Total Health Work

I remember when I first started doing yoga, my father-in-law became extremely agitated, fearing that I was drifting off into some spiritual practice that would have me and my family sitting in a lotus position and chanting mantras all day.

"Why don’t you just call it ’stretching,’" he suggested.

"Whatever," I thought to myself as I continued to practice my poses and breathing exercises.

Over the years, however, I’ve discovered that Yoga is much more than merely "stretching."  The benefits of this practice go far beyond the physical dexterity that comes with the increased flexibility of relaxed and elongated muscle tissue.

I’ve found that I’ve become more "centered" throughout my day and more focused on things I turn my attention toward.  I’ve become more peaceful and more aware of the energy and activity around me.

Yoga is more than physical exercise.  It’s a wholistic approach that involves the physical, the mental and the spiritual aspects of my being.  Unlike the competitive base that most "exercise" programs are built on, yoga is based on YOUR body and YOUR state of being.  It is "cooperative" and emphasizes your individual state at the present moment.  You find yourself "growing" as you gently relax into each exercise over time.

Yoga can be an extremely rewarding way to get started on an "exercise" program.  It will help you in ways that go way beyond mere "stretching."  Start slow and allow your body to tell you how much it wants to do each day.  Doing just a little bit will reap tremendous rewards.

Sometimes the world of "research" baffles me a bit.  For instance, I just ran across an article in the New York Times reporting on a recent "study" financed by Cake Media and a public relations consultant for the Nintendo  gaming company that shows that children playing the Wii video games simulating sports activities don’t expend as much energy as if they actually played the games in real life.

I don’t don’t know about you, but my first reaction after reading this was … Duh.  I mean, come on, I don’t think that takes a lot of sparks humming around the grey matter to figure that one out.

The research was very precise in it’s results. Playing a game of Wii tennis, for example, (an interactive video game created by the Nintendo gaming system), expended around 179 calories an hour.  Wii Boxing burned only 174 calories an hour.  (Now that one did surprise me.  In real life, it seems like boxing would burn more calories; not to mention a few bruises.)  Playing a game of real tennis, on the other hand, used 318 calories an hour and punching a boxing bag burned 382 calories. (See, I was right.)

The study also measured the number of calories that children burned while playing traditional, sedentary video games.  They found that, while the interactive Wii games burned more energy than the traditional video games, they don’t compare to the real thing. (How many times can I say "duh" in the same post?) 

The "research" was obviously heavily subsidized by the "public relations consultant" for Nintendo.  The conclusion of the "study" asserts, and I quote … "While [Wii video gaming] is not going to replace the real thing, it’s certainly moving in the right direction."

Really?  Do you mean the fact that kids actually get up out of their chair to play (this is optional, by the way).  How about turning off the video game and going outside to throw a ball back and forth (or even up against a wall.  THAT would be moving in the right direction.

Call me old fashioned, but I think we should be encouraging our children to play some real games, not to sit mastering an electronic simulation offered in a video game.  I know the Wii games are fun to play and they certainly have their place.  Let’s just not begin to think that there are any real health benefits associated with "virtual exercise" through video sports games.

If you have a choice … and you should MAKE the choice … chose to engage in the real thing when it comes to exercise.  It’s actually a lot more fun and has a lot more benefits to your health.  The only exception, perhaps, is the Wii boxing.  Virtual bruises probably don’t hurt as much.

Stay Healthy.

In almost every culture since the beginning of time, the sun has been seen as a source of life, health and vitality. The ancient Egyptians, Babylonians, Greeks and Romans, the Mayans, Aztecs and Incas, and even the early Chinese, Japanese, and Indian cultures all believed that sunlight was beneficial.  Sunlight was seen as a type of medicine.

In today’s culture, however, we’re inundated with messages that tell us that exposure to sunlight is dangerous.  Skin cancer resulting from being out in the sun is nearly epidemic.  Of course we live in a completely different world.  Pollution, global warming and a thinning Ozone layer around the earth’s atmosphere are elements that our ancient counterparts could not even imagine.

But has the shift from the sun being healthy to harmful swung completely to the other side?

It seems difficult to believe that at least SOME exposure to sunlight is not beneficial.  Experience and common sense seem to say that it is.  Especially in terms of the psychological effects that sunlight can have on lifting our mood.

I do, however, understand the dangers from over-exposure.  Too much of anything — even a good thing — is a bad thing.

I recently ran across an article on EarlytoRise.com talking about a book written by Dr. Herbert Shelton in 1934 called The Hygienic System, Volume III: Fasting and Sunbathing. (A free download of this book is provided by EarlytoRise.com).  In this book, Shelton argues for a more benevolent view of the sun’s benefits to our health.

I personally tend to believe our ancient ancestors more than our modern scientists (who tend to bounce around back and forth in terms of what they recommend as being "good" for us.)  But, like all things in life, I believe that moderation is the key.

Stay healthy.

The problem with many of the smokers that I know is that although they want to stop smoking, they don’t want to give up something they think they enjoy.

They are afraid of what the nicotine and other poisons are doing to their health, but they hold on to the pleasure their habit offers them while secretly hoping that they’ll be one of the lucky ones to escape the documented perils of continuing.

The reality is that there are very few easy ways to quit smoking. Most methods that people use to try to quit smoking are not as effortless as some would lead you to believe.  You will need more than a little determination and courage if you want  to succeed.

The truth is that today we want fast solutions to serious problems. Quick fixes, however, are not always available or as effective as we would like them to be.

High levels of stress are one of the problems smokers deal with when trying to quit smoking.  Even without this added stress, our lives can be pretty crazy. Stress is a constant visitor.  This is why it’s difficult to come up with an “easy” way to quit smoking.

Theoretically, there are a number of alternatives. Stopping “cold turkey” is a popular, but difficult solution.  While some people have cured themselves using this method, many others have failed and most are afraid to even try.

I think, however, that going cold turkey can actually be one of the easier ways to quit smoking.  Much easier than most people think. Although it hasn’t been scientifically confirmed to be highly effective, many smokers who have successfully quit have gone this route. Those who smoke over twenty cigarettes a day may find this to be a drastic measure, however.

Most successful quitters I know have also been highly-motivated by some extreme external factor as well.  Health issues tend to top this list. Once you feel that your life at risk, you may look at the cold turkey method as the best way to quit smoking. The “easy” ways to quit smoking will often depend on the individual and the various factors they are dealing with in life.

It is helpful to realize from the beginning that the easy way to quit smoking will require a certain level of sacrifice and determination to succeed. If you have a powerful and motivating factor such an an illness or health complication caused by tobacco, then your chances of quitting successfully are increased significantly. You do not, however, need to wait for a health problem to motivate you.  If you’re smart, you’ll see where the path is leading you and change your course before arriving at a destination you don’t want to reach.

If you opt for one of the so called easy ways to quit smoking such as hypnosis, acupuncture, or over the counter products, you could considerably reduce the severity of the withdrawal symptoms. If you haven’t decided yet which of the easy ways to quit smoking to try, you may try surfing the web to get a better idea of what is available. 

I highly recommend looking at a product called Quit-Smoking. Keep in mind, however, that there are no miracle pills. The easy ways to quit smoking will ultimately depend on you.

Stay Healthy

A  recent study reported by MSNBC suggested that women who are sad or suffer from mild depression have a higher risk of getting breast cancer.

The research also suggested that the longer a patient suffers with feeling of sadness or being depressed, the stronger the relationship with breast cancer becomes.  The research is published in the journals Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health.

The risk of breast cancer is increased by as much as 12% for women who wrestle with depression.  Another study found that these women are more than two and a half times more likely to develop breast cancer than those who are not depressed.

These findings are extremely disturbing.  One problem is that the news itself is depressing.  It seems like the unhappy souls that are afflicted with this are trapped in a vicious cycle.

One idea might be to be more proactive in taking steps to overcome depression.  Much easier to say than accomplish, I’m sure, but definitely worth a try.  Especially for the loved ones who care about these women.

Two resources I’ve seen recently are the world laughter tour, an online resource that focuses on the power of laughter to improve our health; and emotion release, a new resource for learning how to overcome mild depression and feelings of sadness.

The threat of breast cancer is a constant enemy lurking in the shadows of many women’s lives.  The fact that depression can be a contributing factor is even more unsettling.

So take what steps you can to change your mood (or help someone you love to change theirs).  The long-term effects of their unhappiness can take a bigger toll on their health than we realize.

Stay Healthy.

I saw an interesting post on the internet recently that cited a study done by the Mayo Clinic indicating that optimists tend to live longer than pessimists. 

The research began in the 1960s where groups were tested and categorized as being either optimists, pessimists or a combination of both.

Over 40 years later, researchers have revisited the study and have found that optimists have a 20% greater chance of survival than their pessimistic counterparts.

Although the study didn’t speculate on why those with a positive outlook on life are more likely to live longer, it seems obvious that optimists are more likely to be proactive in taking care of themselves and less prone to depression and other negative ailments.

This study should encourage us to take a closer look at the long term benefits of positive thinking on our health, beyond the immediate pleasure it brings.  It seems more and more evident that it is absolutely essential to stop negative thoughts and emotions before they become a habit.

Many people feel helpless when confronted with feelings of depression or sadness.  But there are a variety of programs available that can be extremely effective in helping people to change their feelings and develop habits of thinking (and feeling) more positive.  One source for this is an inexpensive book you can find on the web at http://www.changingyouremotions.com.

Whatever methods you use, it is important to start taking your thoughts more seriously and to do what you can to become more optimistic.  When you do, you’ll not only enjoy your life more … you’ll also enjoy it longer.

Stay Healthy.

The holidays can be a joyous time of year.  But for many people, the winter festivities are often accompanied by an onslaught of negative feelings and emotions that leave them feeling depressed.  Recent studies indicate that these feelings may be linked to a lack of light rather than emotional associations.

The New York Times reported recently that a condition known as "seasonal affective disorder," (SAD), may be the culprit behind much of the negativity that occurs around this time of year.  Researchers found that the waning sunlight affected the secretion of melatonin in the brain, which resulted in a decrease in energy and symptoms associated with depression.

One remedy that is being used successfully to combat the effects of SAD is the use of artificial light known as phototherapy.  Exposure to bright light has a significant impact on reducing the negative symptoms of SAD. The standard course is 30 minutes of fluorescent soft-white light at 10,000 lux a day.

If you find yourself feeling down during the holidays, you might want to try this simple, but effective, remedy to combat feelings of sadness or lack of energy.  Or you could just head off for a sunny tropical vacation. (This would be my choice if time and my budget allowed.)

Many Blessings on you and your loved ones this holiday season.

Tim

With December well under way, many of us are being subjected to temperatures that send a chill cutting through our body.  But what exactly is going on when this happens?  Is it the actual temperature?  Or something else?

Researchers at the University of Southern California have isolated a single protein (TRPM8) that is responsible for our body’s reaction to cold.  Cold-sensing neurons make use of this protein to shoot sharp, transient pain along with a dull, aching sensation throughout our body. 

These neurons, sometimes called "cool fibers, can be traced from sensory neurons near the spinal cord to just outside the skin.

Now, I’m not that savy on all the scientific reasons why cold makes me feel chilly.  All I know is, it’s better to stay warm if you can.  But, if you’re interested in a more scientific reason, you should see if you can invent some kind of TRPM8 inhibitor or something along that line.  We might get frostbite and lose our limbs, but, hey, we wouldn’t feel chilly.

As we enter the winter months ahead, make sure that you stay bundled up and avoid exposing yourself to severe cold for long periods of time.  And your mother’s advice to drink lots of liquid are especially important.  The energy it takes for our bodies to stay warm in extreme cold can be significant.  Dehydration can occur more quickly than most people realize.

So if your TRPM8 proteins are being overworked, come inside, sit next to your fireplace (or heater) and enjoy some hot chocolate.

Stay warm.  Stay healthy.

When thinking about what "total health" means, you need to consider not only your physical health, but your mental and spiritual health as well.  There is a natural tendency in our culture to focus exclusively on physical health, but our life as a whole is much richer and more complex than the just the material world.

Many health-enhancing practices incorporate all three areas of our existence.  Yoga, for example, not only targets the body, but has benefits for our minds and our spirits as well.

When considering your health, think about the whole package.  Try to find a balance of the physical, mental and spiritual elements of your life and dedicate some time and energy to focusing on each one. Nutrition, exercise, play, getting enough rest, meditation, etc.  All of these are important and have benefits toward your total health.  Do a little of each every day.

Stay healthy.