Health Briefs TV Explores Mental Health

Mental health is making the news this week as the UK’s popular Duchess and the US’ First Lady publish online articles to raise awareness of the topic. Health Briefs TV explores some of the issues concerning mental health.

Even talking about mental health in a casual setting can invoke a negative stigma. No one wants to bring the topic up. Yet, millions of people manage every day live with depression, anxiety, nervousness, PTSD, and other afflictions of the brain and mind.  But no one is really talking about it.  Until now.

One in five Americans live with a diagnosable mental health illness today.

Many mental health problems can be treated with medication or therapy. Meditation and yoga are well-known to help calm an anxious mind, and come without the side effects of often prescribed drugs.  People from every background and age group live with depression and anxiety. Young and old, poor or wealthy, Veteran or civilian, executive or staff worker – anyone can battle through the symptoms silently, afraid of others finding out and thinking less of them.  The stigma can be almost as debilitating as the mental illness.

Health Briefs TV asks readers to learn and recognize the five signs of someone struggling through a mental health problem. If any of these signs are familiar, talk to the person privately about them. Learn more about it from changedirection.com.

1. Personality change
2. Agitation
3. Withdrawn from others
4. Change in personal care
5. Feeling hopeless

Every person in our lives matters. It’s easy to see when someone is feeling physically unwell. It is much more difficult to see when someone is feeling mentally not well.  Don’t be afraid to reach out to someone and ask them. It could save their life.

Health Briefs TV Spills the Good and Bad Effects of Caffeine

Caffeine can kill you or not. There are some definite positive benefits from caffeine and certainly negative effects too. Health Briefs TV spills them out.

Caffeine can be found in a multitude of products from a cup of coffee to face cream. It is a drug naturally found in the coffee bean, tea leaf, kola but and cacao pod, and is odorless. It has a very bitter taste if eaten. Once consumed, it enters the bloodstream through the stomach and small intestine and takes effect in around 15 minutes.

One of the positive benefits of caffeine is it can help awaken a sleepy person by blocking the brain chemical adenosine, which is aligned with sleep. Small doses of caffeine can have positive effects like happiness, increased energy, and alertness also. A regular 6 ounce cup of coffee has about 75-150 milligrams of caffeine. Instant coffee has less. The same amount of brewed tea has about 30 to 90 milligrams of caffeine. Twelve ounces of cola contains 30 to 60 mg, and some energy drinks have 80. The U.S. FDA recommends 400 mgs per day of caffeine per healthy adult, which equates to roughly four to five cups of coffee per day.

In addition, Health Briefs TV has seen some top brand name beauty products with caffeine listed as an ingredient. When added to face and body creams, caffeine can perk dull skin up. Caffeine can also ward off depression and might lower the chance of developing malignant melanoma.

On the downside, it can raise the blood pressure and heart rate of some people. If too much is consumed at one time, it can also cause anxiety, nausea and jittery nerves. It has been shown to increase the opportunity to develop osteoporosis for women.

Caffeine is in many things we use and consume. How much you consume is up to you. There are good and bad benefits in it.

 

Coffee and tea:both contain caffeine

The Health Briefs TV Show Reviews Why We Need Sleep

We know it can be hard to get a good night’s rest sometimes. The worries on our minds can keep us tossing and turning all night long. Soon enough, it is morning and time to get up. But a good night’s rest can do more than just help us feel refreshed all day. The Health Briefs TV show reviews why we need sleep.

People who get less than six hours of sleep at night are more likely to incur the risk factors which increase the chance of developing diabetes, heart disease and strokes. High blood sugar, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, extra fat around the middle and extra fat cells in the blood are a dangerous combination of risk factors. “Short” sleepers, as they are called, can also develop metabolic syndrome which sometimes can lead to life threatening and chronic diseases. Loss of sleep also can lead to loss of brain cells. Cognitive motor performance can match that of someone with five alcoholic drinks in them with less than 24 hours without sleep, according to a study in Nature.

The Health Briefs television show suggests a few tips for getting to bed on time and having a restful sleep:

• Stick to a regular bed time every night and on weekends too.
• Stick to a regular time to wake up every day.
• Move digital devices to another room, draw the blinds, and prepare bed for a pleasant rest.
• Adjust the thermostat to a comfortable temperature.
• Read something until the eyes are tired and want to close.
• Force negative thoughts from the mind.

We need to sleep in order to maintain good brain health, overall health and wellness, and to be mentally alert for every moment life offers us.  

Health Briefs TV Relays Info on Food that Maintain Memory

Food plays an important part in keeping us healthy, alive and strong. The vitamins and nutrients in it boosts the functions of every part of our body.  Health Briefs TV relays how food also can help maintain our memory.

Meals should be colorful with foods rich in protein and low in fat. These can include tomatoes and peppers in every color. Grab some salmon, lean meat and lean poultry at the store to make a nutritious memory-maintaining meal.

Snack on whole, natural seeds and nuts like almonds, sunflower seeds and walnuts. Toss a handful in a salad or on a sandwich to give it crunch. These are packed with Vitamin E which help boost cognitive function.

Health Briefs TV suggests drinking plenty of water throughout the day. Flavor it with lime, lemon or fresh orange slices. Also, drink a glass of water first thing in the morning since we tend to get dehydrated when we sleep. This is beneficial if alcohol is consumed the night before. Many people start their day with a warm cup of lemon water to rehydrate and cleanse the body of toxins.

To make all of these tips work really well, get plenty of rest and exercise. A good, brisk walk after dinner is not only relaxing but helps digestion. Rest restores and refreshes brain cells so we may remember the events in our lives which matter the most to us.

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Health Briefs TV and How Your Eyes and Brain are Tied Together

We all know that our eyes and brain work together. But there is more to it than that, as Health Briefs TV explains.

A study by Psychological Science found that the small vessels behind the eyes can reveal how healthy the brain is. The scientists found that people with wider veins behind the eyes scored worse on IQ tests in middle age than those with small veins. Eye vessels and brain vessels are similar in size, structure and function.  When the eye doctor takes a retinal image , it gives him the ability to see what shape and how healthy the veins are, which in turn can determine how healthy the brain is.  The Health Briefs TV show also notes that regular eye exams can help track changes in the brain, and determine if someone is at a higher risk for cardiovascular disease in mid-life.

So don’t wait too long to get an eye check-up. Not only will it be able to determine how healthy your eyes are, but it can also indicate how healthy your brain is too. Don’t forget to eat brain food: fatty fish, broccoli, leafy greens, healthy oils such as olive oil, and dark chocolate.