We often talk about how important our mind, body, spirit, relationships, etc. are the most important things in our lives. How much time and effort do we actually put towards maintaining and improving these facets of our life?
Be well, stay healthy, be wise.
I can help. I have almost 40 years worth of experience in practicing and teaching others to take control of their health and well-being. Wellness lectures, classes, study guides & booklets.
We have an inner mental dialogue going on inside our head that mostly never stops. Often referred to as self-talk, inner chatter and inner speech. The next time you have a disturbing thought or emotion, remember that it does not define or control you. After all, you are not your thoughts but rather the observer to your thoughts. You can actively choose whether to participate in it or not.
Whatever thoughts or feelings that happen to present themselves in your head at any given moment do not define or control you. You are not angry, but rather can experience anger. We are not happy nor angry human beings but rather can choose to be happy, angry or whatever emotional state we care to experience at any given time. However, managing or controlling thoughts and consequently emotions is for most people, not an easy task to achieve.
Thoughts Affect Your Emotions
Every thought, has an emotional attachment on some level. Positive emotions keep organs in balance for optimal performance. Negative emotions disrupt this balance leading to other symptoms and ailments.
Emotions affect the endocrine system (body chemistry)
The body chemistry affects hormones (growth & stress)
Growth or stress hormones affects bodily functions of the physical health
Physical health affects your thoughts – completing the circuit, brings us back full circle
What You Think Affects Your Outlook If your thoughts have a mostly positive emotional attachment on some level, you may have more of an optimistic outlook in your life. Conversely, mostly negative emotions tend to make people have a somewhat pessimistic outlook in their life.
Traditional Chinese Medicine recognizes that there is a direct link from our emotions to the health of our internal organs and their functions.
Tai chi, yoga, martial arts, meditation and other time-proven methods are known practices to help manage and control the inner dialogue.
A recent article form the Wall Street Journal explains more about managing the inner chatter.
As we all continue to age, we need to decide how much time and effort we choose to put towards our health and well being. Weekly hours of time pursuing a healthy lifestyle can prevent potential hours at the doctor’s office or days in the hospital.
Be well, stay healthy, be wise.
I can help. I have almost 40 years worth of experience in practicing and teaching others to take control of their health and well-being. Wellness lectures, classes, study guides & booklets.
Obesity and all its causes, are the elephants in the room that few people want to discuss for fear of offending those whom have these issues or suffering the backlash from companies that employ millions of US workers, while also profiting from the illnesses connected to their products. The fast food industry generates about $240 billion annually.
The CDC reports, the US adult obesity rate is now at 42% and rising each year, we need to get past being offended or the denial of this and truly see it for what it is. We can argue that seemingly healthy people can get Covid19 also, just as doctors get ill sometimes and dentist themselves get cavities. What is different though, is healthier individuals usually recover faster or experience less severe symptoms. https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html
People want to believe in science, or so they say. Often, we will agree with science when it supports our own viewpoint. Not so much when science makes us think more, work smarter or self-discipline. Science has proven that a healthy immune system is a definite issue in preventing illnesses, viruses or otherwise. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-to-boost-your-immune-system
Eating healthier foods, being active, managing stress, quality sleep are all proven by science to help fight illnesses, but this is not the message being conveyed to the public. Masks, social distancing and vaccines will not make those prone to disease any healthier. Safer maybe? These methods help short-term but they are just a band-aid for the bigger issues of unhealthy lifestyles. Many people sit all day long, kids have little or no PE and/or recess in schools, there is less unorganized playtime for younger kids to explore and enjoy, and we often eat low-quality foods contributing to a 42% obesity rate in the US. To sum it all up: we havea general lack of public education of how to live a healthy lifestyle. Fix the root problems and let’s see the healthy tree grow to new heights!
Americans consume a ton of low quality junk food every day. Our economy relies upon the fast food industry to provide jobs and profits to investors. Makers of soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, processed foods, fried foods, cigarettes, candy and many others would not be too happy if the president, CDC, or surgeon general made a public service announcement calling for Americans to reduce or reconsider the mass consumption of these items and instead eat healthier meals at home. The healthcare industry also profits from Americans being healthy enough to produce in the workforce but being unhealthy enough to need medications, procedures and surgeries that might be avoided from a healthier diet mentality encouraged at an earlier age. US annual healthcare spending is about 3.5 trillion. The US ranks about 35 in the world for quality of healthcare while spending far more than any other country. More spending does not equal healthier people; the US has proven this for much of the last decades. https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2019/08/08/how-us-healthcare-spending-per-capita-compares-with-other-countries-infographic/?sh=241349ea575d
A large majority of US workers now sit for many hours a day whether working, watching TV or engaged in computer activities, all leading to a more sedentary lifestyle than what was experienced in decades past. The CDC reports that kids are sitting in front of a screen average 7.5 hours per day, every day. https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/multimedia/infographics/getmoving.html
US citizens have more stress and anxiety than years past, trying to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, politics and other economic uncertainties. Most have little or no understanding of self-stress management often resorting to alcohol and drugs to relieve depression, anxiety and other emotional issues. https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2019/stress-america-2019.pdf
Schools have been trimming back on physical education and recess in past years, in place of the seemingly more important time dedicated to academics, resulting in over-stressed overweight young adults. If a strong fitness ethic is not developed in earlier years of development, it is often difficult to recoup once an individual heads into adulthood with college, careers, social and family life. https://thebestschools.org/magazine/death-of-recess/
These factors and others have contributed to a recipe for an unhealthy nation that has been baking in the oven for that last decades. DING!! The recipe is now complete and the cake is done baking! Here we our with a hot and fresh pandemic. In spite of masks, social distancing and new vaccines, Americans will continue to suffer in the future. If not from COVID-19, then COVID-20 or the next manifestation of disease that grows in unhealthy bodies. We need to stop trying to fix the root problems with temporary band-aids!
Discipline the mind in order to discipline the body!
Learn how this all works from private, small or group instruction.
What we do during the waking hours, often determines how well we sleep at night. How well we sleep and how much determines how the quality of our waking hours is utilized. By practicing stress relieving exercises and habits during the day, the mind and body can more easily process information and rejuvenate during the sleep stages. Sleep requirements vary depending upon age, mental and physical conditions.
Are you low on energy? Hard to focus throughout the day? Many chronic illnesses can be attributed to poor sleep. More serious diseases such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, are thought to be directly related to not achieving sufficient recovery during the sleep cycle.
STRESS affects REST!
Each phase of our day is intimately interconnected with the others. What you do or don’t do during the waking hours will definitely affect the quality of the sleep time. Then the quality of the sleep affects your energy and outlook going into the next day. This can make a never ending cycle that continues until you decide to make it change.
During the sleep cycle our body needs adequate time and quality rest to perform daily maintenance and restoration. Additionally, the brain waves need to change and slow in order for this restoration to take place.
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Mental activity can become stressful when trying to work, solve problems, manage a family, finances and juggling hundreds of other daily tasks. Physical activity, relaxing and enjoyable activities are key components to balancing this daily stress. A good night’s rest is earned, by what eat, what you think about and what types of physical activity is executed throughout the day.
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Tai Chi, bagauzhang and qigong are all methods of exercise that also embody the philosophy balancing physical exercise with mental engagement to relieve stress and tension, while also increasing the flow of energy ( and blood flow) within the body improving health and well-being.
A root cause of the health issues in the U.S. is the poor quality of food and the amount we consume. This is complicated even more so with the sedentary lifestyle and laissez-faire attitude towards individuals accepting responsibility for their own health. These factors help contribute to the increase of obesity over the last 60 years. Obesity is a key factor in many health issues as can be seen by the graphics below from the CDC and other reputable sources.
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The CDC, believe their data or don’t. I would hope their numbers are accurate if we are to believe in their guidance. Take a look at their stats for the US population when it comes to not only obesity, but also the lack of consistent exercise, and low consumption of fruits and vegetables.
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These numbers are truly pathetic. Stats for kids (not shown) are just as appalling. The current guidance of wearing masks, wash your hands often and keep social distancing is a band-aid response to a very unhealthy nation. I can’t understand why more direction isn’t stressed on eating better, relieving stress, sleeping better and becoming more active in addition to other measures?
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We rank #35 in the world for overall quality of health but rank #1 for healthcare spending. As a nation, we eat a extremely high amount of junk food and then sit on our butts hoping to efficiently digest what will eventually cause our illnesses and death. This is our reality that many choose to deny. True is true.
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Money doesn’t change our health. Education and a healthy mindset are what is needed. So strange to see people become so angry about wearing a mask or not; keeping the 6ft separation (MIT research shows a sneeze or cough can travel 20-26 feet) when they are not trying to maintain good health to begin with. Do the research. Follow the numbers. Follow the money. Just my .02.
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Eat better, move more, stress less. Be well please.
Jim Moltzan started his martial arts training at the age of 16, starting with Korean martial arts and evolving into BaguaZhang, Tai Chi, and Qigong. Jim has been training, studying and teaching for almost 40 years effectively educating hundreds of students.
Master Instructor Jim Moltzan has trained with a diverse group of masters and high-level martial arts teachers of many different disciplines. Jim’s specialty is teaching exercises to improve chronic conditions, working with people of all ages, especially senior adults. Offering guidance and instruction, Jim has also worked with Parkinson Disease patients through Florida Hospital. Jim gives regular lectures as requested by AdventHealth (Florida Hospital) regarding the benefits of Eastern practices.
He is the author and graphic artist of numerous journals, graphic charts and study guides relative to the mind and body connection and how it relates to martial arts, fitness and self-improvement.
Jim continues his training and teaching in the Orlando, Florida area conducting classes, seminars and lectures as his schedule allows. He balances his teachings and businesses with his own personal cultivation and time spent with his wife and two college-age kids.
United Martial Arts Association 