Dana Nolan, LMHC

Many people use this time of year to get a “fresh start” and make some changes in their lives. Most of the time these changes involve self-improvement like losing weight, exercising more, quitting smoking or addressing an emotional or relationship problem that has been worrisome. It is natural to use the ending of one year and the beginning of another to reflect on our lives, where we are headed and where we have been.This self-reflection can be a very insightful and positive exercise.

Regardless of what kind of change you may want to make, it is important to have realistic expectations of ourselves and to have a plan of action. When we are motivated to make a change, we are pumped up and want our excitement to translate into quick results! Unfortunately, this just does not happen as our habits are formed slowly, weight is put on over months and years, emotional and relationship problems evolve over time. But, DO NOT GET DISCOURAGED and stop your efforts to feel better and live better if you don’t see or feel results within a few days!

Here are some tips to help you be more successful with your New Year’s Resolutions:

1.Get rid of the words “always” and “never.” Don’t say that I am “always” going to go to the gym after work as there will be days that you simply can’t go every day at the same time. It is then too easy to say that “I blew it! I give up!” and just quit going to the gym altogether. Sometimes when people are going to lose weight they say “I am never going to eat chocolate again!” These statements are too rigid and absolute and don’t allow for the flexibility we all need in our lives.

2.Take your time. Lasting behavior change takes time to sink in and become routine. Additionally, our bodies need time to adjust to changes in physical activity, diet and quitting smoking, alcohol and caffeine.

3.Question why you are making a change. Are you quitting smoking because your spouse is nagging you incessantly? Are you trying to manage anxiety because your family said that you are driving them nuts? Successful life changes happen when we are able to identify what we personally plan to get out of that change. How will you FEEL if you quit smoking? Will you have more energy? Will you hopefully live longer to see your grandchildren grow up? How will your life be better if you finally get that claustrophobia under control? When we are able to connect with what WE will get out of making a change, we are far more likely to stick with it.

Best wishes for a happy, healthy New Year!

Dana Nolan, Mental Health Counselor

And

Tejal Parekh, RegisteredDietitian

Healthy Living Counseling, LLC

From the desk of Dana Nolan, Licensed Mental Health Counselor: It is that time of year again!  We will soon be seeing television commercials or images in magazines depicting families enjoying the holidays.  We see artfully decorated trees and beautifully set tables covered with perfectly cooked food.   Family members all appear to be getting along and are dressed in color-coordinated festive attire.

Do we ever see a frazzled mother frantically trying to get all the food on the table while it is still hot?   Where is that crazy relative who likes to tell jokes that not everyone thinks are funny?  We don’t see children running around the house excitedly fueled by too much candy or cookies.

Our lives usually feel stressful enough throughout the year. The holiday season can overwhelm us further if we feel compelled to live up to unrealistic expectations of what our holidays should be like.  Those “shoulds” can come from what we see in the movies or on TV.  They can come from childhood holiday memories.  The “shoulds” can be further fueled by pressure to keep up with the Jones’ down the road in terms how much money they spend on their children’s gifts or holiday decorations or similar stress and anxiety.

Take a moment and think about what is really important to you during the holiday season.  Think back on previous holidays and pick out your most enjoyable memories and do more of those things.   Stop for a moment when you think or feel a “should” about what you are doing this holiday season.   Where is that should coming from?   Is it a realistic and meaningful “should” that we have for our holidays?  If we can let go of unrealistic holiday expectations and focus on what is meaningful to us during the holidays, then we can get through this time of year more happily and healthfully!

Mental Health Counselor,  Dana Nolan will be the guest speaker for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society on Saturday, November 16, 2013.  The “Survivorship 101 Getting Back to Normal After Cancer Treatment” seminar is being held at the Ruth’s Chris Steak House, 610 N. Orlando Ave., Winter Park, Florida.

This is part of an educational program series provided by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, that provides mutual support and education for family members.  If you or a loved one have a diagnosis of Leukemia, Hodgkins Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, Myeloma or Myelodysplastic Syndrome, this seminar will provide you with information about Survivorship and to help you learn strategies to cope with the common emotional, physical, and social challenges that cancer survivors face.  This is a great opportunity to discuss anxiety and concern with others who share the same experiences.

Dana Nolan is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor.  She is a member of Healthy Living Counseling which provides counseling services for cancer and other serious illnesses.

Pre-registration/RSVP by November 13, 2013 for this FREE Cancer Seminar provided by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is required.  Please refer to the flyer below for more information.

 

 

With an estimated 19 million Americans living with major depression, it is quite likely that you or someone you know is struggling with this very treatable condition. Some of the common symptoms of depression include: change in appetite; sleep problems; fatigue; feeling worthless, guilty or hopeless; lack of interest in things you used to enjoy; avoiding family and friends; poor concentration/memory; decreased motivation and suicidal thoughts.

As a therapist, I have found that the most challenging symptoms of depression are the ones that lead a person to believe that nothing will ever get better (hopelessness) and that no one cares about them or would miss them if they were gone (worthlessness.) It is these beliefs that keep a depressed person from reaching out for help.

A combination of anti-depressants and cognitive behavioral therapy is the BEST treatment available and improves symptoms of depression most of the time. If someone you care about appears depressed, tell them that you are concerned about them, offer to go the doctor with them and encourage them that things will get better if they reach out to professionals for help.

Dana Nolan
Mental Health Counselor
Healthy Living Counseling, LLC

Therapist Dana Nolan and Dietitian Tejal Parekh will be offering presentations at the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society on Saturday, April 13, 2013.  The Blood Cancer Symposium is being held at the Citrus Club in Orlando, Florida.

This is part of an educational program series provided by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, that provides mutual support and education for family members.  If you or a loved one have a diagnosis of Leukemia, Hodgkins Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, Myeloma or Myelodysplastic Syndrome, this symposium will provide you with information about making Healthy Food Choices in the Fight Against Cancer, Cancer Treatment, and Survivorship (getting back to normal after cancer treatment).  This is a great opportunity to discuss anxiety and concern with others who share the same experiences.

Dana Nolan is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Tejal Parekh is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian.  Both professionals are members of Healthy Living Counseling which provides counseling services for cancer and other serious illnesses.

Pre-registration for this FREE Cancer Symposium provided by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is required.  Please refer to the flyer below for more information.

blood cancer lecture orlando florida

Why should we focus on reducing our stress levels? Feeling overwhelmed physically or emotionally on a regular basis has been proven in medical research to lead to high blood pressure, regular headaches, depression, anxiety, and weakens our immune system. Besides, it simply doesn’t feel good when our stress levels are too high!

While most people think that you have to be still and relax to combat stress, mental health professionals recommend that getting active is also an effective way to reduce stress. Stress feels like “pent up” energy and when we tire ourselves out physically, we are actually blowing off some of that energy and are more able to relax and our sleep improves. Here in Central Florida, we are lucky to have amazing weather most of the year and can take advantage of the many health benefits of a variety of outdoor activities. Being outside and getting some exercise are two things that reduce our experience of stress. We have many picturesque parks and nature trails in Central Florida. A great way to clear your mind is to take a walk or jump on a bike and hit the West Orange Trail, Cady Way, or the Seminole Wekiva Trail. If you work in downtown Orlando, talk a walk around Lake Eola during lunch or after work. Visit many of our local springs and rivers (like Wekiva Springs State Park, Kelly Park, or Blue Springs) for canoeing, kayaking, or swimming.

People from around the world visit Central Florida for our theme parks (Walt Disney World, Sea World, Universal Studios, Legoland Florida) and spending the day walking around the parks is a great way to take a break from our busy lives and enjoy the company of our family and friends. Even if you don’t have passes to any of the amusement parks, you can walk around Downtown Disney or Universal Orlando’s Citywalk and enjoy dinner, dancing, and live music.

Making time on a regular basis to break away from our busy lives to enjoy the outdoors and get our blood pumping is a very effective way to keep our stress levels at a manageable level. If you are feeling overwhelmed with stress and want to learn more ways to feel relaxed and in control, contact Dana Nolan at Healthy Living Counseling for a free brief telephone consultation to discuss ways to better manage stress in your life!

The offices of Counselor, Dana Nolan L.M.H.C. are located in Altamonte Springs located right off of Interstate 4, which is a just a short drive from Orlando.  If you are seeking counseling services for depression, anxiety, stress, grief or loss, phobias, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, insomnia, couples counseling, marriage counseling, parenting, weight loss, or are adjusting to a serious illness such as cancer, heart disease, chronic pain, HIV/AIDS, please do not hesitate to contact Healthy Living Counseling for a free 5 minute phone consultation to get yourself on the right track for healthier living.

Making a decision to get counseling can be a difficult one.  Sometimes making that first phone call can be the hardest part, but also the right start.  Our Licensed Mental Health Counselor can listen to you and answer your initial questions during the free 5 minute consultation.  It is important to not only find a qualified and professional therapist, but also to find a good therapist whom you are comfortable with talking to.  At Healthy Living Counseling, we want you to have an opportunity to speak with our counselor prior to your first actual appointment, so please don’t hesitate in taking advantage of our phone consultation.  Thank you, we look forward to your call.

 

This is a common question and an important one. Sugar, in its most simplest form, glucose does feed cancer cells just as it does all cells, healthy or not. It is the fuel needed for our body. To stop eating all foods containing sugar would not only be impractical ( as most foods are broken down in the body to glucose) but would also limit this fuel needed to power our healthy cells, including our brain.

When we eat food high in simple sugars, our body releases insulin, a growth hormone that takes care of the excess glucose in our body. It is believed that excess insulin may promote the growth of cancer cells and therefore our goal is to stabilize our glucose levels that will in turn, stabilize our insulin levels. How do we do this?

Essentially, we want to follow a diabetic diet. Eat small, frequent meals and snacks every 3 hours or so and avoid excess simple, processed sugars such as sodas, candy, cookies and cakes. We also want to eat more complex carbohydrates, i.e. whole grains. A meal containing protein, fat and/or fiber will help to slow down sugar absorption resulting in a slow rise in blood glucose levels and therefore a slow rise in insulin levels.

For more information or to clarify anything in this article, don’t hesitate to contact your Healthy Living Dietitian, Tejal Parekh, MS, RD/LDN.  Tejal provides services related to healthy eating for Cancer Patients, as well as, for people with heart disease, and other serious illnesses.

Libby’s Legacy Breast Cancer Foundation was formed in 2007.  Libby’s is a non-profit organization that provides free and low cost mammograms and follow up breast health services to under-served and uninsured women in the Central Florida Community.  Every year since 2007, Libby’s Legacy has coordinated a scooter ride which traverses throughout Orlando, known as Scooters 4 Hooters.


The event has nearly tripled in rider/participants and attendees since it first began. This event is held this year in downtown Orlando at Lake Eola Park, on Saturday March 23, 2013, from 12-6pm.  If you are interested in riding your scooter in this event, please visit Scooters 4 Hooters website or just come out and enjoy the free music fest and help support breast cancer.

How do I support my loved one who has cancer?
By Dana Nolan, LMHC

As a counselor who specializes in working with patients struggling with serious illnesses, I get many questions from caregivers about what they should say or do that is helpful and supportive. We are all very different in terms of what we find supportive when we are sick. Some people like a lot of support, reassurance and offers of practical assistance. Other people prefer to be treated completely normal (as if there is no health crisis at all) by their family and friends UNLESS they ask for assistance. There is not one right way to support someone you love when they have cancer. There is just the way that works best for them AND you!

My suggestion is to ask your loved one HOW you can best support them. Then, listen to what they have to say. Another good option is to really think about what you can do for them and offer specifics. Do you have the ability to drive them to a doctor/treatment appointment one day a week? Are you willing to mow their lawn while they are in treatment? Are you able to bring a family meal to them every other week? Are you available for them to call 24/7 if they just want to talk or cry? Many people are reluctant to ask for help when they have cancer because they don’t know how much is too much to ask. If you offer something specific, then there is no question in their mind what help you mean when you make the offer of assistance or support.

One last suggestion is to resist the temptation to tell your loved one with cancer to “always be positive and strong.” It is easy to feel positive when someone gets good news from the doctor or they are having a side-effect free day. But, when they are really struggling with side effects or just got news that their treatment isn’t working as planned, then pressure to “be positive” doesn’t feel helpful and often leads the person with cancer to feel as if they are failing as a patient. Our loved ones with cancer are entitled to every single emotion that accompanies their experience (the good, the bad and the ugly!) We can best support them by just listening to what they are feeling and accepting their sadness, tears or anger at their current situation just as we would listen to them and accept their emotions when they are sharing good news or joy that their cancer is in remission!