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Practice Mindfulness Meditation and Protect Yourself from Chronic Diseases

Mindfulness meditation has been touted as an antidote to stress, anxiety and depression. And science has backed it up with evidence showing that people who practice meditation on a regular basis produce less of the stress hormone cortisol and more of the happy hormone serotonin in their bodies.

Mindfulness meditation brings us into a balanced state of mind. It accomplishes this balance by stimulating the whole brain to maximum performance. Our brains have right and left hemispheres. The left hemisphere is our logical, practical side while the right hemisphere takes care of creativity and intuition. One side usually dominates. That’s why we often say artists are right-brain persons and scientists are left-brain creatures. But ideally, both sides should be equally operating. With regular meditation, we can achieve whole brain function and enter into harmony. New neural pathways are created, blood flow improves and the mind is better able to deal with negative sensations like pain. When the mind is relaxed, it becomes a fertile ground for healthy cells to regenerate.

Here are three chronic diseases that we can prevent or halt the progress of, through mindfulness meditation:

Mindfulness meditation and heart disease

Meditation involves focus on deep breathing and silent contemplation. When the mind goes into this state, the neural activity of the prefrontal cortex of the brain decreases, thereby lowering stress levels. Many researches have attested to these findings and taken brain scans of subjects for further tests and evaluation. It also found that participants in the study had lowered risks for heart diseases compared to a group who did not do meditation.

Mindfulness meditation and obesity

Mindful eating makes us aware of the food we eat, their taste, texture and appearance. It also keeps our focus on our hunger and satiety, so that we don’t overeat. But meditation has more than a psychological effect on our appetites. Science says that when meditation makes us more calm and less stressed, our bodies produce endorphins, neurotransmitters and hormones that have positive and relaxing effects on our bodies and minds. Endorphins give us a feeling of happiness and satisfaction, driving away hunger and emotional eating. The neurotransmitter GABA decreases neural excitability and stabilizes our moods, preventing binge eating, and the hormones DHEA, serotonin and melatonin strengthen our immune systems, help keep depression away and regulate our circadian rhythms to give us a good night’s sleep.

It should be noted that not all cases of obesity can be resolved by meditation alone. Genetic, environmental and organic factors can add to the excess pounds. These and the need to lose weight fast for health reasons will benefit from medical intervention. Although the human growth hormone (HGH) is also produced by the body during meditation, a doctor-prescribed HGH dosage for weight loss will give greater results in a shorter time.

Mindfulness meditation and diabetes

Diabetes is a debilitating disease that has grave complications. Anyone diagnosed with it has to take medicines for a lifetime. People with this disease are prone to stress and depression, and for good reason since diabetes curtails pleasurable activities. Meditation helps in reversing insulin’s effect on the pancreas and reducing blood sugar levels by lowering the person’s stress. Stress triggers the body to produce the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline, which in turn increases glucose in the blood, leading to or aggravating diabetes. When stress is relieved, sleep patterns become regular, which promotes healing of the pancreas.

The alleviation of stress and anxiety that comes from the practice of mindfulness meditation promotes the healing or halts the progress of chronic diseases. Aside from the most common conditions of heart disease, obesity and diabetes, other continuing illnesses are hypertension, cancer, diseases of the gut and many more.

Western medicine has embraced this ancient Eastern practice as an important component of any therapeutic regimen. But we need not wait to be ill to start practicing meditation.

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Originally posted on January 23, 2017 @ 11:22 am

8 Ways to Overcome Post-Holiday Depression

It’s back to the daily grind and post-holiday depression hovers on the sidelines. When the excitement and frenzy of the holiday season is over, most people feel a sense of loneliness. The season’s high comes crashing down and drops us with a brutal thump on the ground of reality. The letdown comes from unmet expectations, fatigue after the flurry of activities, guilt from the overindulgence of food and alcohol and a host of other factors.

Numerous studies have shown that completed and attempted suicides see an increase right after the New Year, which is the official end of the holidays. But it need not be so. If you or someone you know sense the onset of depression, do something before you become a statistic. Here are things that will help you overcome the blues that set in when Christmas is over.

8 Ways to Overcome Post Holiday Depression

1. Have an attitude makeover.

Identify the negative attitudes that are holding you back. Are you pessimistic? Do you see yourself as a loser? Some positive attitudes to cultivate in yourself are optimism, resiliency, kindness, being non-judgmental, gratitude and enthusiasm. Any attitude that makes you and the people around you happier is a positive one.

2. Develop a daily meditation time.

Find a quiet time and place where you can meditate for about 20 minutes a day. Block out the noise and distractions and turn inward. Meditation helps you find serenity in the turbulence you are in and dispel your gloomy mood.

3. Don’t force a cheerful disposition. Allow yourself genuine feelings.

Pasting a smile on your face when you don’t feel like it will only compound your negative feelings. Recognize that it’s okay to feel bad, too, then let the feeling pass. Post-holiday depression should not be denied but don’t take it as a license to be boorish and mean.

4. Redo your surroundings.

Let sunlight enter into your home or office. Open the windows or blinds and draw back the curtains. Trim the trees outside. If natural sun is not available, get artificial light with a light box and sit near it. A well-lighted room chases away the blues.

Put bright colors in the room. Repaint the walls. Replace the furniture. If these actions are an overkill, simply add bright accents such as throw pillows, runners and decors.

5. Engage in physical activity.

For people with a sedentary lifestyle, a run or jog can be the hardest thing to do. The lack of motivation is compounded by the cold and chill outside. It takes discipline and willpower but you must summon them and have a regular brisk walk. Exercising indoors is an option so you don’t come up with excuses not to do so. Physical exercise triggers the body to produce the happy hormones like serotonin. It also increases metabolism aiding in weight loss. What better way to get you out of a depressive disposition? Unlike ordinary light, bright lights are more effective at alleviating seasonal affective disorder and enhancing cognitive and social functions.

6. Practice healthy eating.

By now, we all know what healthy eating is. But it doesn’t follow that we also walk our talk. To refresh your minds, a good portion of your daily diet should consist of fruits and vegetables. Throw in whole grains and nuts. Go slower on refined and processed food, sugar and fats. They lack the nutrients your body needs, affect your focus, deprive you of energy and contribute to mood swings.

7. Call a friend.

Talk to someone you trust to provide you a cathartic release of your pent-up emotions. The verbal outpouring also helps you see your situation in a different perspective. But choose whom to talk to wisely – a psychiatrist, a guidance counselor or a friend whom you look up to. Also, don’t overdo it. Constant calling and pouring out all your feelings can be tiring for the listener and if they begin to avoid you, it will only add to your post-holiday depression.

8. Volunteer; do acts of kindness.

Volunteer at the local soup kitchen. Call up older aunts and uncles who are alone. Reach out and meet the needs of the less-privileged. Giving of your time, effort or resources to help others has the paradoxical outcome of benefiting the giver by making you feel good about yourself, being grateful for what you have and broadening your horizon.

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Originally posted on January 12, 2017 @ 10:14 am

Holiday Stress: 5 Tips to Cope with It

As soon as the malls start playing Christmas carols, we can’t help but feel our spirits lift. Yet we also dread the anxiety and stress that come with every holiday season ever since we turned adults. It’s the time for drawing up our gifts list, meeting relatives we sometimes wish we didn’t have to and having to attend the numerous parties. On top of it all, the days get darker too early and it’s cold and snowing outside, making us prone to colds and flu.

This year, the holidays need not be as terrifying as the seasons past. Here’s a guide to actually enjoying Christmas and surviving the days unscathed. And when the New Year rolls in, you’re ready to embrace it with a positive outlook and look forward to only good things. [Read more…] about Holiday Stress: 5 Tips to Cope with It

Originally posted on November 28, 2016 @ 9:13 pm

How to Teach Money Lessons to Your Kids

As parents, teaching kids about money is a no-no. We have this mindset that if we do, we might be turning them into materialistic individuals who grow up feeling entitled. And on Christmas and birthdays, we give useless trinkets or gift cards because giving money as gifts is seen as tacky. But it is not so in the Eastern world, particularly in China and Japan. Children and teens look forward to these occasions because they know that their older relatives will be handing out red envelopes with cash for them. [Read more…] about How to Teach Money Lessons to Your Kids

Originally posted on November 25, 2016 @ 11:28 am

How Companies Are Going Green and Becoming More Ethical

Over the last decade, large corporations have shown that social responsibility goes beyond the usual waste segregation and annual tree-planting activities for employees. Eco-friendly practices and sustainable development only show results if they are ongoing and continuous, and they are not sporadic acts that last a few days or weeks at best. [Read more…] about How Companies Are Going Green and Becoming More Ethical

Originally posted on November 23, 2016 @ 6:30 am

3 Tips for Enhancing Communication with Mindful Listening

With the entry of the third millennium, communication has been made possible in various forms. Face-to-face talking has lessened somewhat, replaced by texting, chats, emails and video calls, to name some. But what remains important in any form of communication is effective speaking and mindful listening. In this post, you will learn what mindful listening is, how you can learn to do it and why it’s important to making relationships succeed. [Read more…] about 3 Tips for Enhancing Communication with Mindful Listening

Originally posted on November 18, 2016 @ 8:42 am