difficulties
• Slower reactions
• Emotional outbursts
• The urge to take a nap almost
every day
• Increase in caffeinated
beverages consumption
“Often it’s the person’s spouse
or significant other who will first
suspect a sleep disorder,” Ms.
O’Korn, a registered therapist and
sleep technologist, suggests. “The
snoring continually keeps them
awake and they urge their partners
to get help.”
Snoring is a common
symptom of obstructive sleep
apnea – a disorder that briefly and
repeatedly interrupts a person’s
breathing during the sleep cycle.
Those who suffer with sleep apnea
will often feel tired during the day
and may actually find themselves
dozing off in potentially dangerous
situations, such as when driving or
operating machinery.
Because of the breathing and
sleep disturbances, sleep apnea can
also cause memory and mood
problems as well as being a
precursor to hypertension and
heart disease.
Ms. O’Korn says Restless
Legs Syndrome (RLS) is another
common sleep disorder that has
received much publicity lately
because of the increased
advertising of new prescription
medications. RLS is a disorder
that is characterized by an
overwhelming urge to move the
legs when they are at rest. Since
the symptoms are most severe in
the evening and nighttime, sleep
is usually disrupted.
Insomnia, which is the most
frequent sleep complaint of most
Americans, is the inability to fall
asleep, remain asleep, or waking
up not feeling restored or
refreshed. Insomnia is considered
chronic if it occurs for a month or
more.
For a sleep disorder diagnosis,
most physicians will prescribe a
sleep study. At The Washington
Hospital’s Sleep Center located at
the W.R. Cameron Wellness
Center, there are four rooms that
operate seven nights a week. The
Sleep Center is accredited by the
American Academy of Sleep
Medicine.
Do You Know the Signs?
According to a recent study
conducted in 14 states by the
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), a high
number of adults don’t recognize
the warning signs and symptoms
of a heart attack.
Because half of all heart
attack victims die within an hour
of experiencing the first
symptoms and before they reach
the hospital, the recognition of
heart attack warning signs
followed by immediate action are
crucial to survival.
The warning signs and
symptoms of a heart attack
include:
• Chest discomfort. Most heart
attacks involve discomfort in
the center of the chest that lasts
for more than a few minutes,
or goes away and comes back.
The discomfort can feel like
uncomfortable pressure,
squeezing, fullness, or pain.
• Discomfort in other areas
of the upper body. This can
include pain or discomfort in one
or both arms, the back, neck, jaw,
or stomach.
• Shortness of breath. This
often comes along with chest
discomfort. But it also can occur
before chest discomfort.
Other symptoms. These
may include breaking out in a
cold sweat or feeling nausea or
light–headedness.
If you think that you or
someone you know is having a
heart attack, you should call
9–1–1 immediately.
Cancer Care Commendation
The Washington Hospital’ cancer
program has received a Three-
Year Approval Commendation
from the Commission on Cancer
(CoC) of the American College of
Surgeons (ACOS).
The Washington Hospital is
one of more than 1,400 CoCapproved
cancer programs in the
United States and Puerto Rico.
Receiving care at a CoCapproved
cancer program ensures
that the patient will receive:
• Comprehensive care,
including a range of state-of-theart
services and equipment
• A multidisciplinary, team
approach to coordinate the best
treatment options
• Information about ongoing
clinical trials and new treatment
options
• Access to cancer-related
information, education and
support
• Cancer registry that collects
data on type and stage of cancers
and treatment results and offers
lifelong patient follow-up,
ongoing monitoring and
improvement of care.
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Hurdling to Victory
