Keep Your Immune System Going
"If the spirit is at peace, the heart is in harmony; when the heart is in harmony, the body is whole; if the spirit becomes aggravated the heart wavers, the body becomes injured; if one seeks to heal the physical body, therefore one needs to regulate the spirit first."
Modern-day physicians have begun to recognize "stress" and "stress-related symptoms" as a factor in clinical disease development and treatment. And as practices, like meditation, dietary modification, and lifestyle design have become more popular, we are appreciating how integral emotional heath is to disease and prevention of resolution.
What is a Happy Cell?
Did you know that the cells in your body can be "happy"? Well, they can. It turns out that the experiences you have in your life have an impact on the cells in your immune system.
Your immune system has two primary functions: to fight viral infections and to fight bacterial infections that cause inflammation. The cells that perform these functions can register two forms of happiness- hedonic happiness and eudaimonic happiness. Hedonic happiness is happiness derived from experience many positive emotions, whereas eudaimonic happiness comes from our own sense of purpose and direction in life. It comes from our involvement in things bigger than ourselves.
Research has shown that individuals who express high scores of eudaimonic well-being possess a more favorable genetic profile. When one possesses a more genetic profile, their immune cells exhibit high levels of the antiviral response and low levels of the inflammatory response.
Now you might be sitting there thinking, "Well, okay, but what does this have to do with me?" The answer is simple- the higher your level of eudaimonic happiness, the better your immune system will be.
Question: How do you gain a higher level of eudaimonic happiness?
Answer: Meditation and other mind-body practices.
~ Mind-body practices such as meditation help to relieve stress and reduce negative inflammatory activity, increase positive antiviral response, improve the function of strains of immune cells, and increase antibody production.
Chinese Medicine 101
Want to learn what the ancients know? Read Chinese primers below:
Heart: "The Emperor of All Organs"
Element: Fire
Associated Body Part: The Tongue
Paired Organ: Small Intestine
Governs: Long-term memory, thinking, joy/sorrow, peace, and contentment, sleep, intimacy, wisdom, cognition, intellect, personal identity.
When Heart Qi is out of order the following may occur:
Anxiety
Startle response/jumpiness
Stuttering
Speech impediments
Shortness of breath
Sweating
Dizziness
Palpitations
Difficulty falling/staying asleep
Frequent nighttime urination
Vivid dreams
Restlessness
Busy mind
Easily agitated
High blood pressure
Low blood pressure
Depression
Cardiovascular disease
Angina Pectoralis
Myocardial infarction (heart attack)
Nutrition Tip of the Week: Fish Oil
We all know that fish oils are great for heart and cardiac health, but fish oils go way beyond cardiac health. They:
Improve immunity
Reduce inflammation
Combat anxiety and depression
Treat IBS, Alzheimer's and muscular degeneration
For more information, read this Harvard Medical School study on fish oil benefits - and eat your salmon!
Essential Oils to Promote a Healthy System
This essential oil is extremely helpful during cold and flu season. It is an incredible relief for that pesky cough that never seems to go away.
Mix water with a few drops of frankincense oil and gargle to get rid of the phlegm in the lungs and clear your airway. Viola! No more coughing.
How Does Infrared Sauna Improve Cardiac Health?
Do you know someone with a stressful life or history of heart disease or high blood pressure?
Look at the image below to see what an infrared sauna can do for someone you love. Send this information their way and let them know we have an infrared sauna to suit their needs.
