Healthy At Home: Staying connected, apart

Healthy At Home: Staying connected, apart

This week, we are seeing across the US the way in which the pandemic is resurging. We would like to start off this newsletter by reminding everyone to please wear a mask and practice physical distancing as much as possible. It has been well documented that wearing a mask is the single most effective method of preventing the spread of COVID-19. Whether you are experiencing symptoms or not, it is the bare minimum we must all do to help flatten the curve.

At the same time, it cannot be overlooked that (in part due to the need for physical distancing) we are experiencing greater levels of disconnect and loneliness. To combat this, we must reconsider how we can stay connected while staying apart.

In a disordered mind, as in a disordered body, soundness of health is impossible.

What is the lifestyle approach?

Simply put, the lifestyle approach to medicine is an attempt to flip the script on traditional therapies, which often come too late and are only capable of managing chronic conditions. Rather than treating only the symptoms of a chronic health condition, our method aims directly at the root cause, and is capable of completely reversing several common chronic diseases (hypertension, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, and even some autoimmune diseases).

Q: Why is the lifestyle approach better?

A: There are several reasons why we believe the lifestyle approach to healthcare MUST be the future of medicine. From a financial perspective, the current style of healthcare is not sustainable. In the United States, $3.6 trillion is spent in health care every year. 86% of that is spent managing chronic diseases. Not treating, not reversing. Managing. From an individual perspective, the lifestyle approach is far more successful, capable of preventing 80% of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes and 40% of cancer.

Having a healthy mind is just as important as a healthy body.

The most well-known molecule in the study of social bonding is called oxytocin. Among its many other roles, oxytocin is created in the body when we connect with others, such as when we give hugs and receive gifts. However, the production of oxytocin is inhibited by high levels of stress. The following TED Talk by Dr. Paul Zak serves as a good introduction to the benefits and effects of oxytocin in the brain.

Trust, Morality, and Oxytocin

At the end of his presentation, Dr. Zak recommends that we hug 8 times per day to produce a healthy amount of oxytocin. However, as mentioned previously, social distancing is critical and must take priority. So, the question becomes: how can we generate a healthy amount of oxytocin within ourselves to keep our neurochemistry in balance?

The answer lies in meditation. Studies performed by researchers from all over the world demonstrate that practicing certain types of meditation stimulates the production of oxytocin within the body, and corresponding improvements in positive emotions. The first type of meditation we will discuss is called “Arigato-Zen”. It is a type of voice-meditation that consists of 4 parts:

1. “Arigato breathing”
   1. 10 minutes of diaphragm breathing while internally reciting the words “I am sorry. Thank you” toward our inner child.
2. “Kannon Zen”
   1. 15 minutes of humming “a-ri-ga-to-u” while keeping your palms together over your heart.
3. “Kansha Nembutsu”
   1. 20 minutes of focusing thoughts on a specific matter such as family, friends, or work.
4. “Nehan Zen”
   1. 15 minutes of lying down on the floor face up, chanting “a-ri-ga-to-u” and imagining a concrete scene in which your dreams and wishes are fully materialized.

The second type of meditation we will discuss is called mindfulness meditation. Rather more straightforward compared to the previous style of meditation, mindfulness meditation simply requires the following steps:

1. Sit in a chair or on the floor with your head, neck, and back straight and relaxed.
2. Set a timer (this step is recommended so that you do not have to think about time and can focus entirely on the next couple steps).
3. Focus on your breathing, feel your stomach rise and fall with each breath and notice how the air moves in through your nostrils and out through your mouth.
4. When thoughts enter your mind, do not try to push them away – simply take note of them and then refocus on your breathing.

The third type of meditation is called Loving-Kindness Meditation and can be practiced in many ways. Here is one example:

1. Sit in a chair or on the floor with your head, neck, and back straight and relaxed.
2. Set a timer.
3. Repeat three or four positive, reassuring phrases to yourself.
   1. E.g. “May I be happy, may I be safe, may I be healthy, may I be strong”.
   2. E.g. “May I give and receive appreciation today”.
4. You can choose to either keep this focus or shift it towards your loved ones.

Whichever type of meditation you may decide to engage in, if you have trouble focusing your own thoughts at first, consider looking up a video to guide you through the process. There are many excellent resources to help you with a good meditative experience, and they are especially helpful when you are starting out.

¹https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/06/21/880832213/yes-wearing-masks-helps-heres-why