5 Things to Expect After Your Teen Exits Drug Rehab

So your teen has just finished a program at a drug rehab center, now what? While you want to remain supportive and optimistic, the truth is, it's estimated that 90 percent of drug rehabilitation patients have had at least one relapse before finally becoming sober - permanently. That's why it's important for parents to monitor their children to help keep them from having a "slip". A relapse does not necessarily begin when drug use starts, it can be a slow process. Here are some common warning signs that your child could be having some difficulty:

No daily routine -- Your child may have noticeable changes in sleeping patterns, overlook personal hygiene or skip meals. These are all warning signs of a step in the wrong direction. Help your child maintain a structured daily schedule and support them throughout the day so that relapse does not occur.

No social life - After completing rehab, many patients may feel out of their element when reunited with loved ones. Your child may feel uncomfortable and nervous around people that he/she used to spend so much time around. Your child may also neglect going to support group meetings. Make certain that your child does not begin to isolate him/herself or that could cause them to relapse.

Thoughts of suicide -- A person trying to recovery from a drug addition may experience feelings of depression. Your child could feel trapped by the inability to change his/her life after rehab and believe that the only way out is to return to using drugs, or worse, commit suicide. If your child shows increased levels of loneliness, frustration, resentment, or is not attending treatment or counseling sessions, provide help for your child ASAP.

Inappropriate actions -- Your child may convince him/herself that "just one" drug won't hurt and this is one of the clearest signs of an impending relapse. It is extremely difficult for those in recovery to realize that life was not bad prior to using drugs and that he/she can make a change in his/her life. Monitor your child's actions and ensure that there are no drugs in sight.

Increased level of stress -- After going through drug rehab and coming home, stress levels can be elevated. Although a little bit of stress is anticipated once a patient returns to the "real world" after rehab, it is important to monitor the mood of your child. Observe your child and ensure that he/she is not over-reacting to situations, having drastic mood swings or negative feelings.

In rehab, people spend a significant time talking about what they'll need to do to improve their individual lives but research suggests that helping someone else could be a vital part of the recovery process. This could be mentoring someone in a support group or volunteering for a cause that is important to the individual. Giving back makes the heart feel full and happy. This could be just the sort of sensation a person needs in order to maintain sobriety when the rehab program is complete.

Tips to Help Prevent Heart Disease

Life is so uncertain. Sometimes things affect us that we have no control over. However, there are an immense number of things that we can do to greatly improve our odds of achieving many of our goals, including good-health goals. As I get older, I witness more and more cases of heart attacks, cancer, and even broken bones that could, in part, be a result of osteoporosis. Heart disease is way at the top of the list of things that happen to older people, but it actually starts at a younger age.

In order to prevent heart disease, it is important to follow a heart-healthy lifestyle. The Mayo Clinic lists some very good tips that will benefit everyone.

1.     Don't smoke or use tobacco.
2.     Exercise for 30 minutes most days.
3.     Eat a heart-healthy diet.
4.     Maintain healthy weight.
5.     Get enough quality sleep.
6.     Get regular health screenings.

If you can, get 30 to 60 minutes of exercise most days. More benefits are reaped by increasing the duration, frequency, and intensity of your exercise. However, even less exercise has its benefits and do what you can, even if it means dividing the 30 minutes into three 10-minute intervals.

What makes a "heart-healthy" diet? Here is where I think it is very easy to fail, even when you think you are eating healthy. Do you even think about whether you are eating saturated fats or trans fats? We should avoid or limit our saturated fats. Saturated fats are found in red meat, dairy products, and in coconut oil.

We should also avoid or limit our consumption of trans fats. Trans fats are found in deep-fried fast foods, bakery products, packaged snack foods, margarine, and crackers. The label "partially hydrogenated" means trans fat!

You should have some healthy fats. Some places healthy fats are found include avocado, nuts, olives, and olive oil.

In your healthy diet, you should be getting 5 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables every day.

Regarding alcohol, women should limit consumption to one drink a day, and men two drinks a day. In moderation, alcohol actually offers a protective effect. More is a health hazard.

Another tip for maintaining good heart health is to chill out! Relax and relieve your stress. You may do meditation, yoga, meet with friends, take a walk.

It is a good idea to know your family medical history if possible.

Something I have found that I really like are the Lifeline Screenings. With today's technology, they are able to check so many indicators of our health. It is a great way to find out how you are doing.

So, be wise, take charge of your health, eat a healthy diet, exercise, take vitamin and mineral supplements to help make up for what you don't get in your daily diet, and be thankful that you are doing some great things so that you will be more likely to live a good quality life!

Poverty Breaks Down Your DNA

Despite being microscopic in size and packing all the information that makes you and I who we are, DNA is actually fairly fragile and can be easily affected by the outside world. We've known for years that cigarette smoke and other contaminants can cause genetic mutations, but a recent study published by a team of prominent biologists and social researchers is proving that financial stress may actually affect your health at the genetic level.

The team investigated a wide cross-section of Detroit citizens, primarily poor and lower-middle class residents (primarily Caucasian, African American, and Latino in origin). From these participants, the team collected DNA samples and specifically examined the telomeres attached to them. Telomeres are the tiny caps fixed at the ends of every DNA strand, just like the plastic protectors at the ends of your shoelaces. What these caps do for DNA is protect them from premature aging and deterioration. Research has shown though that when you deal with constant stress, those telomeres begin to break down and shorten.

Once they shorten, you become susceptible to a variety of serious health risks including diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. So to put it simply, the longer your telomeres remain, the healthier you will be and thus the longer you should live (barring accidents).

The study's researchers discovered though that Detroit's lower-income residents, regardless of race, have significantly shorter telomeres than the rest of the country, on average. Given the massive economic downturn that Detroit has faced within the past ten years, Detroit's citizens have been living under socioeconomic pressures that far exceed most of the rest of the country.

Dealing with negative social perceptions, exposure to unsafe environments, and other factors can all contribute to your DNA's protectors literally breaking down over time - leaving you more vulnerable to genetic disorders that can be triggered by mutations in your own genetic code.

Scientists are tracking these mutations and are working on methods to reverse them - but the science is not quite there yet. That being said, it may soon be possible to revert our DNA back to its original, uncorrupted state. Of course, to do this, we'd need to know what it originally was, which is why it's becoming increasingly important to store your DNA as early as possible.

DNA storage allows you to keep a copy of your genetic code intact for years on end, at which point, it is assumed there will be new therapies available to repair damage and also use your stored sample as a point of comparison.

Why Home Health Care Is Best for Your Elderly Loved Ones

Whether an elderly loved one requires medical care for an injury or a persisting medical condition, it is likely that you've thought about either placing your loved one in a facility or opting for a home-based service. Many factors-such as cost, location, and level of care needed-play important roles in the decision-making process. It is often those same factors that lead families to choose home health care. Take a look at why this particular type of service is often found to be the best.

Home Health Care Versus Nursing Homes

No one likes to relocate, even if it is temporary. As a result, you can only imagine the potential frustration that would ensue if you were to uproot your elderly loved one to go stay in a nursing home. Whether it's for ongoing medical treatment or because they require assistance to heal from an injury, many patients are unhappy about the move. While nursing homes are typically one of the first places that families think to send their elderly loved ones in certain times of need, it really isn't your only option, and in some cases, it may not be the best choice, either.

Nursing homes are great, community-oriented facilities that provide on-site medical care to residents. Still, the personal attention at a facility doesn't compare to that of a home-based service. Aside from the fact that nursing homes are more typically meant for long-term stays, the residents are forced to share the medical staff and resources. They are also forced to interact, whereas, in the comfort of their own home, the patients could receive the same level of professional care without the hassle of being forced to interact with others.

Home Health Care Versus In-Patient Hospital Care

Yes, when you're sick, the hospital is the first place you would think to go for treatment. When it comes to a sick or injured elderly person, it may not be the most motivating environment for recovery. To be candid, patients in hospitals don't always receive the best bedside manner from their doctors or nurses, perhaps due to the patient volume and perceived urgency of different cases. With home health care, the exact opposite is true. The medical professionals constantly communicate with doctors to ensure proper treatment, and they are focused on the needs of your loved one.

Whether your elderly loved one requires medical care for an injury or a persisting medical condition, you may find, like so many other families have, that home health care is the best solution. In comparison to other options, this method of service provides not only the most stable environment for your loved ones, but also the most consistent level of treatment geared towards helping your loved one regain independence.

Learn How To Lose Weight Today

Loosing Weight

With today's on-the-go lifestyle, we tend to eat quickly. Eating right gives us a healthy weight, a good mood and overall wellbeing. We surely are what we eat. While some specific foods or nutrients have been shown to have a beneficial effect on mood, it's our overall pattern that is most important because sometimes it can be non-food related. Focusing on how we feel after eating. The more healthy food we eat, the better we feel after a meal. With a healthy life style we are filled with vitality and vibrant health.

Ghrelin hormones that increase appetite are secreted every four hours. To maintain low levels of this hormone, it is necessary to follow a diet over periods of four hours. The secret is in certain foods rich in anti-inflammatory nutrients, mainly consisting of carotenoids, Omega 3s and flavonoids. Consuming 3 cups of tea daily helps to overcome leptin resistance. The tea is rich in catechins, flavonoids and polyphenols, all anti-inflammatory elements. Tea, whose effect on weight control is well-known, will help restore the role of leptin. Flaxseed is one of the richest dietary sources of omega-3 anti-inflammatory properties and a natural food source rich in polyphenolic substance which helps the liver to eliminate toxins and fats from the body.

A good night sleep helps us maintaining our leptin appetite hormones at a good level, it's a major factor of balance and healthy weight people.

It's also helpful to acknowledge and be aware of our thinking, being and living in the present moment.

It's very efficient to increase our mind and body awareness by listening to all the powerful messages that it sends us. Changing our habits one by one is better, one week at the time. An habit is a reflex and it becomes an automatic action that can be done without thinking. Once we will have taken a good habit, it will not be necessary to use our motivation, it will remain anchored to our subconscious effortlessly.

Going outside for a walk or any other activities, whether in the morning, the lunch hour or in the evening, moving is a great way to lose weight, but also improves mood by increasing the energy level.

Nourishing ourselves with an activity/passion is a good and healthy long-time occupation and it's crucial for sustaining long-term positive habits.
Watching a 5 minutes cardiac coherence on YouTube is a good relaxation method.

When we breathe this way-of-life everyday, it becomes naturally part of ourselves.

Together we can live better & healthier.