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Picture of Health

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Health, according to the World Health Organization, is not merely the absence of disease, but is a homeostatic state of mind, body and spirit.

Many of us will receive the medical care we need to treat our health issues, but are we looking at the whole picture of health?

According to Lisa Rankin, author of Mind Over Medicine, optimal health occurs when our body is calm. In this calm, balanced or hemostatic state, our natural self-repair mechanisms can function completely.

In her recent research, she discovered correlations between health and living a balanced life. Here are a few of her findings.

  • People who describe themselves as lonely experience twice the risk of heart disease than those who had satisfying relationships.
  • People who had a positive outlook on life were 77% less likely to have heart disease.
  • Those who described themselves as happy lived 10 years longer than those who did not feel happy.

According to these findings, emotions, social interaction (or lack of) and outlook on life had an impact on health outcomes.

In addition to good medical care, invest in all aspects which create the whole picture of health.

  • Social interaction
  • Emotional wellness/ stress management
  • Good nutrition
  • Exercise
  • Faith practices/ mindfulness
  • Meaningful work

This is Sheila Harrell with the Church Health Center

If you have a question for Life Matters, send it tohealth@wkno.org.