A human is made of mind, body and soul. It is a unique balance of these ingredients that makes a successful and happy human. I will discuss how we can nourish each component separately to accomplish our daily goals.
1. A HEALTHY MIND
The human brain is made of 100 billion special cells called neurons. Each neuron has a head, or cell body, and a tail, or axon. The axons constitute a wiring network connecting with different areas of the brain. Like the wiring circuits of a computer the wiring networks of the brain carry electric currents converted from chemical energy.
There are different chemical substances called neurotransmitters in the cell body of each neuron. Neurotransmitters generate different signals in the wiring network for any individual task. Wiring and the recruitments of new areas of the brain is triggered by our organized thought process to acquire new information and knowledge.
Out of 24 hours, one third of the time we spend sleeping, to provide our brain a complete rest. The second third we utilize our brain for the purpose of learning, in school/college, or doing our jobs to earn our daily livelihood. The last one third needs special attention.
DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES OF THE HUMAN MIND
The psychological development of our mind parallels the developmental stages of our body, such as follows. This is a very sensitive journey for the development of a healthy human mind, that flourishes under the bondage between a child and their parents.
This journey of the development of a healthy mind is smooth when a child receives uninterrupted/unconditional love and care by his parents. The socio-economic status and education of parents influences the development of the mind of a child. School teachers, friends and neighbors also have an impact on the development of the mind and social skills.
During the developmental stages, a child's mind can get severely damaged by marital conflicts. For instance, it is scientifically proven that the divorce of parents can potentially shatter the psychological development of a child. Children witnessing conflicts among their parents get stressed. They affect their mental and intellectual development. Research has shown that marital conflicts can hinder children’s development of cognitive ability.
Detailed histories taken from patients with psychiatric illnesses typically reveal harmful events in their past, particularly during their childhood.
DIVORCE AND BEHAVIORIAL PROBLEMS IN CHILDREN
In one study the divorce rate in the United States in 2020 is 40-50%.
Children lose daily contact with one parent most often fathers. This affects the parent-child bond. There is high stress associated with single parenting.
Changing school, moving to a new home and living with a single parent affects children.
Divorce increases risk for mental health problems in children such as anxiety and depression, conduct disorders, and impulse behavior.
These children may experience conflicts with their peers and poor academic performance. They take risk taking behavior such as substance abuse and early sexual activity, alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and drugs.
According to a study published in 2010, adolescents whose parents divorced when they were 5 years old or younger, are particularly high risk for becoming sexually active before the age of 16.
Separation from the father has also been associated with a higher number of sexual partners during adolescence.
ADVICE TO PARENTS
MEDITATIONS ARE RELIGIOUS AND NON RELIGOUS
They both nurture intelligence and keep the human mind focused. Regular prayers in different religions are the meditations that keep the mind relaxed.
Non-religious meditations such as yoga, relaxation exercises, and self-hypnotism serve the same benefit to human brain functions.
Meditations take care of emotions and help relieve stress. People who are anxious, depressed, sleep deprived, or exhausted tend to score poorly on cognitive function tests. They perform poorly in job interviews and fail to achieve high salary skillful jobs.
Spending time with family, eating dinner, and watching TV together relieves stress. Sports, gardening, or playing video games enhance brain metabolism and activates the wiring system. Non violent video games act as brain teasers and enhance rewiring of the brain. Video games based on violence triggers frustration and anger in human behavior.
If we keep our brain preoccupied with an ongoing effort to find the answers for “why”, what”, and “when”, our brain will establish rewiring. That results in the activation and expansion of our intelligence.
EXERCISING AND CONTROLLING BLOOD PRESSURE,
SUGAR, AND CHOLESTEROL
Physical exercise helps in re-wiring of nerve cells. It maintains blood pressure and reduces cholesterol and blood sugar. It also reduces mental stress, extreme emotions and gives us control over anger. Read more here.
DIET
Mediterranean style diet, fruits, vegetable, fish, nuts, unsaturated oils (olive oil), and plant source protein. Avoid alcohol and tobacco. Read more here.
BUILDING UP SOCIAL SKILLS
Those who build up social networks develop leadership skills and boost up their businesses.
2. A HEALTHY BODY
Like a plant receives its nutrition and water from soil, light and air from the environment to grow. It inherits a natural mechanism to protect itself from disease. We do add onto its nutrition by providing fertilizers, supplying proper amounts of water and sometimes use chemicals to treat its diseases.
Growth and health of the human body travels a long journey that starts with a period of 9 months in the mother's womb, 2 years of complete dependence on mother for nutrition, care and protection. Research has shown that mother’s milk plays a crucial role in child physical and psychological development in the form of a strong bond that gains strength during breastfeeding, physical touch and eye contact. Breast milk has all essential nutrition ingredients, a balanced calorie supply and it provides natural chemical substances such as immunoglobulins to protect a child against various diseases.
BALANCED NUTRITION OF AN ADULT
Nutrition provides chemical energy essential for growth and activity.
This form of the chemical energy is measured in calories (a calorie is defined as an amount of the energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water through 1 °C).
A normal young adult requires 2000 calories every day for basic body functions, growth and activity.
We follow a basic mathematical rule to prevent obesity is to watch the number of calories we consumed from food sources and the number of calories we burnt in a single day. It is crucial to maintain a balance.
DAILY FOOD INTAKE FOR AN ADULT
DAILY WATER INTAKE
DAILY REQUIREMENTS FOR ESSENTIAL MINERALS
DAILY REQUIREMENTS FOR VITAMINS
A SAMPLE OF A HEALTHY DAILY DIET
A FEW EXAMPLES OF APPROXIMATE CALORIE COUNTS
FOOD ITEMS
NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
NATURAL FOOD SOURCES OF VITAMINS
*Food containing Beta Carotene/Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Vitamin E are the best natural sources
BODY MASS INDEX (BMI)
WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE
NECK CIRCUMFERENCE
CALORIES BURNED PER HOUR
TIPS FOR REDUCING WEIGHT
Watch what you eat.
Check the calorie count within 24 hours:
The number of caloric intake < the number of calories burned/24 hours = weight loss
The number of caloric intake > the number of calories burned/24 hours = weight gain
The number of caloric intake = the number of calories burned/24 hours = stable weight
3. A HEALTHY SOUL
There are different interpretations of the soul; this is just my own.
The soul is an unseen component of a living human. The material our body is made of belongs to the earth and is recyclable. God breathed his own breath into a piece of clay that turned into the first living human (Adam).
The soul is a special creation of God. I believe this is the same soul that enters into the piece of flesh of a 6-week-old embryo that then shows signs of life.
As an example, the soul is like how Iron Man (Iron Man, 2008) enters into his robotic suit made out of metal (Body). He then turns on the computer system that controls the electric power and decision-making (Mind). After he’s competed his mission, he comes out of the suit, leaving the robot like a dead piece of metal.
Our soul separates from our body when we die. The soul does not die. The soul is connected to God by spirituality.
KEY TO A HEALTHY SOUL
Our body needs materialistic food in the form of a balanced diet to keep us alive.
Spirituality, on the other hand, is the nutrition of the soul. I believe we purify our soul by our thought process and with our actions to be good humans. Our prayers and our self-assessment ensure if God is happy with us. At the end of every day, we self-evaluate ourselves to recognize the avoidable mistakes we committed, then ask in our prayers for God’s forgiveness. This practice enlightens our minds and purifies our souls.
As a Primary care physician, I personally believe the souls of my parents are alive and are watching me.
All religions, despite their minor differences, have a common goal, which is how to be a good human and purify our souls.
