MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'cortisol'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:59:40 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4105774&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F10%2F26%2Fthe-stressful-situation-of-disease%2F In this study, researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham recruited 148 African and European-America children about eight years of age. Children were seen up to five times during a period of nine years. At each study visit, cortisol was measured in the children’s blood samples. Unemployment, poverty, female-headed households with children and vacant houses were used to determine neighborhood environments. Researchers adjusted for differences, including age, weight, gender and other personal factors. Overall, children who lived in disadvantaged neighborhoods had lower levels of cortisol. When the researchers looked closer at the role of race on the results, they found that the association between neighborhood and decreased cortisol was greatest in African-American children... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4105774 Tue, 26 Oct 2010 04:01:20 +0100 4105774 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4040529&cid=t_101420_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2F203816%2F White Noise While You Work: Your lovely, loud, and annoying officemates may be harming your long-term hearing and heart health. (via Vitamin G) Post from: BlissTree (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4040529 Thu, 07 Oct 2010 19:58:28 +0100 4040529 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3933040&cid=t_101420_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F09%2Fhigh-cortisol-levels-hair-higher-incidence-heart-attacks%2F A study just reported is showing that people who have had recent heart attacks have a higher level of cortisol in their hair shafts than those that have not had heart attacks. This intriguing report was authored by Gideon Koren of the University of Western Ontario. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3933040 Fri, 03 Sep 2010 23:35:02 +0100 3933040 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3776633&cid=t_101420_167_f&fid=38271&url=http%3A%2F%2Frebeccascritchfield.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F07%2F22%2Fquit-stress-eating-and-find-healthy-ways-to-decompress%2F By Carlene Helble- Elite Nutrition Intern Stress has become part of our culture and undoubtedly, you may have experienced this sense of being overwhelmed quite often. For some, stress eating or stress drinking alcohol are an enormous saboteurs on the path to health and wellness. It’s not just the excess calories that can nudge you away from your goal though. Read on for common problems people struggle with and get some great solutions! Alcohol Backfires on Your Well-Being Stress drinking cocktails or a few beers after a hectic day at work is what some see as a ritual to unwind, but this canbackfire later. Alcohol prevents the brain from entering deep sleep leaving you unrested and restressed the next morning. Alcohol also dehydrates you If you do drink, keep it to one drink a night. That... Balanced Health and Nutrition Rebecca Scritchfield's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3776633 Thu, 22 Jul 2010 01:03:08 +0100 3776633 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3585578&cid=t_101420_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fweight-loss-20-real-ways-to-drop-the-pounds%2F photo: Thinkstock We all know that as we age, it gets harder to keep the pounds off. While it’s fun (in a bitter way) to get nostalgic about when you were 16 and could eat a pint of ice cream every day and still be an XS, Real Simple put together a list of 20 ways to lose weight for good. 1. If you begin your meals with a salad, you’ll eat less for the rest of the meal. A study proves that participants who ate a salad topped with low-fat mozzarella and low-calorie Italian dressing ate 10% less calories over the course of the entire day. 2. Speaking of salads, try this trick: Get your dressing on the side, then dip your fork in it before you spear a hunk of lettuce. You’ll get all the taste at a fraction of the calories. 3. When you’re going out to eat, order two app... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3585578 Thu, 20 May 2010 18:18:55 +0100 3585578 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3490908&cid=t_101420_167_f&fid=38576&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drbriffa.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F04%2F21%2Fcalorie-counting-is-stressful-and-other-reasons-to-avoid-it-if-you-want-to-lose-weight%2F When it comes to weight (specifically fat) loss, I’m not into counting or consciously restricting them. I’ll come onto why in a moment. But before I do, I want to share the results of a recent study in which women ate in one or four ways [1]: 1. where individuals ate a diet which restricted calories to [...] (Source: Dr John Biffa's Blog) Dr John Biffa's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3490908 Wed, 21 Apr 2010 16:41:54 +0100 3490908 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3460120&cid=t_101420_86_f&fid=38272&url=http%3A%2F%2Flaikaspoetnik.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F04%2F10%2Firreversible-effects-of-previous-cortisol-excess-on-cognitive-functions-in-cushings-disease%2F April 8th is Cushing’s Awareness Day. This day has been chosen as a day of awareness as it is the birthday of Dr. Harvey Cushing, a neurosurgeon, who discovered this illness. Cushing’s disease is a rare hormone disease caused by prolonged exposure to high levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the blood, whereas Addison’s disease [...] (Source: Laika's MedLibLog) Laika's MedLibLog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3460120 Sat, 10 Apr 2010 14:03:21 +0100 3460120 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3008246&cid=t_101420_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fathletic-performance-mouthguards-hype-or-fact%2F Performance-enhancing athletic mouthguards, like the popular Pure Power Mouthguard and Under Armour Performance Mouthwear, seem to be a miracle of modern medicine. The premise is, the right mouthguard can help the entire body can function at peak capacity. Athletes who invest in these custom mouthguards make claims of improved focus, balance, endurance, and strength. Pro athletes, in sports ranging from golf to boxing to football, have turned to these appliances for an edge over competitors. Your run-of-the-mill athletic mouthguards are protective in nature. They distribute impact to reduce the severity or occurrence of injuries, such as mouth cuts, concussions, and tooth damage. Over-the-counter boil-and-bite varieties offer this protection at a minimal cost to the user. The new-and-impr... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3008246 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:50:09 +0100 3008246 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2737781&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35671&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anxietyinsights.info%2Fabstract_cognitive_impairment_in_major_depression_associat.htm Conclusions: Cognitive deficits, especially those closely related to hippocampus function, appear to be related to cortisol secretion in depressed patients. Elevated cortisol may downregulate mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid receptors in the hippocampus, which could, in part, be responsible for cognitive deficits in depressed patients. (Glossary links added; ed.) Source... Copyright © 2009 Society of Biological Psychiatry Published by Elsevier Inc. (Source: Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info) Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2737781 Thu, 27 Aug 2009 07:47:00 +0100 2737781 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2730136&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35671&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anxietyinsights.info%2Fdepression_cripples_immune_systems_ability_to_fight_cancer.htm By Stephanie Pappas - Stanford School of Medicine Women with breast cancer and depression are at higher risk of cancer recurrence and early death than breast cancer patients without depression, recent research shows. Now, Stanford University School of Medicine and University of Louisville in Kentucky scientists have found evidence that the reason could be the psychiatric disorder's effects on immune cells. The new study published in the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity found that the more symptoms of depression exhibited by women with metastatic breast cancer, the less intense their immune responses were to seven common bacteria, fungi and yeasts. The researchers also found that patients with more cortisol, an immune-suppressing hormone released at high levels during chronic stress and... Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2730136 Tue, 25 Aug 2009 07:07:00 +0100 2730136 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2705107&cid=t_101420_86_f&fid=38272&url=http%3A%2F%2Flaikaspoetnik.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F08%2F17%2Finvisible-chronic-illness-addisons-disease%2F This week the Grand Round will be hosted by Invisible Illness Week, a blog dedicated to the National Invisible  Ilness Week, which runs September 14 -20, 2009. The purpose: National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week  (..) is a worldwide effort to bring together people who live with invisible chronic illness and those who love them. Organizations [...] (Source: Laika's MedLibLog) Laika's MedLibLog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2705107 Mon, 17 Aug 2009 04:06:58 +0100 2705107 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2702057&cid=t_101420_146_f&fid=38266&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsleepeducation.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F08%2Fteen-depression-sleep-cycle-is-risk.html This study is an initial step in determining baseline measures that differentiate healthy adolescents from those who are likely to develop depression,” lead author Dr. Uma Rao said in a UT Southwestern Medical Center statement.Rao cautioned that REM sleep and cortisol levels are not diagnostic tools; but they are “vulnerability markers” for depression.“If we can identify factors such as sleep and cortisol and their role, we could start the prevention process,” she said.The NIMH reports that depression often occurs along with another disorder in teens; examples include anxiety, eating disorders and substance abuse. By age 15, girls are twice as likely as boys to have had a major depressive episode.Earlier this year the Sleep Education Blog reported that sleep problems in children ... Sleep Education blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2702057 Sat, 15 Aug 2009 10:01:00 +0100 2702057 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2657708&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35671&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anxietyinsights.info%2Fabstract_depression_cortisol_and_suppressed_cellmediated.htm This study explored relationships among depressive symptoms, cortisol secretion, and CMI responses in 72 women with metastatic breast cancer. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D). Saliva was sampled throughout the day over a three-day period to obtain a physiologic index of diurnal cortisol concentrations and rhythmicity, which is associated with breast cancer survival time. CMI for specific antigens was measured following intradermal administration of seven commonly encountered antigens (tuberculin, tetanus, diphtheria, Streptococcus, Candida, Trichophyton, and Proteus). Analyses adjusting for relevant medical and treatment variables indicated that women reporting more depressive symptoms showed suppressed immunity as measure... Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2657708 Fri, 31 Jul 2009 07:54:00 +0100 2657708 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2939421&cid=t_101420_117_f&fid=37824&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.doctorkalitenko.com%2Fblog%2Fgeneral-health%2Fcan%25e2%2580%2599t-seem-to-get-up-in-the-morning Adrenal fatigue may be the reason why it is so difficult to get our energy back in the morning. Adrenal fatigue is caused when the adrenal glands are exhausted and unable to produce the right amount of hormones. Checking your cortisol level is very helpful. Cortisol is a corticosteroid hormone. Cortisol levels will determine your response to stress and anxiety. Everybody who experiences morning fatigue should have their hormone levels checked because, in our stressful lives, adrenals can be exhausted easily. (Source: Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog) Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2939421 Tue, 23 Jun 2009 22:28:50 +0100 2939421 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2473543&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35671&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anxietyinsights.info%2Fdepression_in_obese_children_linked_to_elevated_stress_hormo.htm A new study connects abnormalities of the stress hormone cortisol with symptoms of depression in obese children, and confirms that obesity and depression often occur together, even in children. The results were presented at The Endocrine Society's 91st Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. "There is evidence in adults that abnormal regulation of cortisol plays a role in both obesity and depression," said the study's lead author, Panagiota Pervanidou, MD, of Athens University Medical School in Athens, Greece. "Our study indicates that cortisol abnormalities may underlie obesity and depression starting in childhood." Cortisol is a steroid hormone that helps the body respond to stress but also has other functions, including converting fat, protein and carbohydrates into energy. Normally, levels ... Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2473543 Fri, 12 Jun 2009 08:30:00 +0100 2473543 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2441639&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35671&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anxietyinsights.info%2Ffirst_3_years_of_life_may_determine_teenage_stress_levels.htm Center-based care and insensitive parenting may have lasting effects Sarah Hutcheon - SRCD A growing number of American children are enrolled in child care and questions remain about how these settings may affect them in both positive and negative ways. A new study published in the May/June 2009 issue of the journal Child Development finds that early interpersonal experiences- center-based child care and parenting-may have independent and lasting developmental effects. The study draws on the large, longitudinal Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development in the United States, which was carried out in collaboration with the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). It followed about 1,000 children from 1 month through mid-adolescence to ex... Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2441639 Mon, 25 May 2009 08:10:00 +0100 2441639 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2414883&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F05%2F15%2F10-more-stress-busters%2F Awhile back I shared with you 10 of my stress busters. But lately I’ve needed 20. So here are 10 more. 1. Avoid stimulants and sugar. Here’s the catch-22: the more stressed you get, the more you crave coffee and doughnuts, pizza and Coke. But the more coffee, Coke, doughnuts, and pizza in your system, the more stressed you get. It’s not your imagination. When you are stressed and have low levels of serotonin, your brain produces cravings for sugar and simple carbohydrates, which primes the beta-endorphin system to want more and more. The same with caffeine. It’s a powerful drug that affects a number of neurochemicals in your brain, which means it produces withdrawal symptoms that can make you very very very very irritable. 2. Compare and despair. The last thing you ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2414883 Fri, 15 May 2009 18:00:27 +0100 2414883 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2398800&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35671&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anxietyinsights.info%2Fabstract_memory_impairment_in_young_women_at_increased_risk.htm Conclusions Impairments in declarative memory are present in young women at increased genetic risk of depression and may be partly related to increased cortisol secretion. Further studies are needed to explore the neural mechanisms underlying the memory impairments and whether they predict the development of clinical illness. (Links added; ed.) Source... Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008 (Source: Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info) Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2398800 Fri, 08 May 2009 07:48:00 +0100 2398800 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2357388&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35671&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anxietyinsights.info%2Fwitnessing_violence_impacts_childrens_health.htm Study finds link between exposure to community violence and a disruption to the stress pathways in the bodySchool-aged children who witness violence in urban communities show symptoms of post-traumatic stress. They also suffer physiological effects with a disruption to their normal cortisol production pattern during the day, which may have long-term negative effects on their health. According to Dr Shakira Franco Suglia, from the Harvard School of Public Health, and her team lead by Dr Rosalind J. Wright from Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School in Boston, USA, because these children are not diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, these abnormal physiological symptoms are unlikely to be picked up by their doctors. The study has just been published online in the Inter... Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2357388 Wed, 22 Apr 2009 08:44:00 +0100 2357388 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2342039&cid=t_101420_167_f&fid=38271&url=http%3A%2F%2Frebeccascritchfield.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F04%2F08%2Frelaxation-an-important-ingredient-for-balanced-health%2F The three keys to wellness are nutrition, exercise and well-being. I focus mostly on nutrition and exercise, but with today’s guest post. I’m going to discuss well-being. Thanks to Jens Upton at The Relaxing Zone for contributing to this post. If you’re alive chances are there is something that is stressing you out. Family, work, money, the economy… We can’t live a life without stress. Some stress is good. “Fight or flight” allows us to respond to stressors like a deadline at work or avoid a car accident. But then our body quickly “comes down” from the stress and all is well again. However, when stress is chronic and never seems to go away and you don’t get a chance to recover from never-ending stressors it can be an emotional nig... Balanced Health and Nutrition Rebecca Scritchfield's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2342039 Wed, 08 Apr 2009 12:25:44 +0100 2342039 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2313432&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35671&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anxietyinsights.info%2Fgender_determines_how_gene_affects_stress_response.htm In conclusion, say the researchers, the study specifically indicates that women with the BDNF Val/Met genotype and men with the Val/Val may be particularly vulnerable to social stress mediated by brain stress system activity. Shaleva I, Lererb E, Israel S, et al. BDNF Val66Met polymorphism is associated with HPA axis reactivity to psychological stress characterized by genotype and gender interactions. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2009 Apr;34(3):382-388   [Abstract] (Source: Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info) Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2313432 Mon, 06 Apr 2009 08:48:00 +0100 2313432 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2132572&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35671&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anxietyinsights.info%2Fcould_resetting_stress_hormone_levels_treat_anxiety_and_de.htm A Canadian/U.S. research team has reported a novel approach to stimulating recovery from chronic stress disorders. Details of the therapeutic model, which exploits the natural dynamics of the body's "fight or flight" system, are published in the journal PLoS Computational Biology. In contrast to conventional therapy, the researchers propose a well-directed therapeutic push delivered according to an optimal treatment schedule. The hypothalamic, pituitary, adrenal (HPA) axis constitutes one of the body's major control systems, serving to maintain body homeostasis with hormone feedback regulatory loops. If the HPA axis is driven very far from its natural homeostatic rest point, it may be unable to fully recover the healthy physiologic state. Under such conditions, the HPA axis dysfunction may... Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2132572 Mon, 26 Jan 2009 07:40:00 +0100 2132572 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2110603&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F01%2F16%2Fhearing-voices-or-seeing-things-cut-back-on-the-coffee%2F As we reported yesterday, people with a higher caffeine intake, from sources such as coffee, tea and caffeinated energy drinks, are more likely to report hallucinatory experiences such as hearing voices and seeing things that are not there. When under stress, the body releases a stress hormone called cortisol. More of this stress hormone is released in response to stress when people have recently had caffeine. It is this extra boost of cortisol which may link caffeine intake with an increased tendency to hallucinate, said the researchers. This isn’t likely a concern for most people, as most people don’t consume 7 or more cups of coffee every day. (And if you do, you might have more problems than simply hearing the occasional odd voice or whatnot.) But it has a direct impa... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2110603 Fri, 16 Jan 2009 23:59:33 +0100 2110603 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1945422&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F446779537%2Fthe_opposite_of_regret_is.html More and more people express regrets for failed finances. They regret they started late, worked too little, spent too much, failed to plan, or trusted the wrong people. How do you let go of regret? Not much I hope. Why so? Research shows how regret stops mental growth,  triggers potentially dangerous chemicals and shuts out any new shoots of opportunity that could be yours. Think of regret as the dam for fresh flowing waters finances, or sudden roadblocks across well travelled highways opportunities. Can you see regret now from your brain’s perspective? The opposite of regret that stops your progress, is ... that begins to rejuvenate your situation.   Because of our unique mix of intelligences, answers differ for different people, but your brain can transform regret int... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1945422 Sat, 08 Nov 2008 19:54:30 +0100 1945422 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1859755&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F413804847%2Fwhy_workshops_waste_money.html Have you ever attended a great workshop, and experienced an aha moment, only to find people forget to roll out any new insights back at work? It’s no coincidence that workshops waste money, and tend to defeat their purpose, if you look at how the brain learns and retains new ideas. How so? While the brain synapses with fast driven ideas, with mentally charged fuels and an impetus for improvement at workshops, change requires more.  It takes time and applications with guidance to override the brain’s natural proclivity to default past former ruts. Life-changing improvements are implemented through extended guidance that increases serotonin hormones for learning and growth. Yet significant changes tend to be abandoned shortly after brief workshops. Participants drop inspir... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1859755 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:20:30 +0100 1859755 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1859540&cid=t_101420_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D4799 a Some Breakfast Cereals Are 50% Sugar, CT Scan May Benefit Those With Appendicitis, Cortisol Levels May Be Linked to Antisocial Behavior (Source: Malaysian Medical Resources) Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1859540 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1859540 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1826158&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F402308871%2Foverheated_amygdala_is_bad_for.html   A small almond shaped amygdala lodged deep inside your brain, can toss a workday into turmoil almost before you get it off the ground. Has it happened to you?  Warning signals for an overheated amygdala are flashing when: * You freeze rather than react to a problem with solutions in mind.* Anxiety slips into your day through others' annoying behaviors.* The past week found you embarrassed over incidents at work. * Panic causes you to make knee-jerk reactions to annoying peers. * Moods spiral you so far down you have to look up to see bottom. Did you know that the above warning signals come from an over-sensitized amygdala, or that successful people often rewire their brains for calmer responses?It's a bit like bypassing your amygdala's automatic default op... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1826158 Thu, 25 Sep 2008 01:21:21 +0100 1826158 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1815696&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F399765876%2Fwhen_cortisol_battles_against.html If you've ever had a day where you seem to plummet in downward spirals, you're likely up against cortisol chemicals that could be drowning your efforts in several ways. You'll know that cortisol is likely surging against your mind, when:1. You can no longer concentrate or learn new skills.2. Anger defines most of your communications.3. You feel down and can't find meaning in your day.4. Fear overtakes you when you  consider taking a well planned risk.5. Interruptions from peers bother you more than usual6. Fellow workers seem to have many advantages you lack.7. Promotions continually pass you by in spite of your hard work. 8. You'd rather criticize other's efforts than create with your own.9. You find yourself cussing more than normal.10. Humor is no longer par... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1815696 Mon, 22 Sep 2008 13:16:32 +0100 1815696 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1739444&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35671&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anxietyinsights.info%2Fchronic_stress_alters_white_blood_cell_gene_expression.htm Most people would agree that stress increases your risk for illness and this is particularly true for severe long-term stresses, such as caring for a family member with a chronic medical illness. However, we still have a relatively limited understanding of exactly how stress contributes to the risk for illness. In the August issue of Biological Psychiatry, researchers shed new light on one link between stress and illness by describing a mechanism through which stress alters immune function. In a preliminary study, Gregory E. Miller Ph.D. and colleagues found that the pattern of gene expression differed between caregivers of family members with cancer relative to a matched group of individuals who did not have this type of life stress. They found that among the caregivers, even though they ... Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1739444 Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:31:00 +0100 1739444 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1689177&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35671&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anxietyinsights.info%2Fthe_effects_of_stress_hormones_on_neurotransmission.htm Laboratoire Physiologie Cellulaire de la Synapse and Neurocentre Inserm researchers, working at the NeuroCampus of the Université de Bordeaux, France, have discovered how the stress hormone cortisol regulates brain neurotransmission on the short and long term and enables neuronal connections to adapt. The research, directed by Laurent Groc and Francis Chaouloff, may lead to the identification of new therapeutic targets for psychiatric illnesses such as post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. When we are subjected to a stress, our adrenal glands secrete hormones that affect our entire body. One of these hormones, cortisol, enables us to adapt physically and mentally to the stimulus. With a major or repeated stress that an individual has no control over, however, cortisol is se... Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1689177 Fri, 08 Aug 2008 08:58:00 +0100 1689177 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1625773&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35671&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anxietyinsights.info%2Fmechanism_linking_disease_and_aging_to_psychological_stress_.htm Explains how chronic emotional stress ages the immune system Every cell contains a tiny clock called a telomere, which shortens each time the cell divides. Short telomeres are linked to a range of human diseases, including HIV, osteoporosis, heart disease and aging. Previous studies show that an enzyme within the cell, called telomerase, keeps immune cells young by preserving their telomere length and ability to continue dividing. Research by UCLA scientists found that the stress hormone cortisol suppresses immune cells' ability to activate their telomerase. This may explain why the cells of persons under chronic stress have shorter telomeres and reveals how stress makes people more susceptible to illness. The findings also suggest a potential drug target for preventing damage to the immun... Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1625773 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 08:37:00 +0100 1625773 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1526748&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F314058419%2Fdo_you_work_most_in_a_or_b_men.html  Is your brain more in A mode or B mode where you work? This quick survey will tell. First, think of a creative, but difficult project that might improve your workplace and ratchet up the bottom line.Then,  choose A or B in each of the 10 most likely statements you’d be prone to say. Would fellow workers find you mostly speaking A or B category at a staff or project meeting? Make sure you check 10 responses. Would you say …1. A. We could likely do this if we simply …or….B. It will never work because …2. A. This idea could be profitable because …or …B. We cannot make money on that idea as …3. A. That guy could do a great job if he …or …B. The guy is never going to make it here because …4. A. This would be ... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1526748 Tue, 17 Jun 2008 21:12:56 +0100 1526748 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1508282&cid=t_101420_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F06%2F10%2Fsleep-or-get-fat-people-your-choice%2F Sleeping or getting fat? Hmm, tough choice. Image details: Portrait of a young woman sleeping fully dressed on a white bed served by picapp.com Well, you don’t have to tell me twice to follow this advice: Get more sleep! So the deal here is that we can go about our business, scraping for anything remotely resembling rest, or we can make sleep a priority and lose weight. Boy, I’m just not sure on that one. Lemme think a sec… Okay, yeah, I’ll play. I am officially on board with the findings that too-little sleep ends with a 40% increase in cortisol in the blood (cortisol is a stress hormone that’s been proven to slow down metabolism). Not only that, but you might also experience a whopping 33% increase in hunger pangs and cravings, which you know you’re bo... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1508282 Tue, 10 Jun 2008 13:53:02 +0100 1508282 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1497719&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35671&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anxietyinsights.info%2Fabstract__childhood_parental_loss_and_adult_hypothalamicpi.htm Conclusions: These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that early parental loss induces enduring changes in neuroendocrine function. Source... (Source: Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info) Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1497719 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:01:00 +0100 1497719 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1484848&cid=t_101420_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2008%2F6%2F1%2Fdo-you-have-sleep-disordered-breathing-if-so-you-may-also-be.html By Pat Salber, MD We have known about the association between snoring and obesity for a long time. But we now know that sleep-disordered breathing (SBD) -- a sleep disturbance characterized by snoring and episodes of apnea or not breathing for periods of time -- is linked, independent of obesity, to insulin resistance, abnormal glucose metabolism, and Type 2 diabetes. Sinziana Seicean, MD, MPH and colleagues published results of the Sleep Heart Health Study in the May 2008 issue of Diabetes Care. They studied 209 normal weight and 1,036 overweight/obese individuals who had a diagnosis of SDB, but did not have a diagnosis of diabetes. They found that SDB was associated with all of the manifestations of impaired glucose metabolism, including impaired fasting glucose, impaired glucose to... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1484848 Sun, 01 Jun 2008 19:50:44 +0100 1484848 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1446405&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F291361417%2Ffrom_brainpower_to_support_at.html A shocking 75% of workers dislike their jobs … while others find support to help them advance in their career goals. Have you noticed that in your organization? More importantly … have you wondered why some grow in the same settings that take others out? It comes down to using your brain at work as both a tool to reduce toxic barriers … and a map to locate the support you deserve. Regardless of how you feel … simply do a few things differently … and watch the brain’s plasticity propel you to new peaks. When relationship problems surface … for instance … people win support by building goodwill … even with those who disagree. How so? Try discussing the opposite of your ideas in tone that welcomes others’ perspectives. In tha... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1446405 Fri, 16 May 2008 03:34:02 +0100 1446405 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1443139&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F290585286%2Fcortisol_crisis_and_comair_car.html Last week I scrunched into a Comair Flight 5353 seat … without my computer bag allowed onboard … and considered consequences of current cortisol crises ... and our lost art of flying.It’s no secret that to fly anywhere anymore…  is to arrive late … lose bags … face cortisol cranks … and squeeze into Fisher-Price-sized seats.  If you’re not stressed enough … an overworked stewardess rattles off details about how not to sink in oceans …  fall from planes … or suck oxygen funny … while you ram into emergency isles to escape fire. It seems lots to ask even frequent flyers like me. Add to that … daily cutbacks that warn passengers to expect no food … wait outside in rain … bring... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1443139 Thu, 15 May 2008 02:41:04 +0100 1443139 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1439979&cid=t_101420_134_f&fid=36049&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FDiabetesNotes%2F%7E3%2F289412888%2F As part of the theme day here at the health and wellness channel, my post is all about mental health. For more, Alicia at Mental Health Notes has the complete line up. Depression. Ahh, the taboo topic that isn’t so taboo anymore. As I have written before depression affects so many people across the board. Diabetics are no exception. Researchers found that depression alone, and not lifestyle factors like being overweight, can trigger Type 2 diabetes in adults 65 and older, a population with a high prevalence of diabetes and depression. Researchers measured depressive mood and thoughts at a particular point in time as well as over the long term. By doing this, they were able to get a more conclusive and accurate view of depressive symptoms. By measuring depressive symptoms before diabe... Diabetes Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1439979 Tue, 13 May 2008 12:47:17 +0100 1439979 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1433912&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F287481006%2Fworking_with_your_brain_in_min.html    Do you benefit from facts about the human brain that build business and bank bucks where you work?Want more capacity to detect and manage change opportunities in rapidly shifting workplace horizons? Wherever you discover brain based  surges or slumps ... you'll also find amazing windows of opportunity.  How so? Link brain facts to five linchpins that hold together key workplace components to ratchet up brainpower. How so? Watch the bottom line lift when you ... 1. Create a distinctive climate where workers and clients  benefit from insights about the human brain. Draw from newly discovered brainpower,  as highlighted in HR Magazine’s March 2008 cover story ... The Brain at Work by Adrienne Fox.2. Capitalize on core capabilities... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1433912 Sat, 10 May 2008 13:52:59 +0100 1433912 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1405459&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F279782863%2F5_urgent_reasons_to_run_from_s.html While it could well be that work … or life in general … is tossing you more pressures that you feel able to handle  … stressors can work against your own well-being. 5 urgent reasons to bolt from stress at every turn: 1. It shrinks your brain … literally … according to research!2. It prevents you from finding solutions and intensifies problems.3. It floods you with cortisol chemicals which shut down thinking.4. It alters tone in ways that rob your goals as well as your memory.5. It blocks brain chemicals you need to refuel in difficult times.Ever noticed how people who cling to stress ... tend to be “I can’t” kind of folks? Run from stress and you also increase serotonin … decrease cortisol … and reboot your brain... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1405459 Tue, 29 Apr 2008 03:20:23 +0100 1405459 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1404186&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35671&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anxietyinsights.info%2Fmaternal_depression_impacts_childrens_stress_hormone_levels.htm This study speaks to the fact that maternal depression, particularly when it goes along with poverty, really needs to be addressed," said Fernald. "Public health interventions typically focus on physical health, such as promoting immunizations and preventing malnutrition. However, we are seeing that a mother's mental health could be a critical factor influencing the physiology of their kids." Moreover, the researchers found a greater impact of maternal depression symptoms on girls than on boys. Girls whose mothers had a greater number of depressive symptoms had the lowest baseline levels of cortisol. "It is unclear why a larger effect was seen among girls, but I would suspect that it would be necessary to go beyond biology for an explanation," said Gunnar. "It may be related to the unique ... Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1404186 Mon, 28 Apr 2008 08:26:00 +0100 1404186 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1375057&cid=t_101420_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2008%2F4%2F16%2Frandom-walks-through-stock-trading-testosterone-guts-and-bra.html By Dov michaeli MD, Ph.DThe April 14 online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences carried an intriguing article titled “ Endogenous steroids and financial risk taking on a London trading floor”. Both authors, J.M. Coates and J. Herbert are from the Dept. of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience at Cambridge University . But J.M.C. is also from the School of business at Cambridge , and his main research interests are summarized by him thusly: “ I have been sampling endogenous steroids from traders on a trading floor in the City to determine the role of both testosterone and cortisol in their decision making and in their performance. I compliment this field work with behavioral experiments set in the lab and in artificial asset markets” Rag... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1375057 Wed, 16 Apr 2008 03:28:29 +0100 1375057 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1371918&cid=t_101420_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F04%2F14%2Frandom-fact-of-the-day-stress-does-cause-gray-hair%2F Just the news you wanted to hear to start your week, right? Sorry, but it’s true. Stress can, in fact, cause your hair to gray. Why? Stress hormones like cortisol can mess with melanocytes (simply, hair cells). Suddenly, the cells have trouble surviving and/or producing the pigment that keeps your hair its original color. Hence, those pigments disappear and out pops a gray (or white) hair. Naturally, controlling stress is a good defense in this type of situation, but that might not always be possible. Eating foods rich in the amino acids lysine and arginine can help provide a drop in stress, however, so if you’re feeling a bit on edge, grab some peanuts and a carton of yogurt. These superfoods can get you halfway to the recommended 3 grams of lysine and arginine that Slovakian... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1371918 Tue, 15 Apr 2008 03:13:59 +0100 1371918 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1356350&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35671&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anxietyinsights.info%2Fmerely_anticipating_mirthful_laughter_reduces_stress_hormone.htm In 2006 researchers investigating the interaction between the brain, behavior, and the immune system found that simply anticipating a mirthful laughter experience boosted health-protecting hormones. Now, two years later, the same researchers have found that the anticipation of a positive humorous laughter experience also reduces potentially detrimental stress hormones. According to Dr Lee Berk, the study team's lead researcher of Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, "Our findings lead us to believe that by seeking out positive experiences that make us laugh we can do a lot with our physiology to stay well." In their earlier work the researchers found that the anticipation of "mirthful laughter" had surprising and significant effects. Two hormones - beta-endorphins (the family of chemical... Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1356350 Tue, 08 Apr 2008 08:17:00 +0100 1356350 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1316945&cid=t_101420_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F255106081%2F What stresses you out ? Whatever it is, how you respond to it may have more consequences than you think. Let me show you how. Recapping from last months article (see Stress and Neural Wreckage: Part of the Brain Plasticity Puzzle)...our bodies are a complex balancing act between systems working full time to keep us alive and well. Any change which threatens this balance can be referred to as stress. Cortisol, a key component of the stress response, does an excellent job of allowing us to adapt to most stressors which last more than a couple of minutes. However, having to endure a high stressor for longer periods than half and hour or so negatively impacts the brain in various ways. Sustained exposure to higher than normal levels of cortisol can result in“neural wreckage” via the prunin... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1316945 Thu, 20 Mar 2008 19:52:18 +0100 1316945 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1316788&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F254915761%2F10_smart_skills_to_curb_cynics.html He calls in sick more and more. She is secretly looking for another job … even if it means she has to go back to school to upgrade. Familiar? Have you seen people who contribute to toxic work environments? Or have you noticed colleagues who feel victimized by workplace toxics? It doesn’t have to be that way.  Tackle cynicism or bullying from your brain's inside-out and … you end up with smart skills for business growth. People today often describe toxic work settings and yet research shows it needn't be the case in most settings.Unsure of how to move past cynicism or bullying? Why not roll out a cynic’s opposites…  go for profitability …  and win back work ... with the brain in mind. How so?Sm... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1316788 Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:29:35 +0100 1316788 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1303213&cid=t_101420_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2008%2F3%2F15%2Fcan-alcoholism-be-cured-without-aa.html By Dov Michaeli MD, Ph.D Alcoholism is a major public health problem. This we all know. But did you know that as alcoholism evolves, stress systems in the brain play an increasing role in motivating continued alcohol use and relapse. In other words, someone who is a moderate drinker will drink more if subjected to stress. And that, in turn would increase her sensitivity to stress, which would result in yet an additional increase in alcohol consumption, which in turn… you get the picture.The stress response Deficiency of a stress response is life threatening. For instance, in response to stress blood pressure goes up, heart rate increases and more blood is pumped into the brain and skeletal muscles. On the other hand, less blood is pumped into the GI tract or the kidneys. What’... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1303213 Fri, 14 Mar 2008 20:06:51 +0100 1303213 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1246692&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35671&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anxietyinsights.info%2Ffamily_environment_affects_childrens_hormonal_response_to_s.htm A study conducted on 346 19-month-old twins by an international team led by Université Laval professor of psychology Michel Boivin reveals that the genetic and environmental bases of hormonal response to stress depend on the context in which a child grows up. This is the first time such an effect has been reported in young humans. The researchers explain the details of their findings in the latest edition of the Archives of General Psychiatry. The study shows that, for children growing up in a favorable family environment, genetics account for 40% of the individual differences in cortisol response to unfamiliar situations. Cortisol is a stress hormone produced in new, unpredictable or uncontrollable contexts. In contrast, if children are raised in difficult family circumstances, the... Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1246692 Thu, 21 Feb 2008 07:02:00 +0100 1246692 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1240255&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F237288134%2Fstop_wait_toxins_at_work.html Over time you may have stopped noticing those things said or done that damage morale or pick away at productivity where you work. If toxins taint your organization … you are not alone. According to The Conference Board … more than 50 percent of workers are dissatisfied at their jobs. Even more of the 20-something-year-olds dislike where they work. A full eight out of ten workers don’t see themselves at the same workplace ten years from now.  Over 25 years of working with leaders … I’ve often observed far too many people who settle for toxins as fair exchange for a salary that pays the mortgage. It doesn’t have to be that way. Research by Cooper now allows people to rate their own job satisfaction by rating 22 items as honestly as you can …... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1240255 Tue, 19 Feb 2008 01:29:18 +0100 1240255 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1208056&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F229971036%2Fcommunication_scales_go_up_and.html Is communication problematic or profitable where you work?Did you ever find yourself lashing out in an email before you realized it? Or do you your words tend to support … encourage … solve … and laugh?Few would disagree that communication will either win you promotions or draw resentment from others. Surprisingly though ... it's much more about personal change than about escaping conflicts.  Apply smart skills … for instance … to get results poor communicators  only dream of reaching. Communication connects to most aspects of work when you think about it. It shapes:   1. Time when people rewire time management and share solutions.2. Collaboration when team members inspire difficult people3. Innovation when people in... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1208056 Wed, 06 Feb 2008 01:38:41 +0100 1208056 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1208968&cid=t_101420_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F229688710%2F Below you have a very insightful article on stress by one of our new Expert Contributors, Gregory Kellet, a researcher at UCSF. Enjoy! (Credit for Pic of Victoria Crater in Mars: Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, via Wikipedia).  ---------------------------------------------- “My brain is…fried, toast, frazzled, burnt out.” How many times have you said or heard one version or another of these statements. Most of us think we are being figurative when we utter such phrases, but research shows that the biological consequences of sustained high levels of stress may have us being more accurate than we would like to think. Crash Course on Stress Our bodies are a complex balancing act between systems working full time to keep us alive and well. This balancing act is constantly adapting to th... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1208968 Tue, 05 Feb 2008 16:39:22 +0100 1208968 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1180241&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F224011319%2Fare_you_burning_out_or_burning.html Are you burning out or burning strong … when faced with rigid routines or stubborn problems at work? Here are 20 ways to move beyond ruts that hold people back:         1. Question the key issues from more diverse angles.2. Talk to leaders from professionally related fields.3. Pull a team together and facilitate their input.4. Invent something new to solve the problem.5. Relate new ideas to extend what already works well.6. Survey your intelligences and use one new one.7. Submit an op-ed on the opposite of one key vent.8. Capture benefits from good tone in tough places.9. Focus on facts forward and avoid old socks.10. Solve problems with the brain in mind.11. Set clear targets for a new distance today.12. Write 5 steps that will take you ... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1180241 Sun, 27 Jan 2008 14:21:24 +0100 1180241 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1173436&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F221667752%2Fchrysler_sebrings_panic_button.html  I pushed the remote control panic button on the Chrysler Sebring I was driving and everybody in the rent-a-car parking lot stopped and stared. Expressions of surprise, angst, and alarm reminded me that I’d just triggered cortisol to myself and others. Have you seen it happen where you work? Sadly, workers daily push panic buttons and trigger cortisol, through: 1. Anxiety - about changes coming at them fast and without many benefits. 2. Fear – from growing financial losses all around them. 3. Panic – about increasing health issues and decreasing insurance.4. Threat – from younger or smarter competition replacing them.5. Fluster– from faster, more current people in their field reducing their value.Each factor above impacts people and many erode t... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1173436 Wed, 23 Jan 2008 14:05:42 +0100 1173436 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1152829&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F217243003%2Ftop_10_reasons_people_hate_wor.html Follow dissatisfied peers around for a day and you’ll likely see one or all of these reasons people hate their jobs.1. Relationship problems surface in projects at work … so that people take potshots at rivals without elevating any discussion. The turnaround would be to build goodwill with others – especially those who disagree. 2. Boredom comes from routines. Why not start work today with the question … “What could I invent?” 3. People expect too much … and you fail to catch many new ideas that fly by and are to be implemented. You’d be able to apply what you are learning more … if you hook new ideas onto something related that you already know or do.4. Problems rarely get solved and so people tend to complain and vent. Recognize t... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1152829 Tue, 15 Jan 2008 20:52:43 +0100 1152829 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1140008&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F213867254%2Fmita_brain_based_business_mani_1.html You may have read the first MITA Manifesto. The second Brain based Manifesto holds thesis listed 10 through 20.  Each points to growth highlighted at MITA. Do you identify with any of the 10 theses below?11.  Attach wings to your best ideas and plan a successful journey from where you stand to where you see the target.12.  There are alarming benefits for those who write out and follow daily targets … over those who wing it and hope for the best.13. You have the same hours per day as Helen Keller … Pasteur … Michelangelo … Mother Teresa … Leonardo da Vinci … Thomas Jefferson … and Albert Einstein. 14. The last word likely does not exist in facts from higher education classes … but rather in learning h... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1140008 Wed, 09 Jan 2008 16:10:53 +0100 1140008 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1123743&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F209289203%2Fthings_are_getting_worse_pleas.html Rarely a day goes by that we don’t hear horror stories about toxic workplaces … and I am wondering if they’re on the rise. Have you noticed it also? Just the other day I spotted a poster on one office wall that read … Things are Getting Worse – Please Send Chocolates! Unfortunately,  when problems loom up at work … we tend to rewire our brains against the very changes a workplace craves most. In our attempts to offset the troubles we often build dendrite brain cells for even more workplace disaster. How does it happen? 1. We lecture people about changes they need to make … in spite of the fact that lectures work against the human brain.2. We blame others rather than draw from intrapersonal intelligence to change in ways that overcome chall... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1123743 Tue, 01 Jan 2008 06:04:18 +0100 1123743 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1123426&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F209070941%2Fteach_new_tricks_to_old_neuron.html With recent good news about the brain’s ability to change … why not make add a few mental resolutions to your New Year’s list.  Your first day back to work could just reboot the chemistry of your own brain and others in 2008. How so?Here are 5 new tricks to teach old neurons:  1. Open a new stream of serotonin where you work through one innovation you suggest and then model. In his new book … Democratizing Innovation … von Hippel explains why users find it profitable to create new products and services for themselves. He shows how it will pay users to reveal their innovations freely for the use of all.2. Convert cortisol chemicals into fuels that will awaken slumping brains around you. Watch for the next rant … or jump on one negative ... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1123426 Mon, 31 Dec 2007 18:41:43 +0100 1123426 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1122200&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F208548528%2Ffuel_for_new_year_plans.html We often see resistance strike down new plans at work.  But have you noticed how people who muster up enthusiasm tend to succeed at work far beyond brains under pressure?To the human brain enthusiasm buffers the storms and provides space for a new start.  It’s an umbrella against downpours that kill innovation. To pioneer a novel idea is to act  vulnerability to beliefs on both sides. Through enthusiasm … the brain releases serotonin … a chemical that increases solutions, cooperation and adds well being beyond frustration that can deluge pioneers.Enthusiasm’s magic creates the sunshine that allows human brains to adapt to change. It stems the flow of cortisol that causes people to lash out… strike back… or give up…. Enthusiasm s... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1122200 Sun, 30 Dec 2007 17:15:06 +0100 1122200 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1113489&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F204661859%2Fchristmas_break_no_sure_bet_fo.html Do you plan a break over this holiday season? As leaders, workers, and family members – we find it hard to move past the busy parts of any day – to relax and shift gears. Most would agree … the human brain needs a break.  Yet holiday benefits are no sure bet for the human brain. How so? 1. Consume too many fatty or sugar laden foods or drink too much and your brain slows down, while moods can act up. 2. Spend too much, worry or exclude people you know and your brain takes on board … harmful cortisol chemicals.3. Allow stress to get the best of you  … through negative or  sarcastic tone and you can literally shrink your brain mass.4. Party too much and exhaustion leaves you cranky, cantankerous, or downright discouraged as your brain take... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1113489 Sat, 22 Dec 2007 15:33:42 +0100 1113489 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1101715&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F202013284%2Fa_brain_wired_against_growth_2.html Not many people find exactly what it takes to spark change. At least not the effective, lasting or systemic kind. Any revolutionary needs where you work?In his book, Epic Change: How to Lead Change in the Global Age, Timothy Clark claims that change is not a choice. It’s an imperative in today’s high-speed, ultra competitive, global environment. Do you agree? I especially appreciated Clark’s thoughtful reflections on the human factor … that either enhances or obstructs change. This mind-bending book will be a real asset to my daily work in change ... and sits on a shelf I can reach easily for reference. His wisdom comes from excellent experience as well as from 300 executives he interviewed about their involvement in the change process. Clark builds a case for... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1101715 Tue, 18 Dec 2007 02:15:20 +0100 1101715 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1097777&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F201276830%2Fcutting_edge_or_ruts_surprisin.html Successful entrepreneurs leave ruts behind by building neuron pathways at two levels. On one level      they hold onto but enliven what’s working well … On another level      they move past old socks who stick with old … and rekindle sparks for a completely new approach … Do ruts come with age as many tell us? While ruts likely have less to do with age, then attitudes … nevertheless 43% see older people as stuck in their ways. I do know that people who rebound from ruts when young, invigorate their brains for discoveries and inventions later on in life. Have you seen it happen? Ruts are wired or unwired into neurons, simply by what you do in a day. How so? Deliberately go after entrepreneurial success and watch your ... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1097777 Sun, 16 Dec 2007 18:24:52 +0100 1097777 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1097303&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F200936896%2Fmindful_of_blood_flow_to_your.html Blood flow is critical to mental vitality, because blood carries oxygen and other nutrients that sustain healthy neurons. With a full 740 milliliters of blood circulating in the brain each minute, and even more during sleep … you see its significance.Brain specialists tell us that when the brain’s blood flow is slowed or blocked people are in serious trouble. In fact blood flow can be a clue to dementia. We’ve all learned more recently through mind-bending stories such as anchor Bob Woodruff’s recovery from brain damage suffered in Iraq. Sadly, ABC News reported yesterday that 1.4 million additional Americans suffer from traumatic brain injuries. Luckily,  medical miracles recently related to blood flow … promise incredible results that benefit all of u... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1097303 Sat, 15 Dec 2007 22:23:44 +0100 1097303 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1093186&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F199923929%2Fhow_you_communicate_is_who_you.html Does this mean that on that day when you snap at a co-worker … that you become a cranky snapper? Or does it mean that you’d become a caring communicator simply stepping back to communicate carefully if another person diminishes you or devalues your offering. Surprising as this sounds, brain research now affirms that how you communicate today … literally shapes who you become tomorrow.Here are 5 ways people erode who they’d like others to see in them – all through communication blunders:  1. Communicate opinionated ideas without much regard for other’s input or new facts … and your brain’s basal ganglia reboots for more narrow opinions on that topic. 2. Lie that  all is well when you really disagree with an issue, and your brain r... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1093186 Thu, 13 Dec 2007 20:37:48 +0100 1093186 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1081633&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F197346662%2Fflee_from_focus_to_find_anothe.html Yesterday I met a man who’d just been downsized and lost his job. With Christmas just around the corner and a young family – this young man had no idea how to tell his wife the bad news.  He dreaded going home. Have you been there? If you’ve ever been demoted or fired … or even if you’ve run into negative barbs unexpectedly at work …  you're actually better off to flee from any focus your mind imposes at that moment. Why so? Without your help … the human brain tends to cling tight to hurdles and hurts. It can literally lock you into heartaches … when the going gets rough. To center on a hurt or hurdle …  holds you back mentally and adds stress that shuts down your ability to escape a... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1081633 Sat, 08 Dec 2007 23:58:27 +0100 1081633 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1079851&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F196683468%2Fwill_your_brain_burn_out_or_bu.html Before you answer the question about burning out or burning strong … check out the lists below - and choose one of the two that describes you best.Would colleagues, for instance,  see you most today in the top or bottom list? Burning out Instructions: 1. Criticize any failures you spot in your day.2. Vent to somebody who’s kind enough to listen.3. Rewire your brain for chemicals that refuel.4. Shrink your brain with stress that shuts it down.5. Speak meta messages that hide what you mean.Burning strong Formula:1. Create one solution to a stubborn problem.2. Improve one routine response to a challenge at work.3. Diminish your day through cortisol chemicals.4. Laugh at yourself and get others laughing too.5. Engage others rather than talk at them.Which of these tw... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1079851 Fri, 07 Dec 2007 15:29:48 +0100 1079851 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1041855&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35671&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anxietyinsights.info%2Fearly_life_traumas_can_permanently_alter_response_to_psychol.htm Researchers have known for years that psychological trauma that results in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression can change how a person responds to stress. Now, Cornell researchers report that rapes, sudden deaths of loved ones, life-threatening accidents and other such traumas may result in long-term changes even if the survivor doesn't develop a clinical disorder. "The findings suggest that there may be persistent differences in the stress response in some trauma-exposed people, even if they do not exhibit PTSD or depression or both, and even if their trauma was years in the past," said Barbara Ganzel, a lecturer in human development in Cornell's College of Human Ecology. Ganzel led a team of Cornell researchers, whose study is published in a special issue of the Journal o... Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1041855 Wed, 21 Nov 2007 07:20:00 +0100 1041855 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1037871&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F187494403%2Fstress_strikes_gender_differen.html Research just affirmed that stress creates different responses from men and women. Lead researcher Dr. JJ Wang showed how men tend to follow the “fight-or-flight” approaches to stress … while women tend to “tend-and-befriend.”Check out today’s study with details in ScienceDaily to see how differences were determined through heart rates, cortisol levels, participants’ described stress levels, and regional cerebral blood flow differences. The findings showed that women required longer to get past stress reactions, while men get higher levels of cortisol – the stress hormone. "Women have twice the rate of depression and anxiety disorders compared to men," according to Dr. Wang. "Knowing that women respond to stress by increasing ... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1037871 Tue, 20 Nov 2007 03:48:50 +0100 1037871 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1017794&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F182233460%2F10_steps_to_serotonin_support.html You've likely heard that encouragement spikes  serotonin chemicals in your brain. But have you found and unleashed that jolt of adrenalin support … when you most need it? Lunckily, some people seem to pack serotonin to spare. Have you seen it?Check out leaders boosting business support out there today … and you’ll likely find somebody who’s got your back too: 1. BurstBlog encourages you to shrink those wordy blogs - to prevent the extra work a brain needs to do … since computer screen refreshes 72 times per second.2. Don’t Mess with Taxes tossed out the idea of staying thankful as a way of revitalizing a difficult day. Check out the moving story of a wounded friend’s support.3. WorkinProperty buoys up aesthetic jewel... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1017794 Fri, 09 Nov 2007 15:16:18 +0100 1017794 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1005326&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F180168468%2F5_steps_away_from_overwhelmed.html Too little sleep … too much work … or too few fun times … can leave you feeling overwhelmed and downright discouraged. How does it happen? It could be negative employees who pile on cortisol chemicals through complaints that erode your workplace. Or it could come from constant workplace demands that rob your serotonin and leave you exhausted and mentally bankrupt. Luckily … the pathway back to well-being and calm can be yours in a shorter time than most people realize. Freedom from feeling overwhelmed comes faster when you:1. Ask 2-footed questions such as … What if …? and then take one step toward a winning solution. For example, recently, I felt overwhelmed with volunteer work at a camp for disadvantaged youth. My own business commitments fell be... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1005326 Mon, 05 Nov 2007 18:37:58 +0100 1005326 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=996628&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35671&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anxietyinsights.info%2Fpsychological_stress_triggers_alzheimers_plaque_formation.htm Research conducted by a team of German, Portugese and British scientists has found that psychological stress contributes directly to the development of Alzheimer's disease. According to the results, stress triggers the production of amyloid beta (amyloid-ß) peptide - the molecule associated with the neural plaques characteristic of the disease - and also makes neurons more vulnerable to amyloid-ß peptide toxicity. Administration of glucocorticoids stress hormones - which are released in the body's fight or flight response to stress - was shown to have the same effect, confirming the role of stress in Alzheimer's disease. This last finding is particularly important as glucocorticoids are used to treat Alzheimer's patients and according to this research instead of helping they mi... Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=996628 Thu, 01 Nov 2007 07:42:00 +0100 996628 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=985660&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F176074109%2Fwired_for_optimism_new_study.html Recent research studies show how pessimism prevents people from taking actions that improve their future. Have you seen it? For some time now … we’ve been told by brain specialists to run from negativity – because it’s a cortisol trigger for more of the same whenever you fall prey. Mounting research warns against negativity that adds to stress … shrinks the human brain … and takes down tone.  But what about its opposite?Optimism’s effects on the brain … have perhaps been a bit less well known scientifically … but that’s fast changing.  A person’s hope and confidence about the future … literally light up part of the mid-brain … according to Dr. Elizabeth Phelps of New York University and Dr. Tali ... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=985660 Sun, 28 Oct 2007 04:41:52 +0100 985660 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=979393&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F174886525%2F5_turkey_traditions_to_drop_an.html With Thanksgiving Day galloping across my calendar, I see people already racing to gather garnishes and dust off their holiday guest lists. Have you made plans yet? Some traditions though … tend to unravel Thanksgiving Day Dinners .. into a heap more friction than fun. Here are 5 Thanksgiving traditions to drop in favor of a few brain cells left to thank. 1. Get rid of cortisol chemicals that surge whenever you worry, exclude people, feel guilty, or overspend on holidays.2. Drop tone that complains, spots more warts than wonders, or offers advice where it is isn’t welcomed.3. Run from stressors that take you out …  from too little serotonin to help you strike back in defense.  4. Cut off foods that zap your energy, add to cranky retorts, drain enthusiasm, or w... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=979393 Thu, 25 Oct 2007 15:47:23 +0100 979393 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=974669&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35671&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anxietyinsights.info%2Fsocial_anxiety_video_game_cuts_players_stress_hormone_levels.htm A video game designed by McGill University researchers to help train people to change their perception of social threats and boost their self-confidence has now been shown to reduce the production of the stress hormone cortisol. The new findings appear in the October issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. "We already knew that it was possible to design games to allow people to practise new forms of social perception, but we were surprised by the impact this had when we took the games out of the lab and into the context of people's stressful lives," said McGill psychology professor Mark Baldwin. Prof. Baldwin and his team - McGill PhD graduates Stéphane Dandeneau and Jodene Baccus and graduate student Maya Sakellaropoulo - have been developing a suite of video gam... Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=974669 Wed, 24 Oct 2007 09:27:00 +0100 974669 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=970213&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F173370656%2F22_causes_for_chemical_bankrup.html Check out new research to see why people deal differently with stress.It comes down to chemicals we carry around … and you've likely noticed how some people hit mental bankruptcy … while others grow chemical dividends for well being. How so? People who bank serotonin, remind us how to take control of that out-of-sorts feeling. They also model ways to avoid the kind of cortisol an angry customer might zap into a day when you least expect a lightning strike. Research suggests that at least 22 stressors hit you daily. What do these look like?   1. The alarm goes off in your deepest sleep and it feels like a Mack truck hit.2. You drop coffee on your shirt on the way to work.3. People talk incessantly when you’d like them to listen too.4. Yo... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=970213 Mon, 22 Oct 2007 16:47:54 +0100 970213 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=965926&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F172531740%2Ften_distinctives_in_a_brain_ba.html What transformations distinguish any ordinary day where you work? If you answer that question - without much hesitation ... you're likely more fueled with curiosity than boredom at work. Do you agree? According to  MITA Entrepreneurship -  1. You learn more by chasing 2 footed questions than by listening to lectures. 2. You create mental maps for consensus and roll out doable brain based peace plans.3. You vent less on problems and focus more on creating solutions with the brain in mind.4. You target to win ... with a new appreciation for how you are smart.5. You set the stage for beauty in ways that offer opportunities for personal renewal.6. You learn from mistakes ... as you stick a neuron in your head and la... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=965926 Sat, 20 Oct 2007 16:04:32 +0100 965926 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=948654&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F169443281%2Ftone_transforms_the_face_of_co.html Tone separates critics from creators when problems strike. How so? Tone’s a mind-bending skill that successful leaders use to get past overload, or stress, or exhaustion. Problems … magnified perhaps … by those who resist change become stepping stones to growth by those who cultivate tone. Have you seen it? Let’s say you start a new program where the learning curve is too high, and the leader too hard to handle.  Or you name the most frustrating problems that smack back daily. Watch the next conflict … and observe how people who lack tone skills,  react with meta messages, and resort to rants. Watch how a skilled leader weaves tone skills to help people build goodwill in times of conflict. It may mean risk though. Tone also takes brain chemicals t... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=948654 Sat, 13 Oct 2007 18:01:19 +0100 948654 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=945310&cid=t_101420_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F10%2F12%2Fstress-the-silent-killer.html Conclusion On the biological level, this is yet another demonstration of the mind-body relationship. In fact, a whole field of research called psychoneuroimmunology (I know, it’s a mouthful, but if you break it up to its component words, psycho-neuro-immunology, it makes sense) is thriving and is uncovering new connections between brain, mind and immune response on an almost daily basis. On the clinical level, the strengthening evidence of the effect of stress on health and disease suggests new modalities and approaches to treatment. What is most intriguing and potentially far-reaching, are the societal consequences. Now that we accrue more and more evidence on the effects of stress on health, it would make economic sense to pay attention to the work environment. An enlightened manag... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=945310 Fri, 12 Oct 2007 05:29:39 +0100 945310 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=908757&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F162025932%2Fbrains_under_pressure.html A fine colleague of mine just resigned from several boards ... and cut back on work hours. His doctor warned that stress has spiked his blood pressure to life threatening levels. Have you seen it happen? Long boring meetings … dysfunctional supervisors … demanding workloads … poor pay … workplace bullies ... too few staff … or workplace politics. Some people keep their cool as if candid cameras followed them around the workplace … while mental pressure cookers steam inside for others. What determines your panicked or  peaceful reactions?Or, why do you counter problems with wit and wisdom one day, but respond with fire and brimstone the next? Interestingly … your brain’s fueled by chemicals that influence how you cope with &he... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=908757 Thu, 27 Sep 2007 16:03:36 +0100 908757 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=882982&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F158332816%2Fcan_your_stress_shrink_my_brai.html Research affirms without doubt that stress literally shrinks the human brain. Scary ... but it’s also true that stress masks as diligence while it shaves years off lives of those who ignore its masks. Check out the reality of what brain shrinkage tosses into your world through stressors in an ordinary workplace as well as personal problems. The disasters are compelling for those who ignore the brain research on this one – and few people question the urgent need to reboot their brains for less stress. My question is … Can your stress shrink my brain? When emails open with cortisol driven words such as  …. tired …  overwhelmed …  panicky … lonely … frustrated … furious … worried … or confused,... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=882982 Wed, 19 Sep 2007 01:35:48 +0100 882982 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=867438&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F155519629%2Fchange_brings_9_comebacks_and.html People react in surprisingly different ways - to proven changes - introduced to advance their lives and workplace. How do you respond?Here are typical reactions to change I’ve observed in over thirty years as change agent for brain based approaches:  1. Cynics say … “I can’t do it”… Cynics often lack smart skills to do different processes and they respond with a tone of contempt, aggression, or jaded humor. 2. Pessimists say … “It can’t be done”… They add cortisol to the entire circle, in ways that hold back growth and stall progress.3. Complacent people say … “There’s no time for make changes when we barely have time to do all we do here already. Cling to time-worn traditions and this group&rsquo... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=867438 Wed, 12 Sep 2007 15:27:33 +0100 867438 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=839133&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35671&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anxietyinsights.info%2Fadult_children_of_mothers_with_ptsd_sufferers_have_low_stres.htm A small study suggests that adults whose parents are Holocaust survivors with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) appear to have lower average levels of the stress hormone cortisol than the adult offspring of parents without PTSD, according to a report in the September issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Biological differences seen in individuals with PTSD, including low cortisol levels, could either result from exposure to a traumatic event or could be present before such an event and predispose patients to the condition, according to background information in the article. "Once identified, such risk factors may prove to be useful as predictors of who will develop PTSD after exposure to trauma, or they may even identify potential new targets for p... Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=839133 Tue, 04 Sep 2007 08:23:00 +0100 839133 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=836142&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35671&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anxietyinsights.info%2Fchildren_become_stressed_months_before_starting_school.htm The first few days at school can be an anxious time as children face the challenge of a new environment and making new friends but according to new research children show signs of stress three to six months before term even starts. The study involved 105 children starting reception class in schools in Bath, UK and the surrounding areas in September 2004 or January 2005. Parents completed a set of questionnaires about their child's behavior and personality and collected small samples of their child's saliva before, during and after they started school. Parents also kept a diary of their child's health for the first six months after starting school and the children's schoolteachers completed questionnaires detailing each child's behavior and character two weeks and six months after starting ... Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=836142 Sat, 01 Sep 2007 08:29:00 +0100 836142 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=825650&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35671&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anxietyinsights.info%2Fchronic_stress_increases_alzheimer_gene_linked_memory_loss.htm High stress levels may contribute to memory loss among people at risk for developing Alzheimer's disease. The e4 variant of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene contributes to the risk for memory loss related to Alzheimer's disease. Similarly, high circulating levels of cortisol, associated with high stress levels, also impairs memory. However, the interactive effects of this risk genotype and chronic stress are not well understood, so University of California, San Diego researchers set out to explore this relationship. In the study they performed genotyping and measured the chronic stress level in 91 older, healthy subjects (mean age was 78.8 years). Those low on stress or without the APOE-e4 risk factor performed better on memory measures than those with high stress or those positive for APO... Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=825650 Tue, 28 Aug 2007 08:26:00 +0100 825650 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=825599&cid=t_101420_134_f&fid=36049&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FDiabetesNotes%2F%7E3%2F145383160%2F Have you heard of biofeedback? Biofeedback is a technique in which patients improve their health by using signals from their own bodies, ie. heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate and sweating, Now have you heard of using biofeedback to help treat your diabetes? I am referring to mainly type 2 diabetics. There is research that shows after just 10 sessions of biofeedback and relaxation therapy, diabetics blood sugars and A1c were lowered and stayed that way for up to 3 months. And a bonus… depression and anxiety among these patients also decreased. Here would be my hunch why this type of treatment could be effective… The Stress Effect Biofeedback may decrease cortisol, a stress hormone linked to insulin resistance. Some of you may remember me writing abo... Diabetes Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=825599 Sat, 18 Aug 2007 03:23:23 +0100 825599 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=800171&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35671&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anxietyinsights.info%2Fpersistent_anxiety_in_children_linked_to_high_morning_cortis.htm MedWire News: Children with persistent anxiety problems have higher morning cortisol levels and cortisol awakening response than children without anxiety, Dutch researchers report. "Alterations in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis might underlie persistent anxiety problems, or result from the stress accompanied by persistent anxiety problems," the authors write in the Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica. More... ©Current Medicine Group Ltd (Source: Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info) Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=800171 Wed, 15 Aug 2007 08:28:00 +0100 800171 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=791504&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35671&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anxietyinsights.info%2Fstress_hormone_linked_to_gum_disease.htm Stress may play a role in the development of periodontal diseasesA literature review published in the August issue of the Journal of Periodontology (JOP) saw a strong relationship between stress and periodontal diseases; 57% of the studies included in the review showed a positive relationship between periodontal diseases and psychological factors such as stress, distress, anxiety, depression, and loneliness. "More research is needed to determine the definitive relationship between stress and periodontal diseases," said study author Daiane Peruzzo, PhD. "However, patients who minimize stress may be at less risk for periodontal diseases." Researchers speculate that the hormone cortisol may play a role in the possible connection between stress and periodontal diseases. A study in the July iss... Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=791504 Fri, 10 Aug 2007 11:38:00 +0100 791504 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=780465&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F140765519%2Fthe_worst_bosses_get_promoted.html New research shows how bad bosses out there get promoted - not punished. You’ve likely met them….  He’s mean… she’s a grump … they’re moody…. You just want to hit the back button and restart their day and yours. But the fact is – more than 62% of the study’s respondents said nothing at all is done.Worse still ... senior managers tend to turn a blind eye – while workers walk into dragon dens day after day. Yikes! These guys often look for fights more than solutions.... defend themselves like Banshees defend  water in a desert battle … and  stick to stubborn opinions in spite of evidence that supports any opposite views. If you know them ... you're likely stung by them. Sadly, the c... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=780465 Sun, 05 Aug 2007 02:12:58 +0100 780465 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=764466&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F138288875%2Fchemicals_to_refuel_when_work.html You’ve been there. "I love my job and cannot believe I can paid for what I’d do anyway." Then – out of the blue – you wake up bored with people and projects all around you.On a good day you may feel a bit lucky to still work where you do, but for the most part you arrive later and leave earlier. That zip’s gone. The flame’s been doused with reality and the thrill of getting a job done well vanishedShould you quit? Adopt a career change?Not necessarily. Whether your work flame fizzles or reignites depends more on your ability to ratchet up neurochemicals of more adventure in what you do.Researchers can now  scan the human brain to observe unique systems within our ability to handle realities at work and to add better fuels for improved... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=764466 Sat, 28 Jul 2007 16:29:23 +0100 764466 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=763145&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F138094305%2Ftone_changes_like_a_chemeleon.html Tone’s a matter of mind yet it propels communication up or down in ways that surprise most people. Fortunately, even when cortisol cranks enter the room ... tone can work in your favor. And it's less about animated or anxious, and more the ability to spot and use its power tools. Tone is said to be … 1. The body language of online communication – but only seen by those who look.2. A silent killer brought into circles by cynics who whine more than offer solutions.3. A peaceful pathway to state opposites and to disagree without attacking others.4. A megaphone to disagree and still keep your job as well as your good reputation.  5. The chemical you wear to work on daily – such as  cortisol or serotonin highsYour can rate your Tone IQ ... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=763145 Fri, 27 Jul 2007 22:11:51 +0100 763145 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=747338&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F135660005%2Fmental_advantages_of_an_early.html My A team is invited to create an alliance … two weeks from now… between MITA Brain Based International Center … and a major New York organization. In spite of the fact that we are far too busy to think about any details of that A team meeting at the moment… nevertheless …  Dr. Robyn McMaster and I  took the lion’s share of yesterday and today to prepare details? Why? Because the brain needs time to create excellence and it usually does so in increments. One great idea builds off another. After the meeting I will tell you more about this exciting alliance opportunity. For today … here are 5 surefire advantages of an early start… in order to prepare your brain and plan incrementally. 1. Throw... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=747338 Fri, 20 Jul 2007 15:52:25 +0100 747338 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=742712&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F135091573%2Fkramers_racial_rant.html  We stood stunned to see Kramer, a favorite TV comedian and former Seinfeld star, Michael Richards’ racist rant. Does it happen where you work? What started out as a regular standup gig last year ended up as profane and racial slurs that embarrassed the entire club he entertained. Later, Richards told the press he's not racist …” That night, when I was insulted and disrupted, I lost my heart; I lost my sense of humor.” My question is … What really did happen that night – and how does it also happen at times where we work? ….In spite of Kramer’s apologies on the Letterman Show, and Michale Richard’s claims that anger – not racism – sparked this tirade … we wonder why? How can a highly intelli... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=742712 Thu, 19 Jul 2007 00:20:09 +0100 742712 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=737680&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F134227244%2Frun_from_negativity.html Run from negativity researchers tell us. It’s been said before but new research shows how negativity – and the cortisol it generates - add stress and poor tone  that shuts down you and everybody around you.It helps to work with people’s brains in a new way Robyn McMaster reminds us. Great leaders … she points out learn to use problem solving skills to turn negative cultures around. Have you seen it happen? Wait a minute .... Are you the negative one? If so … you’ll be glad to see news that negativity is actually a choice and has far less to do with a person’s misfortune than once thought. When we’re negative we see the worst, lack a hope for change, take opposite views in positive conversations, complain more than solve, take... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=737680 Mon, 16 Jul 2007 15:42:35 +0100 737680 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=735604&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F133996129%2Ftop_10_perks_youd_have_in_brai.html The top 10 perks of a brain based workplace …  10. Universal Health Care where people are considered higher currency than workplace politics … and where healthcare costs come back to firms through success and profitability. 9. Fair  salaries that add serotonin and well-being … rather than cortisol that comes from inequitable remuneration. 8. Equal voice to leaders and workers without attending brain dead committees or lectures that work against the brain. 7. Solutions that jumpstart projects far more than problems set them back. 6. Creativity much like Google pays for daily. 5. Diplomacy as solutions to conflicts. The human brain is wired to take us past perceptual blocks that lead to conflicts at work.4. Laughter that replaces boredom and small talk. 3.... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=735604 Sun, 15 Jul 2007 21:37:19 +0100 735604 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=727422&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F132670153%2Fspeak_as_if_they_are_wounded.html If you’ve ever stood back and listened to words spoken to a grieving widow or widower or to any person who loses what they’ve loved – you’ll likely agree that a tenderness and compassion rings through every phrase. Ok… I’ll agree that occasionally  people tend to say a few dumb things at that time too … such as … “You’ll get over it…. Or they freeze in silence ….But what if we spoke to every person at work today… as they were wounded? If you think about the ordinary blows that strike a person’s week – when life hits back in times you least expect it, you’ll agree that carefully chosen words come across like apples of gold. And we know from research – that man... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=727422 Wed, 11 Jul 2007 16:19:54 +0100 727422 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=719547&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F131431717%2Fmita_tone_survey_scores_what_d.html What does your score mean anyway? Let’s analyze your Tone IQ Results to see where you are operating at your best – and where new smart skills can help you benefit from even more positive tone. Scores are valued at A = 10 points; B = 9 points; C = 7 points; and, D = 5 pointsFirst, calculate your score here by counting how many a. _____ b. _____ c. _____ d. _____ responses you checked in the Tone IQ Survey. Next add your 15 scores.  Finally, check descriptions for each score below to see where you stand in terms of your tone outcomes at work.A score from 150 to 91 means:You use highly effective tone strategies in many communication areas. Your beliefs and practices often empower excellence in yourself and others. You tend to operate from a well developed intraperso... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=719547 Sat, 07 Jul 2007 16:48:11 +0100 719547 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=714808&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F130626449%2Fare_you_courageous_enough_to_c.html  Are you courageous enough to create? Would courage hold you solid in the race … even if you’re running a good pace behind a famous front liner? Yahoo seems to think so. How about you? Creativity requires people to challenge traditions … but what happens when your family, boss, clients or colleagues embody that tradition? Do you drop and run?  Some people think that Yahoo is busily creating for the future market of custom created ads. But is the market ready for the challenge of Yahoo's big ad innovation?What does that have to do with your business or with your own courage for creativity? We have a tendency to let go of risks that precede the best creative possibilities out there - whenever uncertainty hits.  At times the very thought of challeng... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=714808 Thu, 05 Jul 2007 03:30:48 +0100 714808 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=707695&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F129598895%2Fare_you_confident_enough_to_be.html Drew McLellan asked a compelling question over at Drew’s Marketing Minute…Are you confident enough to be simple? Drew suggests that people are “afraid the audience won’t get it." Then he added that this fear … “speaks volumes – but not about the audience.” Interestingly, fear adds cortisol that zaps confidence needed for simplicity. To communicate simply, though, takes mental steps – that tend to come mainly to communicators who target clarity and interactive exchanges with participants. So why is confidence involved? Here are 5 areas where confidence segues into simplicity:1. Replace jargon with words more familiar to a wider mix of people. I like to play with words in ways that people will have fun “trying on&rd... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=707695 Mon, 02 Jul 2007 01:58:26 +0100 707695 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=677476&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F123087029%2Fhow_do_we_think.html How do we think? That’s the question Liz and others tossed around today over at Successful Blog. What would you say in response? Ten things come to me off the cuff …  We spark thinking when we1. Wonder what an audience would say to an idea we have …2. Collaborate on projects with others and build knowledge together …3. Step beyond a problem to come up with a possibility…4. Make decisions based on our past experiences and future hopes…5. Judge a new situation based on what we already know about the idea…6. Predict what may happen in the future based on observations and facts…7. Question stogy traditions and inquire about renewal…8. Target a new skill or outcome and then plan a path to get there …9. Form an opinion &he... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=677476 Fri, 08 Jun 2007 02:41:19 +0100 677476 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=677478&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F122928741%2Fshocking_cost_of_violence_to_b.html This study from the University of Georgia showed: About $64.4 billion,  of the $70 billion in violence related costs  come from lost productivity … and  the other $5.6 billion comes from medical care costs. This country suffers 2.2 million medically treated injuries due to interpersonal violence yearly, for a cost of $37 billion ($33 billion in productivity losses, $4 billion in medical treatment).The price of self-inflicted injuries … which include suicides rings in at $33 billion each year.  That’s $32 billion in productivity losses and $1 billion in medical costs.Were you aware that young people -  aged 15 to 44 years make up only  44 percent of the population, but add 75 percent of injuries and 83 percent of costs due to violence?T... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=677478 Thu, 07 Jun 2007 14:55:50 +0100 677478 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=677479&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F122646677%2F5_zaps_to_more_brainpower_wher.html Yesterday I highlighted 5 Surefire Ways to Zap Brainpower from Any Room.  Here are 5 equally workable ways to kick-start more brainpower in the same room with trouble makers at work. 1. Ask two footed questions that draw out another people’s many intelligences. For example a terrific leader in my community recently asked me… How could a driver education program in Europe be brain based? What a cool question – and in fact I answered it with a six-blog series to respond. Who’s imagination have you propelled in the direction of their talents lately? 2. Stand as peacemaker between people who disagree – so that instead of Tone as a blatant silent killer you use Tone to turn disagreements into organizational growth. It starts quite simply – each time we ... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=677479 Wed, 06 Jun 2007 15:50:35 +0100 677479 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=651904&cid=t_101420_109_f&fid=35671&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anxietyinsights.info%2Fstress_in_pregnancy_may_affect_the_fetus.htm Stress experienced by a woman during pregnancy may have an effect on her unborn child, most likely mediated by the transfer of stress hormones across the placenta. Research published in May's edition of Clinical Endocrinology shows that from 17 weeks, the amount of stress hormone in the amniotic fluid surrounding the fetus is positively related to that in the mother's blood. This is the first report of this relationship noted at such an early stage in pregnancy. Stress hormones are pumped into our blood when we become anxious. These hormones are good in the short term because they help our bodies deal with the present stressful situation. But if we are stressed for a long time they can affect our health including making us tired, depressed and more prone to illness. Although we know stress... Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=651904 Thu, 31 May 2007 07:11:00 +0100 651904 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=509326&cid=t_101420_87_f&fid=34866&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecardioblog.com%2F2007%2F03%2F29%2Fstress%2F Filed under: Prevention, Research, StressDid you know that between 60 to 90 percent of all doctors' visits are related to anxiety, insomnia, depression, obsessive anger and hostility, high blood pressure and heart attacks? It's true. And what is the common link among each of these issues listed? Stress!!!!!!!!! Because stress signals your body to respond with surges of the hormones adrenaline and cortisol, blood pressure rises and your heart beats faster. We stress about our jobs, we stress about money, we stress about being stuck in traffic, we stress about stress! It becomes a vicious circle of stress begetting more stress, and it is a very damaging to our cardiovascular health. How do we fix it? Some doctors suggest relaxing with meditation. Simply find a nice, quiet area to spend about... The Cardio Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=509326 Thu, 29 Mar 2007 04:00:00 +0100 509326 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=477976&cid=t_101420_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F3%2F16%2Fthe-impact-of-abuse-on-the-brain.html I am at the Family Violence Prevention Fund’s National Conference on Health and Domestic Violence.  One of the panels that I attended examined the impact of child maltreatment on brain development. David McCollum, MD, President of the Academy on Violence and Abuse, reviewed the medical literature on brain changes that occur after child abuse … and I am not talking about brain injury due to being hit on the head, rather I am talking about structural and functional changes in the brain that occur as a result of being exposed to the terror of family violence Dr. McCollum briefly reviewed the biology of human brain maturation. Infants are born with an over  abundance of nerve cells, called neurons, and connections between nerve cells, called synapses. As the child gets... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=477976 Sat, 17 Mar 2007 01:15:55 +0100 477976