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A Healthy Mind Resides in a Healthy Body

Categories: Human Physiology

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Words: 866 |

Published: Sep 16, 2023

Words: 866 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

Scientific basis behind the proverb, the personal benefits of holistic health, societal implications of the healthy body-healthy mind nexus, challenges and counterarguments.

World Health Organization. (2010). Global recommendations on physical activity for health. World Health Organization.
Gomez-Pinilla, F. (2008). Brain foods: the effects of nutrients on brain function. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 9(7), 568-578.
Mattson, M. P. (2019). An evolutionary perspective on why food overconsumption impairs cognition. Trends in cognitive sciences, 23(3), 200-212.
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2001). On happiness and human potentials: A review of research on hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. Annual review of psychology, 52(1), 141-166.

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Why You Should Take Care of Your Body and Health

Elizabeth Scott, PhD is an author, workshop leader, educator, and award-winning blogger on stress management, positive psychology, relationships, and emotional wellbeing.

Daniel B. Block, MD, is an award-winning, board-certified psychiatrist who operates a private practice in Pennsylvania.

Why It Matters
Eat a Balanced Diet

Make Sleep a Priority

Stay Active
Avoid Harmful Substances
Manage Your Stress

Taking care of your physical body is good for your mental health. The mind and body interact and influence one another in complex ways. Physical illness can make managing your mental well-being more difficult. Stress, lack of energy, poor sleep, and other problems can also take a toll on how you feel mentally.

This article discusses why you should take care of your body and how it can support your mental health. It also explores what you can do to take better care of yourself.

Why Taking Care of Your Body is Good for Mental Health

There are a number of reasons why taking care of your body is good for your mental health:

Health problems affect functioning : Health problems, even minor ones, can interfere with or even overshadow other aspects of your life. Even relatively minor health issues such as aches, pains, lethargy, and indigestion take a toll on your happiness and stress levels.
Poor health habits can add stress to your life : They also play a role in how well you are able to cope with stress. The stress that comes from poor health is significant.
Poor health interferes with daily living : Health challenges also affect other areas of your life. Health problems can make daily tasks more challenging, create financial stress, and even jeopardize your ability to earn a living.
Stress can worsen health : Stress itself can exacerbate health issues from the common cold to more serious conditions and diseases, so maintaining healthy habits can pay off in the long run. This article looks at some healthy habits that have a positive impact on your life.

One way to improve your ability to cope with stress and feel better is to make a commitment to healthier habits .

Press Play for Advice On Creating Good Habits

This episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast , featuring Katy Milkman, PhD, shares how to build healthy habits to create lasting change. Click below to listen now.

Follow Now : Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts / Amazon Music

Eat a Balanced Diet for the Right Reasons

Rather than eating right solely for the promise of looking better in your jeans, you should also make a commitment to eating foods that will boost your energy levels and keep your system running smoothly. This is because what you eat can not only impact your short-term and long-term health, it can affect your stress levels.

It's much harder to cope with stress if you are hungry or malnourished. Hunger can make you more emotionally reactive to stressors, leaving you irritable or even angry in the face of minor daily annoyances. Watching what you eat can be a stress management tool as well as a health preserver.

Another reason it's a good idea to maintain a healthy diet is that your diet can have an effect on your mood.

While the effects of an unhealthy diet are cumulative and become more apparent in the long-term, you are also less likely to feel well in the short-term if you are eating a diet heavy on sugar-laden, fatty, or nutritionally empty foods.

Some of the more immediate effects poor diet include feeling:

Eating well has important long-term consequences, but it may also help you feel more energetic and optimistic in the short-term as well.

Stay Motivated

If you remind yourself that what you eat now will affect how you feel in the coming hours, it may be easier to stick to a healthy diet.

Sleep can have a serious impact on your overall health and well-being. Poor sleep can take a toll on mental health and contribute to problems including anxiety, depression, mood changes, and behavior changes.

Make a commitment to get enough sleep at night. If you haven't gotten adequate sleep, you may be less productive, less mentally sharp, and otherwise more prone to the effects of stress.

Some good habits that can help:

Try to get a full eight hours of sleep each night
Avoid caffeine after 2 pm
Avoid eating foods in the evening that might disrupt your sleep
Go to bed at the same time each night; wake up at the same time each morning
Create a restful sleep environment; make sure your bed is comfortable and keep the room at an optimal temperature for sleeping (between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit)
Adopt a calming technique such as meditation to help yourself relax each night before bed

You may be surprised by how much less stressed you feel when you're not tired. Following good strategies can help if you have trouble getting quality sleep when stressed . Not only will you sleep better, but you’ll feel better all day.

Find a Fitness Habit That Works for You

We've all heard the advice to eat right and exercise. However, it can be difficult to fit in workouts around a busy schedule, particularly when you're feeling exhausted from stress.

Make It a Habit

One effective strategy for making fitness a regular part of your life is to build an exercise habit around your other habits—either attach a workout to your morning routine, or your lunchtime habits, or make it a regular part of your evening.

If you make a morning jog part of your getting-ready-for-work routine, for example, it is much more likely to happen than if you wait until you feel like jogging and happen to have a free half-hour, especially if you lead a busy life like most of us and are tired at the end of the day.

Do Something You Enjoy

Another important way to make exercise easier is to choose an activity that you actually enjoy. Some examples include walking while listening to an audiobook or attending a class at your gym where good music drives up your energy level. Finding an activity that you enjoy means that you are more likely to stick with it.

Find a form of exercise that you'd like to do and then find a time when you can make it work with your schedule.

Watch What You Put Into Your Body

Avoid putting unhealthy substances into your body; nicotine, excess alcohol, and even excessive caffeine can take a toll on your health in the long run, but also make you feel lousy overall in your day-to-day life.

In addition to watching what you put into your body, it also helps if you can avoid allowing toxic thinking patterns from exacerbating your stress levels as well. Find healthier ways to manage stress, and you'll enjoy double health and stress management benefits .

Find Ways to Manage Your Stress

Stress is an inevitable part of life, but it can take a serious toll on your mind and body if it gets out of hand. Excessive stress is linked to a number of serious health ailments, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and ulcers.

Stress management strategies that can help include:

Practicing mindfulness : Mindfulness is an approach that involves focusing more on the here and now instead of fretting over the past or future. It can help increase your self-awareness and improve your ability to handle the daily challenges life throws your way.
Utilize stress management techniques : Incorporate a variety of stress management tactics into your life, such as deep breathing, guided imagery, and positive self-talk. Making these a habit can help you combat stress in the short-term, as well as later down the road.
Eat a balanced diet : A poor diet can exacerbate the negative effects of stress. Instead of reaching for high-sugar snacks or fast food meals, focused on following a balanced diet that incorporates fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and complex carbohydrates.

Finding ways to manage your stress effectively can minimize the negative impact on your health. It can also be beneficial for your emotional health and reduce your risk of burnout, anxiety, and depression.

A Word From Verywell

These are three important ways to take care of your body that you may not naturally think of as stress relievers. If you set goals to make these ideas a reality in your life, not only will you feel the difference immediately, but you will also see results in multiple areas of your life in the coming weeks and months. Few habits come without effort, but these three can make a significant impact on your life, and are well worth the effort.

Yaribeygi H, Panahi Y, Sahraei H, Johnston TP, Sahebkar A. The impact of stress on body function: A review . EXCLI J . 2017;16:1057–1072. doi:10.17179/excli2017-480

Yau YH, Potenza MN. Stress and eating behaviors . Minerva Endocrinol . 2013;38(3):255–267.

Owen L, Corfe B. The role of diet and nutrition on mental health and wellbeing . Proc Nutr Soc . 2017;76(4):425-426. doi:10.1017/S0029665117001057

Breymeyer KL, Lampe JW, McGregor BA, Neuhouser ML. Subjective mood and energy levels of healthy weight and overweight/obese healthy adults on high-and low-glycemic load experimental diets . Appetite . 2016;107:253–259. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2016.08.008

Choi DW, Chun SY, Lee SA, Han KT, Park EC. Association between sleep duration and perceived stress: salaried worker in circumstances of high workload . Int J Environ Res Public Health . 2018;15(4):796. doi:10.3390/ijerph15040796

Gardner B, Lally P, Wardle J. Making health habitual: the psychology of 'habit-formation' and general practice . Br J Gen Pract . 2012;62(605):664–666. doi:10.3399/bjgp12X659466

Rood L, Roelofs J, Bögels SM, Alloy LB. Dimensions of negative thinking and the relations with symptoms of depression and anxiety in children and adolescents . Cognit Ther Res . 2010;34(4):333–342. doi:10.1007/s10608-009-9261-y

Kriakous SA, Elliott KA, Lamers C, Owen R. The effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction on the psychological functioning of healthcare professionals: a systematic review . Mindfulness (N Y) . 2021;12(1):1-28. doi:10.1007/s12671-020-01500-9

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By Elizabeth Scott, PhD Elizabeth Scott, PhD is an author, workshop leader, educator, and award-winning blogger on stress management, positive psychology, relationships, and emotional wellbeing.

Physical Activity Is Good for the Mind and the Body

Health and Well-Being Matter is the monthly blog of the Director of the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

Everyone has their own way to “recharge” their sense of well-being — something that makes them feel good physically, emotionally, and spiritually even if they aren’t consciously aware of it. Personally, I know that few things can improve my day as quickly as a walk around the block or even just getting up from my desk and doing some push-ups. A hike through the woods is ideal when I can make it happen. But that’s me. It’s not simply that I enjoy these activities but also that they literally make me feel better and clear my mind.

Mental health and physical health are closely connected. No kidding — what’s good for the body is often good for the mind. Knowing what you can do physically that has this effect for you will change your day and your life.

Physical activity has many well-established mental health benefits. These are published in the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans and include improved brain health and cognitive function (the ability to think, if you will), a reduced risk of anxiety and depression, and improved sleep and overall quality of life. Although not a cure-all, increasing physical activity directly contributes to improved mental health and better overall health and well-being.

Learning how to routinely manage stress and getting screened for depression are simply good prevention practices. Awareness is especially critical at this time of year when disruptions to healthy habits and choices can be more likely and more jarring. Shorter days and colder temperatures have a way of interrupting routines — as do the holidays, with both their joys and their stresses. When the plentiful sunshine and clear skies of temperate months give way to unpredictable weather, less daylight, and festive gatherings, it may happen unconsciously or seem natural to be distracted from being as physically active. However, that tendency is precisely why it’s so important that we are ever more mindful of our physical and emotional health — and how we can maintain both — during this time of year.

Roughly half of all people in the United States will be diagnosed with a mental health disorder at some point in their lifetime, with anxiety and anxiety disorders being the most common. Major depression, another of the most common mental health disorders, is also a leading cause of disability for middle-aged adults. Compounding all of this, mental health disorders like depression and anxiety can affect people’s ability to take part in health-promoting behaviors, including physical activity. In addition, physical health problems can contribute to mental health problems and make it harder for people to get treatment for mental health disorders.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the need to take care of our physical and emotional health to light even more so these past 2 years. Recently, the U.S. Surgeon General highlighted how the pandemic has exacerbated the mental health crisis in youth .

The good news is that even small amounts of physical activity can immediately reduce symptoms of anxiety in adults and older adults. Depression has also shown to be responsive to physical activity. Research suggests that increased physical activity, of any kind, can improve depression symptoms experienced by people across the lifespan. Engaging in regular physical activity has also been shown to reduce the risk of developing depression in children and adults.

Though the seasons and our life circumstances may change, our basic needs do not. Just as we shift from shorts to coats or fresh summer fruits and vegetables to heartier fall food choices, so too must we shift our seasonal approach to how we stay physically active. Some of that is simply adapting to conditions: bundling up for a walk, wearing the appropriate shoes, or playing in the snow with the kids instead of playing soccer in the grass.

Sometimes there’s a bit more creativity involved. Often this means finding ways to simplify activity or make it more accessible. For example, it may not be possible to get to the gym or even take a walk due to weather or any number of reasons. In those instances, other options include adding new types of movement — such as impromptu dance parties at home — or doing a few household chores (yes, it all counts as physical activity).

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I built a makeshift gym in my garage as an alternative to driving back and forth to the gym several miles from home. That has not only saved me time and money but also afforded me the opportunity to get 15 to 45 minutes of muscle-strengthening physical activity in at odd times of the day.

For more ideas on how to get active — on any day — or for help finding the motivation to get started, check out this Move Your Way® video .

The point to remember is that no matter the approach, the Physical Activity Guidelines recommend that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (anything that gets your heart beating faster) each week and at least 2 days per week of muscle-strengthening activity (anything that makes your muscles work harder than usual). Youth need 60 minutes or more of physical activity each day. Preschool-aged children ages 3 to 5 years need to be active throughout the day — with adult caregivers encouraging active play — to enhance growth and development. Striving toward these goals and then continuing to get physical activity, in some shape or form, contributes to better health outcomes both immediately and over the long term.

For youth, sports offer additional avenues to more physical activity and improved mental health. Youth who participate in sports may enjoy psychosocial health benefits beyond the benefits they gain from other forms of leisure-time physical activity. Psychological health benefits include higher levels of perceived competence, confidence, and self-esteem — not to mention the benefits of team building, leadership, and resilience, which are important skills to apply on the field and throughout life. Research has also shown that youth sports participants have a reduced risk of suicide and suicidal thoughts and tendencies. Additionally, team sports participation during adolescence may lead to better mental health outcomes in adulthood (e.g., less anxiety and depression) for people exposed to adverse childhood experiences. In addition to the physical and mental health benefits, sports can be just plain fun.

Physical activity’s implications for significant positive effects on mental health and social well-being are enormous, impacting every facet of life. In fact, because of this national imperative, the presidential executive order that re-established the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition explicitly seeks to “expand national awareness of the importance of mental health as it pertains to physical fitness and nutrition.” While physical activity is not a substitute for mental health treatment when needed and it’s not the answer to certain mental health challenges, it does play a significant role in our emotional and cognitive well-being.

No matter how we choose to be active during the holiday season — or any season — every effort to move counts toward achieving recommended physical activity goals and will have positive impacts on both the mind and the body. Along with preventing diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and the additional risks associated with these comorbidities, physical activity’s positive effect on mental health is yet another important reason to be active and Move Your Way .

As for me… I think it’s time for a walk. Happy and healthy holidays, everyone!

Yours in health, Paul

Paul Reed, MD Rear Admiral, U.S. Public Health Service Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health Director, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website.

Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by ODPHP or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website.

You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link.

“A Healthy Mind in a Healthy Body”: An Overview on the Effects of Physical Activity on the Brain

First Online: 30 August 2023

Cite this chapter

Anna Maria Malagoni 4 , 5 &
Francesco Maffessanti 6

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It has long been proven that physical activity is associated with meaningful benefits on the function of many organs and systems, as well as on general health and overall well-being. In recent years, growing attention has been paid to the evaluation of the impact of physical activity on brain health. The powerful role of physical activity on the brain expresses itself through a variety of positive effects: in modulating brain plasticity, in attenuating neurodegeneration, and in maintaining and improving the cognitive and psychological functions. In addition, physical activity has been shown to be a key element in effective therapeutic strategies for many neurodegenerative diseases.

Physical activity
Neuroplasticity
Neurodegenerative diseases

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Malagoni, A.M., Maffessanti, F. (2023). “A Healthy Mind in a Healthy Body”: An Overview on the Effects of Physical Activity on the Brain. In: Demarin, V., Battistin, L., Budinčević, H. (eds) Mind, Brain and Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-33013-1_9

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Mind and body: how the health of the body impacts on neuropsychiatry

Thibault renoir.

1 Melbourne Brain Centre, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Kyoko Hasebe

2 School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia

It has long been established in traditional forms of medicine and in anecdotal knowledge that the health of the body and the mind are inextricably linked. Strong and continually developing evidence now suggests a link between disorders which involve Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal axis (HPA) dysregulation and the risk of developing psychiatric disease. For instance, adverse or excessive responses to stressful experiences are built into the diagnostic criteria for several psychiatric disorders, including depression and anxiety disorders. Interestingly, peripheral disorders such as metabolic disorders and cardiovascular diseases are also associated with HPA changes. Furthermore, many other systemic disorders associated with a higher incidence of psychiatric disease involve a significant inflammatory component. In fact, inflammatory and endocrine pathways seem to interact in both the periphery and the central nervous system (CNS) to potentiate states of psychiatric dysfunction. This review synthesizes clinical and animal data looking at interactions between peripheral and central factors, developing an understanding at the molecular and cellular level of how processes in the entire body can impact on mental state and psychiatric health.

Introduction

The concept that our mind and our mental processes are influenced by the health of our bodies is intuitively appealing and central to many approaches to health and wellbeing. However, there has been a recent explosion of clinical and physiological evidence to support this theory, shifting a “commonsense” approach to health toward a clinically useful and pharmacologically targetable model. We are now moving toward mechanistic models for the interactions between peripheral and central factors, gaining an understanding at the molecular and cellular level of how processes in the entire body can impact on mental state and psychiatric health. Although good evidence exists for these associations in many psychiatric disorders, in this review we will focus on depression, for which the evidence is perhaps most compelling.

Some epidemiological associations between corporeal disorders and psychological ill-health are well established. The link between coronary artery disease and depression, for example, has been extensively investigated (Nemeroff and Musselman, 2000 ; Rugulies, 2002 ; Barth et al., 2004 ), and it appears that not only are the two disorders strongly associated but that depression is a predictor of poor cardiovascular outcome. Such epidemiological evidence reinforces the widely held notion that the sadness of depression both co-occurs with and potentiates cardiac disease. However, we are now moving toward an understanding of the shared molecular processes which may underpin the link between these disorders.

Although evidence of psychiatric and peripheral comorbidities abounds in the literature, there is also growing interest in the more subtle variations in physiological function which may be antecedents of overt illness but which may be sufficient to modulate CNS processes and mental state. In this review we will focus on several of the major pathways implicated in the aetiology of depression which may mediate the links between the mind and body.

Systemic disorders associated with depression

Strikingly, a recent study conducted in the United States indicated that of middle aged or older adults meeting diagnostic criteria for a major depressive disorder, two thirds reported comorbid cardiovascular disease (González and Tarraf, 2013 ). Up to 20% of patients with coronary heart disease meet diagnostic criteria for major depression, and up to 47% report significant and long-lasting depressive symptoms (Bush et al., 2005 ; Carney and Freedland, 2008 ). Recent reports have indicated that this effect is not restricted to individuals with cardiovascular disease, as patients undergoing rehabilitation for pulmonary disease were even more likely than cardiac patients to exhibit clinically significant depression and psychological distress (Serber et al., 2012 ). Cardiovascular risk factors are pathologically relevant even prior to diagnosis. Studies of patients with long-term depressive or anxiety disorders revealed elevated incidence of sub-clinical cardiovascular disease, as measured by a variety of parameters including plaque deposition and arterial stiffness (Seldenrijk et al., 2013 ), and blood pressure, glucose, body mass index (BMI), diet, and physical activity (Kronish et al., 2012 ). Interestingly, and relevant to sex differences often observed in the context of anxiety and depressive disorders [for which prevalence can be as twice higher in women compared to men, see Bekker and van Mens-Verhulst ( 2007 ); Kimbro et al. ( 2012 )], significant depressive symptoms are more common in younger women with peripheral arterial disease than in other gender-age groups (Smolderen et al., 2010 ). Also, recent meta-analysis of cardiovascular risk factors and depression in later life demonstrated relatively strong associations between depression and diabetes, cardiovascular disease and stroke (Valkanova and Ebmeier, 2013 ).

These findings also highlight the relationship between diabetes and psychiatric health. Meta-analytic evidence suggests that patients with depression have an elevated risk of developing type two diabetes (Knol et al., 2006 ; Mommersteeg et al., 2013 ), and conversely that patients with diabetes have significantly increased risk of developing depression (Anderson et al., 2001 ; Rotella and Mannucci, 2013 ). A longitudinal study revealed that the incidence of diabetes was highest in individuals with the greatest number of depressive symptoms (Carnethon et al., 2003 ), and a large community-based study demonstrated that diabetes was associated with an increased risk of depression (de Jonge et al., 2006 ). This bi-directional relationship is suggestive of convergent pathological processes rather than a simplistic cause and effect relationship. Interestingly, some clinical studies have hypothesized that the doubled rates of depression in female diabetic patients could help explain the high prevalence of coronary heart disease in women with diabetes (Clouse et al., 2003 ).

Autoimmune disease, for example rheumatoid arthritis, is also associated with markedly elevated risk of depression (Margaretten et al., 2011a ; Covic et al., 2012 ). Notably, there appears to be a strong correlation between the severity of rheumatoid arthritis and the incidence of depression, with a recent meta-analysis demonstrating that those with the most severe form of arthritic disease have a six-fold higher incidence of depression relative to those with the mildest form Godha et al. ( 2010 ).

Clearly the impact of declining quality of life associated with severe systemic disease cannot be overlooked. However, these findings and the many others describing strong associations with psychiatric disease and peripheral illness do provoke the question of whether there are fundamental mechanisms in common. How does the health of the body affect the health of the mind, and what are the underlying pathological processes which underpin this relationship? Although we do not yet have a full understanding of the complexities of the bidirectional relationship between body and brain, convergent evidence suggests that the endocrine response to stress (via the HPA axis), and immune dysregulation (via inflammatory pathways), may be playing a central role.

Stress responsivity and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis

The most well established example of mind-body interaction is the link between psychological stress and psychological ill-health. In fact, adverse or excessive responses to stressful experiences are built into the diagnostic criteria for several psychiatric disorders, including depression and anxiety disorders. The body's response to stress is mediated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, by which stressful stimuli modulate the activity of a tightly regulated cycle of circulating hormones. Stress per se is not necessarily problematic; the body is well equipped to respond to stressful stimuli and to some extent stress is necessary for normal function. However, excessive or prolonged stress, or perturbations in the function or regulation of the HPA axis may result in abnormal changes in hormones circulating through both the periphery and the CNS. As previously mentioned, women are twice as likely as men to suffer from stress-related psychiatric disorders and there is evidence that sex differences in stress responses could account for this sex bias (Bangasser and Valentino, 2012 ).

The HPA axis is the primary circuit that mediates the physiological response to stress and regulates the level of circulating glucocorticoid hormones (e.g., CORT: cortisol in humans, corticosterone in rodents). Arginine vasopressin (AVP) and corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH, also originally referred to as CRF for corticotrophin-releasing factor) are synthesised and released from the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus, and are arguably the highest order regulators of the HPA axis activity within the central nervous system (CNS). These neuro-hormones act synergistically to stimulate adrenocorticotrophin (ACTH) secretion from the anterior pituitary, culminating in increased levels of circulating CORT. The HPA axis is modulated by a negative feedback loop encompassing the hippocampus, hypothalamus and anterior pituitary. Following CORT secretion into the peripheral blood circulation, CORT passes through the plasma membrane of cells, particularly in the pituitary, hypothalamus, and hippocampus where it binds to the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). Finally, glucocorticoid catabolism involves 5α-reductase type 1 (predominantly a liver enzyme) and 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (in kidney).

The psychological determinants of an individual's response to stress are important predictors of outcome, although this area is beyond the scope of this review [reviewed comprehensively by Liu and Alloy ( 2010 )]. However, physiological variations in HPA axis function and related pathways may also modulate the response to stress and alter the threshold for psychiatric disorders. Despite substantial limitations in the objective assessment of stress, multiple studies have documented an association between stressful life experiences and depression (Kendler and Gardner, 2010 ). Interesting examples of HPA axis dysfunction modulating psychiatric health come from Cushing's syndrome and Addison's disease, states of hyper- and hypo-cortisolemia, respectively. Cushing's syndrome is associated with a high prevalence of psychopathology, primarily depressive symptoms but also mania and anxiety (Pereira et al., 2010 ). Addison's disease has been less extensively investigated but appears to be associated with an increased risk of a variety of psychiatric symptoms, including depression, delusions, hallucinations, and anxiety (Anglin et al., 2006 ). In both disorders it should be borne in mind that adrenal dysfunction can also lead to electrolyte and metabolic abnormalities which can also contribute to CNS disturbances. Nonetheless, the fact that treatment of the hyper- or hypo-cortisolaemia resolves the psychiatric symptoms in most cases strongly suggests that changes in adrenal corticosteroids are a primary driving force for the psychiatric symptoms (even though this is not the sole determining factor, as half of subjects with Cushing's do not develop depressive symptoms). Therapeutic administration of high doses of corticosteroids has been associated with the development of a manic behavioral state (Warrington and Bostwick, 2006 ; Kenna et al., 2011 ; Fardet et al., 2012 ). These observations also highlight a critical pathway by which HPA axis function may alter mental state. Corticosteroids are generally prescribed in cases of uncontrolled inflammatory disease, and act as powerful anti-inflammatory factors. As we will discuss below, inflammatory states are strongly linked to perturbations in psychiatric health. More subtle variations in HPA axis function have been directly associated with psychiatric disorders, in particular depression. A recent meta-analysis described the magnitude of the difference between depressed and non-depressed group in cortisol, ACTH and CRH levels. Looking at 361 studies, the results show that overall depression is associated with small-to-moderate elevations in ACTH and cortisol and a reduction in CRH levels (Stetler and Miller, 2011 ). However, in older people, the association between cortisol and major depression was U-shaped (Bremmer et al., 2007 ). Another large cohort study revealed significant associations between major depressive disorders and specific HPA axis indicators, such as a higher cortisol awakening response in MDD patients compared to controls (Vreeburg et al., 2009 ). Those modest but significant differences were also observed in patients with anxiety disorders (Vreeburg et al., 2010 ).

In line with clinical findings, the circadian pattern of corticosterone has been reported to be disrupted in rodent models of depression (Touma et al., 2009 ; Bonilla-Jaime et al., 2010 ). In rats, chronic stress induces a depressive-like phenotype, associated with dysregulation of the HPA axis and reductions in dopaminergic and serotonergic transmissions in the PFC (Mizoguchi et al., 2008 ). Affective-like behavioral deficits have been reported in mouse mutants with altered HPA axis function [see Renoir et al. ( 2013 ) for review]. Chronic treatment with corticosterone as well as isolation rearing increase the depressive-like behavior in GR-dependent and independent manners (Ago et al., 2008 ). Chronic elevation of corticosterone creates a vulnerability to a depression-like syndrome that is associated with increased expression of the serotonin synthetic enzyme tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (tph2), similar to that observed in depressed patients (Donner et al., 2012 ). Interestingly, the effects of chronic corticosterone administration in animal models have also been studied in the context of affective and systemic disorders. In that regard, chronic corticosterone in mice was found to induce anxiety/depression-like behaviors (David et al., 2009 ) as well as decrease sucrose consumption in a model of anhedonia (Gourley et al., 2008 ). Chronic antidepressant treatment reversed those behavioral impairments. Furthermore, relevant to the relationship between stress and metabolic syndrome, 4-wk exposure to high doses of corticosterone in mice, has been found to increase weight gain and plasma insulin levels as well as reduce home-cage locomotion (Karatsoreos et al., 2010 ).

Using a chronic mild stress (CMS) paradigm, in which mice were housed individually and alternatively submitted to unpredictable “mild” stressors (such as periods of continuous overnight illumination, short periods of food/water deprivation etc.), Palumbo et al. ( 2010 ) found that mice subjected to the CMS procedure exhibited an increase in serum corticosterone levels during the first few weeks of exposure. However, these elevated corticosterone levels returned to baseline levels after 6 weeks of CMS. Similarly, Adzic et al. ( 2009 ) reported reduced CORT levels in chronically isolated rats (for 21 days), whereas CORT was increased after an acute 30-min immobilization stress. Altered circadian activity of the HPA axis has also been reported in a CMS rat model of depression (Christiansen et al., 2012 ). Interestingly, this study suggests a recovery of diurnal corticosterone rhythm after 8 weeks of CMS. Taken together, these observations suggest an adaptive capacity for the HPA axis to cope with prolonged stress.

The effects of chronic stress on HPA axis function have been widely studied in both animal models and clinical populations. Many of those investigations have focused on the negative feedback part of the HPA axis (mainly mediated by the GR). Such feedback is efficiently probed by the established combined dexamethasone-suppression/corticotrophin-releasing hormone stimulation (dex/CRH) test (Ising et al., 2007 ). Altered dex/CRH test are seen in major depression (Mokhtari et al., 2013 ) as well as in chronic stress conditions. For example, over-commitment in chronically work-stressed teachers was significantly associated with blunted response to the dex/CRH challenge (Wolfram et al., 2013 ). Further regression analyses showed that low social support at work and high job strain were associated with more cortisol suppression after the dexamethasone suppression test (Holleman et al., 2012 ). In rodents, social isolation decreased the feedback sensitivity of the HPA axis to dexamethasone (Evans et al., 2012 ). Another animal study reported that socially deprived mice had increased adrenal weights as well as a greater increase in corticosterone levels in response to acute stress (Berry et al., 2012 ). Interestingly, those chronic stress-induced HPA axis dysfunctions were associated with depressive/anxiety-like behavior as well as impaired hippocampal plasticity (i.e., altered hippocampal neurogenesis and reduction in BDNF levels) (Berry et al., 2012 ; Evans et al., 2012 ).

Polymorphisms in genes controlling the activity of the HPA axis are also associated with differential risk of psychiatric disease. Polymorphisms in the GR gene have been associated with major depression in multiple cohorts (van West et al., 2005 ; van Rossum et al., 2006 ) [but also see Zou et al. ( 2010 ); Zimmermann et al. ( 2011 )]. Interestingly, some GR polymorphisms are also a predictor of the HPA axis response to psychosocial tests (Kumsta et al., 2007 ) and have been found to be associated with the extent of stress hormone dysregulation in major depression (Menke et al., 2013 ). Genotype-phenotype associations have also been identified in terms of response to antidepressant response (Ellsworth et al., 2013 ). Evidence of gene-environment interactions in the stress response and psychiatric susceptibility comes from a study of the corticotrophin-releasing factor receptor (CRF-R) (Bradley et al., 2008 ). Individuals with a particular CRF-R genotype who had experienced child abuse had enhanced risk of depression as adults, an observation repeated in two ethnically different populations. Overall, studies suggest that the degree of HPA axis hyperactivity can vary considerably across psychiatric patient groups, likely due to genetic and environmental factors during early development or adult life. In that regard, two separate studies reported that polymorphisms of the FKBP5 gene that potentially modify the sensitivity of the GR are associated with an increased likelihood of adult depression for individuals exposed to adverse life events (Zimmermann et al., 2011 ) and childhood physical abuse (Appel et al., 2011 ). Genes involved in other pathways may also potentiate an aversive response to stress. A landmark early study described an association between a variant in the serotonin transporter gene and the response to stressful life experiences (Caspi et al., 2003 ). This functional variant in a major target of antidepressant therapies is associated with an elevated response to fearful stimuli, elevated hormonal responses to stress, and increased risk of depression in response to stress exposure (Lesch et al., 1996 ; Hariri et al., 2002 ; Jabbi et al., 2007 ). Variants in multiple genes in the serotonergic pathway have also been associated with altered behavioral phenotypes in animal models [reviewed in Holmes ( 2008 )]. Critically, changes in circulating corticosteroids can regulate the activity of the rate-limiting serotonin synthetic enzyme tryptophan hydroxylase 2 in the brain (Clark et al., 2005 , 2007 ). In rodent models, acute restraint stress up-regulates serotonin production in the amygdala (Mo et al., 2008 ), whilst chronic administration of ACTH to disrupt HPA axis function results in an increased level of serotonin in the prefrontal cortex in response to acute stress (Walker et al., 2013 ). Taken together these findings demonstrate that alterations in HPA axis function can directly impact on CNS systems known to be associated with psychiatric disease.

Peripheral disorders associated with HPA changes and psychiatric disease

A wealth of evidence is now emerging to illustrate the link between stress and risk factors for physiological disorders, in particular metabolic disorders. Hyperactivity of the HPA axis and hypercortisolaemia is associated with the metabolic syndrome (Anagnostis et al., 2009 ). Similarly, both chronic stress and chronic treatment with glucocorticoids are associated with central adiposity, dyslipidaemia, atrophy of skeletal muscles, insulin resistance, and glucose intolerance: a suite of symptoms remarkably resemblant of the metabolic syndrome itself (Kyrou and Tsigos, 2009 ; van Raalte et al., 2009 ).

Elevations of circulating glucocorticoids have also been linked with an increased risk of depression in those with metabolic disorder (Vogelzangs et al., 2009 ), and relative insensitivity to the dexamethasone suppression test has been documented in patients with this disorder (Kazakou et al., 2012 ). On the other hand, disturbances in fatty acid metabolism have been observed in cohort studies of depression (Assies et al., 2010 ). Fatty acid levels appear to have a bidirectional relationship with HPA axis activity, with glucocorticoids modulating fatty acid metabolism (Brenner et al., 2001 ; Macfarlane et al., 2008 ), and supplementation of polyunsaturated fatty acids reducing cortisol levels in both healthy subjects (Delarue et al., 2003 ) and in those with depression (Jazayeri et al., 2010 ; Mocking et al., 2012 ). A study examining this relationship in more detail has shown that the circadian changes in cortisol have a different association with the major fatty acid forms in major depression patients compared to controls (Mocking et al., 2013 ). Other studies have demonstrated both changes in visceral fat levels and adrenal gland volume in women with major depressive disorders (Ludescher et al., 2008 ). Some of these associations appear to have developmental antecedents, with exposure to dietary high fat in the perinatal period being linked with both altered HPA axis function and mood changes (Sasaki et al., 2013 ).

If metabolic disorders are considered as a spectrum, then diabetes is arguably positioned as the end point of this decline in function. Chronic stress and sustained dysregulation of corticosteroid production are strongly associated with the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus in both human cohorts and in animal models (Chan et al., 2003 ; Rosmond, 2005 ; Reagan et al., 2008 ; Anagnostis et al., 2009 ; Matthews and Hanley, 2011 ). As an example in mice, streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes resulted in increased depressive-like behavior as well as increased corticosterone levels (Ho et al., 2012 ). The convergence of the associations between HPA axis dysfunction and both diabetes and depression is striking, with compelling evidence for links between the two disorders and this central underlying risk factor [reviewed in Champaneri et al. ( 2010 )].

Dysfunction of HPA signaling also appears to interact with the autonomic nervous system to influence cardiovascular function. Components of the HPA axis act outside the hypothalamus to regulate sympathetic outflow, and thus heart rate. Elevated heart rate has been associated with depression in multiple studies (Forbes and Chaney, 1980 ; Carney et al., 1993 , 2000 ; Lechin et al., 1995 ), and is a strong predictor of multiple parameters of cardiovascular disease, including myocardial ischaemia, arrhythmias, hypertension, and cardiac failure (Dyer et al., 1980 ; Kannel et al., 1987 ; Palatini and Julius, 1997 ). Depression is associated with an increased risk of mortality in patients with cardiovascular disease (Mann and Thakore, 1999 ), and this increased risk is strongly linked with hypercortisolaemia (Jokinen and Nordstrom, 2009 ). In healthy subjects, cortisol and ACTH response to the Dex/CRH test were negatively associated with central adiposity and blood pressure and positively associated with HDL cholesterol, strong risk factors for cardiovascular disease (Tyrka et al., 2012 ).

Taken together, these studies speak to the accumulating evidence suggesting a link between disorders which involve HPA dysregulation and the risk of developing psychiatric disease. This is illustrative of the bidirectional relationship between peripheral illness and mental health: HPA axis changes may be either contributors to or consequences of peripheral disorders but also have the capacity to modulate brain function and predispose to psychiatric disease.

Pharmacological targeting of the HPA axis

The GR antagonist mifepristone has been tested as an adjunctive treatment for psychiatric disorders (Schatzberg and Lindley, 2008 ). Most recently, a randomized controlled trial of adjunctive mifepristone in patients with bipolar disorder demonstrated alterations in cortisol levels which were correlated with improvements on neuropsychological tests of working memory (Watson et al., 2012 ). An earlier, smaller scale trial by the same group showed improvements in both neurocognitive function and depression rating scores (Young et al., 2004 ). However, a similar study in schizophrenia showed alterations in plasma cortisol but no significant change in symptoms (Gallagher et al., 2005 ). These mixed findings do highlight the potential utility of therapeutics targeting HPA axis function, but also are suggestive of the heterogeneity in the role of the HPA axis across, and potentially also within, psychiatric disorder diagnoses. The main challenge in pharmacological targeting of the HPA axis is that blockage of all GR-dependent processes could ultimately lead to counteractive effects such as elevated endogenous corticosterone levels. In that context, a newly developed high-affinity GR ligand (C108297) shows promising characteristics in rats (Zalachoras et al., 2013 ). Indeed, C108297 displays partial agonistic activity for suppression of CRH gene expression and potently enhances GR-dependent memory consolidation. This compound, which does not lead to disinhibition of the HPA axis, could help in dissecting the molecular signaling pathways underlying stress-related disorders. In recent years, other therapeutic strategies interacting at different levels of the HPA axis have been developed. Those include agents acting on CRH-R1 receptor and adrenal steroidogenesis as well as modulators of the 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type (11β-HSD1), the enzyme regulating cortisol metabolism (Thomson and Craighead, 2008 ; Martocchia et al., 2011 ).

In patients who were successfully treated with fluoxetine, the secretion of cortisol decreased (Piwowarska et al., 2012 ). Furthermore, recent data suggest that GR levels in lymphocytes could be used to predict response to antidepressant treatment in major depressive patients (Rojas et al., 2011 ). However, it should be noted that GR levels seemed inconsistent over time in this study. Also, measuring cortisol levels in depressed patients before and following treatment with SSRI, Keating et al. ( 2013 ) concluded that that stress physiology was unlikely to be a key factor in the response to antidepressant treatment. The variation in findings from these studies may reflect differing modes of activity of the different antidepressant drug classes, superimposed on a heterogeneous patient population. This was illustrated in a study examining changes in daily cortisol patterns in patients using SSRIs, tricyclic antidepressants, other therapeutics or no medications (Manthey et al., 2011 ). A complex pattern emerged, with some antidepressants suppressing the morning peak in cortisol, and others altering the response to the dexamethasone suppression test. However, the challenges inherent to measuring a circulating factor which is both diurnally regulated and acutely sensitive to environmental cues should not be underestimated.

Immune dysregulation, inflammation and psychiatric health

There is strong evidence that peripheral growth factors, pro-inflammatory cytokines, endocrine factors, and metabolic markers contribute to the pathophysiology of major depressive disorders and antidepressant response (Schmidt et al., 2011 ). Similarly, many of the systemic disorders associated with a higher incidence of psychiatric disease involve a significant inflammatory component. In fact, as our understanding of the aetiology of these disorders deepens, it has become apparent that there is significant overlap between the factors driving peripheral inflammatory disease and psychiatric disorders. Elevations of pro-inflammatory cytokines have been observed in both clinical populations and animal models of heart failure (Levine et al., 1990 ; Francis et al., 2003 ), after coronary surgery (Hennein et al., 1994 ), and following heart transplants (Azzawi and Hasleton, 1999 ). Importantly, the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis is intrinsically inflammatory (Koenig, 2001 ), with elevated local and circulating pro-inflammatory cytokines. In addition, the acute-phase marker C-reactive protein (CRP) is strongly associated with cardiovascular disease (van Holten et al., 2013 ), and can be used as a diagnostic or prognostic factor. As discussed above, cardiovascular disease is strongly associated with changes in psychiatric health, in particular depression.

Cardiovascular disease is in turn closely linked with obesity, dyslipidemia, diabetes and metabolic disease. The elevated frequency of anxiety and depression in these disorders may in part underlie the association between cardiovascular and psychiatric risk factors. In studies of diabetic patient cohorts, the inflammatory marker CRP was consistently predictive of direct associations between depression severity, lipid profiles and obesity levels (van Reedt Dortland et al., 2013 ). Similarly, increased risk of depression in a cohort of patients with diabetes was associated with a higher BMI, illustrating the link between depression and poor control of cardiovascular risk factors (Kimbro et al., 2012 ). Obesity itself is considered to be a state of low-grade inflammation, and is linked with elevated depressive symptoms. In addition, in a longitudinal study CRP levels at baseline were statistically associated with depression scores (Daly, 2013 ).

Other disease states involving inflammatory processes are associated with elevated risk of depression. Major depression is the most common psychiatric manifestation of multiple sclerosis, with an incidence approaching 50% (Lo Fermo et al., 2010 ). Likewise, although the incidence rate varies significantly between studies, an elevated incidence of depression has been documented in systemic lupus erythematosus (Palagini et al., 2013 ) and rheumatoid arthritis (Dickens et al., 2002 ). Common to all of these disorders is an autoimmune-mediated elevation of inflammatory signaling, with increased circulating pro-inflammatory cytokines observed in the periphery and in the CNS. Large case-control studies have described increased rates of anxiety and depression in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (Kurina et al., 2001 ; Ananthakrishnan et al., 2013a , b ). Altered gut permeability to enteric bacteria has also been associated with depression. Translocation of bacterial allergens [in particular lipopolysaccharide (LPS)], stimulates a systemic immune response characterized by elevated IgM and IgA antibodies reactive to the bacteria. Individuals with chronic depression are more likely to display increased LPS-reactive IgM and IgA than control subjects, indicating that elevated gut permeability may be potentiating a systemic inflammatory state (Maes et al., 2008 , 2012a ).

The case for altered peripheral inflammation in psychiatric disease is strong, perhaps most so for major depression. Individuals with clinically classifiable major depression exhibit a wide range of changes in inflammatory markers, including elevated cytokines, chemokines, and acute phase proteins, findings which have been replicated in several meta-analyses and which in some studies appear to be correlated with specific depressive symptoms (Miller et al., 2009 ). There appears to be a shift in the function of the immune system in depression, with an increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines accompanied by a decrease in cellular immunity (Zorrilla et al., 2001 ; Dowlati et al., 2010 ). The strength of these findings is heightened by a positive correlation between the elevations in pro-inflammatory cytokines and the severity of depression rating scores (Howren et al., 2009 ). A recent longitudinal population-based study demonstrated strong associations between depressive symptoms and elevated levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 and CRP (Lu et al., 2013 ). Notably, heightened IL-6, CRP and depressive symptoms were all predictive of reduced pulmonary function, in a cohort with no known history of obstructive pulmonary disease. This large study highlights the substantial cross-over between inflammatory disease and depressive symptomatology. However, there may be differences between sub-populations in depression, with some individuals more likely to display an inflammatory pathophysiology. Although the number of patients classified as suffering atypical depression is relatively low, these patients may be more likely to show high levels of inflammatory markers such as CRP (Hickman et al., 2013 ). Part of the population variance may result from polymorphisms in the CRP gene. The association between CRP levels and depressive symptoms may be moderated by CRP gene haplotype, in a complex manner which may underpin some of the variations in other association studies (Halder et al., 2010 ). Patients receiving therapeutic administration of cytokines for cancer or chronic viral infections, [in particular interferon (IFN)-alpha and interleukin-2] frequently experience psychiatric symptoms, including the development of frank major depression in a significant proportion of patients (Capuron et al., 2004 ; Raison et al., 2005 ). IFN-alpha stimulates both peripheral and central release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, a fact which underpins the behavioral effects of this cytokine and highlights the capacity for systemic immune signals to regulate CNS processes (Capuron et al., 2000 , 2001 , 2002 , 2003 , 2004 ; Raison et al., 2005 ; Eller et al., 2009 ; Alavi et al., 2012 ; Birerdinc et al., 2012 ; Udina et al., 2012 ).

Of particular relevance to the treatment of depressive disorders is the emerging evidence that at least part of the therapeutic efficacy of currently available antidepressants may result from their concomitant anti-inflammatory effects. Although the response rate and efficacy of current antidepressants is far from universal, at least some patient populations derive significant benefit from these medications. However, the previously accepted notion that modulation of synaptic monoamines represents the sum total of the therapeutic effects of these drugs has now come into question. Recent studies have shown that selective-serotonin-reuptake inhibitor medications can suppress immune cell activation and release of inflammatory cytokines in the periphery and ex-vivo (Diamond et al., 2006 ; Taler et al., 2007 ; Branco-de-Almeida et al., 2011 ). Notably, this immune-regulatory effect is not restricted only to the periphery, but can also affect microglia, the immune cells of the CNS (Hashioka et al., 2007 ; Horikawa et al., 2010 ). A recent meta-analysis of human depression studies showed that antidepressant treatment at least partially ameliorates the elevations of pro-inflammatory cytokines associated with the disorder (Hannestad et al., 2011 ). Although it is clear that drug discovery in psychiatric disease needs to look beyond established drug classes, these findings emphasize the potential clinical utility of targeting inflammatory function in depression. Finally, potential sex-differences have been suggested when assessing the effects of LPS on cytokine gene expression. Indeed, females had increased hippocampal levels of IL-6 of TNF-α with respect to males after repeated administration of LPS (Tonelli et al., 2008 ).

Mechanisms of immune modulation of psychiatric function

Historically the CNS was regarded as a “privileged” site with regards to the immune system, with little immune communication across the blood-brain barrier except in cases of frank CNS infection. However, it is now clear that the brain is sensitive to peripheral immune stimuli and can respond with activation of central immune cells and local production of inflammatory cytokines. Microglia are the CNS equivalent of macrophages, releasing cytokines upon activation and facilitating a central immune response, even in the absence of peripheral immune cell migration into the CNS. The brain's response to peripheral inflammatory stimuli can be seen most clearly in the pattern of behavioral changes which reliably results from systemic infection, administration of synthetic bacterial wall components or administration of cytokines (Dantzer, 2004 ; Pucak and Kaplin, 2005 ). Termed “sickness behavior,” this encompasses changes in motor activity, consummatory behavior, social interaction, circadian rhythms, and responsivity to hedonic and aversive stimuli. The parallels between these behavioral changes and aspects of depression have been well noted and have been a prompt for extensive research.

Systemic administration of synthetic bacterial endotoxin, or LPS, induces a well-established pattern of peripheral inflammation. However, multiple studies have now also demonstrated that systemic inflammation activates CNS microglia, including in non-human primates (Henry et al., 2008 ; Hannestad et al., 2012 ). In mice, systemic LPS causes microglial activation and synthesis of cytokines (Puntener et al., 2012 ). Microglia form close contacts with synaptic structures and appear to regulate synaptic strength (Wake et al., 2009 ). These cells also express multiple neurotransmitter receptors and are therefore acutely responsive to neuronal signaling (Kettenmann et al., 2011 ). Activated microglia are also a key source of reactive oxygen species, contributing to a status of inflammation-induced oxidative stress in the CNS (Dringen, 2005 ). Oxidative stress, driven both peripherally and centrally, is strongly associated with psychiatric aetiology.

Reduced plasma L-tryptophan, the precursor for serotonin, is a potential biomarker of “vulnerability to depression” (Maes et al., 1993 ). Indeed, tryptophan depletion is widely used to study the contribution of reduced serotonin transmission to the pathogenesis of major depressive disorder (Van der Does, 2001 ) and also relevant in the context of immune activation (Kurz et al., 2011 ). The depressive symptomatology associated with immunomodulatory therapy may be mediated in part by changes in tryptophan metabolism. Pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IFN-γ, IFN-α, and TNF-α, and reactive oxygen species, induce activation of the enzyme, indolamine 2, 3 dioxygenase (IDO) in microglia, which metabolizes tryptophan via the kyneurenine pathway (Maes, 1999 ; Wichers et al., 2005 ; Dantzer et al., 2008 ; Maes et al., 2012b ). This shifts the balance of tryptophan toward kynurenine and away from serotonin, reducing serotonin bioavailability (Capuron et al., 2002 , 2003 ; Vignau et al., 2009 ). Notably, in the CNS only microglia further metabolize kynurenine to quinolinic acid, which exerts neurotoxic effects (Guillemin et al., 2005 ; Soczynska et al., 2012 ). Patients treated with IFN-α for hepatitis C infection developed depressive symptoms including negative moods that were correlated with increased levels of kynurenine (Wichers et al., 2005 ). In addition, analysis of plasma tryptophan and kynurenine pathway metabolites in patients with major depression showed increased rates of tryptophan degradation compared to normal control subjects (Myint et al., 2007 ). Taken together, these findings indicate that cytokine-induced microglial activation can mediate changes in neurotransmitters and other bioactive metabolites which may underpin mood disorders. Also, recent data indicate that cognitive impairments (as well as the decline in neurogenesis observed during ageing) can be in part attributed to dysregulation in blood-borne factors such as changes in peripheral CCL11 chemokine levels (Villeda et al., 2011 ). These findings support the crosstalk between peripheral molecular processes to central effects related to cognitive and emotional function.

Pharmacological targeting of inflammatory pathways

Several of the therapies for the inflammatory disorder rheumatoid arthritis potentiate the effects of antidepressant therapies (Margaretten et al., 2011b ). Such drugs target pro-inflammatory cytokine pathways, for example TNF-α antagonists such as etanercept. This particular drug is also commonly used in the treatment of the inflammatory skin condition psoriasis, and large-scale studies of this drug have indicated that patients with psoriasis receiving this drug show reduced depression scores relative to placebo (although the level of depressive symptoms in these patients was relatively low overall, and would not constitute a diagnosis of major depression) (Tyring et al., 2006 ). Interestingly, follow-up studies indicated that the change in depression score was independent of disease state (Krishnan et al., 2007 ). Drugs with a similar TNF-α antagonist activity have also shown antidepressant activity in trials in patients with other inflammatory conditions, including Crohn's disease and ankylosing spondylitis (Persoons et al., 2005 ; Ertenli et al., 2012 ).

Critically, a recent study of the TNF-α antagonist infliximab in otherwise healthy patients with major depression demonstrated that the antidepressant activity of this drug was dependent on the level of inflammatory markers at baseline (Raison et al., 2013 ). This study demonstrated that depressed patients with higher levels of the inflammatory markers TNF-α and CRP showed a decrease in depression rating scores over the course of the study. It is also worth noting that the patients in this study were poorly responsive to classical antidepressant therapy, which may indicate that a sub-population exists in whom inflammation is correlated with both poor antidepressant response and efficacy of anti-inflammatory medication. A second recent study also demonstrated that patients with depression who experienced a decline in symptoms with infliximab treatment also showed elevated inflammatory gene expression in peripheral immune cells (Mehta et al., 2013 ). Response to infliximab was also associated with reductions in the expression of other genes involved with innate immune activation. Agents such as infliximab are too large to cross the blood-brain barrier, and therefore the amelioration of depressive symptoms is more likely associated with resolution of peripheral inflammation than direct effects of the drug in the brain. However, as we have discussed above, CNS microglia are acutely sensitive to circulating cytokine levels and so their level of activity may well be modulated by anti-inflammatory treatment.

The developing focus on inflammatory function in depression has spurred trials of other anti-inflammatory drugs as adjuncts to antidepressant treatment. A large-scale longitudinal population study revealed that statin users were less likely than non-users to have depression at baseline (Otte et al., 2012 ). Statin users who did not have depressive symptoms at baseline were also less likely to develop depression during the follow-up period. Statins are commonly prescribed to individuals who have had a cardiac event or intervention. A prospective study in this population showed that prescription of statins reduced the likelihood of developing depression by up to 79% (Stafford and Berk, 2011 ). A large community study also documented reduced exposure to statins and aspirin (another non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent) in women with major depressive disorder (Pasco et al., 2010 ). Likewise, women who were exposed to these agents were also less likely to develop depression over the course of the study. Similar results were also observed in a large population-based cohort of elderly patients, with statins exerting a protective effect against the development of depressive symptoms (Feng et al., 2008 ). Notably, this study also documented a positive correlation between the use of systemic corticosteroids and depression.

The cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor celecoxib is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug used widely in the treatment of pain, particularly related to arthritic conditions. This drug has been found to improve depressive symptoms when administered in conjunction with the antidepressants sertraline (Abbasi et al., 2012 ), reboxetine (Muller et al., 2006 ), and fluoxetine (Akhondzadeh et al., 2009 ). However, it should be noted that other trials have resulted in conflicting findings, with several showing no beneficial effect of celecoxib in depression (Musil et al., 2011 ; Fields et al., 2012 ). The discrepancies in these study results are potentially reflective of the complexity of the inflammatory pathways, in which COX-2 and many other key molecules may play multiple roles. In the brain, COX-2 has anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects (Minghetti, 2004 ), and COX-2 deficient mice show increased neuronal damage, microglial reactivity and oxidative stress markers (Aid et al., 2008 ). Hence targeting of inflammatory pathways in depression requires careful investigation of both peripheral and central responsivity. COX-2, in particular, may not be the most appropriate target for adjunct therapies in depression [reviewed in Maes ( 2012 )]. In addition, modulation of immune and inflammatory signaling necessitates caution with regard to the potential of lowering defenses to opportunistic infection and malignancy. Long term use of immune-modifying drugs has been associated with increased incidence of serious infections and cancer (Bongartz et al., 2006 ; Atzeni et al., 2012 ; van Dartel et al., 2013 ). This raises the possibility that agents which directly regulate the CNS rather than peripheral inflammatory response, or have more mild anti-inflammatory effects, may be more appropriate targets for the pharmacotherapy of depression.

Still peripherally-active, but arguably milder in effect, are the non-steroidal anti inflammatory medications, including aspirin. Animal studies using aspirin have shown moderate but discernible effects on depressive behavior (Brunello et al., 2006 ; Wang et al., 2011 ). Preliminary clinical trials have correlated this, showing a synergistic effect of co-therapy with antidepressants and aspirin (Mendlewicz et al., 2006 ). However, perhaps more compelling is the result from a large-scale longitudinal cohort study, which documented an association between aspirin use and lowered risk of depression (Pasco et al., 2010 ). Echoing this is a cross-sectional study which demonstrated that men with elevated plasma homocysteine, a marker of cardiovascular risk, had a reduced risk of depression if they had been taking aspirin (Almeida et al., 2012 ).

Minocycline, a second-generation tetracycline derivative, has recently attracted significant attention for its potential efficacy as an antidepressant. This well characterized drug has potent anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects which are independent of its antibiotic efficacy (Pae et al., 2008 ; Dean et al., 2012 ). Most importantly, minocycline readily crosses the blood brain barrier and is known to inhibit microglial activation (Pae et al., 2008 ; Dean et al., 2012 ). Studies in mice have demonstrated that minocycline attenuated the elevations in CNS IL-1β, IL-6, and IDO induced by bacterial endotoxins (Henry et al., 2008 ). This study also showed that pre-treatment with minocycline prevented the development of depressive-like behavioral endophenotypes, and normalized the kynurenine/tryptophan ratio in the plasma and brain (Henry et al., 2008 ). These findings clearly indicate that minocycline has effects on microglia through inhibition of the synthesis of pro-inflammatory cytokines and IDO up-regulation, and that these may flow through to ameliorate mood states. Echoing this, a small open-label study reported minocycline (150 mg/kg/day) in combination with serotonin reuptake inhibitor contributed to ameliorate depressive mood and psychotic symptoms in patients with psychotic unipolar depression (Miyaoka et al., 2012 ).

The developing appreciation of the role of inflammatory function in depression has highlighted the potential role of dietary sources of anti-inflammatory species. Deficiencies of the anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) have been associated with depressed mood (Maes et al., 2009 ), and a preliminary study of supplementation with CoQ10 showed an amelioration of depression scores in a cohort with bipolar disorder (Forester et al., 2012 ). Several studies in pre-clinical models have shown potential antidepressant effects of omega 3 fatty acids (Watanabe et al., 2004 ), and conversely, deficient diets during prenatal development have been associated with persistent changes in mood state (Chen and Su, 2013 ). Compounding this, altered lipid profiles have been described in the cortex of patients with mood disorders (Tatebayashi et al., 2012 ). Large-scale population assays have shown associations between dietary lipid profiles and the risk of depression (Hoffmire et al., 2012 ). Although the outcomes of clinical trials using omega 3 supplementation are still under some debate, recent meta-analyses have pointed to some degree of improved outcome in depressed patients (Lin and Su, 2007 ; Bloch and Hannestad, 2012 ; Martins et al., 2012 ). Intriguingly, omega 3 fatty acids have received particular attention for the treatment of depressive symptoms post-myocardial infarction (Gilbert et al., 2013 ; Siddiqui and Harvey, 2013 ). In such cases, the anti-inflammatory effects of this lipid may be ameliorating both the peripheral inflammatory state and the secondary central inflammation.

Interfaces between HPA axis and immune dysfunction

Whilst it is clear that both inflammation and HPA dysfunction are associated with psychiatric pathology, these two systems interact at multiple levels and may together constitute a synergistic effect on neuronal function. Across the spectrum of systemic disorders associated with peripheral inflammation and an increased risk of depression, many are also associated with elevated susceptibility to, or worsening symptoms in response to stress. A large scale longitudinal study showed an association between inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis) and depressive symptoms (Ananthakrishnan et al., 2013b ). These disorders are strongly associated with perceived life stress, with time to relapse predicted by stress levels (Triantafillidis et al., 2013 ). Studies of metabolic syndrome, diabetes and associated cardiovascular diseases have shown that not only is this suite of disorders associated with increased risk of depression and a low-grade inflammatory state, but that chronic stress is a strong promoting factor [reviewed in Kyrou and Tsigos ( 2009 )]. These interactions may have developmental antecedents, with exposure to a high fat diet in early life being associated with both altered HPA axis function, inflammatory regulation and disordered behavioral profiles in later life (Sasaki et al., 2013 ). Nonetheless, the question remains as to how these complex systems interact in both the periphery and CNS, and by what mechanisms these systems modulate neuronal function and mood.

Synthetic glucocorticoids are used therapeutically at supraphysiological levels for their anti-inflammatory effects. However, when examining the relationship between the HPA axis and the immune system in physiological or pathophysiological states, the situation appears more complex. Glucocorticoids modulate the immune system through binding to receptors expressed by immune cells, which down-regulates transcription of pro-inflammatory genes and up-regulates production of anti-inflammatory cytokines (Barnes, 2006 ; Leonard, 2006 ). Glucocorticoids also regulate the circulating numbers, tissue distribution and activity profile of lymphocytes in a time-dependent manner [comprehensively reviewed in Dhabhar ( 2009 )]. Compared to acute stress, chronic stress appears to suppress some of the protective aspects of immune regulation, whilst enhancing the drive to a pro-inflammatory state. The complexity of these interactions is reflective of the fact that chronic stimulation of the HPA axis may not in fact result in a hypercortisolaemic state; given the capacity of the HPA axis for negative feedback regulation, the baseline cortisol levels in chronic stress may actually be lower than normal. Glucocorticoids can be used therapeutically as immuno-suppressants but in some experimental models appear to have pro-inflammatory effects. Part of this discrepancy may come from differences between in vivo and in vitro models, however in addition the complexities of chronic stress in an animal model should not be overlooked. Chronic stress may appear to increase or decrease circulating glucocorticoids depending on the method of stress and the method of glucocorticoid measurement employed. An animal with chronic down-regulation of HPA axis responsivity, for example, may respond to the acute stress of blood collection or some forms of euthanasia with an overshoot of normal glucocorticoid response, giving the impression of elevated circulating hormone levels in response to the chronic stress.

Immune activation may also feed back to modulate glucocorticoid sensitivity. Production of cytokines also up-regulates expression of the GR and modulates the sensitivity of the HPA axis to negative feedback (Arzt et al., 2000 ). Elevation of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-2, appears to inhibit nuclear translocation of the GR and suppress glucocorticoid signaling (Goleva et al., 2009 ; Schewitz et al., 2009 ). Likewise, administration of IL-1 up-regulates HPA axis activity (Dunn, 2000 ). Systemic exposure to pro-inflammatory stimuli such as bacterial LPS induces secretion of CRH, therefore activating the HPA axis (Sternberg, 2006 ). These studies illustrate the complex bidirectional interactions between HPA axis function and regulation of inflammation. Potential sex-differences have been suggested when assessing the effects of LPS on stress response. Indeed, female rats showed a higher LPS-induced corticosterone release compared to male animals (Tonelli et al., 2008 ). The relationship between HPA axis activity and inflammation may also be regionally specific. The peripheral response to stress and HPA activation is likely to be qualitatively, quantitatively and temporally distinct from that observed in the CNS. In a mouse model of chronic stress, increases in basal inflammatory markers were observed in multiple brain regions (Barnum et al., 2012 ). Chronic unpredictable stress can also up-regulate the response to peripheral inflammatory stimuli, mediated by glucocorticoid signaling (Munhoz et al., 2006 ). This differs somewhat to the concept of glucocorticoid signaling as immunosuppressive, and highlights the need for further investigation of the nexus between HPA and immune function in the brain. Microglia represents the critical interface point between the activity of the HPA axis, circulating inflammatory signals and the brain's inflammatory response. Microglial number and morphological changes associated with activation can be increased by chronic stress in animal models (Nair and Bonneau, 2006 ; Tynan et al., 2010 ). Blockade of glucocorticoid signaling can block stress-induced sensitization of microglial inflammatory responses (Frank et al., 2011 ), and microglial activation can be primed by in vivo exposure to glucocorticoids (Nair and Bonneau, 2006 ) or chronic stress (Farooq et al., 2012 ). Within the CNS, the balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory responses to peripheral immune stimuli is modulated by the density of microglial cells (Pintado et al., 2011 ).

The relationship between microglial activation and the stress response has been most comprehensively investigated in animal models. Repeated exposure to restraint stress induced microglial activation in male C57BL/6 mice, as measured by the degree of proliferation of microglia (Nair and Bonneau, 2006 ). The increase in microglial number was positively correlated with elevation of serum corticosterone levels induced by stress exposure. Similarly, chronic restraint stress caused a significant increase in activated microglia and number of microglia in multiple brain regions (Tynan et al., 2010 ; Hinwood et al., 2012 ), and inescapable stress potentiates the microglial response to immune stimuli (Frank et al., 2012 ). However, high doses of glucocorticoid agonists suppress the microglial production of inflammatory cytokines (Chantong et al., 2012 ). These differential responses may be reflective of central vs. peripheral differences, in addition to switching from a pro- to anti-inflammatory response to physiological vs. pharmacological levels of glucocorticoids. Nonetheless, the consensus from these studies is that microglia are acutely sensitive to both HPA axis function and inflammatory signals, and act as an inflection point between peripheral and central responses to these stimuli. As discussed above, the activation state of the microglial population has direct effects on neuronal function, via secondary cytokine production, reactive oxygen species production, neurotoxic effects and modulation of neurotransmitter production.

Conclusions

It has long been established in traditional forms of medicine and in anecdotal knowledge that the health of the body and the mind are inextricably linked. Although strong associations between somatic illnesses and psychiatric disturbances have routinely been described in the literature, it is only recently that western medicine has sought to, or indeed had the means to, investigate the mechanisms underlying these associations. Strong and continually developing evidence now suggests that converging disruptions to inflammatory and endocrine pathways may interact in both the periphery and the CNS to potentiate states of psychiatric dysfunction, in particular depressed mood. Further evidence highlights the potential role of the CNS inflammatory cells, microglia, as a critical nexus between HPA axis activity, inflammation and neuronal dysfunction (Figure (Figure1). 1 ). Aspects of these pathways may therefore present as possible targets for therapeutic interventions for psychiatric disease or psychiatric complications of somatic disease. Even more efficacious may be targeting multiple aspects of these pathways or convergence points such as central microglial cells.

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Biological mechanisms by which peripheral dysfunction may impact on neuronal function and therefore psychiatric state . Schematic illustration of the potential role of the CNS inflammatory cells, microglia, as a critical nexus between HPA axis activity, inflammation, and neuronal dysfunction.

In this review we have focused on the biological mechanisms by which peripheral dysfunction may impact on neuronal function and therefore psychiatric state. However, we do not wish to discount the psychological influence of ill health on mental function. Clearly the psychological stresses associated with chronic illness or suboptimal health may themselves potentiate, perpetuate and exacerbate psychiatric disease. An effective clinical approach to integrated patient management therefore may need to target the HPA axis dysfunction, inflammatory changes or other pathological processes associated with peripheral disorders, but also approach the psychological health of the patient.

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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Healthy Lifestyle Essay

Essay on Healthy Lifestyle

The top secret of being physically fit is adopting a healthy lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle includes regular exercise, a healthy diet, taking good care of self, healthy sleep habits, and having a physically active daily routine. Lifestyle is the most prevailing factor that affects one’s fitness level. A person leading a sedentary lifestyle has a low fitness level whereas living a healthier life not only makes a person fit but also extends life. Good health has a direct impact on our personality. A person with a good and healthy lifestyle is generally more confident, self-assured, sociable, and energetic.

A good and healthy lifestyle allows one to relish and savor all the pleasures in life without any complications. Even all the wealth is less valuable when compared to sound health. Having all the luxuries in the world does not fulfill its purpose when one is continuously ill, depressed, or suffering from a significant health complication. A healthy person has a clear and calm perception of everything without prejudice. His actions and decisions are more practical and logical and are hence more successful in life.

A good habit is a key factor for a healthy lifestyle. To maintain a stable body and mind, one needs to inculcate good habits. Waking up early in the morning, regularly exercising or a good morning walk helps to keep our body energetic and refresh our mind. Maintaining a balanced and nutritious diet throughout the day is vital for maintaining a good lifestyle. Too much indulgence in alcohol or smoking excessively is not at all appropriate for a healthy lifestyle.

Self-Discipline

Self-discipline is important for maintaining a good lifestyle. When we are self-disciplined then we are more organized and regular in maintaining good health. A disciplined life is a regulated life. A man without discipline is a ship without a rudder. Discipline needs self-control. One who cannot control himself can seldom control others. The level of discipline and perseverance largely determines a person’s success. Self-discipline is the act of disciplining one’s own feelings, desires, etc. especially with the intention of improving oneself. It strengthens our willpower. The stronger our will power the positive will be our decision. It enables us to conquer our own self.

Punctuality

Punctuality is the habit of doing things on time. It is the characteristic of every successful person and everyone must observe punctuality in order to win success in life. Punctuality is necessary for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It should become a habit with us. A punctual person is able to fulfill all his responsibilities and hence is treated with respect in society. It is needed in every walk of life.

Diet is an important component for overall fitness and works best in combination with exercise. A balanced diet and exercise regularly help to maintain good health. It is necessary to reduce weight if one is overweight or obese, failing which one cannot be physically fit for long. For people with obesity, more exercise and a strict regime are necessary, preferably under guidance. There are many ways of making the diet healthier.

Use less sugar and salt while cooking food.

Use less oil while cooking. Avoid deep-frying as much as possible.

Eat more fruits daily. They provide more vitamins and minerals to our bodies.

Add sprouts of gram and moong dal to at least one meal in a day. Add fiber to your diet. Use whole grains instead of polished cereals. Eat lots of salad and yogurt.

Eat fermented food regularly. Fermented food contains many useful bacteria that help in the process of digestion.

Prevention of Lifestyle Diseases

By adopting a healthy lifestyle one can avoid lifestyle diseases. The following are some ways in which we can prevent lifestyle diseases.

Eat a balanced diet that contains important nutrients. One must include more fresh fruits and green vegetables in the diet. Refrain from eating junk food. Stay away from foods that contain large amounts of salt or sugar.

Exercise regularly. Spend more time outdoors and do activities such as walking, running, swimming, and cycling.

One must avoid overindulgence in alcohol, junk food, smoking, and addiction to drugs and medicines.

Avoid spending too much on modern gadgets like mobile phones, laptops, televisions, etc. Spend time on these gadgets for short intervals of time only.

Set a healthy sleeping routine for every day. Waking early in the morning and going to bed early at night should be a daily habit. Lead an active life.

Unhealthy Lifestyle

Bad food habits and an unhealthy lifestyle such as less or no physical activity may lead to several diseases like obesity, high blood pressure or hypertension, diabetes, anemia, and various heart diseases. An unhealthy lifestyle reduces productivity and creativity in a person. It also adversely affects moods and relationships. It leads to depression and anxiety in human beings.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle not only makes a person confident and productive but also drives him to success. A person with a healthy lifestyle will enjoy both personal and social life.

FAQs on Healthy Lifestyle Essay

What Do You Understand about a Healthy Lifestyle?

A healthy lifestyle is a lifestyle that includes regular exercise, a healthy diet, taking good care of self, healthy sleep habits and having a physically active daily routine.

How is Punctuality Important for Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle?

Punctuality is the habit of doing things on time. It is the characteristic of every successful person and everyone must observe punctuality in order to win success in life. It should become a habit with us. A punctual person is able to fulfil all his responsibilities and hence is treated with respect in society. It is needed in every walk of life.

What Happens When One Does Not Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle?

When one does not maintain a healthy lifestyle then several diseases like obesity, high blood pressure or hypertension, diabetes, anaemia and various heart diseases can occur. An unhealthy lifestyle reduces productivity and creativity in a person. It also adversely affects moods and relationships. It leads to depression and anxiety in human beings.

What are the Main Factors that Determine a Good and Healthy Lifestyle?

In order to maintain a good and healthy lifestyle, one must be self-disciplined, self-motivated, maintain punctuality and have good habits like waking early in the morning and maintain a regular fitness regime and a balanced and nutritious diet.

Is writing an essay hard?

Essay writing is a difficult task that needs a great deal of study, time, and focus. It's also an assignment that you can divide down into manageable chunks such as introduction, main content, and conclusion. Breaking down and focusing on each individually makes essay writing more pleasant. It's natural for students to be concerned about writing an essay. It's one of the most difficult tasks to do, especially for people who aren't confident in their writing abilities. While writing a decent essay is difficult, the secret to being proficient at it is reading a lot of books, conducting extensive research on essential topics, and practicing essay writing diligently.

Why is it important for one to aspire to have a healthy lifestyle?

A healthy lifestyle is an important way for reducing the occurrence and impact of health problems, as well as for recovery, coping with life stressors, and improving the overall quality of life. An increasing collection of scientific data suggests that our habits have a significant impact on our health. Everything we eat and drink, as well as how much exercise we get and whether we smoke or use drugs, has an impact on our health, not just in terms of life expectancy but also in terms of how long we may expect to live without developing chronic illness. A large proportion of fatalities are caused by conditions such as heart attacks, stroke, diabetes, joint disease, and mental illness. A healthy lifestyle can help to avoid or at least delay the onset of many health issues.

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The Essay on Healthy Lifestyle, which is accurate and well-structured, is available for download on the Vedantu website. The Essay is accessible in PDF format on Vedantu's official website and may be downloaded for free. Students should download the Essay on Healthy Lifestyle from the Vedantu website to obtain a sense of the word limit, sentence structure, and fundamental grasp of what makes a successful essay. Vedantu essay is brief and appropriate for youngsters in school. It is written in basic English, which is ideal for kids who have a restricted vocabulary. Following the Vedantu essay ensures that students are adequately prepared for any essay subject and that they will receive high grades. Click here to read the essay about a healthy lifestyle.

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The Essay on Healthy Lifestyle designed for the Vedantu is created by a group of experts and experienced teachers. The panel of experts has created the essay after analyzing important essay topics that have been repeatedly asked in various examinations. The Essays that are provided by Vedantu are not only well-structured but also accurate and concise. They are aptly suited for young students with limited vocabulary. For best results, the students are advised to go through multiple essays and practice the topics on their own to inculcate the habits of time management and speed.

What constitutes a healthy lifestyle?

Healthy life is built on the pillars of a good diet, frequent exercise, and appropriate sleep. A healthy lifestyle keeps people in excellent shape, it also gives you more energy throughout the day, and lowers your chance of developing many diet-related chronic diseases. Healthy living is considered a lifestyle choice that allows you to enjoy more elements of your life. Taking care of one's physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being is part of living a healthy lifestyle.

Good Nutrition, Eating Right and proper diet.

Getting Physically Fit, Beneficial Exercise and working out often.

Adequate rest and uninterrupted sleep.

Proper Stress Management.

Self-Supportive Attitudes.

Positive Thoughts are encouraged.

Positive Self-Image and body image.

Inner Calmness and peace.

Openness to Your Creativity and Self-care.

Trust in Your Inner Knowing and your gut feeling.

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Total Health: Body, Mind and Soul, Essay Example

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Introduction

Mind, body and soul are based on the existence of the principle of dualism that the physical world is a poor reflection of the true spiritual world. Plato’s goal was to elevate the conscious world into a more mystical and spiritual presence. There is the idea that we cannot fully know anything beyond our own psyche. Dualism is associated with a belief in God or Theism “wherefore the fate of a person does not have a meaningless existence that would end in extinction.” (Kazlev1998). Metaphysical Dualism is Moral Dualism and stands by the principle that there are two principles the spirit and the matter. It is based on old Medieval Persian belief systems that are obsessed with the belief of the Light or Jesus and the existence of Satan. There is a danger though for extreme totalitarian to take over hence even denying that the soul exists separate from the body. The purpose of this thesis is to explain how these principles play a role in the description and function of the complete body, mind and soul with relation to the professional practise of metaphysics.

The importance of a belief in the non-physical existence in healing is attributed to substance dualism where the immortal souls have an independent realm of existence apart from the physical world. The significance of this is that the existence cannot be materially attributed but it does exist. Property dualism suggests that there is an importance when such exists because mental properties emerge through organized consciousness of matter. The mental and the physical existence seem to have very distinct differences between properties. Mental properties are laid out very subjectively whereas physical properties to not have that ability to attract such subjectivity.

There is one issue that needs to be explained which brings rise to the fact that if consciousness exists quite independently from the physical world of reality or the brain how are physical memories created using the consciousness. Dualism for the most part fails to state how the conscious and the physical work together. A very simple explanation of how something immaterial affects something material is if a person receives a burn on their finger and as a result feels pain. Therefore this explanation would give rise to a philosophical explanation rather than a scientific explanation. As suggested through information provided and research, I strongly believe that the physical and the consciousness can work together effectively in a most abundant physical sense to guide the mind, body and soul into healing itself.

“Our thoughts inspire action and our bodies and soul transform the thoughts into reality.” Research shows that the human body cannot implement thoughts into reality without the help of the body and soul simultaneously. (Jade, 2008). Soul, mind and body working together have extreme forces to heal with such extreme forces that there is no need for Western medication. Energy is as large as the universe itself and flows through energy circles in the physical world influencing the mental world and the soul. “ The Ren and Du meridians create vertical energy flows promoting the healing process of internal organs.” (Sha 2006). It is through these energy forces that the mind, body and soul work together to make mystical healing a very powerful alternative to modern Western medicine.

“Jesus did his healings in the context of Isaiah 53:5 accroding to Matthew 8:17. This healing was based on an atonement between God and human beings brought about through life, death and the resurrection of his only Son Jesus Christ.” The atonement principle was based on humans making amends for their personal sins. Such amends is extremely relevant to internal healing of the spiritual soul. (Spiritual Healing of the Body).

Mystic healing as an alternative to orthodox medicine has proved to be more gentler than traditional means of Western healing methods. After World War II the use of tradional medicine for safe surgery, medical science and the treating of infections were put ahead of mystical uses and alternative medical practises were put on the back burner. The New England Journal of Medicine has posted results of telephone conversations with randomly selected adults that postured to having used alternative methods of traditional medicine at the rate of 1:3 in the past year. “In 1990 there were 425 million visits to unconventional therapists which exceeded the 388 million visits to primary-care physicians.” (Angell, 1997). Harding feels that alternative medicine is forced nature and throwing out years of practical scientific evidence is incongruent to the process of healing. Further “science is the only means we have to sort out the truth from perceived reality.” (Angell 1997). Good scientists will attest the tradition of alternative medication.

Changes in energy flow in life are necessary for the harmonization and maintenance of psycho physiological functioning of a human being. Homeopathy, mind/body medicine, light therapy and magnetic field therapy all work together to use these methods for promoting mystical healing. This principle is unique to the direct contact between the patient and the healing agent used to produce such results.

Review of Literature

“The Art of Spiritual Healing is the touch of God in Man’s Soul” (Goldsmith, 1959). Until the turn of the century the prerogative to healing was based on medicine and doctors but now the Church is turning to spiritual healing of the mind, body and soul. Physical healing is not the prominent healing needed but only a small facet of healing needed. Spiritual healing is a mental healing far greater than one can experience within the realms of himself alone. It encompasses a full healing of the inner self and produces an inner glow that shines through giving youth, vitality and further is considered a gift from God. Joel Goldsmith’s teachings contribute to the spiritual awakening of humanity and the transparencies of the light that God has to offer to those who choose to surrender (2004).

Dyer states that there is a spiritual solution to every problem (2003) and further St. Francis states that when a person experiences injury or harm they have been disconnected from God. St. Francis chose not to heal himself because he wanted the world to know it was not he that did the healing but God. When healing occurs it is like bringing the body as one with the consciousness of God. God wants you to believe in miracles and let go of your conscience ability to make things happen and let him make things happen.

A medical doctor McGarey relates to his mother “if you think that you are the one that does the healing you should be scared as a doctor.” (Dyer 2003). A doctor is a healing force through which God allows people to be healed through a physician’s skilled hands and skilled minds. If you live your way with that plane of thought your body and mind will become instruments of God and you will be able to bring a consciousness to the ill people around you. The presence of love and spiritual energy will lie upon the sick person through the presence of God. “Healing occurs when we approach our own healing power through faith of unconditional love for our self and others. It is said that a perfect love will cast out all fears and bring a strength that is higher than life itself.” (Dyer 2003). When you facilitate the energy of spirituality and the healing process you have the power to heal. This can be accomplished by focusing your energy on the ‘energy itself’ rather than the actual illness or disease. Often the Prayer “St. Francis of Assisi” is used to bring spiritual healing to a person. (Dyer 2003).

If we create peace and harmony in our lives it then becomes reality for us and everyone that is affected by our lives. Though people may have influence on our lives, no one can take control over our thoughts. “What we believe about our life becomes true for us”. (Kelly, 1990). If we react to outer experiences they are just reactions to our inner thoughts. Something in your thought pattern attracts people towards you hence it can be a positive or a negative attraction. “When we create peace and harmony in our lives it becomes a reality in our lives.” (Kelly1990). In contrast if we feed ourselves negative thoughts we will act out with negative actions in our lives and our spiritual lives will be hampered as such. If we allow others to influence our thoughts we lose control over our spiritual being and our lives. We will in fact lose our peace and harmony in our life and our life will become out of control and we will have a lack of harmony within our self. It will show in our life through our mannerisms and our lack of faith and lack of peace.

Often people state that they are confused about the existence of God or whether God is working in their life. We realize that the world is full of powers of mystery that is unexplainable. A simple thing like a curling iron not coming on may prompt us to say, “Oh God, help me please!”. Then we realized that God did not help us with our curling iron and we thought that God does not help us when we need him most. Though at times when we may have a child that is very ill and the child has not much hope without the prayers of God and others and we lift it up to the Lord with all faith in God because there is no other thing we can control and suddenly the child is healed. This is the work of God through our prayers and others prayers. Works as such help to reveal that God is a powerful force of reality in our lives. Agnes Sanford states that God has the power to work through us and he is omnipotent (1947). God further does not break his own laws when he helps us he rather enforces his rule through inevitable presences such as the sunrise and through his miracles he creates for people and further through the presence of His Kingdom. If we adapt our thinking to the Laws of Love and Faith our life will prosper towards a more meaningful commonplace in which we can live with the natural flow of spiritual guidance and fullness. Sanford states that “he has seen pneumonia destroyed in less than fifteen minutes by the miracle of day and night and the presence of sunrise and nightfall.” (Sanford 1947). These cosmic forces beyond the realm of man are unlimited miracles that are within the hands of spiritual forces that are readily available through faith and power of belief of a higher being.

When a scientist looks to understand science he looks to the simplest form of something hence when we look to understand mysticism we look to its simplest form which is understanding consciousness. The methodological principle to understand something is going to its simplest form and building your way upwards. “Mystical experiences represent the simplest form of human consciousness.” (Shear 1999). When one reaches the level of consciousness that he is aware of it illuminates through his thoughts, feelings and actions. This is known as ‘purusha’ or ‘sheer content less presence’ that is often non-intentional. (Larson, 1979, p. 77). The ‘self’ emerges as it is not engaged in taking objects because the self becomes aware of its presence. This is through obliterating consciencessness from objects or things. Pure Consciousness suggests that the object is not one of culture but rather one of definite experience. Researchers suggest that if we can understand how to tie perceptions and thoughts together then we will be able to understand consciousness “ipso facto”. Consciousness appears even without awareness of its existence.

The unitive mystical state was explained with relation to consciousness by German idealist Malwilda von Meysenberg. “He was alone at the seashore and felt that he had transcended into a state of consciousness of unity. There was a unity of the heavens and the earth into one vast circling harmony.” (Shear 1999). There are no definitive boundaries that exist between consciousness and a specific object. This suggests that Nirvana can be a permanent change in a person’s mental make-up. There are several implications of our understanding of consciousness. Strikingly parallel to the physical field of energy is a quantum vacuum field of which to reside the basis of all matter. These are imminent and transcendent to any particular expression. Unity holds with it the idea that consciousness may be connected to any physical nature in the universe permeating all levels of being. It should further be noted that not everyone who practises meditation will experience mysticism. “Mystical experiences point towards an awareness and the functional processes of sensation, process and thought.” (Shear1999). One must tap into these given senses.

Ken Keyes (1975) developed a way of reprogramming your mind to rid the negative thoughts that may have influenced you throughout your life into adulthood and filter in changing negative addictions to the here an now based on having control over them and making them a ‘preference’ rather than an addiction. We all have choices over how we want our life to become and do not have to run victim to influences from our past. This can be accomplished through a series of learning our inner self and teaching our self to love our self through the grace of God. We do not have to be prisoner to our past or past influences. Just as one might say we are genetically dependent to become an alcoholic because our parents’ were alcoholics are dependent to be abusers because our parents’ were abusers. That does not mean we have to continue the viscous cycle into our adult life. Through intervention and faith we can make choices and live happy and healthy lives.

Shaki Gawain (1979) focuses on self-help books that enforce spiritual growth through visualization techniques. She suggests taking fifteen minutes in the morning and evening to meditate with hopes of focusing on positive things in your life in order to create positive, conscious power in your life. Negative powers in your life can last a long time and may be difficult to break so don’t give up so easy.

Louise Hay (1988) suggest that behind every disease is a negative thought force and that force can be overcome with a positive spirituality force. The force of a positive spiritual sense can overcome just about any negative situation in your life.

Extraordinarily Joel Goldsmith (1962) interjected to his students not to pray for certain things to God but to pray only for the consciousness of God for God would take care of things as they would best be suited. He focuses on the effective way to pray. Further he teaches “the secret of harmonious living is the development of spiritual consciousness. In that consciousness, fear and anxiety disappear, and life becomes meaningful with fulfilment as its keynote.” (Practising the Presence).

I agree with the philosophy of Agnes Sanford (1949) that the power of love can heal all because I honestly feel that this was probably one of the strongest bases of spirituality that commenced in the earlier years. Believing that power is coming through the force of the light and love that God offers is the first step towards becoming one with the body, soul and mind. Agne’s word possesses the core that is needed to achieve the unity of healing.

Methodology

The Western viewpoint denies the very existence of spiritual and metaphysical thought because it is simply easier to flow with the known existence of Western medication and traditional modes of thinking and believing. Reducing the existence of physical terms is very essential to the continued obscured reality of rejecting minds. Platonist thinking has been discarded by Muslim intellectuals in order to batter traditional Islamic thoughts and traditions. Scientific investigations are simply a lot easier to prove than the existence of metaphysical and spiritual thoughts. The entire ancient world was founded on the basis of sacred text of the Quran, the Bible and the Vedas. “All great modes of thinking have developed on the basis of metaphysics and spirituality.” There is a concept of joining scientific principalities with those of spirituality to gain a full sense of wholeness; the art of bringing together all noumena and phenomena.” (The Horizon of Hope: Spiritual or Metaphysical Thought). “The only way to fully comprehend and value life and existence is to experience existence through the prism of spirit and metaphysical thinking. Neglect of this way means forcing reason to comment on things beyond its reach and imprisoning intellectual effort within the confines of sense-impressions. But when we heed the sound of our conscience or inner world, we perceive that the mind is never content and satisfied with mere sense-impressions.” (The Horizon of Hope: Spiritual or Metaphysical Thought).

If you are feeling like there is a struggle in your life chances are that there is friction between your conscious desires and your subconscious beliefs. In order to achieve a balance you must first believe there is something revolutionary beyond the physical in life. All matter in the world is made of a sea in infinite possibilities and the non-physical is engaging in the study of nature in its basic form. When you decide to undertake the spiritual or metaphysical aspect of life you find yourself asking questions such as “Is there a God or What is one’s free will and is it connected to the basic mind-body relation?” Epistemology is connected to the study of metaphysical because it peers into what knowledge do we know about anything at all and how can that knowledge be justified? Further studies on ethics and logic play an important role in metaphysics because it peers into what is good and bad and how do we decide if a piece of information is based on good or bad reasoning? Studies in philosophy have bee essential to the understanding of the metaphysical such as the philosophical teachings of Plato, Aristotle, Locke, Hume and Marx. Philosophy deals with the understanding of principles and how others have understood the principles in history.

Studies have shown that certain types of food delivered to juvenile delinquents have played a role in their behavioural patterns. Food is the life force and water is the speech of fire for the body. Religious scripture is a food for the mind and soul. The amount of trust we put in an individual can be a limiting factor to our spiritual growth further taking us away from the infinite power of faith that awaits us. Faith has the power to change your life in miraculous ways you may have never seen. “Sir Edmund Hillary became the first person to reach the summit of Mount Everest but only after falling several times.” (Faith and Belief).

It is very easy to have faith when situations in your life are going very well but having faith through difficult times takes a strong commitment to your spiritual bond with God. This is what defines true faith and spiritualism.

Studies of spiritualism show that truth, righteousness, love, peace and non-violence are all factors related to spiritual traditions. Human values are learned throughout life and unveiled through spiritual essence, cross-cultural expressions and a person’s individual experiences which reflect our motivations for our behaviours. I can remember a time when I was a child of the timid age of thirteen and my younger first cousin lay dying in the local Children’s Hospital with fatal Cystic Fibrosis Disease. I did what I had been taught all of my young age which was to go to church and pray for him. I remember riding my bicycle approximately five miles to get to the nearest Catholic Church to be alone with God to pray for young Jonah to survive through his latest tainted episode. The doctor’s said he was not going to make it home from this trip to the hospital and I did not want to believe this and I was a strong believer in God so I went to god with faith in mind to ask God for his help. Upon arriving at the church I parked my bicycle on the side of the church and entered alone with complete solace and knelt in the pew and began to pray. I was all alone in the huge church and not a pin could you hear drop. Suddenly upon me I felt the strangest feeling that God was present in the church but instead of praying for God to save Jonah and keep him with us for a bit longer I decided to pray to God to do what he thought was best for Jonah and if that was for Jonah to go to Heaven and end his pain then that shall be his will and not mine and I would certainly accept that. As I left the church I was very sad but as a thirteen year old I felt this inner peace that God had heard my prayers and would take care of Jonah, age 9. Needless to say, cousin Jonah died two short days later. I was so sad. I began to feel angry at God after Jonah’s death because I wanted him back with us but then I realized that this was a selfish request because Jonah was in Heaven with God and was no longer suffering to breathe, no longer having to take treatments to breathe and no longer having to wonder if tomorrow would be his last breath. At the young age of thirteen I had experienced my first true selfless experience with God and the spiritual world. Throughout life I have experienced many of the same feelings as that same day and have often doubted the presence of God many times but I have in fact seen God work miracles in my life. One thing I do know for sure is that God does give me the necessities in life and may not always give me what I want but will always give me what I need. This is the power of faith that has worked in my life thus far.

Another touching story I have seen through the miracle of spiritualism not necessarily the presence of religion but the faith of a supernatural is a situation with the law when a neighbourhood friend of my mother’s son was accused of raping a younger girl. He and the girl were dating in high school; he age 17 and she age 14. This relationship was present for about 2 years until the parent’s of the girl found out and though the child might be pregnant for the young man. The father of the daughter got especially upset when they found out the young man was of black colour and their daughter was of white colour. The small town they reside in is a very small Southern prejudiced backwards small-thinking town. The young man had already graduated and gone on to commence his college career. His parents’ were upstanding people of the small community but the girls parents had tight connections with the law in the town and pressured the situation with pressing charges against the young man for statutory rape. Without giving full legal details, the father of the young man is a bus driver in the town and was about to quit his job for embarrassment and stress due to the nature of the charge against his son but instead he held strong through faith and prayer from the community. His son was looking at a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison which would ruin his life. Evidence came out that the mother of the young girl knew the two children were having sex and actually did not try to stop the relationship. This weakened the prosecutions case and showed that perhaps the charges were brought through a racial and vindictive nature by the young woman’s parents. The charges are still pending but through the grace of God which is working through the attorneys’ the trial has been getting postponed over and over again which is certainly in faavor of the young man. The whole town is supporting the young man and his family in hopes that he will be found not guilty or receive a small probation. Of course, the two children will not be able to see each other again but by the grace of God he is able to carry on his life thus far.

Spiritualism does not always necessitate a positive outcome as detailed in one of my stories. The belief that we will accomplish something one day or things will work out for the best according to God’s well or a higher powers will is the basis of spiritualism-Let Go and let God!

Dr. Deepak Chopra has been infinite at bringing the understanding of spirituality from the East to Western Culture. In his 1989 book Quantum Healing he tells us that our bodies are fields if information, intelligence and energy involving the healing of consciences of healing the mind, body and soul. Even with this revolution spiritualism is still in its infancy stage because people are more open to traditional medicinal ways. Spiritual healing is accomplished through a force other than that of a physical nature. It is often inferred that laughter can make one well. Lester Robinson from Pennsylvania stated ‘they told me I was not going to live but God overruled them.’ The key factor is to see what is in store for yourself and others in your life.

Deepak’s seminar on the quantum mechanical body and mind spoke of a conference in Boston defining the mind-body connection whist the practical implications were not so important but rather how we perceive things. Our sensory experiences tests what is actually real; hence if we can see it is real. The crisis of perception is what we create our material universe to be. For example an initial sensory experience may make us believe that is the limit of the universe. In India they tie a baby elephant to a tiny flimsy rope. When the elephant grows up you can tie the elephant to a tree and it will snap the rope. But if you tie the elephant to the tree with the flimsy rope it will stay because it has made a commitment to stay, a premature cognitive commitment in it’s body and mind to structure it’s reality.

At Harvard Medical a group of kittens were presented with vertical stripes and one with horizontal stripes in different rooms. As they grew up they could only see what they grew up with. There were no nervous system brain connections to see other stimuli other than what they were exposed to, the sensory perception. Our initial sensory experience and interpretation structures the nervous system. It is accomplished through reinforcement over the years. Seeing is believing is not true rather believing is seeing is true! Our nervous systems are programmed to take in bits of perceptions rather than the whole system.

In order for a person to experience healing through spiritualism they must be in an ideal healing condition; one that promotes a peaceful ambiance and free of negativism. The person must feel the innate ability to relax and consume him/herself in the freedom to be one with nature. Nature is a sign of peace of mind and one of true healing. That is why when a person goes to a counsellor for therapy the therapist creates an environment that is safe which creates a freedom and security for the person being counselled.

Deepak Chopra recommends ridding your body of emotional toxins to experience a true sensation of spirituality. You must first realize that you are responsible for changing your own life then feel the feelings. Realize what the emotions are then share it with a loved one. Further release the emotions with a loved one and then give yourself a treat for doing so by going out and celebrating the release of the negative energy.

There are secrets of spiritual healing that can free you says Doctor Gibson. Many world class healers illustrate on a mental and spiritual level that self-healing can take place in healthy ways instead of using psychiatric medications. A child had been depressed and a psychiatrist asked the question if the mother had had abortions before giving birth to the child. This child’s spiritual sense was still alive and had experienced these abortions and was angry with the mother. The psychiatrist recommended speaking to the child about the previous abortions. The mother spoke to the psychiatrist days later and stated the child had experienced a new perspective and was not angry anymore. This was a between-life stage of allopathic to spiritual. Now the mother has a better relationship with the child through the essence of apology and spiritual healing. There was no need for traditional Western medication that most doctors would have prescribed.

The mind, body and spirit can be healed in ways that have never been spoken about in public before. Psychiatrist Mitchell Gibson states that illness comes through the body and we should look for spiritual causes rather than effects. We should look to the forces that come together to create disease.

“In Hinduism no human relationship is closer than that of the mother and child. It best mirrors our relationship with God. India itself is looked upon as the Mother. The Hindu religion itself is regarded as a mother and its teachings are her milk.” (Fawley 2009). In contras, followers of the Catholic religion believe the Father at the top of the list to worship. Hindu’s live by the principle that “However, man is blinded by his ignorance and his concern with the externalities of the world. He is caught, enthralled, bound by karma.” (The Goal of Life and the Spiritual Path).

Reiki is derived from God’s wisdom and life force energy. Reiki treats the whole body including the mind, spirit and emotions leaving behind a sense of relaxation and security. There is no dogma attached to the practice hence anyone can be successful at the therapy. Dr. Mikao Usui, founder of Reiki firmly believes that in order to reap the full benefits of the therapy a client must take full responsibility for the healing and take an active part in the healing process. The principle behind Reiki is aligning yourself with a Higher Self or true harmony. The practitioner simply places his/her hands on the client so that the energy will flow from the practitioner to the one in need of healing. The idea is to cover all parts of the body evenly and slowly to distribute the energy.

“Therapeutic Touch (TT) practitioners, (a.k.a. healers) believe that a Universal Life Force Energy flows freely in, through, and out of the body when a person is healthy. But illness, pain, injury etc can interrupt or unbalance this life force. Skilled practitioners believe that they can detect these fluctuations by passing their hands above the patient’s body. The energy imbalances can be equalized, and a contribution made to the patient’s healing. There are about 40,000 practitioners in the world. As of 1988, TT was taught in 80 colleges and universities in the U.S. and in 65 foreign countries.” (Therapeutic Touch: Healing or Hoax?). The theory is used in the form of gently gliding the hands over the body ‘without actually touching the body’. The practitioner will then decide where the energy flow is ‘blocked’ and use such techniques of acupressure and aromatherapy. “Tapping essentially calls for using the forefinger and index finger to lightly tap on specific points on the face, upper chest, and hand in order to facilitate release from negative emotional or physical factors that are causing difficulty for the patient.” (What is Therapeutic Touch Therapy?). This method is used to facilitate energy through therapeutic touch.

Medical practitioners have been experimenting with Chi Gong for the past twenty-five years with efforts to approve acupuncture as a legitimate form of therapy. Americans are consonantly trying to figure out how and why something works but the Chinese are quite happy with the idea that something actually works! The principle of Chi Gong is to determine where the energy flow has become despondent and to fix the situation to return the body back to it’s normal function. This practise is acupuncture without the use of needles. Infared, magnetic, acoustical and electrical forms of energy are used to promote the natural healthy flow of energy in a person’s body. This practise is used to regain strength, improve appetite, free irregular defecation amongst other ailments known to man. Further practises have been done to return a patient to normal liver function with a 45% success rate.

Studies suggest that the discussion of spirituality in medicine is a sticky topic for doctors because the subject is not incorporated into their studies in medical forms and the basis of spirituality cannot be scientifically defined as in medicine. Spirituality is about taking hold of a damaged spirit and reclaiming it and making it whole again. Often psychiatrists use spirituality programs as recommendations whilst prescribing medications to patient’s for full recovery. Further it’s about realizing you only have control over yourself and not others. You only have control over your own thinking and behaviour as a result of that thinking.

Life is a continuous journey of paradoxes that we cannot escape hence the way we view life and its trajectories and handle the situations determines the amount of stress and happiness we will have in our life. Having a strong sense of spirituality in our life will ease the burden and pain in our life when difficult times arise.

When applied properly in your life metaphysics will work from a cause and effect premise. Your health, mental functioning, business affairs, friendships and other affairs will simply improve. Applying metaphysics with the use of prayer and mediation in your life on a regular basis will compliment your life in more ways you can imagine. “That the finding of spiritual truth begins with intuitive recognition of the intellectual reality of spiritual truths, but is only an individualized reality when mystically accepted and experienced as the first priority of one’s life.” (The Centre for Awakening Spiritual Growth).

Sardello speaks of confronting fear with all your might in order to free your soul from fear. It is through actually facing our fears that we rid our soul of the fears that taunt us. One must have an imagination to see the world in a different view one that is free from fear. This freedom is accomplished through participating in freeing the soul rather than running away from the fear itself. In order to achieve a true nirvana or sense of harmony in your life there must not be any taunting fears that restrict freedom and happiness.

Ernest Holmes (1961) speaks about the science of mental healing in his book The Science of the Mind . Perhaps his philosophy provides one of the most detailed and strongest arguments for the metaphysical practises. “Both medical doctors and spiritualists come to the agreement that there is a constant flow of ideas in our minds and that ours are for the asking.” (Holmes, 1926). People put too much emphasis on the material source of an idea rather than thinking outside the box of their own interpretation beyond the obvious interpretation. God is the source that we have come to believe is responsible for creating everything, causing everything and an idea becoming true through him. A great example of the expression of God is through the source of electricity. Electricity is an invisible source yet it is projected to make light, energy and other mediums, yet it still remains invisible. This contributes to the power of self-consciousness and living as seen through electricity and the use of mathematics to create forms of medium with electricity. “Man must make use of the conscious forces within him to and give force to the evolutionary forces around him.” (Holmes 1961).

Just as the discoveries of laws are laid on by accident so are the revelations of spirituality of the mind. No one has ever literally seen the science of a mind or spirituality yet we believe that they exist. As we process our thoughts they become part of our memory and this happens over and over again subjectively. As miracles happen in our life and we see the presence of God and spirituality creating these things we reference them as miracles or unexplained phenomena in our life. Just as suggestions planted in the subconscious mind become part of the memory for tangible things in our life, the same can happen for intangible beliefs. Research shows that certain types of thoughts produce certain types of results or behaviours in our lives such as positive reinforcements or healing of the sick. God is a Universal Medium through which all of our thoughts and ideas pass. With that in mind things happen for a reason but keep in mind God gives us a choice in life to make good and bad decisions. The concept is that man comes from God and there is a conscious mind that controls the sub-conscious and the body. There is a common knowing through the Unity of knowing “The Father Dwelleth in Me.”. (Holmes 1961). The Soul is another medium through which the Spirit operates to achieve harmony. The subjective mind does not purport illusions but often yields images to protect the psyche. It is through true union with the self of spirituality that one if free to see his true conscious.

The idea that our mental can be healed through positive thinking is surrounded by the idea that our mind is one of an Infinite Mind that reacts to our personal thoughts. Despite living in a world of Law and Order faith has healed contrary to the principles of Law. Hence we assume that God is not of human form. Why do some people’s prayers get answered and not others? The answer is simply because some have reached their full capacity of belief in their mental attitude where as the others that prayed simply have not believed in full. Prayer induces a certain mentality and a certain Law of the Universe. As man’s mental health is healed so will his physical body be healed? “The Complete Nature of God is reflected in man, and he uses the same law that God uses; for there is but One Law, as there is but One Spirit. Both God and man use the same Creative Medium or the Universal Subjectivity. It is the law of all thought and all action. Things come from One Source through One Common Law and One Common Creative Medium. We think of our lives as One with the Whole on all three planes of expression. We are one with the Conscious Mind, one with the Creative Law, and in our bodies we are one with all matter.” (Holmes 1961).

“One of the most illuminating things that mysticism has revealed, is that evil is not an ultimate reality. Evil is simply and experience of the soul on its journey toward Reality; it is not an entity but an experience necessary to self-unfoldment; it is not a thing of itself but simply a misuse of power. It will disappear when we stop looking at, or believing in, it.” (Holmes, 1961). Further if you turn your life to God all of your burdens will disappear. Mystics have sensed a deeper meaning of true Reality than the average person. “They have all agreed that the soul is on the pathway of experience, that is, of self-discovery; that it is on its way back to its Father’s House; and that every soul will ultimately reach its Heavenly Home. They have taught the Divinity to Man.” (Holmes 1961). It would be safe to say one should listen to his Inner Voice for guidance under what a mystic believes.

Reality is part of an all-comprehending mind realizing that the relative is part of a whole experience of the inner self. It is important not to deny the relative because it is not absolute hence “time, space, outline, form, change, movement, action and reaction, manifestation and creation, all are relative; but all are real.” (Holmes 1961).

With respect to evil it is real and will dissipate in the same proportion that we choose to let it go in our lives. We must rid evil from our lives by ceasing to talk about it and from doing it in our lives. We will be punished for our sins so as long as we start doing good we will not be punished. Man must choose what fruit he wishes to eat from the Garden of Eden or what life he wishes to live. We will be saved by the Grace of God to the extent that we believe that God can save us. Through the use of visualizing we can make things happen in our life. The power of thought is very moving.

Holmes further suggests it is through the use of meditations that the body, mind and soul can be healed. This is one of my favourites which depict cleansing of the body so that energy can flow through the body to heal itself.

Summary and Conclusions

Kevin Wilbur summarizes the seven major points of perennial philosophy as being the existence of a spirit, the spirit lives within us, we are living in a world of sin or one of a duality state, there is a way out or a path to liberation, we must follow this path to liberation if we want to experience a re-birth, there is an end to the suffering and finally “i ssues in social action of mercy and compassion on behalf of all sentient beings.” (Roger 2007).

Wilbur created neo-perennial philosophy by combining Aldous Huxley’s philosophies with cosmic evolution philosophies. He believed similar to Sri Aurobindo that reality is non-dual and develops over time. Some of his philosophies were seriously criticized but later he brought other philosophies to light to support his original thoughts and findings. He supports his findings with philosophy, mathematics and spirituality. His mentality is that we have access to the universe through our own conscience mind and the purpose of our life is to become one with a Universal Consciousness or one with God. This can be accomplished through the practise of mediation through which the body expresses itself most abundantly and expressively. God expresses himself to us at our subconscious level. Further God is responsible for how we materialize our thoughts. Going back to the traditional teachings of Jesus we are taught to express ourselves by the manner in which Jesus lived. Seeking a spiritual self with God at any level will unite us with our fellow human beings.

Let’s briefly explore the ramifications and influence of the mystical and spiritual world on facts of marriage and divorce and the level of recovery this metaphysical presence can have on those going through such stressful time in their life. With any stressful situation in life metaphysical can aid in relieving stressful toxins from the body and bringing peace and harmony to the self. However, I will examine the direct connection with divorce proceedings and the aftermath relating to the benefits of practising mysticism during these difficult times.

Divorce is one of the highest rated situations in a person’s life. It can bring unwanted stress related illness to a person’s life. Paying attention to your emotional needs and trying to relax is one of the most beneficial things you can do for yourself during this stressful time. Another thing to consider is taking up some physical activity and joining some self-help groups to keep your mind occupied. During this period your mind and spirituality is prone to be at its weakest point. There will be all sorts of feelings running through your entire body that you may not be accustomed to feeling but there is help that can minimize the effects on your mind, body and soul-metaphysical spiritualism.

Rumination can cause health effects and mental problems. Having a strong sense of spiritualism can help to change the way you think about your anger, hurt and other strong feelings associated with divorce. Often it is during time of great distress that we have an ‘awakening’ to renew our spirituality. Further we begin to explore our inner self and our weaknesses and strengths and decide it is time to build a new life. In order to heal from divorce a person must go through the steps of “ acceptance, surrender, divine guidance, responsibility, choice, forgiveness, and creation.” (Ford 2009). Pain can act as a pre-determinate to self-discovery. In order to get closer to God we should take responsibility for our feelings, feel them then let them go. This notion will allow us to feel softer inside and get closer to God during this trying time. “ The overarching theme here is transformation — finding the alchemy of meaning and wholeness in the midst of loss, disappointment, and frustration.” (Ford 2009).

The whole image of divorce is against the vows of marriages so we wonder how we can think in a Godly manner when referring to divorce. This is when you should look at the reason why the divorce is taking place and if it is for a good reason remind yourself of that and if it is not for a good reason then remind yourself that it is not your fault and you will get through this rough time with the grace of God because God has something more special in store for you in the long haul. Though you may not see God’s purpose at present it will surely surface one day soon because God does not want you to be unhappy-take one day at a time or even one minute at a time if you have to as in 12 step programs. Twelve step programs are not religious based but spiritual based.

“With the experience of spiritual healing there is a fundamental transformation of the mind and personality that is healed.” (Minjiras, 2001). There must be a surrender of the ego and active participation through the art of participation to heal the soul. The hope is to lift the consciousness to a level with God where spiritual energy is allowed to flow freely through the body and back to that of God. It is not simply good enough to think good thoughts but one must actively maintain a state of awareness during the entire healing session for the consciousness and flow of energy to be transferred. “A person’s mind will be open to a new way of perceiving reality.” (Minjiras 2001). This feeling of peacefulness is often referred to as a feeling of love. The reason church’s are used for healing is because they present an atmosphere that is relaxing and free of any unpleasant sensory stimuli. “As demonstrated in the placebo-effect the confidence in treatment can certainly influence the acceptance of theoretical explanations for medical science wonders.” (Minjiras 2001). Further the unexplained healings by Jesus are great examples of the consciousness and the healing. Jesus has laid his hand upon the blind and they were able to see and further healed lepers. This demonstrates a clear linkage between the “outward healing of the body and the internal language and experience of the consciousness.” (Minjiras 2001). The implied meaning of the Bible is often difficult to interpret in a physical sense but if we look deeper into the philosophical meaning behind the verses of the Bible we will see that there are insights to consciousness transformation transpiring during those times. Anything in this world that possesses an external meaning is capable of having an internal explanation. The most important factor to remember with this thesis is that consciousness and healing are interconnected thorough a force that is unexplainable to man.

Works Cited

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The Centre for Awakening Spiritual Growth 14 Feb. 2009. 18 Oct. 2009. http://www.awakeningspiritualgrowth.org/id44.htm

Dyer, W. There’s a Spiritual Solution to Every Problem 23 Oct. 2008. 16 Oct. 2009. http://books.google.com/books?id=FnuQh3bICekC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_navlinks_s#v=onepage&q=&f=false

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http://www.experiencefestival.com/faith_and_belief

Fawley What is the Importance of the Divine Mother? 23 Jul 2009. 18 Oct. 2009. http://www.hinduwomen.org/spiritual.htm

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The Goal of Life and the Spiritual Path 22 Jan 2005. 18 Oct. 2009. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_7210/is_199904/ai_n29891633/

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In this first chapter, the author John Medina emphasizes the positive effects that exercise has on the human brain’s function and on the body in general. Before cars and advanced technology in general, Humans walked miles and miles a day (around 12) to carry out the necessities in order to survive. John uses this information to back up the idea that our brains were made for walking, so we were meant to move. So theoretically, to improve thinking skills, one must be active. From a biological standpoint, exercise gets blood to the brain, bringing it glucose for energy and oxygen, which the brain needs in order to soak up toxic electrons that our brain produces. It also stimulates the protein that keeps neurons in the brain connecting, which is the foundation for brain activity. So exercise literally makes getting fuel (blood) to the brain more efficient. John described an…

Fitness: Personal Life and Healthy Active Lifestyle

Healthy living means making choices to improve your health and minimize controllable illnesses and diseases. Active living is doing physical activities in order to improve your fitness level. The two go together. Choosing a healthy active lifestyle will enhance all aspects of what we generally call "health" or "wellness. “There are four dimensions to healthy active living, and they are all closely interconnected. Moreover, each of them is under your own control. You can consider yourself to have a healthy lifestyle if you have good physical, mental, social, and spiritual health. Good physical health is a result of all your body's important functions working well together. A person in good physical health can more easily to fight off disease, recover from illness, and perform daily routines without feeling tired. Good mental health is a result of positive feelings about you and about others. Your mental health can influence your decisions. A person in good mental health can more easily to deal with stress, cope with change and maintain a positive outlook on life. Good social health is a result of your interactions with others and of coping well with social situations. Social health can be built through friendships, participation in community groups, and volunteer work. A person in good social health can more easily to feel close and connected to other people, understand his or her own self-worth and cope with life's ups and downs. Good spiritual health gives peace of mind. Spirituality can be gained and expressed in the way you play a musical instrument, dance, work with art materials, or through religion. It can also be apparent through reaching out to help others in ways that restore their dignity and self-worth. Good spiritual health can give your life a purpose to provide you with stress relief and help you develop support systems. Focusing on each of these dimensions, and…

Explain What Does Health Mean To Me Essay

Keeping oneself healthy is the cornerstone to successful living and although I feel that mental health comes first and foremost in being a healthy individual this does not mean that physical exercise and better life choices such as eating habits should be neglected. As…

Smiling, Neurotransmitters and Endorphins

(see: http://www.benbest.com/science/anatmind/anatmd10.html) geared toward the feeling-good properties inherent in the pleasures we seek. Our thoughts activate this process. For instance, the thought of smiling not only makes our faces change by reacting to stimulated muscle contractions that social learning interprets as friendly, but it also excites endorphins to be released which gives us many great-feeling side effects like stress relief (link: http://longevity.about.com/od/lifelongbeauty/tp/smiling.htm). This is why mental health is the leading edge key to physical health.…

Analysis: Can Exercise Truly Make One Smarter?

TV shows, movies, have all used the theme of “brains versus brawn.” As a result many people believe that they are exclusive to one or the other. Many believe that to become strong you work out and to become smart you study. They are always separate activities and the ways in which a person builds up either are very different and exclusive to what they would like to become. This leads to the belief that when one exercises their body the only thing bulking up is one’s muscles and not one’s brain. I disagree. I believe that there is a correlation between academics and exercise. Thus, I assert that physical activity positively affects one’s focus, intelligence, and mental health. Exercise can indeed make for…

My Smart Goal Analysis

I noticed the difference in my friends’ daily life as they started to exercise; they were able to function better, having a positive energy that keeps them in a good and happy mood without any stress. Similarly, when I started to exercise, I noticed the difference in the way I act, make decisions and manage my school work without being stressed about what I have to do. Exercising helps me to be more energetic, have a better mood, and maintain cognitive functions. Cognition is “all the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating” (Norton). Exercising improved my behavior, thoughts, emotions and physical body. It helped me to think critically and make decisions dependent on my experiences and knowledge. Besides that having…

You know exercise is good for you -- but do you know how good? At its most basic, exercise is any type of physical exertion we perform in an effort to improve our health, shape our bodies, and boost performance (Waehner, Web). Adults, men and women, and teens both benefit from exercise and physical activity in many different ways. Exercise should play a key role in everyone’s daily life, not only does it boost self esteem, it also improves mental health and helps prevent depression, heart disease, cardiovascular disease, Type II Diabetes, and, as always, obesity. Most people agree that even though they may not look forward to doing a workout, they tend to feel better after there done. Finding activities that you enjoy and that become part of your daily routine is the key to a long and healthy life.…

Essay: Yoga and the healthy mind in a healthy body

On the international day of yoga, a look at the yogic arts of ancient india and their modern applications.

While yoga has become immensely popular across the globe, most of us – whether in India or abroad – think of it in terms of a series of asanas designed primarily to make us more flexible. We think of it as a practice that confers dexterity and physical well-being. However, Patanjali, the compiler of the foundational text on yoga, the Yoga Sutra , was at least as interested in mental wellness as in physical health. In fact, King Bhoja, who wrote a commentary on the Yoga Sutra , thanks Patanjali for using yoga to “remove the impurities of the mind”.

The ancients recognised that yoga was also effective in removing “impurities of the mind”. (Shutterstock)

Patanjali defined yoga as suppressing the tendency of the mind to wander, when one wants instead to concentrate ( yogah chitta-vritti-nirodhah ). In the types of mental distraction he discusses, he mentions getting lost in past memories, or daydreaming about the future, instead of focusing on the task at hand. Current day psychologists and counsellors and countless TED talks advocate living in the present moment, not in the past or the future. Apparently, Patanjali had the same idea a very long time ago (scholars disagree on his actual date, estimates range from the 5th century BC to a few hundred years later). In fact, Patanjali even lays down mindfulness as one of the ways to train the mind for intense concentration. This involved fully savouring a sensory experience of one’s choice – without letting any other thoughts or acts detract from the experience. Mindful meditation is, of course, a buzzword now, but most of us have no idea of it being initially discussed in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra . Interestingly, Patanjali mentions several other meditation techniques that are popular in modern times, including visualization and focusing on the breath. He also advocated training the mind to remember dreams. Dream analysis is a crucial tool used by modern day psychoanalysts as well.

Statue of Patanjali at Patanjali Yogpeeth, Haridwar, Uttarakhand. (Alok Prasad via Wikimedia Commons)

For Patanjali, the ultimate goal was being able to concentrate so intensely that one immerses oneself fully in the subject, losing all sense of being separate from the topic of one’s focus. He recommends a sequence of steps for getting to this goal, one of which entails cultivating contentment. Patanjali advocates achieving contentment in two ways. The first involves consciously feeling gratitude for the gift of being alive, while the second involves acceptance of oneself and one’s circumstances. Both these methods – gratitude and self-acceptance – are emphasized repeatedly by modern day psychologists. For instance, Robert Emmons, regarded as the world’s leading scientific expert on gratitude, has authored books detailing the benefits of expressing gratitude, especially in the form of a sense of awe and wonder at the miracle of simply being alive. (Empirical studies on this mainly focused on the positive effects of gratitude on health and productivity). Self-acceptance is also commonly seen by modern psychologists as being a key component of happiness and mental health. In Patanjali’s opinion, feeling grateful and accepting oneself would make one contented, and a contented person has a relatively untroubled mind, making concentration easier for such a person.

Coming to yet another remarkable similarity between Patanjali’s way of thinking and current day psychological thought requires us to talk about Patanjali’s prohibition against murder. This was one of the chief prohibitions that, according to Patanjali, needed to be observed if one wanted to develop powers of intense concentration; a murderer could not become a yogi. Interestingly, Patanjali was completely non-judgmental of the fact that a person might feel like killing someone else. He even explains what one can do in such a situation to avoid actually acting on the impulse. In this, Patanjali was very like modern psychologists, for whom censoring thoughts is completely unnecessary (they only restrict actions, which ought not to hurt oneself or others). This is also in sharp contrast with a lot of philosophies which condemn “sinful thoughts”.

Yoga was actually much older even than Patanjali, who simply compiled existing theories on yoga into a high-quality text. For instance, the physician Charaka mentions quite another form of yoga in his ancient medical text the Charaka-samhita , thought to be even older than Patanjali. Perhaps to help aspiring medical students, Charaka’s yoga simply aimed at making people better at memorising facts! It, too, emphasised mindfulness.

The best known of the Mohenjo-daro seals is the “Pashupati” seal, which shows a three-faced figure seated in a yogic posture. (Mohenjodaro archaeological site via Wikimedia Commons)

Even more intriguingly, as described by archaeologist Rita Wright in her 2010 book on the Indus valley civilization (IVC), many seals found in IVC sites depict figures in what seem to be yogic postures. One shows a seated figure immersed in a yogic trance, paying no attention at all to the wild animals surrounding him, or to the fact that a man next to him is spearing a water buffalo! The yogi remains in his inner world, tranquil and undisturbed. In another seal, two kneeling people present an offering to a figure seated in a yogic stance. The best known of the Mohenjodaro seals is the “Pashupati” seal, which shows a three-faced figure seated in a yogic posture, surrounded by Indus animals such as lions, elephants, and buffaloes. Pashupati is associated with Rudra, an early version of Shiva, the ultimate yogi.

The figures in the seals show utmost concentration, of the sort described much later by Patanjali. They are not distracted by all the hunting going on around them, or by the various humans or animals approaching them. So, it is unlikely that the people who made the seals were beginners exploring and experimenting with yoga – yogic practitioners seem to .have already attained a very high degree of proficiency by the time of the Indus valley civilization (which itself was at its height in the third millennium BC). They evidently commanded reverence and were known for their powers of deep concentration. While Mesopotamian and Persian seals from the time of the IVC exist, that also show narrative imagery, they lack figures in yogic poses, suggesting the unlikeliness of foreign influences. Archaeological evidence suggests that yoga was most likely even older than the seals in the IVC.

Arjuna receives the Pashupatastra from Lord Shiva. Painting by Raja Ravi Varma, 19th century. (Raja Ravi Varma via Wikimedia Commons)

The regard in which yoga was held is evident in ancient Sanskrit literature. For example, in Bharavi’s sixth century epic poem, the Kiratarjuniya , Arjuna is a hero not because of his prowess in battle, but because of his yogic abilities. He was able to still all contemplation and meditate. (The sixth canto of the poem describes how Arjuna’s meditation made even wild beasts in the forests on the hill feel more tranquil, by the power of influence).

A key component in achieving concentration in Patanjali’s system was the state of dhyana = which became known as zen in East Asian Buddhism, where it was taken by a fifth century South Indian prince, Bodhidharma. Documentary evidence about Bodhidharma comes not from India, but from other countries – primarily China, but also Indonesia, Tibet and Japan. The oldest Chinese source about him dates from the early sixth century. He is first mentioned by Tanlin (506-574), followed by other Chinese sources like Jingjue‘s(683-750) The Chronicles of the Lankavatara masters , Daoxuan’s seventh century Further biographies of Eminent Monks , and the tenth century Record of the Patriarchal Hall . Japanese and Indonesian sources also mention him (according to the modern Japanese scholar Tsutomu Kambe, who studied the manuscripts about him, Bodhidharma was from a Brahmin royal dynasty (a rarity) and was probably from Kanchipuram.) All these sources recount how Bodhidharma, a practitioner of yoga, travelled to China via a harrowing voyage by sea, had a spectacularly unsuccessful interview with the Chinese emperor, whom he managed to offend, and then made his way to the Shaolin monastery. His reputation as an eccentric having probably preceded him, Bodhidharma was refused admittance into the monastery by the Shaolin monks, but remained completely unperturbed. He literally settled down next to the monastery and spent the next nine years gazing at a wall. There were plenty of wild animals in the area surrounding the Shaolin temple, but they did not attack Bodhidharma. One is reminded of the Indus valley yogis meditating undisturbed by dangerous animals nearby, or of Arjuna’s calming influence on the animals of the forest during his penance in the Kiratarjuniya .

Bodhidharma depicted in a Ukiyo-e woodblock print by Japanese artist Yoshitoshi, 1887. (Yoshitoshi-Wikimedia Commons)

Gradually, the Shaolin monks, who had started bringing Bodhidharma food and water, grew curious and in awe of his mental discipline, his perseverance and physical hardiness. After nine years, Bodhidharma was finally given a room in the monastery, and taught the monks – at their behest – dhyana or Zen meditation. With its emphasis on meditation, quieting the mind and focusing on the breath, the popularity of Zen subsequently spread from East and South-East Asia to the West and is finally making its presence felt in the homeland of Buddhism, India.

From the intrepid yogis of the Indus valley civilization, to scholars like Patanjali, who sought to harness its powers for mental concentration and contentment, to Buddhists like Bodhidharma who spread it worldwide, yoga has gone through many avatars. On International Yoga Day, aficionados can rejoice in the enduring legacy of yoga across the globe, and in its holistic approach to both mental health and physical endurance.

Brishti Guha has a PhD in economics from Princeton and is currently an associate professor at the School of International Studies, JNU

The views expressed are personal

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School Education /

Essay on Health and Fitness for Students

Updated on
Nov 18, 2023

What did you play in your sports period at school? Was it football, Cricket, Badminton, or any other sports? Maintaining good physical health requires you to take good care of your body and in most cases, your mental fitness also. From an early age, we are taught how to take care of our health and fitness. School students are often encouraged to write an essay on health and fitness, where they must come up with ideas about how to keep themselves physically and mentally fit and the benefits of a healthy life. Well, if you have not, you need not to worry. I’ve got your back. I’ll be providing you with a detailed explanation about staying fit and how you can add them to your essay on health and fitness. Stay tuned!

This Blog Includes:

Essay on health and fitness in 100 words, essay on health and fitness in 200 words, essay on health and fitness in 300 words.

Also Read: Best Fitness Exercises for Students Studying Abroad

Also Read: 7 Ways on Which Good Mental Health Leads to Good Physical Health

‘It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.’ – Mahatma Gandhi

To write an essay on health and fitness, you are required to describe how one can achieve his or her fitness goals. The health and fitness lifestyle depends on three factors; physical exercise, balanced diet and adequate rest. To achieve a healthy and fit life, you must focus on all these aspects. Describe them in detail and provide a positive conclusion.

Regular exercise boosts cardiovascular exercises, strength training, or flexibility workouts, enhances cardiovascular health, and strengthens muscles. A balanced and nutritious diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats is necessary. Adequate and quality sleep is crucial for physical recovery, cognitive function, and emotional well-being. The release of endorphins during physical activity helps reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, promoting a positive mindset. Health and fitness are not isolated concepts but interconnected elements of a holistic lifestyle.

When on a diet, consider these fat-free foods: Beans and legumes, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, skim milk, egg whites, and yoghurt.

For more information on such interesting topics for your school, visit our essay writing page and make sure to follow Leverage Edu .

Shiva Tyagi

With an experience of over a year, I've developed a passion for writing blogs on wide range of topics. I am mostly inspired from topics related to social and environmental fields, where you come up with a positive outcome.

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Essay on Health And Wellness

Students are often asked to write an essay on Health And Wellness in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Health And Wellness

Understanding health and wellness.

Health and wellness are two key parts of a happy life. Health means not being sick. It is when your body works as it should. Wellness is about more than just physical health. It is about feeling good in your mind and soul too.

The Importance of Good Health

Good health helps us live a full life. It allows us to do things we enjoy and to work well. It also helps us learn and grow. Without good health, it can be hard to do these things. So, it’s very important to take care of our health.

Healthy Eating

Eating healthy food is a big part of staying healthy. Foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains help our bodies stay strong. They give us energy and help us grow. Eating too much junk food can make us feel tired and sick.

Exercise and Health

Exercise is another important part of staying healthy. It keeps our bodies strong and helps our hearts work well. It can also make us feel happy. Even simple things like walking or playing a game can be good exercise.

Wellness and Happiness

Wellness is about more than just not being sick. It’s about feeling good in your mind and soul. Things like spending time with friends, learning new things, and taking care of our feelings can help us feel well.

Health and wellness are very important. They help us live a full and happy life. By eating healthy, exercising, and taking care of our minds and souls, we can stay healthy and well.

Also check:

Speech on Health And Wellness

250 Words Essay on Health And Wellness

What is health and wellness.

Health and wellness are two key parts of a happy life. Health means your body is working well. You don’t have any sickness and you feel good. Wellness means you have a positive attitude and you take good care of your body and mind.

Importance of Health and Wellness

Health and wellness are very important. If you are healthy and well, you can do all the things you love. You can play, learn, and have fun. It also means you can help others and be a good friend.

Ways to Achieve Health and Wellness

To be healthy and well, you need to eat good food. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are good for your body. You should also drink lots of water. Exercise is also important. Playing sports, dancing, or just running around can make your body strong.

You also need to take care of your mind. This means being happy and relaxed. You can do this by doing things you love, spending time with friends and family, or just taking a quiet moment for yourself.

Challenges in Maintaining Health and Wellness

Sometimes it can be hard to stay healthy and well. You might get sick, or feel sad or stressed. This is normal and it’s okay to ask for help. You can talk to a trusted adult, like a parent or teacher, who can help you feel better.

In conclusion, health and wellness are very important for a happy and full life. By taking care of your body and mind, you can be the best you can be.

500 Words Essay on Health And Wellness

Health and wellness are two words we often hear together. But what do they mean? Health is when your body is free from sickness. Wellness, on the other hand, is about feeling good in your mind and body. It’s about living a life that makes you happy and healthy.

The Importance of Health

Being healthy is very important. When our bodies are healthy, we can do all the things we want to do. We can play, study, and spend time with our friends. We can run fast, jump high, and think clearly. We can feel good and have fun.

The Importance of Wellness

Wellness is just as important as health. It’s about feeling good on the inside. It’s about being happy and at peace with ourselves. It’s about having a positive attitude and enjoying life. When we are well, we are more likely to make healthy choices. We are more likely to eat healthy foods, get enough sleep, and stay active.

How to Achieve Health and Wellness

Achieving health and wellness is not always easy. It takes work and effort. But there are some simple things we can do.

Eating Healthy

One of the most important things we can do for our health is to eat healthy foods. This means eating lots of fruits and vegetables. It also means eating lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats. It means avoiding junk food and sugary drinks as much as possible.

Staying Active

Another important thing we can do for our health is to stay active. This means moving our bodies as much as possible. It could be playing a sport, going for a walk, or doing yoga. It could even be dancing in our living room. The important thing is to move and have fun.

Getting Enough Sleep

Sleep is also very important for our health and wellness. When we sleep, our bodies rest and recharge. This helps us feel good and stay healthy. It’s important to get enough sleep every night.

Being Positive

Finally, being positive is a big part of wellness. This means thinking happy thoughts and having a good attitude. It means being kind to ourselves and others. It means being grateful for what we have and looking for the good in every situation.

In conclusion, health and wellness are both very important. They help us live happy, healthy lives. By eating healthy, staying active, getting enough sleep, and being positive, we can achieve both health and wellness. It might take some work, but it’s worth it. Because when we are healthy and well, we can do anything.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

Essay on Health Awareness
Essay on Health Promotion On Diabetes
Essay on Health Promotion On Alcohol

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

Essay on Health and Fitness for Children and Students

Table of Contents

The maintenance of health and fitness helps a person to be in the general state of health and well-being. It provides ability to perform physical actions without being tired or restless. However, the maintenance of health and fitness requires regular physical exercise with balanced diet.

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It is very necessary for all to maintain their health and fitness in order to be fit, healthy, fearless of diseases, and get so many other benefits. Now-a-days, teachers generally assign their students to write some paragraphs or full essay on any topic to enhance their English writing skill and knowledge as well as spread awareness.

Following are some paragraphs, short essays and long essays on health and fitness to help students in completing their task. All the health and fitness essay are written very simply. So, you can select any essay according to your need and requirement:

Long and Short Essay on Health and Fitness in English

Health and fitness essay 100 words – sample 1.

A person with good health and fitness becomes able to live his/her life to its fullest extent. It is very important for a person in life to be physically and mentally fit to live a healthy and happy life. Healthy and fit people become less prone to the medical conditions.

Fitness does not mean to be physically fit only, it also means with healthy mental state of the person. One can get healthy mental state if he/she becomes physically fit. The simple way to remain healthy and fit is having stress free mind with regular exercise and balanced diet. People who maintain their ideal weight become less prone to the cardiac and other health problems. People who are physically active can easily maintain a relaxed state of mind. Healthy and fit people can easily face all the ups and downs of their life and less affected by any drastic change.

Health and Fitness Essay 150 words – Sample 2

People are being more conscious towards their health and fitness as time changes. Male wants to have a muscle bound body whereas female a slim and trim look. Everybody is doing lots of struggle on daily basis to achieve a perfect body. Getting healthy and fit body and mind requires lots of patience, time, commitment, goal, believe, and a strong mind to face all the struggles. Some people have ability to maintain fitness on their own however some need a good qualified personal trainer to take care of the daily exercises and diet. People who are in corporate businesses have very little movement and lot of sitting all through the day. That’s why they face being overweight, obese, lazy, and tired. It is proved with studies that people who are more fit and healthy achieve greater success in life.

Health and Fitness Essay 200 words – Sample 3

Health is a very important aspect in the life of everyone. Nothing is more important than health and fitness for any human being. Healthy and fit people really enjoy their life very happily and peacefully. An unhealthy person cannot enjoy life in full extent.

He/she cannot enjoy eating, watching sports, or other luxury of the life. It is truly said by our elders that health is wealth. In order to maintain good health we need to properly take care of the hygiene and sanitation all around us. We have to eat healthy and complete food in timely manner.

We should eat green and fresh vegetables, milk, fresh fruits, egg, etc. Our body need sufficient amount of proteins, minerals and vitamins on daily basis to be fit and healthy. Together with the healthy food and physical activities we need to maintain cleanliness in our home and surrounding areas including our personal cleanliness.

The maintenance of physical and mental fitness is very important for a person needed to be successful and do best to the society. It is truly said by the Buddha about health and fitness that, “To keep the body in good health is a duty, otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear”.

Health and Fitness Essay 250 words – Sample 4

Most of the common people never realize the importance of being healthy and fit. They generally underestimate the importance of good health as they never know the advantages of it. We all know that health is wealth but only few people follow it in their life. Being healthy and fit, helps us in carrying out our daily tasks. Being healthy is not only a body free of diseases, but it also means to have a tensionless mind. If a person has unhealthy mind, he cannot has an unhealthy body.

Good health of both, body and mind helps us to get success in life and enjoy it in full extent. Good mental health makes us feel like a well-being and healthy body gives us physical strength and confidence. Good physical health helps us in our trouble times whereas poor physical becomes more weak and prone to diseases.

We need to be aware about all the points of how to keep us healthy both physically and mentally. Some people know well about how to keep their body neat, clean and healthy however they carry some tensions in their mind, so they always lack of being fit. Mental tension gradually deteriorates the good condition of body and makes it weak. People, who are serious about their health and fitness, do exercises on daily basis and eat healthy food in timely manner. They are much conscious about their health and avoid being lazy, eating unhealthy food and sedentary life.

Health and Fitness Essay 300 words- Sample 5

Now-a-days, people have been so busy in their hectic life style and do not have time to keep themselves healthy or stay fit. It is the fact that we must eat healthy, practice cleanliness and involve in daily physical exercises in order to remain healthy and fit. As we know that there is no alternate to the hard work, in the same way there is no alternate to the health and fitness. Health and fitness is the combination of healthy living with healthy lifestyle. Psychological health is very necessary with the physical health of a person in order to be healthy and fit. We need to eat healthy food and do physical exercises on daily basis in order to remain physically healthy however we need to think positive to remain mentally healthy.

We need to get self motivated as well as take part in the fitness-style activities. We should take our fitness as the matter of every-day routine. Being fit should be our first aim of living a healthy lifestyle. It doesn’t require exercising for hours, just a small amount of exercise and healthy food on daily basis is enough to maintain the health and fitness.

We should keep our eyes always open and select stairs instead of the elevator, use cycle instead of car or bike for nearby areas, walk to the next bus stop, etc creates really a big difference. Being involved in daily physical exercises not only keep us fit but also improve our lifestyle and healthy living. It increases our energy level and thus confidence level.

We should enjoy spending hours on morning walk, running, working out at the gym or other physical activities to keep body functioning well as well as improve muscle endurance. We should eat fresh cooked food instead of stale food in order to remain away from the digestive disorders.

Health and Fitness Essay 400 words- Sample 6

Introduction

Health and fitness is the state of being healthy both, physically and mentally. Regular exercises and balanced diet can improve health and fitness of a person. We can define health as the state of complete mental, physical and social well-being of a person. It is not only the absence of illness, diseases or infirmity. We can define the fitness of any person as the ability to meet demands of the environment.

How to Maintain Health and Fitness

There are various ways we can keep us healthy and fit if we follow regularly the following:

We should regularly involve in the daily physical exercises by getting some time from our much hectic schedule. 30 to 60 minutes of exercise on daily basis or five to six times a week is ideal for anybody to remain fit.
Healthy and clean food in right amount and at right time is very necessary for a person to stay healthy and fit. Healthy nutrition with high-fiber, low-fat, high protein, and rich source of vitamins and minerals is the key to good health.
In order to get fit and healthy, good sleeping pattern is very necessary for any person. We need to maintain a discipline in our daily routine and focus on good sleeping pattern which must start and end at right time. Taking quality sleep of eight hours each night boosts our immune system and helps in preventing cardiovascular diseases as well as improves mood. Inadequate sleeping pattern leads to the sleep disorders and various mental disorders.

Importance of Health and Fitness

Health and fitness is very important for people who want to live a healthy life very happily and peacefully. A healthy and fit person is only capable to live life to its fullest extent. We can say a person healthy and fit if he/she is physically and mentally fit. Physically and mentally fit people become less prone to the medical conditions. Health and fitness of any person helps in:

Decreases the risk of diseases (high blood pressure, diabetes, coronary heart diseases, colon cancer, osteoporosis, obesity, stroke, breast cancer, etc).
Make them feel better both, physically and mentally.
Improves their confidence level.
Heals injuries soon.
Helps to live longer by adding years to the life.
Reduces stress and improves quality of life.
Reduces anxiety level, stress, and feelings of depression.

Conclusion : Regular physical activities and routine exercise is very necessary for the people of all age group especially younger generations. Health and fitness brings happiness in the life and helps a person to live stress free and disease free life.

Helpful Resources on Health and Fitness

FAQs on Health and Fitness

What is health and fitness.

Health and fitness refer to physical well-being and the ability to perform daily activities with vigor. It encompasses a balanced diet, regular exercise, and mental stability.

What are health and fitness benefits?

Benefits include reduced risk of chronic diseases, enhanced mood and mental health, and improved longevity and quality of life.

How do you maintain good health and fitness?

Maintain a balanced diet, engage in regular physical activity, manage stress, and have regular health check-ups.

What are the 4 types of fitness?

The four types are cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, flexibility, and muscular endurance.

What is health and fitness for life?

It means adopting lifelong habits that promote overall well-being and physical resilience, ensuring a better quality of life.

How is health and fitness important?

Health and fitness enhance mental and physical performance, reduce health risks, and improve overall well-being and life satisfaction.

What is the short note on health and fitness?

Health and fitness are vital for a high-quality life, reducing disease risks, and ensuring physical and mental well-being.

World Health Day 2024: Understanding how physical health shapes mental wellbeing

Cancer is largely preventable: Dr Anil D’Cruz

Visual Stories

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Current clinical practice guidelines from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (2021) recommend psychological and behavioral interventions in the treatment of chronic insomnia disorder in adults.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine guidelines state: “We recommend that clinicians use multicomponent cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) for the treatment of chronic insomnia disorder in adults (strong recommendation). We suggest that clinicians use relaxation therapy as a single-component therapy for the treatment of chronic insomnia disorder in adults (conditional recommendation).” The authors of the guidelines also noted that there were fewer than three studies meeting their inclusion criteria for the use of cognitive therapy, paradoxical intention, mindfulness, biofeedback, and intensive sleep retraining; as a result, no recommendations were made about these treatments.

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Clinical practice guidelines issued by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine in 2021 recommend psychological and behavioral interventions for the treatment of chronic insomnia disorder in adults. The guidelines state: “We recommend that clinicians use multicomponent cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) for the treatment of chronic insomnia disorder in adults (strong recommendation).”
A 2018 analysis of pooled data from 4 randomized controlled trials of 546 peri- and postmenopausal women with insomnia and bothersome vasomotor symptoms found that CBT-I produced the greatest reduction in Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) from baseline compared to an education control.
A 2014 randomized controlled trial examined the comparative efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy, tai chi, and a sleep seminar education control in 123 older adults with chronic and primary insomnia. The study found that cognitive behavioral therapy performed better than tai chi and sleep seminar education in remission of clinical insomnia. The cognitive behavioral therapy group also showed greater improvement in sleep quality, sleep parameters, fatigue, and depressive symptoms than the tai chi and sleep seminar education groups.

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CBT-I is considered safe.

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There is a small amount of low-quality evidence that relaxation techniques by themselves can help with chronic insomnia. Relaxation techniques may be recommended in certain situations, depending on individual preferences, health provider qualifications, and treatment availability.

Current clinical practice guidelines from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (2021) conditionally recommend relaxation therapy as a single-component therapy for the treatment of chronic insomnia disorder in adults.

Clinical guidelines from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (2021) made a conditional recommendation to use relaxation therapy as a single-component therapy based on “a small body of low-quality evidence from five studies showing clinically meaningful improvements in one critical outcome, consideration that some patients prefer relaxation therapy, the fact that mental health providers are trained to deliver this form of treatment, and the potential for relaxation therapy to require only limited resources.”
A 2018 systematic review looked at 27 studies of psychological interventions to try to improve sleep. The studies involved 2,776 college students who ranged from healthy sleepers to those with a diagnosed sleep disorder. About 22 percent of the studies investigated “relaxation, mindfulness, hypnotherapy” treatments. This review recommended cognitive behavioral therapy to improve sleep in college students. The review also found that relaxation approaches helped somewhat with sleep quality and sleep problems but especially with mental health. The authors recommended that “relaxation, mindfulness, hypnotherapy” treatments be combined with cognitive behavioral therapy as a way to enhance mental health benefits.
Relaxation therapies for insomnia are considered safe.

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Yoga has been shown to be helpful for sleep in several studies of cancer patients, women with sleep problems, and older adults and in individual studies of other population groups, including people with arthritis and women with menopause symptoms. However, a 2019 clinical practice guideline from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and U.S. Department of Defense said there was insufficient evidence to recommend for or against yoga for treating insomnia.

A 2020 systematic review and meta-analysis of 19 studies involving a total of 1,832 participants found positive effects of yoga in 16 randomized controlled trials, compared with the control group, in improving sleep quality among women using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI); however, 2 studies revealed no effects of yoga compared to the control group in reducing insomnia among women using ISI. Seven studies revealed no evidence for effects of yoga compared with the control group in improving sleep quality for women with breast cancer using PSQI, while four studies revealed no evidence for the effects of yoga compared with the control group in improving the sleep quality for peri/postmenopausal women using PSQI.
A 2020 secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial involving 320 adults with chronic low-back pain and poor sleep quality prior to the intervention found modest but statistically significant improvements in sleep quality in the yoga (12 weekly yoga classes) and physical therapy groups.
A 2019 systematic review of 11 studies that evaluated the use of yoga to manage stress and burnout in health care workers concluded that yoga is effective in improving physical problems and quality of sleep, as well as reducing stress levels and burnout. However, the authors of the review noted that it would be necessary to broaden the subject further and acquire more robust scientific evidence by designing and implementing research studies equipped with a solid methodological structure on bigger sample groups.
A 2013 multicenter, randomized controlled trial evaluated the effect of yoga on sleep quality in 410 cancer survivors suffering from moderate or greater sleep disruption between 2 and 24 months after surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiation therapy. The study found that compared with standard care, yoga participants demonstrated greater improvements in global sleep quality and subjective sleep quality, daytime dysfunction, wake after sleep onset, sleep efficiency, and medication use at postintervention.
A 2022 randomized controlled trial investigated the effects of yoga (duration of 20 weeks) on menopausal symptoms and sleep quality across menopause statuses in 208 women. Based on participant responses to questionnaires, the study found that yoga decreased menopausal symptoms, with the strongest effects noted in postmenopausal women, followed by perimenopausal women. In addition, yoga significantly improved sleep quality in postmenopausal and perimenopausal women after controlling for social support, depression, anxiety, stress, and menopausal symptoms; however, yoga did not affect sleep quality in premenopausal women.
Yoga is generally considered a safe form of physical activity for healthy people when performed properly, under the guidance of a qualified instructor. However, as with other forms of physical activity, injuries can occur.
The most common injuries are sprains and strains, and the parts of the body most commonly injured are the knee or lower leg. Serious injuries are rare. The risk of injury associated with yoga is lower than that for higher impact physical activities.
Hot yoga has special risks related to overheating and dehydration.
Pregnant women, older adults, and people with health conditions should talk with their health care providers and the yoga instructor about their individual needs. They may need to avoid or modify some yoga poses and practices.

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Results of several studies, using objective and subjective measures, have shown that tai chi may be helpful for people with sleep problems. However, a 2019 clinical practice guideline from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and U.S. Department of Defense said there was insufficient evidence to recommend for or against using tai chi to treat insomnia.

A 2020 systematic review and meta-analysis of 20 randomized controlled studies from 5 countries involving a total of 1,703 patients found that compared with nontherapeutic and other active treatments, tai chi has a positive effect on improving sleep quality. An in-depth analysis showed that 24-form and 8-form Yang-style tai chi had significant positive effects on sleep quality, as assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).
A 2021 randomized controlled trial assigned 320 participants 60 years or older and with chronic insomnia to three groups: 12-week tai chi training, 12-week conventional exercise, and no intervention control. The study found that compared with the control group, the exercise and tai chi groups showed improved sleep efficiency, reductions of wake time after sleep onset, and reduced awakenings as measured by actigraphy. However, there were no significant differences between the exercise and tai chi groups.
Tai chi appears to be safe. A 2019 meta-analysis of 24 studies (1,794 participants) found that the frequency of adverse events was similar for people doing tai chi, another active intervention, or no intervention.

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A 2019 clinical practice guideline from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and U.S. Department of Defense said there was not enough evidence to know whether mindfulness meditation is helpful for people with insomnia, and a 2021 clinical practice guideline from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine said there was not enough evidence to make recommendations on using mindfulness by itself for insomnia.

A 2022 review of 20 studies and 2,890 participants found that mindfulness-based stress reduction might be ineffective for improving sleep quality in people with insomnia, but the authors noted that the studies were small and showed bias.
A 2019 systematic review and meta-analysis of 18 studies (1,654 total participants) found that mindfulness meditation practices improved sleep quality more than education-based treatments. However, the effects of mindfulness meditation approaches on sleep quality were no different than those of evidence-based treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy and exercise.
Results from a 2015 randomized controlled trial involving 60 adults aged 75 years and over with chronic insomnia suggest that the mindfulness-based stress reduction program could be a useful treatment for chronic insomnia for this age group.
Meditation and mindfulness practices usually are considered to have few risks.

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A 2022 review of 13 studies with 1,007 adult participants found that listening to music may lead to improved reports of sleep quality among people with insomnia. However, there was not enough good-quality evidence to determine the effect of listening to music on the severity of insomnia or the number of times a person wakes up.

A 2022 review of 13 studies with 1,007 adult participants found that listening to music may lead to improved reports of sleep quality among people with insomnia. However, there was not enough good-quality evidence to determine the effect of listening to music on the severity of insomnia or the number of times a person wakes up. The results showed that listening to music may slightly improve sleep-onset latency, sleep duration, sleep efficiency, and daytime effects.
In general, research studies of music-based interventions do not show any negative effects. However, listening to music at too high a volume can contribute to noise-induced hearing loss.
Because music can be associated with strong memories or emotional reactions, some people may be distressed by exposure to specific pieces or types of music.

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A 2019 clinical practice guideline from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and U.S. Department of Defense said there was not enough evidence to recommend for or against using acupuncture for insomnia, except for a weak recommendation for auricular acupuncture, which involves specific points on the outer ear. Results from some studies suggest that auricular acupuncture may help improve insomnia; however, many of the studies conducted on acupuncture for sleep disorders are small and are of low quality.

A 2021 review of 11 studies and 775 participants suggested that acupuncture may help improve insomnia, but the studies were small, differed from each other in many ways (e.g., treatment dosage, acupoint selection), and judged to be low quality.
A 2019 clinical practice guideline from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and U.S. Department of Defense said there was not enough evidence to recommend for or against using acupuncture for insomnia, except for a weak recommendation for auricular acupuncture, which involves specific points on the outer ear.
A 2020 evaluation of 7 systematic reviews (10,001 participants) on auricular acupuncture for insomnia found that the reviews suggested auricular acupuncture may be beneficial, but the quality of most of the reviews was low or critically low and the quality of the studies within the reviews was poor.
Relatively few complications from using acupuncture have been reported. However, complications have resulted from use of nonsterile needles and improper delivery of treatments. When not delivered properly, acupuncture can cause serious adverse effects, including infections, punctured organs, and injury to the central nervous system.

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Cocchiara RA, Peruzzo M, Mannocci A, et al. The use of yoga to manage stress and burnout in healthcare workers: a systematic review . Journal of Clinical Medicine . 2019;8(3):284.
Cui H, Wang Q, Pedersen M, et al. The safety of tai chi: a meta-analysis of adverse events in randomized controlled trials . Contemporary Clinical Trials . 2019;82:85-92.
Edinger JD, Arnedt JT, Bertisch SM, et al. Behavioral and psychological treatments for chronic insomnia disorder in adults: an American Academy of Sleep Medicine clinical practice guideline . Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine . 2021;17(2):255-262.
Friedrich A, Schlarb AA. Let’s talk about sleep: a systematic review of psychological interventions to improve sleep in college students . Journal of Sleep Research . 2018;27(1):4-22.
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A Healthy Mind Resides in a Healthy Body

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Why You Should Take Care of Your Body and Health

Make Sleep a Priority

Why Taking Care of Your Body is Good for Mental Health

Press Play for Advice On Creating Good Habits

Eat a Balanced Diet for the Right Reasons

Stay Motivated

Find a Fitness Habit That Works for You

Make It a Habit

Do Something You Enjoy

Watch What You Put Into Your Body

Find Ways to Manage Your Stress

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Physical Activity Is Good for the Mind and the Body

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“A Healthy Mind in a Healthy Body”: An Overview on the Effects of Physical Activity on the Brain

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Mind and body: how the health of the body impacts on neuropsychiatry

Kyoko Hasebe

Introduction

Systemic disorders associated with depression

Stress responsivity and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis

Peripheral disorders associated with HPA changes and psychiatric disease

Pharmacological targeting of the HPA axis

Immune dysregulation, inflammation and psychiatric health

Mechanisms of immune modulation of psychiatric function

Pharmacological targeting of inflammatory pathways

Interfaces between HPA axis and immune dysfunction

Conclusions

Conflict of interest statement

Essay on Healthy Lifestyle

Self-Discipline

Punctuality

Prevention of Lifestyle Diseases

Unhealthy Lifestyle

FAQs on Healthy Lifestyle Essay

Having A Healthy Mind In A Healthy Body

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