Although belated, I wish the women folk happy International Women’s Day. I have a message for women. Some years ago, news had it that American TV star, Kim Kardashian had a strict organic diet for her 16-month-old daughter, North West. The diet reportedly cuts out processed food and sugar entirely.
Kim Kardashian took this step so that North West would not grow up struggling with her weight. Kim does not joke with her looks too and she would almost go to the extreme to maintain a healthy weight especially when her pregnancies were making her add weight.
During an interview with Vogue sometimes, kim Kardashian explained, “It was this or nothing. In the weeks leading up to the Met Gala, I would wear a sauna suit twice a day, run on the treadmill, completely cut out all sugar and all carbs and just eat the cleanest veggies and protein. I didn’t starve myself, but I was so strict.”
This platform is notable for always talking about nutrition as a weapon to fight diseases. As a woman, you are in charge of the kitchen in your home. You should ensure that the family eats healthy meals. Be a role model by eating healthy yourself, serve a variety of healthy foods and snacks at all times. Kids can be difficult in situations like this, try to give them talks on benefits of eating healthy diets.
We started a discussion on nature and its therapeutic effects on our health. Let us proceed.
There is a cognitive advantage that accrues from spending time in a natural environment. I actually have a personal experience to support this.
I love roses a great deal, so, in 2011, I got a seedling of rose flower and I planted it. One day, I noticed it had started blooming, so I moved close to the plant to smell the flower and admire it. While the admiration was on, my eyes got stuck on the thorns.
That was not the first time I would see thorns on a rose flower stem but on that particular day, I was lost in thoughts and I equated the beautiful flower to life and the thorns to the challenges of life. That experience served as inspiration for the publication of my first book titled “Even roses have thorns.” From the foregoing, it is obvious that nature can boost intellectual abilities such as thinking and reasoning.
A couple of years ago, on this column, we talked about inspirational lessons from plants for almost four weeks. Nature is a teacher too!
Dr. Marc Berman, irector of the Environmental Neuroscience Laboratory at the University of Chicago, Dr. Marc Berman, taxed subjects’ brains with a test known as the backward digit-span task, requiring them to repeat back sequences of numbers in reverse order. Then he sent them for a 50-minute walk, in either an urban setting (a town centre) or a nature setting (a park). On their return, they repeated the task. “Performance improved by about 20 per cent when participants had walked in nature but not when they had walked in an urban environment,” he says.
The brain boost from being in nature goes beyond getting answers right in a test, according to Prof Kathryn Williams, an environmental psychologist at the University of Melbourne. “Research has consistently demonstrated enhanced creativity after immersion in natural environments,” she says. One study found that a four-day hike (with no access to phones or other technology) increased participants’ creativity by 50 per cent.
Even the sounds of nature may be recuperative. Berman and colleagues found that study participants who listened to nature sounds like crickets chirping and waves crashing performed better on demanding cognitive tests than those who listened to urban sounds like traffic and the clatter of a busy café.
Trees help you de-stress. Research subjects who took forest walks (instead of walks in cities) had a 12.4 per cent decrease in cortisol – a hormone associated with stress and a 1.4 per cent decrease in blood pressure, plus a 5.8% decrease in heart rate. It is like anxiety medicine but free.
Trees help you concentrate. Study subjects who walked through the woods scored better on a proofreading test than those who rested in a chair or walked through town. The effects were so pronounced that the researchers concluded that “doses of nature might serve as a safe, inexpensive, widely accessible new tool for managing ADHD symptoms.” In other words, more trees, more focus.
Being in nature can decrease symptoms of depression. Sunlight helps synthesize vitamin D, which plays a crucial role in regulating mood and reducing symptoms of depression. Being in nature also provides a break from stress and pressures contributing to negative emotions. In addition, activities like walking or gardening offer a sense of accomplishment, sometimes providing inspirational quotes when you lack motivation. The combined benefits of going outside, natural light, and physical activity can significantly improve mental well-being.
Regarding loneliness, nature may be as suitable a companion as another human being.
Nature provides a peaceful and serene environment to support anger management, so it can reduce anger and aggression. The natural beauty of outdoor settings, such as a forest or a beach, promotes relaxation and a sense of tranquillity. Being surrounded by trees, water, and fresh air can have a soothing effect on the mind and help individuals release tension and frustration. Physical activities also serve as healthy outlets for pent-up anger and emotions.
Several factors associated with nature contribute to boosted self-esteem. One of the main reasons is that nature offers a sense of accomplishment and self-efficacy. Activities requiring energy and dedication, such as hiking, camping, or rock climbing, offer promise of success and increased confidence in self-abilities. Moreover, outdoor settings are free from societal pressures and expectations, thereby providing opportunities to explore inner self-beliefs and thoughts. Individuals can feel more connected with themselves and their surroundings, thereby fostering increased self-appreciation and self-love.
A study titled Associations between Nature Exposure and Health: A Review of the Evidence by Jimenez et al concludes that evidence from experimental studies suggested protective effects of exposure to natural environments on mental health outcomes and cognitive function.
A study titled, ‘Acute effects of walking in forest environments on cardiovascular and Metabolic parameters by Qing Li et al’ concludes that habitual walking in forest environments may lower blood pressure.
Let us see some quotes:
Nature has been for me, for as long as I remember a source of solace, inspiration, adventure, and delight; a home, a teacher, a companion.” – Lorraine Anderson
Nature holds the key to our aesthetic, intellectual, cognitive, and even spiritual satisfaction.” – EO Wilson
Walk in nature and feel the healing power of the trees.“ – Anthony William
The greener the setting, the more the relief.” – Richard Louv
Trees are always a relief, after people.” – David Mitchell
I go to nature to be soothed, healed, and have my senses put in order.” – John Burroughs
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” – Albert Einstein
Forest environments are therapeutic landscapes.” – Unknown
Think of being in nature as a prescription with no negative side effects that is also free. You need to try it. Your health will thank you.
