They say it’s not what happens to you that counts, it’s how it affects you. And modern research suggests this is even truer than we may have thought — our attitude can have a huge impact not only on our happiness but also on our health. As just one example, anxiety and stress are considered to be two of the key elements leading to coronary heart disease, the cause of death for more than 50 percent of all Americans.
In this, the last element of the Healthy Cell Concept™, we’ll examine how our attitude affects us and how we can nurture an attitude that will make a meaningful contribution to our cell life.
Researchers around the world are discovering that there is a connection between body and mind that is much stronger than anyone ever realized. The mind, it now seems, is capable of curing or preventing many of our pains and illnesses, and researchers are turning their attention to unleashing this incredible power. More and more, it is becoming apparent that the most important part of the Healthy Cell Concept™ may be a healthy mental attitude.
A healthy mental attitude is a chosen set of thoughts and emotions that are energetic, vital, positive, and strong enough to result in outward or physical achievement.
Dr. Lee Berk and fellow researcher Dr. Stanley Tan of Loma Linda University in California have shown that laughter lowers epinephrine levels (which lower blood pressure), reduces cortisol levels (stress hormones), and boosts immune function by raising levels of infection-fighting T-cells, disease-fighting proteins called Gamma-interferon, and B-cells, which produce disease-destroying antibodies. Laughter also triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers, and produces a general sense of well-being.*
You don’t even need a good belly laugh to benefit from a positive attitude. According to another research study published in the June 1998 issue of the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, healthy first-year law students who endorsed optimistic beliefs prior to the beginning of the school year had higher levels and function of key immune cells in the middle of their first semester.** While there were no immune differences between optimists and pessimists prior to beginning law school, those students who began the semester optimistic had more helper T cells and higher natural killer cell cytotoxicity mid-semester than students who had been pessimistic. The changes in the immune system are attributable to two psychological characteristics of optimists: they experience events as less stressful, and they show less negative mood, such as anxiety and depression.
Even hugs are good for you. Studies have shown that the amount of hemoglobin in the blood increases significantly when you are hugged, which means your blood is more readily able to deliver life-giving oxygen to your cells.
But does all this mood lifting and immune-system boosting actually make a difference in your health? Perhaps the most compelling study was recently completed at Stanford University. Psychologist Dr. David Spiegal conducted research with 86 women suffering from terminal breast cancer, an affliction that kills 50,000 women in the U.S. each year. He took the women and divided them into two groups. Half received traditional treatment such as chemotherapy and radiation. The other half also received treatment but also participated in a therapeutic support group. The women in the therapy group lived twice as long as the women who simply received only the traditional medical treatment.
A quick analysis reveals that we are living in the midst of an attitude crisis today. One only needs to watch the nightly news or pick up a daily newspaper to see that we take in large portions of negative information every day. What is most devastating about this exposure to negative information is that, very rarely, do we hear about anything over which we are able to exercise any control. The result is a slow, growing sense of hopelessness and cynicism about the world around us.
Attitudes that can negatively impact our health include depression, cynicism, negativity, irritability, guilt, resentment, anxiety, pessimism, sadness, and worry. These “diseases of attitude” are often precursors to much more serious problems such as substance abuse, violence (both verbal and physical), hormonal and chemical imbalances, immune system deficiency diseases and the worst of all, suicide.
So how do you counter this barrage of negativity? Fortunately, there are lots of things—both mental and physical—you can do to improve your attitude and your health.
When we see to it that our days and minds are filled with the right thoughts and activities, there will not be any room for the inappropriate to influence us. Here are some ideas that could help.
All AIM products conform to the Healthy Cell Concept™, but some are specifically designed to boost our immune system, make us feel good and enhance our quality of life.
Armed with this information about how a healthy mental attitude can affect cell health, you’re well equipped to help yourself and others live a healthier, happier, and more fulfilling life.
*Referenced on www.holisticonline.com **Referenced on www.apa.org
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