trendIng b y H e at H e r l e e
Longevity Lifestyling and the Spa
HeatHer a . lee , MSW , trained in
Mind / body Medicine at the Harvard Mind / body Medical Institute and is the Director of StresSpecialist , a private practice guiding individuals , businesses and spas in creating Longevity Lifestyles and Wellness programs . Additionally , she leads wellness and trail running retreats around the world . Previously Lee was Director of Women ’ s Health Education at the University of virginia Medical Center . Learn more at heatheralee . com
for HeatHer lee ’ s
Sweet and Sassy Logevity Lifestyle Secrets , click here ..
Arace to the finish line . This is how many people live their lives . We long for our health and vitality to accompany us as we age , but don ’ t really know the right lifestyle behaviors to accomplish this goal . While we value and cherish our health , wellness and vitality , we often live lives quite contrary to the promotion of these states . Our schizophrenic culture tells us — and sells us — on staying young forever , yet markets us foods , fastpaced lives and stressful thoughts that literally age us before our time . There is no pricey youth serum or special fitness routine that can counteract the accelerated aging brought about by stressful , breakneckpaced living . Stress creates accelerated cellular aging . Living fast means aging faster . To embrace a longevity lifestyle , we must embrace a peaceful pace of living . You must slow down to live longer . Longevity Lifestyling is a way of living that recognizes the life-extending benefits of self-care and sensibly paced living .
stressed out So many people know they need to manage their stress , slow their pace , and practice more selfcare , but knowing and doing are often two very different things . Most people still don ’ t really understand the direct connection between mind and body and the physiology of stress . They think stress is just some amorphous term as opposed to a physiological state of being . The occasional situational stress response , like the one that occurs when you slam on your brakes and feel that rush of adrenaline , doesn ’ t pose that great of a threat to your health .
It is the low-level , daily drip of stress hormones brought on by negative daily news , an unpleasant work environment , or an unhappy marriage , that slowly erodes our immune system and invites cellular aging . My favorite word is psychoneuroimmunology , which is the science of how our emotional states and perceptions effect our immune system . You see the most fascinating part of a stress response is this : it all starts with perception .
A stress response is the physiological reaction to a perceived threat , real or imagined . Perceived threat , which means it ’ s totally individual and perhaps controllable . For example , when I see a snake , I go into a full-blown stress response . However , my herpetologist friend may be in a state of excited bliss .
Another example : two people are in a car stuck in traffic on the way to a meeting . One is in a full-blown stress state about running late , and the other is calm as can be saying , “ It is what it is .” Our physical bodies react to the messages our minds send and our minds send messages based on beliefs and perceptions . Most of our modern stress is not due to peril of bodily harm , but due to perceptions of threats to our emotional and psychological selves . To develop an effective stress strategy , you need to understand the direct connection between mind and body , thought and physiology .
learning to relax Here is a mind-boggling fact that should stop you in your tracks ; longevity is 25 percent genetics and 75 percent lifestyle choices and behaviors . The lifestyle choices and behaviors we engage in are
26 PULSE ■ December 2017