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Grilled Greek Chicken Salad Recipe

8:32 PM | Labels:

Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 12 mins
Rest Time: 4 h
Total Time: 42 mins


Ingredients

  • 4 chicken, breast, skinless, boneless halves
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon oil, olive
  • 1 tablespoon oregano, fresh, or 1 teaspoon dried
  • 2 clove(s) garlic, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper, black ground
  • 3 medium cucumber(s), seeded and coarsely chopped
  • 2 medium tomato(es), red or yellow, coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 cup(s) onion(s), red, sliced
  • lettuce, mixed greens
  • 1/3 cup(s) dressing, reduced-calorie creamy cucumber
  • 1/2 cup(s) cheese, feta, crumbled
  • 1/4 cup(s) olives, Kalamata, pitted

Recipe Tip:

Marinate 4 to 24 hours.

Preparation

1. Place chicken in a resealable plastic bag set in a shallow dish. For marinade, in a small bowl, combine lemon juice, oil, oregano, garlic, and pepper. Pour over chicken. Seal bag; turn to coat chicken. Marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 24 hours, turning bag occasionally.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss together cucumbers, tomatoes, and red onion.

3. Drain chicken, discarding marinade. Place chicken on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals. Grill for 12 to 15 minutes or until tender and no longer pink (170°F), turning once.

4. Transfer chicken to a cutting board; cut into bite-size pieces. Toss with cucumber mixture. If desired, serve on salad greens. Drizzle salad dressing over. Sprinkle with feta cheese and olives.

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Why Anxiety and Alcohol May Go Hand-in-Hand

8:30 PM | Labels:

People with social anxiety disorder — like those who think others are constantly criticizing them — often drink to self-medicate. 

Most, if not all of us, feel anxious from time to time. Perhaps we're running late to work, or we have an urgent deadline awaiting us once we get there. But in any given year, about 40 million adults are dealing with a more serious level of anxiety called an anxiety disorder. And in many cases, people with an anxiety disorder also have a problem with alcoholism.

Anxiety and Alcoholism: The Connection
A type of anxiety disorder called social anxiety disorder appears to have a particularly strong link to alcohol abuse. Nearly half of all people diagnosed with social anxiety disorder also meet the definition for so-called "alcohol use disorder." And women with social anxiety disorder appear to be more likely to have an alcohol problem than men.
Social anxiety disorder is also called social phobia. People with this problem have an unusually strong sense of anxiety while they're out in public. Although many of us have a fear of speaking to large groups, people with social anxiety disorder may even have trouble eating, having a conversation, or doing other everyday activities in public without having the sense that they're being watched or judged.
A recent study that tracked adolescents into adulthood over roughly 14 years found that those with social anxiety disorder at the beginning of the study were roughly 4.5 times more likely to develop alcohol dependence.


Most, if not all of us, feel anxious from time to time. Perhaps we're running late to work, or we have an urgent deadline awaiting us once we get there. But in any given year, about 40 million adults are dealing with a more serious level of anxiety called an anxiety disorder. And in many cases, people with an anxiety disorder also have a problem with alcoholism.
Anxiety and Alcoholism: The Connection
A type of anxiety disorder called social anxiety disorder appears to have a particularly strong link to alcohol abuse. Nearly half of all people diagnosed with social anxiety disorder also meet the definition for so-called "alcohol use disorder." And women with social anxiety disorder appear to be more likely to have an alcohol problem than men.
Social anxiety disorder is also called social phobia. People with this problem have an unusually strong sense of anxiety while they're out in public. Although many of us have a fear of speaking to large groups, people with social anxiety disorder may even have trouble eating, having a conversation, or doing other everyday activities in public without having the sense that they're being watched or judged.
A recent study that tracked adolescents into adulthood over roughly 14 years found that those with social anxiety disorder at the beginning of the study were roughly 4.5 times more likely to develop alcohol dependence.
Anxiety and Alcoholism: Deepening Disorders
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People with social anxiety disorder may use alcohol to dampen their anxiety when they have to appear in public. Over time, they may feel a greater need to drink to cope with anxiety, and they may choose alcohol over taking healthier steps to ease their anxiety.
However, alcohol use can add to people's overall problems rather than relieve them. People who have social anxiety disorders plus alcohol problems are more likely to have more severe symptoms of anxiety, other emotional problems and health conditions, and more difficulty interacting with other people than individuals who only have the social anxiety disorder.
It's possible that if you have social anxiety disorder, alcohol use can also interfere with your ability to successfully treat the condition. One study found that people who drank less before being treated for anxiety showed greater improvement in their social interaction anxiety, which means tasks like dealing with authority figures or talking to someone of the opposite sex.
Anxiety and Alcoholism: Getting Treatment
Doctors can recommend a variety of therapies to treat social anxiety disorder, which may help lessen people's desire to quiet their anxiety with alcohol. Medications commonly used for the condition include the antidepressants paroxetine (Paxil), sertraline (Zoloft), and venlafaxine (Effexor).
Patients may also take benzodiazepines, such as clonazepam (Klonopin), or beta-blockers, such as propranolol (Inderal), which can reduce the physical symptoms of anxiety, such as shaking and rapid heartbeat.
A mental health professional can also offer cognitive-behavioral therapy that teaches patients how to change their ways of thinking about being in public and how they behave in the face of situations that trigger anxiety. In some cases, patients may first need to be treated for alcoholism before addressing the anxiety disorder.
With the right health team and treatment plan, ultimately both conditions can be resolved, enabling you to get back to enjoying your life.

 

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Is Red Wine Really Good for You?

5:00 PM | Labels:

With contradictory studies about red wine's benefits, many wine drinkers are confused — so we've gone to an expert to get the scoop.

 

Enjoy unwinding at the end of the day with a glass of wine? While there is no doubt that drinking wine (or any alcoholic beverage) in excess can adversely affect your health, career, and social relationships, there is evidence that moderate consumption of wine may have significant health benefits. Great, right? However, some health professionals continue to warn against the dangers of alcohol consumption, making it hard to piece together the real story about wine, your health, and longevity.
Much of the interest in wine, and red wine in particular, has to do with its antioxidants. Known as polyphenols, they are thought to protect your body's cells and tissues against damage that can lead to the development of diseases such as cancer and heart disease. Here is what we know so far about polyphenols.
3 Documented Benefits of Red Wine
For years, researchers have been investigating the effects of drinking red wine, along with how much is enough and how much is too much. Among the health benefits that have been associated with wine are:
  • Reduced risk of death. People who drink moderate amounts of alcohol, particularly red wine, are less likely to die from any cause during any specified time period than non-drinkers. Why red wine? The polyphenols in wine primarily come from the colored skins of grapes, so red wine tends to have a greater concentration of polyphenols than white wine, according to Georges Halpern, MD, PhD, distinguished professor of pharmaceutical sciences at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and a researcher who has studied the health benefits of wine. "It seems that these substances in higher concentration have a better protective effect on the cardiovascular system and possibly other systems," says Dr. Halpern.
  • Decreased risk of heart disease. Moderate consumption of red wine has been associated with a reduced risk of dying from heart disease. That may be due in part to the fact that alcohol has been shown to increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or "good" cholesterol. Red wine benefits may also include the reduced risk of blood clotting, which can lower your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
  • Protection from certain cancers. Laboratory studies have found that the antioxidant compounds in wine may block the formation of cancers and slow the growth of cancerous tumors. One recent study found that alcohol consumption was associated with a decreased risk of thyroid cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and renal cancer.
Researchers are also conducting studies to determine whether red wine benefits might include prevention of other diseases and conditions — such as age-related brain changes and diabetes.

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