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May 2011

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Editorial

Send your ideas, thoughts and feelings to LetsConnect

Heather Haworth. Women’s Ministries Department. British Union Conference of the Seventh Day Adventist Church. Stanborough Park. Watford. Hertfordshire. WD25 9JZ. United Kingdom.

email contact:- Letsconnect

For past editions follow this link

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April showers bring forth May flowers. At least this is supposed to happen and this year it did. In my travels to Scotland and Wales, over the last month, I have never seen such an array of flowers and green leafy trees. In my English garden the forget- me-knots are blooming all over the place. You have also been productive and “flowered” some thoughtful articles and creative items.

Thanks Kathy for sharing your thoughts on Motherhood, and you Alysse too for all the pictures. Sharon has given us another in her stress series. It is a joy for me to bring them altogether in May’s Letsconnect.

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Pot-pourri

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The ‘L I T T L E’ Things

As you might remember, the head of a company survived the 9/11 attack because his son started kindergarten.

Another fellow was alive because it was his turn to bring donuts.

One woman was late because her alarm clock didn’t go off in time.

One was late because of being stuck on the NJ Turnpike because of an accident.

One of them missed his bus.

One spilled food on her clothes and had to take time to change.

One’s car wouldn’t start.

One couldn’t get a taxi.

The one that struck me was the man who put on a new pair of shoes that morning, took the various means to get to work but before he got there, he developed a blister on his foot. He stopped at a drugstore to buy a Band-Aid. That is why he is alive today...

Now, when I am stuck in traffic, miss an elevator, turn back to answer a ringing telephone... all the little things that annoy me. I think to myself, this is exactly where God wants me to be at this very moment.

Next time your morning seems to be going wrong, you can’t seem to find the car keys, you hit every traffic light, don’t get mad or frustrated; it may be just that God is at work watching over you.

May God continue to bless you with all those annoying little things and may you remember their possible purpose.

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Feature

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ARE YOU AT RISK?

Everyone has a different threshold at which they become stressed. It has nothing to do with weakness, as stress can affect anyone. Professor Stephen Palmer from the Centre for Stress Management in London defines stress as ‘an interaction between the person and the environment.’ He further states: ‘Stress is about too many demands and a lack of control. But it also depends on how the person perceives the situation.’

Individual response to stress varies greatly and is dependent on a number of factors, namely: genetic makeup; personality type and temperament; constitutional strengths and weaknesses; general health and well-being; life-changing events; environmental stressors.

Is stress on the increase and who is most affected?

In September 2000, Channel 4 commissioned a survey on stress. The poll was conducted by Taylor Nelson Sofres Phonebus, who interviewed 534 adults aged 16 and over, in full and part-time work.

The survey revealed some fascinating facts about our stressful lives:

· The most stressed-out region in the survey was the south-east, with 49% reporting an increase in stress which was related to work issues.

· People living in the south-west found their stress levels most unacceptable. This amounted to 27% compared with 15% nationwide.

· The highest percentage suffering from increased stress were widowed, divorced or separated. Sixty-two percent in the group said stress had escalated.

· Forty-one percent of people working full or part-time said their stress levels had increased in the previous 12 months. This equates to 11.5 million British workers feeling stress levels rise in that time. However part-time workers were less likely to report increased stress levels, with 29% saying they felt more stress compared with 45% of full-timers.

· Forty-three percent of workers with children reported increased stress compared with 40% of women.

· People who were married were slightly less likely than average (at 40%) to report stress levels going up.

· Young people were more likely to say stress levels had gone up. Forty-six percent of 16-24-year-olds said stress had risen. Among 25-34-year-olds, the figure fell to 41%, increasing slightly to 42% of 35-44-year-olds, and decreasing 38% of 45-54-year-olds, and 36% of 55-64-year-olds.

We continue risk factors in the next issue. Until then, don’t get stressed!

Sharon Platt-McDonald

RGN, RM, RHV, MSc

Health Ministries Director, BUC

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Issues

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THE FOOD FACTOR

When we are stressed, our bodies produce stress hormones which release fatty acids and sugars to help us cope. Food choices can impact our stress response.

Experts in the field of stress management have identified the following key foods which aggravate stress reactions in certain people.

Avoid

·         high intake of refined sugars such as chocolate, cake, biscuits and sugar-based foods;

·         foods high in fat;

·         stimulants such as coffee or cola-based drinks.

Sugar

Refined sugar produces quick energy surges, giving a short-term high. The body has to produce extra insulin to deal with the influx of sugar and this causes a drop in blood sugar levels, resulting in a feeling of increased tiredness and a yearning for more sweet snacks. A self-defeating cycle occurs.

Vitamins and minerals

Insufficient magnesium, zinc and vitamin B6 (found in vegetables, fruit and pulses) has been linked to depression. However, too much of some nutrients can over-stimulate the nervous system, leading to feelings of anxiety.

Stimulants

Alcohol dehydrates, acts as a depressant and can increase mood swings, depressive symptoms and aggression.

Avoid coffee, tea, cola drinks and chocolate as these contain varying amounts of caffeine which acts as a stimulant.

The adrenal gland may become overactive due to stress. The use of stimulants can encourage the adrenal system to work harder than necessary.

Saturated fats

Avoid saturated fats. a high fat diet can lead to raised levels of cholesterol which is linked to coronary heart disease and high blood pressure. Since stress is also believed to contribute to heart problems and raised blood pressure, extra care should be taken to avoid diet risks.

Junk food

Try to avoid ‘fast foods’ as they usually contain unhealthy levels of fat, salt and additives.

Salt

Avoid excessive amounts of salt (sodium) which can also raise blood pressure, leading to possible heart problems. About a quarter of the salt we need is found naturally in food. However, many processed foods contain unhealthily high salt levels.

Water

Drinking adequate water helps flush out toxin (enhancing well-being) and keeps the kidneys working well. Current medical advice suggests up to 2 litres daily. Avoid sugary flavourings, as this encourages the body to produce more insulin, as state earlier.

Some people overeat when they feel stressed, while others lose their appetite. in the next issue we examine nutrition and the stress response and its role in combating stress.

Good health!

Sharon Platt-McDonald

RGN, RM, RHV, MSc

Health Ministries Director, BUC

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Health and Beauty

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IS YOUR JOB STRESSING YOU?

This issue in the stress series comes with a disclaimer: If your job features as highly stressed in the list below, the writer cannot be held responsible for any stress this discovery may cause you.

Life in the Western World today consists of longer working hours and associated escalating stress levels.

Europeans under stress

The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions in 2001 found that most Europeans are working in stressful conditions. In the report, Dr Lennart Levi, Professor of Psychosocial Medicine at the Karolinksa Institute, Sweden, stated that more than a quarter (28%) of the European workforce complain of stress.

Further studies by The Public & Commercial Services Union in 2003 produced the following alarming statistics:

· UK Employees work the longest hours in Europe.

· Forty-two percent regularly work more than 48 hours a week.

· Sixty percent of all work absences in the UK are caused by stress.

· Stress costs the UK economy £8 billion a year.

· Fifty-two percent of employees often find work means they are too tired to enjoy their free time.

· One in the three UK residents find their working hours prevent them from spending enough time with their family.

How stressful is your job?

Britain’s 20 most stressful jobs*

1. Prison officer. 2. Police. 3. Social work. 4. Teaching. 5. Ambulance service. 6. Nursing. 7. Medicine. 8. Firefighting. 9. Dentistry. 10. Mining. 11. Armed forces. 12. Construction. 13. Management. 14. Acting. 15 Journalism. 16 Linguist. 17. Film producer. 18. Professional sport. 19. Catering/hotel industry. 20. Public transport.

* Research by Professor Cary Cooper from University of Manchester’s Institute of Science and Technology in 1997, assessing 104 jobs.

Over 60% of the 104 jobs showed increases in stress levels from 1985 to 1997.

If your job is not on the list above, you may have wondered why it was missing! If you are experiencing work-related stress, then you need to raise your concerns with your employer.

Current law encourages employers to have workplace policies which reflect flexible working practices. This gives employees a chance of a good work-life balance by allowing them more say in how they undertake their working life. When this is achieved, research has found that employees are more productive and live healthier lives.

Sharon Platt-McDonald

RGN, RM, RHV, MSc

Health Ministries Director, BUC

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Inspiration

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ON BEING MOTHER

Motherhood: the kinship relationship between an offspring and the mother.

For the majority of us the word mother conjures up feelings of warmth, trust, love, courage and a host of other positive emotions.

The dictionary defines the word mother as a female who conceives, births (though not always), and nurtures her young. Through the years, perhaps more so today, there are mothers who, for one reason or another have not been through the conception and birthing processes because of a variety of reasons including an inability to conceive, death and or separation, but nurture young ones, they have chosen to bring up as their own. The term mother is also used to indicate something of great significance, the mother country, mother earth, the mother of all wars (the Iraq war) etc.

As a midwife my role is to be with a woman as she grows, nurtures and births her offspring, to provide antenatal, intra-partum (care in labour) and postnatal care. For the past 11 years I have worked as a Specialist Midwife, with a specialising in Safeguarding. Over the years I have had opportunity to take a good look at motherhood at very close quarters and it has been an extremely enriching experience.

Mothers come in all shapes and sizes, large, small, short, tall, all colours, red, white, black, yellow and religions from non believers in God to dedicated Christian, all levels of educational attainments from illiterate to Doctors. However, we all start at the same place, as novices. Even those who have had the advantage of looking after younger relatives become stumped, when it comes to caring for their own, though for some, this may be only fleeting.

The role of a mother is very seldom a bed of roses, for she must discipline which will include handing out punishment, bare embarrassment that comes when children fail to take advice and get themselves into all sorts of problems. She will, however, do what she can to support her child through his/her troubles, providing a shoulder to cry on and a solace during these difficult times, becoming an educator, cook, nursemaid and bottle washer. Every now and again a child will engage in some behaviour that brings pride and a sense of achievement to their mother. Until finally they reach adulthood and low and behold, despite the fact that they have sworn never to, they turn into an identifiable version of their mother.

A mother almost always bares the blame when their child chooses a course of action that is almost guaranteed to lead to pain and suffering. Mothers more often than not tend to put the needs of their children above their own. In fact this is one of the measures used by professionals to determine whether or not she is fit to be a mother, sometimes even to her own children.

Apart from Adam and Eve, there is no one on earth who did not at one time or another have a mother. When God made man he made him with the capacity to reproduce.

“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth...” Genesis 1:28.

Unfortunately as a direct result of sin, child bearing became a very risky time for women.

“Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception, in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children and thy desire shall be to thy husband and he shall rule over thee.” Genesis 3:16.

Despite the hardship, women continue to reproduce some returning 10 times or more. For the majority of women going through labour, the most popular phrase is “never again” yet how many times have I heard a new mother say, never again and the following year they arrive back on the labour ward. Women chose to enter motherhood for a variety of reasons though the majority of babies are unplanned and perhaps it is here that the problems often begin.

Why a problem? As stated before, being a mother is not a bed of roses and it does not come with an instruction manual. However, it is the most important role any woman will undertake in her lifetime and unfortunately there is no practice run. It is important, therefore, for mothers to keep an open mind, take advice, and most important of all, seek spiritual guidance in nurturing and training her children.

The writer, Ellen G White, writes in her book Child Guidance, that by the age of three a child has already formed a character. Therefore, this suggests that the rest of its formative years are really about establishing and building on that character. As the poet says, children learn what they live, consequently if a mother’s character is not positive, then without the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the child’s character will not be a desirable one. However, with Spiritual guidance even the weakest character can be trained to become a person of great stature.

So to all you mothers out there doing a sterling job, with words by Karl Fuchs, I salute you:

What “Mother” means

Mother is such a simple word,

But to me there’s meaning seldom heard.

For everything I am today,

My mother’s love showed me the way.

I’ll love my mother all my days,

For enriching my life in so many ways.

She set me straight and then set me free,

And that’s what the word “mother” means to me.

Thanks for being a wonderful mother, Mum!

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Men's page

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THE FOOD FACTOR

Research shows that we can make nutrition and lifestyle choices that decrease vulnerability to stress, increase the ability to cope when stress occurs, and protect against negative outcomes of stress.

Maintaining a healthy, balanced diet is important as chronic stress can affect the body’s nutritional needs, metabolism, brain function, mood, immunity and general health. It also increases the risk of certain diseases and affects longevity.

The body utilises energy at a faster rate when stressed. This change has an impact on metabolism and, consequently, the requirements of nutrients.

Stress hormones accelerate heart rate; increase muscle tension, elevate blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride levels which increases the metabolic rate.

Increased metabolism can stimulate an increase in the use and excretion of carbohydrates, fats, proteins and nutrients such as vitamins A, B complex, C, D, E and K, and also minerals such as calcium, chromium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, selenium and zinc.

Nutrition choices can have a profound effect on the stress response.

Vulnerability to stress increases with poor diet and can impair brain function.

Skipping meals drops blood sugar levels, causing reactions in the nervous system, which can create feelings of anxiety.

Depressed individuals may crave sugary and/or fatty foods during times of stress.

Excess amounts of sugars and refined foods can diminish thiamine, niacin, B12, magnesium and calcium. Reduced levels of these nutrients can increase nervousness, anxiety, fatigue, irritability and nervous system response leading to increased stress sensitivity and tendency to aggression.

Caffeine increases stress hormones, irritability, dehydration and encourages loss of calcium, magnesium and B vitamins.

Excess protein (particularly animal) creates metabolic stress and robs the bones of calcium.

A stress buster diet could consist of the following:

Omega 3 fats – have been suggested by research to have a calming and anti-depressive effect on the nervous system, enhancing brain health and mental well-being. Rich sources are flax seeds, walnuts and almonds.

High-fibre diet rich in fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains maintains appetite satisfaction, discourages snacking and provides vitamins A, C, B6 and B vitamins niacin, thiamine, riboflavin and folate for good nervous system health. High-fibre diets improve mood and curb afternoon drowsiness.

Minerals such as magnesium, iron, selenium, zinc, phosphorus and calcium are provided by the above foods and result in significant stress protection, enhance energy and alertness and encourage good nerve impulse transmission.

Eat well!

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Lifestyle

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RISK FACTORS

Staley, a facilitator who runs the CALM programme which aims to alleviate stress, says this: ‘Much of our lives are subject to “rainbow chasing”, we go to bed, but not to sleep; eat food but not to satisfy our appetites; take medicine but do not improve our health; live in beautiful houses which are not happy homes; and buy luxuries which do not bring us contentment.’ He further states, ‘Most people are now prey to the tensions of living in one place, working in another and taking leisure in a third.’

We need to find ways to deal with stress before it deals with us.

Quick tips

·       Trust God to take over; he’s in charge anyway.

·       Some stress is necessary to motivate or inspire productivity.

·       Too much stress (pressure that continues for too long and leaves you feeling out of control) can be harmful.

·       Recognise symptoms early.

·       Identify cause.

·       Seek practical solutions like the following:

a.     Write down in order of priority what stresses you.

b.    Talk to a friend or counsellor – unloading helps.

c.     Accept what cannot be changed – it brings some relief.

d.    Try to avoid too may life-change events in the course of a twelve month period.

e.     Let go of resentment – it’s toxic to the mind and induces stress.

f.      Take time for rest and relaxation – it rejuvenates.

g.     Avoid junk food – it can aggravate stress symptoms.

h.    Maintain regular exercise to burn excess adrenaline.

A popular check for identifying stress was devised by tow American psychologists, Holmes and Rahe,* who created a scale of forty-three life events considered to be stressful. Each event is scored according to the degree of stress associated with the activity. According to the scale, the top ten most stressful life events are listed here: � death of a partner � divorce � separation from partner � imprisonment � death of a close family member � personal illness or injury � marriage � dismissal from work � change of job � retirement.

Are you feeling stressed? Take time to reflect on the cause but realise that there is always a way of dealing with it. Helen Keller has this advice: ‘Although the world is full of suffering it is also full of the overcoming of it.’

* Holmes and Rahe (1967) ‘The social readjustment rating scale’ Psychosomatic Medicine, 11: 213-18.

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