Try to make people forget their problems

Of debate and distraction Can food be addictive? Food is on the very short list of reasons addiction is physiologically possible. Food, sex and survival are why addiction exists. Given this, some very interesting questions follow logically. How much does the food industry know about the addictive properties of food and have they willfully used such knowledge to influence what, and how much, we eat? For those who missed the memo then, it has been delivered again more recently, and beautifully, by Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Moss. Stated differently, when they told us betcha can't eat just one! You're going to a party alone! It will help you project an air of confidence if you can muster up the mind-set I am secure and content, and I am going to take myself out on the town because I want to. This kind of boldness can add an air of excitement to your evening. Jamie hadn't gone out alone yet, but after hearing about impending layoffs at her job, she was motivated to attend a local Media Networking Night. She fiddled with the straps of her new dress, smoothed down her hemline, and walked into the restaurant. She saw small crowds of people--all strangers. Who am I going to talk to? Jamie picked up a marker and wrote out a name tag, Advertising, Jamie, and put it on her chest. She walked to the bar and ordered a drink. Feeling embarrassed that nobody had come up to talk to her, a few minutes later she escaped to the ladies' room. A son notices that his mother is searching for her handbag and he recognises that if she does not find it in the next minute, she will accuse him of having stolen it. What have you done with my handbag?

I put it here a few minutes ago. Where is it? Let me help you search. It's got my money in it. You're so stupid sometimes. She bosses him around, telling him where to search. He does not get upset, but merely goes with the flow. Eventually, they find the handbag. It was a threat as much as an ad campaign for potato chips, and one the manufacturer knew could be taken to the bank. Another interesting question that follows from the irrefutable addictiveness of food and the almost equally irrefutable food industry exploitations of that vulnerability is -- what do we do now? Public policy responses like regulation of food marking are perennially debated. Tactics for self-defense encompassing, but not limited to, environmental cues, food volume, flavor variety and food simplicity are all up for grabs . The simple, summative answer, however, is the one the punctuates The Truth about Food like the beats of a metronome: eat wholesome foods in some sensible variety. Our native reward system is designed to give us pleasure not for overeating, but for eating enough; Endorphins, in the absence of opioid drugs, are beneficial not harmful, and so, too, the rewards they induce, for such actions as running (the famous runner's high). Similarly, the pleasure of good food can be entirely pleasurable, but only when our reward system is dealing with actual, recognizable food, and not the willfully addicted impostors that have taken over so much of the food supply. Perhaps not entirely easy, but certainly simple. Eat wholesome foods in a sensible arrangement, and if you are addicted to that, well then - good! She soon ventured back out and did a lap around the room but wasn't feeling brave enough to join a conversation midstream. Back to the ladies' room she went.

I felt less uncomfortable out alone if I set a concrete goal--whether it was to introduce myself to a specific person or to say hi to a set number of new people. Jamie felt relieved to be ensconced in the only room where she didn't have to make small talk, when the bathroom attendant, the first person who spoke to her all night, started asking her questions. Honey, who are you hiding from? Jamie told the friendly woman that she'd recently separated and hadn't gone out alone in more than a decade. The attendant handed her a mint and some good advice. You have a gorgeous dress on. Don't come back until you've introduced yourself to three new people and smiled at five, she told her. It's not hard, she said, extending her hand. Nevertheless, mother is still agitated, therefore the son apologises. I'll be more careful in the future, sorry Mum. This is the sorry (S) that attempts to resolve the issue for the PWD and deal with any residual frustration. The brain is like the central control room of a giant rail system, with traffic going back and forth all the time to all areas of the network. Most of the system runs automatically, but occasionally a controller has to make a decision or deal with an error or problem. However, if the rail organisation started losing its controllers, and could no longer respond to errors, it would not take too long before the whole network failed. When this analogy is applied to dementia, we can see that dementia is a disease of the whole body and not just related to poor memory or decision-making. The brain cells (like the controllers) are responsible for running and coordinating a complex network. In this article we have illustrated some of the sensory and physical changes that occur alongside the intellectual difficulties. Indeed, it is vital for carers to recognise that the way they approach, talk and touch PWD requires some careful thought and empathy. As food security concerns increase globally there is ever more interest in sourcing food sustainably from the sea . Algae and other plants from the sea such as seaweed have long figured in some traditional diets, notably diets in Southeast Asia, but global intake and applications are now increasing .

In some cases algae are used as a source of nutrient supplements. Omega-3 supplements made exclusively from algae and providing the same long-chain omega-3 fats as fish oil are commercially available. The antioxidant astaxanthin is produced from a cultivated alga called Haematococcus . In some cases algae are used as a whole food ingredient. Powder made from Spirulina is best known . Additional applications of algae in food are likely, if not assured, and of interest to those concerned with both health, sustainability, and global food security . Both food quality and food quantity are relevant to weight and health . Calories can matter to everybody, without every body metabolizing all calories just the same . Jamie shook her hand and introduced herself. Introduce myself to three people? Jamie asked, as she reapplied her lipstick. I've been doing this a long time, and you're not the first shy woman I've kicked out of the bathroom. Three is the magic number. Let me know how it goes. Jamie gathered her courage and left the loo. She spied an older woman alone, figured she was safe, and introduced herself. After some chitchat about a new shop that had just opened, the older woman excused herself because she was meeting her son for dinner downstairs. Jamie decided to order another drink and wondered if introducing herself to the bartender would count. During communication we should ensure PWD feel safe, valued, pain free and comfortable, respected and relevant. When all these needs are fulfilled it is less likely that the person will engage in BtC.

In article 5 we focus on how to communicate and interact with PWD during activities such as intimate care tasks and daily chores. If the appropriate levels of support are not given by carers during activities, the person may feel frustrated, patronised or angry, which can result in BtC. We also give guidance on how to adapt communication styles to meet the needs of PWD, considering the level at which the person can undertake tasks for themselves. Supporting people during activities of daily living (ADL) requires entry to the PWD's personal space and often having to touch them. This places a demand on the relationship and requires the carer, even when he knows the person well, to reconnect and reintroduce himself. The latter helps prepare the PWD for any kind of intimate touch that may occur. In this context we discuss the work of Teepa Snow (Hand under Hand techniques, HuH(TM), see Thwaites, article 7) as an example of effective connecting. This is a supportive handhold where your hand is moved under the person's hand and cradles it. While some number of calories is right for each of us, the same number of calories is not right for all of us, because of many important variations in metabolism . The single best way to fill up on the right number of calories is to eat high quality, wholesome foods . Do calories count? One of the many challenges to recognizing and respecting the simple truth about food is the ease with which truly trivial pursuits masquerade as investigation, important inquiry, scholarship, and even erudition. I should probably just go ahead and say that one of my pet peeves is questions that pretend to be deep and incisive while meaning, and offering us, next to nothing. Near the top of that aggravating list for me is: do calories count? The question appears, just that way and in variations, in many places, from blogs to the peer-reviewed scientific literature. My more memorable encounters with it took place in the New York Times . The question pretends to be important by conflating the relevance of calories to all of us with the exact needs of each of us. If we all agree that different people need different amounts of water because of variations in body size, living conditions, ambient heat, ambient humidity and physical activity to name a few - does that mean we should be asking: water, does volume matter ? While she was waiting for her wine, another woman ordered a drink. Having a nice time?