HOW TO CREATE HEALTHY VIBES THROUGH NATURE
Photo: Mundy Regional Park, WA
Nature is vital to our health but we are losing touch with nature.
A growing number of studies support evidence that contact with nature has an increased positive effect in many areas of our lives such as positive emotions, reducing stress, lowering blood pressure, boosting the immune system, improving moods, mental health and sleep, lowering stress hormones, promoting calmness, reducing mortality risk, ADHD and diabetes, providing a sense of social connection and connection to the world around us, and contributing to physical health and well-being.
With the growth of population and infrastructure, the earths landmass is increasing with urban areas. United Nations (2015) estimates that half of the worldwide population are in urban areas with figures expected to rise. This lifestyle has resulted in a decline in human contact with nature and less outdoor leisure time as people spend more time indoors and use technology in the form of TV, Netflix, and Social Media as a form entertainment.
There is some evidence to support that the relationship between green space and health has benefits but it isn’t clear what the relationship is. One possibility is that it provides opportunities for physical activity and socialising and gives a sense of place which is closely tied into a sense of community and draws people together.
Study co-author Prof Andy Jones, from the University East Anglia, Norwich Medical School said: "We often reach for medication when we're unwell but exposure to health-promoting environments is increasingly recognised as both preventing and helping treat disease”. This study found that spending time or living close to natural green space or nature showed significant health benefits and reduced many health problems. An interesting result from the study showed that exposure to green space significantly reduced peoples levels of salivary cortisol, a physiological marker of stress which makes people feel anxious or depressed.
When in nature we are exposed to a vast variety of bacteria and microbes which may help protect against allergies and other inflammatory diseases. Studies carried out by the University of Helsinki have shown that country children in Russia have more diverse bacteria on their skin, particularly Acinetobacter which is found on plants and these children had more leukocytes in their bloodstream that were more capable of producing the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. They had a lower rate of allergies such as asthma compared to urban children.
In recent separate experiments conducted in Japan and Finland, 2 groups of participants filled out questionnaires about their moods, their stress levels and other psychological measurements were recorded and the 2 groups were conducted to take walks of equal length and difficulty either in the forest or in an urban area while having their heart rate and blood pressure measured.
The experiment concluded that those who walked in the forest had significantly lower heart rates, better moods, less anxiety and stress than those who walked in an urban setting. This showed that being in nature had beneficial effects on stress reduction, far more than what exercise alone might achieve.
When we are around ultraviolet rays, waterfalls, mountains, crashing waves and after a thunderstorm we inhale negative ions that are also known as ‘air vitamins’. These negative ions are invisible molecules that are electrically charged. Research shows that being exposed to negative ions can have a positive affect on bodily tissues and DNA, can help to diminish depression and stress, help balance sleep patterns, boost immune function, and seasonal depression disorder (SAD).
Studies show that there is something healing about getting out in nature that keeps us healthy and connected, keeps us feeling upbeat mentally and emotionally, regulates sleep patterns and allows us to feel good about ourselves and our social connections. It can also help with blood pressure, allergies and our overall wellbeing.
I like to encourage my clients to step outdoors between their kinesiology visits. A few suggestions are take up gardening, grow some veggies, sit under a tree and read a book, take your lunch break in a park, go on picnics, hike the hills, sit by a water fountain, walk your dog or take a friends dog to the beach. One study says it only takes 120 minutes per week to reap the benefits of nature but any less won’t do any good at all.
It's free, it costs nothing, it’s holistic, no drugs and no pain! Give it a go and see if you feel the difference.
If you have any of these symptoms you should always see your GP.
Ref:
https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/65/12/1141/223866
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5744722/
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/07/180706102842.htm
https://www.webmd.com/balance/features/negative-ions-create-positive-vibes#1
https://www.healthline.com/health/negative-ions#how-they-form