Whether it's classical, jazz, pop or blues, more research shows that listening to, singing to or playing music builds a stronger and smarter brain. Learn more on the recent podcast with Dr. Jay Kumar on the Doug Stephan Good Day Show. You also can learn more about the benefits of music in my new e-book Brain, Body & Being.
Dr. Jay Kumar
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We all aspire to live a long, healthy and abundant life. Despite our best intentions to feel young and stay healthy, aging is a fact that we all have to accept. While the latest anti-aging products, Botox injections, or cosmetic surgery maintain the outward appearance of youth and beauty, ground-breaking medical research affirms how you can actually slow down the aging process on the cellular level! Want to learn how?
Let's begin by exploring the aging process from a biological perspective. While many might regard aging as an external condition of looking older, in actuality physical aging is the biological result of the inability for your cells to replicate and produce new ones as the body advances over time. One of the most startling and revolutionary ideas to come out of the medical sciences is the discovery of telomeres, an enzyme in your genes that regulates cellular division and, in turn, determines your length of life.
In essence, the length of your telomeres now appear to act as your body's natural biological clock. When under constant stress, your biological clock speeds up, resulting in the shortening of telomeres. On the contrary, when you're more calm and relaxed telomeres appear to extend their length, thus slowing down the body's biological clock. Let’s take a closer look at how telomeres function, how stress accelerates their decay, what you can do to slow down their eventual breakdown, and ways to live a more healthy and long life.
As you grow older, your hair turns gray, your organs begin to work less, your bones become weaker, and your body generally ages, all of which now appear to be the result of the shortening of the telomeres in your cells. So what exactly are telomeres? In every one of your genes, there exist 26 pairs of chromosomes that are capped off by telomeres.
A nice analogy is to visualize your chromosome as a shoelace with a cap at the end of the lace as the telomere. Over the course of time due to natural wear and tear these caps at the end of your shoelaces begin to fray. In a similar manner, the telomeres that act as caps at the end of your chromosomes also begin to wear down and shorten. In the emerging medical field of psychoneuroimmunology, the intimate connection of the mind, brain and stress with our immune system and aging is being greatly understood. In essence, a growing medical body of evidence concludes that stress advances the shortening of your telomeres, which in turn prevents cellular reproduction and eventually accelerates the aging process.
This remarkable finding regarding the effects of stress on telomere shortening and age acceleration actually earned Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn and her colleagues the Nobel prize for medicine in 2009. Her study examined people exposed to chronic stress, depression, and anxiety and concluded that for every one chronological year of aging, the shortening of these people’s telomeres accelerated by as much as 600%! Basically, in just one year the aging process of these people amounted to six years of actual biological aging! Watch full video here
So before you resign yourself to hopelessness and despair, I now have some good news! Another study by Blackburn and her colleagues indicates that you actually not only can halt the shortening and deterioration of telomeres, but possibly increase their length, i.e. slowing down the body's aging process! Techniques such as meditation, regular exercise, and other forms of centering that trigger the body's natural relaxation response all appear to slow the aging process by increasing the length of your telomeres!
So it might just be that the secret for eternal youth doesn't reside in a bottle of anti-aging cream, with an injection of Botox, or in cosmetic surgery. The key to eternal health and longevity might just be learning how to relax! Now that's some good news worth living!
In the apt and true words of the famous centenarian and eternally happy comedian, George Burns, “If you ask what is the single most important key to longevity, I would have to say it is avoiding worry, stress and tension. And if you didn't ask me, I'd still have to say it."
START YOUR JOURNEY TOWARDS HEALTH & HAPPINESS TODAY!
Dr. Jay Kumar
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Life got you feeling stressed out and overwhelmed? If so, you might be suffering from nature-deficit disorder! Never heard of it? You can learn more in my latest podcast on the Doug Stephan Good Day Show.
Enjoy reading more great articles in the "NATURE & TRAVEL" issue of my monthly newsletter.
Dr. Jay Kumar
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Ahhh, the relaxing and care-free days of summer are finally here! As we celebrate the joys of longer daylight, warmer weather and more time outdoors, did you know that sunshine and nature can actually make you happier and healthier? While we all feel more relaxed and rejuvenated from time being outside, some amazing research in neuroscience and mind-body medicine suggests that nature and sunlight are now shown to alleviate stress, improve concentration and build a stronger immune system. So how exactly do nature and sunshine heal us in both body and being? The answer resides in our brains and relates to a concept known as the relaxation response, a mechanism that appears to be “wired” into our biology, helping us cope with anxiety and making us feel more calm and centered.
Brain Waves and the Power of Attention
Studies in neuropsychology now believe that the human brain allows us to process two distinct types of attention. The first is a “voluntary or direct” attention that enables us to focus our thoughts and neural energy to tasks that require our direct concentration, e.g. writing this article, watching a movie, or reading a book. The other type is an “involuntary or indirect” attention that our brain does with little or no effort, e.g. watching a sunset, meditating, having a casual conversation, or dancing.
Additionally, there are corresponding brain waves associated with these two types of attention. When we are in the waking state and our brains are engaged in voluntary, direct attention that require focused concentration, beta waves tend to be predominant. On the contrary, our brains produce alpha waves when we experience involuntary, indirect attention. Having our brains in beta-wave state is important, as it helps us to focus on daily tasks that necessitate sharpness and clarity. Unfortunately, many of us now live a typical day with our brains disproportionately in the highly-attuned beta-wave state and barely enough time in the healing and regenerative alpha-wave state.
In our current 24/7 technologically driven world, the human brain on average is bombarded with the equivalent of 174 newspapers of data every day! That's about five times the amount the human brain received just 30 years ago. No wonder we are overwhelmed with stress, have children with ADD and are constantly overwhelmed with anxiety–our poor brains are running in overdrive. All this sensory overload requires our brain to function in a constantly vigilant beta-wave state for the majority of our waking day. If that wasn't bad enough, studies indicate the human brain continues to experience these super-charged beta-waves when we try to go to sleep, leading to insomnia and chronic sleep-deprivation. Rarely, in our technologically-driven society do we take the necessary time for our brain to go into the calming, soothing alpha-wave state.
Mind-Body Connection
In the growing medical field of psycho-neuro-immunology (PNI), there appears to be a correlation between the various brain waves with our health and happiness. When our brains are highly amped up from information overload and are in constant beta-wave state, the stress-hormone cortisol is pumped in large amounts into the bloodstream. We now know that high levels of cortisol in the body lead to chronic anxiety, insomnia and disease. The good news is that when the brain is in the relaxed alpha-wave state, the brain releases endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin into the body. These neurotransmitters almost instantly enable us to become more relaxed and calm throughout our day. In addition to the brain's stress-response system, we also have a built-in relaxation response mechanism that our nervous systems evolved in order to help us return to a state of calm and relaxation in moments of stress and anxiety.
Nature Relatedness
So by now, I bet can you can guess what’s one of the easiest ways for us to trigger our brain's relaxation response and to enhance the alpha-wave state for greater harmony and happiness? The answer, of course, is NATURE! In another emerging field of study, known as ecopsychology, research indicates that even though the human brain has currently adapted for our modern and technologically-driven environment, its original function was to interact with and respond to the natural world. In essence, the human brain is literally “hard-wired” to BE IN NATURE, as being in nature is natural for the brain.
According to this field of study, human beings have an instinctual biological need to connect with nature, something known as the biophilic instinct or nature relatedness, a concept advanced by the Harvard biologist Edward Wilson. The idea is that the human brain evolved over millennia as a structure deeply enmeshed with and inexorably linked to the intricacies of nature. Even though our human brain has recently adapted to an environment of technology and sensory stimulation, we each still have this affinity for nature ingrained in both our brains and DNA. This evolutionary connection to nature activates the part of the brain known as the insula, the area that governs our internal feelings and sensations. So when we dance, do yoga meditate, focus on our breath, swim, run, or are in nature we begin to connect to the internal terrain of our body. The insula gauges how we’re feeling and what we’re experiencing within our body and mind in the present moment.
How Nature Heals
This ability to tap into the relaxation response through nature appears also to have a tremendous impact on our health and wellbeing. Scientific studies have already begun and continue to demonstrate the powerful healing aspects of nature. Dr. Ulrich published one of the earliest studies in 1984 Science, in which he noticed that patients who were recovering from surgery healed more quickly and required less pain medication when placed in hospital rooms that had views of nature, versus patients placed in rooms facing brick walls. Ulrich conjectured that this acceleration in healing was perhaps a result of the brain connecting to nature. It appears that when we are immersed in nature, our brains go automatically into the involuntary, indirect attention-mode that is connected with the healing alpha-wave brain state.
Let The Sun Shine In
Another remarkable piece of research suggests that 20-30 minutes of healthy and safe doses of sunshine can enhance our body's immunity to disease, improve our sleep and even elevate our happiness. It again has to do with the way natural sunlight stimulates our brain and body. It's important to mention that exposure to the sun should be limited to the early morning or late afternoon, when the UV rays are less harmful. It appears that sunlight stimulates the brain's production of serotonin, a neuro-chemical responsible for elevating our levels of happiness and is shown to positively enhance our immune system. When sunlight also hits the skin, the body's largest organ, it produces greater levels of vitamin D in the bloodstream. Studies at the University of Copenhagen have shown Vitamin D can trigger white blood cells in the body, assisting in the prevention of certain forms of cancer and auto-immune diseases. While certain foods like egg yolks and oily types of fish naturally contain vitamin D, it appears that the highest levels of vitamin D are found in sunlight. You can learn more about the healing power of sunlight in my podcast "How Sunshine Makes You Smarter, Happier and Healthier!"
So even if you live in the middle of urban sprawl or in places where sunlight is more limited, there are still plenty of ways to benefit from the healing power of nature and the outdoors. Even just a short walk outside on your lunch break, gazing out at a tree on your commute to the office, or literally just “stopping to smell the roses” once in a while are all beneficial to your health and wellbeing. What all these activities do is trigger a primal evolutionary trait that the human brain evolved to do–be one with nature!
So what better time than the summer season to get out in nature, feel the sun on your skin and experience greater health and happiness! As the poet Thoreau beautifully states, “I believe that there is a subtle magnetism in Nature, which, if we unconsciously yield to it, will direct us aright.”
Read more on the healing power of nature in my "NATURE & TRAVEL" issue of my monthly e-newsletter.
Wishing everyone a joyous and beautiful summer!
Dr. Jay Kumar
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Curious to learn the secrets for how to live a more healthy and happy life? The answer might actually start with your brain! Enjoy the podcast of a recent interview I did with Vanessa Simpkins, the founder of Take Your Power Back Now. We explore how the latest research in neuroscience might just be the key for your greater health and happiness!
Dr. Jay Kumar
Dr. Jay Kumar
Is joy different from happiness? How does our society define happiness? This stimulating and engaging conversation on the science and spirituality of happiness was my topic on the most recent Doug Stephan Good Day Show. I think you will defintely enjoy it, as you continue your quest for health and happiness! As I often say," “No external conditions are required for happiness. Happiness is who you are!" Dr. Jay Kumar
Dr. Jay Kumar
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Dr. Jay Kumar
Dr. Jay Kumar
www.drjaykumar.com
Facebook – Dr. Jay Kumar
Twitter – docjaykumar
HAPPY HOLIDAYS! As you enjoy and celebrate the exuberance and merriment of the Holiday Season, let’s face it the Holidays for many can also bring about the unwanted burden of stress and anxiety. Even the most calm, relaxed, organized, and centered of us can find it challenging to cope with all the family responsibilities, social obligations, and gift expectations of the season. We all could use a little extra help to maintain the Holiday cheer. Below are some helpful suggestions that I’ve shared over the years with my private clients and have taught to my college students as ways to experience greater joy and wellbeing in life. These proven and insightful tips from the growing fields of social neuroscience and positive psychology can help you continue that inner sense of Holiday joy and cheer in brain, body, and being!
Do you know what the number one Holiday stressor is? According to a study by Mental Health America, the number one stressor during the Holidays is money. It probably comes as no surprise to you that with the emphasis during the Holidays on buying gifts and the pressure to get that perfect present for a loved one, an extra dimension of stress can become compounded onto your already hectic life. During the Holidays 40% of Americans feel the extra financial burden and experience greater psychological and emotional stress. It is during these tough economic times that you might be additionally burdened with lack of means to celebrate the Holidays, as you once were accustomed. For some of you, this could mean cutting back on gifts for the kids, not having the money to visit your relatives, or quite possibly spending the Holidays literally without a home. All of these factors can make us feel unworthy or ashamed for not having enough. In turn, these feelings of unworthiness, guilt, and shame when left unchecked can lead to stress, anxiety, and depression!
The key to alleviating this financial Holiday stressor is to understand that generating happiness for self and others isn’t measured by higher price tags on a present or desiring more material objects. Instead, studies in neuroscience and psychology indicate that genuine, deep, and long-lasting happiness results not from “buying more, but from being more!” While we all agree that money has its purpose, more studies reveal that true wealth is not always monetary. In fact, economists who study the economics of happiness and quality of life point that better indicators to determine happiness might actually be psychologically, spiritually, and emotionally measured by the quality of your relationships, the richness of social bonds, and your greater purpose in life.
The reason why this might be the case has to do with recent findings in the brain that happiness actually comes in two distinct forms. This concept, now being backed by neuroscience, states that your brain distinguishes between what I call short-term versus long-term happiness. We now know that different parts of the brain are responsible for short versus long-term memory. In that same manner, recent discoveries into the structure and function of the human brain advance a similar notion between short-term versus long-term happiness.
Let’s put this in context of the traditional Holiday gift giving. Think about the time you received a beautiful piece of jewelry, the latest new tech gadget, or the trendiest popular video game. The moment you receive the new gift, your brain releases an immediate rush of the pleasure neurotransmitters dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins. You probably are aware, however, that the emotional rush and immediate feeling of euphoria you feel disappears rather quickly. Receiving Holiday gifts and experiencing that temporary and fleeting sense of joy is an aspect of your brain’s short-term happiness mechanism. While I’m not advocating in any way for you not to buy gifts for your family, friends, and loved ones, doing so doesn’t appear to achieve the deeper and more permanent state of long-term happiness.
There is, however, some good news. Amazing new research into mapping happiness in the brain indicates that another important neurotransmitter, oxytocin, is what neuroscientists suggest account for us to experience gratitude, compassion, empathy, trust, nurture, and genuine happiness. These studies suggest that one of the easiest ways to experience the release of oxytocin and to generate long-term happiness is through all aspects of social bonding. Some of the simplest and cost-free ways to generate the brain to release oxytocin is through laughing, singing, hugging, loving, and smiling, which pretty much sums up what the Holidays are all about, don’t you think?
So even if financial constraints don’t allow you to buy the perfect presents for everyone on your Holiday list this year, it turns out that the best and most precious gifts that create long-term happiness don’t cost a dime! Learn more helpful tips on how to stay happy and healthy these Holidays in my article “How to Be Happy During the Happy Holidays” or hear my recent podcast on the Doug Stephan Good Day Show on “Keeping the HAPPY in Happy Holidays”
Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hannukah, or simply revel in the Holiday Spirit, a phrase to remember is that “happiness is not something that happens to you, but rather it is something you create.” I hope you enjoy integrating these tips for happiness and wellbeing into your Holiday season.
Dr. Jay Kumar
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