The Power of Nature

There should be a lot that comes to mind when we think of nature such human nature, our natural environment and most simply: the outdoors. It has been scientifically proven that connecting with our outside world is beneficial for our mental well being and overall health. This may not have been at the top of your list for things that affect health.

At Health Means Wealth, we strongly believe that if you lose your connection to nature you lose yourself.

-JayDee Vykoukal

Nature literally affects our hormones.

Fresh unadulterated air, beautiful scenery, and sunshine all factor into the body’s release of our feel good hormones (i.e. serotonin). These can help us feel balanced in the fast paced world we live in today. Some of us may be more hesitant than others to “go outside,” but no one can argue that fresh air makes us stop to breathe deeply and maybe even smile for a moment!

Ways to embrace nature.

• Try to get outside everyday. Somewhere with access to grass or trees is ideal but anywhere is better than nothing (the scents from trees literally can make us feel less stressed, healthier and happier).
• When time permits (perhaps on days off) try to schedule extended amounts of time outside. Examples include a day fishing, hiking, skiing, sitting and reading… whatever calls to you!
• Meet up with friends outside to get some much needed social time and sunshine (hopefully, check the weather to schedule accordingly) while in nature. An enjoyable thing to do any day.
• When you do get outside, try to always take a moment to truly appreciate it. Being mindful of your surroundings helps relieve anxiety and stress.
• Coordinate your outside time with your exercise routine with yoga in the park, running, hiking or walking (weather permitting).

We have lost our way from what’s natural.

Today we live in a world that is so full of artificial smells, flavors and entertainment that our connection to what’s natural can be easily forgotten. Our high stimulus world leads to increased stress, compromised health and even a feeling of just simply being lost.

Our addictions to unnatural things are making us sicker everyday.

-Health Means Wealth

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How to embrace “natural” in our lives.

• Spend some time everyday away from technology. We are so used to instant gratification and entertainment from our phones, computers and TVs that we forget to enjoy the simple quiet things in life.
• Embrace physical connections over electronic ones. We are social beings meant to interact and thrive off each other. Make eye contact, smile, and make conversation the way we are meant to as humans!
• Avoid harsh lights at night. This affects our ability to sleep and our overall circadian rhythm. (Getting exposure to natural light is an added bonus to your daily rhythm and will help your body manage sleep better.)
• Go on a chemical detox. Pay attention to your consumption of sprays, lotions, soaps, processed food and modified food.
• Re-calibrate your senses. After detoxing you will learn to appreciate more natural scents and flavors that you couldn’t appreciate before the way they were intended to be. You will wonder how you ever survived in your chemical cloud and fresh whole foods will taste amazing!
• Use natural products. Find products that are gentle to you and the world we all live in. You’ll probably find that a lot of them work even better than the synthetic versions anyways. For example, coconut oil and castile soap are great all in one pantry must haves!
• Change your diet. Focus on whole foods that your body truly needs and craves (under the addictions to laboratory foods like sugar). You will find you crave healthy foods as your body and taste buds adjust.
• Grow a garden. Don’t have a backyard? Put a few herbs in a window, help a friend, join a co-op or even just go pick your own produce from a local farm.

Restoring our body’s own ecosystem.

Your body will thrive in a natural environment if given the chance. Once chemical assault on our bodies is eradicated, the body can do what it does best: thrive! Chemical exposure affects our body’s natural ecosystem and homeostasis, a lot of which involves bacteria (or our microbiome). Our body’s natural functions are all influenced by a balance of the thousands of bacteria our body naturally hosts, when they are in balance (and not influenced by byproducts), our body’s will feel well tuned, healthy and ready for anything!

References:

Why nature is so good for you. (See the full article here).

11 Scientific Reasons Why Being in Nature is Relaxing. (Article here).

The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Healthier, Happier and More Creative. by Florence Williams. (Available on Amazon here. Highly recommended read!)