We are what we eat. And think. And do. And absorb…

Eating and cooking are some of our favorite activities here at WYS, but we also recognize that individual health depends on much more than diet alone. There are a myriad of factors influencing our well-being, from our constitution and body type to our environment and lifestyle factors. Taking a holistic view, our health depends on:

1. Genetic constitution – our body type and genetic makeup, inherited from our parents at birth

2. Behavior and lifestyle factors – diet, exercise, drugs, stress, thoughts and emotions, social factors, etc.

3. Environmental influences – air, land, and water pollution, radiation, infectious agents, climate, etc.

Research suggests that environmental factors play a role in 70% to 90% of all disease risk, which means that our daily lifestyle choices have a tremendous impact on our long-term health.

One of the most important (and overlooked) set of health factors is our thoughts, emotions, and the mind-body connection. The field of psychoneuroimmunology examines how psychological processes affect the central nervous and immune systems, and their relation to health and disease. We know that our thoughts impact our emotions and our emotions impact our physiology. Regardless of what is happening around us, our mind offers us control of our internal environment; we alone hold the ability to choose our thoughts and influence the way we feel. Just as we careful about what foods we eat and activities we do, we should exercise the same amount of care about the thoughts and attitudes we hold in our mind.

If we are what we think, what will we be today?

#Holistichealth #Eating #Exercise #Mindbodyconnection #Environment