Prescription Drug Interactions

I wanted to post about this because many people assume if your taking over-the-counter medication you don’t need to tell your doctor. But pharmacists advise that doctors need to have a complete picture of what you are putting in your body. In other words, you need to tell them what vitamins, herbs and non-prescription drugs you are taking.For instance you may have heard about the interaction between St. John’s Wort and Vioxx an anti-inflammatory drug that was taken off the market in 2004. Serotonin levels became dangerously high for some people who took both these medicines.

To avoid dangerous drug interactions and herbal medicine/drug interactions pharmacists recommend several things:

1. Keep a list of every prescription, supplement and over-the-counter medicine you take.

2. Use one pharmacy to fill all your prescriptions. Using only one pharmacy minimizes the chances of drug interactions by keeping all medication records at one location.

3. Get to know your pharmacist. If your pharmacist doesn’t have time to visit with you, make an appointment so the pharmacist can get a complete picture of all medications, vitamins and over-the-counter medications.

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Happiness is – What You Eat

You can actually eat your way to a happier disposition. Certain foods can make us feel good by boosting our energy or putting us in a better mood. I know your thinking chocolate, chocolate ice cream, chocolate cake, chocolate brownies. Need I go on? But no, chocolate is not on the list though you should see our related postDark Chocolate Is Good For You.

Here are five foods that can help lift your mood:

Cereal: Deficiencies in folic acid can make you feel depressed. Breakfast cereals contain folic acid, which boosts levels of serotonin, which regulates mood in your brain. If your still stuck on the chocolate thing – eat Cocoa Puffs!

Walnuts: Foods high in fat can increase endorphins, which can make you happy. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in walnuts. They’re also found in flaxseed and salmon. Again chocolate lovers – dip walnuts in dark chocolate and label the container “For medicinal purposes.”

Beans and grains: Carbohydrate-rich food contribute to higher levels of serotonin, which can lead to increased feelings of pleasure. Whole grain bread, brown rice,, potatoes and pasta are carbohydrate rich.

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Hypnosis for Losing Weight

Hypnosis for weight loss and hypnosis for stress are one of the frequent reasons people consider hypnosis. Here is a brief explanation of what hypnosis is and some comments by therapists and clients (from an article that appeared in the health section of our paper):

“Hypnosis,” said Chris Penell of Spirit Quest Healing. “It’s about getting the subconscious to look at things differently.” Penell says hypnosis can treat smoking, weight control, phobias, procrastination, anxiety, self-forgiveness, guilt, anger issues and insomnia. “Most people, about 99 percent, even though they think they know what is bothering them, they really don’t,” Pennel said. “It’s actually some subconscious thought that is causing them to be stressed.”

Penell using a soothing voice and deep relaxation skills, takes clients back to the “seed” to get their subconscious to release a negative trigger and replace it with a positive one. “I use the color green,” Penell said. “We put a positive trigger of the color green in your subconscious, and when you feel stressed, you look at the color green and become more calm, relaxed, and think more clearly.”

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