Mental Health

What is mental health anyway? Why does it seem that society is so focused on the quick fix diet pills for physical health and addictive mood stabilizing pills for mental health. Having a well-balanced life leads to mental stability. When you are mentally healthy, you are rationally minded and can cope with life's ups and downs in an effective manner. This doesn't mean that you won't have emotional instability from time to time...simply that you are able to easily resolve the issues that arise throughout your life. I could be wrong, but it seems like our society tends to turn a blind eye to the mental stability of our children and the parenting skills needed to raise a healthy minded child. I believe we should be teaching our children from a young age that their overall wellness is just as important as learning math skills and reading skills! If you asked your 9 or 10 year old child what mental health was, would they know? Is their a stigma against the phrase mental health? I have had countless conversations with my adult friends and family that feel like you must be crazy if you are seeking counseling. This is such an ignorant thought, in my blunt opinion. In all three of my human performance courses this semester we are not only focusing on physical fitness but optimal wellness, which includes but is not limited to mental health. If your mind is healthy then everything else will fall into place! Some people may have higher needs in this area depending on their genetic predispositions or childhood trauma that caused emotional baggage. But it is my understanding that not one person on this earth is immune to needing a little mental healing! I would love to see more psychology instituted into the school curriculum, affording our children the mental and emotional skills that they will desperately need later in life.

Sports Nutrition

As I start my journey to train for marathon #3, I am vowing to become more informed about sports nutrition. While pursuing my Human Performance degree I find myself more passionate than ever about the affects of what we put in our body and the energy that it produces. I found a pamplet in my Runners World magazine by PowerBar this month. This pamplet is full of information for runners wanting to optimize their performance through proper hydration and fuel. To start, it is crucial to hydrate your body by consuming at least 14-20 fl oz of water or sports drink 2-3hrs prior to your activity or run. Then you will want to continue hydrating by having 8 fl oz immediately before your exercise. Maintaining hydration throughout your activity is highly important as well. When it comes to fueling your body it can become more complex. Our muscles will become fatigued rapidly if we cannot properly maintain the glycogen stores. In order to do this, we must replenish the carbohydrate fuel stores on a daily basis. I have learned to fuel my body properly in order to get the best performance when running, especially when increasing the distance to longer runs. It is crucial to choose high carbohydrate foods and avoid slow-to-digest fatty and high fiber foods. Each person is unique and will need to figure out what works best for their body during training but these guidelines are a good starting point to optimum sports nutrition.

Nutrition History & Revealing Your Past

http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/reprint/113/8/1681.pdf

The link above is an article titled "Reflections on Nutrition History" by E. Neige Todhunter PH.D. I thought it would be helpful to look at the beginnings of nutrition as a discipline when embarking on the idea of our own individual beginnings to health and nutrition. In the article, George Rosen was quoted from Columbia University stating that "One cannot advance intelligently into the future without a willigness to look attentively at the past and appreciate its significance." This quote refers back to my previous post about the questions we ask ourselves about the origin of our health. How we have become what we are today? It is not just about nutrition in the way that we choose the proper fruits and vegetables to eat and to feed our children. It also is not about exercising in order to fit into those skinny jeans in time for your class reunion. It is about trying to renew your entire mind and body experience to a place of sanctuary and balance.

We must look to the past to find the answers for our future. This seems relevant to more than just our nutrition but our overall health including mind and body. How many times have trained professionals said that healing your past hurts will bring new light to your future? So then if this is true, why do so many people tend to avoid looking deeply into their past in order to obtain full mind/body health for their future? The answer that seems obvious is that people in general carry a lot of fear. They fear that drudging up their past will only hurt them. They are fearful of revealing past memories that they have worked so hard to bury. But, if the truth be told, they are harming every aspect of their being by not unlocking the hurts, joys, betrayals, accomplishments, abandonments, etc. If you thought it would work, would you dig through your past to free your soul and live a new renouned life of health and balance?

Graham Lusk states that "Nutrition may be defined as the sum of the processes concerned in the growth, maintenance and repair of the living body as a whole or of its constituent parts." If this doesn't speak volumes than I am not sure what does! Lets think about the word "repair" and how people are in a constant struggle to correct something about their overall health. We struggle as a society with this on a daily basis. We pick up magazines from every newstand and see cover pages with statements about how to repair or maintain your body. When I see this I always think of the American "quick fix" mentality that has been engrained into all of us from generation to generation. It is sad because there is no quick fix when it comes to the human mind and body! If society could see that we must take baby steps to looking into our past and healing in order to move forward in health, we would be a whole new America! It may not be easy. It may take time. It will entail hard emotional and physical work. But in the end you WILL have renewed health and balance in your life!

In the Beginning

Looking at the origin of our health is somewhat of a facination. What made our bodies the way they are today? Was it the combination of genetics, environment, past experiences or overall health? Is it true that the genes that you either embrace with open loving arms or curse everyday, are an important factor in your health at this moment? All of these questions are of constant debate and research. We know that nutrition and overall cardiovascular activity are crucial in maintaining the proper flow and workings of your heart, not to mention all aspects of your body. We also know that genetics play a role in your body type. Therefore, my main focus always comes back to our environment and the footprints that our parents left on us and the future footprints that we will leave on our children. Do we believe that parents are responsible for their children's overall health, including teaching them proper nutrition and the value of daily exercise?