WAYS HOPE HEALS

Yes, you read the title to this post correctly, hope has healing powers! Following are three science-backed ways hope can heal:

1. Hope Boosts Immunity. According to Suzanne Segerstrom, Ph.D., immunology researcher, "Higher optimism is linked to reduced inflammation and better antibody responses." Research has shown that hopeful patients have stronger immune systems than do others. Therefore, positivity may help speed healing and recovery.
2. Hope Nixes Pain. A study in The Journal of Pain found that hopeful patients reported less postoperative pain. Tor Wager, Ph.D. has stated, "positive expectation activated pain-inhibiting brain networks." It is believed these networks may help accelerate rehabilitation. Personally, I believe this to be true based on my own experiences.
3. Hope Strengthens the Heart. Researchers have found that heart surgery patients with higher hope scores have fewer complications following surgery. Cardiologist Martha Gulati, M.D. explains it this way. "Hope triggers parasympathetic balance by lowering blood pressure and aiding healing.

Hope is not only good for the soul, but is also good for the body.

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EAT FOODS THAT WILL SATISFY

Have you ever dieted or just tried to maintain your weight but were hungry again not long after eating? If the answer is yes, and it is for many, you probably ate the wrong foods. Not necessarily foods that were bad for you, just foods that don't satisfy. According to Alissa Rumsey, RD, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, each meal should contain foods that are rich in fiber, protein and healthy fats. She says, "These components are digested slower in our bodies, so we feel full longer." Those are foods that also prevent blood sugar spikes (especially important for diabetics) and subsequent crash, which causes feelings of hunger after eating. On the flip side, heavily processed foods ie boxed cereals, white bread, doughnuts, etc, deliver little in the power to make one feel full thus causing one to overeat.

Over the next few days, we will talk about foods with satiety power.

Not the best breakfast choice.

ACCEPTANCE

The first thing to get you started on changing your diet, lifestyle, etc after a diagnosis is acceptance.  No matter what the diagnosis, be it diabetes, arthritis, cancer or something else, you have to first come to an acceptance of the illness before you can do what you need to do to fight it off!  Many of the foods you need to eat to fight said illness will often be something not currently in your diet or something you simply don't like.  But do yourself a big favor.  Think of such foods as the medicine your body needs to perform the tasks required of it.  That will make it much easier to change your diet and include the foods you need.  Our bodies are wonderfully made, and they have an enormous ability to heal if we will keep unhealthy things out of them and feed them the nutrients they need.  You really can help your body do its job!

Often people say, "I could never eat enough of that to do me any good."  But that is not the way to look at it.  You must realize you can't do it all in one setting, one day, or one week.  It requires a change in diet on a regular basis.  You can't eat asparagus once and think that will help.  You need to eat the foods at least once a week and once daily in some instances.  It is not a matter of how much but how often!

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HEALTHY FRUITS

I recently picked up a health guide in my oncologist's office. While reading through it, I found an interesting article on fruits and our health. I think we all know that all fruit is nutritious, but some fruits are more abundant in vitamins, minerals, fiber and protective compounds than others. The following is a quote from the article, "Filling up on blueberries, oranges, apples, and similar snacks can bolster your immune system and benefit your health in other ways, reducing your risk for heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers. Eating five servings of fruits and veggies a day is even linked to lower mortality rates, per a 2021 Harvard University study."

I plan to use the next few daily posts to go over the 15 healthiest fruits you can eat, ranked by scientists. Can you guess which is number one? You guessed correctly if you said blueberries! Tomorrow's post will go into more detail.

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WHERE'S YOUR FOCUS?

 I love this quote from Dr. Livingood.

FORGET DIETING, EAT HEALTHY

I shudder every time I hear someone say they are going on some expensive diet. That is so silly and usually a waste of money. You don't need to be on some fad diet or buying into a diet program. If you want to be healthy and/or lose weight, all you have to do is change your eating habits and develop a healthier lifestyle. Would you believe that studies show one out of three women and one out of four men, at any given time, are on some diet. And guess what? Yes, it is true that within one year two-thirds of those dieters will regain the weight they lost and almost 100% regain the weight in five years. Don't allow yourself to get caught in the fad diet trap. Change your eating habits and that is not as hard to do as you may think. There are dozens of posts on this blog to assist you. And once you lose a little weight and start to feel better you will actually enjoy getting some exercise. Simple walking is a great exercise. You don't have to join a gym or buy expensive equipment to be healthy. Why not make up your mind right now to get started making those changes.