LIFESTYLE
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Timely Information for Personal Success
How Food Affects Behavior
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t has been discovered that the brain’s neurotransmitters, which regulate behavior, can be affected by what we eat. Research is showing that some foods, such as bananas and turkey, have proteins that help to create the chemical seratonin. It seems that serotonin is involved, but we don’t know how as yet. We DO know that serotonin release is triggered by a carbohydrate load (sugar, etc.). There are many who feel that eating carbohydrates under stress is aimed at this serotonin release. When the brain produces serotonin, tension is eased. When it produces dopamine or norepinephrine, we tend to think and act more quickly and are generally more alert. Eating carbohydrates alone seems to have a calming effect, while proteins increase alertness. Complex carbohydrates, which raise the level of tryptophan in the brain, have a calming effect. Protein containing essential fatty acids and/or carbohydrates are recommended for increased alertness. Salmon and white fish are good choices. Foods high in saturated fats, such as hamburgers and French fries, leads to sluggishness, slow thinking, and fatigue. A balance is achieved when the diet contains a combi-
Employee Assistance Report
Choosing a Daycare
nation of proteins and complex carbohydrates. A turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread is a good combination: the turkey is high in protein, while the whole wheat bread supplies complex carbohydrates. Consume more carbohydrates than protein if you are nervous and wish to become more relaxed or eat more protein than carbohydrates if you are tired and wish to become more alert. A depressed person would benefit from eating foods like turkey and salmon, which are high in protein. Beware: The body will react more quickly to the presence of sugar than it will to the presence of complex carbohydrates. The increase in energy supplied by the carbohydrates is quickly accompanied by fatigue and depression. Most people have never heard of serotonin management, or even considered it at all except for medications. Serotonin management simply means paying attention to the little things that make you feel good and systematically including them in your daily routines. We know, instinctively, that pampering ourselves is a door to a sense of well being, but we may
ost parents have children in daycare at one time or another, but how can they determine what is a good daycare/childcare facility, and what isn’t? The following is a checklist that can help: • Are toys washed daily and disinfected every week? • Does someone regularly clean the area where diapers are changed? • Is poison control information clearly posted? • Does the facility have an emergency plan in case of a disaster such as a fire, tornado, or flood? • Does the childcare facility practice monthly fire drills? • Does the facility have firstaid kits? • Are staff members trained in first aid, CPR, and the Heimlich maneuver? • Is playground equipment age appropriate? • Is each child up to date on required immunizations? • Are children cared for on a one-on-one basis? Suggested guidelines for caregiver-tochild ratios are: one caregiver
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Lifestyle Tips Insert
M
August 2007