Superhealing: Engaging Your Mind, Body, and Spirit to Create Optimal Health and Well-Being (ARC) (17 page)

toxicity include osteoporosis, dementia, and anemia, since

aluminum interferes with the body’s ability to absorb iron.

Some antacids, antiperspirants, and immunizations contain

aluminum and so should be avoided whenever possible. Read

product labels careful y.8

•
Pesticides.
Although farmers want to ensure that their

crops are not damaged by insects, and no one wants to be

bitten by mosquitoes, many of the chemicals that are used to

retard bugs that eat crops and bite people are known to cause

cancer if they reach certain levels in our bodies. You can limit

your exposure to pesticides by eating organic produce and

refraining from the use of bug spray.

•
Cleaning supplies.
Some of the most harmful chemicals we are exposed to regularly are the ones we keep under the

kitchen sink or in the hall closet. You can be certain a product

is toxic if it says so on the warning label, but many dangerous

cleaning supplies are not explicitly labeled. Products to

be wary of include toilet bowl cleaners, window-cleaning

solutions, disinfectants, floor cleaners, spot removers, and

laundry detergents. Be suspicious of anything that dissolves

dirt. Also be cautious about coming into contact with

or breathing the fumes of ammonia, formaldehyde, and

chlorine.9 To protect yourself, make your own substitutes.

Many effective homemade cleaning supplies use natural

ingredients, and recipes for these can be found online. Search

for phrases like “nontoxic cleaning supplies” and “green

cleaning products.”

In addition to regular exposure to man-made chemicals and

pol ution, the contemporary lifestyle, which takes place indoors, is 106

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detrimental to our well-being. Most of us don’t get enough exposure to natural light and its health-giving benefits. Remember how good you felt on the last bright sunny day? Sunshine affects my mood in a positive way. I can actual y feel the light entering through my eyes and revitalizing my brain. It’s hard for me to be anything other than happy and mental y alert on sunny days.

Although excessive exposure to sunshine has been linked to the

development of certain skin cancers, the benefits of direct sunlight in appropriate doses of up to thirty minutes a day should override that concern. One of the most important benefits of sunlight is its stimulation of the skin to produce vitamin D. Research indicates that more than 1,000 genes are regulated by vitamin D3, affecting everything from calcium metabolism to brain and muscle function to

immunity. Vitamin D deficiency is now known to be a leading cause

of the latitudinal differences in a variety of diseases.10

Natural sunlight is also necessary for the proper functioning of

the pineal gland, which regulates the involuntary nervous system; it is therefore essential for maintaining the homeostasis (state of equi-librium) of every system in the body. In addition, during the winter months, when daylight is in short supply in the nontropical latitudes, many people begin to feel moody. In extreme cases of depression,

this is called seasonal affective disorder and is treated with light therapy. If you have ever felt gloomy, low on energy, and irritable by mid-winter, now you know why.

Another reason that city life and man-made environments are so

stressful is the gaping absence of true nature in them. Our ancestors were intimately aware of their biological connection to nature, but we are not. One of the most unfortunate aspects of the modern lifestyle is our physical, psychological, and spiritual loss of this profound relationship. Doesn’t this make sense, considering that we emerged from nature?

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From birth, being outdoors in nature should be part of our life-

style. Unfortunately, children are spending more time indoors today than ever before, watching TV, playing video games, and using computers. Research has shown that outdoor playtime has declined by at least 50 percent since 1981.11 School-age children spend an average of forty-four hours per week—more than six hours a day—in front

of an electronic screen of one kind or another.12

This is unfortunate, because there is scientific evidence that child development is positively affected by contact with nature, especial y wild nature. One study concluded that the key components of a child’s psychological development—traits like self-esteem, self-confidence, self-concept, and autonomy—are enhanced by being in nature.13

Other research has shown that natural environments reduce stress

in children and facilitate learning.14 Children with attention-deficit/

hyperactivity disorder experience a reduction of their symptoms of distraction while playing in green settings.15 And regularly being outside in a natural setting improves children’s long-distance vision.16

None of these facts are surprising when you consider the under-

lying reasons. Our brains receive a continuous stream of informa-

tion from the environment through electrochemical impulses that

are triggered by our physical senses. Thus, our thoughts and moods are directly affected by our physical activity and location. Like an antenna, the body is exquisitely sensitive, continuously sensing the environment. Even without the involvement of the conscious mind,

it is sending messages through the nervous system to the brain—

which then instructs the cel s on what kinds of hormones to release into the bloodstream—and is also picking up on subtle electromagnetic signals. Our bodies, minds, and spirits are always exchanging energy and information through a constant, dynamic stream of bidirectional feedback.

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THE STRESS OF TECHNOLOGY

Repeated exposure on television to scenes of natural disasters

(like hurricanes and earthquakes) and acts of violence (like the real events of 9/11 and school shootings or the fictional murders and

rapes you see in dramas) can cause severe distress and even post-

traumatic stress disorder in some viewers. If someone has had an

actual experience of abuse or trauma, these images can cause anxiety and nightmares. If you sense yourself becoming disturbed and upset by something you see on television, you should limit your exposure.

A basic rule for all of us is to watch the news once, if we want to be informed, and then turn it off.

Do you sit in front of a computer several hours a day? If so, you

are not alone. But you should be mindful that 90 percent of people who spend more than three hours a day on computers experience

blurred vision, eyestrain, and eye irritation. Repetitive strain disorder, as these symptoms are known, appears to be increasing by leaps and bounds.17

A behavioral study of 1,000 people that measured their awareness

and short-term memory found that the pressures of modern life and

our nonstop use of technology has cut our attention spans in half in less than a decade. Absence of attention puts us at risk for impairment of task performance and increases the likelihood of accidents in the home and while driving. It also interferes with our ability to remember simple daily events.18

The Institute of Psychiatry at the University of London suggests

that technology is so distracting and disruptive that
our IQ falls ten
points
when we’re multitasking and dealing with constant e-mails, text messages, and phone cal s. This is twice as bad as the decline in cognitive ability from smoking marijuana and comparable to the

loss of cognitive ability from missing an entire night’s sleep.19

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SLEEP IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE

How are you sleeping? Are you having challenges going to sleep,

staying asleep, or waking up not revitalized? Sleep is the time your body and mind have the opportunity to regenerate and reinvigorate

themselves. Having a good night’s sleep on a regular basis is a key ingredient of superhealing. Unfortunately, and sometimes tragical y, sleep is becoming an increasingly significant health issue throughout the modern world.

The long-term absence of a good night’s sleep, defined as sleep

that is not only restful but also restorative and revitalizing, is related to many growing health issues. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control estimate that between 50 and 70 million adults almost half of the

adult population have experienced a sleep or wakefulness disorder

(such as falling asleep unintentional y, dozing while driving, or having difficulty falling asleep).20 Sleep deficiency is linked to automobile accidents, work-related errors, and industrial disasters because it causes memory impairment, difficulty in making decisions, loss of attention span, loss of memory, and reduced cognitive ability.21

It’s hard to believe, but sadly and often tragical y true, that very few people regularly get a good night’s sleep anymore. Insomnia becomes more common later in life, especial y among women, whereas

men and obese people are more likely to develop a condition known

as sleep apnea, in which breathing stops brieflyor becomes very shallow. Untreated sleep apnea contributes to the likelihood of the development of chronic diseases, including heart attack, stroke, and diabetes.22

Intrusive use of modern technology, such as television viewing

in the bedroom and continual attention to computer screens and

smartphones, is believed to be a factor in chronic sleep deprivation.

Too much noise, light, and mental stimulation of any kind make it

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difficult to sleep. The cure for insomnia and interrupted sleep can include installing blackout curtains on your bedroom windows,

wearing earplugs and an eye mask, and practicing good sleep hy-

giene. The National Sleep Foundation advises avoiding stimulants

like coffee, nicotine, alcohol, and chocolate close to bedtime; getting vigorous exercise early in the day and doing relaxing exercise, such as yoga or tai chi, in the evening; establishing a regular relaxing bedtime routine; and making sure that both the bed and conditions in

the bedroom are comfortable.23

THE PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS OF NATURE

I’ve often heard people describe mountains as cathedrals and use

other religious metaphors to describe the spiritual awe they feel in the presence of a majestic canyon or a waterfal . These comparisons are appropriate. Nature’s wondrous design uplifts mind, body, and spirit.

It causes our emotions to soar when we come in contact with it.

Although we know intuitively that being in touch with nature

is healthy because it feels good and refreshing to be outdoors, now there’s a convincing and growing body of research confirming that it contributes to mental health and psychological development. Nature benefits us by improving self-confidence and self-discipline, deepen-ing our sense of community and belonging, and strengthening our

sense of internal coherence.

We may have forgotten it, but our most distant ancestors knew

they were connected to and part of the landscape. Since the human

race evolved in the midst of nature, it is only logical that being in its presence is one of the fastest ways to align mind, body, and spirit and open our channels of superhealing. It helps us to remember. Like

nothing else, experiencing nature consciously connects us to the

magnificence of our true essence, our spirit. By engaging our sense

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of wonder, it leads us to feel appreciation for something greater than ourselves. It teaches us that although we are individuals, we are connected to a larger whole—to all of life. Its grandeur reminds us that there is something beyond what we, as human beings, could create,

something timeless and unbound by the constraints of human inter-

vention and involvement.

Nature affects us in a variety of positive ways, some of which

are easily measured and some of which are not measurable but are

meaningful and important nonetheless. Our exposure to a variety

of colors, plants, mountains, forests, and seas, with their soothing sounds and fragrant odors, as well as the energy of different places, restores our sense of health and well-being. A 2010 study discovered that spending just twenty minutes out doors in nature gave people

a greater sense of well-being and vitality, beyond what is caused

merely by having engaged in physical activity or enjoyable social

interactions. Wilderness excursion participants reported that just remembering their outdoor experiences enhanced their health and

happiness.24

Exposure to natural landscapes stimulates the parasympathetic

nervous system, triggering the relaxation response and the release of endorphins. This reduces the stress hormones circulating in our bodies, lowers blood pressure, and helps to relieve anxiety, anger, aggression, and depression.25 The opportunity to see nature, even

through a window, accelerates recovery after surgery, shortening

postoperative hospital stays.26 Other studies have determined that prison rooms with a view of a natural landscape were beneficial to the health of prisoners.27

When we’re in natural settings, we are known to recover more

quickly from stress. Researchers at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) and Uppsala University (Sweden) have found that mental

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fatigue is relieved by nature experiences. Nature creates a sense of wonder and fascination that counterbalances the effects of too much focused attention, such as that required to use electronic devices like computers and smartphones. After an hour of taxing mental work,