Medical Myths You Can Do Without - Myth #3: There is No Mind-Body Connection

By Tim Reynolds, MD

Part 3 of a five-part series.

The myth that there is no mind-body connection tends to be perpetuated more than any other amongst physicians. Though if any one of us thought about it for awhile, I'm sure we would agree that the mind has a lot to do with a person's propensity to get sick and ability to heal.

We tend instead to focus on the biological cause of disease such as the bacteria, the virus, or the cancer. We rarely ask, "yes, but why was this person affected by the organism at this time in their life?" Certainly we are all exposed to cancer cells, viruses, and bacteria on a daily basis, so why do some of them affect us, but not all of them?

Could it be that things we do or think make us more susceptible?

The word disease could also be spelled dis-ease. When the body is at dis-ease, it is more susceptible to outside influences that make it sick. We all know of someone who has gotten sick after being stressed out -- or someone who just decided to give up and die after a spouse had died.

Our brain is constantly releasing modulating substances that help control our heart rate, breathing, cortisol levels, adrenaline, etc. It only makes sense that these substances can make us more immune or more susceptible to disease. Only now are we beginning to understand even the names of some of these modulating chemicals, let alone how they work or how they interact with each other.

But despite our lack of knowledge, we do know that a positive self image, good attitude, laughter, marriage (in most cases!), and a myriad of other "emotional" factors affect healing times and the ability to overcome disease.

Most heart attacks occur on Monday morning. Laughter has been shown to improve cancer survival. Loving a pet makes you live longer and happier. It would be naive to think the mind does not control the body. It turns out peace of mind may be as important to your health as anything else you can do.

Stress makes us sick. But what is stress?

Many patients tell me they are under "stress," yet their reasons don't seem stressful at all. People such as the President of the United States or the CEO of a Fortune 500 company would seem to be under stress all the time, but they don't seem "stressed out." What is the difference?

Stress is your internal reaction to external forces. It is not so much about what happens to you; it's your reaction to what happens to you. And you always have control over your reactions even if you don't have control over the outside event.

Here are some suggestions that will have a positive impact on your mind-body connection and help you to stay healthy.

1. Take a walk once a day and use that time for thinking and working things out.
2. Have integrity in how you live. Make sure your actions exemplify your beliefs.
3. Have an hour of Power once a day -- that is an hour that belongs just to you to do what you want. Take time away from the stresses of life to read, write, or meditate.
4. Make peace and forgive. Carrying those feelings of anger with you will not help you. The person you won't forgive is not being hurt by your anger, but you are. Let it go for your sake even if they don't deserve it.
5. Develop an attitude of health. When people ask me why I never get sick, I often say it's against my religion or that I have a super-human immune system. The funny thing is that since I started saying these things, they've seemed to come true. I now believe them -- and so does my body.

Give this new way of thinking a try. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain -- starting with your good health.

[Ed. Note: Tim Reynolds, M.D., is a practicing physician and a health and lifestyle expert. For more information, click here.]

Nutrients & Health: The Herb Emporium Lobelia -- Nature's Disease Fighter By Candace Booth, ND, PhD, CNC, SHC

(It is recommended that you speak to a professional with herbal knowledge before using any herbal remedy.)

Lobelia is one of the greatest herbs ever given to the world! After studying hundreds of natural medicines, I find no plant that is more harmless in its effect on the human body -- and none more powerful in removing disease than Lobelia. It is known as a "general corrector' of the whole system, since it is easily diffused and able to influence the entire body.

Because Lobelia has so many actions and uses, it is one of my favorite natural remedies. I use it in capsule, tea, and tincture form for various maladies. There is so much information on the benefits of it, I can only list the highlights.

Lobelia is an efficient relaxant and is believed in herbal medicine to be one of the best natural counter-irritants. Its action is felt immediately on the muscular, nervous, and respiratory systems. That's why it is a great "anti-spasmodic" in case of an asthma spasm.

Lobelia causes immediate relaxation and expansion of any contracted parts of the respiratory system like the bronchial tubes, esophagus, glottis, and larynx. This allows the "breath of life' (oxygenated blood) to flow freely in the tissues.

Lobelia is especially important in removing obstruction and congestion within the body, primarily the blood vessels. It helps balance the vasomotor system and strengthen the muscular action of the vessel walls which propel blood.

Alternative practitioners often recommend Lobelia for angina pectoris, bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis, constipation, cramps, hyperactivity, inflammation, insect bites, poison ivy symptoms, ring worm, spastic bowel, swelling, ulcers, and earache. Because of its muscle relaxing properties, Lobelia has been used topically for inflammation of muscle tissue, rheumatic nodules, back pain, muscle pulls, and sprains. The tincture can be made into a rub with olive oil, St. John's wort, and mullein.

Lobelia has even been used as a tobacco substitute in over-the-counter formulas to help people quit smoking. It contains an alkaloid called lobelinewhich is similar in molecular structure to nicotine. Lobeline has been found to naturally help quench the desire for nicotine and block nicotine-induced increased heart rate.¹

Another benefit to smokers is that Lobelia helps strengthen and rebuild the respiratory system, stimulating the respiratory center within the brain to produce deeper, stronger breathing. In fact, lobeline is often used in natural medicine to stimulate the breathing in newborns.

While there are no known drug interactions when taking Lobelia, it is not recommended for people with heart complaints or for pregnant women.

Reference

1. Lobelia, in Herb Allure Resource Toolkit, Herb Allure, Jamestown, New York, 2007.

[Ed. Note: Candace Booth holds a Doctor of Naturopathy degree and a PhD in nutrition. She has a natural health consulting practice In Mt. Dora, Florida. Contact her at 352-735-2966 or click here.]

Healthy Recipes: Tasty Cabbage Soup By Laura LaValle, RD, LD

While I don't recommend the cabbage soup diet plan, the soup itself is very nutritious and tasty -- and is great to eat any time on a low carb diet. You can tailor the recipe to your likes and dislikes; for instance if you don't care that much for green peppers, use green beans instead. If you want to make it even heartier, you could add a protein source such as ground or cubed beef or chicken. I've modified the recipe to include only organic ingredients.

Serves: 4

Healing Nutrient Spotlight
Excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-6, copper, and manganese
Good source of iron, vitamin D, thiamin, folate, pantothenic acid, phosphorus, and selenium

Ingredients*
6 large green onions
2 green peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 or 2 cans of organic tomatoes (diced or whole)
3 carrots, cut into bite-sized pieces
10 oz. of fresh or canned mushrooms, thick sliced
1 bunch of celery, chopped
Half a head of cabbage, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cubes of organic bouillon, beef, chicken, or vegetable
1 48-oz. jar Very Veggie organic tomato and vegetable juice (optional)
Season to taste with salt, pepper, parsley, curry, garlic powder, etc.

*Select organic ingredients for optimum nutrition.

Preparation
Slice green onions, and sauté with cooking spray. Add cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, tomatoes, and celery to pot. If you would like a spicy soup, add a small amount of curry or cayenne pepper now. You can limit your seasoning to the bouillon cubes if desired. These have all the salt and flavors you need. Use about 12 cups of water (or 8 cups and the Very Veggie juice). Cover, and simmer on low. Let soup cook for a long time -- about two hours works well. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and any other seasonings you like.

Nutrition
230 calories, 1 g total fat, .5 g polyunsaturated fat, 170 mg cholesterol, 45 g carbohydrate, 12 g fiber, 27 g sugar, 9 g protein, 24000 IU vitamin A, .2 mg thiamin, .4 mg riboflavin, 4 mg niacin, 1.4 mg pantothenic acid, .5 mg vitamin B6, 70 mcg folate, 220 mg vitamin C, 55 IU Vitamin D, .4 mg copper, 255 mg calcium, 1820 mg sodium, .4 mg manganese, 690 mg potassium, 3.5 mg iron, 8 mcg selenium

[Ed. Note: Laura B. LaValle, RD, LD is presently the director of dietetics nutrition at LaValle Metabolic Institute (formerly part of Living Longer Institute). She offers personal nutritional counseling at LMI for clients who need help with their diet in relation to illness or disease. Laura also provides educational services in the areas of health promotion, wellness, and disease prevention. To learn more click here.]

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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs [Issue 09-16-08] which offers alternative solutions for mind, body and soul. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com/