My New Tattoo Is Swollen, Red and Bruised—Is This Normal?

My New Tattoo Is Swollen, Red and Bruised—Is This Normal? 

Red, swollen tattoo

Source: Eli

Your beautiful, amazing tattoo is now hurting to buggery, is all red, bruised and swollen. It constantly aches and every time you move it you wince.
Is This Normal?
The short answer is yes. As you got your tattoo, a needle rapidly pierced your skin, passing through several of its layers to deposit ink below the epidermis. The reality is that your body sees your new tattoo as a wound that needs to heal, and part of the healing process is swelling and bruising, medically known as a contusion.

Why Does Your New Tattoo Swell?

Remember that to your immune system, your fresh tattoo is essentially an injury. When your body is injured, a blood clot forms around the broken blood vessels, creating a bruise at the impact site. At the same time, your immune system sends white blood cells and other natural body chemicals to the injured area to fight any bacterial or viral anti-bodies that may try to enter the opening in the skin.
As extra fluids are sent to the injured area, the skin around your tattoo swells which protects and cushions the area from any further injury and helps it heal.

Snake Tattoo

Source: Carlox

The Most Common Causes of Tattoo Swelling and Bruising

Tattoo Location

• Swelling is more common in the fleshier parts of the body or where there is a lot of blood flow close to the skin. New tattoos are especially prone to swelling if they are under the arm, on the inner area of the leg, on the side of the neck, or on an extremity (e.g. your hands and feet.) That said, any area of the body can experience bruising and swelling.

Blood Thinners

• Blood thinners, such as alcohol, coffee, and aspirin as well as blood-thinning medications should not be consumed before, during, or after receiving a tattoo because they can cause excessive swelling as the tattoo is healing.

The Tattooing Process Itself

• Long sessions and heavy-handed, rough tattooing will naturally result in increased bruising and swelling to the area. To prevent this, you should choose an experienced tattoo artist who will have developed techniques over time to minimise damage to the skin.

Skin-numbing Creams

• Skin-numbing creams restrict blood flow where they are applied. Sometimes, this can result in the nervous system becoming overly sensitive and increasing swelling even further, restricting the body's repairing process.

Skin Sensitivity

• Those who are more susceptible to bruising and swelling for medical reasons or have blood conditions will also experience higher than normal swelling and bruising.

Though I've listed the most common causes of swelling, there are always anomalies in every situation. Now that you know why tattoos swell, you can do your best to avoid it and keep your tattoo looking gorgeous. 

Premium Tattoo Aftercare Kit

Looking after you new tattoo is extremely important to avoid infection and excessive swelling. Aftershock Premium Tattoo Aftercare Kit provides all the lotions that you need to care for your tattoo as it heals.
The package includes:

1. Deep cleansing liquid soap.
2. Aftercare salve.
3. Aftercare lotion.
4. Aftercare cream

Stages of Healing for a New Tattoo

1. Tattoo bruises and swelling begin as reddish, pink dots that appear in blotches immediately after you leave the tattoo studio. As time passes, the area around the tattoo can start to swell as well and the limb or area may be slightly painful to move.
2. Bruising and swelling should go away after one to four weeks, depending on how much the skin was traumatized and the location of your new tattoo.
3. As it passes through the various stages of healing, the bruise's colour will evolve into a bluish-purple blob, and then fade to a yellowish green hazy cloud. The multi-coloured wound should then return to its natural flesh tone.
4. Your swelling should also reduce at a similar rate as the body passes through its stages of healing and the fluids drain away.
5. After three to seven days (or up to two weeks), your tattoo should have begun to peel and will be very itchy. Scabs may form, but it is important to let them fall off on their own and to avoid scratching your tattoo.

Extreme pain, oozing of white or greenish substances, foul-smelling tattoos, and fever are all signs of a tattoo infection (see below). If you think you might have an infection, see a doctor right away.

Red, sore, infected leg tattoo

Source: Tattoo Artists on FB

Reasons for Swelling and Bruising

• Swelling is more common in the fleshier parts of the body or where blood flow is high and close to the skin. It is reasonably common for new tattoos to swell considerably under the arm, inner area of the leg, sides of the neck, hands and feet, although any area of the body can and will bruise and swell, due to external factors.
• Try to avoid blood thinners before getting a tattoo, as they can cause excessive swelling when healing. Drinking alcohol, coffee and aspirin (also blood thinning medications), should not be consumed before, during or after receiving a tattoo.
• Long sessions and heavy handed, rough tattooing will naturally increase bruising and swelling to the area. An experienced Tattoo Artist develops techniques over time, to minimise damage and tearing the skin, which in turn reduces swelling and bruising.
• Skin numbing creams restricts the flow of blood to the area during use. This can sometimes cause the opposite of the desired result during healing, with the nervous system becoming overly sensitive to the extra blood and fluid flowing into the area thereby swelling even further, restricting the bodies repairing process.
• Those who are more susceptible to bruising and swelling for medical reasons, or have blood condition will also experience more than typical reactions.

Although I have listed many causes of swelling, there are always anomalies in every situation. By having the knowledge to avoid the most common reasons for swelling, you will assist your tattoo to develop into a gorgeous tattoo and heal well.

Tips to Minimise Bruising and Swelling

1. Apply a cold compress to the swollen area.
This can be as simple as a pack of frozen peas or a cool washcloth. Don't apply frozen compresses or ice directly to the skin. Instead, wrap the cold element in a clean, fluff-free material like cheesecloth or muslin cloth. Leave the compress on the swollen area for about 30 minutes. This will reduce blood flow and limit bleeding into the skin, thus reducing bruising and swelling. It will also alleviate pain and inflammation and speed up the healing process.
2. Elevate the part of the body with the swollen tattoo.
Keep the swollen tattoo above your heart if possible, it may help to lay down. Body areas below the heart, have a higher probability of blood flow into the area, increasing bruising and swelling.
You should attempt to keep the tattoo raised whenever possible for the first 24 hours.
3. Avoid all blood thinners after getting a tattoo, including Aspirin.
If you need to take a pain killer, try ibuprofen and panadol, taking them exactly as the packaging suggests. Consider stopping any blood-thinning medications, but always consult your doctor first.
4. After 48 hours, apply a warm washcloth to increase blood circulation in the area, which will now help your body mend.
You should do this for 10 to 15 minutes, three to four times a day. Alternating between cold and hot compresses can increase your tattoo's healing rate. Ensure you use a hygienic cloth and wash your tattoo after applying the compress to avoid introducing a foreign body, which could result in an infection. 

Diet Tips to Help Your Body Heal

Foods high in Vitamin C.

Source: Cofusedwithfood

Diet Tips to Aid the Recovery Process

• Eat more garlic and onion. Besides keeping away people who get too close, some naturalists believe these foods assist healing because of their anti-microbial elements.
• Eat more vitamin C. Vitamin C is commonly found in citrus fruits and sweet vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, and sweet potatoes. This vitamin is a natural defensive aid in tissue repair and recovery.
• Steer totally clear of alcohol. Not only is it a blood thinner, but it will also cause you to be less protective and careful with your new tattoo.
• Drink plenty of healthy fluids. Water, soups, juices, and herbal teas are particularly good for you.
• Avoid consuming extra dairy products, white flour, sugar, and processed foods. These are known to slow down recovery time periods.

Swelling and bruising from a new and normally-healing tattoo should be minimal. It will spread a few centimetres from the edge of the tattoo and will have light coloured bruising, which will occur over a short period of time.
On the other hand, an infected tattoo has extreme examples of all the above symptoms. The swelling can be so intense that it restricts movement, causes a lot of pain, and spreads a fair distance away from the tattoo itself.

Signs of an Infected Tattoo

1. Your Tattoo Is Hot to the Touch
Being hot to the touch is one of the tell-tale signs of an infected tattoo. The tattoo and the area around it is generally very warm, and it may even get to a point when the heat is very uncomfortable and the area needs to be cooled down.
2. Your Tattoo Is Oozing or Has a Tear in It
A second distinct characteristic of an infection is a break or tear in the skin within the new tattoo, where potentially yellow liquid or pus oozes out. Thick dry or wet scabs may be present at the point of infection. Sometimes a bad smell accompanies the oozing. This is definitely a sign of infection.
3. You're Experiencing Fever, Muscle Aches, or General Weakness
These are all signs of a general infection and indicate that you should immediately go to a doctor and seek professional treatment.

What to Do About an Infection

At the first sign of any infection, Go to the Doctor!
Your tattoo is salvageable if it is treated immediately. In most cases, your doctor will prescribe antibiotics or steroids to help cure the infection. If you cannot afford a doctor, seek a medical opinion as a tattoo artist is not a medical expert and will not be able to identify potentially health issues.
It's important that you take care of this as soon as possible because an infection can make the ink leach from your skin, potentially causing your tattoo to appear faded or damaged, which is truly disheartening.

Snot and Mucus Decoded: The Meaning of Snot Colors

Snot and Mucus Decoded: The Meaning of Snot Colors 

Ever wondered what the color of your mucus means?

Source: Gohnarch, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Snot, booger, mucus, runny nose—whatever you call it, it is still gross. But did you know the color of your snot can tell you a lot about what is going on inside your body?
That’s why doctors ask extensive questions about your mucus color and texture. Snot color can be a clue to what is causing your runny nose or that gunk you’re coughing up.
If the trail of clues your mucus is leaving behind indicates that you just have a common cold, hydrate and rest, and with time it will go away. But other types of mucus mean you might need to see a doctor.
Clear, white, yellow, green, brown, red, or gray—what does your snot say about you?

Do you know what boogers are?

Boogers are made of dirt and dust that have gotten stuck inside your nose. The mucus covers it, and it eventually dries up inside your nose.

What Is Mucus Anyway?

Mucus lines the nose, as well as other organs of the body, acting as a guard against bad stuff that might enter the body, such as dirt and germs. It is made of water, cells, salts, and mucin, which is a glycoprotein.
Mucus goes by different names depending on it location in the body. Here are some terms you may here, all referring to mucus found in the upper respiratory system:

• Snot—the mucus coming from the nose.
• Phlegm—the mucus in your throat and anything that you might cough up.
• Sputum—a coughed up mixture of mucus and saliva.
• Postnasal drip—the mucus that flows from the nasal cavity down the throat.

Mucus Decoded: At a Glance

Color of Mucus	Cause	Treatment
Clear	This is normal, though excess clear mucus could be allergies.	If caused by allergies, take antihistamines.
White	Dairy	Avoid dairy.
Yellow	Your body fighting off a virus or cold	See your doctor if it lasts more than a week or you develop a fever.
Green	Bacterial or fungal infection	See your doctor if it lasts more than a week or you develop a fever.
Blue	The bacteria Pseudomonas pyocyanea	See your doctor if it lasts several days.
Orange, red, or reddish-brown	Blood	See your doctor if it lasts several days.
Brown	Smoking	Smoke less.
Black or gray	Pollution	Stay indoors when pollution is bad.

Mucus Decoded: In Depth

The color and texture of mucus can indicate what is going on in the body and can be signs of a virus, infection, or other problems. Read below to find out what the color of your mucus may mean.

Clear Mucus

Clear mucus with the consistency of glue is normal, although excessive amounts could be due to allergies.

Source: Flickr

Normal mucus is a clear color and is a thick, viscous liquid similar to the texture of glue. You probably don’t have any infection or virus if your snot is still clear. As long as your body isn’t producing too much or too little mucus, and as long your mucus is the right texture, you should be in good health snot-wise.
If your body is producing an excess of mucus, the likely cause is allergies. Talk to your doctor about appropriate treatment.

White Mucus

White mucus can be caused by dairy products.

Source: condesign, Public Domain, Pixabay

Snot that is a white color typically comes from eating and drinking dairy products. Fat in dairy products can make the mucus thicker. The mucus will feel stickier, making it difficult to breathe. If you have a cold or sinus infection, avoid dairy to reduce congestion and breathe more easily. Otherwise, the presence of white mucus alone is no cause for alarm and is considered normal. 

Did you know that the body produces about a liter of mucus a day?

Talk about being snotty.

Yellow Mucus

Yellow snot means that your body is fighting off a cold or virus.

Source: Flickr

If you have yellow snot, it can mean that you have a virus or a sinus infection. Light or bright yellow mucus typically means that your body is fighting off something, most likely a cold. The mucus color is usually brighter at first, possibly even appearing neon yellow. It typically darkens over a few days. Staphylococcus aureus bacteria typically produce a golden-yellow mucus. Dark yellow phlegm could mean bronchitis or another type of infection in the chest.
Yellow mucus does not necessarily mean that you need to go to the doctor. It just means your body is fighting against something. Remember, as of yet, there is no cure for the common cold yet, and antibiotics will only clear up bacterial infections. Viral infections just have to run their course. The best cure is your body’s own defenses.
See a doctor if the symptoms worsen or last longer than a week. You should also see a doctor if the mucus is accompanied by a fever, headache, or phlegmy cough for more than a few days.

Green Mucus

Green mucus is caused by a type of white blood cell that responds to infections and inflammations.

Source: William Brawley, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr

Green mucus can signify a bacterial or fungal infection. The green color is produced by a type of white blood cell that responds to infections and inflammations. When the white blood cells die, they burst, releasing a green pigment. The green pigment mixes with the mucus, giving it the green color. The color is usually brighter at first and darkens over a few days.
When your sinuses become inflamed, they swell. This causes mucus to become trapped in your nasal passages. Over time bacteria and fungi can begin to grow in the mucus, in which case you might need antibiotics.
If the symptoms have lasted more than a week or seem to be getting worse, see a doctor, especially if you are experiencing fever, cough with mucus, headache, and sinus pressure.

Blue Mucus

Blue mucus is caused by Pseudomonas pyocyanea, also known as Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Source: Paulo Henrique Orlandi Mourao, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Mucus can turn blue because of a certain bacteria called Pseudomonas pyocyanea, also known as Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It's fairly rare—about one in 10,000 people experiencing excess mucus at any given time will have blue snot. If your mucus has changed to a thick blue color that has lasted several days, it is probably time to see a doctor.
Blue mucus can also happen if you have inhaled blue powder or something else blue in the air. If this is the case, it should clear up within a day or two.

Did you know that you can have different colored mucus in each nostril?

There could be an infection or sore in one side that is not in the other. Now that's a nose of a different color.

Orange/Red/Reddish-Brown Mucus

Orange, red, or brown mucus can be a sign of blood. This is a common asthma symptom.

Source: NIAID, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr

If your mucus is tinged red or reddish brown, it is usually a sign of blood. The blood mixes with the mucus, giving it the red tone.
The presence of blood is not necessarily a cause for alarm. The blood can come from a variety of causes. For example:

• When the sinuses become inflamed, they can begin to bleed.
• Frequent nose-blowing can cause sores to form at the base of the nose. Taking care to gently blow and wipe the nose can prevent this.
• The tiny blood vessels in the nasal passages can break easily, causing blood-tinged mucus. This can happen if the air is too dry, in which case using a saline spray to moisten the nasal passages will help.
• Asthmatics often have reddish/pink mucus.
• If you are coughing up red or brown phlegm, it could be a sign of bronchitis.
• Smoking can also irritate nasal passages, leading to slight bleeding. This, combined with the tobacco particles trapped in the mucus, will lead to a reddish-brown mucus.

If there is a significant amount of blood that has lasted several days, you should see a doctor to determine the cause of the blood and whether treatment is necessary.

Brown Mucus

Brown mucus usually stems from smoking.

Source: Paolo Neo, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Brown or brownish-red mucus is typically associated with smokers. The mucus is mixed with particles from the cigarettes. Smoking can also irritate nasal passages, leading to slight bleeding. The blood and cigarette bits mix with mucus, giving it a brown color. Smoking can also cause people to cough up the brown/red phlegm rather than just blowing it out of their noses.
The way to ease the production of brown mucus and phlegm is to smoke less.
Inhaling dust and dirt, while often leading to gray or black mucus, sometimes can also give mucus a brown tinge. Continue reading to find out about snot caused by pollution.

Did you know that you could have purple, pink, or even blue snot?

Mixing up a pitcher of Kool-Aid can turn your snot the color of the drink if you accidentally breathe in a bit of the powder. Be careful not to breathe in powders, though. Too much of it can get into the lungs and stop the flow of air.

Black/Gray Mucus

Black or gray mucus can be caused by air pollution.

Source: Nina Hale, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr

Dark-colored mucus generally happens from inhaling pollutants in the air. The job of the mucus is to trap dirt or other particles and prevent them from getting further into the body. If there is ash, dirt, dust, smoke, or similar substances in the air, the mucus in your body will trap it. Black or gray mucus happens often in cities because of pollution in the air.

Morning Phlegm/Coughing at Night

If you find yourself coughing every time you lie down, it may be a sign of acid reflux.

Source: Casper Kuijjer, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr

If you are mainly coughing up phlegm in the mornings or if you are coughing at night when you lie down, it might actually be acid reflux. In this case, the coughing is caused by the stomach acid moving up your throat as you are lying down. This can cause coughing, phlegm, and a scratchy throat. In fact, this cough can be the only symptom—some people with acid reflux never have heartburn or upset stomachs.
Check with your doctor if you think acid reflux might be a possibility. An antacid or acid reducer might help the problem. Raising the head of the bed about five inches also helps to keep the acid in place. Avoid eating before bed.

Fixing the Snot

Eating healthy foods can help fight off a mucus-producing cold.

Source: Amazing Almonds, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr

Typically, a virus begins by producing an abundance of clear mucus. Then the mucus turns a bright yellow or greenish color. The mucus darkens over a period of a few days, usually turning a green color. At the end of the virus, the mucus may turn a brown/red color. It should then start clearing up, becoming less thick until your mucus returns to normal.
Ways to ease your symptoms:

• Use nasal sprays, such as saline sprays, to keep the nasal passages moist.
• Drink plenty of fluids to thin the mucus and keep your upper respiratory system moist.
• Don't starve a cold. Eating nutritious meals when you're sick is important. Your body needs the energy to fight off the bug.
• Ease fever and body aches with Tylenol.
• Reduce swelling and any inflammation with Ibuprofen.
• Steam and hot liquids can help keep the mucus flowing and ease congestion.
• Take Mucinex or another decongestant to loosen the phlegm and make coughs more productive.
• Spit out anything you cough up. Don't swallow it.
• Suck on cough drops to keep the throat moist. A spoonful of honey also can help alleviate the cough.
• Take antihistamines to help alleviate the symptoms of a cough if it is caused by allergies.
• See a doctor about antibiotics if yellow or green snot persists more than a few days.
• Avoid smoking and second-hand smoke.

Remember, strange-colored mucus doesn't always mean there is a problem. You should only be worried if the colored mucus persists for several days, especially when other symptoms such as fever, headache, and cough are present. 

Of course, mucus colors are just an indication of what could be wrong, not a precise diagnosis. You can still have an infection even with clear mucus. If you are concerned about something with your body, see a doctor. 

iFitnessTrainer

The Child Victim of a Narcissistic Personality Disordered Parent

The Child Victim of a Narcissistic Personality Disordered Parent 

The NPD Parent

Young children of a parent who has Narcissistic Personality Disorder are genuine victims of their parent and the disorder, as much as any child who lives through life with an addicted parent, or a parent guilty of physical or sexual abuse. The narcissistic parent abuses in an intensely subtle and devious fashion: they are guilty of severe emotional and mental abuse, and no one outside of the family would ever suspect anything wrong.. These child victims quite often go unnoticed, untreated, and not helped by other adults outside of the immediate family. This is due to the nature of Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD).

The overriding behavioral sign of a NPD parent is their almost total lack of concern for their child. On the surface, and in public, the NPD parent is often unnoticeable as an abusive person. Inside the family, there is no doubt for the child that there is something very, very wrong. In some cases, the NPD parent will begin to ‘heat up’ and make mistakes that brings negative attention to them and begins to shine a light on their NPD, but in most cases, the NPD abuse continues for years unabated. One might consider NPD a kind of ‘spectrum’ with varying degrees of disorder and behavioral inconsistency. While some NPD adults express their disorder in a fairly mild fashion (think the beauty pageant mom or the sort of dad who pushes his child to do a sport they do not want to do), other NPD parents are very intelligent, experts at hiding their abuse, and are able to manipulate others at will (even teachers, ministers, police, lawyers, and even judges).

NPD parents, due to the disorder, have little to no regard for their child’s individuality, ambitions, or emotions. The NPD parent is quite simply all about themselves, all the time. This is a very difficult concept for most normal people to grasp; it is hard to relate to a parent who has no genuine concern for their child other than how that child can enhance the parent’s image, or how the child can be drawn from as a source of ‘narcissistic supply’. People with NPD consistently look for and ‘groom’ people with charm, false interest, and quite often lavish gifts in order to get them to commit to relationship with the NPD’d person. When they have a child, they have a built in ego supplier. An individual with NPD absolutely needs to see reactions in the people around them in order to reassure themselves of an identity. And they do not really care what kind of reaction it is, as long as they get a reaction. So the NPD parent frequently will rapidly change from the most charming, loving and giving parent on the planet to the most enraged, unfeeling, cruel parent imaginable (think of the film ‘Mommy Dearest’).

The Child's Experience of NPD Abuse

For all the complaints most parents make about spoiled children, children really do have very little power over their parents. This is even more true in the case of a child with an NPD parent, since the child intimately knows the unpredictability, implied threats and intense rages that the parent demonstrates. The child learns early in life to ‘duck and cover’ by constantly appeasing the childish whims (that change with the breeze) of the NPD parent. The child becomes terrified that if they speak to anyone outside of the family about their very ill parent, no one will listen or believe them, since the NPD parent is a master of the ‘false face’ in public. Secondarily, the child is terrified that their complaint will get back to the NPD parent, and they will pay a high penalty for this.

The NPD parent affects intense fear in the child in one of several ways. First, they may tell the child that they have ‘eyes and ears everywhere’ and the child can hide nothing from them. One father of three little girls gave them necklaces that he told them they had to wear at all times, because he had special powers and could ‘see’ everything the children did through the necklaces. They were terrified to keep them on, and terrified to take them off. Another way that NPD parents incite fear is to make either vague or direct threats to the child that the parent will abandon them, or that the parent will not be able to live if the child is not compliant to the parent’s will. Any child naturally loves and wants to please their parent; NPD parents can never be pleased and the child is never good enough. Yet other NPD parents make it clear ‘between the lines’ that if the child should ever be disloyal to the parent, grave and dangerous things will happen, up to an including harming their non-NPD parent or the child themselves.

The child victims of NPD parents are simply there to supply the parent ego boosting reassurance; the parent needs the child to adore and agree with them always, something that the child gets very skilled at doing when in the presence of the parent. Away from the parent, these children are often depressed, anxious, and morose, as if they have simply given up on being a normal child. While some school counselors or coaches may notice that the child is having difficulty, they never suspect it is due to NPD abuse, especially if they know the child’s NPD parent. Should the child tell the adult about the parent, the child will instantly be suspect as having some innate emotional or mental health problem; this plays right into the hands of the NPD parent when the school counselor calls for a meeting. The child is then caught in an impossible trap: the child gets diagnosed with the mental health problem.

The personality disordered parent can slip up sometimes, letting their real lack of character show. This might happen when the parent, intent on what they want, creates an embarrassing public scene with the child present. In fact, they will at times use their children as levers in public situations to get others to back down or give them what they want. The witnesses to such public rages will give in just to save the child the intense embarrassment that their parent is willing to put them through.

The child learns that they must set aside the things that are important to them or the things that they would like to do, because it is only what the NPD parent wants that counts. The parent always places their own desires and needs before the child, often cloaking this with the altruistic statement that the parent is just doing what is best for the child. The child has no real choice not to buy into their parent’s plan for them, even if the child has no desire or any real talent for the activity that the parent is forcing them to do. Emotional blackmail is a given. On the other hand, some NPD parents will simply ignore any achievement that the child makes on their own, and may even belittle the achievement in private while taking full credit for the child’s accomplishment in public, if the accomplishment reflects the NPD parent as parent of the year.
In private, NPD parents will present to the child as either over controlling, totally ignoring of the child, and angry at the child or overly kind, giving, and generous. These presentations can alternate in rapid fashion, leaving the child constantly emotionally ‘off balance’. This is, in essence, a form of mind control and torture well known to survivors of POW camps. So the child is faced with a very narrow choice of how to respond to the NPD parent: they can choose to submit in total compliance (and so lose their identity), wait patiently until they turn eighteen and then get as far from the parent as possible and try and find healing, or through constant exposure and training become narcissistic adults themselves. The latter child may be treated like a ‘little prince’ or ‘princess’ by the parent, at the expense of any other siblings who have chosen a different path of coping.

The normal development of children dictates that they begin to individuate and differentiate as they grow, meaning that children blossom into their unique selves. This normal progress gains momentum as the child gets older. The NPD parent begins to be very uncomfortable when the child begins to assert their individuality or independence; the parent perceives this as betrayal, disloyalty, or disobedience. Children often realize their parent’s illness fairly early in grade school when they have the chance to compare other children’s parents to their own. As the child gets older, the stress in the family system grows to intolerable levels for the child.

Some NPD parents can develop a reputation in the community as at least ‘difficult’ and at worse be considered unpredictable and dangerous. NPD’s may ‘heat up’ and can pose real danger in that they view their children (and ex) as possessions that they are privileged to ‘dispose of’ should they wish to do so. Many cases of domestic violence and murder can be trailed to an NPD individual.

Intervention

If the non-NPD parent is able gain the strength and finds assistance to extract from the relationship, the courts often support standard custody agreements, and the child, fearing the narcissistic parent, will not speak to counselors, lawyers, or judges about the situation. The disordered parent has proven over and over again the child’s whole life that they cannot be discovered for what they are, nor can they be beat or held accountable. The child has no faith that these adults can help them, and in fact, the narcissistic parent often ‘plays’ the legal system so well that lawyers and judges are ‘taken in’ and believe the non-NPD parent is simply exaggerating due to the emotions of the divorce situation. Indeed, the accounts that the non-NPD parent gives of the NPD parent often sound so ‘off the wall’ that even a judge has a hard time believing it. The child believes that there is no one in the world that can help them from the narcissistic parent, so will support the NPD publicly.

Clinical counselors are always very hesitant if not completely avoiding of treating children involved in custody cases when a parent is perceived to have NPD. Most clinicians will only very rarely publicly identify a person as having a personality disorder, lest the narcissist turn their full wrath on the counselor (meaning hauling them into court to ‘testify’ or more often, ‘harass’ them about their work, competency, etc.). Once again, the narcissistic parent does not really care about the child or the child’s needed therapeutic support, only that the narcissistic parent might be able to use the counselor against the non-NPD parent, and make themselves look better in court.

Ultimately, true intervention for the child can only come from the court system, as this is the only institution that a narcissist respects and fears. The problem, as alluded to before, is that judges often miss the fact that one of the parents they are dealing with has this personality disorder. In addition, it is often very difficult to demonstrate emotional and mental abuse, since the nature of the relationship with the NPD parent prohibits the child speaking honestly to the judge, and the non-NPD parent is most assuredly being considered biased. Since few if any counselors are willing to testify about the abuse and place themselves in the path of a narcissist, the court is left to discern these things on their own. By learning the many characteristic behavioral clues that NPD’s inevitably leave in a wide trail behind them, custody courts can begin to identify and then make valuable interventions for children with NPD parents.

If a court were to provide for a moratorium on the child’s contact with the NPD parent, it could give the child enough time to begin the healing process and gain courage to enter counseling treatment in a fashion that can be genuinely helpful. In addition, the court would need to provide greater protection for the counselor from being called into court and testifying (which effectively destroys the therapeutic relationship with the child into the future)so that they can do their job of helping the child recover and generate coping mechanisms for dealing with their NPD parent more effectively. 

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Does Whey Protein Make You Fat if You Don't Work Out?

Does Whey Protein Make You Fat if You Don't Work Out? 

The Truth About Protein Powder and Weight Gain

Whey protein has been making headlines for quite some time, especially for those who are into bodybuilding. Anyone who wishes to bulk up or lose weight has probably heard of whey protein, too. Thousands have already used it as a supplement to their daily diets to help them achieve the body they want.
However, there are some who wonder if whey protein makes you fat. Some people are hesitant to use whey protein powder because they think they might gain unwanted weight if they use the supplement.
If you're one of those people, read on for answers.

Whey protein, also known as protein powder.

What Is Whey Protein?

Milk is made up of two proteins: casein and whey. The whey protein can be separated from the casein or formed as a by-product of cheese. Whey protein, which is low in lactose, is a complete protein and contains all 9 essential amino acids.
There have been studies conducted that indicate that whey protein has properties that help fight inflammation in cancer patients. Whey protein is now considered to be a topic of great interest among many researchers, who are studying its use in reducing the risks of certain diseases. There are already reports that have shown whey protein to be beneficial in regulating the metabolism and as a supplemental treatment for many conditions, including unwanted weight loss due to certain illnesses.
Nowadays, whey protein is commonly used and marketed as a supplement for the diet. In the alternative medicine world, there have been many health claims made about the product. Although the casein protein has been shown to be the culprit in most cases of milk protein allergies and intolerances, both milk proteins can trigger similar issues in certain individuals.

The prevailing attitude toward whey protein has changed a lot through the years. In the past, it has been vastly used by bodybuilders alone, but nowadays, it is used by all kinds of athletes and those who simply want to have fitter bodies. It is commonly known to be a complete protein that contains all of the 9 essential amino acids (like quinoa, meat, eggs, and dairy) that the body can easily digest and make use of.
When talking about high-quality protein, whey protein is simply one of the best sources, especially for fat burning and muscle building. Its bio-availability, or capability of the body to absorb the protein, is the highest compared to other protein sources. It is very convenient because the powdered form is easy to prepare in a shake form. You can prepare and consume the protein within a few minutes.
But if you aren't an athlete and don't work out, will whey protein make you fat?

Does Whey Protein Powder Make You Fat?

So if you don't work out, does whey protein make you fat?
It is important to remember that any type of macronutrient (fat, protein, and carbohydrate), when taken in excess, will surely lead to weight gain. The body is able to use a limited number of calories per day, and if your caloric intake is more than what your body can use, you will inevitably gain weight. So although it is very useful to athletes, and although it does help them sculpt their ideal bodies, whey protein is not some magic ingredient to produce a muscular, athletic body. People who wish to lose weight must do more exercise to burn away the fat.
However, it is also important to know that there are no studies or scientific evidence that show that whey protein causes a greater increase in weight gain compared to other types of food. So there is no evidence to support the claim that whey protein makes you fat. Asking whether whey protein makes you fat is like asking whether pork or turkey makes you fat. If you eat more than you use, no matter what you eat, you will get fat.
Still, there are also some who argue that whey actually encourages the body to store more fat because it causes insulin levels to rise more compared to other foods that are rich in protein. However, in terms of balanced diets, insulin levels are dictated by the total amount of energy consumed to the total amount of energy spent. When looking at the bigger picture, the rise and fall of insulin in the blood is not relevant, as many of the carbohydrates that people consume cause insulin to spike more compared to whey protein.

As long as whey protein fits in your fitness program, it will not make you fat. However, you should understand that you need to keep an active lifestyle in order not to gain weight. There have also been studies that showed this source can help people burn fat a lot faster.

A protein powder shake.

How Can Whey Protein Help Me Lose Weight?

Whey protein is said to have positive effects on those who are trying to lose weight. Here are some ways whey protein can positively effect fat loss:

1. Whey protein has been found to increase fat burning when it is used as a protein source before working out.
2. Whey protein also increases the number of calories the body converts into heat energy (thermogenesis). This helps to regulate energy and mood levels when a person restricts caloric intake by increasing the production of serotonin.
3. Whey protein helps the regulation of cravings by increasing the secretion of CCK, which is an essential hormone that is involved in hunger regulation. Grehlin production, or the hormone that stimulates one's appetite, is also suppressed.

Benefits of Whey Protein Powder

There is no supplement that can fully replace the benefits of a diet of unprocessed, natural, whole foods. However, whey protein has been proven to be a useful and easy source of protein for people who are busy, and there have been many studies to suggest a wide range of health benefits and uses.
Here are some of the possible benefits of taking a high-quality whey protein supplement:

• Whey protein helps increase muscle mass and increases one's power when doing sports.
• It also helps in weight loss by focusing the loss on fat and preserving lean muscle.
• It increases levels of glutathione, the body's main water-based antioxidant.
• Whey protein can help slow the progress of certain kinds of cancer and slow unwanted weight loss as a result of cancer treatment.
• It decreases triglyceride levels.
• It decreases the symptoms of training too much and lessens recovery time.
• It may help delay the progression of HIV symptoms and helps combat unwanted weight loss (wasting) associated with the disease.
• It enhances different functions of the immune system.
• It increases HDL (good cholesterol) while at the same time, decreases total cholesterol.
• Whey protein may improve the immune response to asthma.
• It decreases blood pressure in patients with hypertension and also reduces their risk of developing heart disease or stroke.

These benefits show that whey protein can provide a person with benefits that vary from the physical aspects to more intricate functions of the body.

Does protein powder make you fat?

When Is the Best Time to Take Whey Protein?

Whey protein, as mentioned above, is quickly digested, so it is best taken within 30 to 60 minutes after exercise. If you wish to take it any other time, you may want to slow down the digestion of the whey protein by taking it with other types of food. For example, if you wish to add extra protein during breakfast but you don't want eggs, you can add some whey protein to your oatmeal. For a quick snack, you can drink a shake with nuts or some fish oil to help decrease the rate of protein digestion.

To the people who still worry that whey protein makes you fat, keep in mind that anything in excess will be converted to fat in the body. Excess protein is not exactly bad, but it will still mean excess calories. To prevent the process of weight gain, whether you actively exercise or not, you have to make sure that your daily consumption of calories does not go over what your body is able to burn. There are many online calculators that can help you check or estimate what your body is able to burn based on your age, activity level, size, and gender.

What Happens If I Ingest Too Much Whey Protein Powder?

Again, for most people who eat a moderate, well-balanced diet and get enough exercise, there is no evidence of any adverse side effects associated with whey protein. However, some people have whey allergies (mentioned above) and those who consume excessive doses may be getting too many calories and may also experience some negative reactions, which include:

• Stomach pains or cramping
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Reduced appetite