The Effects of Nature on Your Brain

I thought this would be a fitting post after coming back from a vacation out in nature.  A few months back I was at my dentist's office for a cleaning when I saw a copy of the December, 2011, issue of Outdoors magazine.  I'm not particularly drawn to male publications.  I'm really not interested in seeing Grizzly Adams like men trekking the Arctic Tundra.  But there was a title that grabbed my interest, "This Is Your Brain On Nature."   I loved what I read and thought I would share it with you.

This information was compiled by Madison Kahn:

1. Increased attention span.  A 2008 study by University of Michigan psychologists found that walking outside or even just looking at pictures of natural settings improves directed attention, the ability to concentrate on a task.  Put another way: nature restores our ability to focus.

2. Better Memory.  The same study supported previous experiments showing that being in nature improves memory - by 20 percent when it came to recalling a series of numbers.

3. Reduced Stress.  Office workers with views of trees and flowers reported lower stress levels, higher job satisfaction, and fewer ailments than colleagues with views of buildings, according to a 1989 study by the University of Michigan.

4. Improved Mood. In a 1991 study by Texas A&M psychologists, subjects who viewed scenes of water or trees reported a much quicker return to a positive mood after a stressful event than those who viewed urban scenes.

5. Greater Creativity.  In a pilot study this March, psychologists found that students in an Outward Bound course showed a 40 percent boost in frontal lobe activity - after four days in the back country.

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I can't help but think about the book, The Secret Garden by Burnett, a story I have read to my children.  Colin Craven was a wealthy, sickly, paralytic boy raised by nannies and was locked up in his palatial bedroom with the curtains drawn closed.  He forgot that he was even sick or couldn't walk when he ventured to the great outdoors and spent time in a garden with his friends.  This fictional story illustrates that mood is intrinsically linked to the health of our bodies.  If we neglect the care of our emotional state of being our health will suffer.

Nothing improves my mood like running in the trails that are close to my home.  I hate running!  But just being out in the woods (I never run alone, by the way!)  turns what would be a drudgery into a pleasurable experience.  If you are fighting sickness, improve your diet and lifestyle - and spend time in natural settings! 

On another note:  The new cookbook by Forks Over Knives is out!  Check it out here.

Enjoy the Journey!

The Effects of Your Lifestyle Choices on Brain Function

I apologize for not getting to my juicing post yet.  I just can't pass up this fantastic information.  I am loving the excellent info that's coming out of the Longevity Now conferences in California.  They have quite the line-up of great speakers and leaders on nutrition and natural healing.

Anyhow, I have mentioned in previous posts that when you get on a raw food diet, one of the first things you experience (after the horrible detox symptoms) is clarity of mind.  I'm not talking about something existential or mystical, I'm talking literal!  It's like all the garbage that's lodged in your body and brain cleans out and clears up and allows you to see the world with a mind that for the first time is open to the clear blue sky. 

This is a clip where Dr. Daniel Amen, MD, discusses and shares illustrations on what really happens to your brain when you feed it the highest grade nutrition and live a health promoting lifestyle.  He also shares images of brains that live on fast food, alcohol and habits that are detrimental to healthy brain function.  The difference is absolutely unbelievable.

I truly believe that living beautifully means to not just focus on the externals.  It means to nourish and cleanse ourselves from the inside out.  To understand the connection of mind (brain in this case), body and spirit.  To respect your body - a truly spectacular gift you've been given - and care for it the best you can.  Being intentional and focused in regards to health ultimately leads to freedom from disease, freedom to be happier and youthful and opens the mind to opportunities that may have been missed with a clogged body and foggy mind.  It enables our bodies and minds to more effectively pursue excellence in all we endeavor to do.

Take the time to see part one and part two of this excellent clip! (The clip is titled "Can Fat Shrink our Brain?")


Enjoy the Journey!

Two Excellent Articles by Natural News

I just posted today but I received an email from my friend Don.  Don and I partner up to do raw food seminars from time to time.  This is what he sent me.  It is an article on Kirlian Photography of organic raw foods compared to conventional, cooked or pasteurized produce.  Amazing!  I also found another article on raw foods and brain performance.  Have a wonderful weekend!

Enjoy the Journey!

The Mind, Body, and Spirit Connection

I was going to do a post on helpful appliances for a raw or mostly raw diet, but I decided I would delve into another arena because of what I have experienced this past week.  Life has a way of throwing curve balls at you and every now and then you get hit.  This was such a week for me.  As a matter of fact, I felt like I got the wind knocked out of me.  It would be nice if life was always rosy and perfect, but no such luck.  So without going into detail about my "issues" I just wanted to share the effect it has had on me physically.

I believe in a perfect triune --  mind, body and spirit. They are connected like the gears of a clock.  When one has a great diet and active life, positive emotions and thoughts along with a strong spiritual connection, the effects are fantastic.  If one area gets out of sync, everything else will suffer.  For the past year I have enjoyed the clearest skin.  I have loved this so much because of the fact that since adolescence I have been so prone to breakouts.  This past week caused me so much stress that I began to break out like a teenager -- at age 40, no less.  (Okay, I also cheated on cooked food and french fries at my  son's camp out a couple of weeks ago.  Are you horribly disappointed in me?  There was very little raw food to be had on this trip!)  So despite a clean diet (since my cheat weekend 2 weeks ago), my anxiety was enough to trigger my breakouts.  Negative emotions can cause acidity in the body which in turn makes one's body a breeding ground for disease.  Another effect from my bad emotions was a lack of energy.   When I work out I love to exercise to the brink of complete exhaustion.  I love to get a red face and to break a sweat.  (Sorry for the imagery.)  This past week was pathetic at the gym, my energy was sapped!  Lastly, I also had a difficult time sleeping. 

Do you remember the observation made about those poor orphaned infants during WWII?  One group of infants was held while fed and the others weren't.  Those that were held survived, the others died.  Have you ever known someone to die of a broken heart?  Have you ever heard of the amazing effect of laughter on the body?  It can boost your immunity, release endorphins and even protect your heart.  Our thoughts and emotions are so powerful and can make such an impact on our health and sense of well being.  Stubbornly harbor bitter thoughts and a vengeful spirit and your health will not be a strong as it could be.

It is so important to learn to forgive, let go and to have an attitude of gratitude.  It would be great if everyone could rent a comedy once a week to just have a good hearty, belly laugh.  There are times we can evade negative emotions by avoiding behaviors that lead to them.  Other times, like when we grieve the loss of a loved one, we just have to let our emotions run their course.  If you are dealing with disease, go raw vegan, exercise and don't neglect caring for your mind and spirit! 

My problems pale in comparison to those of so many others.  When I get stressed I lean on my regular coping mechanisms.  I lean on my faith, my family and spend time with friends.  I am doing my best to stay positive.  I am also taking extra time to stretch and breathe.  Walking or running in the sun also helps me.  But as always I know from past experience, "This too shall pass."  Click here for a list of coping mechanisms.

Before I close I'll share one more thing.  I have gotten feedback that some of my readers want recipes  so here is one you can try.  Jennifer Cornbleet is one of my favorite go-to raw chefs.  She has a very good almond milk and easy to make granola.  I've tried this and I like it!

If you have trouble with the youtube link, please right click on it and open  it in a new window.

Enjoy the Journey!