November's here and the day of giving thanks is upon us! Thanksgiving always serves as a reminder to take a moment to reflect and appreciate all that we have to be grateful for. Though it's good to have a holiday dedicated to appreciating all that we have (not to mention a great excuse to have some pumpkin pie!), we can use this reminder of what is a good practice not just on Thanksgiving, but what to practice everyday: the act of being grateful - the attitude of gratitude!

In our busy lives, it's easy to feel overwhelmed and out of control. It's also easy to dwell on all the things we don't have in our life, while forgetting all the little things that truly make our lives beautiful.

In practicing the art of gratitude, we give thanks - everyday - for the things we do have: our health, family, friends, our home, a means for making a living... even memories from the past that still bring us joy. Maybe it's remembering a person who made a profound impact on your life, like a teacher or even a stranger who offered a smile just when you needed it. When gratitude becomes our attitude, all of life becomes a gift that fulfills the heart! Happy Thanksgiving to all of YOU from us!

Lisa Brisse
& the State of the Heart Fitness Staff

Have you ever heard the saying, "focus your mind and the body will follow?" For years there has been question about the role our mind plays in the health of our body. Though westernized medicine has often treated the mind and body as separate entities, eastern medicine, on the other hand, has treated them both as intimate parts that make up the whole.

Today, more physicians are recognizing the role our thoughts and emotions play in the health and well being of our body. In fact, much research is now being done to study this intimate inter-connection - called psycho immuniology - to see how our thoughts and emotions literally affect our brain chemistry as well as our immune system.

Depending on the attitudes, beliefs, thoughts, and perspectives we hold, we are seeing that this has a direct relationship in how it manifests physically. Stress, for example, is a natural part of our lives; we experience a certain degree of it every day. How much stress we experience is not so much about the circumstances surrounding us - though easy to think this way - rather, it's how we cope and handle that stress that determines not only the experience in our mind, but most definitely in our bodies. Without a healthy way of coping with our stress (ie. exercise, breathing, meditation, and/or relaxation), the stress hormones can literally wreak havoc in our bodies over time. Not only does it wear down on our immune system, leaving us feeling sick and chronically fatigued, but it also promotes fat storage, deposits cholesterol in our arteries, increases heart rate and blood pressure, and can promote insomnia. Though diet, genetics, and age all play a factor, much of these symptoms can be alleviated via healthy coping mechanisms, which includes taking responsibility for our thoughts, attitudes and perspectives; in other words, consciously choosing the state of our minds, which therefore translates to the state of our bodies.

With the holidays coming up, it's easy to already "anticipate" the stress you might feel is inevitable, but this will also determine the experience you will have. Remember, in learning to consciously control the state of our mind, we better determine the experience we have, and also the effect on the state of our overall health.

To help you better learn how to control and change the state of your mind, please join us for our FREE lecture called "Coping with Stress through the Holidays" on November 17th! (see left column)

Do you get enough sleep? Many questions have always lingered regarding the importance of sleep. What is considered normal? How much do people need? What are the health effects of decreased sleep?

Sleep disorders have plagued people for centuries and is among the most frequent health complaints physicians encounter. For most, it's an occasional night of poor sleep and/or daytime sleepiness. However, at least 15 to 20% of adults report chronic sleep disturbance which can lead to serious impairment of daytime functioning.

So how much sleep is needed in order to function on a daily basis? Though timing, duration, and internal structure of sleep varies among healthy individuals, most adults need 7 to 8 hours/ night. But ask yourself, do you wake up feeling refreshed and full of energy, or not? There are some people who feel refreshed after only 6 hours of sleep - maybe you're one of them - where others need 9 hours!

Studies have shown that inadequate sleep can lead to serious health problems. At its extreme, sleep deprivation can even lead to death. Not so dramatic but still important are problems with memory and concentration, often manifesting as word-finding difficulties (when one can't find the words one is thinking of). Sound familiar? ? Another manifestation is irritability as well as decreased immune function. Ever wonder why when you're most stressed and often lacking in the sleep department that you're sick? Hmmm... Yet believe it or not, among the most pressing social complications of sleep deprivation is marriage related problems as studies have shown there are higher divorce rates in people with chronic sleep issues! Not to mention the estimated cost to society from sleep disorders which includes lost productivity, absenteeism at work, people getting into accidents, and the cost of medications for sleeping pills or for stimulants that amount to billions of dollars a year!

Besides allowing the body to rest, restore and revitalize itself through sleep, a recent study by German scientists discovered hard evidence that our sleeping brains restructure memories before they are stored. According to the study, recently published in the journal of "Nature", creativity and problem solving appear to be directly linked to adequate sleep. They found that those having 8 hours of sleep were more likely to figure out the process of a simple math test than their sleep-deprived counterparts. This may shed light on the memory problems associated with aging because older people typically have trouble getting enough sleep, especially the kind of deep sleep needed to process memories.

In summary, if you ever found yourself asking, "what's the importance of sleep?", now you know: increased accidents, worsening health and lower test scores! So, in the morning when you're racing towards Starbucks for that added jolt of caffeine to wake up, take a moment to ponder... ever thought about hitting the sack an hour earlier? Sleep... it does a body (and a mind) good!

NEW
"living in balance"
cd by lisa brisse

living in balance: a 20 minute progressive relaxation cd with lisa brisse as your guide.

Unwind, let go of your stress and find your inner calm... everyday!
on sale for $10!
(regularly $15)
call or email today for your copy!

---

Could your friends and family use some
health and fitness tips?
Refer them to us for their complimentary newsletter.

Call us today for more information on any of our programs or services. (310) 842-5657

---

To unsubscribe to this Newsletter just reply to this e-mail with "remove" in the subject line.

State of the Heart Fitness, P.O. Box 7013 Santa Monica, CA 90406
T: (310) 842-5657     info@stateoftheheartfitness.com      www.stateoftheheartfitness.com

copyright © 2007  - State of the Heart Fitness