Parkinson's Voice Initiative - Please make a 3 minute phone call & help!

Neurological disorders such as Parkinson's destroy the ability to move. There is no cure available for over 6 million people worldwide struggling with this disease.

Unfortunately, there are no biomarkers (e.g. blood tests) available to get objective information. They present with incurable weakness, tremors and rigidity. Currently the neurological test available is very costly and most do not get it as a result. Like the extremities, the voice also is affected by Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's Voice Initiative intends to change that. 

Dr Max Little who is a Wellcome Trust-MIT Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston has come up with a technology to get this objective data for Parkinson's disease using voice. They started with about 86% accuracy and now have achieved 99% accuracy. This test will be ultra low cost and anyone (general population) will be able to administer this test when it becomes available.

Here is the contact number for USA: 1-857-284-8035 

Everyone can help!…Whether you are healthy or living with Parkinson’s, all you have to do is record your voice and that information is collected to build a system to screen for and monitor the symptoms of this debilitating disease. This is a global call and contact numbers for 9 countries are available which equates to about 750,000 people in the world.

All you need to do: make a low-cost, anonymous, three-minute phone call. They aim to collect 10,000 voice recordings. You can call using your mobile / land line telephone. In case someone has questions about privacy - all recordings are non-identifiable, and no personal information is stored. 

Please share this information with as many people as you can. You can also post your comments below. Please call now!

Source:http://www.aveeratstaffing.com/1/post/2012/08/parkinsons-voice-initiative-please-make-a-3-minute-phone-call-help.html

STROKE DAD LEARNS TO WALK AND TALK AGAIN BY COPYING HIS BABY DAUGHTER

A YOUNG father who became trapped in his body after a devastating stroke has learned to walk and talk again – by copying his baby daughter.

Mark Ellis was just 22 when he suffered a stroke and locked-in syndrome – a nightmarish condition which leaves a victim’s brain alert but the body paralysed.

His wife Amy, 32, had given birth to their daughter Lola-Rose just two weeks earlier in August 2010.

Mark found himself completely helpless and only able to communicate by rolling his eyes.

But despite being put into an induced coma and given a slim chance of survival, Mark has astounded doctors.

Amy said: “It’s amazing that he and Lola-Rose have learned to do things together – there wasn’t much time between them both taking their first steps. 

"They use toys, books, games and the iPad together to learn how to do things and communicate.”

Just days before his stroke, Mark, from Clay Cross, Derbyshire, was working at a mobile phone shop when he had a severe headache.

Doctors gave him paracetamol and told him to go to bed, but a scan the next day showed he had suffered a stroke.

Amy said: “It was just so hard to take in. We had been married two months and Lola-Rose was just two weeks old. It was a dream turned into a nightmare. 

"He’s young and healthy, who’s never smoked, taken drugs or drunk excessively, so it was hard to understand.

“The doctors didn’t expect him to survive but his youth and mental strength helped him pull through.”

Mark’s family were at his bedside a week after his stroke when he woke up. But he could still only communicate

by rolling his eyes up for “yes” and down for “no”.

Doctors said a blood clot in his brain meant it was unlikely he would ever walk or talk again.

But Mark, now 23, sat up and fed himself within months.

Amy said: “Lola-Rose had started blabbering and making baby noises. Mark’s therapist told him he should copy her.

“He started to make the same sounds and then words came too.”

Mark left hospital eight months later. 

“He can use his frame to get around and the physiotherapist is positive he can get Mark walking fully again,” said Amy, who gave up working as a hairdresser to look after him.

“I was told not to expect anything from Mark after his stroke. Anything and everything he does now is just amazing.”

Sue Potter, matron at Chesterfield Royal Hospital where Mark was sent, said: 

“We have 500 people who have had a stroke each year, but never anyone as young as Mark.

“His determination and having a baby have surely contributed to his recovery.”

Source: http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/333758/Stroke-dad-learns-to-walk-and-talk-again-by-copying-his-baby-daughter

Severe Sleep Loss Affects Immune System Like Physical Stress Does

Sleep deprivation and physical stresshave similar effects on the immune system of human beings, researchers from the Netherlands and the United Kingdom reported in the journal SLEEP. Both physicalstress and severe sleep loss jolt the immune system into action, the authors explained.

The scientists , from Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam, and the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Surrey, United Kingdom, compared the number of white blood cells in 15 healthy young adult males who were subjected to normal sleep and severe sleep loss.

The greatest impact was on granulocytes - types of white blood cells - which lost their day-to-night time rhythmicity as numbers shot up, especially during nighttime.

Lead author, Katrin Ackermann, PhD, said:

"Future research will reveal the molecular mechanisms behind this immediate stress response and elucidate its role in the development of diseases associated with chronic sleep loss.

If confirmed with more data, this will have implications for clinical practice and for professions associated with long-term sleep loss, such as rotating shift work."

The authors explained that prior studies had found a link between lack of sleep and the development of certain diseases and conditions, such as high blood pressure (hypertension),diabetes and obesity. Other studies have demonstration that adequate sleep helps keep the immune system working properly, and that long-term sleep loss is a major risk factor for immune system problems.


Source:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/247320.php

Kids With Learning Disorders Might Not Benefit From Memory Training Programs

Children with disorders, such as dyslexia or attention-deficit/hyperactivity, are not likely to benefit from working memory training, say researchers. 

The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Oslo and University College London and published online in The British Journal of Developmental Psychology, also found that memory training tasks have limited effect on healthy children and adults seeking to improve their cognitive skills or do better in school.

Monica Melby-Lervåg, PhD, of the University of Oslo, and lead author of the study, explained:

"The success of working memory training programs is often based on the idea that you can train your brain to perform better, using repetitive memory trials, much like lifting weights builds muscle mass.

However, this analysis shows that simply loading up the brain with training exercises will not lead to better performance outside of the tasks presented within these tests."

Working memory allows an individual to hold and use a limited amount of information in their head for a short amount of time. Tasks designed to enhance working memory usually involve trying to get the person to retain the information presented to them as they perform distracting activities. For instance, participants may be presented with a series of numbers simultaneously on a computer screen. The screen then presents a new number and prompts participants to recall the number immediately preceding. 

In this study, the team analyzed 23 different studies that involved young children, children with cognitive impairments, such as ADHA, and healthy adults. The studies were either experiments or randomized controlled trials and had some sort of working memory treatment and a control group.

The researchers found that although working memory training enhanced participants performance on tasks related to the training itself, the training did not affect the participants attention, verbal skills, reading or arithmetic.

Melby-Lervåg, explained: "In other words, the training may help you improve your short-term memory when it's related to the task implemented in training but it won't improve reading difficulties or help you pay more attention in school."

Several commercial, computer-based working memory training programs have been developed in recent years in order to help students suffering from poor academic performance, dyslexia, language disorders, ADHA, or other issues. Some of the programs also claim to increase people's IQs. 

The programs, used globally in clinics and schools, mainly involve tasks in which participants are given many challenging memory tests. 

Melby-Lervåg concluded: 

"In the light of such evidence, it seems very difficult to justify the use of working memory training programs in relation to the treatment of reading and language disorders. Our findings also cast strong doubt on claims that working memory training is effective in improving cognitive ability and scholastic attainment."

Written By Grace Rattue 
Copyright: Medical News Today 
Courtesy Source:http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/246266.php 

Language Skills In Stroke Patients Improve With Magnetic Treatment

A study by The University of Queensland has revealed that language skills of individuals who survived a stroke with aphasia could be improved with magnetic stimulation of the brain. The study was conducted by Dr. Caroline Barwood, who recently completed her PhD at the University of Queensland School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. Barwood discovered that the language skills of stroke patients following Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) were significantly improved. 

TMS is a non-invasive technique that aims to target activity in the brain in order to help restructuring brain areas with the goal of changing language behaviors. 
Source:http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/237857.php

Eating nuts may help combat diabetes and heart disease

EATING nuts may help combat diabetes and heart disease, research has found.

A study showed that those who ate tree nuts, including cashews, walnuts and pistachios, were slimmer and had low BMIs than non consumers.

They had higher levels of good cholesterol and lower levels of proteins linked to inflammation and heart disease and were also five per cent less likely to suffer metabolic syndrome - a group of risk factors which together can cause stroke, diabetes and heart conditions.

Professor Carol O'Neil, of Louisiana State University, said: "One of the more interesting findings was the fact that tree nut consumers had lower body weight, as well as lower body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference compared to nonconsumers.

"The mean weight, BMI, and waist circumference were 4.19 pounds, 0.9kg/m2 and 0.83 inches lower in consumers than non-consumers, respectively."

Her team looked at data from more than 13,000 men and women with 'tree nut consumers' classed as those who ate more than quarter of an ounce a day.

They were five per cent less likely to have metabolic syndrome and also had a lower prevalence of four risk factors for metabolic syndrome: abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, high fasting glucose (blood sugar) levels and low high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels.

Eating nuts was also associated with greater intake of whole grains and fruits and lower levels of alcohol an added sugar.

Dr O'Neil said: "Tree nuts should be an integral part of a healthy diet and encouraged by health professionals-especially registered dietitians."

Maureen Ternus, Executive Director of the International Tree Nut Council Nutrition Research & Education Foundation, said: "In light of these new data and the fact that the FDA has issued a qualified health claim for nuts and heart disease with a recommended intake of 1.5 ounces of nuts per day.

"We need to educate people about the importance of including tree nuts in the diet."

Source:http://www.independent.ie/health/health-news/eating-nuts-may-help-combat-diabetes-and-heart-disease-3127284.html

Three cups of coffee a day 'could stave off Alzheimer's disease

DRINKING three cups of coffee daily could help keep Alzheimer's disease at bay, according to the results of a new study.

Research showed people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or memory loss, who had high levels of caffeine in their blood did not go on to development dementia.

The findings indicate caffeine, the source of which was mainly coffee, offers some protection against the onset of Alzheimer's disease.

Scientists at the University of South Florida and the University of Miami monitored 124 people aged between 65 and 88, testing their blood caffeine levels and their cognitive ability for two to four years.

Caffeine levels among those who developed dementia were 51 per cent lower than those who did not.

"Coffee would appear to be the major or perhaps only source of caffeine for such stable MCI (mild cognitive impairment) patients," the authors of the study wrote.

"This case-control study provides the first direct evidence that caffeine/coffee intake is associated with a reduced risk of dementia or delayed onset, particularly for those who already have MCI."

The researchers involved previously established a link between caffeine and the delayed development of Alzheimer's disease through studies of mice.

The most recent evidence showed no one with MCI who developed Alzheimer's disease had blood caffeine levels of 1200 ng/ml – the equivalent of several cups of a coffee.

"This study provides an intriguing association between plasma caffeine levels in MCI patients and their ensuing progression (or not) to dementia," the study added.

"High plasma caffeine levels in MCI patients at the beginning of a 2–4 year cognitive assessment period were associated with complete avoidance of progression to dementia over that period."

According to the Alzheimer's Society, between 10 to 15 per cent of people with MCI go on to develop dementia.

Jeremy Hughes, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Society, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "It's a positive bit of research.

"But we shouldn't be rushing out and assuming drinking a couple of cups of coffee will stop us getting Alzheimer's. The key issue is to have more studies like this to check out the findings."

Simon Ridley, head of research at Alzheimer's Research, added: "I think we're still at the point, to use the jigsaw metaphor, where we've got a lot of pieces but we still don't know how they fit together.

"Many people say we are where cancer was 30 years ago with the level of knowledge and investment.

"What is needed is a sustained and significant investment into research over a long period of time."

- Donna Bowater

Source:http://www.independent.ie/health/health-news/three-cups-of-coffee-a-day-could-stave-off-alzheimers-disease-3130950.html

New hope for arthritis patients with treatment four times more likely to halt progression

Clinical trial results described as "striking and exciting" could lead to new treatment options for rheumatoid arthritis.

The antibody drug tocilizumab was almost four times more likely to halt progression of the condition than the most widely prescribed alternative.

It also achieved significantly greater reduction in disease signs and symptoms after six months.

Scientists compared tocilizumab, marketed as RoActemra, with the "anti-TNF" drug adalimumab (Humira).

The drugs were tested in a group of 326 patients unable to take the mainstay treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), methotrexate (MTX)

MTX is ruled out for roughly a third of patients, many of whom suffer unbearable side effects such as vomiting, hair loss and mouth ulcers.

Currently, such individuals generally move onto anti-TNF drugs, which target a molecule called tumour necrosis factor that promotes inflammation.

Tocilizumab works in a completely different way by targeting another inflammatory protein, interleukin six (IL-6).

Consultant rheumatologist Professor Paul Emery, from the University of Leeds, who took part in the Adacta trial, said: "These results are impressive and important for the 30% of patients with RA who cannot take methotrexate.

"In RA, disease remission is the goal of therapy.

"However, for varied reasons, many patients fail to achieve this goal.

"Adacta, which compared two active biologics as monotherapies (in methotrexate intolerant patients), has produced striking results and the results help in choosing the right drug for the right patient."

The findings were presented in Berlin at Eular, the annual meeting of the European Congress of Rheumatology.

Professor John Isaacs, a rheumatology expert from the University of Newcastle, said: "These results are very important and exciting.

"For the tens of thousands of patients in the UK that can't take methotrexate, RoActemra will offer them an increased chance of remission, which is the ultimate goal of rheumatoid arthritis treatment.

"This study is the first time a treatment has gone 'head to head' with an anti-TNF in this setting, and to show a significant increase in patients achieving remission is very impressive."

At £9,500 per patient per year, RoActemra costs about the same as Humira.

The NHS cost-effectiveness watchdog Nice (National Institute for health and Clinical Excellence) has already approved of RoActemra when combined with methotrexate.

The new results may lead to the drug being given to larger numbers of patients on its own.

An estimated 646,000 people in the UK have RA, a painful and disabling condition caused by the immune system attacking the joints.

Of those newly diagnosed, around a half will be unable to work within 10 years.

Ailsa Bosworth, chief executive of the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society, said: "With any medical condition, remission is the number one target. Curing the person of their illness and enabling them to get on with their life is the ultimate goal.

"For those with rheumatoid arthritis however, there is no cure, they will always have rheumatoid arthritis. Remission for those with RA does not mean the disease has gone, it just means it is better controlled.

"The key to the most successful outcome is an early diagnosis and early treatment with the most effective drug(s)."

- John von Radowitz

Source: http://www.independent.ie/health/health-news/video-new-hope-for-arthritis-patients-with-treatment-four-times-more-likely-to-halt-progression-3132511.html

Positive images and feedback help depression patients: Study

 technique that helps people control activity in a specific part of the brain can help ease depression, British researchers have found.

In the study, eight patients with depression were shown pictures that were positive, negative and neutral in nature, while they were undergoing an MRI scan. This helped researchers identify the areas in the brain that were processing the positive emotions.

The patients were then told to increase the activity in this area of their brain by looking at images that gave them positive emotions. During the test, the patients were given feedback about how well they were doing through a technology called neurofeedback.

David Linden of Cardiff University said this is the first time neurofeedback has been used to treat depression.

Using this technique, the researchers found all patients were able to control the activity in the targeted emotion networks. Their depression improved significantly after the interventions. Their medication dose wasn't changed during the study.

"The findings of the initial pilot study are preliminary and further research is required to assess the possible clinical benefits to patients. We do not expect this to become a standalone treatment tool, but rather a potential part of comprehensive treatment packages," Linden said in a release about the study.

The research was published in the journal PLoS ONE.

Graded Repetitive Arm Supplementary Program( GRASP)

A home-work based program to improve arm and hand function in people living with stroke.

GUIDELINES
&
MANUAL
Link:  http://www.neostrokenetwork.com/newportal/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=bkZM1g1UEwc%3D&tabid=90

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Paralysed woman uses mind to control robotic arm

A PARALYSED woman has used brain power alone to take control of a robotic arm and lift a bottle of coffee to her lips after a pioneering operation.

For the first time in 15 years the woman was able to raise the bottle, take a sip and place it back on a table simply by imagining herself doing so.

The feat was possible thanks to a brain implant which translates the patient's thoughts into commands to be carried out by a free-standing robotic arm.

Doctors said the experiment proved that so-called "brain-computer interfaces" could dramatically improve the lives of paralysed people by enabling them to carry out simple tasks like eating and drinking independently.

The 58-year-old woman, known only as S3, had lost the use of both arms and legs due to stroke several years prior to the operation.

She and a paralysed 66-year-old man dubbed T2 were the first to trial BrainGate, a 4mmx4mm chip bearing 96 electrodes which was surgically implanted into their primary motor cortex, the part of the brain that governs movement.

Five years after receiving the implant both were able to use the robot to perform complex actions like reaching and grasping for objects, and S3 demonstrated the commands could be used to perform the everyday task of drinking.

She said: "I think about moving my hand and wrist. I'm right handed so, it's very comfortable and feels natural to imagine my right hand moving in the direction I want the robotic arm to move."

Previous studies have shown that paralysed patients could use similar systems to move computer cursors across a screen and control devices like wheelchairs, but the three-dimensional arm movement is the most complex ever performed in human trials.

Dr John Donoghue of Brown University, who led the research, said the experiment showed that brain cells can still produce meaningful signals years even after going unused for 15 years.

"This is another big jump forward to control the movements of a robotic arm in three-dimensional space. We're getting closer to restoring some level of everyday function to people with limb paralysis," he said.

- Nick Collins

© Telegraph.co.uk

Link: http://www.independent.ie/health/health-news/paralysed-woman-uses-mind-to-control-robotic-arm-3110967.html

Adhesive Capsulitis

Adhesive capsulitis is a benign, self-limiting condition of unknown etiology characterized by painful and limited active and passive glenohumeral range of motion of ≥ 25% in at least two directions^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]} most notably shoulder abduction and external rotation.

Adhesive capsulitis, commonly referred to as frozen shoulder, is associated with synovitis and capsular contracture of the shoulder joint and can be classified as either primary or secondary. ^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]} In clinical practice it can be hard to differentiate adhesive capsulitis from other shoulder pathologies.^[1] Since the physical therapy management of adhesive capsulitis is much different than that of other shoulder pathologies it can be detrimental to the patient if they are misdiagnosed. Therefore, it is important for the clinician to be aware of the ‘hallmarks’ of frozen shoulder and recognize the clinical phases that are specific to this condition.....

Source:http://www.physio-pedia.com/index.php/Adhesive_Capsulitis

Adhesive Capsulitis

Physical Therapy

Although studies have shown the efficacy of physical therapy, no current evidence has suggested that physical therapy alone improves function in the treatment of FS.^{[15, 16, 17, 18]} However, physical therapy associated with an intra-articular injection of corticosteroid improves function and ROM more rapidly than does intra-articular corticosteroid injection alone.^{[15, 19]}

Therapeutic exercises

Although many therapeutic exercises are described, few have been evaluated in the treatment of FS. Therapeutic exercises that have been studied include articular stretching and pulley therapy.^{[20, 21, 22]} Passive articular stretching exercises improve ROM. The superiority of supervised versus home exercise programs has yet to be demonstrated.^[23]

Manual therapy

Data from 2 studies support the use of manual therapy to improve ROM in the short term. One study showed that passive mobilization in the end-range position of the glenohumeral joint was more effective for improving ROM and function than was passive mobilization in the pain-free zone.^[24] However, the overall difference between the interventions was small. In addition, patients appeared to achieve greatest improvement in ROM when treatment was administered early.^[25]

In summary, the findings indicated that patients with FS improve with physical therapy regardless of when it is administered after the onset of FS but that they achieve the greatest improvement in their ROM when treatment is administered early.

Physical modalities

Many electroanalgesic and thermoanalgesic modalities are often used in physical therapy. Prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials have demonstrated the inefficacy of bipolar interferential electrotherapy, TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) pulsed ultrasound therapy, laser therapy, and magnetotherapy with electromagnetic fields in the treatment of painful shoulder disorders. Indeed, a systematic review of randomized clinical trials has demonstrated that little evidence supports the use of common physiotherapeutic modalities to treat shoulder pain. (Nonetheless, clinical observations suggest that electroanalgesia and heat can provide some temporary relief to patients with severe shoulder pain and that they can do so without side effects.)

In summary, physical therapy alone has not been shown to improve function. However, when associated with an intra-articular corticosteroid injection, physical therapy improves ROM and function more rapidly than does intra-articular corticosteroid injection alone. The effectiveness of physical modalities has not been demonstrated. However, therapeutic exercises and manual therapy do improve ROM (see above).

Given the paucity of evidence supporting the effectiveness of physical therapy, the present authors believe that clinicians should be most conservative in designing a physical therapy program for patients with FS. An intermittently supervised, home-based articular stretching and strength-maintenance program can be combined with manual therapy, the appropriate analgesic medications, and the judicious use of electroanalgesia and warm packs. This approach generally suffices to provide adequate pain relief in most patients while the disease runs its usual, favorable course. (For additional information, see Home Exercises for the Stiff Shoulder, on the University of Washington School of Medicine Web site

Source:http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/326828-treatment

Drawing test can predict stroke risk

A SIMPLE drawing test can predict the long-term risk of dying after a first stroke among older men, research has found.

Men whose test scores were in the bottom 30pc were around three times as likely to die after a stroke as those in the highest 30pc, the team at Uppsala University in Sweden showed.

They analysed data from the Uppsala Longitudinal Study of Adult Men, which has been looking at different risk factors for heart disease and stroke in 2,322 men since the age of 50.

They looked at just under 1,000 of these men who had not been diagnosed with stroke and whose intellectual capacity was assessed when they were between 65 and 75.

This was done using the trail making test (TMT) and the mini mental state exam (MMSE), which is widely used to test for dementia.

The TMT involves drawing lines with a pencil between numbers and/or letters in ascending order as quickly as possible, while the MMSE sets participants general cognitive tasks such as orientation, memory and numeracy.

During the 14-year monitoring period from 1991 to 2006, 155 men had a first major or minor stroke, known as a TIA (transient ischaemic attack).

Just over half of them (84) died within an average of two and a half years, with 22 dying within a month of the stroke.

After taking account of known risk factors such as older age,high blood pressure, education and social background, the study found that those who had performed badly in the TMT were more likely to have died.

However the findings, which are published in the online journal BMJ Open, showed no such association among those with poor MMSE scores.

The research team suggested this is because TMT is likely to pick up latent cognitive impairments caused by silent cerebrovascular disease that have not yet produced overt symptoms.

Stroke is the third largest cause of death in England, with more than 150,000 people suffering one every year, according to the NHS Choices website.

Those over 65 are most at risk but the danger can be reduced by having a healthy diet and taking regular exercise.

Source - Jennifer Cockerell

Mood Foods

The Editors of Men's Health • Men's Health

Your Mood: AnxiousYou need to stay sharp through a grueling job interview.
Your Meal: Half a grilled-chicken wrap at lunch, hold the mayo
Here's Why: Eating between 4 and 5 ounces of protein helps your brain create dopamine and norepinephrine, neurochemicals that keep you alert, says Judith Wurtman, Ph.D., author of The Serotonin Power Diet.

Your Mood: Stressed

You have to meet a deadline without being overwhelmed.
Your Meal: A handful of sesame seeds while you're working
Here's Why: Stress hormones can deplete your body's supply of magnesium, reducing your stress-coping abilities and increasing your risk of developing high blood pressure, says Elizabeth Somer, R.D., author of Food & Mood.

Your Mood: Restless

You need some serious shut-eye before the big day.

Your Meal: Nonfat popcorn half an hour before you go to bed
Here's Why: The carbs will induce your body to create serotonin, a neurochemical that makes you feel relaxed. "Make sure it's fat-free, because fat will slow the process of boosting serotonin levels," says Somer.

Your Mood: Depressed

Problems at home are doing you in.

Your Meal: Grilled salmon or sushi for dinner
Here's Why: A study in Finland found that people who eat more fish are 31 percent less likely to suffer from depression. And skip sweet, simple carbs­ — the inevitable sugar crash can actually deepen depression.

Your Mood: Insecure

Your confidence is waning as the night wears on.

Your Meal: A snack-size chocolate bar
Here's Why: Chocolate contains a host of chemicals to brighten your mood, Somer says, including anadamine, which targets the same receptors as THC, and phenylethylamine, which produces a cozy, euphoric feeling.

Your Mood: Flummoxed

You've forgotten your last two deadlines.

Your Meal: Pineapple chunks for a snack or a cup of berries in your oatmeal
Here's Why: Antioxidants from the most-colorful fruits and vegetables help pick off the free radicals that wear away at your memory. "Because your brain consumes so much oxygen, oxidants do heavy damage there," says Somer.

Foods that Cure

Minor tweaks in your diet can help fend off everything from splitting headaches to heart attacks. Three dietary tweaks from Joy Bauer, R.D., author of Joy Bauer's Food Cures:

Migraine Headaches
Migraines have many food causes. Keep a meal log for a month to see which triggers affect your head.
Eat This: Foods rich in healthy fats, such as olive oil, avocado, and salmon, help reduce inflammation, a catalyst for migraines. Riboflavin, found in lean beef and grains, helps cells maintain energy reserves, which can prevent the onset of migraines.

Not That: Nitrites, found in deli meats, bacon, and hot dogs; aspartame, the artificial sweetener found in diet soft drinks; caffeine
Irritable-Bowel Syndrome
One in five Americans is affected by IBS. A careful diet is the best cure.
Eat This: Soft foods and foods rich in soluble fiber, such as oatmeal, barley, bananas, and sweet potatoes
Not That: When symptoms are strong, limit vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, which are hard for the body to break down. Other common triggers: dairy products, spicy foods, alcohol, and caffeine
Cardiovascular Disease 
A diet of heart-healthy fats may help prevent you from being one of the 1.5 million Americans who have heart attacks each year.
Eat This: Foods that boost good cholesterol (HDL), like canned tuna, mackerel, olive oil, avocado, and most nuts
Not That: Trans fat-laden foods, such as margarine; refined carbohydrates, which spike blood-thickening triglycerides; sugary soft drinks, juice, and white bread