Self Help Article 4
Exercise and Health, Teens and Divorce, Blue Monday, Humor

• Exercise and Health

Some interesting facts about health:

• only three 20-minute workouts each week will lower resting blood pressure as well as decrease certain other "coronary risk" factors (e.g. cholesterol and triglyceride levels) for many people
• regular, medically-approved exercise can also be an excellent way to reduce stress and depression
• fast walking, running, rollerblading, skateboarding, and bicycling are all excellent aerobic exercises

• What about "Blue Monday"?

If you dread Mondays, you may be comforted to know that three empiracl studies found no support for the common belief that one's mood is worse on Mondays than on other weekdays. On the other hand, mood does appear to improve on weekends.

• Ideas that "Sabotage" Marriage

According to internationally known psychologist Arnold Lazarus, certain "myths" are detrimental to marriage (Marriage Myths, Impact Publishers). These include the following:

• husbands and wives should do everything together
• good spouses should "make their partners happy"
• husbands and wives should always "let it all hang out"
• true lovers usually know each other's thoughts
• a happy marriage requires total trust
• marriage will be a simple continuation of the romance of courtship

• Flavorings that are Low in Sodium

Most of these flavorings have little to no sodium: garlic and herb spices, pimento, curry powder, caraway seeds, fresh lemon, bay leaves, and vinegar. Rinsing canned foods can also decrease sodium content.

• Adolescent Adjustment to Parental Divorce

It appears that it is not so much the divorce per se that leads to adolescent maladjustment such as low self-esteem and high anxiety but, rather, the level of conflict between the parents. In general, the more hostility between parents, the more the adjustment difficulties of the teenager.

• Sleep and Sleeping Disorders

While men snore more, women suffer more from insomnia. Contrary to common opinion, insomnia is not always caused by "deep psychological problems." For example, exercising too close to bedtime makes it difficult to fall asleep for many people -- their bodies may be fatigued but their brains are too active. On the other hand, disruptions of sleep CAN be among the early warning signs of anxiety and depression.

If you have trouble sleeping, be sure that you do NOT resort to routine naps during the day, since in the long run these usually only tend to intensify insomnia. The best thing to do is to go to bed at a regular time each night, and if you cannot sleep then get out of bed. Don't condition yourself to lie awake in bed. On snoring: people often snore because their airways are obstructed, and in certain cases surgery may be necessary to solve the problem. For example, snoring is sometimes associated with "sleep apnea" -- intermittent failure to beathe while asleep.

• Calcium and Blood Pressure

In a study recently reported in the Annals of Internal Medicine, it was demonstrated that calcium (1000 milligrams each day for 8 weeks) lowered blood pressure in nearly half of the high-blood-pressure paitents studied. The calcium appeared to have its greatest effect after six weeks. The doctors' conclusion: "Treatment with . . . calcium for 8 weeks is a safe, well-tolerated intervention that lowers blood pressure in selected paitents with mild to moderate hypertension." If you are hypertensive, consult your physician about the wisdom of this treatment for you.

• Caution about Antacids

Many people use antacides as an inexpensive source of calcium. But, an excessive intake of antacids can cause such problems as digestive ailments, kidney disorders, urinary tract infections, acculumation of aluminum in the central nervous system, and -- believe it or not -- calcium deficiencies (aluminum-based antacids seem to deplete the body of calcium and phosphorous). Consult your physician for advice.

• Humor and Attraction

A recent study of couples in their twenties suggests that couples who share a similar sense of humor are more likely to be highly attracted to one another. Specifically, the more two people shared a sense of humor, the more they liked each other and the more they were predisposed to marrying. People who find the things funny seem to "see the world" in compatible ways. The authors of the study point out that similarities in humor may indicate similarities in such other areas as "values, interests, preoccupations, intelligence, imagination, and needs."