Stress… and the Other Nutrients

Having taught nutrition for over a decade at the University of Colorado, the first lecture always included a brief review of the six nutrients: carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and water. Yet it would be a gross injustice to only list these. There are several more. They include, but are not limited to: Sunlight, oxygen, prana and love. It’s not secret that the average person doesn’t get enough sunlight, a fact that came to light when it was reported last year that many Americans today are deficient in Vitamin D; the sunshine vitamin. While it is safe to say that many people do get their supply of oxygen, we can also safely assume that a great man people are not in touch with their breathing skills (Sting is often quoted as saying that most people in the Western culture do not know how to breath correctly, and he is right). Prana, a name associated with divine energy, is also an essential nutrient, yet one that most people take for granted. Becoming conscious of this divine energy facilitates a great ability to reach our highest potential. A stressed lifestyle not only tends to compromise our eating habits, but our ability to get outside and enjoy the natural world, one that is filled with sunlight, oxygen and prana. And it goes without saying that without love, we cannot live at all.

Stress Tip for the Day:

Make it a habit to get outside today and go for a walk. Drink in the sunlight as you walk. Feel the gentle caress of wind on your face and breath it in, deep into your lungs. As you breath in this fresh air, recognize that you are also breathing in the life force of universal energy (some people call it prana, still others call it Chi, and still others call it the Holy Spirit). Make it a habit to get your daily requirement of these essential nutrients as well as the obvious ones that you consume at each meal. And regarding love, this nutrient can only be absorbed with an open heart.

Links, Books and Movies Worth Noting:

Here is a nice article about the sunshine vitamin:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/feb/08/vitamin-d-sun-health

Quote for the Day:

“Live in the sunshine, swim in the sea, drink in the wild air.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

Photo for the Day:

This photo was taken a few years ago during a sunset on the island of Santorini, Greece, where there is plenty of sunshine, oxygen and prana. Enjoy!

Brian Luke Seaward, Ph.D. is an internationally renowned expert in the fields of stress management, mind-body-spirit healing and stress and human spirituality. He is the author of over 10 books including the bestsellers, Stand Like Mountain, Flow Like Water, Stressed Is Desserts Spelled Backward, The Art of Calm, Quiet Mind, Fearless Heart and Managing Stress (7e) and the forthcoming, A Beautiful World: The Earth Song Journals. He can be reached through his website: www.brianlukeseaward.net

© Brian Luke Seaward, Ph.D.