Theme Day once again guys, and this time the focus across the Health & Wellness channel is Back to School.

We’ve got posts on everything from getting boys through puberty to nursing your baby at PTA meetings to dealing with juvenile diabetes at school and more. There’s something for everyone, so be sure to visit Grace at Kids Health Notes. Grace was good enough to host this month’s round-up (and she has a pretty sweet contest going on over there as well), so check it out.

Of course, be sure to see the post below to check out our contribution – new research on antibacterial hand soaps.

Hope your Back to School season is kicking off right!

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True, many brands claim superiority, but the fact of the matter is that most of these drugstore soaps do not contain enough of the active ingredient triclosan to make them effective. In fact, in studies, families who used antibacterial soaps averaged the same number of germs on their mitts as those who lathered up with the old standby soap and water.

Lesson? Stick with plain old soap, but remember to wash often and well.

This has been your Healthbolt Easy Health Tip of the Day.

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Not sure about yours, but my calendar is saying that summer is (gasp!) almost over! And while the underlying excitement of autumn’s sites and smells, routine schedules and child-free moments helps soften the blow, it’s always hard to say goodbye to such a carefree time of year like summer, is it not?

Well today you don’t have to. Because it’s Theme Day once again here at the b5 media Health & Wellness channel, and this month’s theme is all about eeking out that last bit of Summer Fun. Check out what our bloggers have to say:

We at Healthbolt believe that you should be able to laugh a little about your health, and thus, would like to introduce you to the Laryngospasms. Enjoy.

While it’s often difficult for Alzheimer’s caregivers to plan for summer fun, Mary Emma Allen has some ideas at Alzheimer’s Notes.

At Mental Health Notes, Alicia tells us how to find free mood boosters to manage depression and shake things up in the bedroom with Sunshine Can Help Your Brain Grow Big And Strong.

Kristina at Autism Vox goes on vacation by the ocean for fun in the sun and surf, and some reflections on summers past and how her son has grown.

“So what did your family do this summer?” If you’re still thinking of a cool answer to that question, think no more! Grace from Kids Health Notes gives us FIVE fun ideas to make the end of summer memorable.

For those of you who like to use or who want to try homeopathic remedies for those itches, aches and pains that come along with summer time fun, Marijke at Help My Hurt shares a press release that outlines what types of products may be able to help you.

Summertime is barbecue time, but Ruth at Eating Fabulous recommends you marinate your meat before grilling to reduce the formation of carcinogen compounds called heterocyclic amines (HCA) during grilling.

Karen Lynch at The Pink Ribbon Review wrote a post explaining Why Summer Fun is Just What the Doctor Ordered.

Kelly at Grounded Fitness shows us how to beat the summer heat and intensify your workouts with these special little water bottles.

And finally…

Just for fun, Angela at Breastfeeding 1-2-3 asks the ladies, “Do your breasts have a nickname?”

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Gloria at Cancer Commentary gives us Freedom from Cancer- What does that really mean?… Speaking of freedom, in the context of cancer…what does freedom really mean? The definition varies from case to case, from person to person, from one’s perspective to another.

Pink Ribbon Review blogger Karen Lynch recaps the dependent days that followed her double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery in an essay about her personal independence day. Read her post here

Kelly at Grounded Fitness has given us… Declare your independence from the scale by slapping your John Hancock on the Grounded Fitness Declaration of Independence.

Mary Emma and Liz at Alzheimer’s Notes… Losing their independence becomes one of the challenging aspects of this disease that Alzheimer’s patients and their families have to face. Mary Emma discusses it at Alzheimer’s Notes and invites her readers to “chime in.”

Alicia at Mental Health Notes… “Although we may feel as if we have to follow our doctors’ orders with no questions asked, Alicia Sparks points out the importance of being fully informed before we make decisions about our medications in Independence from Ignorance: 5 Questions to Ask Your Doctor about Prescription Medication.”

Over at Autism Vox, Kristina goes—all on her own—to BlogHer in San Francisco and free (for 2 whole days) of mom duty, remembers and reminisces.

Hope at Weighting Line says… If negative thoughts have stopped you from being healthy in the past, don’t let them stop you any longer. You are the only one who can control your thoughts. Free yourself from negative thinking.

“Does breastfeeding create a dependent child or an independent one? Angela shares her thoughts on “Independence and the Breastfed Child.”

Ruth at Eating Fabulous gives us an Independence recipe…

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Image details: Sunbed served by picapp.com

For lots of us, June means one thing: School’s Out. Which could be a good thing…or not so much.

Doesn’t matter how we feel, this time of year seems to come whether we want it to or not. And thus, it is the center of this month’s Theme Day here across the b5media Health & Wellness Channel.

Gloria of Cancer Commentary has been so kind as to host this month’s round-up, full of tips and tricks to get you through the months ahead. You know the bloggers here at this channel always have plenty to say – and this month is no exception. Hope on over and give Gloria a hearty Howdoyado, and check out what we’re all flapping our gums about this month.

Enjoy…and Happy Summer!

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I did some maths and five months working on ‘the Bolt’ equates to around 250 posts between us. That’s a whole lot of words.

My choice for Top 5 Posts…

Doing a Hasselhoff…new medical slang and it’s companion piece Pumpkin Positive – more medical slang would be my all time favorite post to write. I simply laughed my way through it.

On the other hand, it was tears and laughter when writing Randy Pausch’s ‘The Last Lecture’ Revisited. Randy is a true inspiration.

Liberty probably ruined a lot of people’s day when she posted Dangit! Now Diet Soda is Bad for You Too?!?. Healthbolt had already highlighted What Happens To Your Body If You Drink [Regular] Coke Right Now? and now it turns out diet sodas not much better…guess that just leaves water!!!

Longevity is a theme Healthbolt has been running with lately, asking questions like Can Our Earth Support Us As We Age?, and then daring you to take the Vitality Compass quiz to see how well you will age.

And who could forget this post – A Fella’s Willy – Handle With Care – that reminded us that some parts of the human body are more fragile that others. Everything, it seems, has a breaking point.

So what’s your favorite posts?

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Tomorrow is theme day once again here at the b5media Health & Wellness channel and this month is all about depression. Not a sunny topic, I know, but one that is vitally important and has most likely touched each and every one of us in some way or another.

Thus, I am so honored to have been able to interview Tristram Hussey, our very own blogger training extraordinaire. Tris has been suffering with depression for many years and has some incredibly valuable insight to share regarding diagnosis, treatment, triggers and more. Tris’s hope is that if this interview helps even one person see a doctor for treatment, we have accomplished something great. Indeed, Tris.

And now, the interview:

1. Depression is often considered a quiet disease or one that many folks live with for quite some time without treatment. Have you found that to be the case with you, and if so, how did you finally decide to seek treatment?

Personally I lived with depression from when I was in my teens until my mid-30s, yes a very, very long time. I figured I could handle it. I knew that I suffered from more than just the blues, but I also didn’t want to take medication. I was afraid that the medications would mess around with the one thing I treasured–my mind. What I didn’t know was that the medications just help my brain work better.

Why did I finally get help? Frankly I hit rock bottom. My marriage was falling apart and my professional life was not going well. Finally I went to my doctor. The best decision of my life, it probably saved my life.

2. Why do you believe people wait so long to seek treatment?

There are lots of reasons, especially for men, the biggest I think is the stigma of being “mentally ill”. Men also don’t want to feel like being less of a man or that they “can’t handle it” themselves.

Even though many, many men and women suffer from and are treated for depression, the stigma is still there. This is one reason that I talk openly about it. I suffer from depression, I take medication, and I’m okay.

2. Do you believe depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain or by circumstances? Or both?

For me, the cause is chemical, but the triggers are circumstances. You can have “situational depression” and still need help to get out of it. So, it is both. And, for me, the chemical reasons make it easier to grapple with.

3. Once you’ve received treatment for depression, are you “cured” or is recovery an ongoing process?

I don’t know about being cured. Maybe for people who have something related to a specific event, but for me, it’s going to be the rest of my life. Will I be able to reduce my medication in the future? Maybe. That is something that I work with my doctor on. Working with your doctor is critical to success.

4. What are some triggers you’ve experienced?

Read Tris’s answer to this question and the remainder of the interview after the fold…

For me it’s stress and the downturns of life. That’s when I know I’ve done the right thing by treating this. Something that would have knocked me flat for days, we all get the blues sometimes, might only last a day or so.

Life isn’t perfect, and medication can’t or doesn’t fix everything, but it helps keep things in check.

5. What are some treatments you’ve tried, both naturally and medically-based? What seemed to work best for you and which would you consider a last resort?

I’ve tried various SSRIs and SSNRIs along with counseling. I like the newer drugs, but, all medications have side effects. My worst one is night sweats, which in the great scheme of things isn’t too bad.

I haven’t tried natural remedies and don’t know if I’d suggest them.

6. Do you have any statistics or depression-related facts you care to share?

I wish I knew about prevalence, but I do know that 30% of people with depression commit suicide. That is a sobering stat, and one that haunts me. Haunts me every day. This is one reason that I keep tabs on how I’m feeling, ask for help, and adjust my meds with my doctor if needed.

7. How has depression affected your relationships and/or work?

Before I got help, I just wasn’t a fun person to be around when the dark times hit. I would get down, and just not able to function well. One thing about depression is that social anxiety often goes hand in hand with it. The newer drugs help with that too.

Before, I had trouble concentrating, getting things done, and just making those connections needed for work. Now, well on my down days, people understand. I work with very understanding people. Sometimes I just have to take a break (mental health day is apt). However, on “normal” days, I have focus, energy, drive, and passion. The meds have really helped me.

8. If you could give any one person who may be “feeling blue” advice, what would it be?

See. Your. Doctor. Ask. For. Help. You’re not alone. You can get help. And it can get better. Talk to a friend, talk to your doctor.

It will take tremendous courage to do it, but your family and friends, the people who love you, will be there for you.

***

Special thanks once again to Tris for taking the time to share such a personal side of himself with us. Readers, if you have any comments or questions, please, please don’t hesitate to leave them below. We encourage conversation here at Healthbolt and would love to hear from you.

You can catch more from Tris at Manscaping 101.com, MapleLeaf 2.0, and A View from the Isle.

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This month’s theme, while not exactly chipper, is vitally important. All the posts listed in today’s Theme Day Round-Up are focused on cancer: What causes it, new methods of diagnosing it, how to live with it, etc. The information is thorough, fantastic and very insightful. Do give it a look.

A special thanks to Marijke at the phenomenal Help My Hurt . She was the lucky blogger in charge of corralling all of our Cancer-themed posts for this month. Great job, Marijke, and great job to everyone all across the b5media Health & Wellness Channel.

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Enjoy!

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Today is Theme Day channel-wide, and this time we’re celebrating all kinds of wacky and fantastic New Year’s Resolutions. So if you’re a bit of a procrastinator and are still looking to make some resolutions, check out these links to get some great ideas!

And if you’re looking to win something, we have two contests going on within our channel as well. Nah, there’s not one here, but Ali has one at Daily Tomorrow and so does Tony over at Astronomy Buff. Both of them have outstanding prizes, so be sure to hop on over and enter to win.

Also, don’t forget to vote on whether or not you think food packaging should be made more black and white. I’m thinking one more day for comments, then I’ll tell you what the Shape readers thought and I’ll also put in my two cents….

So there you have it. The buzz from across the Science & Health Channel. Enjoy, have a fantastic day and happy reading!

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