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Your thoughts, your emotions, and your behaviours directly influence your health and wellbeing...Behaviours...Our behaviours with respect to food and physical activity have long been known to affect our risk of developing disease, as well as our recovery from disease. However, modification of our lifestyle habits can be difficult to sustain in the long-term. A systematic approach to modifying behaviour, based on a thorough understanding of behaviour change, can help you achieve greater long-term success.Thoughts and Emotions...It is now widely recognised that mental or emotional stress (which includes emotions such as fear, anger, anxiety and depression) is also a major contributor to illness and death.Our bodies are intimately linked with our minds, so our moods and emotions are easily translated into physical symptoms. Scientific evidence emerging over the past several decades confirms that psychosocial factors (such as emotional states and stress) can directly influence both physiological function and health. Chronic stress creates many damaging changes in our bodies. It can contribute to insulin resistance (which often leads to development of diabetes), heart disease, memory loss, immune system decline, and even weakened bones. The good news, however, is that mind-body programmes result in long-term beneficial physiological changes. Health promotion programmes based on the mind-body model recognize that your thoughts, your emotions and your behaviours directly influence your health. Such programmes offer participants experience with a range of mind-body approaches. According to the US National Institute of Health, mind-body approaches are "designed to facilitate the mind's capacity to affect bodily function and symptoms". A highly comprehensive review has been undertaken of the science regarding the effectiveness of programmes based on mind-body approaches for the treatment of health-related problems other than mental illness. This careful scientific review of high-quality research studies shows there is strong research evidence for mind-body approaches in the treatment of chronic low back pain, coronary artery disease, headache and insomnia, in preparation for surgery; and in the management of the symptoms of cancer (symptoms due either to the treatment or the disease itself). Moderate evidence supports use of mind-body approaches for hypertension and arthritis. Strong research evidence from Harvard's Mind-body Medical Institute demonstrates that any health conditions where stress is a contributing factor, or which are worsened by stress, can be improved by mind-body programmes. In addition to those conditions listed above, the Harvard Mind-body Medical Institute has shown that mind-body approaches are also effective in the treatment of premenstrual syndrome, infertility, anxiety, and mild and moderate depression. ReferencesAstin JA, Shapiro SL, Eisenberg DM, Forys KL. Mind-Body Medicine: state of the science, implications for practice. Journal of the American Board of Family Practice 2003; 16: 131-147Canetti L, Bachar E, Berry EM. Food and emotion. Behavioural Processes 2002; 60: 157-164 Greeno CG, Wing RR. Stress-induced eating. Psychological Bulletin 1994; 115: 444-464 Horwath, CC. Applying the Transtheoretical Model to Eating Behaviour Change : Challenges & Opportunities. Nutrition Research Reviews 12: 281-317 (1999). Kabat-Zinn J. Mindfulness-based interventions in context: Past, present, and future. Clinical Psychology: Science & Practice 2003; 10: 144-156 Laitinen J, Ek E, Sovio U. Stress-related eating and drinking behavior and body mass index and predictors of this behavior. Preventive Medicine 2002; 34: 29-39 Nakao M, Fricchione G, Myers P, Zuttermeister PC, Baim M, Mandle CL, Medich C, Wells-Federman CL, Arcari PM, Ennis M, Barsky AJ, Benson H. Anxiety is a good indicator for somatic symptom reduction through behavioral medicine intervention in a Mind/Body medicine clinic. Psychotherapy & Psychosomatics 2001a; 70: 50-57 Nakao M, Myers P, Fricchione G, Zuttermeister PC, Barsky AJ, Benson H. Somatization and symptom reduction through a behavioral medicine intervention in a Mind/Body clinic. Behavioural Medicine 2001b; 26: 169-176 Wardle J, Steptoe A, Oliver G, Lipsey Z. Stress, dietary restraint and food intake. Journal of Psychosomatic Research 2000; 48: 195-202 Williams KA, Kolar MM, Reger BE, Pearson JC. Evaluation of a wellness-based mindfulness stress reduction intervention: a controlled trial. American Journal of Health Promotion 2001; 15: 422-432 |
