Seven Tips For A Long And Healthy Life

StartMark Haddon wrote a marvelous book that became a bestseller and won both the Whitbread Book of the Year and Whitbread Novel awards. It was said that Mark Haddon himself exclaimed, “Who on Earth would want to read about a fifteen-year-old boy with a disability?,” while he was making this book. Little did he know that it was exactly the fifteen-year-old boy with a disability that made his book stand out, win awards and become a bestseller. The book is called, “The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time and the boy is Christopher.”

Christopher is an autistic-savant. He can name all the countries in the world and their capitals. He has a photographic memory and a genius in math and science. Despite of his unusual intelligence, he cannot imagine, understand figures of speech and relate to jokes. He also does not like places with a lot of people and people touching him. People who are autistic-savants exhibit both characteristics common among those with autism and those with Savant Syndrome. Autism is one developmental disorder among the group of Autism Spectrum Disorders. This condition is mainly characterized by impairment in socialization, imagination and communication. Savant Syndrome is characterized by very low general intelligence but extraordinary narrow intelligence usually in the fields of mathematics, music, art and memorization.

In the story, Christopher’s parents are separated. His mother decided to leave Christopher and his father because she cannot cope anymore with the demands of having an autistic child. Parents who take care of special children such as those with autism may probably have a higher stress level compared to most parents. This is mainly because their children have special demands, unusual behaviors and different abilities compared to other kids of the same age. These children will most likely find it difficult to communicate, thus, resulting to unusual reactions. An example of this is when an autistic child cries for no apparent reason and begins hitting himself or herself. Most likely, something has caused him or her to feel upset but cannot convey what it is because he or she does not know how. Some autistic children with sensory integration problems may either be hypersensitive or hyposensitive to touch, pressure, movement and sound. They will show certain behaviors that are sometimes difficult to understand such as avoidance of certain types of food and drinks, pinching or hitting, repetitive movements and screaming. Some of them can also exhibit strong adherence to certain routines and fear of new places or people. To accommodate the needs and cope with the behaviors of these children is not easy and, therefore, can result to a lot of stress.

Autism can greatly limit a child’s world. They thrive in security and anything they perceive as a threat to their security should be avoided. However, a lot of factors, situations and demands of society make them insecure and being forced to deal with these makes them very anxious most of the time. Unconsciously and unintentionally, children with autism have a constant feeling of anxiety to anything that is new or foreign to their understanding. Just like in the book, when Christopher had to go beyond the area of the town that is familiar with him, he felt physically sick and afraid. Unlike most children, those with autism cannot easily adapt to new environment or situations. The process of learning to understand and accept what is previously unknown to them results to a higher level of anxiety.

Despite what seems to be a difficult task of adapting and coping with autistic children, a lot has already been studied and published regarding proper management that will not only lessen the children’s anxiety but also their parents’ stress. Certain methods such as Cognitive Behavior Modification, Behavior Modification Techniques and Environmental Modification Techniques had been proven effective in changing the inappropriate behaviors and improving the learning skills of children with autism. Some, having compounding conditions other than autism, may need additional treatment as advised by the doctors. Autistic children who also have manic depression due to their unhappiness with being involuntarily trapped in their self-protecting behaviors may need more therapy than what was mentioned earlier. Consulting a psychiatrist is highly advisable in this situation and other medications may be prescribed.

Christopher’s story ended with him being able to overcome challenges that have caused him too much anxiety and his mother deciding to return to take care of him. Just like in this fictional novel, the same can be achieved in real life in terms of dealing with stress and anxiety among families who need to cope with the condition. Through proper management, medication or treatment, stress and anxiety among parents and autistic children can be addressed effectively.

The 21st Century is best characterized by the advent of ultra-modern technology, global commercial and business, and the unstoppable desire to get and stay ahead. Because of these factors, business corporations compete in a world where the economy is active 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This phenomenon created a demand for employees that would work even during the night upto the wee hours of the morning. This work schedule reversed employee lifestyle, making the day their time to for sleeping. Shifts may disrupt the normal body functions, hamper sleep cycles, and reduce the body’s serotonin levels. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that is found in the central nervous system and impacts multiple functions like mood, sleep, sexuality, and appetite. This neurotransmitter may also promote cell regeneration.

Studies show that non-day shift workers tend to have lower levels of “feel-good” hormones called serotonin. Researchers at the University of Buenos Aires led by Dr. Carlos J, Pirola studied 683 men and compared 437 day workers to 246 shift workers. The results, the shift workers’ serotonin levels, measured through blood tests were significantly lower than those on regular day schedules. In addition to reduced serotonin levels, shift workers were also found to have higher cholesterol, hip-to-waist ratios, increased blood pressure, and higher triglyceride levels.

Because serotonin levels administer sleep patterns and other body functions, the University of Buenos Aires study suggested that shift work may also lead to a so-called Shift Work Sleep Disorder. People with this disorder tend to remain awake when they should be sleeping. These individuals can be very tired during waking hours. This disorder takes place because of a work schedule that takes place during the normal sleep period. Because of this, people who have difficulty getting sleep because their bodies are still programmed to be awake. The time of being asleep and being awake is different from what the body’s internal clock expects.

Other studies also found out that non-standard and night shift work may affect the cardiovascular and metabolic systems. These studies suggest that there is a possibility that shift work is directly responsible for high blood pressure and increased body fat, according the researchers of the Buenos Aires study. In addition to the disruption of sleep patterns, reduced levels of serotonin are also linked to other conditions like stress, anxiety, and depression.

Lifestyle changes can lead to improved serotonin levels. To make serotonin levels consistent, sleep patterns should be consistent and food regimens should include necessary vitamins and minerals to control the serotonin levels. Certain drugs and substances like caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, and antidepressants should be avoided because they may deplete serotonin production.

Individuals who want to improve their serotonin levels can use medication to aid them in their goal. The amino acid 5-HTP can be taken as a supplement and improve the body’s ability to manufacture serotonin. Another amino acid called L-tryptophan is used by the body to produce serotonin. However, before taking these supplements, patients are advised to seek the approval of doctors and other health professionals. Individuals who choose to work in the night should maintain adequate rest to lessen ill-effects that may develop. Healthy lifestyles and nutritious food regimens may improve serotonin levels and improve one’s quality of life. As good as modern medical technology is, it can never save you from the problems caused by a life style that is unhealthy. Instead of getting a modern medical fix for every problem, it is far better to live in such a way that you will hardly ever fall ill.

An ounce of prevention is certainly better than a pound of cure. Here are seven tips on how to live a long and healthy life. In addition, the same life style that helps you to avoid illness also helps you to lose weight.

1. Get Enough Exercise

In the past people had to use their physical bodies in the course of their normal work. But today someone may get up, go to work in a car, then sit down, get up to go home in the car and when arriving at home, sit down again for the rest of the day. In such a life there is no physical labor. This physical inactivity is one of the main reasons for a host of diseases. Sport, running. walking and other things must be added to our life if our normal work does not require us to exert ourselves physically. I

2. Go to sleep when you feel sleepy

This may sound simple, but many people stay up late even when their body is telling them that it is time to sleep. Yoga and Ayurvedic doctors also say that it is better to sleep in the night and be active during the day. However, people such as students will take coffee and stimulants to study late into the night. Others develop the habit of remaining active at night and sleeping during the day. While we can do this, it eventually takes a toll on health. Alternative health doctors say that this kind of unnatural living is one of the contributing factors in the causation of cancer and other diseases

3. Eat when you feel hungry

This is also a simple idea, but once again we often go against the messages of the body. If you eat out of habit or due to social pressure at certain time of the day, even when you have no real appetite, then you will not digest your food properly. Acidity and indigestion begin, and this contributes to the likelihood of other more complex diseases taking root. Having an appetite is actually a sign of good health, but if you have no appetite you should wait a bit and then eat. (If you have no appetite even after awaiting a reasonable amount of time, then you should consult a doctor because something is wrong.)

4.Fast on a Regular, Systematic Basis

If you would ask any person to work 365 days per year without any rest, they would complain and say that they must have some rest or else they will break down. But we have never bothered to ask or to think about our digestive organs which we compel to work day after day without a rest. They cannot protest the way a person would to his boss, but they do give us signals that they cannot work non-stop. When we ignore those signals and still compel them to work, those organs break down. That is why periodic fasting is necessary. Refrain from eating for one complete day. This gives a rest to your digestive organs and also helps in the elimination of wastes from your body. Regular fasting allows a person to gain extra time for intellectual or spiritual pursuits. Fasting is not for hermits in a cave, but is a sensible practice that anyone can practice.

5. Wash with cool water before going to bed

As mentioned above, proper sleep is essential for the maintenance of health. If you wash your important motor and sensory organs (hands, arms, eyes, legs, mouth, genitals) before sleep using cool water, this will relax you and prepare you for deep sleep.

6. Perform meditation on a regular basis

Your body is linked to your mind. Many of the diseases of this era are psychosomatic. Stress and anxiety take their toll on our physical health. Meditation is a mental exercise which, among other things, allows you to detach yourself from the worries of life. Learn a simple technique and do it regularly.

7. Get up early every day

Once again the old proverb, “Early to bed, early to rise makes a person healthy, wealthy and wise.” I don’t know if it will make you wealthy, but it will certainly make you healthy. Your body needs just enough sleep, not too much and not too little.

Follow these tips and you can’t go wrong.