Irene Christodoulou's Corner

Although the word malignant has been used to describe cancer, it was also used for the expression "malignant thinking" in order to give the dimensions of the thinking of immoral persons. You surely feel astonished when someone talks to you in such a way as if you said or did sth very bad. This is because your saying or action was malignantly translated into his mind. Immoral people think that all others are immoral too. This is the psychological phenomenon of projection. In Freudian psychology , Psychological projection or projection bias is a psychological defense mechanism where a person unconsciously denies their own attributes, thoughts, and emotions, which are then ascribed to the outside world, such as to the weather, or to other people. Thus, it involves imagining or projecting that others have those feelings. [1] Projection reduces anxiety by allowing the expression of the unwanted unconscious impulses or desires without letting the conscious mind recogni...

Many of us have said "If I was a little bit luckier my life would be better". This is not always true. Because many people have been given enormous chances for making money, receive high standing positions, make relationships with wonderful persons, make friendships with very good persons who know what real friendship means, upgrade their lives in general  but they did not use the advantage of those chances. In fact, many of them did not even realize the chance when it appeared in front of their eyes. So, the matter is not only to have the chance but it is also to see the chance as soon as it "passes before your house". If you watch the Biographic Video for Madonna, you will see that she worked a lot and she enlarged all the chances that appeared before her. On the contrary, many people do not see their lucky moments because they are too stupid to do it or too narrow minded. A characteristic example is that you may hear two people expressing their opinion for the...

Today I was down town, and suddenly I noticed some nice accessories in an outdoor shop. It was some belts that attracted my attention but I had to wear them so as to see if they were long enough for my size. The seller told me "Everything suits you lady! You are perfect, don't you know it?" I was a little bit shy then, but I was aware later that my size now is Small to Medium, so the belts would be Ok and I didn't need to try them. Some things cannot be conceivable when your size changes from XXL to Small in only 14 months...Thanks, dear sir!

Never eat carbs alone... Never! Always have your carbs combined with sth of very low glycaemic index eg, chicken,turkey, dairy products, egg whites, etc. In this way you will alter your appetite you will be hungry less times during the day, you will receive less calories and will have better diet results. Also, at the same time, do not drink soda water or soft drinks that contain gas, because your appetite will become wild like the lion's one... ( Because if you perform the trick with lowering the glycaemic index and drink gassy drinks, the trick will fail).

Immigrants in Greece have some common characteristics which have to do with the character matching with their nationality in combination with the good-hearted profile of Greek people. When Greeks were immigrants in Germany ( for economic reasons), their behaviour had nothing to do with Russians and Albanians who live in Greece. Because the resulting behaviour is the combination of "who is the immigrant" and "who is the native". Because, we Greeks are very well familiar with democracy and human rights we are very good hosts. This behaviour is also a characteristic of our governmental policies towards immigrants. This has lead to overdemanding behavior of immigrants in Hospitals and in any kind of social support service. In the long term we see that many immigrants find a job in public services and Greeks cannot find a job. However, from my personal experience Russians who have any kind of managerial control on Russian and Greek employees always help the Russians....

Have you ever thought that some enemies of yours have helped you more than your friends? I am sure that if you look in the categories below you will find some cases that match with your background records. 1. The enemy who finds our weaknesses is helpful because we can work on them and improve them! 2. The enemy who presents our strong points as weak  ( eg. our potential in speaking ) shows to us that although he/she tried to find sth weak did not manage to find anything, which confirms how good we are. 3. The enemy who searches for past "sins" confirms that we are perfect nowadays! 4. The enemy who transmits lies for us confirms that he cannot find sth bad for us, so has to say lies in order to harm us. 5. The enemy who cannot forget us for many many years reveals to us how important persons we are! 6. The enemy who attacks to us suddenly can help us because we can see the reactions of our friends ( to this attack). If they support us and protect us they are real frien...

  Vitamin And Mineral Intake For Athletes By Lee Hayward Vitamins Vitamin A (carotene) - recommended intake 5000 IU/day Is used for the formation and maintenance of skin, hair, and mucous membranes. Vitamin A helps with bone and tooth growth. It helps you see in dim light. Best sources of vitamin A are: yellow and orange fruits and vegetables, green leafy vegetables, fortified oatmeal, liver, and dairy products. Vitamin B1 (thiamine) - recommended intake 50 mg/day Helps the body release energy from carbohydrates. Helps with growth and muscle tone. Best sources of vitamin B1 are: fortified cereals and oatmeal, meats, rice, pasta, whole grains, and liver. Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) - recommended intake 15 mg/day Helps the body release energy from protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Best sources of vitamin B2 are: whole grains, green leafy vegetables, organ meats, milk, and eggs. Vitamin B3 (niacin) - recommended intake 25 mg/day Involved in carbohydrate...

 The Dream Diet: Losing Weight While You Sleep Can more sleep really help us control our weight? Three top experts explore the possibilities. By Colette Bouchez WebMD Weight Loss Clinic-Feature Lose weight while you sleep . It sounds like something you'd hear on a late night infomercial -- just around the time you are reaching for that bag of cookies because, well, you can't sleep. But as wild as the idea sounds, substantial medical evidence suggests some fascinating links between sleep and weight. Researchers say that how much you sleep and quite possibility the quality of your sleep may silently orchestrate a symphony of hormonal activity tied to your appetite. "One of the more interesting ideas that has been smoldering and is now gaining momentum is the appreciation of the fact that sleep and sleep disruption do remarkable things to the body -- including possibly influencing our weight," says David Rapoport, MD, associate professor and director of the Sl...

A minor or unimportant lie, esp one uttered in the interests of tact or politeness

Introduction It is common knowledge that the production of canned fruits and especially peaches is a significant factor for the Greek economy, as Greece is the biggest producing and exporting country in the world. Few people know however the nutritional value of the product, which - especially for the Prefectures of Imathia and Pella – is the motive lever of their economic, social and cultural development. The safety of the canned fruits is undoubtable, but their nutritional value in comparison with fresh fruits is often underestimated by the consumers. This happens because the consumers believe that canning destroys the nutritional ingredients of the fruits. We are going to vitiate that myth, by presenting the results of international scientific groups from the USA and Australia. The nutritional ingredients of fruits and vegetables Vitamin A : That vitamin is included in the diet whether through the animal products or by plants (carotenoids). Vitamin A is imp...

Heard about the pineapple diet and want to find out how it works? Read on to learn how to lose weight using the pineapple diet. 1. First of all, prepare an eating plan for the pineapple diet covering the next 7-10 days. The pineapple diet is meant to be a supplemental diet, not the only thing you eat for weeks on end.                                                                                                               ...

Many of us would like to be leaders, however life presses us and we turn out to be followers ( meat machine of life ). To feel like a leader means having a strong self confidence, entrust your will power, and having enthusiasm for your goals. Being a follower means being inspired by others who guide you or being unmotivated and not having enthusiasm for personal or team goals and permit others to move you in their direction. So, what are you? A leader or a follower? Are you a follower and would like to be a leader but you don't have the psychic power and the will to support this profile? You are in a position of leadership and you just cannot feel better than a small mouse in a kitchen? Or you are in a position of total dependence on others who are all stupid and you wished you had THE chance to prove that you would be the best for the position of General Director of everything? To know if you are a leader of a follower is quite easy if you spare some minutes looking behind to y...

Manipulative person is someomene who controls or plays upon by artful, unfair, or insidious means especially to his/her own advantage. Manipulatable person is someone who is vulnerable in manipulative people and becomes their victim without resistance or even without being aware of their actions against his/her personal advantage.  There are persons who are manipulative towards people who are (or seem to be) vulnerable or dependent to them. And simultaneously the same people are manipulatable by other people who are (or seem to be) powerful and respectable according to their opinion. Let me give you some examples. Many men are manipulative in their work when they have a position of control upon other employees and are fully manipulatable by their wives. Or husbands can be at the same time manipulative towards their wife and manipulatable by their lover, or the opposite. In cases that one man is manipulatable by his wife and by his lover, he is in the need of finding a second lo...

Today I went down town for tax and bank staff. A rainy weather means more cars in the street, many people with umbrellas and more lost time while waiting for the bus to come. So, when I went to the bus stop and one lady said "We just lost the bus" then I opened again my umbrella and went to my house on foot, which would be very very tiring or impossible 6 months ago. However, to my great pleasure, not only I did't get tired, not only I went faster than Superman to my house ( while if I waited for the bus I would need almost one hour until the bus comes, and takes me to my neighbourhood after it goes around a large periphery of other destinations) but also I felt so happy and vital to walk and smell the fresh air after rain... The heart and the lungs become so powerful with gyms than noone should lose this opportunity to feel this wonderful state of being. When I was 20 years old I was not so fit that I am now. I think that if you can walk so far without losing your breat...

Today I was  getting ready to go to the gyms for my 3-hour workout when the mobile phone rang. It was someone who was talking so loudly that my ear was pushed back into my head. "I am calling from the tax collector's office. Don't be afraid" he said as soon as I asked who is on the phone. "Why should I be afraid sir?" I answered. I wonder if this man had caused any heart attacks in the past so his "don't be afraid" introduction could be excused ...

Κυκλαδινό κυκλάμινο στου βράχου τη σχισμάδα πού βρήκες χρώματα κι ανθείς πού μίσχο και σαλεύεις Μέσα στο βράχο σύναξα το γαίμα στάλα στάλα μαντήλι ρόδινο έπλεξα κι ήλιο μαζεύω τώρα «Cyclamen of the Cyclades, in the crevice of the rock where did you find colours for flowering, a stem for swaying?» «Inside the rock I gathered lifeblood drop by drop I have knitted a rose kerchief and now I gather sunshine.» LYRICS: Giannis Ritsos MUSIC: Mikis Theodorakis

You live in Greece, in the middle of a severe economic ( and general ) crisis. You are in your house and wash your dishes. And suddenly one SMS comes up. " Choose the colour of your BMW now". I think that I felt like being treated as an idiot by this company that sent the message. Hey, guys, I really do not need a BMW because I don't drive and it would be a real mess at this moment of my life to sell it because nobody would be able to buy it. I don't have money to hire a driver and I don't have money to buy gas. If you ever "sell" to me a kind of gift try a car with a driver ( even a robot)  in it which will be moving by sth natural, let's say by the use of water or sth like that.

All those zero refreshments are the miracle of our century. It is like being unfaithful and nobody will ever know it. You can certainly drink one tin per day if you have managed to break the emotional addiction to eating. I personally needed about one year in order to say without doubt - You want to meet me at a restaurant? Ok, we will meet. Do not forget that for example moderate drinking of alcohol has been related with reduced metabolic, cardiovascular and depressive disorders. Which means that stress and keeping ourselves far from the pleasures of life may harm us in the long term. What is moderate? This may differ between me and you, so, please have in mind that moderate is NOT one bottle per day but it may be about 100 ml per day. And for refreshments, one tin per day is ok.

I want to do this! What's This? egg in egg-cup image by Simone van den Berg from Fotolia.com Egg whites are the purest source of protein. To build lean muscle tissue, knowing what eat is as important as having an effective training regimen. Protein is essential to maintain and repair muscle and connective tissue, and must be the foundation of a muscle-building diet. Carbohydrates supply the fuel your body needs to complete those all important workouts, to sustain your muscles and help you squeeze out that extra rep. And fiber is also important to help promote healthy digestive function and regulate insulin response. Eggs There's a reason many professional and amateur bodybuilders drink raw eggs for breakfast. With a protein to fat ratio of 60:1, egg whites are a must for people looking to pile on lean muscle tissue. You don't have to eat them raw -- try poaching or boil...

Today, at about 14.00 am, Mr Perfect at last spoke! He is always so serious and so absolutely silent. He nevers says "Good morning" or "Hi". He is working so hard, and his body is so f-ching perfect. He is about 30 -35 years old, and I was always wondering if he uses extra protein supplements  in order to build his super woh muscle tissues. Today we were about 6-7 persons in the weights area, and I opened the conversation to a friend who was standing beside Mr Perfect. Mr Perfect was looking to nowhere as always. -"How many eggs do you think we should eat? Have you seen Rocky's recipe? Isn't it disgusting to drink 6 raw eggs in a glass? Then Mr Perfect at last spoke - No, you don't need them to eat them raw. You need only the egg whites. Then I asked what I wanted to ask for two months: - How many? - Ten boiled egg whites, he said. I went back home and before going upstairs I went to a shop close to my house and bought 20 eggs. If you could t...

Recycling is one trick to empower your ego and your will. If you help yourself to believe that you are an important person - which means that one dessert cannot defeat you - this will in turn lead to the education of your mind to healthy eating habits. Recycling is only one of numerous tricks you can use to educate your mind in healthy life-style. An other trick for example is volunteerism. If you offer 2 hours per week in helping people with some health problems, or elderly, you will again empower your will, because you will feel the pleasure of helping and offering. Psychotherapy is an other way, of course, because many people will not find any pleasure in either helping the environment or helping other people so the trick will fail. For those people,who are in most cases people addicted to greediness and not to eating only, psychotherapy on one hand and religion on the other may ( if they can be motivated by religious motives) help them to understand that they carry too much weight...

Nurses and doctors who have night shifts have a stable increase of their body weight from the very first year of their career. Their fat tissue weight  % is always higher in comparison to people who do not have night shifts.

I personally eat 2 bananas every morning and 1 in the afternoon. It is the best desert, it has fibers, vitamines, and potassium and it does not induce fat storage in our bodies. If you replace desserts with bananas you will certainly see a difference. Do not lose the energy balance according to your activity level. Eat 5 meals of vegetables per day ( or have 3 pectin pills alternatively and 2 meals of vegetables) and eat protein meals every time you receive carbohydrates. Do 1 hour of gyms every day ( at least).

A neighbour of mine passed away some weeks ago. I could not go to his house to support his wife at that period of time due to problems I had to face myself.  One day, I met her in the neighbourhood and she was walking towards me and she looked at me- she knew that I always had a good opinion for her and her husband and she probably thought that my absence was sth not close to my polite and kind self. Then I told her: "I wish all couples were like you and your husband ( they were a very happy couple). Your love has not died. It is alive in your heart. Keep it alive!" The woman was very intensely looking at me while I was talking. She was deeply swimming in my thoughts because we both knew what love is. Some days later she met my mother and told her that I spoke to her with the most beautiful words. I am sure that she knows now that really her love has not died because this love is still warm in her heart. It is a miracle that no separation, not even death can kill real love!

 When you are training yourself, without much help from a personal trainer, then you will have to hear to the signals of your body in order to protect your heart and your joins. For the joins, for example your Knees and your spine, let the pain drive you and do not persist in completing 3 minutes of exercising in an stressful exercise. You may need some more work to reach to that fitness level. Pain is the driver for your workout. As soon as a slight pain begins you should change the muscle group which is on exercise. However, you should not forget to arrange your exercise conditions according to your height, weight, and fitness level. For example your Knees will be in terrible pain if your seat ( of the gym bicycle)  is not fixed in the proper height. So, the first thing you should do if your knees are in pain just 5-6 minutes after starting your exercise is to ask the trainer or someone more experienced than you, about this problem. If you believe in the message "No pain, n...

We all want to be healthy, we all want to keep a healthy diet, but who is the hero who will manage to eat 5 salads during the day? In fact, we need 5 portions of vegetables in order to fight our enemy, overdeveloped fat tissue, in our bodies. If you do not like vegetables at all, then you should receive vegetable pills and have one pill before each meal you eat; even before your breakfast ( who eats salads in the morning? or alternatively how many Greeks eat breakfast?). These pills cannot be 5 per day at the start, because your stomach will not tolerate this, if you are not accustomed to eat fibers. You should start with one pill and gradually reach to 5 pills. Alternatively, if you had too many salads and you are so bored to continue eating salads, then at least try to eat cooked vegetables in your menus. For example today I ate spinach with rice and lemon juice which was sth UN-BELIEVABLE.... And the day before I ate leeks with celery and carrots plus lemon juice, which was also w...

If you wish to work for your abs a little bit more while you are pedalling on your gym bicycle, try to have a posture that will make your abs to contract at the same time. With this posture you are working very very well on both legs and abs at the same time and you have much better results. By changing the curve of your back from time to time you can exercise upper and lower abs. Watch a video with the basics for the gym bicycle and losing weight.

It is so easy. You follow his/her program and you just did it... Of course what he/she is eating is very important, so you should keep dietetic rules, too...

Do you like sea skiing but cannot go to the sea right now? Do you like the feeling of you keeping tight your body backwards against a strong power with opposite direction? Actually, this exercise is wonderful for the shoulders and the spine...Hold tightly the elliptical machine's "arms" and mimic the posture in sea skiing. Then move the pedals backwards. You just did it! Don't forget how helpful it is for your body... If you do some exercise backwards in the elliptical machine you perform a good streching exercise and multiply the benefits of your exercise. Also you succeed better heart function by "tiring" different muscle groups in consequent intervals and of course your muscles would be grateful if you did this ...

It will be a great chance for all medical doctors to attend this great scientific event,  of global interest, which will be the Fourth Dual Congress on “Psychiatry and the Neurosciences”, which in fact concerns the 3rd European Congress of the International Neuropsychiatric Association (INA) and the 4th Mediterranean Congress of the World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP). You can have detailed information in the official website of the meeting at  http://www.ina-wfsbp-dualcongress.gr/2010/ . Download the Final Program at  http://www.ina-wfsbp-dualcongress.gr/documents/INA-WFSBP-THESSALONIKI2010-SCIENTIFIC_PROGRAM.pdf I had already a look in the program and I would like to attend the following: 1. Earlier cognitive declines, biomarkers and Alzheimers disease - I.Brusco, Argentina ( 18 November, Hall Aristotelis, Time 16.00). 2. Gene- environment interdependence - M.Rutter, UK(  18 November, Hall Aristotelis, Time 18.30) 3. How Aristot...