Why Does A Healthy Mind Create a Healthy Body?

The mind and body are inter-connected in a way that influences everything we do.  Our thoughts and views of life affect our bodies on a daily basis. A healthy mind creates a healthy body because the relationship our mind has with our body is a complex one but one that has the potential to heal our physical maladies. The two need to work in unison to bring about optimal health.  Our thoughts and the choices we make can bring about abundant health if we establish a keen dialogue between what we think and what we eat.

How you eat, not just what you eat, dictates how you live. You can eat the healthiest, freshest and most organic food possible but if you are having toxic thoughts or you are involved in stressful situations then there is going to be imbalance between your physical and mental well-being.

According to Dr. Arthur Barsky, professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, “We feel emotions in our bodies.”  These emotions can thrust us into physical pain when our emotions are compromised.  Dr. Barsky goes on to say that, “We “burn” with anger, “tremble” with fear, feel “chocked u”p with sadness, and our stomachs “turn” with revulsion.  Everyone tends to experience unpleasant emotions as unpleasant bodily symptoms and thus feel physically distressed when emotionally distressed.”

Healthy Body And Mind Connection

Doctors have noticed a strong correlation between illness and periods of high emotional stress in their patients.  Chronic stress has long-term physical consequences such as promoting fat storage, depositing cholesterol in the blood vessels, causing infertility and sexual problems as well as destroying the body’s ability to combat cancer, infection and illness. Two new fields of study called psychoneuroimmunology and behavioral cardiology, are used to deal with the effects of stress on the body.

Maximizing your emotional well-being is the key to a healthy body.  By listening to your body and what it is saying, you can make the proper nutritional decisions to improve your mental health.  Our brains need the proper nutrition to clear out the toxins that load up in the body.  Good health is a balanced state of mind and body.  When they become unbalanced,the other suffers.

Here are 5 routines you should be optimizing to create a healthy mind and body

• A healthy mind is improved by a healthy diet. Eat balanced meals that have plenty of one ingredient foods.  They should be fresh, organic if possible, and low in sugar, high in protein and non-GMO.

• Get regular exercise everyday. If you are able to, incorporate 150 minutes of moderate exercise into your life every week. Exercise releases endorphins and creates positive emotions, decreasing the likelihood of depression.

• Get plenty of restful sleep.  8 hours of sleep is recommended as a 2010 study has shown that sleeping less than five hours each night can be detrimental to your mental health. Try creating a routine of going to bed at the same time and rising at the same time each day to regulate your wake and sleep cycles. Sleeping in a cool, quiet and dark room helps promote good REM sleep.

• Manage your everyday stress.  Create a calm place where you can wind down and give your mind a rest.  Try yoga and meditation to relax the body and mind while helping blow flow to all parts of the body.

• Try volunteering or get a hobby that makes you happy.  By feeding your mind news stimulations, you continue to live longer and retain their brain function until the very end of life.  Neuroplasticity, – your ability to reshape your nervous system and brain is the idea behind constant and focused brain stimulation.

Give Yourself Brain-Boosting Nutrients To Stay Healthy In Both Body And Mind

Nutraceuticals are specific nutrients that have medicinal effect on the body.  Nutraceuticals are natural compounds that are made by either the body or plants and are effective at boosting brain health.

Acetyl-L-Carnitine 

Acetyle-L-carnitine (ALC) crosses the blood-brain barrier where it acts as a powerful antioxidant.  It acts on both acetylcholine and dopamine function.  ALC is neuroprotective and works as a powerful cognitive enhancer.  While most studies have been done on rodents, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest it’s effectiveness in humans.  Some other interesting benefits are better sperm motility and as a treatment for heart dysfunction. It supercharges your mitochondria which helps your entire system, not just your body.

Krill Oil (EPA/DHA)

Krill oil is one of the best foods you can eat that provides both omega-3 fatty acids which are essential for good brain function and development.  They improve your memory, the way you process information, and protect brain neurons from injury or degeneration.  They are great for helping your brain  run more efficiently. It is one of my favorite ways to have more energy, both in my brain and my body.

Creatine

Creatine not only helps you lift more weight but your brain uses creatine to perform synapses and it improves brain function. More energy for the brain means faster processing and better performance in everything you do. Using creatine is effective in improving short-term memory loss, reducing fatigue and enhancing your mood.  It also allows the brain to get more oxygen which is great for poor sleepers.

You owe it to yourself to create a good healthy routine by eating healthy for a healthy body, stimulating your mind to keep it sound and by incorporating a healthy regimen that work well together to make a consistent healthy body and mind connection.