from the work they’ve done. At work, we need to take a few minutes every two hours or so to relax and get ourselves back into a good frame of mind. We should never skip lunch if we don’t have to, and we should try to do something special on occasion to make ourselves feel important.
• Stress-proof your surroundings as much as possible. Our environment and the things that surround us can have a profound impact on how we feel and how energized we are. If we listen to music, we need to listen only to the type of music that makes us feel relaxed, not the music that’s currently popular or that we think we should be listening to. Surround yourself and decorate your home and office with pictures you enjoy looking at and with color schemes that are soothing rather than stimulating.
• Don’t dwell on the past. It’s important not to get caught up in past events. Dwelling too much on previous failures, on what we should have done or said, conditions the brain to intensify those negative thoughts the next time. The past is over, and the only thing we can do is work on the present and prepare for the future. Instead of worrying about what should have been, our past experiences can be used as a tool for focusing on future accomplishments. The most accomplished people in life, the most successful entrepreneurs, the greatest scientists and achievers all have one thing in common: they all learn from past mistakes and they all use failure as an incentive to accomplish what they set out to do.
• Begin an exercise program. There’s more to exercise than simply getting fit. Regular exercise boosts our immune system and makes us fight disease more effectively. It energizes us, helps us relax, improves sex life, increases resistance, and gives us an overall feeling of health and well-being. Stimulating the body refreshes the mind. Our brain requires activity by the rest of the body in order to revitalize the senses and keep us in a constant state of balance. Individuals who exercise at least three times a week are significantly more likely to trigger the strong immune responses needed to combat disease.
• Express your feelings. The simple act of expressing ourselves has a dramatic effect on how we feel and cope with life events. Psychologists working with people who have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) find that patients recover more quickly and are sick less often the more they become comfortable talking about the event that caused the trauma. Studies done since the 1980s have shown that writing about an experience dulls its emotional impact, helps lead to successful recovery, and actually produces stronger immune responses. This “journal therapy” technique can have a profound effect on our health by interfering with disease processes.
• Learn to say no. If you are always a “yes” person, you’re less likely to feel in control and more likely to get sick. The reason is simple. Those who can’t say no often get overextended, usually feel like they’re being taken advantage of, and are angered at their helplessness and passive behavior. As a result, they become stressed out and never seem to find time for what they want to do for themselves. Delaying a decision is a good technique to use because it allows us to remove ourselves from the situation and gives us time to find an excuse. We can simply respond with, “Let me check my schedule and get back with you.” Then we can decide if we want to get involved or we can come up with some legitimate excuse we were unable to think of on the spur of the moment.
A few simple changes in how we live our day-to-day lives can have a significant effect on our ability to prevent illness and disease. Using even some of these suggestions will go a long way to conditioning our brain to elicit strong and healthy immune responses.
Nutrition and Disease Prevention
Do nutritional supplements like vitamins, minerals, and herbs prevent disease? The jury is still out, and research is ongoing, but in general, yes. In many cases, supplements are intended to replenish nutrients lost during normal activities and especially during stress. Sometimes the only reason we feel tired and fatigued is because we need that infusion of vitamins and minerals, which keep our organs functioning properly. Whenever we feel good physically, we have a better outlook on life, which then translates into a healthy mind and a healthy immune system.
Vitamins are organic compounds required in tiny amounts to maintain bodily functions and fuel chemical reactions. Minerals are naturally occurring substances that are critical in physiological mechanisms such as nerve conduction, bone growth, blood formation, muscle contraction, and heart rate. When the body is stressed or it needs to fight off disease or infection, it actually needs more minerals than vitamins. The foods we eat are usually the best sources of vitamins and minerals. Unfortunately, we don’t always eat the right foods, and the stress we’re under may require more nutrients than we’re getting. So it’s often smart to supplement our diet with vitamins and minerals, as long as we’re aware of potential side effects.
Studies have shown the benefits of nutritional supplements in disease prevention, especially during aging. One reason is that free radicals, which cause wear and tear on organ systems, are reduced by certain vitamins like C and E. Vitamins have also been shown to strengthen the immune system in general, which then translates into a healthier body and a positive attitude. A positive attitude, in turn, keeps the immune system humming. Here are the vitamins most critical in maintaining essential life processes and the foods they are found in:
Vitamin A: cantaloupes, carrots, broccoli, dark green leafy vegetables, red and green peppers, spinach, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, liver, dairy products, and fish.
Vitamin B6: bananas, peas, turnip greens, carrots, sweet potatoes, chicken, eggs, liver, and fish.
Vitamin B12: liver, milk, eggs, cheese, crab, tuna, lamb, veal, poultry, and fish.
Vitamin C: broccoli, green peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, grapes, grapefruit, and oranges.
Vitamin D: beef, chicken, egg yolk, liver, fortified milk, salmon, tuna, and other fatty fish.
Vitamin E: sweet potatoes, whole wheat bread, shrimp, peanuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, and almonds.
Vitamin K: asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, green leafy vegetables, ham, lettuce, liver, pistachios, spinach, Swiss chard, vegetable oils, turnip greens.
The FDA has found that most dietary supplements are safe when used properly. There are a few herbal products, however, that have been classified as unsafe by the FDA and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Some have been issued warnings that they may interfere with other medications; others are extremely toxic and are known to cause cancer. The following chart, according to health agencies, includes the biggest culprits.
Just as surely as certain foods—those high in saturated fat, for example—can make us more susceptible to disease, many foods can make us feel more energized and mentally alert, and can keep us healthy by maintaining the neuro-endocrine-immune system in top working order. Some foods—those rich in fiber and those that are not processed—actually cleanse the digestive system, ridding the body of synthetics and toxins that would otherwise end up in the bloodstream and contaminate the body.
An added benefit to eating foods that revitalize us and make us feel better is the
