I'm back!!!

Well.....

All you kind ladies and gentlemen who have been following my blog. I haven't made any entry for ages.... 7 long months to be exact. I haven't really been able to find the time to do so. But honestly, I haven't been able to find the right track of mind to do it.

You must be thinking, "What a jerk! What a hypocrite!" Maybe, I've been writing on mental health topics and yet... well, you guessed right. But then again, I'm only human. I too, have had my share of stresses and pressures the world could give and I could only handle just as much. But right now, I guess I'm back on track. Will share with you all gradually.

Teen Mental Health

You watch your child as they grow up and understandably every parent has certain expectations of him or her. But we do have to remember that the teen years are not only tough for the parents but for the child too. Adolescents are under stress to do well in school, be liked by their peers, get along with their family and make important life decisions.Most of these pressures are unavoidable and worrying about them is natural. But if your teen is feeling extremely sad, hopeless or·worthless, these could be warning signs of a mental health problem.

Many people think that young people do not get mental health problems and brush them aside. The real fact is young people DO get mental health problems that are real, painful and can be severe. They can lead to school failure, loss of friends, or family conflict. Extra care and attention would need to be exercised should your teen show any of these signs that may point to a possible problem.

• Is angry most of the time, cries a lot or overreacts to any situation
• More anxious or worried than other teens
• Grief for a long time after a loss or death
• Is extremely fearful - has unexplained fear or has more fears than other young people
• Is constantly concerned about his or her appearance or physical problems
• Feels guilty or worthless a lot
• Unable to sit still or focus attention
  
• Has poor concentration and cannot make decisions
  
• Frightened that his or her mind is getting out of control
  
• Loses interest in things he or she usually enjoys and does worse in school
• Has unexplained changes in sleeping or eating habits
• Has persistent nightmares
  
• Avoids friends and families - wants to be alone all the time
• Feels that life is hard to handle and talks about suicide
  
• Hears voices that cannot be explained
• Has the need to perform certain action several times a day
• Uses alcohol or other drugs
• Continues to exercise or diet excessively although is already very thin
• Eats large amounts of food and then forces vomiting, abuses laxatives, or takes enemas to avoid weight-'gain;
• Often hurts other people, breaks the law or destroy things
  
• Does things that can be life threatening
  

Eat to Beat Stress!

You can brush off the remarks you've heard about stress-eating is a bad thing. Gorging away when your nerves are jangling can actually calm you down. The good news is you can chow away with all these yummy goodies and not worry about the risk of obesity, high blood pressure and heart diseases. The basic chemicals in each food are responsible for such reactions.

1. Salmon is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamin D. It keeps cortisol and adrenaline from geysering. Omega-3 fatty acids also protects us against heart disease. Other fatty fish like mackerel, herring and light tuna does the same. For other Omega-3 punch, buy foods fortified with DHA such as omega-3 fortified eggs, yogurt and soy products.
   
2. Spinach is rich in folic acid, soluble fiber and magnesium. Magnesium tends to relax us and put us in a soothing mood. Not getting enough of it may trigger migraine headaches and make you feel fatigued.
   
3. Skim Milk is rich in Vitamin D and B12. Not only the old warm-milk remedies insomnia and restlessness, it turns out that calcium can reduce muscle spasms and soothe tension too. A glass of this 'moo' juice may also reduce stressful pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms such as mood swings, anxiety and irritability.
   
4. Nuts such as almonds, pistachios and walnuts a bursting with Vitamin E, B and magnesium. Not only it helps to calm down your nervous system but also helps to lower your blood pressure. Both sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds also contributes to the same purpose.
5. Oatmeal and other whole wheats which consists of carbohydrates make the brain produce more serotonin, the same relaxing brain chemical released when you eat dark chocolate. The more serotonin, the happier you'll be.
   
6. Vitamin C is essential in keeping stress at bay. Vitamin C is present in uncooked fruits and vegetables, especially citrus foods and red and green peppers. It's also found in papayas, cantaloupes, strawberries, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, asparagus and parsley.
   

Eat up in all these foods and may you keep you moods and spirits high.