Posted on December 3rd, 2008 by Craig Maltby, Editor
Midnight furniture moving and other stress busters for better immune health
Can this help someone's immune health?
There’s a cozy little tree-lined place in cyberhealth world called Iowa Avenue. It really doesn’t have anything to do with Iowa (the front-page photo looks like it may be a beach in La Jolla). The founder of the site just liked the sound of name.
I’m a member of Iowa Avenue, and I recently threw out a question to the IA community: “What is THE absolute best stress reducer/outlook improver? I’m interested in this, of course, because stress and physical illness go hand in hand. Reduce one, and you reduce risk for the other. Of course, if you are on an immune-balance nutritional supplement regimen, you’re likely reducing the chance of physical ailment even when stressed.
The answers I got ranged from predictable to creative. They’re interesting not because this is a scientifically-valid poll, but because the respondents are people who are very actively immersed in health and wellness. Most are pretty avid exercise and nutrition black belts. Here’s a sample of some answers in descending order starting with most original:
- “Rearranging the furniture in my house. When I find myself at 2 am with all the furniture pushed to the middle of the room, I know I need real changes in my life.”
- “Reading, writing, music, movies, vegetarian diet, family, Prozac ;-)”
- “Walking and Yoga. The first to exercise the body in the most natural way known to man, and the second to chill the mind. I am reminded of an old Roman proverb: Never run when you can walk, never walk when you can stand, never stand when you can sit, never sit when you can lie and never lie!”
- “Walking and taking pictures.”
- “Establishing a routine – regardless of how I feel (ex: make my bed, clean the dishes, etc)”
- “Sex.” (I have to dutifully and accurately report the results).
- “Meditation.”
- “Eating a healthy, vegetarian diet…As soon as I eliminated meats and processed foods, especially wheat, from my diet, I was able to handle life without the usual stress. The same “things” were happening, but it seems as though my consciousness expanded and I became bigger than my problems.”
-”Prayer.”
- “Exercise.”
Hmmmm. I’m surprised no one said “shopping.” And if no one listed “occasional imbibing,” someone’s not being honest. If anyone has something to add to the list, please leave a comment.
December 3rd, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Thanks for the link, and it’s great to see a health related blog post that just ordinary people expressing their opinion………………:)
December 3rd, 2008 at 1:50 pm
Craig, great post and very important discussion. As I’ve gotten a little older, and hopefully a bit wiser, I would add to this list:
- living as honest a life as possible
- manage your money properly
- give thanks for what you have
- try and honor your friends and family and not take them for granted.
Funny enough, these all sound corny but as we age, their true meaning really hits home–at least for me.
And I must agree with your comment about drinking, or whatever chemical people may need to get them through stress.
December 3rd, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Hey Lisa:
Yep, we try to keep it real. But hey, if you ever need science, hit that “Science” tab at the top. Thanks a bunch.
December 3rd, 2008 at 2:22 pm
David,
Much appreciated. Have to agree 110% with everything you’ve added here. Most times, the best solutions are the tried and true, simple ones. They may be cliche, but there’s probably a reason they’ve become cliche: they’ve worked for legions of people throughout the ages. Thanks for adding your voice here. See you back on IA.
December 4th, 2008 at 11:51 am
Thanks for mentioning my comment.
I actually stopped drinking alchohol nearly 13 years ago, but I do have a weakness for real chocolate which does, of course sometimes lead to Sex!