Mormon Life - Health tag

Ailing father writes letters to daughter he won't see grow up

Fri, 11 May 2012 08:36:00 -0600

source: deseretnews.com

Ben Thomas is facing the reality that he has a disease that will take him away from his young daughter much too soon.

But rather than let that thought get him down, he is creating memories she can hold onto once he's gone.

Two years ago, Ben loved to run, ride his bike, and canyoneering. He liked to travel to new places with his wife, Jena. But that all changed when he noticed his left leg wasn’t moving like it used to in the spring of 2010. Twitches in his shoulders and upper arms soon followed.

{Poll} Plastic Surgery

Thu, 03 May 2012 00:06:00 -0600

by Jamie Lawson
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: How do you feel about plastic surgery? Is it ever appropriate?

I remember the first time someone I knew chose to get plastic surgery.

My good friend often complained that giving birth to five children had left her body in less than ideal condition—and there were certain things that could not be improved with diet and exercise alone. After saving for a few years, she elected to have a tummy tuck and breast lift. “It’s not plastic surgery, it’s reconstructive surgery,” she told me.

The results were amazing. Not only did her figure look great, but she also enjoyed a new level of confidence that I had never seen in her before.

Another woman I know just finished her third round of liposuction. After getting breast implants, she decided the rest of her body could look better. So she had liposuction on her thighs, back, and upper arms. But now she believes her 42-year-old face doesn’t match her youthful body. She regularly receives Botox injections to help soften the wrinkles in her face, and she is now considering an eyelift.

To me, it seems there can be legitimate reasons for plastic surgery, but it can also be a slippery slope where someone can never be quite satisfied with his or her appearance when there is always another body part to improve upon.

So here’s my question: How do you feel about plastic surgery? Is it ever appropriate? How much is too much?

Take our poll and leave a comment below.

{Lifestyle} Planting an Edible Garden

Thu, 03 May 2012 00:03:00 -0600

by Joy Bossi and Karen Bastow
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Whether you have two acres or two containers, it is possible to harvest crops nearly year round in your own little slice of garden heaven.

“Spring has sprung, the grass has riz, I wonder where the veggies is?”

Planting an edible landscape gives room for all the veggies and fruits any family would love. In many areas, spring planting may start as early as March—or even February in warmer climates. Here in the Intermountain West, we are pushing the freezing envelope if any warm season crops are planted before the middle of May. Okay, okay . . . it’s even better if we wait until around Memorial Day.

Whether you have two acres or two containers, it is possible to harvest crops nearly year round in your own little slice of garden heaven. The downsizing of home lots can cause some concern about available space.

Instead of just choosing plants that provide ornamental delight, try planting some yummy edible substitutes that are beautiful in their own right. Lawn has its place and important function, but if the only sunny area in your yard is now lawn, maybe that is the space you should be aiming at for food production. Gardens can be planted in rather unconventional ways that add interest and surprises throughout the entire yard.

In our book, The Incredible, Edible Landscape, we help gardeners explore new ways to produce food in the most local place of all—their own yards! There are many reasons we feel this is an important part of provident living, and here are a few:

-Serious counsel has been given to grow our own food.

-Commercial food supplies sometimes become contaminated with E. coli, salmonella, etc.

-Pesticide residue on our fresh foods poses increasing health risks.

-Nutrients begin to be lost the moment crops are harvested.

-Perhaps most importantly: no one should miss out on the taste of a freshly picked ripe peach or a sun-warmed, homegrown tomato.

As President Benson once said, “The revelation to produce and store food may be as essential to our temporal welfare today as boarding the ark was to the people in the days of Noah.”

One of the early titles of our book was “Provident Gardening.” That title ended up on the editing room floor, but the message behind that title is still addressed in every chapter. So, just what is gardening providently? It’s carefully preparing for future needs by focusing on growing edibles—and not only in the future but, deliciously, in the here and now! Knowing how to grow veggies under a variety of conditions can certainly supplement and enhance basic food storage. We strongly believe that NOW is the time to learn and practice gardening skills. There is no better place or time to hone these skills than when choosing your next gardening project. Try some of these edible substitutions for a start:

TREES – FOR -

Almond trees Flowering Cherries

2 varieties of Filbert Clump River Birch

Sour Cherry trees Lilac, Forsythia

Dwarf Peach tree (not in deep shade) Japanese Maple

SHRUBS –

Gooseberry Pyracantha, Barberry

Raspberry Privet, Juniper

Grape vine Virginia Creeper

Dwarf peach, plum, or apple Mugho pine

ANNUALS –

Opal basil Ageratum, Lobelia

Eggplant Tall Zinnia

Bright Lights Chard Medium Marigold

Sun Sugar tomato Black-eyed Susan vine

PERENNIALS –

Asparagus Ornamental Grass

Golden Sage Moonbeam Coreopsis

Chives Blue Fescue Grass

Oregano Ajuga

Here are some more ideas for incorporating edible plants into your garden:

Rhubard chard with edible Pansies.

Can you spot strawberries, nasturtiums, peppers, marigolds, melons, peaches, and ornamental sweet potatoes?

Condominium containers = edible landscape

Here’s a personal survey to help you determine your progress towards provident gardening:

1. Do you know how to grow plants from seeds?

2. Can you gather seeds from the produce you grew?

3. Have you stored those seeds?

4. Are there spare tools, parts, fertilizer, etc. in your storage?

5. Can you protect your little plants from cold, heat, insects, wind, and animals?

6. Do you know how to properly plant a leggy tomato start?

7. Can you freeze, dry, bottle, preserve and store your produce?

8. Would you like to know how to grow a Chocolate Cookie Bush?

Our book addresses these and other important gardening questions, but for all of the ideas in our book, the most important message we share is this: spiritual and emotional comfort and healing can come from being in a garden—especially when that garden is an incredible, edible landscape!

To learn more or order The Incredible, Edible Landscape, please visit joyinthegarden.com.

Norlan G. and Sheron R. Walker: Service in the Nuclear Age

Tue, 01 May 2012 14:59:00 -0600

source: keepapitchinin.org

Mormon Life says: What an interesting mission call to help victims called "Downwinders" do family history. Between 1951 and 1962, the Nevada Test Site northwest of Las Vegas was the location of exactly 100 above-ground nuclear blasts and hundreds more below-ground tests. The atmospheric tests were the fun ones, of course, you could sit in your hotel room in Las Vegas and marvel at the mushroom clouds some 65 miles away. If you were in the military, you might have an even closer view. These were awesome glimpses of unimaginable power – but not to worry, you were safe: Tests were conducted only when the desert breezes blew away from Las Vegas and the heavily populated Southern California regions beyond. To show you exactly how safe it all was, the federal government even drove carloads of ranchers out to see the Test Site after some blasts (giving the dust a couple of hours to settle safely first, of course).

Mormon Media Observer: AP story about measles vaccinations shows media do report good news

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 09:18:00 -0600

source: deseretnews.com

One of the most common complaints about the news media seems always to be that the news is too negative.

While it is true that disaster, corruption and threat will always be news, a story this week from the Associated Press shows the complaint isn’t always true.

The story is this: According to the World Health Organization, millions of children’s lives were saved between 2000 and 2010 because of immunization for measles.

It’s a project the LDS Church has played a role in, along with many other organizations.

Young Men Lesson 18: The Word of Wisdom

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:03:00 -0600

source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: "The certainties of the gospel, the truth, once you understand it, will see you through these difficult times." -Boyd K. Packer

Discussion Questions

• What blessings have come to you and your family from living the Word of Wisdom?

• What are some effective ways to respond to those who tempt you to violate the Word of Wisdom?

Excerpt from "Counsel to Young Men" by President Boyd K. Packer, April 2009 General Conference:

As I moved into school, I found that my muscles were weak. I was very self-conscious. I knew that I could never be an athlete.

It did not help a lot when I read about the man who went to a doctor to find a cure for his inferiority complex. After a careful examination, the doctor told him, “You don’t have a complex. You really are inferior!”

With that for encouragement, I set about through life and determined to compensate in other ways.

I found hope in my patriarchal blessing. The patriarch, whom I had never met before, confirmed to me that patriarchs do have prophetic insight. He said that I had a desire to come to earth life and was willing to meet the tests that would accompany life in a mortal body. He said that I had been given a body of such physical proportion and fitness to enable my spirit to function through it unhampered by physical impediment. That encouraged me.

I learned that you should always take care of your body. Take nothing into your body that will harm it, such as we are counseled in the Word of Wisdom: tea, coffee, liquor, tobacco, or anything else that is habit-forming, addictive, or harmful.

Read section 89 in the Doctrine and Covenants. You will find great promises.

To read the full talk, click here.

{LDSL Blog} Best of: Stories of the Week, Apr. 14-20

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 00:07:00 -0600

by LDS Living
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Check out which stories made up the best of LDS Living for the week of April 14 through April 20, 2012.

We all love a good story. And what better way to find out the best of the best than seeing what people found most interesting? For the week of April 14 through 20, 2012, these are LDS Living’s top online stories:

Top 5 LDS Living Stories:

1. Draggin', Saggin', and Naggin': When Hormones Drive You Crazy {Dr. Robert Jones}

2. Fighting the Battle Against Pornography {Briana Stewart}

3. {Lifestyle} Ultimate Guide: Knee-length Shorts {Ashley Evanson}

4. Dave Says: Downsizing House to Get Out of Debt? {Dave Ramsey}

5. April 2012 Visiting Teaching Message: Love, Watch Over, and Strengthen

Top 5 Mormon Report Articles:

1. Fire in LDS Conference Center leaves thousands of gallons of water in main auditorium {Deseret News}

2. Two LDS missionaries battle back from brain injuries {Deseret News}

3. MSNBC host Lawrence O'Donnell apologizes for anti-Mormon comments {TIME}

4. Elder David Archuleta at the MTC - as seen by fellow elders and sisters {Salt Lake Tribune}

5. Is it open season on Mormonism? {Washington Post}

Top Video:

Preview: Have I Done Any Good? Alex Boye and Carmen Rasmusen Herbert {YouTube}

Appreciate the win-win of fasting

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 11:05:00 -0600

source: deseretnews.com

Is the church's policy of fasting one day a month a health law or a finance law? Is its purpose to fill coffers to feed the poor and help the needy; or is it a principle of physical well-being that God instigated to strengthen and purify our bodies?

Or is it both?

If so, what a win-win it is. By missing a couple of meals at the first of each month and donating the money that those meals would have cost, members raise millions of dollars without changing their budgets or sacrificing anything except 24 hours worth of food; and hungry people throughout the world are fed.

Gender Inequality in the Mormon Church

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 10:55:00 -0600

source: middle-agedmormonman.blogspot.com

Mormon Life says: According to a BYU study, religiosity effects health, but only for one of the sexes. Last night while celebrating Colton's fitting exit from American Idol, I was wasting time researching online. As part of that research, I Googled myself. Yes, I know that probably disappoints some of you to learn that I, too, have an ego that occasionally needs fed. You see, not long ago, when you Googled "Middle-aged Mormon Man" you would get just a few hits - most of them bad or anti-Mormon. But now, you get thirty-eight thousand hits of goodness and light. Yep, that's me, cleaning up the internet, one post at a time.

Should members of the LDS Church abstain from eating meat?

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 09:35:00 -0600

source: hjnews.townnews.com

Mormon Life says: We don't agree, nor disagree with his thoughts, we just think it's interesting and wanted to share. Does LDS doctrine support a meat-free diet?

A Utah Valley University lecturer made the case that it does during a presentation last week at Utah State University.

Presenting scriptural references and the teachings of prophets and apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Christopher Foster argued for vegetarianism and a lifestyle that causes animals as little harm as possible.

Church's 12-step recovery program offers help and hope

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:07:00 -0600

by Alexa Justesen - LDS Living
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: A look at the Church's 12-step recovery program "Addiction Recovery," administered through LDS Family Services - a program which utilizes gospel principles and can be used for everything from substance abuse to pornography.

This article is a companion to yesterday's article on pornography. You can click here to read it.

Overcoming addiction, whether it be to pornography, gambling, or something else, can be heartbreaking and challenging for both the addict and his or her loved ones. Many people don’t know where to turn for help or where to begin their recovery, which may cause them to give up and continue down a slippery path.

This is where LDS Family Services comes in. With the help of the organization's Addiction Recovery program, those suffering from the effects of addiction can find help and hope.

In almost every area of the world, the LDS Church has Addiction Recovery programs. At the program’s foundation are 12 steps to recovery that each addict must complete, based on the steps that the Alcoholics Anonymous program uses but rewritten so that each one leads back to the Atonement of Christ.

Elder and Sister McCrary, Church Service missionaries and the coordinators for the Weber County Addiction Recovery Services in Utah, firmly believe that everyone can recover. Said Elder McCrary, “If people work with the steps and are willing to trust the Savior enough to turn their addiction over to him, that’s when the healing happens.”

So what makes this recovery program different from others? “The gospel is essential in this program. The spirit is in every meeting, and it is what does all the heavy lifting.” Elder McCrary, who has directed quite a few meetings as a coordinator, said that “there is a spirit in those meetings that you cannot express in words. The Lord cares about his sheep who are struggling.”

A challenge that many addicts face is that of fear of their secret getting out. The meetings, however, are a safe place because of the strict sense of confidentiality. Every attendee understands that for that hour or so, they are “invisible” in the sense that no one outside of the group knows he or she is there. Elder McCrary said that “confidentiality and anonymity make it the perfect place for people to share and receive help.”

These classes are a great place to start for recovering addicts because they provide a support system. Each session is directed by Church service missionaries, and each recovering addict discusses challenges and successes. The practice of the addiction is not talked about, but the recovery process is. Elder McCrary said that “the worst thing about being an addict is the isolation. You feel like you are completely alone . . . That’s what is marvelous about the meetings. No one ever gets looked down on or judged. We are there to help.”

The addict does need to be aware, though, that simply attending the meetings will not automatically make the addiction disappear. Overcoming it requires a great amount of effort and faith, as well as an adherence to the 12 steps. “Like any class you have ever attended, you are going to get out of it what you put into it. For those who are willing to follow the steps, the program will give them success,” Elder McCrary said.

For those who are involved in helping a recovering addict, Elder McCrary recommended offering support by attending meetings with the addict. In fact, attending the meetings may even help those who aren’t actually dealing with the addiction, as addictions can cause damage not only to the life of the addict but to loved ones as well. These meetings provide help and comfort as those involved work to overcome the addiction. “Family and friends are completely welcome to attend with the addict. Sometimes they too need healing and recovery.” In fact, Elder and Sister McCrary have even seen the program save marriages and other relationships as people get involved.

Everyone struggling with any kind of addiction, from substance abuse to pornography, is welcome to attend the addiction recovery meetings, whether they are members of the Church or not. Elder McCrary says they must simply adhere to a few rules, such as the strict confidentiality agreement. If you would like to attend a meeting, your bishop is a wonderful resource who can provide information about meetings in your area, or you can visit the Provident Living website for more information.

To find out more about the 12 steps and how to overcome an addiction, LDS Family Services has a helpful handbook, “A Guide to Addiction Recovery and Healing,” available at Deseret Book Distribution centers or online at providentliving.org.

Food Storage: What Should I Buy and How Much?

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 00:03:00 -0600

by Emergency Essentials
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: The basic questions of "what" and "how much" confront all of us as we try to meet the nutritional needs of our families in planning for emergency situations. Figure out how to determine your family's needs.

"Plan" is the operative word in creating a food storage plan; don't rush headlong into purchasing foods that sound good or that you think your family ought to eat without researching what the food really contains, what your family's requirements actually are, and what your best value would be.

To determine your family's needs, it would be wise to think first in terms of calories per person per day, and then in terms of nutrients (protein, vitamins and minerals) provided – and finally, in terms of cost per serving. Be aware that in high-stress situations we require more calories than usual to keep minds and bodies operating in peak condition. According to the government's dietary guidelines, under normal situations most adults need around 2,000 to 2,600 calories per day – more if very active or highly stressed. Children usually need 1,500 to 1,600 calories per day, but remember that they are growing, and by the time you need to use your emergency food supply they may be eating like adults!

In deciding whether to purchase a product, be sure you can determine the caloric value. This may be especially tricky in kits and combos that contain several different foods. Multiply your family's estimated daily caloric need by the time period you're trying to cover. For example, 2,000 calories per day for a month for one person is about 60,000. For three months, that would be 180,000, and for a year, about 730,000 calories. If the "year's supply" kit you're considering does not contain at least that many calories overall, you will not be sufficiently nourished if you must depend exclusively on your storage food. You will either need to purchase a kit that provides more calories or plan to obtain extra products – fruit, desserts, baking mixes, grains and cereals, and hot cocoa or other drinks, for example – to supplement your kit.

If you are purchasing products separately, keep track of the calorie count and serving size as you buy, so you will know where you are in the process. Do not rely entirely on the number of servings listed for each food you purchase, as not all servings are created equal. If a serving of a main dish item is listed one-half cup, ask yourself if that amount will satisfy and nourish a hungry teenage boy – or would it be more appropriate for his little sister? Consider the make-up of your family and buy accordingly. A cup of orange drink, a cup of beef stroganoff, a tablespoon of butter, and a quarter teaspoon of salt all count as a "serving." Depending upon the food choices, a person could consume three servings a day and only get 600 calories. Serving sizes may also vary from one brand or supplier to the next. Familiarize yourself with both the serving size and calorie count for each product you purchase.

Don't get overwhelmed by the thought of preparing an emergency food supply. Following the approach we've outlined here will help you get your food storage pulled together in an organized and thorough way. Planning and purchasing supplies based on these suggestions will ensure that you have stored enough calories for each person's daily needs – and enough nutrients that your family will stay strong, healthy, and ready for what lies ahead.

This article is sponsored by Emergency Essentials (bepreared.com).

Draggin’, Saggin’, and Naggin’: When Hormones Drive You Crazy

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 00:08:00 -0600

by Dr. Robert Jones
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: The title might have made you smile, but if you stop and think about it, you might also find that it is truer than you'd like to admit.

Why that title? I tried to pack as much meaning into it as I could. It also makes people laugh . . . at first glance. Then they realize there’s actually more truth to it than the want to admit. Why? Because they identify with everything in that title. Let me explain.

Draggin’. You’re tired. You’re worn out. You sometimes have to force yourself through the entire day. You wish you could sleep in until 9 o’clock every morning—but you still need a nap around 3 in the afternoon. Fatigue is just part of your life, and it’s been this way so long you don’t remember what it’s like to have good energy. Exercise makes you even more tired. So you become a closet sugar junkie, just to give you energy for an hour. You can’t wait to go to bed. That’s “draggin’.”

Saggin’. You feel old, even though you’re really not. Your skin is starting to sag and look like leather. You hold your arm out and your triceps muscle waves in the wind. You’ve lost most of your muscle tone all over your body. You have bags under your eyes, your chest is sagging, and age is most assuredly taking its toll. All that and you haven’t even gotten out of bed yet . . . .

Naggin’. Yes, yes. I know. Your hormones can make you the Wicked Witch of the West the week before your menstrual period starts. That’s PMS stuff. But sometimes it seems like you are just plain irritable all the time, not to mention the anxiety. And why do you talk that way to the ones you love the most? Pretty soon you’re nagging everyone, including yourself. But then you say, “Well, I’m depressed, so shouldn’t I have the right to jump on everyone?” Or: “Heck, I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in months. It’s 3:07 a.m. and there I am staring at the ceiling trying to get my mind to turn off, but it won’t. Of course I’m irritated. I’ve got one nerve left, and everyone is standing on it!”

Any of that sound familiar? If it does, it may be that your hormones are indeed driving you crazy, because all of the above problems can be directly related to low hormone levels. Yes, hormones! Those little chemical messengers that travel throughout your body and tell it what to do. But often the messages get messed up, because something is interfering with your hormone levels. They’ve dropped, and so have you.

You probably know already that men and woman are living longer today than they ever have before. It is interesting to note that if you live past your 50th birthday, you can probably expect to live well into your 80s. For you women, that is going to mean that nearly half of your life you are going to spend either heading into menopause, going through menopause, or being post menopausal. We have to remember that living a long life is not all that there is to life: if the last thirty years are spent in a rest home, that’s not much quality of life.

What we at Utah Wellness Institute attempt to do is get our patients to start thinking outside the box as far as your health goes. In my opinion, healthcare in the United States has too many old paradigms. Too many of us have gotten a little bit lazy about not only our health, but about just accepting what our doctor tells us to do, when deep down inside we know that taking drug after drug is probably not the way to achieve maximum health.

Now don’t get me wrong. There are times when medications can save lives, but the amount of medication that we see being taken by men and women is sometimes, to say the least, appalling.

Eighty percent of the patients we see in our clinics for hormone therapy are women. The men we see generally come in after they have seen marvelous changes in their wives. Women come in for a verity of reasons, but probably the number one reason is they are constantly tired. They are also on antidepressants. They have food cravings, they are bloated, they have mood swings and anxiety. Those are the common reasons we see women and even some men. But most of these women know intuitively that there is something wrong with their hormones.

Case in point. I had a woman in my office not too long ago that had been experiencing debilitating headaches for over ten years. I asked her if there was any pattern to her headaches and she said, “Not that I know of.” She got them about every two weeks. So I asked, “Do you get them right before you’re menstrual period begins?” She kind of had a startled look on her face and she said, “Yes, as matter of fact I do.”

I followed up by asking her if she got them around the time she ovulated. She looked startled again and said, “Actually, yes I do.” All of the sudden it hit her. “Could my hormones have something to do with my headaches?”

“Absolutely they do. If those migraines are periodic around the menstrual period then yes there is a huge hormonally related basis for those headaches.”

After we got her hormonally balanced, she had far fewer headaches with much less intensity. I love to listen to woman talk about their health problems because generally speaking they know what’s wrong with them. They just do not know what to do about it.

Ladies, you need to get your hormones analyzed if you are having almost any type of health problems. From fatigue to stubborn belly fat, from depression to anxiety and PMS, you need to be evaluated by your doctor to see if you are out of balance, because when you are out of balance, you are out of control!

This article is sponsored by Dr. Robert Jones, Clinic Director at the Utah Wellness Institute (utahwellnessinstitute.com) and the Center for Hormone Therapy (801 576 1155).

{LDSL Blog} Best of: Stories of the Week, Mar. 31-Apr. 6

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 00:04:00 -0600

by LDS Living
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Check out which stories made up the best of LDS Living for the week of March 31 through April 6, 2012.

We all love a good story. And what better way to find out the best of the best than seeing what people found most interesting? For the week of March 31 to April 6, 2012, these are LDS Living’s top online stories:

Top 5 LDS Living Stories:

1. LDS man is 'World's Most Embarrassing Dad' {Emily McClure}

2. {Food Dish} Simple General Conference Recipes {Kate Ensign-Lewis}

3. Does giving your children Mormon names affect their future? {Mandy Slack}

4. {Lifestyle} General Conference Activities for Kids {Ashley Evanson}

5. How to Live to 100 {Dr. Thomas J. Boud}

Top 5 Mormon Report Articles:

1. Hatch: Obama camp will 'throw Mormon church' at Romney {Politico}

2. Highlights from 182nd Annual General Conference {LDS Church News}

3. Elder Harold G. Hillam dies at age 77 {LDS Church News}

4. LDS Church, neighbors clash over proposed 9-story MTC building {The Daily Herald}

5. LDS bishop allegedly defrauded Connecticut investors, members {Deseret News}

Top Video:

David Archuleta Gets Missionary Haircut, Says Goodbye to Fans {YouTube}

Moses Loses - LDS Biggest Loser Contestant Shares Inspiration

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 21:47:00 -0600

source: youtube.com

Mormon Life says: After 15 episodes and two show records, find out why Moses Kinikini asked to be voted off, and how he now uses what he learned.

How to Live to 100

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 00:05:00 -0600

by Dr. Thomas J. Boud
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Make your life not only longer but enjoyably so with a few simple lifestyle changes.

Patients come to see me in our medical clinic with one universal theme: they want to live long and healthy lives. The goal then is to not just extend life but to do so gracefully. Genetics play a major role in determining your longevity, but there are many things we can do to improve our chances. Here are my best recommendations.

1. Eat high-fiber whole fruits and vegetables and cut back on the animal products. Lose weight and keep your BMI below 25.

2. Hydrate with eight or more eight-ounce glasses of water daily and minimize sweetened drinks and sodas. Don’t forget to brush and floss your teeth regularly and get regular dental and medical checkups.

3. Take care of your heart. I tell my patients to just focus on my four basic blood recommendations to prevent heart disease:

· Control your blood pressure: less than 130 systolic.

· Control your blood sugar: A1C < 7.0 for diabetics.

· Control your blood cholesterol: total cholesterol: HDL ratio < 4.5.

· Finally, take a blood thinner: an 81-mg baby aspirin daily for men older than 45 and women older than 55.

As always, check with your own doctor to adapt this advice for you personally.

4. Follow cancer screening guidelines and incorporate your family medical history into your screening. Review these with your personal physician.

5. Be smart! Studies suggest that those with more education and who continue to learn will live longer. This is primarily because the more educated you are, the more likely you are to live a healthier lifestyle and less likely to engage in risky or unhealthy behaviors. According to David Cutler, dean of social sciences at Harvard, “It turns out that across the board, if you look at any health behavior, better educated people do better than less educated.”

6. Work, serve others, and have a purpose. It seems that engagement with life is what helps prolong life. This can come from working, taking up causes, volunteering, finding a new hobby, or contributing to your family and community.

7. Here’s the biggest no brainer—don’t smoke, drink alcohol, or take any drug that is not specifically prescribed by your own doctor. I tell my patients you want to be on the fewest medications that are necessary. In essence, study and follow the Word of Wisdom. The more I learn about medicine and health, the more amazed I am about the truths in Doctrine and Covenants 89.

8. Get proper rest and relaxation. Get at least seven hours of sleep each night and learn to control your reactions to stress. Getting plenty of sunshine and maintaining a positive mental attitude make a difference.

9. Build healthy social and family relationships and focus on spirituality. Become involved in the lives of those you care about and genuinely listen to others’ concerns. You have a lifetime of experience to share. Daily spiritual nourishment through prayer, meditation, or reading scripture helps keep us more relaxed and helps us maintain an improved perspective on life.

10. Finally, if you want to focus on the single most important factor that will have the most impact on your life span, exercise! Turn off the screen, get off the couch, and move! You can spread it throughout the day, do it with a friend, take the stairs, walk the dog, park farther away, whatever. Just get physically active for 30 to 60 minutes daily. And it doesn’t have to be a difficult commitment; as much as I love running marathons, consistent walking has been proven to have more impact on your longevity than just about anything else and is every bit as effective as more vigorous exercise. The key is to just do it!

Now let’s get healthy!

—Dr. Boud

{LDSL Blog} Eating Disorders: My Life, Interrupted

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 00:40:00 -0600

by Kaela Worthen
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: My senior year of high school, I stopped eating. My freshman year of college, I started throwing up. And the two continued to alternate in my life for the next five years.

I’ve fought and abused my body, trying to destroy it. There were times when my goal really was to starve myself to death and fade away to nothing. Even when I wasn’t fully acting out in an eating-disordered manner, I still combated the desires to starve myself, to be thin as could be.

But I didn’t just starve myself or make myself throw up to be thin. It was a way of dealing with and avoiding depression, hurt, or other issues. It was a way of finding control when I felt I couldn’t handle things. It was an addiction. It was an illness. And even when I was strong enough to resist that temptation, I still desired it.

Even though those actions and thinking patterns are no longer a part of my daily life, the way they changed me is something I carry with me every day.

Some of the physical effects of the eating disorder linger in my body today. I still have a lot of food quirks. I have negative memories that pop up in association with certain foods or situations.

But more importantly, I've become better and stronger. As the Lord promises, weaknesses truly can be made strengths.

Now, I focus on eating healthy, fresh, and local foods. I focus on exercising so I can accomplish my goal of running a marathon, not so I can be thin. I see beauty in a woman who is strong and capable rather than gaunt and frail.

Recovery wasn't easy or quick. It took more than three years to climb out of it in varying stages, plateau at comfortable levels of normalcy, then slip back again even lower than I had been before. It took talking with doctors and counselors and friends, hours of self analysis and more than 50 pages of journaling on the subject, researching the illness, and slowly maturing and gaining confidence in myself as a human being with inherent divine nature.

All of those things were essential parts of my healing, but it wasn't complete until I fully turned myself over to God and followed the promptings I was given. I didn't know why I was supposed to do the things I felt I was being guided to do, until I gradually realized that because I was following those promptings, I hadn't felt the desire to skip a meal or throw up in days--no, weeks--now months.

After a while, I realized it wasn't coming back. The greatest miracle I have witnessed in my life happened inside me without my realizing it. And now, my eating disorder lingers with me today in one most important way: I know God loves me and he healed me.

It is possible to recover from an eating disorder. It may not come quickly, and it may not come the first, second, or 12th time. It may not come if you only try one approach. But if you rely on the Lord, in addition to all the other resources available, it can come.

Looking back at the years I struggled, I don't regret them. Without them, I wouldn't know beyond a shadow of a doubt how much God loves me and looks out for me. I wouldn't have had the trials that make me stronger now. I wouldn't be able to share my experiences with others as a source of hope or empathize with those who need a listening and understanding ear when they're struggling with their eating disorder. Even though, in many ways, my eating disorder was a hindrance to my life, in the end, it became a catalyst for my progression.

As Marleen Williams said in my interview with her, "Your body and your spirit are your soul; your body is your eternal ally. You're supposed to work together in a good relationship with your body. And when you're in a good relationship, you listen to each other. You don't subjugate each other. You don't get in a power struggle with each other. It's a cooperative, collaborative relationship."

I try to live by that every day.

To read Kaela's full article on eating disorders and their impact on body, mind, and spirit, click here.

Eating Disorders: Not Just About Food

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 00:05:00 -0600

by Kaela Worthen
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Anorexia and bulimia are about more than food, and they aren't just a "phase." They're serious illnesses involving the body, mind, and spirit, and all three must be addressed in order to save the sufferer. I know – I struggled with eating disorders for five years.

My senior year of high school, I stopped eating. My freshman year of college, I started throwing up. And the two continued to alternate in my life for the next five years.

Some people didn’t understand my seemingly irrational behavior. “Just eat,” some would say. “Stop forcing yourself to throw up.” But I couldn’t. Because those actions were just physical symptoms of a deeper problem: I wasn’t good enough.

When I felt I couldn’t live up to the expectations of myself and others, I turned to food—or, more specifically, the lack thereof—as a coping mechanism. When I couldn’t handle everything I was given to deal with in life, I turned to anorexia as a support. Because the more out of control things got, the more I had to find something I could control. And that something was food, calories, exercise, my weight. When I was overcome with self-hatred, I turned to purging as a way to try to empty myself of all of myself that disgusted me.

Eating disorders aren’t about the food, and they aren’t just a phase that someone gets over. They are serious illnesses about much more than the calorie content and carb count of every item on the table, and the effects—on body, mind, and spirit—run deeper and broader as well. But in the midst of all the pain an eating disorder can cause to those who suffer from it and those who love them, there is a bright light of hope in recovery.

Body

Eating disorders are a physical manifestation of an intangible problem. Because women often can’t fix something they can’t see or touch, and because some situations are out of their control, they aim for the closest thing they can fix and control: their bodies.

“Satan is so jealous of our bodies that he wants us to hate our bodies and to mistreat them, and he uses eating disorders as a way for that to happen,” explains Beth Allen, a recovered anorexic and bulimic who now leads a 12-step eating disorder recovery program in Arizona through the Church.

And mistreatment is an understatement. The documented effects of eating disorders upon the body are devastating.

Anorexia, which consists of severe calorie restriction and is often accompanied by excessive exercise, can result in an abnormally slow heart rate and low blood pressure, increased risk for heart failure, osteoporosis, low body temperature, infertility, lowered immune system function, muscle loss and weakness, fainting and fatigue, dehydration and kidney failure, hair loss, and, at advanced stages, the development of a furry peach fuzz of hair over the whole body called lanugo.

Bulimia is equally destructive. The repeated cycles of taking in extremely large amounts of food in a brief period of time and then forcing vomiting (commonly referred to as a binge-and-purge cycle) causes electrolyte imbalances, irregular heartbeats and heart failure, gastric rupture, swollen glands and facial features, tooth decay and gum disease, ulcers, headaches, sore throats, and inflammation and possible rupture of the esophagus.

But it’s not just the systemic symptoms that are problematic. The brain itself is also altered. “When you have an eating disorder, it changes everything,” says Michael Berrett, a licensed psychologist and CEO and co-founder of eating disorder recovery clinic Center for Change. “It changes your hormone levels, the biochemistry of the brain, the level of neurotransmitters in the nervous system. It changes everything, to the point that in severe cases, body distortions can actually be hallucinations—it’s to that gravity. . . . It’s not ‘just a phase.’ Let’s get serious about these illnesses. They can—and do—kill people.”

In fact, one in ten diagnosed with anorexia die from it, making it the most deadly mental illness out there. With so many and such drastic repercussions, it seems obvious that such risks would not be worth the rewards, yet, for many, they continue to take them.

Mind

Eating disorders are a coping mechanism, a way of handling life when a person doesn’t know how to deal with struggles or emotions. People (most commonly women, though some men are affected as well) turn to them in pursuit of happiness and solace they feel they cannot find elsewhere. Sometimes they feel it will give them control, make them stand out or achieve perfection, give them a sense of identity, or earn them approval. Other times it is a manner of communicating pain, atoning for mistakes, or avoiding responsibility.

And it’s not just teen and college-age girls who are struggling. Older women are susceptible to relapses, and often they can have their first experiences with eating disorders in middle age.

“The pressure to look a certain way is not just for the younger; it’s felt by young adults and middle-aged and mature women. It’s ever present,” says Berrett. “Any time there’s a difficult life transition—divorce, financial duress, loss of any kind, or any of the difficult things that can and do happen—in those times people are more vulnerable and naturally seek something that will help them feel like they have some sense of control in their lives and like they are bettering their lives in some way.”

Unfortunately, what starts as something to make one’s self feel better quickly becomes something that makes life worse and increases the self hatred that instigated the actions in the first place. What begins as a control mechanism quickly spirals out of control until it controls every single thought and action in every single moment.

“It becomes everything,” says Berrett. “It is their life. In the development of the illness, it goes from an attempt to improve one’s life to a way of coping with life and then to a full-blown addiction. Eventually, it becomes to them their complete identity.”

Spirit

When an eating disorder becomes the sole identity of a person, the sole manner of existing, it doesn’t matter what the physical effects are. And when the body and mind are so drastically affected, the spirit is, too.

“It chases the Spirit away because it becomes an obsession and it takes up your whole thought processes,” says Allen, “and you can’t have the Spirit with you—you can’t even let Him in. For me, when I was struggling really bad with [my eating disorder], it was easier for me to make other bad decisions.”

But there is still hope.

It has been thought in the past that eating disorders would be more common in the Church than in other cultural groupings, due to the high pressure of perfectionism, focus on dating and marriage, and other risk factors, such as socioeconomic status and race. Studies, though, are more and more suggesting the opposite.

One found that religious women who had a secure attachment to God felt less pressure to be thin and experienced less body dissatisfaction and dieting behavior compared to those with a less defined relationship with God. Specifically, Mormon women were found to be more intrinsic in their religion when compared to some members of other faiths and also to have lower levels of disordered eating.

A recent BYU study seems to confirm this finding, though the results have not been finalized. While BYU professor Lane Fischer, who headed up the study, and his co-workers expected to find a higher incidence of eating disorders at BYU, they were actually lower than rates at other universities throughout the nation, and eating disorder risk continued to decrease the longer students stayed at the university. Fischer has a few hypotheses to explain this surprising find.

“When you come here as a freshman, you immediately have a visiting teacher, a home teacher, a family home evening group, a bishop, and a Relief Society president to look out for you,” he explains. “[You] have an immediate social support system.”

One of the buffering agents against some of the influences of the world that would normally contribute to the causality of an eating disorder, Fischer believes, is the doctrine taught within the Church—teachings like the sacredness of the body and our inherent divine worth. Teachings like these can be instrumental not just in preventing eating disorders but in recovery as well.

Recovery

Before we talk about that, though, let’s get one thing clear: eating disorders are an illness, and they do require professional help to be overcome.

“I think one thing that makes it difficult for some [people] actively engaged in a theistic religious faith—including the LDS faith—is the tendency to believe that if they were living good lives, living the gospel well, connected to God, and doing all the right things, they wouldn’t have these problems,” says Berrett. “And so their answer becomes, ‘I’ve got to be and do better.’ In this state of inappropriate guilt and blame, there is less willingness to reach out for help.”

But that’s a mistake, says Marleen Williams, a professor of counseling psychology at BYU and editor of Matters of the Mind. “If your car breaks down, you need to see a mechanic,” she explains. “If you get cancer, you need to see a cancer specialist. If you have a heart attack, you need to see a cardiologist. Then you couple that with faith, prayer, and a priesthood blessing. . . . You can rely on blessings and spiritual things, but you also need to deal with the medical end of the eating disorder, because it is a serious medical problem.”

That being said, the gospel can be an amazing tool in assisting with recovery. Several studies and interviews with both current and former eating disorder patients have concluded that many women cite spirituality as a crucial part of their recovery.

“When women with eating disorders affirm their faith in God and seek to grow spiritually, their strength and capacity to cope with and overcome the problems and challenges of life improve, regardless of whether their challenges are emotional, physical, relational, spiritual, or educational,” Randy Hardman, PhD, explains in Matters of the Mind.

While eating disorders are a traumatic and life-altering disease, they can be overcome. You can reach the point at which your eating disorder fades—eventually to something you think about but don’t act upon, and eventually to something you don’t think about at all—until it ceases to exist. I am a living testament of that. Two years ago, I thought it would be a part of my life forever. You may feel the same way, but it’s not true. You can get help, you can recover, and you can live a normal life again.

To learn more about the author's personal experience with an eating disorder, click here.

One of the many contributing factors to body image dissatisfaction and disordered eating can be the images we see daily in the media. You can learn more about the harmful effects of teh negative beauty images in the media and how to comat them at ldsliving.com/beautyredefined.

This article was originally published in LDS Living's March/April 2012 issue. Click here to learn more.

Take Back Beauty

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 00:02:00 -0600

by Lexie and Lindsay Kite
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: We know women are capable of much more than being looked at. These are our strategies for taking back beauty and teaching girls and women everywhere how to be confident in their God-given loveliness.

We are 26-year-old twins finishing up the last leg of our PhDs studying how women are represented in media. Our nonprofit work, Beauty Redefined, is all about rethinking our ideas of “beautiful” and “healthy” that we’ve likely learned from profit-driven media that thrives off female insecurity. We believe it so much we got that message up on billboards and sticky notes we send across the world! We know our bodies are gifts from a Heavenly Father who loves us and knows what we are capable of becoming. Below are several research-driven strategies we can use to recognize and reject harmful messages about female bodies and then redefine “beauty” for ourselves in much more worthwhile ways.

Stop Negative Self-Talk: Too many girls and women have a constant script of mean thoughts about themselves running through their minds. That kind of negativity is not motivational or inspirational. In fact, it tends to show up on the outside. Recent studies show us that girls who don’t like their bodies become more sedentary over time and pay less attention to having a healthy diet. And that makes sense. If you think you’re gross and worthless, why would you take care of yourself?

Think Nice Thoughts Instead: On the flipside of the last study, research has found that girls who feel good about themselves, regardless of their weight, are more likely to be physically active and eat healthy. They are less likely to gain unnecessary weight and they make healthy lifestyle choices way into the future. Remember that what we THINK about our bodies has a strong connection to how we TREAT our bodies.

Unreal Ideals: Remember it is reasonable to assume no image we ever see of a woman in media has gone un-manipulated. As early as 1991, a media industry insider referred to the digital alteration of women as a “retouching epidemic.” And today magazine editors refer to airbrushing as an industry standard. Plus, vertical film stretching to make women appear taller and thinner is a common technique, as are filtered lenses on cameras and soft lighting, which do away with wrinkles, pores, and other so-called “blemishes.” Remember, even the ideally beautiful celebrities don’t fit the ideals!

Go on a Media Fast: Choose a day, a week, a month, or longer to steer clear of as much media as you can. That way, you can see how your life is different without all those messages and images, and when you return to viewing and reading popular media, you will be more sensitive to the messages that hurt you and those that are unrealistic.

Fight for Fitness: You can choose anything you want to work toward, whether that is running a mile in a set time, doing a certain number of push-ups or sit-ups, etc. When you set a fitness goal and work toward it, you will find you spend less time thinking about the way your body LOOKS and more time focusing on what it can DO. Reminding ourselves and encouraging others to engage in physical activity as a means for improving physical and mental health, rather than a strategy for achieving unattainable beauty ideals, is vital.

The Power of Kindness: Choose to compliment the girls and women in your life for character traits, actions, or talents you admire about them. When we choose to only acknowledge each other’s appearance, we reduce ourselves to our bodies. Females are capable of so much more! The compliments that stick with you for a lifetime are those that acknowledge your valuable qualities, like a good attitude, selflessness, talents, honesty and so much more that has nothing to do with a cute outfit or pretty hair.

Object to Objectification: Girls and women exposed to sexually objectifying messages (which are inescapable in today’s media landscape), prove to experience body hatred, learn to primarily view and value themselves for their outward appearance and actually endorse objectifying images in the future. And a particularly scary fact is that research proves these harmful messages leave females preoccupied with their physical appearance, which then hurts their performance in school (including mathematics, logical reasoning, spatial skills) and athletic activities. Yikes.

Redefining Healthy: Getting back to reality involves figuring out what “health” really means – and it’s not what media shows us. For-profit media like fitness magazines or TV shows would have us believe health and fitness are all about what we look like, and any doctor can tell us that simply isn’t true. Talk to a doctor or other health specialist to figure out what healthy really means for you individually. Work with them to set healthy goals for yourself that aren’t based off profit-driven beauty ideals.

Be Critical of Media, Not Yourself or Others: While the U.S. is the No. 1 producer and exporter of media, we are also the only industrialized country in the world without some form of media literacy in public school curriculum. We need to feel an obligation to put media under closer inspection for the influence it has in our lives. Next time you are flipping through a magazine or watching a movie, train yourself to ask important questions about what you see. If you don’t like the answers you find, remember you can turn away from the messages that hurt you!

Questions to ask yourself:

Do you feel better or worse about yourself when viewing or hearing this media?

Who is advertising here? (Look at the ads and you’ll see who is paying the bills for your favorite media messages)

Who owns the media messages you choose? (Research the company and you’ll find out who the powerful decision makers are behind the scenes)

Is the media you read and view promoting real health or impossible ideals meant to make you spend money and time?

How are females presented here? Are they valued for their talents and personality or just being looked at? Do they look like the females in your life?

To view more strategies from Beauty Redefined, go to beautyredefined.net.

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