Our ancestors had to physically work hard for their food. The foods that they ate provided calories, but rarely the surplus of calories that we easily find in our foods today. There were also times of shortage, or famine when food was scarce and they went hungry. Through the ages, the DNA in our cells has remembered that.
This is part of the reason our bodies crave fatty – sugary “comfort foods.” Sugar is easily converted into fat and fat is easily stored. Fat stores were great news for our ancestors. Today, our bodies still prefer to have fat reserves because that increases the chance of survival. They reward us with “feel good” chemicals like dopamine, whenever we eat, or have sex, or do anything that furthers human survival. Dopamine is the same “feel good” chemical that the body releases when people consume alcohol, cocaine, or any addictive drug. In other words, we really do feel good when we eat those foods!
When we volunteer for famine by going on a diet and rigorously restrict calories, (not just cut back a bit on sweets), our brain goes on the defensive. It will not direct fat cells to release those stores without a fight. So people who go on diets end up battling with their own brain. Mind over matter isn’t just will power anymore.
The brain automatically responds to cues in the environment to signal the body to prepare to eat. Smells, the time of day, the food we see all indicate to the brain that food is on its way. When your brain sees food it automatically calculates how filling it is most likely to be and it sends signals to the stomach to squeeze out whatever is left from lunch to make room for dinner. We get hungry. We eat. We are happy.
In the short term, most diets appear to be successful because the brain will not release fat. Instead, when your body needs energy, it releases glucose supplies from the liver. Glucose is the sugar that muscles use and is almost instant energy. But glucose is stored in water and when it is released, water is released too. During the first week or two, dieters often urinate an extra two pints of water a day and that is a lot of weight.
This is why many diets claim to be successful, because people lose 10 to 15 pounds the first week or two. The problem is, they are losing water weight, not fat. If the dieter stays true to the diet, the brain may take desperate measures. Hunger pangs surge, dieters become irritable, all they can think about is food, and their weight loss plateaus.
To make matters worse, the brain directs the body to “slow down” so it can keep its fat reserves. Metabolism drops. You burn fewer calories doing the same activities that you did before. This is the opposite of what you want to happen. This may eventually lead to the “splurge” that replaces glucose stores, and water, and the weight that was lost is suddenly back again.
The way the body responds to dieting may explain why those who skip breakfast, tend to eat more calories throughout the day than those who eat a healthy breakfast. Perhaps, when the body starts out with a good meal, it isn’t as worried about famine and gathering food for the rest of the day. (There are more scientific reasons, but I like this one.)
The truth is that most people who lose weight by dieting, gain it back again within a year, plus two to five pounds because the body will prepare for another famine. Many people who “diet” every year, no matter how much weight they lose, tend to weigh 20 to 50 pounds heavier after 10 to 15 years.
The other problem with dieting is that people usually go back to their old eating habits when the desired weight is lost, the same eating habits that got them into trouble the first time. Eating unhealthy after restricting calories can be detrimental to a person’s health, depriving them of much needed nutrients needed to repair and maintain the body.
If you have experienced any of this, don’t be discouraged! There is a way to lose weight and keep it off permanently. You can train your fat cells to release the grease! Look for the article, “Release the Grease!” to find out.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Release the Grease!
In the article “Why Diets Don’t Work” we learn that in the long run, dieters actually gain more weight. But don’t worry there is a solution. Your body can train its fat cells to release the grease. Here’s how.
Your fat cells are living, thinking entities. They are NOT just storage lockers. They realize that they contain necessary fuel for the body’s survival and they are very responsible soldiers. In fact, fat cells found around the thighs are very reluctant to release fat, as women will attest, while the ones in the breasts and abdomen release their stores a bit more easily.
This is actually a good thing. Those people with excess fat in their abdomen are much more prone to heart disease than those who store it around the thighs. In the apple vs the pear body, the pears win. The good thing for apples is that their fat is much easier to lose.
Fat cells will release their stores when they believe those stores will be replaced. HUNGER IS NOT THE MESSAGE you want to send, so dieting is out. (When we speak of dieting we mean drastically restricting calories, not just cutting back on sweets.) Instead, we want to INCREASE METABOLISM and TRAIN the cells to RELEASE THE GREASE.
Here is an example of how cool this process can be. I grew up in Eugene, Oregon. This is a runner’s paradise, except for all of the rain. (But true runners don’t mind the rain.) Hayward Field is a track showcase and the city actually has many great trails to run on. It even has lanes on the roads for cars, bikers, and runners. Many Track and Field Olympians have trained on the University of Oregon campus.
Alberto Salazar was one of these elite runners, so scientists loved to study him. The story goes, as told by Covert Bailey, author of "Smart Exercise," that scientists would hook up Salazar to all kinds of probes and wires used to record data and then tell him to run on the treadmill. What they found was that even BEFORE HE BEGAN TO RUN, his body would begin to RELEASE THE GREASE.
Why, you may ask, would his fat cells freely open their doors when mine are so stingy with the stuff? Because his fat cells were trained to release the fat. He had logged in so many miles that just looking at the treadmill, his brain would send signals to his body that fuel was needed. His body released the fuel because it knew it would be needed and replaced after the run. This is why marathoners can eat diets much higher in fat. Their bodies don’t store a lot of it. The cells have been trained to release the fat, not to be stingy about storing it.
Ok, you say, but I am not a marathon runner. It doesn’t matter. Anyone who exercises the right way can train their fat cells too.
To learn how, look for the article, “Boost Your Metabolism While You Sleep.”
Your fat cells are living, thinking entities. They are NOT just storage lockers. They realize that they contain necessary fuel for the body’s survival and they are very responsible soldiers. In fact, fat cells found around the thighs are very reluctant to release fat, as women will attest, while the ones in the breasts and abdomen release their stores a bit more easily.
This is actually a good thing. Those people with excess fat in their abdomen are much more prone to heart disease than those who store it around the thighs. In the apple vs the pear body, the pears win. The good thing for apples is that their fat is much easier to lose.
Fat cells will release their stores when they believe those stores will be replaced. HUNGER IS NOT THE MESSAGE you want to send, so dieting is out. (When we speak of dieting we mean drastically restricting calories, not just cutting back on sweets.) Instead, we want to INCREASE METABOLISM and TRAIN the cells to RELEASE THE GREASE.
Here is an example of how cool this process can be. I grew up in Eugene, Oregon. This is a runner’s paradise, except for all of the rain. (But true runners don’t mind the rain.) Hayward Field is a track showcase and the city actually has many great trails to run on. It even has lanes on the roads for cars, bikers, and runners. Many Track and Field Olympians have trained on the University of Oregon campus.
Alberto Salazar was one of these elite runners, so scientists loved to study him. The story goes, as told by Covert Bailey, author of "Smart Exercise," that scientists would hook up Salazar to all kinds of probes and wires used to record data and then tell him to run on the treadmill. What they found was that even BEFORE HE BEGAN TO RUN, his body would begin to RELEASE THE GREASE.
Why, you may ask, would his fat cells freely open their doors when mine are so stingy with the stuff? Because his fat cells were trained to release the fat. He had logged in so many miles that just looking at the treadmill, his brain would send signals to his body that fuel was needed. His body released the fuel because it knew it would be needed and replaced after the run. This is why marathoners can eat diets much higher in fat. Their bodies don’t store a lot of it. The cells have been trained to release the fat, not to be stingy about storing it.
Ok, you say, but I am not a marathon runner. It doesn’t matter. Anyone who exercises the right way can train their fat cells too.
To learn how, look for the article, “Boost Your Metabolism While You Sleep.”
Boost Metabolism While You Sleep
Remember in biology class when you learned about the parts of the cell and you wondered why you had to know this stuff? Really, when would you ever use this information in real life? Well here it is.
Inside of the cell is the “powerhouse,” organelle known as the mitochondria. Mitochondria produce the energy that a cell needs to perform its function, divide, move, etc. In cells that are not required to do very much work, there is one, wimpy mitochondria. It doesn’t provide much energy. It just hangs around, bored and out of shape. To make matters worse, the fuel lines (arteries and capillaries) to these kinds of cells are usually out of shape, plaque ridden, and few and far between. These conditions lead to some lonely, bored, and depressed mitochondria.
Then one day, the woman in whose body these cells reside decides to get up and move a bit. Let’s call her Suzy. At first the cells don’t take Suzy seriously. They think she is just running to the refrigerator so the mitochondria grab the stored fuel in the cell to get her there, (remember ATP?) But it runs out immediately and she is still moving. Next they go for other sources of fuel in the cell, and then the glucose (sugar), but there’s not much of that either.
As Suzy continues to move, the cells send messages to the brain telling it that they need more fuel. After a while, the brain reluctantly sends a message to the fat cells to release some of the reserves. But this fuel has a hard time making it to the mitochondria. Suzy hasn’t exercised in a long time and her arteries are not equipped to handle the load. To make matters worse, cells need oxygen to convert the fat into fuel. Not only are Suzy’s lungs unable to absorb the extra oxygen from the air she breathes, but her blood is unable to ship it to where it is needed.
Suzy tires out quickly. She is out of breath and overwhelmed with the loud complaints coming from the muscles in the form of aches and pains. Her brain however, realizes that if she keeps doing this she will be stronger which furthers the chance of her survival, so it rewards her with “feel good” chemicals called endorphins (lovingly referred to as the “morphine within”). These endorphins will actually reduce pain and help her feel good. Suzy is exhausted, so she goes to bed early and sleeps well that night, BUT HER BODY DOESN’T! It is busy repairing the damage that she did to it while she was exercising.
This repair work requires energy, even more energy than she used while exercising. While Suzy sleeps, the body, which doesn’t like to be caught off guard, is worried that she might try this exercise thing again tomorrow. SUZY’S METABOLISM SKYROCKETS as cells are repaired and waste products are eliminated.
As the days go by and Suzy continues to exercise, her body is trained to burns more and more fat while it creates her new look. Her body is forming new arteries, creating new muscle tissue, and shifting the fat from around her waist to inside of her muscles where it is needed. Best of all, the mitochondria in each cell have doubled. Now they are efficient, competent, and not so lonely mitochondria. Suzy is literally full of energy.
People often say, “I have a slow metabolism.” Then I say, “Ok then, change it.” The best way to boost your metabolic rate is to train the body to become an efficient, fuel releasing, fuel burning machine, THROUGH EXERCISE. There are other things that can boost metabolism temporarily, but the overall effects are not even close to what exercise can do for you.
What are the best, fat burning, metabolism boosting ways to exercises period? Look for the upcoming article “What is the Best Exercise” to find out.
Inside of the cell is the “powerhouse,” organelle known as the mitochondria. Mitochondria produce the energy that a cell needs to perform its function, divide, move, etc. In cells that are not required to do very much work, there is one, wimpy mitochondria. It doesn’t provide much energy. It just hangs around, bored and out of shape. To make matters worse, the fuel lines (arteries and capillaries) to these kinds of cells are usually out of shape, plaque ridden, and few and far between. These conditions lead to some lonely, bored, and depressed mitochondria.
Then one day, the woman in whose body these cells reside decides to get up and move a bit. Let’s call her Suzy. At first the cells don’t take Suzy seriously. They think she is just running to the refrigerator so the mitochondria grab the stored fuel in the cell to get her there, (remember ATP?) But it runs out immediately and she is still moving. Next they go for other sources of fuel in the cell, and then the glucose (sugar), but there’s not much of that either.
As Suzy continues to move, the cells send messages to the brain telling it that they need more fuel. After a while, the brain reluctantly sends a message to the fat cells to release some of the reserves. But this fuel has a hard time making it to the mitochondria. Suzy hasn’t exercised in a long time and her arteries are not equipped to handle the load. To make matters worse, cells need oxygen to convert the fat into fuel. Not only are Suzy’s lungs unable to absorb the extra oxygen from the air she breathes, but her blood is unable to ship it to where it is needed.
Suzy tires out quickly. She is out of breath and overwhelmed with the loud complaints coming from the muscles in the form of aches and pains. Her brain however, realizes that if she keeps doing this she will be stronger which furthers the chance of her survival, so it rewards her with “feel good” chemicals called endorphins (lovingly referred to as the “morphine within”). These endorphins will actually reduce pain and help her feel good. Suzy is exhausted, so she goes to bed early and sleeps well that night, BUT HER BODY DOESN’T! It is busy repairing the damage that she did to it while she was exercising.
This repair work requires energy, even more energy than she used while exercising. While Suzy sleeps, the body, which doesn’t like to be caught off guard, is worried that she might try this exercise thing again tomorrow. SUZY’S METABOLISM SKYROCKETS as cells are repaired and waste products are eliminated.
As the days go by and Suzy continues to exercise, her body is trained to burns more and more fat while it creates her new look. Her body is forming new arteries, creating new muscle tissue, and shifting the fat from around her waist to inside of her muscles where it is needed. Best of all, the mitochondria in each cell have doubled. Now they are efficient, competent, and not so lonely mitochondria. Suzy is literally full of energy.
People often say, “I have a slow metabolism.” Then I say, “Ok then, change it.” The best way to boost your metabolic rate is to train the body to become an efficient, fuel releasing, fuel burning machine, THROUGH EXERCISE. There are other things that can boost metabolism temporarily, but the overall effects are not even close to what exercise can do for you.
What are the best, fat burning, metabolism boosting ways to exercises period? Look for the upcoming article “What is the Best Exercise” to find out.
Is Gatorade Good For Kids?
For people who like straight answers, you’re not going to like this one. The answer is, it depends.
Gatorade is a sports drink. Sports drinks are different from protein drinks, meal replacement drinks, vitamin drinks, recovery drinks, fitness waters, endurance drinks, and recreational drinks like Kool-Aid and colas. Each drink has a specific purpose (we will talk about each of these in future articles), but the purpose of quality sports drinks is three fold.
1. Hydration
2. Replacing glycogen stores (Sugar that is stored in the liver and muscles.)
3. Replacing electrolytes
We will use Gatorade as our example because it was the first of the major sports drinks. It was created by physicians and researchers at the University of Florida in 1965 to combat some of the problems facing the school’s football team. The players were suffering from cramps, exhaustion and a host of other problems caused by training in the area’s hot and humid conditions. The researchers discovered that the players were not drinking enough water or replacing the electrolytes and glycogen that was lost through sweat and exercise.
Soon after the drinks introduction, the team began winning. The athletes were recovering faster and outlasting their opponents on the field. They went on to win the Orange Bowl for the first time. Soon other universities wanted it, NFL teams ordered it and the rest is history. The drink, originally called Gatorpiss by the players, was wanted by teams everywhere. They changed the name, because the old one didn’t bode well for marketing purposes, and called it Gatorade.
Gatorade has been well researched. My brother in-law, another health professor, actually participated in some of the earlier studies. It, and other drinks, contains the formula that seems to work best for hydrating and replacing sugars and electrolytes. That is for every 8 ounces, there should be 14 grams of easily digested carbohydrates, about 110 mg of sodium, and 30 mg of potassium.
So now that we know a bit more about these drinks, are they good for kids?
Remember, these drinks are to hydrate, and to replace glycogen and electrolytes lost from exercise and sweat. So if your child has been working out and sweating for at least 45 minutes, the answer is probably yes. If your child is just hanging out playing video games, the answer is probably no.
Besides being expensive, sports drinks contain quite a few calories and can easily contribute to weight gain if the calories are not used properly. It is no big secret that kids and adults these days are heavier than they have ever been. Obesity leads to a host of health problems, some of them serious, deadly serious.
An 8 ounce glass of Gatorade has about 3.5 teaspoons of sugar, (but who drinks 8 ounces?). Most drink a 24 to 32 ounce jug. That means they are drinking 10 to 14 teaspoons of extra sugar, about the same as a can of soda! That’s about 200 calories of lack luster nutrition. No vitamins, plant chemicals, fiber, protein, healthy fats: just simple sugar and salt.
Something to consider with these sugary drinks is the effect that they have on blood sugar levels. When someone has just worked out, they need to replace lost carbohydrate stores or sugar, it is good for them is they do. But if you haven’t worked out, these drinks increase blood sugar levels. When blood sugar levels rise and fall too many times, insulin problems occur and this can lead to Type II Diabetes. No one wants their kids to get Type II Diabetes.
Another concern is salt. There have been cases of kids, at even 5 to 8 years old, getting kidney stones. It makes sense that with all of the added salt in the processed food people eat today, we monitor what our children eat.
Also, in recent years, there has been an increase in children's cavities. Many health professionals believe that this is because of the combination of sugar and acids found in sodas, juices, and yes sports drinks. The more kids drink these drinks, the bigger the chance of tooth decay.
So now you probably think I am “down” on sports drinks. The opposite is true. We drink them almost every day. Are we hypocrites? No. Here’s why.
After you work out, your body needs to replace water, sugar, and electrolytes. Research shows that if these are replaced correctly, it is very beneficial to the body. When people drink water, they tend to drink one glass and then stop before they are fully hydrated. Sports drinks contain the right amount of sugar, not only to replenish glycogen stores, but to keep the person drinking until they are hydrated. There is also not too much sugar, as with juices and other drinks that can cause gas and digestion difficulties after exercise.
When should we drink sports drinks?
First, you should always replenish liquids within 30 minutes of exercising. During this time, your cells will actually allow more absorption of the nutrients they need. Next time you work out, you will have a bit more muscle glycogen stored which may increase performance. We like the powdered version of Gatorade which you make at home. Not only is it less expensive and doesn’t come in the plastic bottles, it contains dextrose instead of high fructose corn syrup as the main carbohydrate. The same goes for protein. Click here for information on protein replacement after a workout. Here are some other tips.
1. For workouts 30 minutes or under, water is the best. Just make sure your kids are actually drinking it. Water is calorie free, it helps to clean teeth, and it is hard to drink too much of it. You can try fitness waters. There is no evidence that the little bit of vitamins or minerals in these drinks will improve athletic performance, but they do contain just enough sugar to encourage kids to drink more. (Just try to avoid those with artificial sweeteners.)
2. Drink a sports drink if you have been sweating and or working out for about 45 minutes or more. Besides replacing lost sugar and electrolytes, these drinks taste better than water so people tend to drink more and hydrate better.
3. During really hot days and /or longer workouts, you can try endurance drinks. These still have the 14 grams of carbohydrates per cup, but they also add a bit more sodium and potassium to maintain electrolyte levels for long bouts of exercise or competitions.
Sports Drinks, Better Than Water?
http://chemistry.about.com/cs/foodchemistry/a/aa070803a.htm
What to Drink When
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-242-302--10086-0,00.html
Gatorade History
http://www.gatorade.com/history/
Gatorade is a sports drink. Sports drinks are different from protein drinks, meal replacement drinks, vitamin drinks, recovery drinks, fitness waters, endurance drinks, and recreational drinks like Kool-Aid and colas. Each drink has a specific purpose (we will talk about each of these in future articles), but the purpose of quality sports drinks is three fold.
1. Hydration
2. Replacing glycogen stores (Sugar that is stored in the liver and muscles.)
3. Replacing electrolytes
We will use Gatorade as our example because it was the first of the major sports drinks. It was created by physicians and researchers at the University of Florida in 1965 to combat some of the problems facing the school’s football team. The players were suffering from cramps, exhaustion and a host of other problems caused by training in the area’s hot and humid conditions. The researchers discovered that the players were not drinking enough water or replacing the electrolytes and glycogen that was lost through sweat and exercise.
Soon after the drinks introduction, the team began winning. The athletes were recovering faster and outlasting their opponents on the field. They went on to win the Orange Bowl for the first time. Soon other universities wanted it, NFL teams ordered it and the rest is history. The drink, originally called Gatorpiss by the players, was wanted by teams everywhere. They changed the name, because the old one didn’t bode well for marketing purposes, and called it Gatorade.
Gatorade has been well researched. My brother in-law, another health professor, actually participated in some of the earlier studies. It, and other drinks, contains the formula that seems to work best for hydrating and replacing sugars and electrolytes. That is for every 8 ounces, there should be 14 grams of easily digested carbohydrates, about 110 mg of sodium, and 30 mg of potassium.
So now that we know a bit more about these drinks, are they good for kids?
Remember, these drinks are to hydrate, and to replace glycogen and electrolytes lost from exercise and sweat. So if your child has been working out and sweating for at least 45 minutes, the answer is probably yes. If your child is just hanging out playing video games, the answer is probably no.
Besides being expensive, sports drinks contain quite a few calories and can easily contribute to weight gain if the calories are not used properly. It is no big secret that kids and adults these days are heavier than they have ever been. Obesity leads to a host of health problems, some of them serious, deadly serious.
An 8 ounce glass of Gatorade has about 3.5 teaspoons of sugar, (but who drinks 8 ounces?). Most drink a 24 to 32 ounce jug. That means they are drinking 10 to 14 teaspoons of extra sugar, about the same as a can of soda! That’s about 200 calories of lack luster nutrition. No vitamins, plant chemicals, fiber, protein, healthy fats: just simple sugar and salt.
Something to consider with these sugary drinks is the effect that they have on blood sugar levels. When someone has just worked out, they need to replace lost carbohydrate stores or sugar, it is good for them is they do. But if you haven’t worked out, these drinks increase blood sugar levels. When blood sugar levels rise and fall too many times, insulin problems occur and this can lead to Type II Diabetes. No one wants their kids to get Type II Diabetes.
Another concern is salt. There have been cases of kids, at even 5 to 8 years old, getting kidney stones. It makes sense that with all of the added salt in the processed food people eat today, we monitor what our children eat.
Also, in recent years, there has been an increase in children's cavities. Many health professionals believe that this is because of the combination of sugar and acids found in sodas, juices, and yes sports drinks. The more kids drink these drinks, the bigger the chance of tooth decay.
So now you probably think I am “down” on sports drinks. The opposite is true. We drink them almost every day. Are we hypocrites? No. Here’s why.
After you work out, your body needs to replace water, sugar, and electrolytes. Research shows that if these are replaced correctly, it is very beneficial to the body. When people drink water, they tend to drink one glass and then stop before they are fully hydrated. Sports drinks contain the right amount of sugar, not only to replenish glycogen stores, but to keep the person drinking until they are hydrated. There is also not too much sugar, as with juices and other drinks that can cause gas and digestion difficulties after exercise.
When should we drink sports drinks?
First, you should always replenish liquids within 30 minutes of exercising. During this time, your cells will actually allow more absorption of the nutrients they need. Next time you work out, you will have a bit more muscle glycogen stored which may increase performance. We like the powdered version of Gatorade which you make at home. Not only is it less expensive and doesn’t come in the plastic bottles, it contains dextrose instead of high fructose corn syrup as the main carbohydrate. The same goes for protein. Click here for information on protein replacement after a workout. Here are some other tips.
1. For workouts 30 minutes or under, water is the best. Just make sure your kids are actually drinking it. Water is calorie free, it helps to clean teeth, and it is hard to drink too much of it. You can try fitness waters. There is no evidence that the little bit of vitamins or minerals in these drinks will improve athletic performance, but they do contain just enough sugar to encourage kids to drink more. (Just try to avoid those with artificial sweeteners.)
2. Drink a sports drink if you have been sweating and or working out for about 45 minutes or more. Besides replacing lost sugar and electrolytes, these drinks taste better than water so people tend to drink more and hydrate better.
3. During really hot days and /or longer workouts, you can try endurance drinks. These still have the 14 grams of carbohydrates per cup, but they also add a bit more sodium and potassium to maintain electrolyte levels for long bouts of exercise or competitions.
Sports Drinks, Better Than Water?
http://chemistry.about.com/cs/foodchemistry/a/aa070803a.htm
What to Drink When
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-242-302--10086-0,00.html
Gatorade History
http://www.gatorade.com/history/
The Dimensions of Health and Wellness
On the first day of class every semester, I usually ask the students, “What is a healthy person?”
Typically, I get answers like, someone who exercises, eats right, is thin, has good hygiene, gets enough sleep, doesn’t do drugs, has nice skin, is in shape, isn’t sick, is tan, isn’t overweight, someone who has lots of energy.
Did you notice something about all of these responses? They all have to do with a person’s physical health. That is usually what people think of when they think of health, but there are other aspects to a healthy person. What else is a healthy person?
The answers then expand to things like, someone who is happy, someone who is smart, someone who has lots of friends, someone who is confident, recycles, forgives others, learns from their mistakes, thinks things through, isn’t depressed, helps others, practices safe sex, controls their emotions, volunteers, and helps to protect the environment. The list can go on and on.
There are actually many dimensions to a person’s health. The six that we usually discuss are; physical, emotional, intellectual, social, spiritual, and environmental. These dimensions all depend on and influence each other. When one is out of sync, the other five are usually affected.
We need to evolve past the idea that a health is just a physical thing.
We usually think of professional athletes as very healthy people, because they are in great physical shape. But, is a professional athlete a healthy person if he goes home after a game and abuses his wife? He may be physically healthy but certainly not emotionally.
What about a person who works hard to keep the environment pollution free, but doesn’t take any time to keep himself organized? Or, consider the spiritual leader who is also a very stressed out person?
It helps to think about it like a tire divided into six sections. If you get a puncture, it affects the whole tire. The whole tire is flat, not just the place where the nail poked through. The same is true with our health.
Let’s say someone is under a lot of stress, this emotional imbalance affects the brain and the way that they think. It affects their physical body too. They may gain weight or not get enough sleep, which affects their immune system. Things in the environment may irritate them and they may lash out at others they love. This affects their social and their spiritual well being. After all, it is impossible to focus on attaining our highest values, if we are just trying to make it through the day. If we are not happy, we are not healthy.
What about Wellness?
On the other hand, people who are balanced in one aspect of health usually enjoy positive improvements in their other dimensions as well.
If a person exercises regularly (physical), they are more apt to feel better about themselves (emotional). When people feel good about themselves, they are more likely to try new things (intellectual), and to connect with friends (social). When people have a strong social network, they have more confidence in where they live (environmental) because they know the others around them, and are more apt to help others in time of need (spiritual).
When we volunteer (spiritual) are we not reaching out to others (social) and feeling good about ourselves (emotional)? We also may be learning new labor skills (physical) or thinking of other ways to help the situations of others (intellectual, environmental).
You can try this exercise with every aspect of health, when one is doing well; it helps balance all of the others. THIS IS WELLNESS, A BALANCE IN ALL OF THE DIMENSIONS OF HEALTH. You don’t need to be perfect in all of the areas or even in one; you just need to be actively working on them to begin to feel these dimensions begin to support and enhance each other.
The objective of any health class should be to help people become well, to become balanced. When we are balanced, the body, the spirit, and the mind, work together and are able to heal themselves and experience wellness.
The articles and ideas posted on this blog will support the intention or goal that we all can experience this balance. The articles will focus on the principles of health that are the foundation for wellness. I welcome you and hope that there is something here that will benefit your life.
Typically, I get answers like, someone who exercises, eats right, is thin, has good hygiene, gets enough sleep, doesn’t do drugs, has nice skin, is in shape, isn’t sick, is tan, isn’t overweight, someone who has lots of energy.
Did you notice something about all of these responses? They all have to do with a person’s physical health. That is usually what people think of when they think of health, but there are other aspects to a healthy person. What else is a healthy person?
The answers then expand to things like, someone who is happy, someone who is smart, someone who has lots of friends, someone who is confident, recycles, forgives others, learns from their mistakes, thinks things through, isn’t depressed, helps others, practices safe sex, controls their emotions, volunteers, and helps to protect the environment. The list can go on and on.
There are actually many dimensions to a person’s health. The six that we usually discuss are; physical, emotional, intellectual, social, spiritual, and environmental. These dimensions all depend on and influence each other. When one is out of sync, the other five are usually affected.
We need to evolve past the idea that a health is just a physical thing.
We usually think of professional athletes as very healthy people, because they are in great physical shape. But, is a professional athlete a healthy person if he goes home after a game and abuses his wife? He may be physically healthy but certainly not emotionally.
What about a person who works hard to keep the environment pollution free, but doesn’t take any time to keep himself organized? Or, consider the spiritual leader who is also a very stressed out person?
It helps to think about it like a tire divided into six sections. If you get a puncture, it affects the whole tire. The whole tire is flat, not just the place where the nail poked through. The same is true with our health.
Let’s say someone is under a lot of stress, this emotional imbalance affects the brain and the way that they think. It affects their physical body too. They may gain weight or not get enough sleep, which affects their immune system. Things in the environment may irritate them and they may lash out at others they love. This affects their social and their spiritual well being. After all, it is impossible to focus on attaining our highest values, if we are just trying to make it through the day. If we are not happy, we are not healthy.
What about Wellness?
On the other hand, people who are balanced in one aspect of health usually enjoy positive improvements in their other dimensions as well.
If a person exercises regularly (physical), they are more apt to feel better about themselves (emotional). When people feel good about themselves, they are more likely to try new things (intellectual), and to connect with friends (social). When people have a strong social network, they have more confidence in where they live (environmental) because they know the others around them, and are more apt to help others in time of need (spiritual).
When we volunteer (spiritual) are we not reaching out to others (social) and feeling good about ourselves (emotional)? We also may be learning new labor skills (physical) or thinking of other ways to help the situations of others (intellectual, environmental).
You can try this exercise with every aspect of health, when one is doing well; it helps balance all of the others. THIS IS WELLNESS, A BALANCE IN ALL OF THE DIMENSIONS OF HEALTH. You don’t need to be perfect in all of the areas or even in one; you just need to be actively working on them to begin to feel these dimensions begin to support and enhance each other.
The objective of any health class should be to help people become well, to become balanced. When we are balanced, the body, the spirit, and the mind, work together and are able to heal themselves and experience wellness.
The articles and ideas posted on this blog will support the intention or goal that we all can experience this balance. The articles will focus on the principles of health that are the foundation for wellness. I welcome you and hope that there is something here that will benefit your life.
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