Indulge in the Arts—Or Create Some of Your Own

Indulge in the Arts—Or Create Some of Your Own Artist, art therapist and arts in healthcare advocate, Cam Busch explains, “A physiologic process occurs as a result of interacting with the arts. Pain and discomfort are lessened and endorphins are released.” Recent studies have also shown that creative activity (sketching, painting, penning a novel, or simply gazing at a beautiful painting) boosts a person’s mood and self-esteem, slows the heart rate and reduces blood pressure. Harvard Medical School neurology professor, Mark Jude Tramo, says specifically of music, “We believe music can cause neurological changes in specific parts of the brain.” What parts, might that be? Music and other creative activities stimulate the “feel good” systems in the body and brain—like chocolate minus the calories. Gardening, dancing, singing, journaling, photography . . . options are endless, and personal. So get creative, get inspired, and indulge your mind, body and spirit with Art therapy. Green Does a Body Good A wide body of research suggests that being involved in something larger than ourselves; a group, an organization—a breeze through the house turning off lights and TVs—directly impacts our own health. Greener living may conveniently translate very literally into healthier living (and longer living) for the individual who indulges in it. As our Earth-friendly efforts improve the community and the future health of our children, it can improve the very functioning of our bodies at the same time. How? A few physical and mental health factors that are affected include: improved self-esteem, which translates to more motivation in many lifestyle elements, like exercise and nutrition; reduced heart rates and blood pressure, biomarkers of aging; increased endorphin production, which is also linked to longevity; and enhanced immune systems, which means lower incidence of disease. Doing “good” has real bio-chemical and hormonal benefits that translate into enhanced cellular function and activity. One reason is that simply making a difference and improving a cause makes us feel good! And feeling good literally translates into vitality, invigorating us at the cellular level. Feel good activities, like helping the Earth safeguard its future, also buffers the impact of stress (a major health hazard) and combats social isolation, two factors that influence life expectancy. So make a difference in ways that are meaningful to you and enjoy the results of the change you help to bring about. [Joy itself releases enzymes associated with anti-aging] It may be as simple as turning off the lights or computer monitor when you leave the room, buying “fair trade” and fresh foods from local markets, or doing a community green project like a <a href="http://epa.gov/epahome/Citizen.html">neighborhood clean up</a>. A home <a href="http://energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=home_improvement.hm_improvement_audits">energy audit</a>. is a great start, but the opportunities are endless. Now is the time to indulge on so many levels. By getting up, getting out, and going green you are helping to make a lasting positive difference in your health, in your community, and in the world! For more green ideas visit <a href="http://thinkearthday365.com">Think Earth Day 365</a>. The Real Effects of the Mind-Body Connection <h3>A Mental Indulgence Primer</h3> You feel a swirling in the pit of your stomach when a brilliant idea hits you; You come down with a nasty flu after your pet dies; Your body buzzes with good news; Your heart literally hurts when you miss someone. It’s undeniable –the mind/body connection is real. How can we optimize and utilize this connection between what we feel and our physical well-being? Awareness of its power is the first step to harnessing the mind/body dynamic for a healthier and happier life<a href="#fn1">1</a>. <h3>How it Works</h3> Stress doesn’t simply feel bad, it does bad in the body. Stress triggers metabolic, physiologic, and behavioral responses in our bodies. The hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis (glands producing our major hormones) and the sympathetic nervous system (managing our “fight or flight” response) react physically and bio-chemically to our thoughts and emotions. That means stress and other negative emotions, like grief and anger, create chemical and hormonal changes that can result in actual damage to our systems while joy, relaxation and love enhance and optimize our systems. Take two hugs and call me in the morning. <blockquote> Embrace an indulgent state of mind. </blockquote> Mind-body dynamics can also influence our resistance to infection –by increased antibody production (that kills the bad bugs), increased responsiveness of immune cells to infectious pathogens; by decreased production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (cellular “hormones”), and much more. Depressed people have elevated levels of pro-inflammatory substances. Since inflammation contributes to many diseases (there are entire ground-breaking books on this fact), a depressed mind can quite literally contribute to a diseased body. These are real, physical effects based solely on how we feel. Happiness and peace, on the other hand, results in low levels of inflammation and strong immunity. Studies have found, for example, that the experience of joy itself increased levels of a biochemical influential in DNA repair (Think anti-aging). Relaxation and pleasure put the body in a healing state. Since mind-body therapies decrease the stress-response and enhance the relaxation-response, we can literally reduce damaging chemical effects on the body and decrease susceptibility to disease, via the mind. <h3>A Brave Heart</h3> Effects of stress on the cardio-vascular system are well-documented (though many experts suspect that stress affects other systems just as vigorously). Anxiety itself can triple the risk of mortality after a heart attack and can double the risk of a repeat attack over the next five years. Major clinical depression quadruples the overall risk of death in the short-term in post-heart attack patients. When individuals are confronted with a disease diagnosis, fear itself doubles their mortality risk (based on a study in The Lancet). These negative emotions: fear, depression, and anxiety, are often just as dangerous as the physical condition itself. And they’re hardly indulgent feelings to experience. <h3>Mind your OM</h3> Since the 1970s, when Harvard researcher and author of Relaxation Response, Dr. Herbert Benson, recorded meticulous data on the physiologic effects of transcendental meditation on the cardiovascular system: decreased blood pressure and heart rate, decreased respiratory rate and oxygen consumption –meditation has continued to show evidence of reducing stress and helping the body thrive. Similar results have recently been found with Qi-training (a Korean practice of mind-body control through sound, exercise, motion, and meditation), yoga, guided imagery, and many other techniques. AI will explore and report on all these and more in this Mind/body department. <blockquote> The experience of joy itself increased levels of a biochemical influential in DNA repair. </blockquote> The scientific evidence that stress, emotions, and mood directly and profoundly affect our endocrine (hormonal) and cardiovascular (heart) systems and our overall susceptibility to disease is becoming increasingly evident. While life-enhancing mind/body techniques are simple, enjoyable, and often free, an indulgent state of mind is priceless. So, take the time to indulge in activities and even just thoughts that make you happy and relaxed –consider it preventative medicine. <h4 class="references">References</h4> 1 Januzzi, J et al. The influence of anxiety and depression on outcomes of patients with coronary artery disease. Arch Intern Med 2000; 160:1913-1921. (for data on post-MI outcomes related to depression and anxiety) 2 The Lancet; Dr. Deepak Chopra (secondary source) 3 Maes, M. A review on the acute phase response in major depression. Rev Neurosci. 1993; 4:407-416 and Sluzewska, A et al. Indicators of immune activation in major depression. Psychiatry Res. 1996; 64:161-167. (references for statement about data showing depressed having elevated pro-inflammatory cytokine levels) 4 Morikawa, Y et al. A cross-sectional study on the relationship of job stress with natural killer cell activity and natural killer cell subsets among healthy nurses. J Occup Health. 2005 Sep; 47(5):378-383. (reference for Japanese study on nurses) 5 Cherniske, Steven. The Metabolic Plan (book, reference for superoxide dismutase and joy). P.73.