Summer should be a time of relaxation and fun, but it may be more of a source of anxiety when temperatures climb higher. With much of the country experiencing higher than normal summer temps, it’s important to highlight the realities of summer anxiety and know how to manage it.

If you’ve noticed that you tend to be more on-edge when it’s hot outside, it’s not just you. This is a common sensation, because heat leads to stress and agitation—effects that are compounded by dehydration, which is more common in high temperatures. Here’s a look at what you can do to beat the heat and your anxiety as well.

Stay out of the heat

When it’s over 90 outside, the best thing you can do is stay indoors—preferably where it’s air conditioned. When you do venture outdoors, be prepared. Dress in loose, light-colored clothing that breathes well. Bring along plenty of cold water and sip on it regularly before you feel thirsty. Finally, have an exit strategy so you can find relief indoors quickly if you need to. If you can, think about working from home on the hotter days of summer so you don’t get stuck in a scorching commute.

But don’t skip your workout

You shouldn’t use the heat as an excuse to skip your workout, just because it’s too hot to exercise outdoors. Invest in a treadmill for your house if you can or sign up for a gym membership while summer specials are in effect. Exercise is one of the most effective ways to combat anxiety, so don’t compromise it when the summer heat is getting to you.

Take cold showers

If you need to cool off quickly, a cold shower is your best bet. This can help you calm down fast and get you revitalized to take on the rest of your day. If the heat is causing difficulty sleeping, take a cool shower before bed to get more restful sleep at night.

Summer can be rough, but MeMD is here for you! Get in touch with us to learn about our online therapy services (which you can access from the comfort and privacy of home), or read our blog for more tips on handling the summer heat.

The post Feeling Anxious? Here’s How to Beat the Heat and Summer Anxiety appeared first on MeMD.

What goes into your belly has a direct effect not only on your waistline but also your brain health. Food fuels the mind, and when you don’t give your brain the right fuel, it could result in a noticeable mood change. You may already know that foods like fatty fish and whole grains can fuel the brain with nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids and fiber, but do you know which foods will have the opposite effect and sour your mood as a result? Here’s a quick guide:

Hydrogenated Fats

If you think that shortening and margarine are good alternative fats to use in your cooking, think again. Your body prefers the real thing when it comes to butter, because shortening and margarine are packed with hydrogenated oils, which disturb the balance of good fats in your brain. That means less thinking power and more emotional disturbances. If you can’t bring yourself to use butter, try coconut oil for a thicker consistency fat or olive oil for everyday cooking.

Diet Soda

Diet soda is a trickster, because it cons you into thinking that you’ve had sugar when you really haven’t. The result? Increased sugar cravings that can put you in a bad mood. Plus, the artificial sweetener used in most sodas, aspartame, has been shown to have negative effects on serotonin production—which makes it harder for your brain to regulate your mood. Better zero-calorie beverages would include unsweetened tea or iced black coffee, or, of course, plain water.

Cereal and Granola

Most people think of cereals and granola as universally healthy foods, but many brands pack in loads of extra sugar, which is something you should look out for. When you start the day with a sugary cereal, you’ll end up hungry faster and have a sugar crash throwing you off in the mid-morning. Choose oatmeal or a low-sugar cereal to avoid the hangry feelings you might otherwise experience with your standard breakfast cereal.

Salty Snacks

It’s not just sugar that messes with your brain. Salt can be problematic too, especially when it takes the form of MSG, or monosodium glutamate. This common flavor enhancer is known to cause fatigue and moodiness (as well as headaches), so keep it off the menu come snack time.

When it’s more than just your diet causing your bad mood, connect with MeMD to explore our convenient behavioral health services. You can attend therapy sessions online, so you won’t ever have an excuse not to find the help you need.

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There are many reasons you may decide it’s time to see a mental health specialist—for example, you may be going through a major life transition, struggling with depression, or feeling simply overwhelmed by stress. While these are pressing concerns that should be addressed in therapy, many people will hesitate with the crucial step of finding a mental health professional they can talk to. And it can be tough to find the right fit. You should feel comfortable talking to your therapist about even the most intimate parts of your life, so you won’t want to scramble to find just anyone with the right professional qualifications. You’ll want to put in the time and effort to find the mental healthcare provider who’s a match for your personality and lifestyle by taking the following essential steps.

Check in with your primary care physician

Many people make the mistake of isolating their mental health, but mental health is a part of your overall health, so your primary care doctor should play a role in your treatment. Schedule a visit to your doctor for an initial diagnosis and an assessment of whether medical treatments are necessary in your situation.

Your doctor may order lab work to get a full picture of underlying physical conditions such as nutritional deficiencies or hormonal imbalances that can lead to mental health symptoms like anxiety and sleep loss, and he or she can point you in the right direction for further care. For example, if your primary care physician recommends taking medication for your condition, you may receive a referral to a psychiatrist who can prescribe medication and has a more specialized mental health background than your regular doctor. When medication is not necessary, your doctor may recommend seeing a different type of therapist, such as a licensed mental health counselor, marriage counselor, or social worker.

Read up on treatment philosophies

There are many different approaches to therapy, including relationship counseling, client-centered therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy. Doing your research on different types of therapy can inform you on the best type of therapist for your needs, but you should also look for more specific treatment philosophies in a provider’s bio before making an appointment. Some therapists specialize in a religious approach while others will focus on specific client groups, such as veterans or the LGBT community. Remember—therapists are people too, and they will have their own opinions, experiences, and personalities to consider.

Don’t be afraid to take a test run

Of course, it’s hard to get a read on someone just on paper, so you might make a short list of mental health professionals whose credentials you like and schedule a series of introductory sessions to find the right fit. This is a common practice, as finding a therapist is a much more nuanced process than finding other types of medical specialists. You don’t have to dive in deep on the first session, but you will get a good feel for what it’s like to talk to a particular therapist and how your personalities will interact in that first visit.

With MeMD, it’s easy to try out therapy without a long-term commitment, and you can do so from the comfort of your own home. We have a large network of mental health professionals partnered with us to facilitate web-based therapy sessions at an affordable rate. No referral is necessary, so you can get started right away.

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More and more businesses are realizing the potential of telebehavioral health to not only fulfill a critical gap in mental health treatment for employees, but to positively affect the bottom line.

In this article for BenefitsPro, a leading publication for benefits professionals nationwide, we break down the business case for telebehavioral health, explaining the financial impact of mental health issues in the workplace, treatment options, and the advantages of virtual care. Further, we touch on EAPs, and how telebehavioral health can add value to such programs.

Read the full article here.

For additional information on telebehavioral health, visit us online.

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You don’t go through life alone, so it only makes sense that you wouldn’t limit yourself to going to therapy alone—especially if one of your most immediate concerns is your romantic relationship. For many couples, seeking therapy together is a helpful step in repairing their relationships and addressing problems that have likely lived below the surface in silence for some time. Unfortunately, couples therapy does have a negative reputation, and many couples feel like they need to hide the fact they’re in counselling or they avoid even going in the first place. However, like individual therapy, couples therapy can have real benefits and it may be the most constructive way to get your relationship back on track, or even build a stronger relationship before big problems and challenges arise.

Identifying problems in your relationship

There is no one single sign that your relationship could be struggling. Likely, it will be a combination of factors, such as more frequent petty arguing or feeling like you’re having the same disagreement over and over. You may even just feel like something is off or that the magic isn’t there anymore, but you may also still have a strong connection to your partner that’s worth hanging on for.

It’s also worth knowing that couples therapy is not an automatic red flag for your relationships. It might be a helpful step before making major life choices like getting engaged or having children, or it may simply be a helpful addition to your personal therapy for issues that you’ve worked on independently that may now be making their way into your relationship.

Talking to your partner about couples therapy

A good rule of thumb for approaching couples therapy is to never bring it up in the midst of an argument. If you think that therapy would be a good step, talk to your partner during a calm and peaceful period so that you can have an open and honest discussion about it. Additionally, don’t avoid suggesting therapy because you assume your partner will not be on board. Even if your partner is hesitant, you should express your needs and encourage your partner to try just one session while keeping an open mind.

Avoiding common therapy pitfalls

Couples therapy can be very effective, because it helps people learn new ways of communicating and expressing themselves while respecting the needs of their partners. However, therapy is not a fix-all, and it does take work. Don’t expect every problem to be solved in your sessions. Use strategies that your therapist teaches you to continue the work at home. You also do not want therapy to serve as a crutch that gives you just enough introspection and emotional support to feel better without actually making changes in your relationship.

If you’re considering couples therapy, it can be easier to get started in a comfortable and familiar environment. MeMD allows you to access a Licensed Marriage Counselor and other qualified mental health specialists right from the comfort and privacy of home without a long-term commitment.

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Intermittent fasting is probably a trend you’ve overheard coworkers talking up around the office, and naturally you are left to wonder: Is it an effective weight loss method or just another unhealthy fad? While there’s still research to be done—particularly when it comes to the different durations and patterns one might use to fast—intermittent fasting is promising as a weight loss strategy and a boon to your overall health.

Fasting is a challenge.

Some proponents of intermittent fasting will express how easy it is, because you can eat whatever you want and then fast for a day every so often to reverse the effects. Unsurprisingly, it’s not quite so easy. Going long periods of time without eating is a challenge, especially as you get started, but some intermittent fasting plans emphasize only eating in a six-eight hour window of the day and avoiding snacking rather than skipping whole days of meals. Plus, you will need to remember that unhealthy foods and mindless snacking will run their course, even if you take the occasional day off from these bad habits.

Intermittent fasting may have benefits over other diets.

What is particularly surprising about intermittent fasting is that it has been associated not just with weight loss but also with lower rates of diabetes, breast cancer, and even conditions causing dementia.

Like any diet, though, intermittent fasting shouldn’t be considered without the opinion of a doctor. To talk to a medical professional about your nutritional needs, use MeMD to save yourself from the doctor’s office waiting room and get the answers you want fast.

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Fall is arriving, which means it’s time to open our hearts to pumpkin spice lattes and pull our favorite sweaters out of the closet. It’s also the perfect time to highlight one of the most common causes of emergency room visits throughout any season—falls around the house. Tripping and falling may seem like no big deal, but every day falls account for broken bones, sprains, bruises, and a wide range of orthopedic injuries that could keep you off your feet for weeks or even months. Falls can even lead to traumatic brain injuries or fatalities, so they aren’t a threat you should ignore.

Seniors are the most at-risk group for serious injuries resulting from falls, but anyone can benefit from implementing some fall-prevention guidelines around the house. Let’s take a closer look at what you can do to avoid these all too common injuries.

Know Why Falls Happen

Falls are often preventable. Many fall-related injuries occur right at home, because it’s easy to forget about common tripping hazards like slippery floors, living room clutter, or loose rugs. Most falls are the result of tripping or slipping on physical obstacles. Taking precautions around the house will make it less likely that falls take place and many safeguards can also serve as a visual reminder to slow down and take your time when you’re going from one room to another.

Make Your Home Safer

Some simple changes around the house can make a big difference for preventing injuries. Use the following steps to make upgrades around your own house, and, if you have an elderly relative living on their own, help make these changes in their house as well:

• Add handrails and floor traction – Anywhere that slipping is more likely, a handrail can be helpful. Add a handle to assist in getting out of the shower or up from the toilet. Make sure all stairs are equipped with handrails as well. On the floors, reduce slipperiness by adding traction with no-slip runners in hallways, a non-skid bathmat in the shower, and carpet mats in the kitchen that are tacked down with non-slip backing.

• Install floor lighting – Low lighting can be responsible for falls during late night fridge runs or an early morning trip to the bathroom. To make walkways more visible, install motion sensor triggered lighting that points at the floor along the hallways and in your bedroom. This will allow you to see where you’re going without feeling blinded by overhead lights when you’ve just woken up.

• Keep it tidy – Any parent can attest that clutter is a major tripping hazard at home. Toys, clothes, backpacks, and anything else left on the floor can quickly cause a fall. Keep clutter to a minimum by adding plenty of shelving, storage bins, and clothing racks. You can also set house rules that everything has to be put away at certain times, so you can ensure a clear path to anywhere in the house.

• Maintain outdoor walkways – It’s not just indoor areas that pose a risk for falls. In fact, the cool temperatures of autumn may remind you that overnight frost and snow are on the way, which can mean slippery sidewalks. When pathways are icy, use salt or kitty litter for traction and walk on the grass, if possible. At all times of the year, make sure that landscaping is not overgrown and keep a clear path around your house with pavers, concrete, or gravel walkways.

Improve Your Balance

Maintaining your environment is great for fall prevention, but you can do even more by working on your balance. Particularly if you have osteoporosis or any muscular weakness or balance issues, you should work to build strength with some simple everyday exercises. For example, you can stand on your toes or on just one foot for one minute at a time, slowly working to increase your time and stay balanced with your eyes closed or without holding onto anything with your hand for added stability. Regular walks are also helpful for keeping up lower body and core strength, and weight lifting and yoga can help you tone up even more to keep you lighter on your feet.

If you suffer an injury from a fall at home, head to the ER right away. When you need quick answers from a physician or your injuries are minor but you still want to check in with a medical professional, MeMD can be there in an instant with our convenient online medical visits.

The post Falling for Fall – Tips to Prevent Fall-Related Injuries at Home appeared first on MeMD.

Binge eating is a frequently overlooked eating disorder in the United States, and, unfortunately, it is also one of the most common. Binge eating disorder, or BED, is characterized by sessions of eating large amounts of food in the absence of hunger, often within an isolated environment. With frequent episodes of extreme overeating, individuals with BED may be more susceptible to diabetes, GERD, sleep apnea, heart problems, and many other health issues. If you are struggling with binge eating, there are steps you can take.

1. Be open about your eating habits.

Binge eating disorder often goes undiagnosed, because people feel shame about their eating habits and may have psychological issues tied to their relationship with food. However, opening up to a professional can help you overcome those challenges and maintain a healthier relationship with food while improving your overall body image. Talking to a therapist may also present the opportunity to try medications to help manage the urge to binge eat and provide support as you take on other steps to keep binge eating at bay.

2. Don’t skip meals.

Controlling binge eating means controlling how often you eat and how much you eat with each meal. Sticking to a regular schedule of meals helps regulate hunger stimulating hormones in the body and keep down the urge to overeat.

3. Keep your kitchen cleansed.

It is easy to have an episode of binging if your fridge and cabinets are fully stocked with food. Take the time to fully clean out your kitchen (and any other areas where snacks might be stashed) and restock with healthy ingredients and foods that require some prep time, so it’s harder to just go to the kitchen and start eating.

4. Practice mindfulness.

Mindfulness is the process of connecting with your body by becoming more aware of how you are thinking and feeling within a given moment. Meditation can help you practice mindfulness, as can meditative activities like yoga, and this might help you better manage your hunger and recognize when your motivation to eat is not triggered by hunger.

Step one in managing binge eating or other eating disorders is reaching out for help. MeMD can make that step easier with behavioral health services you can access from anywhere – including the privacy of home – for a low, affordable rate.

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When you’re sick, you may not have much of an appetite at all, but when you do finally want to eat, you shouldn’t just indulge in your favorite comfort foods. In fact, many common comfort foods have the exact ingredients that you should avoid when you’re feeling under the weather—ones that will slow down your immune system and make you feel sick longer. Here’s a closer look at what not to eat when you’re sick.

Cheese and Dairy

Many people are already sensitive to lactose, so dairy won’t be the wisest choice when you’re feeling ill. Even without lactose intolerance, cheese, milk, and other dairy products can increase mucus production, meaning that you’ll only feel more congested.

Meat

Meat is not as easy to digest as starches and vegetables, which means that the body has to work harder when you eat meat, fish, or chicken. Cooking meat for long periods of time can help to break down proteins and make it easier to digest, but even still, plant-based foods will be the best choices.

Caffeine

A cup of coffee can be tempting when you still have to work or run errands while you’re sick. However, the caffeine in that cup can dehydrate you, which is not something you want while your immune system is fighting a cold or flu. Trade caffeinated drinks for herbal teas and continue to drink plenty of water. This will also ensure that you get quality rest when you can take a break from your daily obligations.

Fried Foods

High-fat, salty foods should be avoided when you’re sick, because they’re likely to cause stomach upset. They also won’t provide you with much nutritional value, and they can increase inflammation.

When you’re not feeling 100%, MeMD is there for you with convenient healthcare services available anywhere you have an internet connection.

The post Sick? Don’t Eat These Foods Until You Feel Better appeared first on MeMD.

Talk therapy can have far reaching benefits for your mental and physical health, but it is only effective if there is a solid foundation with a positive relationship between you and your therapist. One thing that many patients will forget is that therapists are people, and not all people will click for one reason or another. So, you may find that your therapist isn’t necessarily a great fit for you, even if they’re qualified on paper. If one therapist is not a good fit, there are many more out there who might be. But, before you start scheduling appointments, take the time to think about whether your current therapist is really working for you.

You have a professional relationship.

You will share some of the most intimate details of your life with your therapist, so it’s important to feel comfortable. However, there is such a thing as feeling too comfortable and feeling like you are developing a friendship with your therapist. While your therapist may be friendly and kind, he or she should maintain a professional distance and establish clear guidelines for what is and is not appropriate in terms of contact outside therapy sessions. In addition, therapy should not feel like a two-way street. Your relationship with your therapist should be one-sided.

Your therapist has expertise in the areas you’re struggling with.

Just like other medical specialists, not all therapists treat every psychological condition. So, if you are struggling with depression, make sure that your therapist has expertise in treating depression and related disorders.

Your therapist utilizes evidence-based methods.

Along with finding someone who can treat your specific concerns, you should find a therapist who employs methods that you are comfortable using. These should also be evidence-based strategies, such as cognitive behavioral therapy or mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Don’t hesitate to ask for the logic behind an exercise your therapist wants to try and ask for alternative strategies if something does not feel effective.

You can see your therapist on your schedule.

Even with the most compassionate, caring therapist, you may struggle to feel any better if you aren’t able to make appointments when you need them. Be sure that you’ll be able to set appointments on a schedule that works for you and find a therapist who is open to emergency or short-notice sessions, should the need arise.

You can be honest with your therapist.

As we discussed earlier, talking to your therapist is not like talking to a friend or family member. And part of that means that you should feel like you can tell your therapist anything, even things you would keep from your loved ones. If you feel like you can’t be honest in your sessions, it is going to be difficult if not impossible to truly grow and heal from them. Therefore, you might seek a different therapist if you aren’t open and honest with your current one.

You feel good after your sessions.

Finally, it’s important to reflect and think about how you feel after you see your therapist. While you may discuss some challenging subject matter in your sessions, you should leave with a plan of action and some clear goals—possibly even a more positive outlook. If this isn’t the case, then it’s time to reevaluate.

With MeMD’s behavioral health services, it’s easier than ever to access a therapist who can address your unique needs and provide the appropriate tools and resources in your sessions. It just takes a few minutes to get started, and you can connect by web, phone, or app.

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