Natural Mood Elevators

Ads for antidepressants make it seem as though the most logical solution for a case of the blues is to seek a prescription. Pharmaceutical drugs may be helpful -- even necessary -- for people with severe depression, but for others, there are natural solutions that may work even better, with less risk of adverse side effects. Dietary supplements and lifestyle changes can be used to naturally lift your spirits.

NATURE CAN HEAL

"I think that a lot of our modern-day fatigue and depression has to do with the fact that we're totally separated from nature," said Eric Yarnell, ND, assistant professor of botanical medicine at Bastyr University and author of Clinical Botanical Medicine. "People don't eat well, they watch huge amounts of television and don't spend much time relating to people or the outdoors." He believes that eating plenty of whole, unprocessed foods and getting regular exercise are the first steps to take in attempting to boost your mood and energy level. "Also, I tell people to turn off their televisions," he said, noting that replacing TV with even 15 minutes of daily outdoor activity and sunlight will help, as will getting enough sleep.

According to Jonny Bowden, CNS, author of The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth, many foods that are commonly thought to give us energy actually don't. "Foods that are processed and contain lots of sugar or white flour raise blood sugar temporarily, which feels good, but then set us up for a crash of energy and mood," he said. "Foods higher in protein (like grass-fed beef, chicken or fish) and higher in healthy fats (like nuts) will raise and sustain energy better."

But it is, as always, a matter of balance. Daily Health News contributing medical editor Andrew L. Rubman, ND, points out that an extreme low-carb diet can actually kick off fatigue: "Often, if people go overboard on an Atkins-esque high-protein regimen, they end up feeling lethargic, which in turn affects mood."

SUPPLEMENTS THAT HELP

Eating whole foods with little or no added sugar, exercising (even a bit) and getting some moderate sun exposure are all highly effective ways to beat the blues and lift the spirits. Some people, however, still feel like there are times when they need a more controllable lift -- and for them, Dr. Yarnell says there are natural supplements that really do help. Research supports three, in particular -- St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum), goldenroot (Rhodiola rosea) and eleuthero (Eleutherococcus senticosus).

St. John's wort

A meta-analysis published in the British Medical Journal in 1996 reviewed 23 trials on St. John's wort involving more than 1,700 patients, with researchers reporting it was more effective than a placebo at treating mild to moderately severe cases of depression. "The evidence is very strong that St. John's wort is an effective natural antidepressant for people whose depression is mild," said Mark Blumenthal, founder and executive director of the nonprofit American Botanical Council. This distinction is an important one, he notes -- you might recall that the reputation of St. John's wort was sullied by a 2001 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, calling it ineffective. Blumenthal explained that this particular study had examined a group of patients that included those who'd already been unresponsive to treatment with a conventional antidepressant drug, so their depression was quite severe.

The two caveats for people interested in using St. John's wort to elevate their mood are as follows: Those with severe depression should seek medical advice to ensure proper treatment and monitoring. Also, cautions Blumenthal, "St. John's wort interacts with a whole suite of conventional pharmaceutical drugs so you must check with your health care provider about any possible interactions before taking it." Your prescriber will quite likely recommend preparations standardized to contain 0.3% hypericin, a naturally occurring compound in St. John's wort to which manufacturers standardize their extracts for quality control purposes. And, if you are scheduled to have elective surgery, make sure you discontinue this supplement ahead of time.

Rhodiola rosea/Goldenroot

In Europe, Rhodiola rosea or R. rosea, the best known and most studied of different species of Rhodiola (also called goldenroot), has a long history of being used to treat chronic fatigue, especially in Sweden and Russia. One interesting study tested the effect of 170 mg of R. rosea root extract on 56 physicians who were on stressful night-call duty. R. rosea brought about a statistically significant reduction in general fatigue for the first two weeks -- but the positive effect seemed to fade by six weeks, suggesting it might be a good short-term solution that is helpful for acute stressful conditions but not for chronic stress. An experienced naturopath can provide advice on what's the best dosage in your case.

As for depression, last year a clinical trial found that R. rosea can also work as an antidepressant and mood elevator. In this Swedish study, R. rosea extract was found to not only help reduce symptoms of depression in patients with mild to moderate depression, but also to enhance their cognitive and sexual function, as well as mental and physical performance under stress.

Eleuthero

There is some debate about eleuthero, also known as Siberian ginseng (although it is no longer marketed under that name in the US). Blumenthal is not enthusiastic about eleuthero, calling it "not great" for fatigue, but Dr. Yarnell believes it's effective, doesn't have significant adverse effects and works "to balance people's systems." One clinical study evaluated 96 adults who had complained of fatigue for at least six months. They were given four capsules per day of eleuthero. While some reported their fatigue lessened considerably, the results were not statistically significant... though two sub-groups in the population -- those with longstanding fatigue and those with less severe fatigue -- experienced some effect from the treatment after two months.

ASK YOUR DOCTOR...

It probably goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway. Natural supplements aren't necessarily risk-free and so it is vitally important to seek supervision by a physician experienced in their use, advice that rings as true when we're talking about moods as with physical ailments. You may find these products can be very beneficial and produce less adverse effects than pharmaceutical products... but use them responsibly.

Source(s):

Mark Blumenthal is the founder and executive director of the American Botanical Council and editor of the publication HerbalGram.

Eric Yarnell, ND, is assistant professor of botanical medicine at Bastyr University and is in private practice. He is author of Clinical Botanical Medicine (Mary Ann Liebert).

Wedding Quotes

Cherish this most exhaustive and marvelous collection of Wedding Quotes with your beloved spouse. These Famous Quotes on Wedding Anniversary are written some of the most profound and revered writers of our times and reflect on the beauty and nature of marriage. Some of these Wedding Quotes touch as they beautifully describe the essence of marriage in a simple line while others tickle you with their subtle humor. You may also quote these wedding quotes in the special anniversary card you bought for your dearest husband/wife.

Marriages are made in heaven and consummated on earth.
John Lyly, The Anatomy of Wit.

There is no more lovely, friendly and charming relationship, communion or company than a good marriage.
Martin Luther

Oh, how many torments lie in the small circle of a wedding ring!
Colley Cibber, The Double Gallant, prologue.

Marriage has many pains, but celibacy has no pleasures.
Samuel Johnson

The secret of a happy marriage remains a secret.
Henny Youngman

Marriage is love personified.
Phoenix Flame

Marriage is the perfection of what love aimed at, ignorant of what it sought.
Emerson

I . . . chose my wife, as she did her wedding gown, not for a fine glossy surface, but such qualities as would wear well.
Oliver Goldsmith, The Vicar of Wakefield, ch. 1.

Is not marriage an open question, when it is alleged, from the beginning of the world, that such as are in the institution wish to get out, and such as are out wish to get in?
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Marriage is a coming together for better or for worse, hopefully enduring, and intimate to the degree of being sacred.
William O. Douglas

Marriage is like life in this-that it is a field of battle, and not a bed of roses.
Robert Louis Stevenson

The day after that wedding night I found that a distance of a thousand miles, abyss and discovery and irremediable metamorphosis, separated me from the day before.
Sidonie Gabrielle Colette

It took great courage to ask a beautiful young woman to marry me. Believe me, it is easier to play the whole Petrushka on the piano.
Arthur Rubinstein

To keep your marriage brimming,
With love in the loving cup,
Whenever you're wrong, admit it;
Whenever you're right, shut up.
Ogden Nash

For years [my wedding ring] has done its job. It has led me not into temptation. It has reminded my husband numerous times at parties that it's time to go home. It has been a source of relief to a dinner companion. It has been a status symbol in the maternity ward.
Erma Bombeck

A good marriage is that in which each appoints the other guardian of his solitude.
Rainer Maria Rilke

My most brilliant achievement was my ability to be able to persuade my wife to marry me.
Winston Churchill

Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.
Aristotle

A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.
Germaine Greer

I never married. Nobody ever asked me.
Mattie White, on her 100th birthday

A lady of 47 who has been married 27 years and has 6 children knows what love really is and once described it for me like this: 'Love is what you've been through with somebody.'
James Thurber

I know you've been married to the same woman for 69 years. That is marvelous. It must be very inexpensive.
Johnny Carson

(Marriage) is not by any to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly; but reverently, discreetly, advisedly, soberly, and in the fear of God.
Solemnization of Matrimony

With this ring I thee wed.
Solemnization of Matrimony

Marriage is an Athenic weaving together of families, of two souls with their individual fates and destinies, of time and eternity - everyday life married to the timeless mysteries of the soul.
Thomas Moore

In all of the wedding cake, hope is the sweetest of plums.
Douglas Jerrold

When you make a sacrifice in marriage, you're sacrificing not to each other but to unity in a relationship.
Joseph Campbell

When you meet someone who can cook and do housework - don't hesitate a minute - marry him.
Unknown

Marriage - a book of which the first chapter is written in poetry and the remaining chapters written in prose.
Beverly Nichols

Let us celebrate the occasion with wine and sweet words.
Plautus

One should believe in marriage as in the immortality of the soul.
Honore de Balzac

Marriage is not a simple love affair, it's an ordeal, and the ordeal is the sacrifice of ego to a relationship in which two have become one.
Joseph Campbell

Marriage is a partnership in which each inspire the other, and brings fruition to both of you.
Millicent Carey McIntosh

Marriage is our last, best chance to grow up.
Joseph Barth

Married couples who love each other tell each other a thousand things without talking.
Chinese Proverb

The sum which two married people owe to one another defies calculation. It is an infinite debt, which can only be discharged through all eternity.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Try praising your wife, even if it does frighten her at first.
Billy Sunday

Husbands are like fires. They go out if unattended.
Zsa Zsa Gabor

Two souls with but a single thought,
Two heart that beat as one.
Franz Joseph von MunchBellinghausen

Love seems the swiftest, but it is the slowest of all growths. No man or woman really knows what perfect love is until they have been married a quarter of a century.
Mark Twain - 25th Wedding Anniversary Quote

To love someone deeply gives you strength. Being loved by someone deeply gives you courage.
Lao Tzu

It took great courage to ask a beautiful young woman to marry me. Believe me, it is easier to play the whole Petrushka on the piano.
Arthur Rubinstein

Two such as you with such a master speed cannot be parted nor be swept away from one another once you are agreed that life is only life forevermore together wing to wing and oar to oar.
Robert Frost

There is nothing nobler or more admirable than when two people who see eye to eye keep house as man and wife, confounding their enemies and delighting their friends.
Homer

Remember that happiness is a way of travel, not a destination.
Roy Goodman

People shop for a bathing suit with more care than they do a husband or wife. The rules are the same. Look for something you'll feel comfortable wearing. Allow for room to grow.
Erma Bombeck

The Japanese have a word for it.
It's Judo -- the art of conquering by yielding.
The Western equivalent of judo is, 'Yes, dear.'
J. P. McEvoy

Marriage is a great institution, but I'm not ready for an institution.
Mae West

One advantage of marriage it seems to me is that when you fall out of love with him or he falls out of love with you it keeps you together until maybe you fall in again.
Judith Viorst

Many marriages would be better if the husband and the wife clearly understood that they are on the same side.
Zig Ziglar

Let the wife make the husband glad to come home, and let him make her sorry to see him leave.
Martin Luther

One advantage of marriage, it seems to me, is that when you fall out of love with him, or he falls out of love with you, it keeps you together until maybe you fall in again.
Judith Viorst

Music makes a Difference

Music therapy can temporarily bring dementia and Alzheimer's patients back to reality and help them relate to their families. It may even reduce their need for medication.

Often, patients who have lost verbal ability still can sing or make music. Music therapists are trained musicians who create live music with patients. Drum circles are one way music therapists restart the communication process for alzheimer's patients, who may beat to their own rhythm at first but eventually get in sync with each other.

There are many colleges teaching music therapy, and these therapists are board ceritifed. For more info about music therapy, contact: American Music Therapy Association at 301-589-3300 or visit www.musictherapy.org

Mothers Day Origins

"Every day is Children's Day" I heard many times as a kid, and that surely is true. One day in May of official recognition is inadequate acknowledgment of all the hard work and love and sweat and tears each of you puts into one of the toughest and most important jobs a human can do: being a mother to your kids.

My gift to you again this year is a few of my favorite quotes on moms. I hope you like them.


"There was something so valuable about what happened when one became a mother. For me it was the most liberating thing that happened...Liberating because the demands that children make are not the demands of a normal "other." The children's demands on me were things that no one else ever asked me to do. To be a good manager. To have a sense of humor... And they were not interested in all the things that other people were interested in, like what I was wearing or if I were sensual. Somehow all the baggage I had accumulated as a person about what was valuable just fell away. I could not only be me - whatever that was - but somebody actually needed me to be that."
- Toni Morrison

"All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That's his."
-Oscar Wilde

"My mom is a never ending song in my heart of comfort, happiness, and being. I may sometimes forget the words but I always remember the tune."
-Graycie Harmon

"Mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts."
-Washington Irving

"A man's work is from sun to sun, but a mother's work is never done."
-Author Unknown

"You don't really understand human nature unless you know why a child on a merry-go-round will wave at his parents every time around - and why his parents will always wave back."
-William D. Tammeus

"Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body."
-Elizabeth Stone

"There is no way to be a perfect mother, and a million ways to be a good one."
-Jill Churchill

"God couldn't be everywhere, so he created mothers."
-Jewish proverb

Mothers Day Origins

Mother's Day did not become an official U.S. holiday until 1914, largely due to the perseverance of Anna Jarvis (1864-1948). Herself the mother of eleven children (four of whom lived to adulthood), Anna asked the minister at her church to give a sermon in her mother's memory following her death in 1905. He honored Mrs. Jarvis and all mothers with a special Mother's Day service.

Anna Jarvis then tirelessly wrote to congressmen, asking them to set aside a day to honor all mothers. In 1910, the governor of West Virginia proclaimed the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day. So as not to appear unsympathetic to their mothers and wives, a year later every state celebrated it.


Read more about these extraordinary women:
Rhea
Julia Ward Howe
Anna Jarvis

Contd.....

Many other cultures have their own Mother's Day, but let's move to Boston in 1870, during the unpopular Franco-Prussian war. An amazing woman named Julia Ward Howe (1819-1910), after writing the Battle Hymn of the Republic, made an impassioned "appeal to womanhood" to rise against war in her Mothers Day Proclamation:


Arise, then, women of this day!
Arise all women who have hearts,
whether our baptism be that of water or of tears!

Say firmly:
"We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies.
Our husbands shall not come to us, reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause.
Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn
all that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.
We, the women of one country will be too tender of those of another country
to allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs.

From the bosom of the devastated earth a voice goes up with our own.
It says "Disarm, Disarm! The sword of murder is not the balance of justice."

To no one's surprise, her efforts to establish a formal Mother's Day for Peace were rebuffed.

Mother's Day Origins

Mother's Day began with the Greeks, who worshipped the goddess Rhea who was the mother of Zeus, king of gods and ruler of Olympus (and you think your kids are successful).
Beyond the begatting, Rhea saved Zeus from being eaten by her husband, Cronus (as their previous five children had been). Cronus was worried about his children murdering him - as he had done to his own dear old dad - to supplant his alpha dog status. Rhea cleverly presented him with a blanket containing a stone instead of little Zeusie, which Cronus eagerly devoured.

With such a history, I think we can agree that Rhea deserved some maternal bragging rights and a holiday in her honor.

Obesity Can Increase Dementia Risk By Up To 80 Percent, Study Suggests

Obesity may increase adults’ risk for having dementia, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Their analysis of published obesity and dementia prospective follow-up studies over the past two decades shows a consistent relationship between the two diseases.
Obesity increases the risk of dementia in general by 42 percent, Alzheimer's by 80 percent and vascular dementia by 73 percent, the new review suggests. Being underweight increases the general dementia risk by 36 percent. But researchers who carried out an international review of research since 1995 found no elevated risk in people who were normal or overweight.

“Our analysis of the data shows a clear association between obesity and an increased risk for dementia and several clinical subtypes of the disease,” said Youfa Wang, MD, PhD, senior author of the study and associate professor with the Bloomberg School’s Center for Human Nutrition. “Subjects with a healthy body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference saw a decreased risk for dementia than their counterparts with an elevated BMI or waist circumference.” Wang adds, “Preventing or treating obesity at a younger age could play a major role in reducing the number of dementia patients and those with other commonly associated illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease by up to 20 percent in the United States.”

Lead researcher May A. Beydoun, along with Wang and H.A. Beydoun attribute these findings to a systematic review of 10 previously published studies that examined the relationships between dementia or its subtypes and various measures of body fat. Based on a pooled analysis of their findings from 7 of the studies, baseline obesity compared to normal weight increased the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by 80 percent on average. The team further concluded that being underweight also increases the risk of dementia and its subtypes. The studies cited in the meta-analysis were conducted in a number of countries, including the United States, Finland, Sweden and France, and contained middle-aged and older adults.

Previously published research defines dementia as not a single disorder, but a number of syndromes characterized by diverse behavioral, cognitive, and emotional impairments. The most common form is Alzheimer’s disease, with an estimated 5 million adults living with the disease in the United States alone.

“Currently, Alzheimer’s disease is the eighth leading cause of death among the elderly population in the United States. While more studies are needed to determine optimal weight and biological mechanisms associated with obesity and dementia, these findings could potentially decrease the number of people diagnosed with dementia and lead to an overall better quality of life,” said May A. Beydoun, a former postdoctoral research fellow at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

"Obesity and central obesity as risk factors for incident dementia and its subtypes: a systematic review and meta-analysis" was written by M. A. Beydoun, H. A. Beydoun and Y. Wang.

The research was funded by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.


Journal reference:

Obesity and central obesity as risk factors for incident dementia and its subtypes: a systematic review. Beydoun MA, Beydoun HA, Wang Y. Obesity Reviews. 9, pp 204-218. (May 2008). doi: 10.1111/j.1467-789X.2008.00473.x

Mother's Laughter makes Breast Milk Healthier for Babies

Nursing mom's may want to watch the hilarious I Love Lucy sitcoms before feeding time. New research has found that a mother who laughs a couple of hours before breastfeeding her baby will pass on greater health benefits to her young.

The study determined that laughing mothers' breast milk contained higher levels of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin compared to those who did not laugh. In addition to bolstering relaxation, the increased levels of melatonin was found to alleviate symptoms of eczema and allergies in babies who suffered from these ailments.

However, laughter isn't just good for babies. As modern medicine has proven and the Bible makes clear, a merry heart is good medicine. It has numerous health benefits for everyone, including:


protecting the heart
reducing stress
lowering blood pressure
elevating mood
boosting immune system
improving brain functioning
protecting the heart
connecting you to others
fostering instant relaxation
decreasing stress
strengthening the immune system
making you feel good

Sources:
Journal of Psychosomatic Research June 2007;62(6):699-702
NewScientist.com June 16, 2007
Healthguide.org

Before I was a Mom

Before I was a Mom

I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.

I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.

I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom -

I had never been puked on.

Pooped on.

Chewed on.

Peed on.

I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.

I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom

I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests.

Or give shots.

I never looked into teary eyes and cried.

I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.

I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom

I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put him down.

I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.

I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.

I never knew that I could love someone so much.

I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom -

I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.

I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.

I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.

I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom -

I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.

I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache,

the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.

I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom.

Mothers day humour.

We show honour and respect to one of the most influential persons in our lives,our MOM!! We all have spent most formative years of our lives with our mothers and shared all joy and sorrows. Such is the greatness of our mom that she always tries to make us feel happy even in times of distress. This occasion of Mother's Day would become more enjoyable if we add some flavor of humor to it.


My mother taught me LOGIC.
"Because I said so, that's why."

My mother taught me MORE LOGIC.
"If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me."

My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS.
"Shut your mouth and eat your supper."

My mother taught me about STAMINA.
"You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone."

My mother taught me about WEATHER.
"This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it."

My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY.
"If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!"

My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE.
"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."

My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION.
"Just wait until we get home."

My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE.
"If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way."

My mother taught me GENETICS.
"You're just like your father."

My mother taught me WISDOM.
"When you get to be my age, you'll understand."

My Mother taught me ESP.
"Put your sweater on; don't you think that I know when you're cold?"

My Mother taught me TO MEET A CHALLENGE.
"What were you thinking? Answer me when I talk to you... Don't talk back to me!"

MY Mother taught me PATIENCE.
"Sure, you can do that. As soon as you're 21 and leave the house!"

My Mother taught me DIPLOMACY.
"I don't want to hear who started it, It takes two to fight."

My Mother taught me SHARING.
"Play nicely with that or I'll just take it away from both of you."

My mother taught me about ENVY.
"There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do."

My mother taught me about RECEIVING.
"You are going to get it when you get home!"

My mother taught me TO THINK AHEAD.
"If you don't pass your spelling test, you'll never get a good job!"

My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT.
"If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."

My mother taught me about JUSTICE.
"One day you'll have kids and I hope they turn out just like you!"

But most of all, my mother taught me LOVE.
"You know that whatever you do or whatever happens, I'll stand behind you because I love you."

Happy Mothers Day!

Its already 5 in the morning.Could not sleep as was so excited today,being a first time mom.Some thoughts compiled on Mother.

I love my mom.. and love being a mom too!
so mothers day is a full circle for me!!

Words are very less for u ma...threre is so much 2 say ur my greatest support......I luv U AT TONS.......

Mother is the sweetest and
Most delicate of all.
She knows more of paradise
Than angels can recall.

She's not only beautiful
But passionately young,
Playful as a kid, yet wise
As one who has lived long.

Her love is like the rush of life,
A bubbling, laughing spring
That runs through all like liquid light
And makes the mountains sing.


Mera Bachpan

Nayan tere chamakte sitare
kesh kaali raat
ke andhiyaare

maathe ka sindoor shaam ka bichhona
laal gol bindi jaise
chamkta sona

anchal tera lahraata saagar
boli aisi kaano mein
misri jaisi

sahlana phir pyar se mera sar
apni god mein lekar
lori sunana

woh bachpan ki thapki
woh dant woh fatkaar

mera ruthana tera manaana
jab na manu to rone
ka bahana

yaad aata hai mujhe
woh pyar woh dulaar
woh dant woh fatkaar
Auir Woh bachpan

Maa
Kya Mujhe Wapas Nahi Dogi
Fir Se
Mera Bachpan...


I know I haven't been an easy child,
But love for you lies underneath my whims;
There is no way I could be tame or mild:
I need sometimes to shout and wave my limbs.
You're the wall I need to test my height,
The countervailing force to test my strength,
The chain I hammer at with all my might,
Even though you have increased its length.
It's tough, I know, to be both Mom and Dad,
To raise me all alone, just hit or miss;
To have to play at once good cop and bad,
And give me grief before my goodnight kiss.
But love against the odds is stronger still:
I need your fierce, proud love, and always will.


I love you,mom..U are the bestest in the world!


M-is for the million things she gave me
O- means only that she's growing old
T- is for the tears she shed to save me,
H- is for her heart of pure gold;
E- is for her eyes, with love-light shining.
R- means right, and right she'll always be,

Put them all together and spell,the most wonderful creation of God.It is said that God cannot be present every were so he made mother.

Mothers are the place where love
Emerges from the earth,
And happiness rings out like bells
In honor of our birth.

Mothers are the sun that lights
For life our inner sky,
So we may know that we are loved
And need not question why.

Mothers are the moon that shines
Upon our black despair,
So even when we weep, we know
That someone's always there.

Whatever fear, or stress, or pain
Might them to anger move,
We know that underneath the storm
We have, always, their love


Just Love this poem by " Susan P Schutz "
When you have a mother
who cares so much for you
that anything you want
becomes her desires
When you have a mother
who is so understanding that
no matter what is bothering you
she can make you smile
When you have a mother
who is so strong that
no matter what obstacles she faces
she is always confident in front of you
When you have a mother
who actively pursues her goals in life
but includes you in all her goals
you are very lucky indeed
Having a mother like this
makes it easy to grow up
into a loving, strong adult
Thank you for being this kind
of wonderful mother.


Home They Brought Her Warrior Dead - Alfred Lord Tennyson
Home they brought her warrior dead:
She nor swooned, nor uttered cry:
All her maidens, watching, said,
‘She must weep or she will die.’

Then they praised him, soft and low,
Called him worthy to be loved,
Truest friend and noblest foe;
Yet she neither spoke nor moved.

Stole a maiden from her place,
Lightly to the warrior stepped,
Took the face-cloth from the face;
Yet she neither moved nor wept.

Rose a nurse of ninety years,
Set his child upon her knee—
Like summer tempest came her tears—
‘Sweet my child, I live for thee.’

How much I love you I can't say:
It's more than words can hold.
You're all at once my rich, red clay,
My potter and my mold.

Yours the words that shaped my voice,
The spirit within mine.
Yours the will that shaped my choice,
My fortune, and my sign.

How lucky I was to have had you
At the core of me!
Wise and good, you always knew
Just what I could be.

And so I came to be someone
Whom I could be proud of.
For this I give my swollen sum
Of gratitude and love

A shocking incidence of baby sitter

Today I met a friend of mine in mall with his 8 month old baby.she has been working since her baby was 2 month and so I asked her how come she was in a mall on weekday with baby..she said she has left the job and the reason she told me shocked me and freaked me completely..
she use to leave home morning 8 n come back at 7 Mon to sat..a week back her one of the friend was on a red light and she saw a baby in a woman's hands ..showing the baby and begging(which is very usual on every red light in Delhi and other metros)..lady saw the baby and thought she has seen the baby somewhere..she called my friend and asked that where was her baby..my friend said that she was in the office and her baby was at home with the maid..so her friend forced her to call at home and check..so my friend called at home and maid picked up the phone ..she asked about her baby so maid said that he is sleeping..my friend told her that she shld wake him up and make her listen to his sound..so maid said that he has slept with a lot of difficulty after 2 hrs and she wld not like to wake him up..my friend said 'ok' and kept the phone and rushed to her house..it was half hr distance ..when she reached ..she found out a lady on the entrance of her building in rugs and her baby in her hands in rugs too...
After enquiring the truth came out that my friends maid use to give the baby daily for 2-3 hrs to beggars ..for begging and use to charge from them..my friend was hysterical..she gave the maid in police(dont know wht has happened to her now)..and have left her job now..and taking care of her baby herself now..
I request to the mums who r leaving their children with help/maid/baby sitter that pls be extra careful towards thm and try not to rely on them too much..try to have some family member with yr kids just for the sake of presence..i dont think anything is more precious than our children.

Does Breastfeeding Boost IQ?

Breastfeeding may make your kid more intelligent, according to the latest study on the subject.

Exclusive, long-term breastfeeding improves a child's verbal intelligence and other intelligence measures, says researcher Michael S. Kramer, MD, professor of pediatrics, epidemiology and biostatistics at the McGill University Faculty of Medicine in Montreal.

The study was published in the May edition of Archives of General Psychiatry.

Children who were breastfed longer scored higher on average at age 6 1/2 years in verbal intelligence, nonverbal intelligence, and overall intelligence, Kramer finds. Teachers rated them higher in reading and writing than children who weren't breastfed as long or as exclusively.

"Prolonged and exclusive breastfeeding makes kids smarter," Kramer tells WebMD. "I would say as a target for mothers, if they could exclusively breastfeed for three months and continue to breastfeed for some degree for one year, that would be good."

Breastfeeding exclusively [with no formula supplements] for six months would be even better, Kramer says. But he concedes that is difficult for many women, especially if they return to work.

Breastfeeding and IQ: Studying the Data
A host of studies have looked at breastfeeding and IQ. "Most of the studies have found an association between breastfeeding and higher IQ," Kramer tells WebMD. But most have been what scientists call observational studies, with children whose mothers chose to breastfeed compared with those children whose mothers chose not to.

Kramer and others say these studies may be affected by differences in the way moms who breastfeed interact with their children and those who don't.

Kramer and his colleagues looked at almost 14,000 children in Belarus who visited 31 hospitals and clinics there. The participants are part of the large-scale study known as the Promotion of Breastfeeding Intervention Trial (PROBIT). The researchers assigned half to an intervention that encouraged them to breastfeed exclusively long term or to another group that got the usual maternity care and child care.

This approach is considered more feasible and ethical than assigning mothers to breastfeed or bottle-feed.

"Those who got the breastfeeding intervention breastfed longer and more exclusively," Kramer says. The number of mothers still breastfeeding exclusively at three months was seven times higher in the intervention group of mothers -- 43% compared to 6% of those who didn't get the intervention.



Breastfeeding and IQ: Test Results
When the kids reached age 6 1/2, the children's pediatricians gave them intelligence tests. If they were in school, teachers evaluated their academic performance in reading, writing, math, and other subjects.

The strongest effect, Kramer says, was improvement in verbal IQ. On average, those in the intervention group scored 7.5 points higher on tests measuring verbal intelligence, such as vocabulary, which was statistically significant (meaning not due to chance). They scored 2.9 points higher on those tests measuring nonverbal intelligence and 5.9 points higher on tests measuring overall intelligence.
Kramer says the nonverbal and overall IQ test score differences were not statistically significant -- but just barely. He says the more important point is that he found an overall trend to improvement in the measures in the long-term or exclusively breastfed children.

Teachers rated the breastfed intervention group's reading and math better than the control group children.

"I think it's a modest effect," Kramer says. The IQ advantage for the long-term breastfed children, he says, is similar to what has been found in research for first borns vs. younger siblings.

"It's not the difference between a genius and a mentally retarded child," he says.

Breastfeeding and IQ: Breast Milk or Social Interaction?
Whether the boost in IQ is due to the breast milk itself -- such as healthy fatty acids or other substances -- or the physical and social interaction that is part and parcel of breastfeeding is unknown, Kramer and others say.

"A mother who breastfeeds is likely to spend more time with her child," he says, as well as read to them later and do other activities. "The amount of time, the closeness, the way she interacts with the kids, undoubtedly differs between breastfeeding and non-breastfeeding mothers."

The bulk of studies on the topic, he adds, have shown a positive link. One notable exception: a study published in 2006 in the British Medical Journal concluded that breastfeeding has "little or no effect on intelligence in children." The study involved more than 5,400 children.

Kramer says his study is sounder because of a more rigorous methodology.

Breastfeeding and IQ: Second Opinion
Not surprisingly, a spokesman for La Leche League International, which promotes breastfeeding, calls the new study findings "significant and valid." Not every paper or research study has found an association, says Lawrence M. Gartner, MD, a spokesman for the league and professor emeritus from the University of Chicago.

"But the huge majority of them do show a positive effect -- improvement in IQ and school performance."

"I think there is more and more evidence that points this way," says Dennis Woo, MD, chairman of the department of pediatrics at Santa Monica UCLA & Orthopaedic Hospital, who reviewed the study for WebMD. However, he wonders if cultural influences may play a role since the study was conducted in Eastern Europe, and if the same results would hold for U.S. breastfeeding mothers. Woo also works as a consultant for formula companies.

"We can't generalize [the findings] to all populations necessarily," agrees Jennifer Shu, MD, an Atlanta pediatrician and author of Heading Home with Your Newborn, published by the American Academy of Pediatrics. "But there is no downside [to breastfeeding]."

A slightly different interpretation of the findings is proposed by Ruth A. Lawrence, MD, chairwoman of the academy's section on breastfeeding and a neonatologist at the University of Rochester School of Medicine in New York. "What the study says to me is, breastfeeding does not make your child smarter, it allows your child to reach full potential. If you have a child with chromosomal abnormalities and Down syndrome, for instance, and breastfeed, you are not going to make that child a genius. You are going to allow that child to reach his full potential."
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, suggesting mothers can continue as long as it is mutually acceptable.

According to the CDC, 73.8% of U.S. mothers who gave birth in 2004 ever breastfed. Of those, 41.5% still breastfed at six months, but just 11.3% exclusively through six months. The data is in the Breastfeeding Report Card, issued in 2007.

Is gold a better economic barometer than the actions of the world’s central banks?

*Forbes magazine, by Steve Forbes, May 5, 2008:
“The consequences of central banks' trying to guide their economies are routinely disruptive, if not destructive. Inflation is almost always the result. From the 1950s through the 1970s, for example, Britain was burdened with onerous taxes--the top personal tax rate hit 98%. It never occurred to the authorities in London to lower the rates, until Margaret Thatcher came along. Instead, both Conservative and Labour governments relied on boosting government spending and on printing more pounds to get the economy moving. Inflation would then erupt, the Bank of England would have to tighten up, and the economy would go into a slump. This process was dubbed "stop-go," and left Britain the sick man of Europe.

Greenspan's woes came about precisely because he lost sight of the Fed's prime job: ensuring a stable dollar. In the late 1990s Greenspan inadvertently tightened up. The most sensitive barometer of market mistakes is gold. During that time the yellow metal plunged to a low of $250 an ounce. Other commodities crashed, with oil dropping to nearly $10 a barrel. For a time the dollar became too dear, which contributed to the 2000--01 recession. When it became clear--just before George W. Bush was sworn in as President on Jan. 20, 2001--that the economy was skidding, Greenspan realized his mistake and started to reverse gears. But he stayed too easy, even when the economy was back on track. In 2004 gold began to surge well above its 12-year average, and oil began its long, rapid ascent, as did all other commodities. The dollar weakened not only against gold but also against other currencies, such as the yen, the Swiss franc and the pound. With money easy, the already buoyant U.S. housing market began to go berserk as lending standards started to decline precipitously.

Focused on trying to steer the economy, Greenspan ignored the flashing red lights, as did his successor, Ben Bernanke. In 2006 gold soared above $600 an ounce. After the credit crisis hit last August, the price kept moving up, breaching the $1,000 barrier in mid-March, before settling down to its current $900 range.

The Fed has clearly been too loose, but so have other central banks. Hence, we have the beginnings of a global inflation, just as we did in the early 1970s.”