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When your New Year's resolution to lose weight crumbles as fast as the cookie touching your lips, it's time to admit that diets don't work. More successful is a holistic approach to losing weight that lets you feel good about feeding your body the nourishment it craves.

“By understanding the whole person, including emotional reasons for eating, stress triggers, medical history and physiological factors, we help each individual approach food in a whole new way,” said Henri Roca, MD, medical director of Greenwich Hospital's Center for Integrative Medicine.

Dr. Roca, board-certified in Family Medicine and Holistic Medicine, works with the Center of Integrative Medicine's registered dietitian and epigenetic nutritionist to help people understand why they eat what they do. “We look at the emotional aspects of eating and the habits an individual creates surrounding their relationship with food,” said Roca, who points to genetics, metabolism, hormones and physiological factors as potential stumbling blocks to successful long-term weight management.

“Stress alone can have more of an impact than most people realize. Chronic stress can lead to increased cortisol levels, which stimulate glucose production in the body. Excess glucose is converted to and stored as fat, particularly around a person's mid-section. A chemical chain reaction can occur inside the body and sabotage the best weight loss efforts,” said Roca.

Cutting back on calories and adding or increasing exercise are proven to assist with weight loss, but they do not provide enough motivation for people who have been repeatedly unsuccessful at reaching their weight-loss goals.

The Center of Integrative Medicine's unique holistic approach begins with a medical evaluation, assessing a person's overall health (physical, mental, emotional and energetic) and determining what, if any, metabolic, hormonal, gut, allergy or immune dysfunction may exist, since this can have a profound effect on weight loss. Auricular (ear) acupuncture is provided at each session to control cravings. A nutritionist listens to your personal goals, evaluates your body type, and then customizes a program that includes nutritional counseling, meal planning, exercise advice and stress management techniques. General acupuncture, health coaching and advice on dietary supplements are offered. Personal training is offered in conjunction with the neighboring Greenwich Water Club, and the importance of physical activity is emphasized for long-term weight loss success.

In addition to realizing a personal weight loss goal, the Center for Integrative Medicine's holistic weight loss program helps each person develop healthy habits for lifetime fitness.

Source: Greenwich Hospital Center for Integrative Medicine

But What About Senator Gillibrand's Baby Weight??

“Like every new mom, it takes time, it takes time, to get back in shape and be yourself again,” Gillibrand told the New York Daily News. And then she Revealed Her Diet Secrets!

You know how yesterday we suggested that, just maybe, the culture was a leetle too interested in strangers' “baby weight?” Like, more interested in “losing the weight” and “regaining the body” than, say, an upcoming primary battle? Well. No one stands corrected.

On the one hand, as long as we must prolong this absurd conversation, at least Gillibrand's comments on the subject are relatively wholesome. “Most of us are not Heidi Klum and Angelina Jolie who look great the next day – for me, it took a good year and a half to get off all my Henry weight.” (Henry is her baby. Elsewhere in the article she refers to her “Theo weight,” too. This is either better or worse than any alternative we've heard.) But, that said, the Senator still works out five mornings a week, runs and plays tennis.

The senator said she began focusing on her diet in August when she finished breast-feeding Henry. She eats fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and fish, aiming for roughly 1,200 calories a day. “I write down everything I eat,” she said.

Her goal, she says, is to “get back into the wardrobe she used before having her oldest child, Theo, 6.” For a woman who's achieved this level of public success, I'm guessing she can achieve this, too – if she wants. It's somewhat dispiriting that given a public platform, such a visible woman not merely plays into a post-weight hysteria which is frankly none of anyone's business and has even less to do with politics than Hollywood, but also subscribes to success-as-dress-size rather than general health and well-being. And calorie-counting, for my money, should be banned from print. We know people gain weight when they have babies; that's Nature. The amazing thing is that each instance of public gain and loss is still met with wonder and fascination. And that this piece will likely influence at least one voter.

Sen. Gillibrand Shedding Pounds – But Politics Is Not Reason For Fitness Kick, She Says

Send an email to Sadie Stein, the author of this post, at Sadie@jezebel.com.

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Is the Atkins Diet For You?
The Atkins Diet is the grand daddy of the quick weight loss diets. It's based on severely limiting carbohydrates. Carbs are processed by the body to become sugar or glucose in the blood stream. Glucose is used by the body for energy and has to be released by insulin. If the carbs consumed for the day aren't enough, the body transforms the fat it has stored back into glucose for energy. That's the basis of the Atkin's Diet. Severely limit carbohydrates in the daily diet and the body has to fall back on its fat storage for energy.

Carbs also cause the blood sugar to spike which signals the body to produce insulin to remove the sugar from the bloodstream. This causes the blood sugar to drop which results in a craving for more carbs to raise it back up. Keeping the blood sugar levels at an even keel means the feelings of hunger are lessened.

The Atkins Diet's initial two week kick start program only allows 20 grams of carbs per day. The carbs from fiber are netted – subtracted from the total carb count. So for example, while 1/4 cup of blueberries has a total carb count of 5.1 grams, only 4.1 grams are counted because 1 gram is from fiber.

Protein such as fish, chicken, beef, and pork contains 0 grams. The diet also allows cheese and eggs. Seafood is tricky, some, like shrimp, have 0 grams and others like oysters, pack a walloping 12.5 grams per 6 oz.

You can have limited amounts, up to 3 cups daily, of green vegetables such as spinach, lettuce, kale, broccoli, asparagus, and cabbage. Fruit is not allowed. To give you examples of carb counts, an apple has a net 16 grams of carbs, a slice of wheat bread has 12 carbs. Alcohol in any form is not allowed during the kickoff stage. An exercise period of 30 minutes per day is mandatory.

After the initial two weeks, carbs are gradually and slowly added back to the diet, fruits and vegetables first. Some vegetables like sweet potatoes (19 grams) and corn (14 grams per 1/3 cup) contain too many carbs to ever become a regular part of the diet. The maximum level of carbs at stage two should be between 30 to 35. The objective is to continue losing weight but at a lesser rate than the initial two week period. If the weight loss stops the number of carbs being consumed has to decrease again.

The Atkin's maintenance diet is at a level of carbs where you've stopped losing weight but don't gain weight. It maxes out at about 40 grams of carbs per day. A turkey sandwich with mayo and sliced tomatoes is about 30 grams of carbs. A medium pear has 21 and one cup of 2% milk has 11.

Sugar, processed foods, flour and starches, such as potatoes and rice are pretty much off limits forever on the Atkins Diet. Most fruits have to be eaten in moderation if at all and certain vegetables as well.

The South Beach Diet: Is It the Diet For You?

The South Beach Diet is similar to the Atkins Diet in that it has an initial two week phase I period that drastically reduces carbs. The difference between Atkins and South Beach is that there are good carbs and bad carbs. The glycemic index of a food is what counts. The glycemic index is how much a food increases blood sugar compared to the amount that same quantity of white bread would increase blood sugar.

A spike in the blood sugar or glucose, signals the pancreas to make more insulin. The insulin's job is to get the sugar out of the blood stream into the organs for energy or into storage. The body stores glucose as fat. Keeping the blood sugar from spiking means less insulin is produced which means the sugars are absorbed slowly resulting in a steady level of decreasing sugar levels rather than a rush. Low blood sugar leads to cravings for sugary foods and over eating. And the cycle starts again.

Bad carbs spike the blood sugar. Good carbs don't. Good carbs are those from foods which contain a lot of fiber, such as whole grains or contain fiber and water such as fruit. The body takes longer to digest the good carbs so they enter the blood stream more slowly.

The longer food takes to digest the better. For example a piece of raw broccoli is better than cooked because your body has to work harder to digest the raw broccoli. The faster carbohydrates are digested, the more quickly they're turned into sugar – glucose, and the more likely they will be turned to stored fat.

Fiber, protein and fats slow down the digestive system which means the blood sugar rises slowly and falls slowly. The tendency to over eat is diminished and the onset of hunger delayed.

The South Beach Diet limits fats and oils and encourages the consumption of lean cuts of meat and low fat cheeses. Vegetables and fruits are allowed after the initial phase I – two week period. Whole grains can be added back including whole grain bread. White breads, cookies, cakes, rice, potatoes, and sugar are off limits except for special occasions.

The South Beach Diet is a change in eating patterns for life, but other than the forbidden processed foods, white flour, and sugar, the diet is reasonably manageable. It allows a broader selection of foods than the Atkins diet.

Who wins the battle?

It depends on your lifestyle and preferences. The Atkins Diet is easier to understand, but is more limiting in the choice of foods allowed. The South Beach Diet allows a greater variety, including fruit, but can get confusing determining which carbs are good and which are bad.

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“Many a small thing has been made large by the right kind of advertising.”

Advertising is life made to look larger than life, through images and words that promise a wish fulfilled, a dream come true, a problem solved. Even Viagra follows Mark Twain's keen observation about advertising. The worst kind of advertising exaggerates to get your attention, the best, gets your attention without exaggeration. It simply states a fact or reveals an emotional need, then lets you make the leap from “small to large.” Examples of the worst: before-and-after photos for weight loss products and cosmetic surgery-both descend to almost comic disbelief. The best: Apple's “silhouette” campaign for iPod and the breakthrough ads featuring Eminem-both catapult iPod to “instant cool” status.

“When in doubt, tell the truth.”

Today's advertising is full of gimmicks. They relentlessly hang on to a product like a ball and chain, keeping it from moving swiftly ahead of the competition, preventing any real communication of benefits or impetus to buy. The thinking is, if the gimmick is outrageous or silly enough, it's got to at least get their attention. Local car dealer ads are probably the worst offenders – using zoo animals, sledgehammers, clowns, bikini-clad models, anything unrelated to the product's real benefit. If the people who thought up these outrageous gimmicks spent half their energy just sticking to the product's real benefits and buying motivators, they'd have a great ad. What they don't realize is, they already have a lot to work with without resorting to gimmicks. There's the product with all its benefits, the brand, which undoubtedly they've spent money to promote, the competition and its weaknesses, and two powerful buying motivators-fear of loss and promise of gain. In other words, all you really have to do is tell the truth about your product and be honest about your customers' wants and needs. Of course, sometimes that's not so easy. You have to do some digging to find out what you customers really want, what your competition has to offer them, and why your product is better.

“Facts are stubborn things, but statistics are more pliable.”

In advertising, you have to be very careful how you use facts. As any politician will tell you, facts are scary things. They have no stretch, no pliability, no room for misinterpretation. They're indisputable. And used correctly, very powerful. But statistics, now there's something advertisers and politicians love. “Nine out of ten doctors recommend Preparation J.” Who can dispute that? Or “Five out of six dentists recommend Sunshine Gum.” Makes me want to run out and buy a pack of Sunshine right now. Hold it. Rewind.

“Whenever you find you're on the side of the majority, it is time to reform.”

Let's take a look at how these stats-this apparent majority-might have come to be. First off, how many doctors did they ask before they found nine out of ten to agree that Preparation J did the job? 1,000? 10,000? And how many dentists hated the idea of their patients chewing gum but relented, saying, “Most chewing gum has sugar and other ingredients, that rot out your teeth, but if the guy's gotta chew the darn stuff, it may as well be Sunshine, which has less sugar in it.” The point is, stats can be manipulated to say almost anything. And yes, the devil's in the details. The fact is, there's usually a 5% chance you can get any kind of result simply by accident. And because many statistical studies are biased and not “double blind” (both subject and doctor don't know who was given the test product and who got the placebo). Worst of all, statistics usually need the endless buttressing of legal disclaimers. If you don't believe me, try to read the full-page of legally mandated warnings for that weight- loss pill you've been taking. Bottom line: stick to facts. Then back them up with sound selling arguments that address the needs of your customer.

“The difference between the right word and almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.”

To write really effective ad copy means choosing exactly the right word at the right time. You want to lead your customer to every benefit your product has to offer, and you want to shed the best light on every benefit. It also means you don't want to give them any reason or opportunity to wander away from your argument. If they wander, you're history. They're off to the next page, another TV channel or a new website. So make every word say exactly what you mean it to say, no more, no less. Example: if a product is new, don't be afraid to say “new” (a product is only new once in its life, so exploit the fact).

“Great people make us feel we can become great.”

And so do great ads. While they can't convince us we'll become millionaires, be as famous as Madonna, or as likeable as Tom Cruise, they make us feel we might be as attractive, famous, wealthy, or admired as we'd like to think we can be. Because there's a “Little Engine That Could” in all of us that says, under the right conditions, we could beat the odds and catch the brass ring, win the lottery, or sell that book we've been working on. Great advertising taps into that belief without going overboard. An effective ad promoting the lottery once used pictures of people sitting on an exotic beach with little beach umbrellas in their cocktails (a perfectly realistic image for the average person) with the line: Somebody's has to win, may as well be you.”

“The universal brotherhood of man is our most precious possession.”

We're all part of the same family of creatures called homo sapiens. We each want to be admired, respected and loved. We want to feel secure in our lives and our jobs. So create ads that touch the soul. Use an emotional appeal in your visual, headline and copy. Even humor, used correctly, can be a powerful tool that connects you to your potential customer. It doesn't matter if you're selling shoes or software, people will always respond to what you have to sell them on an emotional level. Once they've made the decision to buy, the justification process kicks in to confirm the decision. To put it another way, once they're convinced you're a mensche with real feelings for their hopes and wants as well as their problems, they'll go from prospect to customer.

“A human being has a natural desire to have more of a good thing than he needs.”

Ain't it the truth. More money, more clothes, fancier car, bigger house. It's what advertising feeds on. “You need this. And you need more of it every day.” It's the universal mantra that drives consumption to the limits of our charge cards. So, how to tap into this insatiable appetite for more stuff? Convince buyers that more is better. Colgate offers 20% more toothpaste in the giant economy size. You get 60 more sheets with the big Charmin roll of toilet paper. GE light bulbs are 15% brighter. Raisin Brain now has 25% more raisins. When Detroit found it couldn't sell more cars per household to an already saturated U.S. market, they started selling more car per car-SUVs and trucks got bigger and more powerful. They're still selling giant 3-ton SUVs that get 15 miles per gallon.

“Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.”

Who gets the girl? Who attracts the sharpest guy? Who lands the big promotion? Neiman Marcus knows. So does Abercrombie & Fitch. And Saks Fifth Avenue. Why else would you fork over $900 for a power suit? Or $600 for a pair of shoes? Observers from Aristotle to the twentieth century have consistently maintained that character is immanent in appearance, asserting that clothes reveal a rich palette of interior qualities as well as a brand mark of social identity. Here's where the right advertising pays for itself big time. Where you must have the perfect model (not necessarily the most attractive) and really creative photographers and directors who know how to tell a story, create a mood, convince you that you're not buying the “emperor's clothes.” Example of good fashion advertising: the Levis black-and-white spot featuring a teenager driving through the side streets and alleys of the Czech Republic. Stopping to pick up friends, he gets out of the car wearing just a shirt as the voiceover cheekily exclaims, “Reason 007: In Prague, you can trade them for a car.”

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Everyone in the world has been affected by the most annoying occurrence known to man… hiccups. They show up at the most awkward times and make a nuisance of themselves when you try to talk, sleep, or eat. But what exactly are hiccups? Why do we get them? And most importantly, how do we get rid of them?

Hiccups or sometimes called hiccoughs, are involuntary spasms of the diaphragm that repeats several times a minute. The diaphragm is the dome-shaped muscle that is at the bottom of your chest. The diaphragm almost always works perfectly. When you inhale, it pulls down to help pull air into the lungs. When you exhale, it pushes up to help push air out of the lungs. But sometimes the diaphragm becomes irritated. When this happens, it pulls jerks down, which makes you suck air into your throat suddenly. When the air rushing in hits your voice box, you're left with a big hiccup.

A lot of times, hiccups can happen if you eat too fast, eating too fast causes you to swallow air along with our food causing a case of the hiccups. Also, eating too much fatty foods, eating very hot or spicy foods or drinking too much can irritate the diaphragm and result in hiccups. Laughing vigorously or coughing can trigger hiccups as well. Some medical conditions such as hysteria, personality disorders, laryngitis, multiple sclerosis, meningitis, peptic ulcers, low sodium, low potassium, low calcium, high glucose, emotional stress, smoking, sudden temperature changes, stomach inflammation, and indigestion can also cause hiccups.

A case of the hiccups is rarely a medical emergency, however if your case of the hiccups is frequent and last more than 3 hours, or if they interfere with your daily life such as your sleeping patterns and you have any abdominal pain or you spit up blood when hiccupping, you really should seek medical attention. Any disease or disorder that irritates the nerves that control the diaphragm such as pleurisy or pneumonia or a stroke or tumor affecting the hiccup center in the brain can cause a medical emergency. If you have recently had abdominal surgery, hiccups can be present. Doctors have prescribed medications suck as Lioresal and Dilantin, both have been successful to get rid of those annoying hiccups. A last resort for ridding hiccups has been surgery to disable the phrenic nerve, but like I said that is a last resort.

Hiccups are common and normal in newborns and infants. During the first few months, babies will hiccup at regular intervals, this is quite normal and is nothing to be alarmed about, and you may notice hiccups to be present particularly when the baby gets excited or just after feeding. Much has to do with the relative immaturity of the baby's internal organs. Frequent burping during feeding may decrease the instances of the hiccups. Hiccups for babies can last anywhere fro a minute or so up to an hour at a time but they do not harm the baby in any way.

The most known case of the hiccups was from Charles Osborne, he began hiccupping in 1922 while slaughtering a hog and they continued for 68 years until he died of complications from ulcers in 1991. Despite his conditions, he was able to lead a normal life, marry twice and have eight children.

A lot of home remedies exist for getting rid of hiccups. Here are some things that you can try:

Hold your breath.

Drink a glass of water quickly.

Have someone try to scare you.

Use smelling salts.

Pull hard on your tongue.

Place half a teaspoon of dry sugar on the back of your tongue.

Bite into a wedge of lemon.

One shot of apple vinegar.

Rub the soft part of the pallet on the inside of your mouth for 20-30 seconds.

Chew up and swallow one large marshmallow.

The reason that these remedies are thought to work is that carbon dioxide build-up in the blood will stop hiccups, which is what happens when you hold your breath. If the vagus nerve that runs from the brain to the stomach is stimulated, hiccups can also be alleviated (this is what is happening when you drink water or pull on your tongue).

All in all, this annoying reaction can be resolved by one of the hundreds of home remedies that are out there, if none of them work for you…patience is a virtue.

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If you suffer from seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, then you are well aware that weight gain in the winter is one of the numerous, unpleasant, symptoms of the disorder. Also known as the winter blues, or winter depression, seasonal affective disorder causes not only depression, but a need for more sleep, lack of desire to do daily activities, and cravings for sweets, chips, and other unhealthy carbohydrates. When you add all of that up, weight gain is the result. Some may loose the weight in the summer, but yo-yo dieting, and repeated weight gain and loss takes a toll on the body, so it is best to avoid that cycle.

Why do we who suffer from SAD crave starchy and sweet foods when the darkness of winter arrives? It is thought that because we are getting less sunlight that our serotonin levels drop, and eating carbohydrates makes us feel better because they boost our serotonin levels. We tend to choose the worst ones, as they give us the quicker lift, and of course, the quicker, deeper crash, too. So what is the best plan of attack for those of us with seasonal affective disorder? Put up you hands, back away from the brownies, and I will tell you.

Eat the Good Carbohydrates

What, you say? I can still eat carbs? Well sure you can, and must, just not the simple carbohydrates that give you the quick fix, especially those with white sugar, and white flour. Instead choose from a wide variety of complex carbohydrates. They take longer to break down, and generally much healthier, and they do not contribute to the sugar crashes. In fact, they help you control your SAD weight gain.

Complex carbohydrates are found in whole grains, such as whole wheat and multigrain breads, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, and even popcorn. Fruits and vegetables are also packed with complex carbohydrates that will meet that craving without packing on the pounds. Eat from a wide range of fruits and vegetables each day, along with 3 to 5 servings of whole grains.

Less Red Meat, More Fish

While protein is important, people with seasonal affective disorder benefit from a low fat diet that is not overly heavy on protein. A diet that contains a minimum of red meat and a bigger emphasis on fish can be very helpful. Look for fish rich in omega three fatty acids, which have been found to ease depression symptoms. Tuna, mackerel, salmon and halibut are all good choices.

Get Your Vitamin D

Many people do not get enough vitamin D from sun exposure during the winter months, and need to get their vitamin D from food and supplements, instead. If you live north of Florida in the winter, then you are not going to get enough sunshine in the dark winter to produce the vitamin D that your body needs. Again, fish contain vitamin D, as do most dairy products. Choose low fat milk, cheese and yogurt. If you live in a place were there is very little sunshine in the winter, such as rainy places like Seattle, taking a supplement with vitamin D is a good choice.

As you can see, the best diet to control the weight gain associated with seasonal affective disorder, and to ease the symptoms, as well, is an all over healthy diet full of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and low fat protein and dairy products. This type of diet is one that is good for everyone, no matter the season.

Jase Donaldson
Seasonal Affective Disorder–Diet and Nutrition Tips
http://www.anxiety-and-depression-solutions.com

Seasonal Depression
http://www.webmd.com

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Scientists have identified today as the peak of winter-induced depression. Ariel Leve on why seasonal affective disorder does a disservice to those of us committed to year-round despair.

Scientists have identified January 25 as the most depressing day of the year, and it's probably because people with seasonal affective disorder are reaching the peaks of their suffering.

I’m all for suffering. And I know I shouldn’t begrudge other peoples' suffering. If it makes them happy, why should I care?

SAD sufferers are tourists in the misery world.

But I do. Because whenever I hear someone say that they suffer from seasonal affective disorder, I immediately discount them as qualified sufferers. If you’re going to suffer from something and call it a disorder, it should at least have the potential for dire consequences. A kidney failing. Or being unable to leave the house for 30 years. What are SAD sufferers at risk of? Oversleeping. Craving carbohydrates. Oh, and negative thoughts.

OK, some people aren’t used to negative thoughts. But then why not just say you’re depressed? Like a normal person. I met someone the other day who said she has SAD.

“It’s a real disorder,” she said, “Believe me.”

I didn’t. Afternoon napping doesn’t count as a symptom.

There are several reasons I’m suspicious of SAD. For starters, the acronym is too cute. What are the chances a disorder just happens to spell out the precise sensation that it causes? Also, it’s seasonal affective disorder, but the only season it applies to is winter. No one gets SAD in spring. I’m convinced the acronym came first; it’s a made-to-order disorder.

SAD supposedly kicks in as soon as the days get shorter and it begins to get dark at 5 o’clock. I don’t understand this at all. I panic when the days start to get longer. It means three or four hours of extra daylight to fill. It’s a lot of pressure. In January, you can be in for the night at 5 p.m. and no one cares. But in June? It’s like the middle of the day. I feel like a loser when I’m in for the night and the sun is still out.

As for how to treat SAD, a light box is usually what’s suggested. SADsters swear by the mood-changing power of the light box. An effective “bright-light therapy session” would mean being exposed to a light of at least 3,000 lux for about an hour a day, three times a week. This will ward off the blues.

You know what else will ward of the blues? A big bucket of money. I bet if someone put that on my desk, it would instantly brighten my mood.

I went to a Web site based in the U.K.—the leading supplier for medically proven SAD lights. There was SAD Research, SAD help, SAD accessories, and so many SAD lamps to choose from and instructions on how to work out which SAD lighting was appropriate, I could feel myself sinking with every passing second.

I had to turn off the computer and sit in the dark to recover.

Not to mention that I was surprised they even have SAD sufferers in the U.K. It’s not like in America where everyone expects you to be up all the time. People in London are thrilled with the one hour of daylight that appears every other day. And in the U.K., “blues” are another story. Someone has to be dying of cancer before they’ll get the blues.

Since today is the most depressing day of the year, you’d think I’d be thankful to be around more of my people. Sad people. But I’m not. SAD sufferers are tourists in the misery world. They show up around November, despair, and depart in April. Those of us that are year-round sufferers aren’t given a reprieve when open-toed sandals return.

Are people so desperate to suffer from something? I guess so. It just seems like if you’re going to suffer it might as well be from something worthwhile. Why not get a job that you hate? Or better yet, get a job that you love and have it taken away. And given to someone you hate. That kind of suffering has merit.

This winter I’ve decided I’m going to try to make an effort to be more accepting. More open-minded. There’s plenty of room in this world for everyone to suffer in harmony. Still, I was curious as to where SAD came from.

A search for the origins of SAD led me to discover there’s another SAD—social anxiety disorder. Now this is a much more authentic disorder. It’s been around longer, too. It might have saved Julius Caesar. Social fear dates back to 400 B.C. I bet if there was a SAD-off competition and two people had to debate who was sadder, the person with social anxiety disorder would win. They’re not just sad, they’re sad and alone.

No light-box will cure that.

Ariel Leve has been a journalist and columnist with The Sunday Times Magazine since 2003 where she has written investigative features, in- depth interviews and over a dozen cover stories. Her humorous weekly column, Cassandra, ran for five years, appearing first in the The Guardian, then in the Sunday Times. “It Could Be Worse, You Could Be Me” gathers together these pieces and will be out April 13, 2010. Visit her at: www.ariel-leve.com

For more of The Daily Beast, become a fan on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

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Leisure activities have never been more popular than they are in Britain today. But most people have to travel some distance to play golf, go fishing or just enjoy a game of tennis. As for blowing the stale air out of your lungs with a cliff walk, or a stroll on the beach at low tide, you're in for a full day's expedition.

Unless, that is, you're holidaying on the island of Guernsey. The island's 25 square miles are packed with accessible entertainment and activities, though happily not at the coast of conservation. You're never more than a 20 minute drive from a wide of variety of leisure facilities, both gentle and strenuous, from visiting historic churches to scuba diving or sailing. There is an intriguing Anglo-Norman heritage of architecture, culture, and cuisine, while even locals are surprised by the number of festivals and events being staged during the year.

Take the wildflower walks in spring and early summer. The Societé Guernesiaise organises conducted cliffpath rambles to see the massed wildflowers, plus visits to their specially protected orchid field, which have never been fertilised or ploughed. You don't need to be a botanist to enjoy sights that are unchanged by time.

Birdwatching could be big business in Guernsey, because many migratory species pass through the island.

Guernsey is proud of its beaches. They are clean and the sea is an unpolluted playground for water sports of all kinds – although no-one can pretend the sea is warm, it's just 'warmer' by September.

If fishing is your sport, then try sea angling for a change. No less than 53 British shore fishing records have been set in the Bailiwick's four islands, Alderney being especially fruitful. Competitions are run virtually all year round and you can use a light spinning rod either from rocky headlands, from boats, or casting on the beaches.

Plenty of competitive sports are on tap, too. Tennis, squash, golf at one of three courses, and indoor bowling among many sports at the Beau Séjour Centre on a rainy day.

If your interests are architectural and historical, then Guernsey is a layer-cake of sites, from Stone Age times to the Nazi occupation during World War II. There are menhirs and dolmans all over the place. Castle Cornet, guarding St. Peter Port, was begun in 1206 and has had a fascinatingly turbulent history, og which the boom of the noonday gun is a reminder.

As for events, these range from square dancing and the Battle of Flowers to the International Powerboat Week in September. There is always something on.

Finally, a word about accommodation and food. A quiet revolution has transformed hotels of late. Two and three star accommodation is normally en suite, with excellent five-star hotels too. Restaurants blend French and English cuisine, setting high standards that are reflected during the month-long Food and Wine Festival which takes place in April. Fresh seafood is always available and bountiful local produce ensures that you eat well, while if you are self-catering, then French brad, cheeses and other delicates are brought in to the market every day.

Islay & Jura Community Enterprises has prepared a £500,000 grant application for a vital refurbishment programme at the Mactaggart Leisure Centre, and needs your input and letters/e-mails of support

Islay and Jura Community Enterprises (IJCE) is to make an application to the Scottish Rural Development Plan (SRDP) for assistance with a major programme of essential refurbishment of the Mactaggart Leisure Centre. The final application will be submitted on January 29th, but putting this together has been a long process that has taken a year or more to prepare. Many folk have actively participated in the preparation of this, but the Board of IJCE needs one vital final push from the community to support the application. We have to write, or email, or fax our support, and add any new ideas or developments that we would like to see happen at the MLC. The Centre is now nearly 20 years old and while it has been very well maintained, many of the features of the place that we have come to take for granted have simply worn out. The wear and tear of the thousands of happy feet combined with the very high humidity levels that are an inevitable feature of an active swimming pool means that a huge amount of work is required simply to get the place back into the condition it was in when it first opened back in 1991. Continue reading….

In addition to those highlighted, there are myriads of other problems too. The floors are badly worn, the toilets need upgrading, new doors are required and the place is going to need serious re-decoration before long. What ideas do you have for developments at the Centre? Proposals put forward so far include better catering facilities for the Howatt Room, which will involve a new kitchen, and the provision of an external lift so that disabled persons can have access to the first floor. A better ventilation system for the gym is also a priority. The SRDP is possibly the last chance that IJCE will have to apply for this level of public funding for some considerable length of time because, as everyone is aware, we are about to see a real squeeze on public expenditure. The SRDP can allow a maximum of 90% grant assistance towards appropriate community support, and the good news is that IJCE already have match funds available to support the application, which will be a big help. It is up to us to provide as persuasive a case as possible for the pool, as competition for these resources is bound to be intense. There can be very few of us on Islay who have not benefited directly from this most valuable community resource, so please – everybody take a few minutes to write in, fill in a form or email your support and ideas just as soon as possible.

Big Problem – Air Handling Units
Air conditioning in a warm swimming pool hall is a big issue and the units which were intalled back in 1991 have done sterling work keeping pool users comfortable – but they are now sadly reaching the end of their useful life. The motors and fans that operate the machinery are badly corroded and need replaced with more up-to-date variable speed units.

Big Problem – The Roof
The roof of the building was last replaced in 1948, when the idea was to provide a lid for a whisky bond, not a swimming pool. The roofing material used back then was a type of asbestos-based tile which has not proved to have the staying power of traditional slates. Specifically, the tiles are starting to curl and distort, which means leaks. Lots of work has been done to stem the tide, but the time has come to replace the roof.

Big Problem – The Pool Hall Ceiling
The pool hall ceiling is magnificent – a towering arch built of beautiful tongue and grooved timber. It looks the part – but the pool hall is a harsh environment for wood and the
original varnish has now almost completely gone. The race is on to re-finish it before it starts to rot. This is a very big job that will require the pool to be emptied, and scaffolding erected so that the ceiling surface can be sanded and then re-varnished.

Everyone in the community is asked to write or e-mail their support for the Leisure Centre’s application either to MLC, School Street, Bowmore PA43 7JS or info@mactaggartleisurecentre.co.uk

This story was published with kind permission of the Ileach local newspaper.

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January 3, 2010 |

AP

Burj Dubai, the world's tallest building, seen at background centre, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Jan. 3, 2010. Burj Dubai is over 800 metres (2,625 ft) tall and has more than 160 stores, the most of any building in the world. Besides an observation deck on its 124th floor affording 360-degree views of the entire city, Burj Dubai is home to the world's first Armani Hotel, luxury offices and residences, and a variety of other sophisticated leisure and entertainment facilities. Burj Dubai will ultimately be the place of residence, work and leisure for a community of up to 12,000 people. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)

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