IN YOUR DAILY DOSE: today is a new blood test that may help your physician choose the medication that will work for you.

MAKING CHANGES: While it may be tempting to take a pill to cure a condition, sometimes your best option is to make other changes that have fewer side effects.

FACT OR FICTION: Can an ant live up to 30 years? You’ll discover if this is true and some truly amazing facts about this little insect.

In The News

Doctors are now able to determine which medications are more likely to overcome depression. Unfortunately, only 40 percent of people taking antidepressants achieve a positive effect from medications. The theory is that if you are able to find the “right” medication for your individual biochemistry, then the success rate would rise.

This blood test would take the guessing game out of prescribing antidepressants. The test measures a protein level in your blood. The research also measured remission rates of 100 depressed patients.

SOURCE: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/03/170329145732.htm

Daily Health Tip

Although doctors may be able to prescribe an antidepressant that has a greater chance of giving you positive results, each of these medications comes with a long list of side-effects and often take three to six weeks to take effect.  

Making Changes

Antidepressant medications may be necessary, but physicians prescribe them more frequently than necessary. In order to make changes to your emotional health you must also make changes to your nutritional plan, exercise and your outlook. You may be looking for a pill to take away the sadness - but in many cases you may make a change in just a week by making changes to your lifestyle choices.

1. Exercise for at least 30 minutes each day. Your body requires movement and for your heart rate to increase.

2. Move throughout the day. Exercise for 30 minutes will be completely negated by sitting for four hours without movement. Unfortunately, the average person sits for up to 12 hours a day - and then sleep for 8 hours. Instead, you should be sitting for four hours a day and moving the rest of the time. The more you move, the better you feel.

3. Stop feeding your body and cells junk food, full of processed chemicals. You truly are what you eat - your body cells and your mind. Eat whole foods that have not been processed.

4. Practice yoga or meditation to help calm your mind and gain insight into your challenges.

5. Practice gratitude. Research demonstrates when you are thankful for the small things in life it changes your brain chemistry and improves your mood.

6. Do things for others. Bake for the church, volunteer to help with a local community effort or volunteer to help a struggling family. Research shows that when you focus on things outside of your own situation your mood improves.

Daily Affirmation

I make it a point to understand the needs of my family, coworkers, friends, and strangers. I make them feel comfortable as they share their challenges. I treat them with kindness and help them work on solutions for a brighter future.
When I focus on others, I feel at peace.

Fact or Fiction?

Did you know . . .

• Ants are everywhere on earth except the Arctic, Antarctic and a few small islands.
• For every one person, there are about 1 million ants.
• Ants function as a hive. So while small, they can move together as one organism when needed.
• Ants cooperate with other species, which is highly intelligent and unusual in the insect world.
• Some colonies of ants practice slavery. They raid other colonies, capture the young and either eat them or make them work for the colony. Some colonies of ants cannot survive without these slaves.
• Ants are the longest living of all insects, some up to 30 years.
• Some ants can swim.
• Although most ants have poor eyesight, there are some species that don’t have eyes at all.
• Ants are a female driven society - all workers, soldiers and queens are females.

Have a wonderful day!

Your Healthy Life America Team