http://www.cltv.com/blogs/living-healthy-chicago/?track=rss Headlines from cltv.com en ©2012, cltv.com LHC team http://www.wgntv.com/blogs/living-healthy-chicago/wgntv-whats-funny-about-social-anxiety-20120221,0,5281686.story?track=rss Talking about anxiety may not be sexy or trendy.  But social anxiety is something that many Chicagoans deal with everyday.  And many feel they have nowhere to go for help. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CST Jane Monzures http://www.wgntv.com/blogs/living-healthy-chicago/wgntv-jane-and-the-mediterranean-diet-20120206,0,3808822.story?track=rss Mediterranean Eating with Jane Monzures Mon, 6 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CST LHC team http://www.wgntv.com/blogs/living-healthy-chicago/wgntv-monogenic-diabetes-20120203,0,7433217.story?track=rss Can you imagine being misdiagnosed with a disease for 10 years when all you needed was a genetic test, that your doctor wouldn’t authorize, to lead you to the cure? Fri, 3 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CST LHC team http://www.wgntv.com/blogs/living-healthy-chicago/wgntv-dogs-help-children-with-autism-20120203,0,4174501.story?track=rss The number of cases of children with autism is growing rapidly.  The organization Autism Speaks has grown into the nation's largest autism science and advocacy organization.  It is dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism; increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders; and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families.  To support and find out more information about Autism Speaks , click here. Fri, 3 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CST LHC team http://www.wgntv.com/blogs/living-healthy-chicago/wgntv-pork-dolmades-with-bulgur-and-yogurt-lahanodolmades-20120203,0,3064994.story?track=rss Pork Dolmades with Bulgur and Yogurt Fri, 3 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CST LHC team http://www.wgntv.com/blogs/living-healthy-chicago/wgntv-thump-thumpyour-heart-needs-some-lovin-20120201,0,2600151.story?track=rss Ladies, do you need an excuse to tell your significant other you need a massage?  Gentlemen, sick of your loved one complaining about your garlic breath?  You can thank us for this blog.  Because, February is Heart Health Month , and by getting a massage and eating more garlic, you're just taking care of your heart.  Chicago's Pacific College of Oriental Medicine suggests 10 holistic health tips from Traditional Chinese Medicine for a healthy heart and long-term well-being.  Here's to keeping your heart thumpin'. Thu, 2 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CST LHC team http://www.wgntv.com/blogs/living-healthy-chicago/wgntv-tacos-de-verdolaga-y-hongo-20120126,0,3957251.story?track=rss Saddle up partners!  Here's a taco recipe inspired by the love of tacos from Justin Large of Big Star.  Can you make this for under $14?  Give it a shot! Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CST LHC team http://www.wgntv.com/blogs/living-healthy-chicago/wgntv-bryan-anderson-20120125,0,4425572.story?track=rss Bryan Anderson is not ordinary, he’s extraordinary.  I had the chance to meet him when he first came home from the Army and through the years has become my friend.  Here’s a guy that I am amazed by everytime I talk to him and who’s come a long way from Rolling Meadows, IL. Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CST LHC team http://www.wgntv.com/blogs/living-healthy-chicago/wgntv-seasonal-affective-disorder-20120125,0,1024281.story?track=rss Sometimes the dark dreary skies of the season turn our positive outlook into mush.  We call that the “winter blues."  And sometimes, when that dismal outlook on life doesn’t go away, it’s a more serious ailment known as Season Affective Disorder, or SAD.  Season Affective Disorder is a form of depression that occurs seasonally most often during the winter months.  But it can happen in the summertime as well.  The condition is characterized by reoccurring or long last episodes of depression and is triggered by the lack of sunlight. Usually people affected by SAD become depressed in the fall and winter and feel better during the spring and summer.  SAD affects both men and women, and the illness typically begins in the early twenties.  Some features of wintertime SAD are insomnia, carbohydrate cravings, and weight gain.  Other symptoms include the usual characteristics of depression, like decreased sexual appetite, fatigue, hopelessness, suicidal thoughts, and social withdrawal.  If your recurrent depression happens in the summer the characteristics may also include decreased appetite, weight loss, and constant agitation or anxiety.  SAD usually begins in October or November and subsides in March or April. Depressions are usually mild to moderate but can be severe.  The most common characteristic is the person’s reaction to changes in the environmental light; when the weather is overcast depression worsens. The most common treatment for SAD is light therapy.  Sitting in front of a full spectrum fluorescent light reverses the winter depressive symptoms because it reduces the level of a certain brain chemical (melatonin) which is normally present at night. The intensity of the light is equal to the amount of light a person would get from looking out a window on a sunny spring day.  Antidepressant medication and psychotherapy in conjunction with light therapy also reduces SAD symptoms.  If you think you might have SAD, first track your symptoms, if they are mild and do not interfere with your daily living, you might just have the “winter blues.”  In this case, light therapy might help.  If your symptoms are severe enough to significantly affect your day to day functioning, you need to consult a mental health professional to get the proper treatment. For more information on SAD, contact The Alliance on Mental Illness, NAMI of Greater Chicago, www.namigc.org . Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CST Jane Monzures http://www.wgntv.com/blogs/living-healthy-chicago/wgntv-technology-and-fitness-20120118,0,4567998.story?track=rss How Technology Changed Fitness Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:00 CST