Emotional Antioxidants

Preventive medicine encourages us to protect our bodies with a spectrum of antioxidants that fortify us against devastating diseases emerging from chronic inflammation, damaging toxins and malnutrition. There is abundant evidence that not only can we delay the onset of disease, we can slow its progress so that we maintain a good quality of life well into our later years. A sound principle for good health is to pay attention to its pillars –

·         Good Nutrition

·         Regular Detoxification

·         Stress Reduction

As with conventional medicine however, we too often attempt to address these pillars in isolation, ignoring their interdependence. A holistic approach recognises their interaction and builds our defences collectively. That way we can enjoy a special meal with the family that might occasionally break our dietary guidelines knowing that our primary nutrition is sound. The resulting feel-good factor is likely to compensate for the physiological stresses resulting from our one-off sugar excesses. Exercise too helps to dissipate the stress hormones generated in our lives, so detoxifying our bodies, lowering blood pressure, creating a healthy appetite and encouraging restful sleep.

My most neglected health pillar is undoubtedly Stress Reduction. Whereas I enjoy a varied, fresh and nutritious diet and have a well balanced exercise regime, I’m only slowly learning to live harmoniously with my emotions. Shakespeare told us long ago that ‘Nothing is either good or bad, but thinking makes it so’. He’s surely right but when deep in the blues it’s difficult to accept that any thinking has happened at all. I generally find that I’m too ready to analyse, largely superficially, while ignoring the overwhelming contribution of my unconscious self governing my emotional state.

Just as strong adherence to nutrition and detoxification protocols raise our immune system effectiveness, so too regular stress reduction activities equip us with a level of emotional immunity and enable us to recover more quickly from life’s more serious knocks. Kubler Ross wrote of the Change Curve and the emotions most commonly experienced through the process. Experience of a significant life change shows us that recovery does occur, even though the depth of depression preceding it may be such as to temporarily drown us.

I do not believe that we can ‘short circuit’ change and somehow skip over the dark days to awakening and growth. Those who try inevitably crash or get to relive their experiences, often in very similar circumstances, until they learn new ways to live. We’ve all had our ‘Groundhog Day’ experiences. Rather, using life’s disappointments to gain self knowledge and to both experience and accept the emotions of change, ensures that we minimise denial and engage in the transition sooner .

Attend to your emotional health at all times. Create your unique arsenal of emotional antioxidants and they will protect you from excesses of stress. I recommend exercise, meditation, mindfulness and patience over Ben and Jerry’s every time!

©Paul Curran June 2012