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As a holistic physician and meditation practitioner with more than 25 years of experience, I have always believed strongly in the mental and emotional benefits of regular mindful meditation practice.
The practice of regular meditation has been found to increase brain density, boost the connections between neurons, decrease the symptoms of depression and anxiety, provide clarity of thought, and increase positive mood endorphins. Other published studies have shown that meditation can improve physical functioning, decrease chronic disease risks, and enhance overall quality of life.
These studies demonstrate that regular meditation effectively supports mental, emotional, and physical health in numerous tangible ways. In building upon this strong body of evidence, researchers are continuing to deepen our understanding of the profound and inspiring benefits of regular meditation practice in everyday life.
Meditation literally changes your brain
Most recently, neuroscientists at UCLA have shown another fascinating neural effect of regular meditation: improvement of the brain’s ability to process information quickly. Meditation actually causes the cerebral cortex—the layer of neural tissue that serves an important role in controlling memory, consciousness, thought processing, decision-making, attention, and awareness—to fold, creating indented fissures and creases that increase neural processing and neurotransmitter communication. The technical term for this is “cortical folding.”
The neuroscientists at UCLA compared meditators of different experience levels to people who never meditated. In those who meditated, the scientists found significant increases in cortical folding across a wide area of the brain, and not just in the cortex. They saw changes in areas of the brain responsible for emotional and mental health, influencing processes of emotional control and heightening awareness and introspection. This falls directly in line with some of the more noticeable results of regular meditation, which often include increased compassion for one’s self and others and greater emotional stability.
Your body benefits, too
Meditation’s physical payoffs are equally impressive. We all know that reducing stress can dramatically improve health on a number of levels. The proven beneficial effects of regular mindful meditation are protection against and reversal of DNA damage, a boost in immune function, reduction of cardiovascular disease risks, decreased inflammation, improved outcomes in cancer, reduced side effects of conventional treatment, and increased vital energy and physical capacity.
As regular meditation practice becomes better understood and more widely practiced, more and more doctors and health practitioners are recommending these ancient disciplines to their patients. If you are looking for some extra healing energy to improve your health, regular meditation can provide just the solution.
Want to get started?
Meditation is most effective when practiced regularly. Just 10 minutes a day can offer significant and noticeable benefits over a short period of time.
While there are countless styles of meditation practice, one of the most profound is the ancient Tibetan practice of Shamatha Meditation (shamatha means “calm abiding” in Sanskrit). It’s intended to help people access their mind’s natural state of tranquility and clarity. The technique involves focusing the breath on a specific object, letting go of all other thoughts, and consistently training the attention on the process of breathing.
Find a quiet, comfortable place to sit, and pick a small object such as a rock to place on the ground in front of you. Focus your eyes and your breathing on the rock, and as thoughts inevitably arise, simply acknowledge and then release them, letting them slip away with each outward breath. When your mind wanders off, gently bring your attention back to your breathing and the rock, visualizing each inhalation and exhalation going to and from the rock.
As you become more practiced at meditation, you will likely notice significant improvements in your energy, health, and mental/emotional balance. You may find that as distractions and obscurities are peeled away during mindful meditation practice, the space between thoughts becomes greater and more profound. As we slowly turn down the constant chatter of our minds, we can begin to access deeper aspects of consciousness for growth and healing.
To me, one of the most beautiful and profound aspects of meditation is that this process of growth and unfolding (figuratively and literally) can continue throughout our lives. After all, we can never have too much love, compassion, and clarity.
Important Notice: Information provided is for general background purposes and is not intended as a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment by a trained professional. You should always consult your community pharmacist or physician about any health care questions you may have, especially before trying a new medication, diet, fitness program, or approach to health care issues.
Growing a Healthier Diet
Any kid who grew up watching The Jetsons dreamed of the day she could eat her dinner in pill form, rather than having to sit through another plate of broccoli and cabbage. Fast-forward to reality, and we’re still waiting for that dinner-in-a-pill. But there really are super-nutrient-dense foods that you can pop like pills without having to type anything into Rosie’s computer. Just head to the seed aisle at your local grocery store.
Edible seeds are chock-full of fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals, says Sharon Palmer, R.D., author of the new book The Plant-Powered Diet: The Lifelong Eating Plan for Achieving Optimal Health Beginning Today(The Experiment, 2012). “People don’t think about grabbing seeds as a snack or as a food source. People think of them as bird food more than anything else.” But ignore them at your own health risk. In addition to being nutrient-dense, she adds, seeds are full of phytosterols, compounds in plants that are as effective as prescription statins at lowering cholesterol.
You need to eat just 1 ounce, about 2 tablespoons’ worth, of the following seeds every day to reap their nutritional benefits, says Palmer. “And they’re such easy snacks!” she says.
1. Pumpkin Seeds
Eat ‘em: Pumpkin seeds are high in protein, iron, and zinc, and they’re one of the best sources of magnesium, a mineral that helps stabilize blood pressure, build bone strength, and even reduce stress. A French study found that men with the highest levels of magnesium in their blood have a 40 percent lower risk of early death than those with the lowest levels.
Use ‘em: Pumpkin seeds are healthy for men for one other reason: They’re high in phytosterols, plant-based chemicals that help alleviate symptoms associated with having an enlarged prostate, such as urinary difficulties. Toast your own pumpkin seeds or eat them raw, or grind them into a meal that you can add to breads, pancakes, or other baked goods.
2. Sunflower Seeds
Eat ‘em: Eat sunflower seeds, ward off sun damage. Just half a cup of sunflower seeds provides more than 100 percent of your daily requirement for alpha-tocopherol, the most active form of vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that protects cells from free radicals and UV damage. They’re also a great source for the antidepressant phenylalanine, an amino acid the body turns into the brain chemical norepinephrine, which keeps you alert and focused.
Use ‘em: You can just eat them raw, but why be boring? Look for sunflower-seed butter at the grocery store, and use that to replace peanut butter on toast and sandwiches and in your baking.
3. Chia Seeds
Eat ‘em: Chia seeds are an incredible fiber resource with nearly half (11 grams) of the amount you need every day in a single ounce. They also contain 18 percent of your daily calcium requirement—more than triple that of milk—which helps your bones, and they have some of the highest levels of plant-based omega-3 fatty acids of any seed.
Use ‘em: Chia seeds have no flavor, so you can add a tablespoon to any food you wish to without altering its flavor. You can even drink them. Add a tablespoon of chia seeds to 8 ounces of water or juice, and you’ll notice they turn a bit gelatinous. This helps your body digest them better. If you don’t like drinking the gel, use it in your baking, suggests Palmer. Soak 2 tablespoons of seeds in ¼ to ½ cup of water, let them sit for 10 to 15 minutes, and use the gel to replace 25 percent of the fat, oil, or eggs in baked goods.
4. Sesame Seeds
Eat ‘em: More than just a decoration on the sesame chicken you just ordered, sesame seeds are incredibly rich in calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc, says Palmer. (Learn how to manage other common health problems naturally.)
Use ‘em: Since they’re so small, sesame seeds aren’t great for snacking, but hummus is—and one of the main ingredients in that tasty spread is tahini, a paste made from ground sesame seeds. Or buy a jar of tahini and spread it on flatbreads or pitas, as you would peanut butter.
5. Hemp Seeds
Eat ‘em: Hemp is one of very few plant proteins that supply you with all the essential amino acids, acids your body can’t produce on its own to build muscle and create protein. The fatty acids in hemp seeds also boost your immune system, and the crop itself is highly sustainable, growing as fast as 10 feet in 100 days and naturally requiring very few pesticides. Along with chia and flax seeds (another of Palmer’s favorite seeds), hemp seeds are an omega-3 powerhouse, rich in ALA, a fatty acid shown to ward off heart disease.
Use ‘em: ”I recommend that people eat at least one serving of those seeds every day,” Palmer says. Hemp seeds have a slightly nutty flavor and taste good sprinkled into oatmeal, cereal, yogurt, or smoothies.
6. Papaya Seeds
Eat ‘em: Addicted to pomegranate seeds? Then give papayas a try. The seeds are rich in oleic and palmitic acids, two fatty acids thought to ward off cancer, and in traditional Chinese medicine, a teaspoon of papaya seeds is often given to detoxify the liver.
Use ‘em: Popular in Hawaiian cuisine, the seeds are often ground up and used like pepper in salad dressings and other foods, Palmer says.
Important Notice: Information provided is for general background purposes and is not intended as a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment by a trained professional. You should always consult your community pharmacist or physician about any health care questions you may have, especially before trying a new medication, diet, fitness program, or approach to health care issues.
Belew Drug Family of Pharmacies is helping 3 local schools. Carter Elementary, Rita Elementary, and Christenberry Elementary are the recipients of Belew Drug’s first annual backpack program. Roughly 30 selected students at each school are receiving a backpack with a load of supplies. These supplies include a 3 ring binder, kleenex, scissors, crayons, markers, hand sanitizer, glue sticks, and a free 30 days supply of childrens chewable multi-vitamin.
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