While there’s no magic elixir to prevent all disease, researchers have pinpointed a variety of lifestyle tools that may help to enhance your mind-body wellness. Here’s what you can do to boost your vitality any time you like.
Breathe.
Everyone breathes, but mindful breathing exercises take breathing to a whole new level. Did you know that breathwork has been shown to help lower blood pressure and stress, improve your mood and help your body to better manage pain? Here’s one breathing exercise, courtesy of mbghealth contributor Kaia Roman:
“Grateful heart” breath:
Begin by getting comfortable, either sitting or lying down, and then close your eyes.
Start to pay attention to your breath, consciously deepening your inhale and slowing your exhale.
Now, put your hands on your heart and bring to mind something, or someone, that you’re grateful for. Choose an easy one: a person, place, situation, pet, etc., that really fills your heart with appreciation.
As you continue to deeply inhale and slowly exhale, let the feeling of gratitude wash over your entire body. Hold this feeling for one to five minutes, or longer if you like.
Feel free to come back to this exercise multiple times, adding more reasons to be grateful to your list.
Wear sunscreen!
May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month! Did you know that wearing sunscreen is the most important action you can take to reduce your skin cancer risk? And if that’s not enough to motivate you, the sun — not your age! — is estimated to cause up to 90% of your skin’s aging. So it is NOT an exaggeration to say that your biggest beauty weapon in life is SPF. Our team will help you find the perfect formulation for your skin type. We have several medical-grade brands that are broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection, transparent zinc oxide, noncomedogenic, sensitivity-free, fragrance-free and paraben free to make your skin glow, and we honestly can’t wait to help you find a sunscreen that you’ll love applying each morning. Please call 303.327.7300 or email EmilyE@BesanaWellness.com.
Think positive.
Your mind is a powerful healing tool. If you don’t believe it, consider what happens when you watch a scary movie. Nothing real is happening to you, but your thoughts are triggering your heart to race, your blood pressure to rise, your breathing to become rapid. So, if your thoughts can cause such a dramatic stress response in your body, shouldn’t they be equally capable of helping you calm down and feel happier? The answer is yes, according to mind-body researchers. Positive thoughts do help your body calm down, lowering your heart rate and blood pressure and helping you conserve energy. When your body is calm, it has more energy to do healthy things like fend off illnesses. But there’s more. Research indicates that having an attitude of gratitude can help lower your risk of disease and depression and help you feel happier. Now, if that doesn’t motivate you to start writing a gratitude journal…
Supplement your life.
Exercise is one surefire way to supplement your life! The simple act of walking is clinically proven to help reduce your risk for disease, lower stress and improve your mood. But you can also use literal supplements to help your body stay balanced. Here at Atagi Plastic Surgery & Skin Aesthetics, we offer vitamin supplements and bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT). If you suspect you may benefit from supplements or BHRT, your first step is scheduling a personal consultation with us, during which we will carefully examine your symptoms and test your blood to determine your hormonal or nutrient levels. If a deficiency is detected, we will carefully tailor your regimen to meet your body’s exact needs.
To learn more about boosting your vitality and protecting your skin with SPF, please call 303.327.7300. You can also purchase gift cards and order skin care products or supplements by emailing EmilyE@BesanaWellness.com.
