Multiple Sclerosis and psychotherapy: clinical hypnosis as as an useful therapeutic tool

"A Esclerose Múltipla é uma doença inflamatória e desmielinizante crónica, imuno-mediada, com expressão clínica variável. Com esta revisão da literatura pretendemos compreender em que medida a Hipnose Clínica se poderá assumir como um recurso terapêutico eficaz no contexto da adaptação e vivência da Esclerose Múltipla. Reflectiremos acerca das características da Esclerose Múltipla, da Hipnose Clínica e do impacto dos processos psicoterapêuticos, de uma forma geral, no ser humano. É então possível concluir que a Hipnose Clínica se poderá assumir como uma ferramenta terapêutica útil no contexto da Esclerose Múltipla, por incluir na sua abordagem a exploração de aspectos vivenciais de grande impacto emocional, abordando e agindo em simultâneo sobre as sensações corporais associadas às mesmas, facilitando a integração de uma “consciência” do corpo fundamental para a vivência de um portador desta patologia. Apesar disso, é inegável a necessidade de se realizarem estudos específicos acerca do tema.""Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory demyelinating and chronic disease, immune-mediated, with variable clinical expression. With this literature review we intend to understand the extent to which Clinical Hypnosis to be assumed as an effective therapeutic tool in the context of adaptation and experience of Multiple Sclerosis. We will reflect about the characteristics of Multiple Sclerosis, Clinical Hypnosis and about the impact of psychotherapeutic procedures in humans. It is then possible to conclude that the Clinical Hypnosis can be assumed as an useful therapeutic tool in the context of Multiple Sclerosis, because it includes in its approach the exploration of experiential aspects with great emotional impact, addressing and acting simultaneously on its body repercussions, facilitating the integration of an "awareness" of the body, fundamental for the experience of the patient. Nevertheless, it is undeniable the need to carry out specific and complete studies on this subject.

Nutritional guide for a modern woman: a strategy for health education

"In the present article, we introduce a Health Education instrument that stems from a refection on the lay knowledge, salutogenic habits and daily nutritional practices of modern women in our current society. We developed a guide aimed at modern women, where the different food groups and food hygiene and safety measures are addressed. The guide includes eleven original pictograms that help the reader to locate and look up specific issues. The guide employs the label reading and interpretation principles, following the nutrition traffic-light internationally instituted, for it renders scientific information on nutrition clear and accessible to the general population. We believe that using this guide as a central strategy in health promotion will lead its users to adopt essential changes in their eating patterns and, in so doing, contribute to prevent diseases associated to bad eating habits. We also emphasize the role of mass media in spreading the conveyed information.