Category Archives: Management & Treatment

Food is a universal language that brings people together, comforts the soul and satisfies our cravings. It has the power to evoke memories and emotions, and it can also have therapeutic benefits for our mental health. While traditional therapy sessions focus on verbal communication, incorporating food into therapy can provide a unique and engaging approach to self-discovery and healing.

The Power of Food Therapy

Food therapy, also known as culinary therapy, is a form of therapy that uses food as a tool for self-expression and exploration. In a food therapy session, individuals are encouraged to explore their relationship with food, emotions, and their body. This can help individuals gain a deeper understanding of their eating habits and the emotional triggers that influence their food choices. By utilizing the sensory experiences of taste, smell, and touch, food therapy can provide a powerful and effective way to process emotions and promote healing.

The Benefits of Food Therapy

Food therapy has a number of benefits that can improve mental health and overall wellbeing. Some of these benefits include:

Reducing Stress and Anxiety

Food can be a source of comfort and a distraction from stress and anxiety. In food therapy sessions, individuals can learn coping strategies to manage stress and anxiety through their relationship with food. Additionally, cooking and preparing food can also be a form of mindfulness that helps to calm the mind and reduce stress levels.

Improving Self-Awareness and Body Image

Food therapy sessions provide individuals with a safe space to explore their relationship with food and their bodies. By examining the emotional triggers that influence their food choices, individuals can gain a better understanding of their thoughts and behaviors. This can help to improve self-awareness and body image, promoting positive body image and reducing disordered eating behaviors.

Building Relationships and Connections

Food has the power to bring people together, and food therapy sessions can be a fun and engaging way to build relationships and connections with others. Sharing a meal with others can create a sense of community and support, providing individuals with a sense of belonging and reducing feelings of isolation.

Breaking Negative Eating Habits

Food therapy can help individuals break negative eating habits by exploring the emotional triggers that influence their food choices. By examining the relationship between emotions and eating behaviors, individuals can gain a deeper understanding of their habits and develop strategies to overcome them.

Tips for Incorporating Food Therapy into Your Life

While food therapy is often conducted by a licensed therapist, there are simple ways to incorporate food therapy into your daily life. Here are some tips to get started:

Explore New Cuisines

Exploring new cuisines can be a fun and exciting way to broaden your palate and experience different cultures and flavors. Here are some tips to help you explore new cuisines:

1. Try a new restaurant: Visit a restaurant that specializes in a cuisine that you have never tried before. This can be a great way to taste new dishes and get a sense of the flavors and ingredients that are typical in that cuisine.
2. Experiment with recipes at home: Look for recipes online or in cookbooks that feature cuisines that you have never tried before. Try cooking the dishes at home and experiment with different ingredients and spices to find your favorite flavor combinations.
3. Take a cooking class: Taking a cooking class can be a fun and interactive way to learn about different cuisines. You can learn about the ingredients, cooking techniques, and cultural traditions behind each cuisine.
4. Travel: Traveling to different countries and experiencing the local food is one of the best ways to explore new cuisines. Whether you’re trying street food or dining in a restaurant, traveling gives you the opportunity to taste authentic dishes and learn about the cultural significance of food.
5. Join a foodie group: Join a foodie group in your community or online to find others who share your love of food. You can attend food events, cook together, and try new restaurants and recipes together.

By trying new dishes, ingredients, and flavors, you can expand your palate and learn about different cultures and cuisines. Remember to be open-minded and adventurous, and don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone and try something new.

Conclusion

Incorporating food into therapy can provide a unique and engaging approach to self-discovery and healing. Whether through food therapy sessions or incorporating food therapy techniques into your daily life, exploring your relationship with food can have a profound impact on your mental health and overall well-being. So next time you sit down for a meal, take a moment to reflect on how it makes you feel and how it may be influencing your thoughts and emotions. Remember, food has the power to heal and bring joy, and incorporating it into your therapy journey can be a delicious and therapeutic experience.

The spread of COVID-19 is affecting every aspect of our lives right now, and this includes food-related practices. More and more groceries and supermarkets are operating on a limited time table, if not closed. Some restaurants only allow takeaways as well. Lastly, a couple of items on your grocery list might not be available in the stores due to supply constraints.

Despite these happenings, it is essential that we still take good care of our health. It is also crucial while we’re in the middle of the pandemic since we need a healthy immune system to fight back the virus. With this in mind, here are some tips that can help you draft your diet plan despite the said crisis.

Plan Ahead

Do not just think about what you’re going to prepare for you and your family for the next three days. Instead, you should visualize your meals from breakfast to dinner for at least a week. You have to consider which viands you have to prepare, the exact ingredients needed, the food preparation method, and the amount of time and energy you will need to make the meals.

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Once you have listed down everything you need, that’s the only time you should go to the grocery. Take note that you should minimize your trips to crowded places like these as it’s too dangerous. Therefore, make sure to maximize your shopping time by buying enough stocks for 1 to 2 weeks.

Prioritize Fresh Products

You should also make it to the point that you maximize the food available in your pantry. However, you should know how to prioritize. The most important rule that you need to keep in mind is to use the fresh ingredients first or utilize those with shorter shelf life.

Examples of these include reduced-fat dairy products, vegetables, and fruits. One technique for your fruits and vegetables to last long is by freezing them. Do not worry as they will retain their original nutrient profile despite staying inside the refrigerator.

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Listed below are some nutrition-packed food that has longer shelf lives.

• Grains: frozen brown rice, instant oatmeal, refrigerated pizza crust, couscous, and quick-cooking pasta
• Bread: whole-grain English muffins, bread, bagels, corn tortillas, frozen whole wheat waffles, and wraps
• Sauce: salsa and tomato pasta sauce
• 100% Juice: shelf-stable cartons, canned, frozen
• Eggs: egg whites in packages, fresh eggs
• Soup and Broths: shelf-stable cartons, frozen, canned
• Vegetables: plain frozen, sun-dried, low sodium canned, sturdy fresh vegetables (onions, potatoes, broccoli, and celery)
• Fruits: plain frozen, dried, canned in water or juice, and sturdy fresh fruit (citrus and apple)
• Cheese: cubed or grated hard cheese
• Nuts and seeds: canned, bagged, nut butter
• Seafood: fish fillet, canned tuna, sardines, and salmon, and frozen shrimp
• Frozen chicken, pork, and beef

Control Portion Sizes

Being at home for an extended period due to lockdowns and quarantine may lead to overeating. Partner this with this inactivity, then you’re prone to a health disaster. Therefore, if you’re drafting your diet plan, make sure that your portion sizes are at par with the standard.

You can do this by seeking assistance from national food-based dietary guidelines. Here you’ll find what constitutes a right yet healthy portion. Be mindful that adults and young children have different allocations, and you need to consider this when preparing a meal.

“The healthiest meals emphasize whole grains, vegetables, and fruits—serve them in the greatest amounts. Meat portions should be smaller—this will save money and help keep dietary saturated fat in check,” share Carol Byrd-Bredbenner, Ph.D., RD, FAND, and co-authors.

Try Online Shopping

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We’re living in the digital age now. Most food companies who are trying to control their losses brought about by the pandemic are now extending their services via the online platform. As a household, you should utilize this approach. It will not only save you a lot of time but will also minimize your people-to-people interaction.

Keep in mind, however, that unlike supermarkets, you have to wait for a day or two to receive or pick up your orders. Therefore, it is vital to plan and manage your groceries.

Limit Sugar Intake

The World Health Organization recommends a maximum of 6 teaspoons of sugar intake per day. This amount is equivalent to less than 5 percent of an adult’s total energy intake; therefore, if you crave for something sweet, better to consume fresh fruits than any other delicious dessert.

Always remember that one can still achieve proper nutrition amid these unfortunate circumstances. All you have to do is follow the tips above and partner this with a physically active lifestyle.

One of the worst things that could happen in your life is finding out that the person you love is suffering from a disease. It hurts to see your husband go through a lot of pain, especially if you think that he does not deserve any of it. At the same time, it can also give rise to some financial troubles since hospital bills and medications usually go up as the sickness becomes serious. Because of this, it can be easy to show depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, sadness, and grief. Unfortunately, the more you show that your beloved one’s illness affects you, the more painful it will be on his part. 

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Tiredness during exams is the leading enemy of students. There are several reasons why you feel tired. It is either you have had a lot of projects to do the night before, so you have no choice but to sleep late. You have crammed and tried to learn all your lessons in one night. Or, you have a poor diet.

No, the last bit is not a typographical error. Your diet truly affects your school performance more than anything else.

To improve your life, you should remember the following ideas:

Eat Foods Rich In Iron And Vitamin B

Iron is the mineral in your blood that fights anemia, while vitamin B keeps your nerves healthy. If you consume foods that are rich in both, your brain cells can function well, and you can concentrate more on your studies. What are those foods rich in iron and vitamin B, you ask? Some of them are chicken, fish, beans, cereals, and practically any green and leafy vegetables. They are great in strengthening your memory, as well as keeping you fit.

Avoid Too Much Caffeine

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When studying for a big exam, try to avoid too much caffeine. More than the adrenaline rush that coffee or tea can give you, you need your brain to work correctly while still getting the nutrients that your body needs. Therefore, drink milk or fruit juices instead.

Eat More Than 3x A Day

We are always told to eat thrice a day – breakfast, lunch, and dinner – but the truth is that we need to eat 5-7 meals in one day (in moderation, of course). Take a small meal every 2-3 hours so that your stomach will always be sated, and you are getting enough nutrients to keep you and your brain energized throughout the day. The best snacks to have are fruits, especially when you are studying because they are packed with natural sugar, vitamins, and minerals that your body requires.

Drink Enough Water

There are people, specifically kids, who prefer to drink fruit juices because they are tastier than good old water, and their parents let them. In their mind, such fluids have water, too. Although that is true, drinking water in its most basic, tasteless form is essential to get rid of the toxins within your body. You can alternate juices, milk, and water, but water should still be more dominant.

Exercise

As a student, you do not have to go to the gym and spend hours there because then you will not have enough time to study. Before studying and having your dinner, you can walk within the premises of your home or visit your mom’s plants in the garden for some time. This way, you can digest your dinner faster. You can also study better when you exercise because working out keeps your brain awake and your muscles more relaxed.

Final Thoughts

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Kids and teenagers alike need to learn how to eat healthy foods early. After all, it is one habit that you should be able to bring to adulthood to ensure that you will be free from illnesses.

Good luck!

If there’s one thing you can learn in the 2014 Miami Annual Gastroenterology and Hepatology Symposium, it’s that different liver problems call for different doctors. One could go to a gastroenterologist or a hepatologist. The question is: Which specialist do we need? Which is the “more qualified” choice? Learning about the specializations of each doctor might help in answering that question.

What’s A Gastroenterologist?

Gastroenterologist comes from the prefix “gastḗr,” which is the Greek word for “belly.” These specialists focus on the medication and treatment of the digestive system. It includes the parts of the gastrointestinal tract, such as the mouth, stomach, and intestines.

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To become a licensed gastroenterologist, one must complete their pre-medical and medical education, which take about eight years. One must then undergo three years of residency in internal medicine. Lastly, one must finish two to three years of fellowship in gastroenterology. Only after that can one be able to take the board exam.

What’s A Hepatologist?

Hepatologist comes from the prefix “hêpar,” which is the Greek word for “liver.” These specialists treat disorders that affect the liver. The field of hepatology falls under gastroenterology. Its focus is on the liver, the pancreas, and the gallbladder.

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To be considered a licensed hepatologist, one must also go through the eight years of pre-medical to medical education and the three-year residency in internal medicine. The difference is that no standardized exam certifies passers. Instead, one must go through a one- or two-year fellowship that shall expose one to various liver disorders.

Gastroenterologists and hepatologists aren’t too different after all. However, choosing one or the other depends on a lot of things—the doctor’s availability, credentials, and experience, to name a few.  

It’s up to you to ask about these things and make an informed choice. It’s your health or the health of your loved one on the line. It would be best to choose wisely.

There are several things to take into consideration when it comes to managing stress that is brought about by your illness. As early as now, it is crucial to emphasize the fact that you will not find it easy to deal with this kind of stress. Because of this, you have to prepare yourself for more challenging days that can be full of hardships. However, this does not mean that you can no longer do anything to make an effort in eliminating stress or avoiding stress caused by an illness such as gastrointestinal medical issues.

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Here are some of the ways that you may want to try:

Accept The Situation

The first step that you have to complete is to learn to accept your current situation. Do not make it any harder on your part by pretending that everything is already. What you need to do is to accept the reality that you are sick with an illness. Acceptance is essential because it will be your guide to moving forward and defeating your illness.

Talk To Friends

When you are having a hard time brought about by your medical condition, the best thing to do is to find a way to release your negative emotions. Luckily, you can always call your true friends whenever you need help or assistance. You can also count on these friends every time stress starts to consume you. Find a friend whom you can open up to quickly. Remember that talking about the issues that bother you can be therapeutic.

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Get Support From Expert

Do not hesitate to seek for a professional help if you believe that your stress has reached its maximum level and that you have no idea on how to address it properly. You can always find a psychiatrist or psychologist who specializes in treating patients with chronic stress. Nonetheless, it is imperative or vital on your part to be careful with the choice of the professional expert whom you will consult with regarding your mental health.

Rest If You Must

Never forget the importance of getting sufficient rest every day. Give yourself a chance to lie low from all the things that are causing stress and anxiety. Make an effort to set a bedtime schedule that you must follow every single night. Avoid staying up late at night because it can increase your stress levels. Instead, try to enjoy every evening with your family and friends. Use this time to connect with the people who matter in your life. These are the individuals who can genuinely make you smile and somehow take your worries away.

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Stress as a result of a severe illness can be difficult to eliminate or avoid in the first place. As such, do not pressure yourself into getting it out of your system overnight. The reality is that it is a continuous process that you have to remember. If you keep on doing this, there might be a high chance that you will also experience healing from your sickness. Try it and have fun.