BIPOLAR DISORDER MYTHS—BUSTED

One of the best ways to manage bipolar disorder is to prevent manic episodes before they start. Although that’s not always doable, it is possible to identify triggers that may lead to mood disturbances. Follow these tips to reduce the likelihood of a manic episode:



Stick to a daily routine. Schedule meals at a regular time, make exercise a part of your daily schedule, and practice relaxation techniques each night before bed.



Establish a regular sleep schedule. Changes in your normal sleep patterns can alter the chemicals in your body, which can trigger mood changes or make your symptoms worse.



Avoid alcohol and illegal drugs. Alcohol and drug use can make symptoms worse. Even a single drink can interfere with sleep, mood, or the medication used to treat bipolar disorder. If caffeine causes mood fluctuations, it should also be avoided.



Reduce stress at home and at work. Try to keep regular hours at work or at school. If daily stress is a problem, therapy may help to alleviate the pressure.



Monitor mood changes. Write down daily moods or symptoms in a journal or calendar. If there’s a pattern or warning signs of a mood swing, seek treatment immediately.



Enlist help from family and friends. Family or friends can provide assistance during a manic episode, especially if bipolar disorder causes confusion in determining the difference between what's real and what's not real (psychosis).



Continue treatment. It can be tempting to stop treatment during a manic episode because the symptoms feel good. But it's important to continue treatment as prescribed to avoid taking risks or experiencing negative consequences associated with a manic episode.



Plan ahead. It's important to recognize warning signs and seek early treatment to avoid more severe, prolonged manic episodes. Have a plan of action in place and a support system to help follow the plan when symptoms of a manic episode begin.

Bite The Bullet

Many tasks can seem far too daunting, especially to chronic procrastinators. So you procrastinate and procrastinate, and you never get the dastardly deed over with!
Remember that you'll feel much better once you've done it You're already stressed out, or at least filled with dread. Keep in mind that, once you're done with this terrible task, that will be the end of it, and you'll be able to move on.
Eliminate distractions Think about what you have to do and nothing else. If necessary, unplug your TV, computer and phone to prevent distractions.
Remember that you're more likely to regret never having tried than you are to regret failure. Putting off asking out that cute girl? Just think how much worse you'll feel if you never ask her than if you ask her and she turns you down. What if you found out months later that she had once liked you?
Get any thoughts of failure out of your head For example, if you can't bring yourself to write that English essay, visualize getting a paper with a huge "A+" on the top. Try your hardest to not think about rejection or failure.
Just do it. Block out all other thoughts, and put yourself in the "zone." Just run up there and do it; don't look back!
Set stopping points for rewards Just got through half your essay? Done with twenty of the algebra problems? Stop for a few minutes, do something you enjoy as a reward. Just remember to start again
Congratulate yourself You just overcame the hardest of all conflicts: man against himself. Bask in the glory, even if you didn't do as well as you hoped you might have!

* Don't let yourself be talked out of doing what you want to do. That way, it'll never get done. Cut out all negative influences from your life.

* Once you've gone out into the firing line , do what you need to do and do it well. Wimping out makes you look weak and you'll look like you have no backbone.

Food allergies: Food labels list top 8 allergens

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires food manufacturers to list common food allergens on food labels in simple terms that adults and older children can understand. Common allergens are listed either in the ingredients list, after the list, or right next to it. The labeling requirements are designed to reduce your chances of an accidental allergic reaction to a food.



Revised in January of 2006, the updated food label takes some of the guesswork out of label reading, helping you easily identify foods that could cause an allergic reaction. For example, most people mistakenly believe that nondairy means that there is no milk in a product. Before the label guidelines were revised, the use of "nondairy" was allowed even when the foods contained milk byproducts. If a product contains casein, a milk-derived protein, the product's label now lists the term "milk" in parenthesis after the term "casein." Or, the label will simply state "Contains milk." This simple approach is especially helpful for kids with food allergies who may be choosing their own snacks.



The food allergens

While food labels don't include every possible allergen, they do list the top eight, which account for 90 percent of all documented food allergies:



* Milk

* Eggs

* Peanuts

* Tree nuts (such as almonds, cashews, walnuts)

* Fish (such as bass, cod, flounder)

* Shellfish (such as crab, lobster, shrimp)

* Soy

* Wheat



This list also represents the foods most likely to cause a severe or life-threatening allergic reaction (anaphylaxis).

Allergens and food labels

Here are answers to a few common questions about food label requirements.



* What foods are labeled? Any domestic or imported packaged food regulated by the FDA is required to make these labeling changes.

* What's included on the label? The label lists the type of allergen — for example, the type of tree nut (almond, walnut) or the type of crustacean shellfish (crab, shrimp) — as well as any ingredient that contains a protein from the eight major food allergens. The labels also include any allergens found in flavorings, colorings or other additives.

* What foods aren't labeled? Fresh produce, fresh meat and certain highly refined oils do not require listing of potential food allergens on the labels. Foods that may inadvertently come into contact with a food allergen during the growing, harvesting or manufacturing process also are exempt.



Gluten

In addition to the current food labeling changes, the FDA is working to tighten regulations for manufacturers' use of the term "gluten free" on food labels. Gluten is a protein that occurs in grains such as wheat, barley and rye. This protein can cause a serious reaction (though not an allergic one) in people who have celiac disease, a digestive disorder. About 2 million people in the United States have the disease. Often people with celiac disease are unsure about which foods contain gluten. The FDA will issue standards for what constitutes a gluten-free product by 2008.

What this means for you

"If you have a food allergy, the new labeling should help you avoid exposure to even small amounts of a food allergen, something you haven't been able to do before," says James Li, M.D., an asthma and allergy specialist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.



If you think you have a food allergy, but haven't been tested, see your doctor. Without specific testing, you won't know whether or how much or how little exposure might trigger a serious allergic reaction.



"Not all people with food allergies are at significant risk when exposed to very small quantities of food," says Dr. Li. "Work closely with your doctor to develop a personalized plan to reduce your risk of inadvertent exposure to the food you're allergic to."