Category Archives: Whole Person Health

Your Health and Your Relationships

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Recently, I attended a grief support group for adults who have experienced a significant loss over the past year. All the attendees were at various stages of grief and loss, from a wide range of life altering experiences. What became clear from listening to the many shared stories was in the end, that the loss of their significant relationship was devastating, no matter how much success in other parts of their lives they had experienced.

Many of the attendees had excellent incomes, owned high end homes and lived what would be called abundant, successful lives. But what each of them discovered through the sudden loss of a spouse or family member, or through an unexpected divorce, is that Freud hit the nail on the head when he coined "we are never so hopelessly unhappy as when we lose love."

When it comes to our health, we often do not connect how imperative the experience of loving, being loved and belonging are to our overall well being and immune function. Leaving the support meeting, it felt important that from time to time we remind ourselves about what really matters in our lives, as our health and our relationships are intimately intertwined.

Many of the attendees also suffer from chronic headaches, fibromyalgia, asthma, irritable bowel syndrome or ulcers. All of these conditions can be traced back to the stress they experience from the loss and subsequent grief that comes from the loss of our significant relationship.

Do something good for your self today, and for those you are in relationship with. Take a moment of gratitude for the gift of family, friends, spouse, partner, peers who enrich your life and keep you healthy.

Without the gift of sharing love, our lives and our health suffer.

With all good wishes,
Georgianna
© G. Donadio 2012 All rights reserved

Relationships as Nourishment

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We don't often think of relationships as nutrient, but indeed they are. Freud made a statement about the power of love and relationships and their importance to our happiness when he said: "We are never so hopelessly unhappy as when we lose love."

Freud knew something from his experience about the human condition from his many years treating patients who experienced difficult, unfulfilling and loveless relationships. We often forget that those who love us and those we love fulfill our basic human need to be known, valued and wanted. All healthy human beings want to be valued and experience being cared for, treated respectfully and receive affection from those we care about.

As an older adult who, like Freud, has seen the ravages of loves loss, I have come to appreciate and cherish those in my life who fulfill my need to be valued and wanted – my need to be loved.

It is important for each of us to remember that no one is perfect and that if we expect perfection in love we will surely be disappointed. One of the gifts of age and experience is the relief of realizing that each act of love we give from our imperfect self to another and the love given to us by imperfect others, is the most important wealth we possess.

At the end of the day, when all else is stilled and the distractions of work, ambition, success and achievement are put aside, it is those we "go home to" and the nourishment they provide us that is our real treasure.

May we take a moment each day to appreciate how profound a blessing the gift of love is in our lives.

With all good wishes,
Georgianna
Copyright 2012 G. Donadio

Creating Successful Relationships

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Recently we embarked on a "relationships blog tour". I would like to share with you several of the blogs that were posted about Relationships and about the book "Changing Relationships". Here is what "A Young Man Speaks" wrote about the subject:

by Conor MacCormack

Nothing is more critical to our health than our relationships and nothing is more critical to our relationships than how we communicate. How often have you had a difficult discussion with someone that didn't go as you intended or left a meeting with an important person in your life unsatisfied?

To change these experiences, the answer lies in having the right communication skills and tools that enable us to respond appropriately in a way that is positive for both us, and the other person. These same tools can transform how we behave in relationships and have been shown to lead to more successful and more fulfilling relationships.

A study at Brigim Young University factoring in 148 studies involving over 300,000 subjects concluded that friends and social relationships, in addition to enhancing our health also appear to enhance our longevity.

Behavior change can seem scary or complicated. If the payoff however, is big enough in terms of your own personal health and your loved ones overall well-being, wouldn't the time and energy you put into changing your behavior be worth the reward?

The subject of how to successfully change our behaviors is something that has been widely studied and researched for decades. Most of the resulting models of behavior change, however, have not been successful in creating lasting change. Until now.  A bestselling, award winning book, Changing Behavior: Immediately Transform Your Relationships with Easy to Learn, Proven Communication Skills, by medical educator and researcher, Dr. Georgianna Donadio, focuses provides easy to learn and proven skills that any of us can apply to all types of relationships to create more successful outcomes.

Dr Donadio’s book offers 12 steps to immediately changing how you relate to others and how they relate to you.  Step one begins with recognizing that 50% of the time 90% of us are not focused or paying attention to the conversations – according to a recent Harvard study. When we are with another person our full attention should be on them and not on their inner dialogue about what they are thinking or what they want to say next. Closed body language, looking at our watch, playing with our hair and so forth, send the message that we are not paying attention and that we not interested in what the other person has to say.

As we all want to be valued and know what it feels like to have someone not pay attention to us, when we shift our focus from ourselves to paying attention to the person we are with, the conversation and relationship flourish. Step Two is understanding that holding soft, non-judgmental eye contact with someone communicates that you are fully present to them and also stimulates the limbic portion of the brain to produce oxytocin, the neurotransmitter hormone connected to trust and love.

The book goes on to discuss all 20 dimension and 12 steps to creating fulfilling and successful relationships for yourself and the individuals you communicate with. For more information you can visit www.changingbehavior.org for a free download excerpt from the book.

Take Two Tylenol, Call Me in the Morning

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Here is a very interesting bit of research. Although I have shared this information on a national blog I write for, the information was so interesting that I wanted to share it again, here with you.

Last year there was a study conducted at the University of Kentucky, College of Arts and Sciences, that was examining the connection and possible overlap between physical pain and emotional pain. This particular study had 62 participants who were filling out the “Hurt Feeling Scale”, a self-assessment tool which measures an individual’s reaction to distressing experiences. In addition, the study was using doses of the active ingredient in Tylenol, acetaminophen, as art of its protocol.

The researchers separated the study volunteers into two groups. The first group, after filling out their self-assessment tools, were given 1,000 mg of the acetaminophen. This is a dose that is equal to one Extra Strength Tylenol. The control group however, received a placebo  instead of the acetaminophen.

The finding from this study showed that the control group without the acetaminphen, after three weeks, did not experience any change in the amount of intensity of "hurt" feeling during the three week period. However, the group that did receive the active ingredient reported a noticeable reduction of "hurt" feelings on a regular, day-today basis.

The outcomes were so interesting that the researchers started a second study cohort group of 25 different volunteers, but this time upped the amount of acetaminophen to 2,000 mg daily and added computer games that were designed to create social rejection and a feeling of isolation in the participants. Also new to the study was MRI scanning which were able to identify when the participants had feelings of social rejection occur.

Now here is the "gold" of this research – the outcomes demonstrated that the area of the brain where emotional discomfort is felt is the same location that the physical pain is experienced in. This would explain why the group that was taking the acetaminophen, while having not physical pain, reported less feelings of hurt and rejection than the group that was not taking the acetaminophen but rather a placebo substance.

Geoff MacDonald, PhD, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Toronto who is an expert in romantic relationships, co-authored this study. MacDonald states that our brain pain centers cannot tell the difference between physical pain and emotional pain.
So, while Tylenol is not recommended to be used routinely as it can lead to liver and digestive system disturbances, knowing that it can take away the pain of a broken heart, it may soon be that our therapists as well as our physicians will recommendation that we “take two Tylenol and call me in the morning” for heartache as well as for headache!

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/227298.php http://web.psych.utoronto.ca/gmacdonald/Research%20Interests.html

With all good wishes,
Georgianna

Copyright 2012, G. Donadio All Rights Reserved

Tylenol for a Broken Heart?

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Here is a very interesting bit of research. Although I have shared this information on a national blog I write for, the information was so interesting that I wanted to share it again, here with you.

Last year there was a study conducted at the University of Kentucky, College of Arts and Sciences, that was examining the connection and possible overlap between physical pain and emotional pain. This particular study had 62 participants who were filling out the “Hurt Feeling Scale”, a self-assessment tool which measures an individual’s reaction to distressing experiences. In addition, the study was using doses of the active ingredient in Tylenol, acetaminophen, as art of its protocol. 

The researchers separated the study volunteers into two groups. The first group, after filling out their self-assessment tools, were given 1,000 mg of the acetaminophen. This is a dose that is equal to one Extra Strength Tylenol. The control group however, received a placebo  instead of the acetaminophen.

The finding from this study showed that the control group without the acetaminphen, after three weeks, did not experience any change in the amount of intensity of "hurt" feeling during the three week period. However, the group that did receive the active ingredient reported a noticeable reduction of "hurt" feelings on a regular, day-today basis.

The outcomes were so interesting that the researchers started a second study cohort group of 25 different volunteers, but this time upped the amount of acetaminophen to 2,000 mg daily and added computer games that were designed to create social rejection and a feeling of isolation in the participants. Also new to the study was MRI scanning which were able to identify when the participants had feelings of social rejection occur.

Now here is the "gold" of this research – the outcomes demonstrated that the area of the brain where emotional discomfort is felt is the same location that the physical pain is experienced in. This would explain why the group that was taking the acetaminophen, while having not physical pain, reported less feelings of hurt and rejection than the group that was not taking the acetaminophen but rather a placebo substance.

Geoff MacDonald, PhD, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Toronto who is an expert in romantic relationships, co-authored this study. MacDonald states that our brain pain centers cannot tell the difference between physical pain and emotional pain.
So, while Tylenol is not recommended to be used routinely as it can lead to liver and digestive system disturbances, knowing that it can take away the pain of a broken heart, it may soon be that our therapists as well as our physicians will recommendation that we “take two Tylenol and call me in the morning” for heartache as well as for headache!

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/227298.php http://web.psych.utoronto.ca/gmacdonald/Research%20Interests.html

With all good wishes,
Georgianna

Copyright 2011, G. Donadio All Rights Reserved

Brain Function and Relationships

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A fascinating article appeared on WebMD, that discusses a new study from Stony Brook University, in New York, (which I attended the first two years of my under graduate program) that examines through MRI studies whether couples can still be very much in love after spending many married years together and if they could experience the same intense romantic feelings as those couples who do when they have first fallen in love.

The scientists at Stony Brook took MRI images of long-term married couples and compared the images to couples who had recently fallen in love. By scanning the brains of married individuals who stated that they still felt very much in love with their wife/husband after over an average of 21 years together, the scientists were able to compare these images in specific parts of the brain that function and respond to love.

The way this was achieved was by showing the subject photos of the beloved as well as close friends and strangers. The brain activity was being measured while the subject was viewing the images. Then the researchers compared the imaging results that used the same scanning methods on men and women who in the past year had reported recently falling in love.
 
The scans showed “many very clear similarities between those who were in love long-term and those who had just fallen madly in love,” Arthur Aron, PhD, of Stony Brook’s department of psychology, says in a news release. He went on to also say that “the dopomine region of the brain – the ventral tegmental area “showed greater response to images of a long-term partner when compared with images of a close friend or any of the other facial images,” Aron says. Dopomine is a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure.

The researchers are hoping that the study might be able to provide or demonstrate how or why some couples can stay in love over long periods of time. It appears from this study that these MRI scans indicate in both cohort groups activity in the brain regions that are wired for reward, motivation, and desire.

Aron is looking into the possibility of using the study outcomes to assist soldiers returning from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to save their marriages. There is an unusually high level of divorce amongst deployed US military.

With all good wishes,
Georgianna
Copyright 2011 G. Donadio

Winter’s Effect on Health

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For those suffering from chronic health conditions, the winter can usher in an unwelcome increase in their symptoms. Asthma, arthritis, SAD (Seasonal Adaptation Disorder), COPD (Congestive Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), extreme dry skin problems can all become part of the winter landscape.

The cold weather lowers humidity and encourages an increase in dry, itchy and scaling skin that can be unsightly as well as uncomfortable. As we do not generally sweat in the winter as we do in warmer weather, our body does not produce the natural oils and secretions necessary to keep the skin moist, smooth and healthy.

Conditions that affect the lungs, such as asthma, can be greatly affected by cold air, as the cold causes an increase in mucous secretions and the release of histamines which can lead to wheezing and the onset of an asthmatic episode. Because of the affect cold has on mucous membranes, bloody noses can also be more frequent during the cold winter months.

When the winter weather causes cold air to be processed through our nasal passages, the mucous membranes thicken. This thickening can cause blood to rush to the nose resulting in breakthrough nasal bleeding or bloody nose. Increased blood flow to the nose is also the reason we get red noses in the winter time.

For individuals who suffer from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease the winter cold can become a major challenge, as the cold air stimulates histamine which can decrease an individual’s ability to breathe properly. This can make it difficult for them to get around in the cold weather. For arthritics, as the barometric pressure drops, inflamed joints can become increasingly stiffer and more painful.

For all types of chronic conditions, it is best in the cold weather to:

  • Protect yourself from the winter elements by dressing warmly. The real risk of hypothermia or frostbite for those with chronic disease states should be considered when dressing for outdoors.
  • Schedule necessary outing to minimize cold weather exposure
  • Get enough sleep and drink enough fluids to stay hydrated and help your immune system protect you from virus based illness
  • Eat plenty of vegetables in soups, stews and other nourishing forms
  • Take a daily multi-vitamin to insure you are getting the RDA of required nutrients

    With all good wishes,
    Georgianna

    Copyright 2011 G. Donadio     

Gluten Allergy and Chronic Health Problems

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Since the growth of Internet health information sites, most of us now know about gluten – the culprit in grains that can cause chronic debilitating health issues for those of us who cannot tolerate this indigestible plant protein.

Gluten is a plant protein that is only digestible in the stomachs of rudiments animals. Ruminants, such as cows and goats, have two stomachs that are enzyme rich and contain the specific enzymes necessary to digest the outside protective layer of plants known as cellulose, and then breakdown, absorb and utilize this plant protein metabolically.  

Humans do not possess the enzymes to break down plant cellulose. For us, cellulose is fiber or roughage that passes through our body without benefit as a nutrient. Many individuals are highly sensitive to gluten, where others have a greater tolerance and ability ro remove it from their system and not have serious consequences or impact on their immune system.

In many cases obesity and chronic disease states are the silent symptoms of this often unrecognized food allergy, that for many acts as a systemic poison once ingested.

Over the past 25 years much research has been done on gluten allergies. Here is a brief list of the types of chronic conditions
gluten allergy can contribute to:

  • Stomach pain and digestive disturbances 
  • Attention Deficient Disorder 
  • Crohn’s disease and other bowel disorders
  • Nervous conditions and anxiety
  • Fatigue
  • Migraines and headaches
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Reproductive disorders and infertility
  • Dizziness
  • Arthritis and joint pain 
  • Immune disorders and infections
  • Poor wound healing

The popular low carbohydrate diets have demonstrated the impact gluten has on weight gain and weight control. Often simply by eliminating gluten foods for a period of three (3) months, individuals see a remarkable and dramatic change in their chronic health condition as well as their body mass.

While not everyone is so sensitive to gluten that they must follow a gluten-grain free diet, it should be noted that not eating grains does not eliminate any important nutrient from your diet that you cannot get from other foods such as vegetables, nuts, beans, seeds and so forth. If humans never ate grains again we would be all the better for it.

Part II – How and why human added grains to our human dietWith all good wishes,
Georgianna

Copyright 2011 G. Donadio

Holistic and Organic Holiday Gifts

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There are folks today who prefer to receive green, natural and organic gifts over the more commerial, expensive and sometimes electronically complex ones. My family and friends now expect to receive such gifts and are actually disappointed if I don’t deliver.

In case you have a smiliar group of friends and family, here are some nice presents you can give that are not only green, and healthy but are also not expensive.

Natural gifts to consider giving this season:

  • Home baked natural or sprouted flour breads and cookies – the gluten free variety is so popular that baking a tin of delicious non-allergic cookies or cakes will make you someones favorite Santa.
  • Handmade Quilts – talk about one of the best handmade gifts to receive and a quilt is high on the list. Quilts are so popular that they are used for raffles at fundraisers and bring in huge piles of raffle revenue. Most handmade quilts also sell for hundreds if not thousand of dollars.
  • Live herb plants – wonderful for growing on window sills and to use in cooking. Aloe Vera is a great plant to keep on hand for any kinds of burns or skin irritations. Simply break off a leaf and rub the healing liquid from the leaf on the burn or irritation.
  • Teas, Tea Pots and all thing related to this welcomed and health-filled brew – a wide variety of healing, soothing and delicious herb teas, in beautiful gift baskets can be found in health food and general grocery stores in the produce section.
  • Coffee grinders – this is a truly coveted gift for the coffee lover. Add a pound of organic free trade coffee to make it the perfect gift.
  • Herbal Candles – everyone enjoys the glow and aroma of a herbal or aromomatic candle. They are beautiful, healthy and sensual.
  • Natural facial or massage gift certificate – treat that hard working friend or relative to a full body or facila massge. With so many natural herbs and wraps to choose from they will want to make a day of it.
  • Pedometer – this handy device can let the user know just how far they have walked through the course of their day or exercise period to assist them in staying on top of their fitness.
  • Wellness baskets with nuts, dried fruits, tea, honey, dark chocolates, mustard, spices or salsa, fruits, veggies drinks and anything else you can imagine make beautiful and festive gifts as well. 

Giving the gifts of health can be as fulfilling as receiving them, so think outside the box this season and surprise friends and family with these helpful and healthful presents.

With all good wishes,
Georgianna
Copyright 2010 G. Donadio

What Your Sleep Position Says About You

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In a BBC report on research linking certain sleeping positions with health risks, British scientists think the sleeping position of an individual provides clues to the true personality of the sleeper as well as revealing health clues.

Professor Chris Idzikowski, director of the Sleep Assessment and Advisory Service analysed six common sleeping positions and believes they are each is linked to a specific personality types. “We are all aware of our body language when we are awake but this is the first time we have been able to see what our subconscious posture says about us” says Professor Idzikowski.

The sleep study identified that most people are unlikely to change their sleeping position during the night. Only 5% of the study participants reported to sleep in a different position on different evenings. Another interesting reveal of the study was that only one in ten individuals cover themselves completely with a blanket. Most people expose a leg, arm or both feet.

Professor Idzikowski also examined the effect of various sleeping positions on health. Some positions are believed to help aid digestion, while other positions are believed to promote snoring and restlessness.

Here are the six common positions, studied by Professor Idzikowski, that his study participants expressed. The study’s findings also related the positions to personality traits and health implications.

  • Fetus position – A majority (41%) of the study participants, with 200% more female than male, sleep in this curled-up position. The personality appointed to this sleeping position is that the sleeper has a tough exterior,  but are shy and sensitive and warm up quickly.
  • Log position – This study identified that 15% of people sleep in this position. Sleeping on your side with both arms down, says that you are a social, easy-going person who is trusting and possibly gullible.
  • Yearner position– The third most popular position, utilized by 13% of the participants, is the side-lying position with both arms out in front of the body. This position is considered to be open-minded and yet cynical. They can be suspicious and stubborn. This position is called “the yearner” position.
  • Soldier position – 8% of the sleepers in this study lie on their back with arms down and close to the body. This position is considered to be that of people who are reserved, quiet, not fussy and hold themselves and others to a high standard. This position has a higher rate of snoring due to the back position.
  • Free fall position – Only 7% of the sleepers lie on their bellies with arms under or wrapped around a pillow  and their head turned to the side. Considered brash, outgoing, and uncomfortable with criticism.
  • Starfish position – Those who lie on their backs with arms near their head or pillow make up the smallest  style of sleepers, with only 5% utilizing this position. Considered good listeners, helpful, and  uncomfortable being the center of attention. Sleeping in the starfish position are likely to suffer from a poor night’s sleep due to snoring.

With all good wishes for a great night’s sleep,
Georgianna