healthbriefs
Countering
Kids Yoga – Why?
Menopausal
Depression
by karen underwood
O
ne of the greatest problems our youth of today naturally
face is anxiety. One of the best ways to reduce
anxiety is for kids to learn how to relax and have fun
in a stress-free, safe environment. Kids Yoga classes
offer students an opportunity to build self-esteem,
not only through practicing postures, but also learn-
ing life lessons such as truthfulness, forgiveness, compassion and respect.
Children have a natural connection to yoga. They love the movement and
creative expression associated with the poses (called yoga asanas). They appreci-
ate the benefits and they cherish the opportunity to “rest” at the end of each class.
Some studies have shown that children who practice yoga may not only be
better able to regulate their emotions, manage stress and calm themselves; they
may also choose better foods to eat and get more physical activity than children
who do not.

Karen Underwood teaches Kids Yoga on Wednesdays from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at Hot
Psychological distress and
House Yoga in Ormond Beach. She has been involved in youth leadership for over depression are common
24 years. Call 386-676-0572 for more information. See ad page 5.
symptoms experienced by
many premenopausal and
menopausal women. Now
Hormone Therapy Linked
a new study, published in
To Brain Shrinkage
The American Journal of
Clinical Nutrition, indicates
that consuming omega-3
T
wo new studies report that hormone therapy—a still commonly prescribed
form of postmenopausal treatment—may slightly accelerate the loss of brain
fatty acids may offer
tissue in women 65 and older, beyond what normally occurs with aging. “This is
natural relief.
not what we expected to find,” reported one of the researchers.
The investigating scientists, using MRI scans to look for increased volumes
At the end of the
of brain lesions among women who had taken hormone therapy, discovered
researchers’ 8-week study
their brain volume had shrunk in two critical areas: the frontal lobe and the hip-
period of women ages 40
pocampus. Both of these areas are involved in thinking and memory skills. Loss
of volume in the hippocampus is also a risk factor for dementia. More than 1,400
to 55, those who ingested
women ages 71 to 89 participated in the study.
one gram of omega-3 in
capsule form daily, reported
Source: Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, 2009
considerable reduction
of hot flashes and fewer
BonDing with BaBy
symptoms of psychologi-
the bonds that tie a mother to her new-
born may be stronger in women who
cal stress and depression
deliver naturally than in those who deliver
than those who had taken
by cesarean, or c-section, according to Yale a sunflower oil supplement.
school of medicine researchers. it
good to know, especially for
appears that a woman’s brain is “primed” by
women already consuming
vaginal delivery, which affects the production
of oxytocin, a neurohormone linked to emotion-
omega-3s for heart health.
al connection and feelings of love.
Source: Université Laval, 2009
~ Yale University, 2008
May 2009 13
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