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AutumnAutumn20132013

In this issue:In this issue:When “healthy” food is bad for youWhen “healthy” food is bad for you

The myth of McMindfulnessThe myth of McMindfulness

News round-upNews round-up

Let’s make mental health coolLet’s make mental health cool

5 ways to cope with Xmas5 ways to cope with Xmas

Are we really happier this year?Are we really happier this year?

Turmeric - a new antidepressant?Turmeric - a new antidepressant?

Food for mood recipeFood for mood recipe

5 quick ways to de-stress5 quick ways to de-stress(without alcohol)(without alcohol)

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When “healthy” food is bad for you

One reason why so many of us areoverweight despite trying to eat well is thatwe often misunderstand which foods arebad for us.The food industry notoriously profits fromthis misunderstanding by labelling highcalorific products as “low fat”, whilelabelling high fat products as “low calorie”.And far too many of us eat this stuff thenwake up wondering why the pounds keeppiling on.The situation is much worse when we eatout. With fewer people cooking forthemselves today than ever before, manyof us rely on fast-food outlets to grab ameal during our lunch break. And thepressure of work means that we don’thave much time to consider the nutritionalcontent of the food we are buying.What most of us do is take a guess as towhat types of food are healthy, and whattypes aren’t. So, faced with a choicebetween a burger or a salad, most of uschoose the salad as the “healthy” option.Surprisingly, if we do this, then we makethe wrong choice! In an article for theHuffington Post, Meredith Melnick hascompared the fat and calorific content of

the salads and other foods sold by arange of popular fast food outlets. Theresults are startling:A Grilled Chicken Salad was found tocontain 490 calories and 28 grams of fat(more than anyone should consume inone meal), the same as 11 ChickenNuggets. A Caesar Salad was evenworse, weighing in at 670 calories and 44grams of fat - the same as a TripleStacker (which contains three beefpatties, three slices of bacon andcheese). Opting for a Smoothie might nothelp much either. According to Melnick,

A 16 ounce Strawberry BananaSmoothie will set you back 310calories and 60 grams of sugar.That's a bit better than the OREOSundae (440, 57 grams), but notmuch.

While most of us have learned officialhealth messages such as: “5-a-day” and“low-fat/high-fibre”, we still struggle towork out what this means in anenvironment in which the advertising iswritten in large text while the nutritionalinformation is hidden from view.Cooking for yourself is the best way toguarantee healthy eating. But if you dohave to eat out, don’t simply assume you

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know what foods are healthy… they maybe anything but.You can view a video showing thecomparisons at:

http://youtu.be/Q1kDezVCTE8

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Western forms of Mindfulness-BasedStress Reduction and Mindful CognitiveBehavioural Therapy have only proventhemselves in the last 20 years, and werelargely ignored (and occasionallyridiculed) until about 5 years ago. But inrecent years, we have witnessed agrowing interest in the application ofmindfulness practice not just as a therapyfor treating mental illness, but as an aid toeducational, business and even militarysuccess.

Worryingly, in order to sell Mindfulness toa mass market, much of its ethical andspiritual context has been removed.Professor of Management, Robert Purserand Zen teacher, David Loy note that:

While a stripped-down, secularizedtechnique -what some critics are nowcalling "McMindfulness" - may make itmore palatable to the corporate world,decontextualizing mindfulness fromits original liberative andtransformative purpose, as well as itsfoundation in social ethics, amountsto a Faustian bargain. Rather thanapplying mindfulness as a means toawaken individuals and organizationsfrom the unwholesome roots of greed,ill will and delusion, it is usually beingrefashioned into a banal, therapeutic,self-help technique that can actuallyreinforce those roots.

There is no doubt that the practice ofMindfulness can be very helpful forthousands of people affected by commonmental illnesses such as anxiety anddepression.

But Mindfulness isn’t a miracle cure.

Nor is Mindfulness an entirely benign andpeaceful practice – while the aim of

Mahatma Gandhi once said:

First they ignore you, then theyridicule you, then they fight you, andthen you win.

This sentiment might well be applied to therecent popularity of Mindfulness as atherapy for treating common mentalillnesses and as a method for stressmanagement and reduction.

The practice of Mindfulness – of stillingyour thoughts, relaxing your body, andbecoming focused on the here and now –has been around for several millennia.Popularised in the west by the hippygeneration, Mindfulness was largelyignored as a somewhat obscure practicethat could have little useful impact for mostpeople. It was only when Professor ofMedicine Jon Kabat Zinn brought Easternmeditation practices from the practice ofYoga and Zen Buddhism into medicinethat the potential benefits of Mindfulnessfor people experiencing stress and mentalhealth problems began to be realised.

The Myth of McMindfulness

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Mindfulness is to switch off unruly thoughtprocesses in order to become fullypresent, the practice often involves wadingthrough traumatic memories, fears andworries. Without skilled support, thesecan result in mental illness getting worse.

Mindfulness has to be a life-long practice.It cannot be a (“McMindfulness”) 6-hourquick-fix for the often profoundpsychological and social causes of mentalillness.

A need for honestyLike Prozac and Cognitive BehaviouralTherapy (CBT) before it, Mindfulness hasfollowed a path to popularity that willinevitably lead to mass disappointment.This disappointment will not come fromMindfulness itself – Prozac and CBTcontinue to help millions of people everyyear, and there is no reason whyMindfulness should be any different.

Rather, the disappointment comes whenpoliticians and public health managersseek to package these approaches as thetherapeutic equivalent of fast food: onesize fits all “miracle cures” that areanything but.

Prozac didn’t fail because it didn’t work. Itfailed because it didn’t work for everyone.CBT has not failed because it didn’t work.It failed because it didn’t work foreveryone. Mass produced McMindfulnesswill not work for everyone either.

The most dangerous myth in mental healthis that all you have to do is be the passiverecipient of the latest fad medicine ortherapy.

Antidepressants like Prozac failedbecause the pharmaceutical companiesgrossly over-stated their impact on peoplewith depression. This caused millions ofpeople to believe that all they had to dowas to take Prozac. So they took the pills

and sat back to wait for a miracle tohappen - and for millions it didn’t It simplyadded a raft of unpleasant side effects tothe symptoms of the depression theyalready had.

Similar failures are now emerging withCBT. As with antidepressants, far toomany people have been led to believethat attending 6 - 10 CBT sessions is allthey have to do to overcome commonmental illnesses.

If people are led to believe the myth thatattending 6 - 10 Mindfulness sessions isall they have to do, then it too will fail.

Mindfulness can and will help millions ofpeople worldwide to overcome theirproblems. But only by helping them totake action to help themselves.

The trouble is that stress, mental healthproblems and mental illness sapmotivation, and most of us either do notwant to, or do not know how to takeaction.

So when someone sells us the myth thattheir therapy can cure our ills withoutmuch effort on our part, we are only toohappy to buy into it.

In the end, the difference betweengenuine Mindfulness and McMindfulnessis in the dishonesty of the latter. Anyonewho has followed the history of treatmentsfor mental illness knows all too well thatthere are no quick fixes - anyone whosays otherwise is defrauding you.

News round-up

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Rates of depression are the samein men & womenA new study published in JAMA Psychiatrycasts doubt on the received wisdom thatdepression affects significantly morewomen than men.

For decades, doctors had assumed thatwomen accounted for around 66% ofcases of depression with men accountingfor around 33%. However, the new studysuggests that this difference is a result ofthe symptoms used to make a diagnosis ofclinical depression.

Lisa Martin, the study's lead author fromthe University of Michigan in Dearbornsays that when slight changes are made todiagnostic criteria (such as includingsymptoms like aggression and sleepproblems) the rates of depressionequalise.

What teachers have in commonwith bankers

Heavy workloads and time spent worryingabout work make bankers and teachersthe two most sleep-deprived professions inthe UK according to a survey conductedfor Travelodge.

Banking and teaching are the onlyprofessions that spend more than 1½hours a night worrying instead of sleeping.

However, nurses and local governmentworkers are not far behind.

The ongoing loss of sleep is causingproblems with productivity and quality inthese sectors.

Exercise beats insomnia …eventually

In theory, tiring yourself physically shouldhelp you sleep. But in practice it oftendoesn’t. And many of us give up in thebelief that exercise is simply addingexhaustion to our sleep problems.

But a new study published in the Journalof Clinical Sleep Medicine suggests thatmany people give up on exercise tooquickly.

The study found that practicing a routineexercise programme for 16 weeks addednearly an hour to the sleep of people withinsomnia - taking the average nightlysleep up to 6 hours and 46 minutes forthis group.

So exercise is an effective means ofpromoting sleep … so long as you give ittime.

News round-up

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Mental health still under-represented in politics

The UK Council for Psychotherapy haspublished research that shows ourpoliticians give physical health 10 timesthe attention given to mental health.

Despite all of the main political partiesadopting more holistic health policies andseveral MPs and AMs speaking publiclyabout their own mental llness, debatesaround health continue to follow a default“physical health only” narrative.

David Pink, chief executive of UKCP,says:

Our emotional and psychologicalwellbeing is too important to remain onthe sidelines. It touches every family inthe country and it needs to becomeeverybody's business.

Daylight at work linked to wellbeing

Workers exposed to daylight in the officesleep longer at night, record more physicalactivity and have a higher quality of lifethan their peers working in offices with nodaylight exposure according to a study atthe Northwestern University in Chicago

Compared to workers in offices withoutwindows, those with windows in theworkplace received 173 percent morewhite light exposure during work hours

and slept an average of 46 minutes moreper night.

Depressed people struggle to setachievable goals

Researchers at the University of Liverpoolhave found that people affected bydepression were much less likely to setspecific and achievable goals.

Dr Joanne Dickson, in the University'sInstitute of Psychology, Health andSociety says: We found that the goals thatpeople with clinical depression listedlacked a specific focus, making it moredifficult to achieve them and thereforecreating a downward cycle of negativethoughts.

The study suggests that a coachingapproach that helps people set specific,achievable goals could be a key elementin promoting recovery and wellbeing.

Calls for mental illness help up50 percent

A survey by the charity Mind has found analarming 50 percent increase in calls tomental illness helplines since 2011/12.

The figures come on the back of a 30%increase in suicides over the same period.Also research by Dr David Stuckler andDr Sanjay Basu has concluded that:

Austerity is devastating the health ofpeople in Europe and North Americaby driving suicide, depression, andthe spread of infectious disease.

The survey further contradictsgovernment claims that public wellbeing isimproving.

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Let’s make mental health cool!

300 will have “mental health problems”

240 will seek help

102 diagnosedwith mental illness

24 havesevere

mental illness

6treated

in hospital

For every 1,000 people:

because we developed a health marketthat included diets, gyms, sports clubsand sports equipment. It was the moneyinvested in advertising these goods andservices that finally made it cool to get fit.The trouble is that treating mental healthand mental health problems as mentalillness removes personal responsibility -while millions of us now look after ourphysical health, only a tiny fraction of uslook after our mental health andwellbeing. According to Frenz:

The more we see mental health as amedical condition, the more weexpect the state to pay for it. But if weregard mental health as a positivegoal worth investing in, we might bewilling to personally shoulder more ofthe cost.

So we could make mental health cool -but we must begin by clearly separating itfrom mental illness!

Our medical approach to mental health isdamaging millions of people worldwideaccording to Clinical Psychologist ArtFrenz - and not because of the treatmentsor highly suspect approaches taken todiagnosing illnesses.The real problem is that the term “mentalhealth” has been usurped by those whomake a living out of mental illness. AsFrenz points out:

The word ‘health’ has positiveconnotations. Put the word ‘mental’ infront of it and it becomes a negative.

People with mental health problems are amuch bigger “market” than people withmental illness. More than 30% of us haveproblems while just 2.4% are diagnosedwith a severe mental illnesses.There is a huge difference between having“a problem” with one’s mental health andhaving a diagnosed “illness”. And whilethere will be many borderline cases wherethe distinction between a problem and anillness gets blurred, it is essential that wedon’t overload our struggling public healthservices with ordinary (albeit unpleasant)problems that are best resolved byindividuals and communities.

Veryan Richards (Mental Health PromotionWales, Sept 2013) notes:

We do not refer to physical illnessesand conditions in this way. Peoplewould say “I have Crohn‟s disease”not “I have a Crohn‟s problem”; “Ihave ovarian cancer”, not “I have acancer problem”; “I am blind in oneeye; I have a disability not a problem”.

General health wasn’t always seen in apositive light. It only became positive

Source: Mental Health First Aid (Wales)

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5 Ways to cope with Christmas

Although it is still a few months away, it isworth preparing for Christmas now if youwant to avoid some of the anxiety, stressand worry that so many people experienceduring what should be a happy and festivetime.

Here are 5 things you can do to makethings easier:

1.Plan ahead, and put it in writing. Takingtime to plan your Christmas now willsave you from getting flustered at thelast minute. It will also help you avoidthe need to join the crowds doing last-minute shopping on Christmas Eve.

2.Drink soft drinks. Alcohol is aninevitable part of Christmas for mostpeople. But too much will make you ill.One way of moderating yourconsumption is to alternate soft drinksand alcoholic drinks.

3.Go for a walk. People have beencelebrating the winter solstice forthousands of years (Christmas wassuperimposed on the pagan festival) asit marks the point at which the daysbegin to lengthen again. This meansthat Christmas is a particularly cold and

gloomy time of year. For some people,this gloom causes a condition calledSeasonal Affective Disorder. For manymore of us it causes “winter blues”, andcan leave us feeling tired and gloomy.Both conditions are alleviated byexposure to daylight. And the best wayof getting daylight at this time of year isto go for a walk (or a jog or bicycle ride)on Christmas morning once the turkeyis in the oven, but before the cookingstarts and the guests arrive.

4.Set limits on socialising. Don’t feelobliged to attend functions or staylonger than you want to. Since at thistime of year there are lots of thingsgoing on, it is easy enough to tellpeople that “I can only drop in for a bitas I have other things to go on to.” Thatway, you can keep control of your time.

5.Avoid perfectionism. The perfectChristmas is a myth created by themedia. The more you try to live up to it,the more you are creating stress andspoiling your Christmas. So rather thanworrying about everyone else’sChristmas, make sure that yourChristmas is both enjoyable andrecreational.

Life Surfing has published a 12pp bookletCoping with Christmas to help youmanage your stress levels during thefestive season. The booklet containsuseful information and advice that willhelp you get through Christmasunscathed. You might also be interestedin Life Surfing’s 32pp booklet Distress toDe-stress which explains what stress isand how you can manage and overcomeit.

www.life-surfing.comFreephone

0300 321 4514

info@life-surfing.comOr 07922 537 646

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Are we really happier this year?

According to the Office for NationalStatistics, our happiness levels on thegovernment’s Wellbeing Index rose to7.45. Up from 7.41 in 2012.

The UK government was quick to trumpetthese figures as proof that the economyhas turned the corner and that the futureis looking bright.

But the figures beg two questions. First(the boring one) is a 0.04 increase all thatmeaningful? Such a small increase mayactually be within the margin of error forpolling. And there were problems with thesurveys on which the index is based.Between 45 and 50 percent of the peoplesurveyed refused to answer. It doesn’ttake a genius to work out that those whoare least happy and whose lives areunder the most pressure are less likely toparticipate in surveys than those who arerelaxed and have time to spare.

Second, is the government’s wellbeingindex really measuring our levels ofhappiness? Clues to the superficialnature of the index are found in theexplanation for the rise in happiness - theeffect of the Diamond Jubilee, Olympicsand Paralymics.

These events are too superficial to havean effect on real, lasting wellbeing. AsUS professor Angus Deaton says:

In a world of bread and circuses,measures like happiness that aresensitive to short-term ephemera,and that are affected more by thearrival of St. Valentine's Day than to adoubling of unemployment, aremeasures that pick up the circusesbut miss the bread.

There are other, much more seriousmeasures of the nation’s wellbeing. Wemight look, for example, at the hugeincrease in antidepressant prescribing orgrowing rates of mental illness in the lastfive years. But the most alarmingmeasure of our falling wellbeing is the 30percent increase in suicides since 2010 -hardly a measure of a nation brimmingwith joy.

This is not to say that we shouldn’t try tomeasure public wellbeing. But, asArianna Huffington, founder of theHuffington Post says:

Our well-being is too important to usesuperficial measures that, whetherintentionally or not, end up lettinggovernments off the hook by ignoringdata that show serious challenges toour well-being. If it's a problem thatcan be solved by watching theDiamond Jubilee or Usain Bolt winthree gold medals, it's not a seriousproblem. To reach a real place of truewell-being, we need an accuratepicture of where we stand now.

This is particularly important in Wales,where we have particularly high rates ofsuicide, depression and economicstagnation.

Food for Mood

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Turmeric - A new antidepressant?Turmeric has been used in cooking andherbal medicine for more than 10,000years. It is most commonly used as aningredient in curry powder, although it is akey ingredient in a range of south Asiandishes and was used as a substitute forsaffron in medieval Europe.

A powerful antioxidant, turmeric has beenused by herbalists to treat a range ofailments. It is thought to promote thehealth of our:

Skin Eyes Immune system Bones and joints Digestive system Blood and circulatory system

Turmeric is also thought to prevent highcholesterol and blood sugar levels, as wellas combating the effects of stress.Although there has been some researchinto the medical benefits of turmeric’sactive ingredient curcumin, most falls shortof the clinical trials that would be requiredfor it to be considered a medicine. Thissaid, a recent controlled clinical trial hasfound that curcurmin is as effective asProzac as an antidepressant*. Theresearch also found that combiningcurcurmin and Prozac had an even greaterbenefit than either taken in isolation.

It is not altogether clear why curcurminshould have such a powerful effect ondepression. However, it may be to dowith its anti-inflammatory properties andits ability to promote the growth of newnerve cells. Dr Ajay Goel, a researcheron the trial said:

It is a novel and surprising applicationfor this natural medicine. People withdepression have higher levels ofinflammation in the brain. Also, peoplewith depression have lower levels ofneurogenesis in the brain, meaningthey make fewer new brain cells thanpeople with no history of depression.Curcumin is both a potent anti-inflammatory agent and a powerfulstimulator for neurogenesis.

Although the amounts of curcurmin usedin the trial were much greater than thatfound in turmeric, claims for the healthbenefits of the spice appear to have somegrounding.Taken as part of a balanced and varieddiet, turmeric will help promote yourwellbeing - particularly if you like a curry!

* (J Sanmukhani, V Satodia, J Trived, T Patel,D Tiwar, B Panchal, A Goel and CB Tripathi.Efficacy and safety of curcumin in majordepressive disorder: A randomized controlledtrial. Phytotherapy Research. BCM-95)

Food for Mood Recipe

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Fat-free chicken curryIngredients

SAUCE600ml Chicken Stock4 Skinless Chicken Breasts3 Onions (medium)1 Large Tin Tomatoes2 Garlic Cloves (crushed)6 Small Green Chillis2-4cm Ginger (chopped)1 Teaspoon Cumin1-2 Bay leaves1 Cinnamon stick3-4 Cloves2 Teaspoons Turmeric1 Teaspoon Salt1 Teaspoon Coriander2 Bell peppers (optional)150gm Mushrooms (optional)275ml fat free natural yogurt

RICE1 Cup Basmati Rice2 Cups Water1 Teaspoon Cumin SeedsSalt (pinch)Turmeric (pinch)

SAUCE1. Put the onion, peppers and mushroom

and 425ml of the chicken stock in a large,heavy-based saucepan. Cover the pan,bring to the boil and then boil for 10minutes. Reduce the heat, uncover the

pan and cook gently for 20 minutes, untilthe onion is tender, and syrupy.

2. Add all the spices, herbs, garlic andginger to the pan, and cook for 3-4minutes. Then add the chicken and cookfor a few minutes to coat in the spices,then stir in the remaining chicken stockand tomatoes.

3. Cover the pan and simmer very gentlyover a medium heat for 20 minutes untilthe chicken is cooked.

4. Add 4 tbsp of the cooking sauce to theyogurt and stir well. Gradually add theyogurt into the curry, stirring continuously.

RICE

In a separate pan, sweat the cumin seeds ina drop of water for a few seconds until theyrelease their flavour. Pour in 2 cups of water.Add a dash of turmeric for colour. Add salt.Bring to boil. Cover pan and simmer untilrice is soft (The rice should absorb all thewater and there should be no excess and noburning when the rice is ready).

Serves 3-4

Method

5. Write

Writing down thethings that aretroubling you canhelp you put them

into perspective. Youcan also write down

anything that you need to remember lateron—this will save you worrying about it forthe rest of the day.

4. Use a Stress Ball

Like chewing, fistclenching is a naturalresponse to stress.Using a stress ball to

clench and relax yourfist can help dissipate

stress and anger.

3. Brush Your Hair

The repetitiveness ofbrushing and thephysical sense of the

brush massaging yourscalp can help relieve

stress and bring about a sense of calm.

2. Laugh

Laughter benefits usphysically as the bodyhas to breathedifferently and blood

flow is increased. It isalso good

psychologically, taking our minds awayfrom our worries. So take 5 minutes towatch a YouTube comedy clip or read acartoon strip.

1. Drink Green Tea

Green tea is a sourceof L-Theanine, asubstance that helpsrelieve feelings of

stress, frustration andanger.

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5 quick ways to de-stress (without alcohol)

Most of us reach for quick-fixes when we are stressed. But the things you do to relieveordinary day-to-day stress are also the things you will reach for when you face a biglife crisis. And when this means alcohol, nicotine, caffeine and comfort eating, it alsomeans your long-term health is in danger. Learning healthy ways of de-stressing nowwill help protect your wellbeing when (inevitably) you have to face a major life crisis.

For deeper relaxation

There are times when you needsomething more to relieve your stress.This is where complementary therapiessuch as aromatherapy, massage,reflexology and shiatsu can be reallybeneficial.

A growing number of people also find thatregularly attending classes in Pilates, TaiChi or Yoga not only relieves stress butactually builds your resilience andimproves your sense of wellbeing.

So wouldn’t now be a good time to startpracticing healthy ways of de-stressing?

Life Surfing publications

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www.life-surfing.comFreephone

0300 321 4514

info@life-surfing.comOr 07922 537 646

Life Surfing has published a growing range of wellbeing and self-help guides foranyone who is struggling with life’s ups and downs, and anyone who wants to do moreto help. Our publications are available from Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats- see the the Life Surfing website for details.

Beating Anxiety: A Guide toManaging and OvercomingAnxiety Disorders This Life Surfingguide explains what anxiety is, how itis treated, and - crucially - whatsteps you can take to help yourselfrecover and sustain your personalwellbeing.

Depression: A guide to managingand overcoming depression ThisLife Surfing Guide to depressionprovides you with an introduction towhat depression is, how it is treated,and - crucially - what you can do tohelp yourself overcome the conditionand create long-term personalwellbeing.

Depression Workbook: 70 Self-help techniques for recoveringfrom depression This bookprovides you with 70 self-helptechniques covering the seven keyareas of your personal wellbeing.

Distress to De-stress:Understanding and managingstress in everyday life This LifeSurfing guide explains what stressis, and - crucially - what healthysteps you can take to manage stressand promote long-term personalwellbeing. The guide includes 30stress management techniques.

Food for Mood: A guide tohealthy eating for mental healthIn this Life Surfing guide we explainhow mental health problems canimpact on diet, how you canimprove your diet by using foodsfrom the helpful lists of good moodfoods set out in the guide. We alsoprovide some good mood foodstarter recipes for anyone who isrelatively new to cooking.

Getting to sleep: A guide toovercoming stress-related sleepproblems With 1 in 3 of usexperiencing stress-relatedinsomnia, this important Life Surfingguide will give you a goodunderstanding of sleep and -crucially - the steps you can take toimprove the quality and duration ofyour sleep... night after night.

How to Help: A guide to helpingsomeone manage mental distressIn this Life Surfing guide, we explainwhat mental health and mentalillness are, and - crucially - the stepsthat you can take to help someoneexperiencing mental health problemsor mental illness.

Helping Hands: How to HelpSomeone Else Cope with MentalHealth Problems Worried about thewellbeing of a relative, friend,colleague or client?Not sure what to do or worried youmight say or do the wrong thing?Helping Hands will provide you withan understanding of wellbeing, andknowledge of mental illness, and will

show you how you can help and support someonewho has, or is at risk of developing, a mental healthproblem.Helping Hands also sets out a great deal of what hasbeen learned about self-help and self-managementstrategies for recovery from mental illness over thelast 25 years.

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Cover photographs: Vladimir Morozov (front), NickKaye (rear)

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Tel 07504982623. Email: barefootbeth1@gmail.com

YogaMobility provides specialist accessible yoga classes for disabledand less able adults. Classes are held at Sbectrwm CommunityCentre, Fairwater, Monday and Thursday (10.30-12.30) and RoathChurch House, Wednesday (6.00-7.20pm). www.yogamobility.org

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