How often do you hear about e-cigs or vaping? Quite often I would imagine. Do you know what it is and what it can do to your body especially to adolescents and young adults?

The Beacon of Hope’s Wellness Committee has written a series of articles on common mental health issues we, or our family and friends, may face at some point in our lives. Well, now it’s time to be positive. Getting older can put some strain on our physical health, but it’s less commonly understood that it can also impact mental health. In fact, around 10 to 15% of older people living in the community suffer from anxiety or depression. So, here are some thoughts on things we can all do to keep a good positive attitude for our mental and emotional wellbeing. Remember that what makes us happy will be different for everyone, so we have to find our own path to what is satisfying. Here are some helpful hints…

Experiencing occasional anxiety is a normal part of life. It can be a normal reaction to stress. It can help you cope.
Anxiety becomes a severe problem when it affects everyday life. A person has excessive worry, dread and fear about everyday situations when nothing was done to provoke them. They have anxious thoughts or beliefs that are hard to control, last a long time, are out of touch with reality.

Do you know anyone who is socially isolated?
Do you know anyone who lives alone and has become less involved with activities outside the home?
Do you know anyone who lives alone or in a remote area and has lost interest in daily activities?
What is social isolation and why should we talk abouot it?

PTSD is a psychiatric disorder that may occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event such as a natural disaster, a serious accident, a terrorist act, combat, rape or who have been threatened with death, sexual violence, or serious injury. Sometimes, the even is not necessarily a dangerous one as in the unexpected death of a loved one.

According to the World Health Organization “Mental health is a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community. Mental health affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life.

If you like spice, you are most likely familiar with the cayenne pepper. This long, thin red pepper is a member of the Solanaceae family whose peppers run from mild to super-hot. This family includes sweet bell peppers, jalapenos, serranoes and the notoriously hot ghost peppers.

Tumeric is a spice that belongs to the ginger family. It is native to SE Asia and has been used in India for thousands of years as a spice enhancing the flavor of many foods. It has also been used for many health reasons especially with problems with digestion, skin, and joints.

As a child, whenever I would have an upset stomach, my mother would give me ginger ale and soda crackers. I never realized, growing up, that it was the ginger in the ginger ale, that helped me recover. As an adult, I have kept ginger ale in my refrigerator, to have if I was nauseous, seasick, or just felt like by digestive system needed a boost.

Did you know that garlic dates back almost 3,000 years? Yes, that is right. Cloves of garlic were found in King Tut’s tomb. Medical texts from the ancient civilizations of India, Rome, Greece, Egypt, and China mention garlic.
What makes garlic beneficial to your health?