Posts Tagged → ilchi lee health
Maintaining health for seniors may be a matter of engaging in an active social life
Ilchi Lee says that health is one of the most valuable things a person has and should be guarded at all costs. However, despite this importance, many people begin to let their physical and mental condition start to slip as they get older, chalking the changes up to aspects of the natural aging process.
However, this does not have to be the case. Experts say that seniors can involve themselves in many activities that help stimulate brain health and keep their bodies physically active. For example, a recent study out of the University of Southern California found that engaging in meaningful activities helps seniors maintain both physical and mental fitness.
These types of activities can include anything from visiting a museum with friends to taking a walk in the park. The researchers said that engaging in these activities could have important health benefits for seniors.
"Although people are living longer, it is important that they also live better. This intervention results in improved quality of life and provides a vehicle for maintaining health as we age," said Florence Clark, who led the investigation.
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A good night’s sleep and limiting stress shown to aid in weight loss
While many people look to restrictive diets and supplemental products to stimulate weight loss and improve their well-being, Ilchi Lee says health is a matter of focusing on the basics of life and searching for ways to live as nature intended. This view is increasingly being borne out by science.
For example, a recent study conducted by the Kaiser Permanente Foundation found that individuals who are seeking to lose weight are more successful when they get a good night's sleep and limit their stress levels.
After studying several factors in nearly 500 individuals who were looking to lose up to 10 pounds, the researchers found that sleep and stress are two of the most important factors. Those who slept between six and eight hours per night and limited their stress were significantly more likely to reach their weight loss goals.
"Some people may just need to cut back on their schedules and get to bed earlier," said Charles Elder, who led the study. "Others may find that exercise can reduce stress and help them sleep. For some people, mind-body techniques such as meditation also might be helpful."
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New findings help explain age-related cognitive decline
Degradation in certain areas of the brain may help explain why people tend to have a harder time processing new information as they age, and this knowledge suggests possible ways to prevent the problem, according to a new study from researchers at Johns Hopkins University.
The team used brain imaging scans of older individuals while they were completing tasks that tested their memory. The results showed that seniors tend to have atrophy in neural pathways that lead to the hippocampus, the area of the brain that holds memories.
This is why a person is more likely to recall older information rather than form and process new memories when they are older. However, the researchers said that it may be possible to ward off these effects. They said that their findings will make it easier to study the effects of various treatments that support brain health well into old age.
Author and philosopher Ilchi Lee says that brain health can be preserved through techniques such as meditation and other forms of mental training. These methods may help maintain neural pathways and stave off the effects of cognitive decline.
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Adversity shown to hinder perception
Adversity may actually dull an individual's perceptive abilities and make it more difficult for them to learn from new experiences, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Neuroscience.
The findings give particular emphasis to Ilchi Lee's thoughts on brain health. He says that individuals must do all that they can to learn from negative experiences and use this wisdom to overcome adversity. The results of the study show that this is important to achieving a heightened state of consciousness.
For the study, researchers from Weizmann Institute asked participants to listen to a set of tones, some of which preceded an offensive odor. The results showed that individuals were able to easily distinguish between tones that came before a pleasant or neutral outcome, but those that indicated a negative occurrence were not as easily learned.
The researchers said that this shows the negative experience of a bad odor inhibited auditory perception.
While adversity is a constant in nearly everyone's life, learning how to effectively deal with it may be important in perceiving the world in more healthy ways.
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Sleep may play an important role in healthy mental function
Ilchi Lee says that brain health plays an important role in an individual's ability to pursue their life passions with vigor and to achieve fulfillment in their life. Now, a new study has found that getting an appropriate amount of sleep each night may be the key to preserving good mental function.
Researchers from the University College London reported in the journal Sleep that middle-aged men and women who sleep between six and eight hours per night tend to have lower rates of cognitive impairment later in life than those who get more or less sleep.
"The detrimental effects of too much, too little and poor quality sleep on various aspects of health have begun to receive more attention," said lead researcher Jane Ferrie. She added that the modern lifestyles of many people have caused an increase in the number of individuals who get a poor night's sleep on a regular basis.
One way that individuals can cut down on the distractions that may contribute to poor sleep and preserve health mental function is meditation. Ilchi Lee has recommended this approach for years, saying that it can play an important in brain health.
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Social activity can preserve mental function in seniors
There are many ways that Ilchi Lee says a person can preserve their brain health as they age. Meditation and mind training programs can all help seniors stay mentally sharp. Now, a new study has shown that simply being more socially active may also serve to protect the brain from decline.
Researchers from Rush University reported in the Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society that older individuals who engage in more social activities tend to have healthier brain function than more socially isolated seniors.
The researchers speculated that social activities force individuals to use diverse areas of their brains, which may serve to preserve neural networks and contribute to a sharp, focused mind. The study showed that social activities as simple as going to church or eating at a restaurant can be enough to preserve mental function.
When these activities are added to meditative programs or other initiatives specifically designed to improve mental function, seniors may be able to remain lucid and avoid cognitive decline for many years to come. Lee says that mental health is one of the most important areas of overall health.
