| The Research Behind the Programmes |
Research shows that our health & wellbeing is directly influenced not just by our eating and activity patterns, but by stress and how we handle painful thoughts & emotions.Food & Activity BehavioursResearch confirms that having knowledge about healthy lifestyles is not enough to help you make positive changes and maintain them. Learning new skills and an empowering approach, based on a thorough understanding of behaviour change, is more effective in enabling you to develop healthier patterns without struggle, and to sustain these long-term. Thoughts and Emotions...Chronic mental or emotional stress (for example, anxiety, depression, anger) creates many damaging changes in our body. It can contribute to immune system decline, heart disease, insulin resistance (which often leads to development of diabetes), memory loss, weakened bones, and can even accelerate the ageing process. Stress also makes it more difficult to adopt and sustain positive changes in your lifestyle. In fact, stress is a common trigger of unhealthy lifestyle behaviours (such as overeating and smoking).The good news, however, is that it is possible to learn highly effective 'mind-body' techniques and skills that result in long-term beneficial changes to your wellbeing. Health promotion programmes based on the 'mind-body model' recognize that your thoughts, your emotions and your behaviours all directly influence your health. Such programmes offer participants experience with a range of mind-body approaches. According to the US National Institute of Health, mind-body approaches are "designed to facilitate the mind's capacity to affect bodily function and symptoms". A careful scientific review of high-quality research studies shows there is strong research evidence for mind-body approaches in the treatment of chronic low back pain, coronary artery disease, headache and insomnia, in preparation for surgery; and in the management of the symptoms of cancer (symptoms due either to the treatment or the disease itself). Moderate evidence supports use of mind-body approaches for hypertension and arthritis. Strong research evidence from Harvard Medical School demonstrates that any health conditions where stress is a contributing factor, or which are worsened by stress, can be improved by mind-body programmes. In addition to those conditions listed above, Harvard Medical School research has shown that mind-body approaches are also effective in the treatment of premenstrual syndrome, infertility, anxiety, and mild and moderate depression. ReferencesAstin JA, Shapiro SL, Eisenberg DM, Forys KL. Mind-Body Medicine: state of the science, implications for practice. Journal of the American Board of Family Practice 2003; 16: 131-147 |
