Can Our Minds Really Affect Our Health?

July 19th, 2010 | Posted in Diet tips, Headline | No Comments »

Human beings are complex things; we often over think, under care, over worry, under sleep, over eat, under eat, over stress and under achieve and all because of our state of mind.

Whether we are over-doing something or under-doing it, it can affect our health in ways many of us are unaware of. Did you know that a lack of sleep can lead to bad skin while over worrying about problems can lead to a stomach abscess or heart problems?

A healthy state of mind is a healthy body…

Our problems are often intertwined with each other, as over-analyzing can lead to under-sleeping, which in turn leads to over thinking and under achieving. Being at one with yourself will allow you to reap the benefits in every aspect of your life — one problem solved will often lead to many others following suit. Stop thinking too much and you will sleep better — sleep better and you will achieve more — achieve more and you will worry less — and so on and so on…

How does being healthy affect my state of mind?

One of the easiest ways to drag yourself out of a dead end and to improve your life is to get healthy. It helps you to sleep better and work harder as your energy levels will rise — and this will help you to relax more and worry less.

Being healthy also helps many to get things into perspective. The hardest part is always getting into the healthy lifestyle to start with. If you consume foods that are good for you, you will soon lose weight, improve your mentality and feel better — and confidence within is often the key to sorting out a wobbly state of mind.

But — I don’t have time to get healthy!

Children can take up a lot of our time: from getting them to and from school safely, to feeding them, playing with them and educating them, and squeezing in a job, housework, husband and — what’s that called — oh yes, a life (!) — it can all be a huge strain. Try the follwing for a more balanced mind and body:

• Sometimes you need to sit back and re-evaluate, which should include you finding time to improve your mind and body
• Book a baby sitter once in a while
• Take some holiday leave from work to simply relax
• Get a cleaner in once a week to help with the chores
• Better still, make up a rota for the house chores and get the kids involved, and reward them at the end to encourage them to help more

A continued crazy lifestyle will take its toll on your mind, which then takes its toll on your body — and getting a grip of it all can be stressful. Check out Jennifer Nicole Lee’s new book The Mind, Body and Soul Diet for in-depth advice from someone who has been there, done it and conquered it!