**Book Review: The Sugar Blockers Diet

The Sugar Blockers Diet: Eat Great; Lose Weight: A Doctor’s 7-Step Plan to Lose Weight, Lower Blood Sugar and Beat Diabetes—While Eating the Carbs You Love, Rob Thompson with the Editors of Prevention 2012.
This is wwat I gleaned from the Sugar Blocker Diet.  Good stuff to eat that will help black the sugar rush in your blood stream when you eat too much starch, like too much potato, rice, bread, corn etc.

Sugar Blockers: Fruit: Apricot, Avocado, Black Berries, Grapefruit, papaya, peach, pear (not quite ripe), raspberries, strawberries and water melon.

Vegetables: sprouts, artichoke, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, collard greens, cucumber, dandelion greens, lettuce, mushrooms, onions, peppers, scallions, spinach, tomatoes, water chestnuts, beans, peas,

Other: beans (not all the way done) best is lentils (navy and pinto also good) but all good; nuts, chia seeds best, almond, sunflower seeds hazelnuts; bran; flaxseds; Fiber supplements; Metformin.

Other ideas, fat ½ hour before meal can cause system to digest more slowly, cheese or nuts;

Cinnamon

Vinegar and pickles will create better enzyme balance

Protein with Carbs

Exercise right after eating (20 minute walk) will allow cells to absorb carbs without insulin

Strength based exercise.
One other tid-bit, Metformin can cause diarrhea as a side effect.  I take this medication so something to watch for.

**Documentary Review: Diabetes: Understanding Your Condition

These are a few ideas from Mayo Clinic.  Take control of your illness and keep it in check so you don't have any of the severe complications.  Complications of diabetes can be minimized by good diabetes care: exercise and look at health holistically.
Some of these long term effects are eye problems, retinopathy is when the blood vessels break, and nerve damage.  Neuropothy is when you feel numb. 

**What Would You Do if You Knew that I Want to Commit Suicide

This is the front, and an inside page to this pamphlet in Spanish. What would you do if you knew I was thinking of suicide?  This pamphlet answers this question with three answers.
1) First recognize the signs.  The pamphlet explains that recognizing signs of suicide can be difficult.  If you have a sense something is wrong, go with your feelings.
This our clues to look for:
Talking about suicide or wanting to die
Feeling without hope, desperate or trapped
Giving away possessions
Rage or anger
Increase in consumption of alcohol or drugs
Distancing self from others
Feeling anxious or agitated
Change in sleep pattern
Sudden changes in humor
Feeling useless

2)  Second is to communicate, to talk; to ask "Are you thinking of suicide"  This pamphlet suggests starting the conversation.  Mention the things you have observed, the things that are worrying you.  Ask are you thinking of suicide, listen.

3) Look for help.  This pamphlet suggests
911 for emergency situations,
  for advice and direction
http://elsuicidioesprevenible.org/
The national hotline is

1 (800) 273 8255

**ReachOut.Com

This website offers information and experiences about depression, self harm, mental illness, suicide and a host of other related issues.  It also offers an open forum as well as a place to reach out for help.

**Pamphlet Summary: Older Adults and Depression

Older Adults and Depression is a pamphlet produced by the National Institute for Mental Health.

This pamphlet discusses depression and older adults.  It says depression is not a normal part of again.  Symptoms which may indicate one is depressed include: feeling sad or empty; feeling hopeless, irritable, anxious or guilty; loss of interest in favorite activities; feeling very tired; not being able to concentrate or remember details; not being able to sleep, or sleeping too much, aches or pains, headaches, cramps, digestive problems, overeating or not wanting to eat. 
Depression can be caused by several factors including genes, brain chemistry and stress. 
In terms of treatment for depression, the first step is to talk to your doctor.  it is important to remember you can just “snap out of it.”  Treatment choices include medications or psychotherapy.  One should remember medications can take some time to work, and they may also have side effects which should be discussed with your doctor.  ECT is sometimes used for severe depression which is difficult to treat with conventional methods. 
If you have a loved one who is experiencing depression offer support and understanding, talk the the person, DO not ignore talk of suicide.  You can invite the person for a walk or other activity.  Assure them that with time, treat can help to lift depression. 
If you are depressed, some things to remember include: break up large tasks into smaller; spend time with people, friends and loved ones; stick to your treatment plan; do not make important life choices until you feel better.
National Suicide Prevention hotline is 1-800-273-8255.  Santa Clara County Suicide and Crisis line is 1-855-278-4204.

The National hotline is now 988 for suicide prevention.  This supercedes any local number.

**Panic Disorder: When Fear Overwhelms

This is a free pamphlet from the National Institute for Mental Health.  It starts with a series of questions:  Do you sometimes have sudden attacks of fear that last for several minutes?  Do you feel like you are having a heart attack or can’t breathe?  Do these attacks occur at unpredictable times causing you to worry about the possibility of having another one at any time?

Panic disorder is manifested by sudden attacks of fear, with associated physical symptoms such as racing heart, feeling you are having a heart attack, sweating, breathing problems, weakness or dizziness, hot or cold chills, tingly numb hands, chest pain or stomach pain.  Panic disorder includes fear of places where attack have occurred, and intense worry about the next attack and feeling out of control. 

Panic disorder is generally treated with psychotherapy or medications or both.  Cognitive behavioral therapy is especially useful.  Medications used include anti-anxiety medications which give quick relief but generally should not be used over long periods of time.  Antidepressant medication is also used.  There is a warning on antidepressant medication as for some people it can increase the risk of suicide. 

A common descriptor for panic disorder is fear—the attack is terrifying and then you have fear of the next attack, and fear of having a possible physical condition.

**Dr. David Mee-Lee Dual Diagnosis from Dynamic Health: Powerful Strategies for Healthy Living!

David Wright interviewed Dr. David Mee-Lee about dual diagnosis services.  This is treatment for people with co-occurring substance us and mental health problems.  Dr. Mee-Lee consults with Santa Clara County departments of Alcohol and Drugs as well as Mental Health.  As such I have had the opportunity to attend his trainings as well as sit in consultation of cases with him.  He is a pioneer of motivation interviewing, and he works with the call center on being able to figure out what people would like to get from mental health.  “You start at the door they open and where they let you in rather than telling them they have to work on a problem they don’t think they have.  Work on what they’re there for and from that point move to how their substance use and their mental health problems have been shooting themselves in the foot, preventing them from getting what they really want. 

This article is best when it talks about rehabilitation of mental health and substance abuse problems.  “Recover doesn’t necessarily mean they’re cured when you’re talking about a chronic illness—no more than if somebody with diabetes  or hypertension or asthma. … A person suffering from a mental illness as well as a substance problem won’t be able to be cured in the sense that they will never have a mental health problem or substance problem again.  They can recover, meaning they can live beyond just the fact that they have alcoholism or a mental illness.  They can have goals and aspirations and be empowered to have hope to change their life in terms of their relationships, in terms of productivity in the community, and reaching their dreams and aspirations. … Recover really means stabilizing their mental health and substance problem, but then living and growing to have an identity beyond just their illness.”

Dr. Mee-Lee concludes with advice for family and community.  The first is to realize that mental illness is not unusual.  There is “nothing bizarre or weird about…having substance problems or mental health issues.  The second point he makes is that there is help for mental illness.  Getting treatment sooner rather than later leads to a better result.