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Mind
~ Body ~ Spirit
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Search the various health links at the bottom of this page
to learn more about nutrition, fitness, stress management,
mental and emotional health, and spirituality.
Understanding the
inter-connection between the physical, mental, and spiritual
parts of ourselves and how they affect each other will help
us in our efforts to create a life based on health and
wellness rather than sickness and disease.
As grandparents or older relatives
raising children, we may be twenty, thirty, or even forty
years older than we were when we had our own children. It is easy to pay
more attention to everything else before our own health, but
it is
critical that we focus attention on taking care of
ourselves and living healthy lives.
As we age, we are faced with health
challenges that we might not have faced when we were
younger. We may find as we get older that we have gained
weight, our joints hurt, we are stiff and can't move around
as easily as when we were younger, our blood pressure is
higher, and our energy is lower. Without proper nutrition
and fitness, our muscles deteriorate, our bones become weak,
and our immune system is compromised.
Thirty or forty years ago, we may have
had a good excuse to not eat properly or be physically fit.
Perhaps, we honestly did not know the harm that is done by
eating the wrong types of food and not being active.
Modern science has proven the importance
of proper nutrition and exercise, and the Internet affords
us the opportunity to search and learn most anything and
everything. So whether or not we grew up in a family that
focused on wellness and health, we can learn and practice
healthy living habits today. I would venture to say that
most of us did not grow up in home environments where we ate
low-fat, low sugar, and high nutrient whole foods.
Body
Nutrition
& Physical Fitness:
I was almost thirty years
old before I learned about healthy living through proper
nutrition. I can well remember, as a young mother, all of the boxed
Macaroni and Cheese, canned green beans, and Jell-O we
ate, while I thought I was feeding my young children well. I
started the process of learning about eating whole and
nutritious foods when doctors could not tell me why I was so
tired. I could not walk from one end of the mall to the
other. According to doctors I was the epitome of health, yet
I could not even walk around the block. Thus my life-long
quest to learn about natural healthy living began. When I
eat the way I know my body needs, I function better than
when I slide backwards and revert to old eating habits. If I
eat the typical "American" diet, I will feel utterly horrid.
Being physically active is very
important to our over-all wellbeing. When I was forty and
couldn't get up from the floor without pulling myself up by
something, it was obvious my muscles were very weak. I
looked healthy, but my lack of physical strength and lack of
flexibility showed otherwise. I worked at
strengthening my muscles with weight bearing exercises and
yoga, not only to create a stronger and more flexible body
but to help prevent osteoporosis as well.
For some reason exercising is more of
a challenge for me than eating properly. To help motivate
myself, I sometimes wear a pedometer hooked to my pants, so
I can physically see how far I have walked during the course
of my day. I have found myself walking in place in my office
or running up and down the stairs extra times just to add
mileage to my day.
Our physical health affects more than
how we look and physically feel, it also affects our
emotions and moods, our mental state of mind. When we do not
feel physically well, we are more prone to depression,
anxiety, and emotional stress.
Mind
Mental
Health:
Of equal importance is understanding
how our thoughts affect our emotions and how what we think
and feel affects both our bodies and ultimately the reality
and experiences in our lives.
If our thoughts are negative and our
auto response is one of "Why are you, or life, always doing
this to me?" the emotions that follow will be of worry,
fear, or dissatisfaction in some way. These negative
emotions will have a negative impact on our physical health.
By focusing on what we don't like or want, we are actually
giving energy to those emotions and creating more of what we
don't want, not more of what we want.
Finding something good in each
situation can sometimes be a challenge but is vital to do. I
have had times in my life when the only positive thing that
I could think of in a given situation was to tell myself,
"Just think how much I am learning by going through this and
how helpful I will be to others going through the same thing
someday." There are a lot of good books and information
available on the topic of "the law of attraction" and
"positive thinking." Basically, the idea is what you put out
to the world through thoughts and emotions, comes back to
you multiplied. That is a simple universal law. A law that
we need to fully understand and apply in our lives.
Spirit
Spiritual
Health:
Spirituality is less understood by
many than physical and mental health. I see spirituality as
the glue or energy that connects and balances the body and
mind. For me, my spirituality, my connection to God or the
Divine, is as vital to a healthy life as my physical and
mental health. In my life, I have had many experiences that
have shown me that what helps me feel connected to a Divine
Being may not be what works for my best friend or family
member. Since each person's journey throughout life is
unique from others, each individual must find the spiritual
path that helps her discover her life's purpose and
her connection to God. There are many views in the world and
many who believe that their way is the only way for
everyone. I will leave that discussion to others. I will say
that I do believe that people need spiritual direction and
connection in their lives. The power of spirituality,
whether through prayer, meditation, or forgiveness, works
with our mind and body to create balance and healing in our
lives.
Our mind, body, and spirit are all
inter-connected and affect each other just as individuals,
community members, and the environment affect each other. A
business man is not successful unless someone buys his
services or products; a teacher is not being a teacher if
there is no student to teach; and a fisherman is not a
fisherman if there are no fish. However, understanding the
mind, body, spirit connection can be a bit trickier.
Nevertheless, they are connected and dependent on one
another. Learning and applying this principle can assist us
in developing healthy lives to greatly benefit ourselves and
the grandchildren we are raising.
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Click
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Proper Nutrition
is vital for the cells of the body to regenerate
themselves and ward off disease
Eating
a diet high in fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, and
foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids provide antioxidants
needed to protect against both nutrient deficiencies and
diseases.
What are Free
Radicals?
Free radicals are unstable
molecules that lack a necessary electron. They "steal" an
electron from another molecule, making it unstable as
well. This starts a chain reaction producing more free
radicals and damaging the cells in the body.
What are
Antioxidants?
Antioxidants are compounds
that can neutralize a free radical by giving it the needed
electron it needs without become unstable itself. It is
important that our diet consists of foods that are rich
with antioxidant vitamins and phytochemicals (compounds
found in certain plants that have biological activity in
the body). Select fruits and vegetables that are rich in
color such as blueberries, oranges, strawberries,
cranberries, blackberries, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and
fish such as salmon and tuna for their high anti-oxidant
qualities.
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