Your waistline has gone MIA and you’re ready to reclaim it—for health reasons, yes, but also because you want to look better (there, you said it). Happily, this is one area where vanity and wellness align. “Visceral fat, which surrounds the organs in your midsection, plays a big role in the risk of metabolic conditions like diabetes,” says Claire Wheeler, MD, an instructor at Portland State University’s School of Community Health and author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Losing Belly Fat . And contrary to what a lot of people think, the belly is not a stubborn fat zone. “Unlike fat in other places, belly fat is earmarked to provide quick energy in the event you need to fight, flee, or endure a famine,” Dr. Wheeler says. “When you engage in moderate activity (akin to fleeing or fighting) and cut calories (as in a famine), most of the fat you lose first will come from your belly.” It’s ready to come off; now give it a kick-start with these strategies. Belly busters Slipping into that waist-cinching pencil skirt (the one pushed to the back of your closet) requires exercising more and making smart food choices so that you’re burning more calories than you’re taking in—no surprise. What is surprising, though, is just how easy it is to make that happen. Try this: Every day, aim to get 30 minutes of exercise, spend no more than six hours sitting down, and keep your calorie count in the 1,500 to 2,000 range. “A woman who is moderately overweight (about 15 to 25 extra pounds) should lose 2 inches in the first two weeks—most will lose more,” says Dr. Wheeler. Also helpful: eating more of the following, which target belly flab in particular. Fiber Getting your fill helps keep your stomach sleek, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition . Compared with people who only cut calories, those who also ate four to seven daily servings of whole grains (such as a slice of whole-wheat bread or half a cup of brown rice) lost significantly more belly fat. That’s one more reason to be a (healthy) carb lover: “Not only does the fiber in whole grains help flush the digestive tract, leading to a flatter stomach due to less constipation, but it also helps you feel more satisfied,” says Tammy Lakatos Shames, RD, the author of The Secret to Skinny . Soluble fiber—the kind found in oatmeal and apples—appears to be an especially effective fat fighter. For every 10-gram increase in your daily consumption of the stuff, belly fat drops nearly 4% over five years, suggests research from Wake Forest University. “For the most benefit, get 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day,” advises Dr. Wheeler. Dairy Milk products do a belly good, helping it retain lean muscle and store less fat. Take it from the dieters in a University of Tennessee study who ate 6 ounces of fat-free yogurt with every meal and lost 81% more abdominal fat than those who cut calories alone. “Increasing calcium suppresses calcitriol, a hormone that promotes fat storage,” explains lead author Michael Zemel, PhD. Quashing calcitriol also lowers your fat tissue’s production of cortisol, the hormone known to increase visceral fat. What’s more, a recent Harvard University study makes the case for vitamin D and calcium as weight-loss aids. Researchers gave one group three daily glasses of orange juice containing calcium and vitamin D, while another group drank the same amount of unfortified OJ each day. After four weeks, the vitamin-D-and-calcium group lost nearly 10 times as much belly fat as those who drank regular juice. For that get-slim boost without all the calories in three glasses of OJ, supplement daily with 450 IU of vitamin D and 1,500 milligrams of calcium. Next Page:  What to eat Fruits and veggies According to a University of Florida study, people who ate more of their overall diet from plant-based foods were slimmer. “Researchers developed an index—called the phytochemical index, or PI score—that ranks the number of calories consumed from plant-based foods compared with overall daily calorie intake on a scale of zero to 100,” says Cynthia Sass, RD, a New York City–based dietitian and author of S.A.S.S. Yourself Slim: Conquer Cravings, Drop Pounds, and Lose Inches . “People of normal weight had PI scores 10.3 points higher, on average, than overweight or obese people,” she says. “And even though both groups consumed about the same number of daily calories, those with lower PI scores had larger waist circumferences.” Researchers suggest including plant-based foods—fruits, veggies, nuts—every day, ideally at the start of each meal. Healthy fats Not all fats make you fat. In fact, monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs)—found in some nuts and oils—help you stay lean. In a study published in the journal Diabetes Care , insulin-resistant people who ate a diet high in MUFAs avoided the fate of those on a high-carb diet, who saw fat mass shift toward their bellies. Include plant-based fat—like 2 tablespoons of almond butter or a quarter of an avocado—at each meal, advises Sass. Likewise, adding just under 2 teaspoons of PUFA-rich safflower oil to your diet each day—without even cutting calories—reduces abdominal fat, suggests an Ohio State University study. Linoleic acid—a polyunsaturated, omega-6 fatty acid found in safflower, sunflower, soybean, and corn oils—helps increase the fat-burning hormone adiponectin, says lead author Martha Belury, PhD. “Use safflower oil in salad dressings or baking—anything in which the oil doesn’t reach the smoking point (as in deep frying),” she suggests. “That breaks it down.” What to avoid In addition to moving more and eating waist-friendly foods, aim to limit these fat magnets: Alcohol Folks who had three-plus drinks in a day—even infrequently—had more visceral fat than those who had the same amount monthly but spaced them out, according to University at Buffalo researchers. Tempted to have more than one drink? Choose light beer, wine spritzers, or diet mixers. Trans fats The type of fat in many baked goods and salty snacks may cause belly weight gain even if you’re not consuming excess calories. Skip anything with partially hydrogenated oils, says Dr. Wheeler. They can hide out in surprising places (like some bran cereals and low-fat ice creams). Minor stress Eating triggers insulin, and stress boosts cortisol. “When elevated, these two hormones work together to store extra calories you consume in the form of belly fat,” Dr. Wheeler says. In a study at the University of California–San Francisco, stress eaters showed higher levels of insulin and cortisol—and gained more weight—than those who didn’t eat when anxious. Next time you sit down to eat, take five minutes to relax first. A good place to start: Put away your gadgets. Next Page:  Get moving All the right moves Over 40 and flirting with perimenopause? That may explain those five stubborn pounds around your middle, just under the skin (a.k.a. “subcutaneous” fat). “As ovaries slow their production of estrogen, the body compensates by making more fat cells,” says Dr. Wheeler. Subcutaneous fat isn’t as bad for you as visceral, but that doesn’t mean you have to accept it. Fight back with exercise. Burn fat Ab exercises tone, but you need cardio to torch the fat that’s hiding them.Try alternating the intensity, suggests Jessica Matthews, exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise. Whether you’re running or using a cardio machine, do one minute at an intensity level of 8 or 9 out of 10, followed by two minutes at 5 or 6; repeat this pattern. Build strength Research suggests the bicycle maneuver tops the list of most effective core exercises. Lying down, hands behind your head, and knees at a 45-degree angle, extend one leg then the other in a slow pedaling motion, touching your right elbow to your left knee, and vice versa. Do two to three sets of 8 to 15 reps, every other day, and you’ll be well on your way to a thinner middle.

Editor's note: Dr. Charles Raison, CNNhealth's mental health expert, is an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. He also serves as clinical director of the mind-body program and co-director of the Collaborative for Contemplative Studies. The American Psychiatric Association is in the midst of redesigning a document often called the Bible of Psychiatry. It's known more officially as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM for short. For practical purposes, including insurance reimbursement, the DSM determines what does and does not qualify as a psychiatric illness in the United States.  Because of this, changes to the document can lead to profound effects on patients’ lives.  Changing criteria can dictate who and who cannot be considered to have a mental illness worthy of treatment… and insurance coverage. Nowhere have proposed changes to the upcoming edition of the DSM generated more angst, or media coverage, than in the area of autistic disorders. Anyone who has a family member with severe autism, or has known someone with the condition, might be surprised by this.  Of all brain conditions for which we don’t know the cause, none are more obvious than autism in terms of symptoms or impairment. Autism strikes right where it hurts most, and that is the ability to understand the emotions and behaviors of other people.  In addition to severe impairments in social understanding and behavior, people with autism also typically engage in pointless repetitive behaviors and have obsessive, narrow interests, often centering around technology. Occasionally autistic people demonstrate skills, as seen in the movie "Rainman."  One famous autistic patient can tell you the day of the week of any day in history.  I had a patient years ago who had exactly memorized all bus routes schedules for the greater Los Angeles area using a method he inexplicably called the “liver system."  He could – and did whenever prompted – recite exact times and stops over hundreds of routes for hours on end. So the question remains: how could changes in diagnostic criteria change who does and doesn’t have such an obvious disease? To answer this question, let’s do a thought experiment.  Imagine you are at the doctor’s office receiving news of your latest medical testing.  Would you rather be told that you had a large breast lump that was benign or a very small one that was cancer?  Or consider this: You go to the ER with chest pain.  Would you be very comforted if the doctor told you that you’d only had a small heart attack? What these examples make clear is that some medical conditions are best thought of as either being present or absent.  Either you have a disease or you don’t. Now consider this: We all know that high blood pressure is a silent killer, and that many lives have been saved by the development of safe and effective treatments. Setting aside what the number exactly mean, most of us probably also know that the upper range of normal for blood pressure is 140/90.  Suppose your doctor takes your blood pressure and it is 141/91. Knowing that this is high, she asks you to relax and then takes it again five minutes later.  This time it is 139/89. Would any of us say that you had a disease based on the first reading, but fortunately were perfectly normal based on the second? All psychiatric diseases are like blood pressure.  They are on a continuum without gaps.  If one administered questions to identify any condition and rate its severity in a large enough group of people, one would find someone occupying every value from zero to the maximum score. The problem in psychiatry is that our entire diagnostic system is based on the idea that mental illnesses are like cancer and not like blood pressure.  The DSM provides minimum criteria for each disorder, which means that no matter how close you are to having any given condition, if you fall below the line you technically don’t have it. I suspect you can see the problem immediately.  If nature does not provide clear guidelines for where normal stops and mental illness begins, how does the line get drawn?  The quick answer is that it gets drawn in much the same way the voter redistricting lines get drawn: based on some data, a lot of fighting, and finally some not entirely satisfactory compromise. So back to autism.  Like all other mental disorders, it runs along a spectrum from people who most of us would have called nerdy when I was a kid to people who spend their lives unable to speak, rocking back and forth for hours on end.  We all agree that the silent, rocking folk are ill and need care.  But where does extreme nerdiness and social awkwardness give way to Asperger’s syndrome?  When is someone autistic enough to deserve the label? This is the rub.  As with all spectrum conditions, there are far more people with mild autism than with its more severe forms.  Again think of blood pressure.  Lots of us run 150/92 – not many of us run at 200/110 (and those of us who do often don’t live to tell about it). What the new DSM proposes to do is make it harder to meet criteria for autism, so that probably the majority of people who fall on the mild end of what people often call simply “the spectrum” will now be declared non-autistic. Proponents of this move argue that much of the autism epidemic that has been observed in the last several decades may result at least in part from the fact that less and less severely affected people are being diagnosed.  Making the criteria stricter will reverse this trend.  It will also reduce the risk of stigmatizing people who in former times might have been viewed as eccentric, but non-diseased. Opponents of the changes argue that many young people have been helped by receiving the diagnosis and that this help will vanish if they are no longer considered to have a “real” and “billable” condition. What is the answer to this dilemma? Like all real problems in the world it falls along a spectrum. The opinions expressed in this post are solely those of Charles Raison. Filed under: Autism , Mental Health Tagged: Dr. Charles Raison – CNNHealth Mental Health expert

Snacking? Protein? Sugar substitutes? With so many questions about food, we turned to our friends and registered dieticians Stephanie Clarke and Willow Jarosh of C&J Nutrition for some tips and tricks. Watch and learn how to eat not only for weight loss, but for your skin, too.

Physical exercise is critical to keeping our brains healthy, preventing or slowing the progression of cognitive decline that can lead to dementia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Unfortunately the CDC estimates that only 14% of adults aged 65 to 74, and 4% of adults over 75, exercise regularly. These were the facts Dr. Cay Anderson-Hanley had when she began a study on exergaming and older adults. The assistant professor at Union College in New York hoped to determine if exergames – virtual reality games that combine exercise with interactive features – would motivate senior citizens to work out more. What her study found was that exergames have the potential to improve cognitive function more than traditional exercise alone. The results were published in the current issue of the American Journal of Preventative Medicine . The study analyzed the executive cognitive function of 102 older adults from eight retirement communities. Executive cognitive function is higher thinking, like multi-tasking or planning, that helps keep us independent, Anderson-Hanley says. "When it starts to slip, that's when we start to see folks entering nursing homes and such." Study participants were split into two groups, a control group that rode a traditional stationary bicycle and an experimental group that went "cybercycling" with a virtual reality program. Both groups biked for 45 minutes, five days a week for three months. Cybercyclers engaged in interactive elements like navigating virtual pathways or competing with other riders. These elements provided extra stimulation that watching TV or reading while exercising can't, Anderson-Hanley said. The benefit was significant; the cybercycling group experienced a 23% reduction in mild cognitive impairment, compared to the mental benefits experienced by the traditional exercise group. More research must be done to determine exactly what it is about exergames that creates a bigger reduction in cognitive impairment, Anderson-Hanley said. Her hunch is that there's something special about the combination of physical exercise and mental interaction– a synergy of sorts is created. "The neat thing about exergames is that what happens on the screen is driven by what's going on on the bike." For instance, if you want to catch the rider in front of you, you have to pedal faster. "The challenges are uniquely tied." More research must also be done to see if the study's results could be replicated in a larger population and if the cognitive benefits would apply to younger participants. But for now, Anderson-Hanley is optimistic about the possibilities. "We find that these results give us a hope that there is more that can be done to intervene and benefit cognitive health in later life. Finding something like this, we’re not going to cure Alzheimer’s, but it’s another tool in the tool belt that may help slow down cognitive decline and that’s very exciting." The word "exergames" is also used to describe video game systems like the PlayStation Move or the Wii Fit. Researchers have found that the physical benefits from these games are most beneficial to seniors. To learn more, click here . Filed under: Alzheimer’s , Exercise , Mental Health Tagged: Jacque Wilson- CNN.com Senior Associate Producer

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Jenny asks… Why are so many people now suffering from panic attacks/same symptoms as mind control? Mind controlo symptoms and direct energy weapon symptoms are the same as panic and anxiety attack symptoms . The difference being. If the electromatic attacks stopped there would be no symptoms . Do mental health Doctors know the difference. Jonjune answers: R u the same person who asked about being paranoid? If not, maybe u should contact him. U guys could be good friends! Betty asks… i would like to know what kind of symptoms panic attacks cause on you? For me, panic attacks symptoms are elevate heart beat of course, chest pain, and feeling my heart “arritmic”, feeling of dying/fainting, sensation of numbness on hands and legs… Jonjune answers: Well first I start to feel funny and my knuckles turn blackish , then my heart beat picks up and i get really anxious. I usually feel like my life is going to end right there and my mind is racing. Sandra asks… Do these physical symptoms often go along with panic attacks? Everytime I get a panic attack, I not only have the overwhelming very scary feelings of panic and fear. But I also have very miserable physical symptoms that go along with the attacks these symptoms often include nausea, chills, shaking, stomach cramps, diarrhea, lightheadness, feeling disoriented. Does anyone else relate to this,and if you have ever had these physical symptoms as well what do you do make yourself feel better during the attacks ? Or these physical symptoms all in our head, or are they our body’s way of reacting to being under such overwhelming fear and anxiety? Jonjune answers: I suffer from panic attacks and i get several of these symptoms, some of this is due to to much adrenaline, and taking in too much oxygen, and yes partly in our heads too. John asks… How do you stop symptoms of Panic Attacks? I just developed panic attacks and i fear that im going to die. I been having them for 3 weeks and about 4 times a day lasting 4-6 hrs everytime. It feels so bad so i want them to go away. Also the deep breathing makes it worse. The panic attacks seem to worsen right before i laydown or as im trying to fall asleep. Songs seem not to help. Relaxation doesnt seem to work all the time. Jonjune answers: I get this a lot before I’m going to bed as well. Suddenly I’ll start thinking I’m going to die, then I feel like my heart is racing, etc etc. Start thinking I won’t wake up and then it gets even worse! It’s a vicious cycle once it begins, but you know that. You need to just tell yourself when it begins “This is just a panic attack. This is just my mind. This is all in my head so I cannot die.” I know it’s really hard to get this thought process going when you’re in the moment, but you have to force yourself, basically. Yes, deep breathing makes it worse because you end up taking deep, fast breaths which can make you light headed when you’re not even having a panic attack, let alone when you are. You should also look into getting help. There’s a source for these panic attacks and you need to figure them out. Once you find why, you can start fixing it. Thomas asks… What might a person do in reaction to a panic attack/their symptoms? Start crying or yelling? Run to where there aren’t any people or where they feel safe (like their rooms)? Stop responding to everything? Maybe get a little physical in defense to whatever is freaking them out? Does it depend on the person and cause of the panic attack, or are there at least a few general reactions to panic attacks / symptoms of panic attacks ? THANKS ;D Jonjune answers: Honestly i tend to get very edgy, my OCD acts up a little and i’ll move around a little/re-arrange things to try to keep myself calm. I don’t cry or yell, because i know exactly what it is…i know it’s a panic attack so if i’m around other people i mostly just try to breathe, count, whatever to keep myself calm. I don’t alert anyone to the issue, i just try to ride it out. When i’m alone i just write, or do something to try to take the focus away from the panic attack…still i don’t really cry or yell or run or anything. Whether i’m by myself or alone i’ll usually have a cigarette or drink some water if either is a possibility. It can be overwhelming, but i like to try to maintain my self control. I’ve seen other people react very differently to panic attacks (crying, freaking out, etc.), but i personally can at least somewhat fake calmness even if i’m completely falling apart (only my gf can tell, but she’s learned that i prefer if she ignores it.) edit: btw i can only speak through personal experience, but for the most part regardless of what my panic attacks are caused by (or whether or not i’m sober) my reaction is pretty much the same. The only time i’ve ever had a panic attack where i completely lost it was once after smoking “dusted” weed. Powered by Yahoo! Answers Related Blogs

Fluid filled sacs in the breasts or cysts in breast tissue can be painful, they can cause worry and anxiety but rarely are they malignant and in many cases treatment for breast cysts is not absolutely necessary. Nor do cysts increase one’s breast cancer risk. Cysts in the breast can feel like round or oval lumps, with clear edges; rather like a water-filled balloon or a soft grape, but in some cases can be firmer to the touch. Cysts in breast tissue are really not that uncommon, and many women in their 30’s and 40’s may have them. Cysts can appear during the latter half of a woman’s reproductive years, and most often they resolve on their own, after menopause. Women who undergo hormone therapy find that the cysts may reemerge or may continue, so clearly breasts cysts have a strong connection to female hormones. Cysts in the breast may be difficult or impossible to detect with just a physical examination, and the size of a cyst could range in size from the size of a pea to the size of a ping pong ball. An ultrasound or a mammogram is usually required to detect breast cysts. Unless the Breast cysts are painful , they may require not treatment, since most are benign and apt to resolve themselves. Even when treatment is in fact required, all that may be required is for the fluid in the cyst(s) to be drained by way of aspiration. When are cysts in breast tissue dangerous? If an ultrasound shows that there are certain solid nodules contained in the fluid filled cysts, then this could indicate possible malignancy or a precancerous lesion for which further investigation and treatment would be necessary. How can cysts in breasts be detected? If you suspect a breast cyst, look for a round or oval breast lump which is smooth to the touch and movable. Pain or tenderness is one of the main indicators of the presence of a cyst. The pain or tenderness as well as the size of the cyst could be more pronounced just before the period, which is proportionally lowest just after the end of the period. When and what treatment is required for cysts in breast tissue? Often if the cyst or cysts are not causing any pain or discomfort, there may be no treatment required. Wearing a well supporting bra can help reduce pain and discomfort. If treatment is in fact required, needle aspiration biopsy (using a needle to extract fluid from the cyst) may be all that is required. If, however the cyst reappears after this (cysts are known to often recur after aspiration), and continue to cause problems, a surgical intervention to remove the cyst may be required. Also if the cyst fluid is tinged with blood or if there is monthly recurrence of the cyst, this may be a cause for concern and surgery may be indicated. Is it possible to prevent cysts in breasts? Lifestyle factors such as improving diet, adding exercise and lowering stress are known to lower breast cyst incidence. Reducing caffeine and salt in the diet may also help according to some experts.

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