Thursday, February 9, 2012
Maat E's Mental Health Message
Let's Talk About Mental Illness & Bring about Mental Health
Talking about the stigma of mental illness is critically important to ultimately improving care and access to quality mental health services. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, one in five (21%) of adult Canadians will suffer a mental disorder. Most will experience a form of anxiety or depression. What many people may not realize is that there is no health without mental health because the two are intricately linked. Fighting the stigma which stands in the way of mental health can begin with getting everyone involved and understanding that we are all susceptible to mental health problems just as we are vulnerable to other health concerns. Let's talk about mental health!
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Ma'at E's Mental Health Message
Make everyday a Black History Day.
Although the month of February is Black History month, the multitude of achievements and accomplishments of people of African descent make one month (especially the shortest month of the year) wholly inadequate to reflect on all of the contributions within Black culture. Each of us has a unique spark from the Divine that makes us who we are and provides each of us with our own gifts to make a contriubtion to society. With these gifts we can do something everyday to make a story of our own lives and make history within the greater society. Know that you are great and have something, no many things to contribute to the world. Start by giving love and creating peace everywhere you go. Don't worry so much about how you will make your mark as much as having faith and a belief that you will. The Creator will take care of how you make history just start with living your story today.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Ma'at E's Mental Health Message
Food really does affect our mood.
We all know that when we eat a candy bar the sugar among other substances inside it affects how we feel. There is an almost immediate sense of eurphoria or elevation that comes from the sugar turning in to glucose and acting as fuel for the brain. The high is great, but it soon turns to a low as the sugar causes a quick spike in blood glucose levels and then drops off leaving us feeling a lack of energy. Now if sugar can do this so can many other substances we injest and research is plentiful to support that fact. The point of knowing this information is to encourage us to begin to be more thoughtful about the things we eat and how they potentially can affect our mood. We can start by simply paying attention to how we feel when we eat something. Take the next five days and keep a journal of how you feel before and after you eat each meal. Try different types of meals vegetables proteins verses meats, candy or carbs. Do your own research by simply paying attention so that you can know yourself. Take those observations with you the next time you visit your nutritionist or doctor and ask lots of questions.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Maat E's Mental Health Message
Let your purpose pick you!!!
Many people spend a lifetime searching for their purpose. What often happens is that our purpose picks us by giving a signal or sign, but we ignore it. For example, we all have some activity we love to do. It may be dancing, writing, talking, walking, swimming, being with kids, listening to music, reading, studying and so on. There is something that gets each of us excited, yet we tend to ignore it or find reasons to do other things. Our purpose involves that thing that can fill us with emotion or make time seem endless when we are involved. Make a list of all the things that get you excited. As you write notice your emotions. When you come to a place where you pause and feel a strong sense of emotion, you are getting a clue as to what you are meant to do. Spend as much time as possible doing what you love.
Peace, Ma'at E. L. Lewis
Many people spend a lifetime searching for their purpose. What often happens is that our purpose picks us by giving a signal or sign, but we ignore it. For example, we all have some activity we love to do. It may be dancing, writing, talking, walking, swimming, being with kids, listening to music, reading, studying and so on. There is something that gets each of us excited, yet we tend to ignore it or find reasons to do other things. Our purpose involves that thing that can fill us with emotion or make time seem endless when we are involved. Make a list of all the things that get you excited. As you write notice your emotions. When you come to a place where you pause and feel a strong sense of emotion, you are getting a clue as to what you are meant to do. Spend as much time as possible doing what you love.
Peace, Ma'at E. L. Lewis
Monday, January 16, 2012
Maat E's Mental Health Message
Spend sometime in the sun!
Our minds, bodies and spirits need sunshine. Many of us are unaware of the importance of the sun and its ability to generate vitamin D, which in turn helps the body with absorption of calcium among other things. Fish, eggs and dairy also provide vitamin D which may be important during the colder months when we tend to get less sun, but are not an option for some vegetarians. Traditionally, vitamin D deficiency is linked to rickets, a disease leading to soft bones and skeletal deformities. Recent research shows that vitamin D deficiency may also have links to higher risk for cognitive impairment in adults and other health problems including heart disease, asthma in children and cancer. The symptoms can be subtle, yet bone pain and muscle weakness are signs of a potential problem. For people with darker skin the pigment melanin reduces the skin's ability to absorb sunlight increasing the chance of D deficiency. Prevention is of course the best way to avoid deficiency and generally, spending 10 minutes in the sun will activate the body's ability to generate vitamin D. To test for deficiency a visit to the doctor and a special request to check for vitamin deficiency is needed. Do your homework and learn more about the sources of vitamin D.
Peace, Ma'at E. L. Lewis
Our minds, bodies and spirits need sunshine. Many of us are unaware of the importance of the sun and its ability to generate vitamin D, which in turn helps the body with absorption of calcium among other things. Fish, eggs and dairy also provide vitamin D which may be important during the colder months when we tend to get less sun, but are not an option for some vegetarians. Traditionally, vitamin D deficiency is linked to rickets, a disease leading to soft bones and skeletal deformities. Recent research shows that vitamin D deficiency may also have links to higher risk for cognitive impairment in adults and other health problems including heart disease, asthma in children and cancer. The symptoms can be subtle, yet bone pain and muscle weakness are signs of a potential problem. For people with darker skin the pigment melanin reduces the skin's ability to absorb sunlight increasing the chance of D deficiency. Prevention is of course the best way to avoid deficiency and generally, spending 10 minutes in the sun will activate the body's ability to generate vitamin D. To test for deficiency a visit to the doctor and a special request to check for vitamin deficiency is needed. Do your homework and learn more about the sources of vitamin D.
Peace, Ma'at E. L. Lewis
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Maat E's Mental Health Message
A child's mental health is an important source of wealth.
More important than all the riches we can possess is the health of our children. They are in essence are our future and key to personal, family and communal health & wealth. Many of our children suffer with so called mental disorders known as ADD and learning disabilities. Such problems can affect a child at home and school by creating problems with managing behavior and understanding information. It is important to know that our bodies have the capacity for self-healing. Take time to learn about alternative and natural treatments. Learn and understand that the body is a whole system and so symptoms are not just isolated to problems in one area. Do your homework and learn to heal your children and your self.
More important than all the riches we can possess is the health of our children. They are in essence are our future and key to personal, family and communal health & wealth. Many of our children suffer with so called mental disorders known as ADD and learning disabilities. Such problems can affect a child at home and school by creating problems with managing behavior and understanding information. It is important to know that our bodies have the capacity for self-healing. Take time to learn about alternative and natural treatments. Learn and understand that the body is a whole system and so symptoms are not just isolated to problems in one area. Do your homework and learn to heal your children and your self.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Maat E's Mental Health Message
Happy New Year!!!
Once again as is the case of all time, a new year has come to pass. In each of our own life times we have seen many years come and go. A great question to ask ourselves is do I live with any regret? What have I done or not done that I would hope to change. If it happened in the past we can not change it and should let it go. If we are hoping for something in the future, the time is not here yet so focus on the present. Living with any regret is simply a product of being focused on something either in the past or in the future that we probably cannot control or change. Since that is the case, it is best to focus on the present and what is happening here and now. Let go of the regret. The past will fade to black and the future will arrive in due time.
We are each blessed with a divine gift to live in the moment. When we do life opens up and we can live it to the fullest. Make the decision to let the light within shine bright right now in this present moment and it will carry you throughout the year.
Peace in the year 2012.
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