Make Mental Health Your Priority Every Month

By Felicia Wong, M.D



As the month of May comes to an end, make a promise to yourself that personal mental wellness will remain a daily priority.  Mental Health America has been working for 100 years to promote well-being for all Americans and recently developed a resource called 10 Tools to Live Your Life Well based on extensive scientific evidence.

Each day, we face all sorts of demands and drama which can lead to insomnia, lack of concentration, problems in our relationships, and other mental health issues. 

These "10 Tools" provide proven, healthy ways to cope with stress and boost your overall well-being.  Make a commitment to follow this list and feel more relaxed, fulfilled, and focused long after Mental Heath Month is over. . .  

1) Connect with Others. People who feel connected are happier and healthier--and may even live longer.

2) Stay Positive. People who regularly focus on the positive in their lives are less upset by painful memories.

3) Get Physically Active. Exercise can help relieve insomnia and reduce depression.

4) Help Others. People who consistently help others experience less depression, greater calm, and fewer pains.

5) Get Enough Sleep. Not getting enough rest increases risks of weight gain, accidents, reduced memory, and heart problems.

6) Create Joy and Satisfaction. Positive emotions can boost your ability to bounce back from stress.

7) Eat Well. Eating healthy food and regular meals can increase your energy, lower the risk of developing certain diseases, and influence your mood.

8) Take Care of Your Spirit. People who have strong spiritual lives may be healthier and live longer. Spirituality seems to cut the stress that can contribute to disease.

9) Deal Better with Hard Times. People who can tackle problems or get support in a tough situation tend to feel less depressed.

10) Get Professional Help if You Need It. More than 80 percent of people who are treated for depression improve.

So now you know the tools. . . Today is the perfect time to start incorporating this list into your day-to-day routine.  For more information, go to http://www.liveyourlifewell.org/ . 

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Fitness dates

I know I've been gone for the last few weeks. So I'm offering up a plate of homemade cookies to say I'm sorry. I haven't been sharing all the fun and exciting things I've been doing in my time away. But first up let's talk about these cookies. These are the kind of cookies you don't have to feel guilty about eating.

Healthy sour cherry dark chocolate chip cookies

Mix together dry ingredients

2 cups spelt flour

1 cup oats

1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

1/4 cup dried sour cherries

1/4 cup sweetened coconut

dash salt and cinnamon

1/2 tsp. each baking soda and baking powder

1 TB. evaporated cane juice

Mix together wet ingredients

1/4 cup applesauce

1/4 cup raw honey

1 TB. coconut oil

Mix together wet and dry ingredients. Form into small balls and bake on a non stick baking sheet for 7 min. at 350 degrees.

I've never made cookies with spelt flour before. But they were light, soft, and had a much milder flavor then whole wheat flour. These cookies are soooo good.

Okay back to what I've been up to lately. I've been doing a lot of biking around town and even in the downtown Portland area. I've become a regular biker and I'm getting pretty good at it. I'm definitely not as scared of the traffic as I was a few weeks ago.

The reason I've been biking so much lately is because I've been going on these "fitness" dates. Which is my kinda dating. It involves a really attractive fitness minded guy and a lot of biking, talking, and lunching. I love these "fitness" dates. It's much easier to have a good time, get to know each other, do things that both people are interested in, and the bonus is you get a workout in. But not too much of a workout, we don't want to get gross and sweaty on these dates.

This weekend I'm doing indoor bouldering. It's basically indoor rock climbing but without all the ropes and gear. You use your own muscles to pull your self around on fake rock boulders. And the bonus is my dates done this before so he's going to help "instruct" me, if you know what I mean.

I'll be sure to take lots of pictures and give a recap. I'm really excited, this is on my list of things that I've really wanted to do.

Biking around town

This morning I biked to the gym!!!!! This was the first time I have ever done this before. I've never lived close enough to my gym to bike there, but I do now. Due to all the rain I hadn't tested out the gym route yet. But today it was dry and I felt like it was the perfect day to give it a go.

I biked the two miles there, did a full body workout, and then biked towards home.

But not before biking a few extra miles to the local coffee shop Ugly mug for a very small soy latte. I hung out reading two of the local newspapers and checking up on all the local entertainment happenings. I then biked home pretty quickly because it looked like it was going to start raining .

It's opening day of the neighborhood farmers market today. I had planned on walking there with my mom and then having dinner afterwards together. But it's raining really hard, so we will probably skip this weeks market and I'll catch it next week.

A new fitness adventure

The other day I laced up my shoes and tried out a new fitness activity.

I tried out barre 3 which is a combo of ballet, yoga, and pilates, with a LOT of stretching thrown in. I wanted to try it because I have been really missing my Wednesday dancers workout class. The instructor has been on maternity leave and there is no other class at my gym similar to that class. Basically Danielle was the only one who taught it. My legs and abs have REALLY been missing the intense deep muscle conditioning. I thought barre 3 would be along the same lines as dancers workout and worth trying.

It was way too slow paced for me with too much stretching throughout the class and not enough time working the muscles. I have a new member 3 time trial membership. So I have two more times to try it out. But I did enjoy trying something new.

Mom's day

Happy Mother's day to my mom. Thank you for always being there for me when life is challenging. Thank you for giving constant support and encouragement and always being unconditionally understanding.

For long time readers you know that I have had a VERY challenging year, even more then you know. But all you need in life to get through it is a good mom and best friend.

So happy mother's day to both of my favorite mom's. Happy mother's day to my mom and to my best friend Michelle (it's her first year officially as a mom).

Thank you for everything, I love you.

Yes, Food Addiction is Real. Do You Know Someone Suffering?

By Sarah Johnson, M.D.

The obesity epidemic is a huge problem (no pun intended) due to associated medical problems and their burden on the healthcare system.  In 2009, an estimated 25% of Americans met criteria for obesity. This figure has steadily increased since the 1970’s.



Obesity leads to heart disease, strokes, high blood pressure, diabetes, and may be associated with increased risk for depression. It has been suggested that over-eating and other eating behaviors associated with obesity may share features with drug and alcohol addiction.  This would certainly explain why this epidemic is so difficult to combat.  



The DSM IV-TR defines substance dependence as three or more of the following symptoms occurring within one year: tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, substance taken in larger amounts or for a longer duration than intended, attempts to cut back, excessive time spent pursuing, using or recovering from use, reduction or discontinuation of important activities because of use, and continued use despite adverse consequences. 

Food cravings associated with binge eating can trigger the same area of the brain that is activated in drug craving. Although research is preliminary and limited at this time, specific foods such as carbohydrates may actually have a direct effect on mood in those who crave them.





Certain eating behaviors, such as restriction combined with overeating or binge-purge cycles may emulate addictive behaviors.  Personality traits such as impulsivity have been found in samples of addicts and obese individuals.   Children with behavior disorders such as ADHD and Conduct Disorder may be at increased risk for both addictions and obesity.  



Prevention is the best way to reduce the impact of behaviors associated with obesity.   While eating may have similarities with addiction, we live in a toxic food environment and awareness is key in prevention.  Family members can seek help from medical professionals for loved ones who may be exhibiting pathological eating behaviors. 



For more information: Corsica JA, Pelchat ML.  Food addiction: true or false? Curr Opin Gastroenterol. 2010 Mar;26(2):165-9.

Wilson GT.  Eating disorders, obesity and addiction.  Eur Eat Disord Rev. 2010 Sep-Oct; 18(5):341-51.

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Spring showers bring May flowers

The flowers are in full bloom around here and the sun was shining bright this morning.

I went on a great long run this morning. I passed lots of other runners, walkers, and bicyclers. Lot's of people were out walking to all the local coffee shops. But I was on a different mission. Today is the only sunny and dry day this week. So I wanted to get in a good long hard run, and boy was it. It was so hard but I was so glad I did it. The rest of the week will be indoor gym workouts, so it was nice to get outside.

Dinner tonight was my first meal AL fresco meal since moving to this house. I've been here for about 5 months now, but it's been raining non stop. I picked up this cute set of patio furniture at the local hardware store last weekend. I was walking by on my way to the grocery store when I spotted these chairs. They had all kinds of colors. I was torn between a bright green and this pale yellow. I settled on the yellow because I thought I might hate the green down the road. The whole set is made out of recycled material and it's very durable and comfy.

While relaxing I enjoyed an ice cold glass of lime sparkling water with an extra squeeze of lime.

Dinner was as bright and cheery as the furniture.

I stopped at Trader Joe's and the produce stand today. While shopping I had the idea for dinner to be something bright and summer inspired, with lots of fruits and veggies.

The base is brown rice topped with black beans, roasted sweet potato (seasoned with sea salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cumin, and garlic), shredded carrot, red bell pepper, mango chunks, avocado, Greek yogurt, Tj's chipotle lime salsa, Tj's spicy black bean dip, and a squeeze of lime.

This dish just kept growing as I added each ingredient. It was a massive pile of veggies, but it was one of the BEST dinner's that I have had in a long time. You just can't go wrong with lots of fresh produce. I love summer, I can't wait for even more fabulous fresh meals like this.

Spring is in the air

What I love about spring are morning runs in the bright warm sun. Biking and walking around town to run errands. And wearing a lot less layers of clothes.

But what I really love are all the fresh fruits and veggies coming into the markets.

Asparagus is in season and a veggie that I love when it's fresh and at the peak of it's season.

I also love getting out and gardening once again. This year I planted some pots of spinach, several varieties of mixed greens, romaine, lemon cucumber, regular cucumber, basil, lemon thyme, cilantro,and dill.

I saw Kath's asparagus frittata last night and knew I had to make it really soon. So after I got home from the gym and showered I walked up to the store to get the freshest asparagus.

Asparagus frittata for one:

1 egg

3 egg whites

1 tsp. nutritional yeast

dash garlic, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.

Topped off with some cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese. Served with two little slices of Great Harvest nine grain bread topped with a very small smidge of Earth balance butter and some Crofter's raspberry all fruit spread.

My frittata was good, but not great. For whatever reason this season I just haven't found my niche with the asparagus. Last year I loved it and couldn't get enough of it. Oh well there's plenty of other produce coming into season.