[excerpted from, 9 Keys to Mindfulness for Health: Health Psychology ©2023]

Be here now, as the saying – of long ago, yet still every bit as valid – goes.

Presence (how we psychologists call it): being fully aware of the time and/or place in which you currently exist, and of your own existence within it.

Being in the present moment is the only way, then, to ever be fully present.

Buddhists would argue that time is an illusion and that, while past and future are useful tools – as we reminisce, learn from past mistakes, or build on past successes, and as we set goals and work toward them – the present moment is the only reality. Indeed, though each present moment is gone an instant later by definition, being present – focusing on the here and now, and our place within it – is the only meaningful position.

The nature of reality, then, may well be this: the truth to be found in the present moment.

One of the impressive capabilities of humans, in fact, is known as mental time travel (Baumeister et al., 2020); in our minds, of course, we can ‘travel’ to the past or future, and while we can’t say that other species don’t have this ability, it does seem that we humans take it to new heights. This is both positive and negative, however. I can fondly recall positive memories and in fact, psychologically reap the benefit all over again; I can consider the future, either in a self-protective way of escaping some present pain, or as a means to plan for and achieve my goals. On the negative side, however, I can choose to live primarily in the past or in the future, typically when the present is somehow unacceptable; or, I can get caught in rumination over past painful events, or in worry and catastrophizing over a future largely out of my control (Thompson et al., 2022).

Similarly, we have the phenomenon of mind-wandering, with which we’re all familiar. (Daydreaming is a benign example.) While we can use this to our advantage, especially in creative engagement, or as a ‘mental holiday’ form of stress reduction, we do well to have some means of controlling it to our advantage. Too, it’s all too commonly connected to rumination or negative thinking about the past; like a toothache, wherein our tongue is continually seeking out the painful tooth, we often just can’t stay away from painful memories despite our best efforts.

In mindfulness we can do just that: allow for mental time travel or mind-wandering when appropriate and as we choose, and control it when better to do so. A study by Bortolla et al. (2022) demonstrated effects of mindfulness to reduce mind-wandering; Mao et al. (2022) reviewed 61 studies and a total of 4,229 participants for the use of mindfulness interventions to control ruminative thinking, with significant results, though researchers noted that these results were comparable to that of cognitive-behavioral therapy [CBT], a popular form of psychotherapy. Nevertheless, mindfulness compared favorably – and it’s something that we can easily and daily practice on our own.

In the previous key on attention, I referenced an article by Čopelj (2022) who proposes that attention, whether ‘quietist’ or ‘cognitivist’, is not a true feature of mindfulness, which is instead a state of being rather than attention or focus. I mentioned there that I think, after 40 years of mindfulness practice, that all 3 are valid: the first two as forms of attentiveness, passive and active, while the third belongs here, in a focus on the present moment. Attention and present moment are also often equated to one another in writings on mindfulness, but I think we can easily separate them out.

Imagine then, if you will, sitting quietly in your home, eyes closed and breathing slow and steady, distractions minimized, as you simply and peacefully experience this very moment – with no thought of past or present. Much like swaying gently in a mental hammock, or a cradle, you remain focused solely on the present moment and your experience thereof. The past, even of 1 second ago, is gone; the future, even as it’s arriving, is not yet here. Only the present moment matters, only that is real, only this is truth. Imagine, if you will, what a core of stillness that provides.

The health psychologist may be working with people experiencing post-traumatic symptoms or disorder [PTSD]; a key feature in the response to trauma is that the brain centers associated with fear, anxiety, and hypervigilance – the stress response – are ‘convinced’ that the trauma isn’t over but continues, and for some, this becomes chronic. When we focus fully and regularly on the present moment, even though our brain believes the trauma is in the present, it serves to convince our brain otherwise; in the present moment of mindfulness practice we are safe and secure, free from harm, and we can gradually detach from the trauma and leave it in the past where it belongs.

Or, the health psychologist may be assisting the person who struggles with anxiety itself, the mind’s focus on the future and a cousin to worry, or someone with depression, most often associated with the mind’s focus on the past in rumination. (While both of these have well-established neurobiological underpinnings, this is how they’re playing out in the mind.) Mindfulness, in its focus on the present moment, disrupts these processes of future or past, and can thereby alleviate anxiety and/or depression.

Similarly, in motivating ourselves to healthier behaviors or medical regimen compliance, as does the health psychologist, we can use the power of the present moment focus. Rather than projecting into the future – “I’ll never be able to do this, and my health will continue to decline” – or reflecting inappropriately on the past – “I’ve always failed every time I’ve tried to get healthy, so why should this time be any different?” – we can focus on this moment, maintain that present-moment focus, and ask ourselves: “What healthy step can I take in this moment?”

And so, in our busy, crazy world that’s always rushing toward the future while nostalgic for, or decrying, the past, how can we put this into practice in our daily lives? How can we strengthen our ability for remaining in the present moment – in all its truth?

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Exercises:

The classic mindfulness exercise for ‘present moment’ is also meditation – just 10 minutes daily in which you sit quietly, thinking of nothing, relishing in that very moment. For just those minutes, try not to entertain thoughts of past or future – and if you do, redirect your focus. Hold an object that you cherish and keep your focus on that, which will help you to remain in this very moment.

Similarly, stare into a candle flame. As you’re noticing the flame in all its qualities – colors, movement, shimmering, heat – you’ll find it easier to be fully present.

In fact, any time that we’re fully engaged in an activity, when completely absorbed, we are in the present moment. Ensure that you’ve a few passions in life, activities or endeavors in which you can engage regularly, and when you do, give it your all. That complete absorption, or flow state, is beneficial to health in numerous ways – and it’s absolutely a pure present-moment experience.

Focusing on one’s breathing is a useful tool throughout the day. Use your breath as your best asset for remaining in the present moment. Any time that you find yourself thinking about the past or projecting into the future, take a slow, deep breath, focusing entirely on that process of breathing, on the air entering and traveling within your body.

Notice everything. That was our previous key, of attention. But while we’re noticing all those details of our lives – with as many of our senses as possible – we are utterly in the present moment.

Check in with your physical body regularly. Whenever it comes to mind, take a moment and think about the condition of your body. Is there tension anywhere that you might relieve? Is a particular muscle acting up today? Is your stomach making noises of hunger? Is there anything you’ve been ignoring? How’s your energy level? This is all very much in the present moment; our best ‘transitional object’, as we psychologists call something we carry with us from one reality to another to keep us grounded and connected, is our own body. If yours has chronic pain or other condition that you’d rather ignore, a focus on the body will help to reorganize your relationship with your physical self – so that, despite the pain or dysfunction, you begin to love your body again.

Monotask. One browser tab at a time. (Including the ones in your head.) Stop over-valuing multitasking; it may feel more productive, but in fact it’s the mono-focus that keeps us in the present moment (and enhances attention).

Again: nature. Getting deep within the natural world on a regular basis, away from all distraction, and truly focusing on everything around us – like the focus on breathing or our own body – is absolute present-moment orientation.

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References:

Baumeister RF, Hofmann W, Summerville A et al. (2020). Everyday Thoughts in Time: Experience Sampling Studies of Mental Time Travel. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 46:12, 1631-1648. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167220908411

Bortolla R, Galli M, Spada GE et al. (2022). Mindfulness Effects on Mind Wandering and Autonomic Balance. Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback 47, 53-64. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10484-021-09527-x

Čopelj E (2022). Mindfulness and attention: Towards a phenomenology of mindfulness as the feeling of being tuned in. Asian Philosophy 32:2, 126-151. https://doi.org/10.1080/09552367.2022.2031015

Mao L, Li P, Wu Y et al. (2022). The effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions for ruminative thinking: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Affective Disorders 321, 83-95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2022.10.022

Thompson JS, Jamal-Orozco N, and Hallion LS (2022). Dissociable Associations of Facets of Mindfulness with Worry, Rumination, and Transdiagnostic Perseverative Thought. Mindfulness 13, 80-91. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-021-01747-w

[excerpted from, 9 Keys to Mental Self-Care: Health Psychology ©2023]

Ah, nature. Our natural home.

The effects of time spent in nature on the wellbeing of the mind cannot be overstated. Many nature-based interventions have been developed, programs and therapies designed to engage in and with nature for the benefit of our mental health.

Similarly, humanity’s disconnection from the natural world is widely considered an imbalance and cause for mental distress – and perhaps even mental illness.

Each week I board a ferry and traverse the Marmara Sea, to arrive an hour later at a small island in an archipelago of Istanbul, where I live. Once on the island, I head immediately for its small, forested peak (in truth, a mere 200m elevation) where, typically absent of any other humans, I meditate – and feed peanuts to a flock of hooded crows. Trekking on through forest and along coastline, noticing each newly flowering plant along the way with its butterflies and bees, encountering an occasional horse, cow, chicken, or lizard (and a plethora of cats, for which this city is famous), I notice as much as possible, I sense, and I listen. I’m deeply listening, not only to songbirds but to the land ancestors, to the voice of the natural world, to the whispering wind. It’s my therapy, and my religion, and I’m home.

Nature-based counseling, in which outdoor programs and therapies are combined, was found to have a beneficial effect on mental health and wellbeing in a review of studies by Lewis et al. (2022); a majority of such programs included adventure and/or wilderness experience, and as the contribution of counseling versus nature exposure was not always clear, additional research will be beneficial. In a review of 50 studies by Coventry et al. (2021), nature-oriented interventions for community-dwelling adults were found to decrease depression and anxiety and increase positive mood. Most effective were programs of 8-12 weeks in duration and for 20-90 minutes at a time; examples included gardening, green exercise, and nature-based therapy.

Nature-based interventions have also shown to be beneficial even in the face of chronic illness. In a review of 13 studies, Taylor et al. (2022) found strong evidence for nature’s positive impact on psychological wellbeing despite the presence of long-term health concerns. Trøstrup et al. (2019) also found in their review that nature exposure had a positive benefit on the mental health of those with chronic somatic conditions. In a review of 12 studies totaling 2,786 participants who were cancer survivors, Timko Olson et al. (2023) found that nature-based programs were associated with improvements in depression and anxiety, sleep, stress, fatigue, pain, and overall sense of connectedness versus isolation; a majority of participants cited nature as their single most important resource for coping with cancer.

Nature is restorative and stress-reducing, while a deep connectedness to nature has been found to promote emotion regulation – that is, we can better understand and facilitate our emotions, aka, emotional intelligence, the more time we spend in nature and sense our connectedness to the natural world (Bakir-Demir et al., 2021). Forest environments in particular have been well studied for their benefits to mental health and wellbeing, both promoting positive and reducing negative effects (Clark et al., 2023). Nature connectedness has been demonstrated to promote not only hedonic or pleasure-inducing effects but also eudaimonic wellbeing, or presence of meaning in one’s life, including personal growth (Pritchard et al., 2020).

In fact, nature is a direct source of spiritual connection for many, something that all of our distant ancestors would have known in our early animistic societies. Spirituality can be interpreted similar to religion but also to nontheistic forms of meaning, purpose, philosophy, morality, and ethics. In a study of nature-based spirituality for wellbeing, Naor and Mayseless (2020) demonstrated that for many, nature is the physical embodiment of their spirituality with significant therapeutic effects. The researchers found that nature’s immensity can translate into an expansive perspective or worldview, that experiencing interconnectedness with the natural world creates or strengthens one’s sense of belonging not only to a particular social system but to the ‘web of all life’, and that nature as a setting of unconditional acceptance contributes to one’s sense of authenticity – whoever you are, you’re perfectly okay. Nature doesn’t judge.

This relationship with the natural world has also been described as just that: relationship, like any other we may have in the social sense, with very similar or even identical emotional content, as delineated by Petersen et al. (2019). These researchers further suggest that in order to better understand how people feel connected to nature we might look at various forms of relationships among humans, especially at the emotional bonding that occurs – including love itself. (We might also look at the deeply emotional relationship between humans and their dogs, cats, or other creature companions – our most immediate connections to the natural world.)

For improving and supporting our mental health, we need to immerse ourselves in the natural world itself, breathe the air, listen to the birds, and feel the soil, communing and being at one with the genuine environment. Nature documentaries can help to reinforce such experiences but not replace them, in a similar way that looking at photographs of joyful experiences we’ve had can once again boost our happiness and subjective wellbeing. Nature-based virtual reality experiences may one day produce human response similar to that of nature itself, and research in this area is underway, but thus far, VR/AR don’t compare to actual nature immersion.

We, creatures of nature, need to consciously foster our connectedness to the natural world. The evidence is clear: immerse yourself in nature on a regular basis, for improved mental wellbeing.

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Exercises:

Immerse yourself weekly in the natural world. Choose a favorite place and go there regularly. Focus on nature connectedness, on building relationship, on familiarity. Get to know this place, notice as things change, notice as much as possible. Bring food offerings for creatures there. Find a favorite spot and meditate in nature.

Meditating on nature, when at home, is also useful. It’s never a substitute for the real experience – but it can be a helpful supplement that also contributes to your mental wellbeing.

Similarly, when not in nature, spend time reminiscing about your experiences in the natural world. Research tells us that reminiscing brings the health benefits a second time; looking at photographs we took on our last nature hike, recalling in our mind’s eye that mountaintop experience or that view, remembering how the air smelled and the sea breeze on our face, all of these go beyond memory – and boost your mental wellbeing just a bit more.

Cultivate a garden. Or a flower bed. Or a window box. Or a houseplant. Grow and nurture something green.

Keep a nature journal. Jot down your experiences there, dry a flower or two, sketch that old tree, explore your feelings – and this relationship with nature. Similarly, you might want to explore what it means to you to be a creature of nature, to claim the natural world as your true home.

Consider a nature shrine in your home. A shelf will do. Bring objects home from your nature explorations, add them to your collection, and spend a few minutes gazing at this shrine daily. This is your at-home bridge to the natural world. Cherish it.

Nature videos, documentaries, photographs, even VR/AR can all help to develop your nature connectedness. While they don’t have the same effects on health as the genuine experience, they can in fact add to your sense of relationship with the natural world. The more we know, the closer we feel.

Explore the nature around you. If you live in a house, determine your favorite tree and cultivate that relationship. If in an urban apartment as I am, you’re still likely to have street trees outside, and ivy climbing the building walls, and birds, and maybe even bees. Look for nature everywhere.

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References:

Bakir-Demir T, Berument SK, and Akkaya S (2021). Nature connectedness boosts the bright side of emotion regulation, which in turn reduces stress. Journal of Environmental Psychology 76:101642. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2021.101642

Clark H, Vanclay J, and Brymer E (2023). Forest features and mental health and wellbeing: A scoping review. Journal of Environmental Psychology 102040. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2023.102040

Coventry PA, Brown JE, Pervin J et al. (2021). Nature-based outdoor activities for mental and physical health: Systematic review and meta-analysis. SSM – Population Health 16:100934. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2021.100934

Lewis O, Ohrt J, Toomey TM et al. (2022). A Systematic Review of Nature-Based Counseling Interventions to Promote Mental Health and Wellness. Journal of Mental Health Counseling 44:3, 191-208. https://doi.org/10.17744/mehc.44.3.01

Naor L and Mayseless O (2020). The therapeutic value of experiencing spirituality in nature. Spirituality in Clinical Practice 7:2, 114-133. https://doi.org/10.1037/scp0000204

Petersen E, Fiske AP, and Schubert TW (2019). The Role of Social Relational Emotions for Human-Nature Connectedness. Frontiers in Psychology 10:2759. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02759

Pritchard A, Richardson M, Sheffield D et al. (2020). The Relationship Between Nature Connectedness and Eudaimonic Well-Being: A Meta-analysis. Journal of Happiness Studies 21, 1145-1167. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-019-00118-6

Taylor EM, Robertson N, Lightfoot CJ et al. (2022). Nature-based interventions for psychological wellbeing in long-term conditions: A systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19:6, 3214. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19063214

Timko Olson ER, Olson AA, Driscoll M et al. (2023). Nature-Based Interventions and Exposure among Cancer Survivors: A Scoping Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 20:3, 2376. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20032376

Trøstrup CH, Christiansen AB, Stølen KS et al. (2019). The effect of nature exposure on the mental health of patients: a systematic review. Quality of Life Research 28, 1695-1703. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-019-02125-9

[excerpted from, 9 Keys to Addiction Recovery: Health Psychology ©2023]

Self-compassion, our 2^nd key.

We could all use a little more self-compassion. All of these keys, by the way, support the wellbeing of all people – not only those in addiction recovery. But they’re especially useful if you are.

So now that we’ve established a bit of rootedness in identifying meaning in our life, we give ourselves a bit of love.

Sure, you may have done some pretty awful things while in active addiction – many do – or perhaps you isolated from friends and family, or something else that brings a bit of shame.

Love yourself.

No ‘yes, but’ – just love. And compassion. You were in active addiction. And/or, you were in some other way compromised. You were not your best self. Forgive yourself.

Easier said than done, I know. And yet, it’s exactly that: a choice. We put the negative things we’ve said and done, that bring us shame or dismay, to one side long enough to give ourselves the love and compassion that we need, and that we deserve – on the basis of our humanity, however flawed. (And we are all flawed.)

Indeed, you need self-compassion now, in your healing, along with self-love and forgiveness, more than ever.

Self-compassion is associated closely with mindfulness practice, as we will see later on. We can practice this in a variety of ways, however, detailed in the exercises section below. As a sampling, you can develop affirmations of self-compassion, keep a journal, brainstorm about your positive qualities, and many other approaches to be discussed.

The value of self-compassion and self-forgiveness to psychological wellbeing have been demonstrated in a recent study by Maynard et al. (2023). Compassion-focused therapy groups were conducted over a 12-week period; themes that emerged included the overall benefit to personal change, in decreased self-condemnation, increased emotional and cognitive agency, and mood regulation.

We can see the value of self-compassion specifically for addiction recovery in a wide array of recent research, beginning with the narrative review conducted by Chen (2019), a professor in Israel. She identifies self-compassion as a strategy for emotional regulation, by which unpleasant emotions are accepted through kindness and understanding toward oneself. The review assessed the role of self-compassion as a component of recovery capital, in that this positive emotional attitude toward oneself helps one to develop both personal and social resources.

In an online survey study by Phelps et al. (2018), of 477 participants with an average age of 31 and a risk of substance use disorder, self-compassion was demonstrated as a protective factor. Approximately half of the respondents were categorized as low risk, another 37% at moderate risk, and 11% for high risk; self-compassion was beneficial to risk reduction across all groups.

Another survey study, including 153 inpatients in a US-based addictions treatment facility (Shreffler et al., 2022), demonstrated self-compassion to be significantly associated with both personal growth and wellbeing. In this way, self-compassion contributes directly to the recovery process. In another inpatient study with 100 participants, conducted in Egypt (Shahin et al., 2021), self-compassion and spiritual wellbeing were shown to reduce withdrawal symptoms, specifically cravings. Among Iranian women addicted to methamphetamine, cravings were also reduced and self-efficacy – a sense of capability – increased in association with self-compassion, in a clinical trial conducted by Abdoli et al. (2021); further, the relapse rate at one-year follow-up was 27.7% in the self-compassion intervention group, compared to 75.7% in the control group.

In the pilot study of a trauma-informed mindfulness program for opioid users in recovery with histories of childhood trauma (Moore et al., 2022), self-compassion increased while negative feelings toward oneself decreased; self-compassion was further strengthened in terms of self-directed kindness, and an increased sense of humanity.

A Canadian study was conducted among First Nation reserve-dwelling adolescents, categorized as high-risk for alcohol addiction and with histories of intergenerational trauma (Spillane et al., 2022). Results demonstrated that self-compassion was significantly associated with lower risk of alcohol use disorder, and also with less alcohol use frequency and fewer alcohol-related problems, thus overall lower risk of future addiction development.

So how can we increase our capacity for self-compassion – especially in early recovery, when one tends to be overcome with remorse and shame, and it may be even more necessary?

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Exercises:

Begin with a brainstorming exercise as before, this time to generate your positive qualities. If you’re in early recovery, this may be more challenging; suspend judgment as much as possible, write your name in the center of a blank sheet of paper, and surround it with positive words that apply to you. Anything is fair play, as long as it’s positive. Afterward, reflect.

Develop one affirmation of self-compassion, such as, “I’m loveable and capable” or “I’m worthy” or “I’m a good person”. Tell yourself this as often as possible throughout each day. Say it aloud, repeat it silently in your mind, breathe it in and out, meditate on it, say it as you stand before a mirror and look yourself deep in the eyes, write it in a journal or even a random piece of paper. Live and breathe it, until you’ve integrated it – then start with a new one.

Keep a journal of self-compassion. With some regularity, write in it – encouraging letters to yourself, lists of your positive qualities, messages of forgiveness, descriptions of how you’re being kind to yourself, anything else that brings kindness and compassion and love from you, to you.

Give yourself a small gift each week. This can be anything, and doesn’t need to cost money. Perhaps you give yourself permission to sleep in one day. Or you visit puppies at the pet shop. Or you listen to your favorite playlist for hours. Or you soak in a long bath. Or you have a favorite food. The list is endless. It’s not meant to be self-indulgent – but to be self-nurturing. Think about that.

Meditate on yourself as a child. Sit comfortably, distractions minimized, mind quieted, breathing slow and steady. Once you feel peaceful, imagine yourself as a young child at whatever age feels like a favorite. Gaze at this image of yourself, and radiate love toward that little child. Imagine holding this child in a close and loving hug, heart to heart, giving the child-you all that he/she needs and wants, all the unconditional love and none of the judgment, pure happiness. Stay with this for as long as you want. Reflect on it afterward. Repeat often.

Whenever you become aware of your inner critic – whenever you notice that you’re being judgmental or critical of yourself, say aloud: Stop. (If others are nearby, you can just laugh and say it’s a little reminder to yourself. Anyone would understand that.) Do this whenever you notice; it will stop the current negative thinking, interrupt the pattern, and begin to rewrite it, stronger each time.

Write in your journal about something from your past that you feel ashamed of, embarrassed by, or simply wish you’d done differently. Then, write what you’d say to a close friend if this was their story instead – if they’d just confided in you this incident and how bad they felt about it. Give yourself all the compassion and understanding that you’d give to your good friend, if the story were theirs instead of yours. Finally, rewrite that story, and focus on this new version for a while.

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References:

Abdoli N, Farnia V, Radmehr F et al. (2021). The effect of self-compassion training on craving and self-efficacy in female patients with methamphetamine dependence: A one-year follow-up. Journal of Substance Use 26:5, 491-496. https://doi.org/10.1080/14659891.2020.1851406

Chen G. (2019). The Role of Self-Compassion in Recovery from Substance Use Disorders. OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine 4:2, 026. https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.icm.1902026

Maynard PG, van Kessel K, and Feather JS (2023). Self-forgiveness, self-compassion and psychological health: A qualitative exploration of change during compassion focused therapy groups. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice 96, 265-280. https://doi.org/10.1111/papt.12435

Moore SK, Okst K, Smith L et al. (2022). “Today I Can Look in the Mirror and Like Myself”: Effects of a Trauma-Informed Mindful Recovery Program on Self-Compassion. Frontiers in Psychology 13:780383. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.780383

Phelps CL, Paniagua SM, Willcockson IU et al. (2018). The relationship between self-compassion and the risk for substance use disorder. Drug and Alcohol Dependence 183, 78-81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.10.026

Shahin MAH, Hamed SA, and Taha SM (2021). Correlation of self-compassion and spiritual well-being with drug craving in people with substance use disorders. Middle East Current Psychiatry 28:50. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43045-021-00132-6

Shreffler J, Thomas JJ, McGee S et al. (2022). Self-compassion in individuals with substance use disorder: The association with personal growth and well-being. Journal of Addictive Diseases 40:3, 366-372. https://doi.org/10.1080/10550887.2021.2005382

Spillane NS, Schick MR, Goldstein SC et al. (2022). The protective effects of self-compassion on alcohol-related problems among first nation adolescents. Addiction Research & Theory 30:1, 33-40. https://doi.org/10.1080/16066359.2021.1902994

[excerpted from, 9 Keys to Integrative Wellness: Personal Growth ©2023]

Next, we turn to nutrition. And here, we look at diet, hydration, fasting, and supplements.

But first: how do we view nutrition through an integrative lens?

As mentioned, while diet and adequate hydration are biological and clearly associated with physical health, they have a great deal to do with our mental and emotional health as well. Most medical doctors are not well trained in nutrition, mental health specialists even less so; yet, research is especially clear that nutrition plays a major role not only in physical but also psychological health.

For optimal mental health through diet, we must eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, as well as to have protein at regular intervals throughout the day – though this need not be meat-based but can be better gained through food combining and plant-based proteins such as legumes (in particular soy, lentils, and chickpeas), whey (if you’re not dairy-free), and certain grains such as quinoa, millet, and buckwheat. Processed foods, on the other hand, have long been known to be detrimental to one’s mood and overall mental function, and while the brain requires glucose to function, refined sugar is harmful to the brain.

And so, it’s essential for health in all aspects that we have the healthiest diet possible, and that we integrate it into an overall healthy lifestyle.

We all tend to know a fair amount about what foods are good for us and what our diet should look like for a healthy outcome. Nutritional science is somewhat changeable, it must be said; one moment, it seems, eggs or coffee are bad for us, while a later study shows that in fact they’re beneficial after all. Nevertheless, we all know the basics.

One aspect simply cannot be overstated: for our own health and that of the planet, we need to strongly consider a plant-based diet.

Here, a harm reduction model tends to be helpful. Perhaps you’re already vegetarian, or even strictly vegan. If not, and you can’t (yet) imagine a meat-free life, think in terms of harm reduction instead. How about having meat only one day a week? What about soy-based meat substitutes? Perhaps you don’t become totally vegan, but keep eggs in your diet, or cut out all dairy apart from yogurt for its fermentation benefits? Or continue eating fish but make certain that it’s farmed rather than wild-caught – again, for the sake of your own health (no mercury or pollutants) and also that of our planet (to ultimately eliminate drag-net fishing, for example)?

Certainly, for health we also need to avoid processed foods altogether, and stay as close to whole foods as possible; sea vegetables are especially nutritious, if you’re in a coastal area and have easy access. A whole food diet is sometimes identified as a matter of privilege, but in reality, fruits and vegetables, dried legumes and whole grains are some of our least expensive foods – though basic cooking skills are necessary. The closer to its original plant form, the better. (As to the question of organic, that’s rather more complicated and I’ll leave that alone for now.)

Moderation and compromise. Harm reduction. (And possibly, you may find yourself beginning to skip that meat night.)

In the introduction, I mentioned healing myself from hypoglycemia through a nutritional approach. In my early 20s I was severely hypoglycemic, as many young women are, fainting on trains while commuting to work and much more, and confirmed by a 6-hour fasting glucose test. With a family history of diabetes, I knew the trajectory; either I got control of this, or my pancreas would simply wear out by midlife, and I’d seen how devastating diabetes had been for my beloved grandmother.

My diet was fairly good; I had a general understanding about nutrition, loved to cook, and wasn’t interested in junk foods. Nevertheless, I set out on a quest: for a year I would have a strictly regimented vegan diet, no sugars or starches of any kind (no alcohol either, nor caffeine; I wanted zero spiking of blood sugar), even eliminating all but the most fibrous fruits. This was a healing endeavor which I took quite seriously, with no cheating; I can do anything for just one year, I thought, and included meditation and exercise, received body therapies, and more.

At year’s end, another 6-hour test showed normal results. I’ve had no issue since, all tests negative for nearly 4 decades. I felt so good after 12 months that I continued my healing regimen for an additional 6-month insurance, before relaxing it a bit (to include occasional bread or pasta, for example), though I’ve not strayed far from it in these many years since.

Let’s also talk about hydration which, again, is widely recognized as beneficial. This is perhaps one of the very best things you can do for your health. If you aren’t keen on drinking water (or even if you are), consider brewing a range of herbal teas each day instead, as whole plant as possible and by the pot, cooled and consumed throughout the day just as you would water. In this, you get the double benefit of whatever micronutrients that plant may have to offer.

Chlorophyll tincture in water is all the rage at present; following on trends of wheatgrass juice and blue-green algae or spirulina, we’ve known for some time (and in the case of sea vegetation such as the latter two, coastal indigenous peoples throughout the world have been consuming for aeons) that these highly nutritious greens are beneficial, though in moderation as with all things. We want our nutrients always to be in balance with one another.

As with nutrition, hydration is as essential for brain function, for psychological benefit, as it is for physiological. We humans are largely made of water, and when we don’t take in sufficient hydration, all manner of imbalances occur. This is especially true as we age; many ‘old age diseases’ relate in some way to insufficient hydration.

Fasting is currently in vogue, for overall health and for weight reduction, with a range of approaches. Rather than debate the merits of those methods, I’ll share with you my own. We may first wish to consider that animals often skip a day of eating here and there, as short-term fasting is very natural and gives the digestive system a rest. While it’s now commonly known that the gut and its microbiome are essential to overall health, recent research has shown that digestive problems are linked with higher risk of anxiety and depression. Again, body and mind are one.

My personal fasting process, for a few decades now, is to engage in a 3-day fast at 4 intervals each year: times of seasonal change (in temperate zones). When the climate is in flux, so too is the human body, as seen in a range of indigenous medical systems, and a good time for internal cleansing – notably as we shift from winter to spring. (If you’re not in a temperate zone, this would simply be once every 3 months for an evenly spaced interval.)

I’ve always approached these 3-day fasts as a mini-retreat of my own design, sequestered from the world (these days, also a cyber blackout). With plenty of hydration, ideally plant-based teas, but no solid food, the body has an opportunity to rest, and detoxify itself. A soft reentry is essential; after 3 days without food, the first day of eating must include soft foods only.

Meantime, I frame this ‘retreat’ as a sacred, healing, or other meaningful event (which also helps with motivation); I engage in meditation, journal-writing, song, dance, ritual, or whatever seems significant to me at the time, and plenty of rest. A 3-day healing retreat, a deep rest away from the world, and a time of transformation. Doesn’t that sound lovely?

Naturally, if you have any current health concerns or are on medications, you must consult your physician before fasting.

Finally: supplements. I’m not a fan.

Many years ago when in my New York clinic, I often collaborated with the one person I knew then (there may be more now) who was degreed in both western pharmacology and Chinese herbal medicine. Her knowledge of a wide range of supplements, and how they interacted with standard medications, was renowned. She told me how the most health-oriented people would come to her for advice, carrying in a box of all the supplements they were taking; she’d look them in the eye and simply state, “Pick just one.” After they got over the shock, she’d explain to them that even natural supplements interact with one another, and the liver has to process all of it, which can be overwhelming.

We know that our foods are often nutrient-poor, due to overworked farm fields and repeated use of toxic chemicals such as herbicides and pesticides. (The organic issue is that, unless all farmers within a large radius are also organic, the toxins others use leach into the common water table.) Supplements all come with great claims of health benefits, and surely we need a regular intake of certain vitamins and minerals. They tend to be highly overpriced, and often aren’t readily absorbed by the body. I suggest one good quality multi-vitamin/mineral only, effervescent type for best absorption (and bonus hydration as you dissolve it in water).

And so: nutrition, for physical and mental wellbeing.