In 1990, Congress designated the first week in October every year as “National Mental Health Awareness Week.”

It seems each day we hear of someone that has a cold or flu, an injury, or maybe something worse, and we have so much compassion for them. As we say, “If you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything.

But, when it comes to “mental health”, it might not be a stretch to suggest most people become afraid. Why the difference in our attitudes about body health vs. brain health? That’s the reason for this years campaign by NAMI is called #IAmStigmaFree.

If you’re like me, “health” is one of your highest values in life. I run on the beach most days then have a salad for lunch. I like to hit the gym on the weekends to build muscle. And, besides supplements to make up for our poor farming strategies today, I work to keep my mind in peace and harmony, not letting most things generate stress… a leading cause of illness.

So where does the stigma of speaking about mind health come from? Well, since we’re basically conditioned hairless monkeys, taught to follow culture… we only need look back a hundred years to see that for CENTURIES, anyone that was even sad for an extended period of time might have been attacked for being posed by a demon, or worse, a danger to everyone that should be killed. We’re not too far from a barbaric past that still may be creating a superstition that seeking assistance to ensure our mind is running at optimal performance could get us fired from a job, banished from friends, lose a marriage, or worse.

Point: Let’s wake up into the 21st Century and abandon all superstition. Your brain is an organ like any other and DESERVES to be performing at optimal health levels! 

If you knee continually hurt when you went running, wouldn’t it be great to find out why and the solution for it? It’s same thing for your mind! When the organ of our brain is not functioning optimally, life it just harder than it needs to be. Keeping our mind in optimal health doesn’t come from just come from will power.

For example, studies show that alcoholics could keep from relapsing, but supplementing with EPA oil, because it helps replenish the fatty oils of the brain that when depleted, have us be more angry and agitated. Many alcoholics us trying to use alcohol as medicine because they won’t seek any other kind of mental health help. Some times mind health shows up in a simpler way in that an entrepreneur has a slight adult ADHD and that’s the real reason why she keeps voraciously learning how to be successful but can’t seem to translate that into success. Many hugely successful entrepreneurs, like Sir Richard Branson, are are aware of their ADHD and that awareness helps them.

How can you check out your levels of mind health? Here’s a short quiz I discovered years ago when consulting for some dating coaches. We were dreaming of a day when everyone would first want to get their mind in optimal health, before dating, to have the best experience. Check out the quiz here: www.sanityscore.com

For those afraid of the word “sanity”, it doesn’t mean “not crazy”. It means “healthy condition” from the Middle French word sanité meaning “health“. The quiz is a health score for your mental health with insights into key things to look at that, if addressed, could make life happier, peaceful, and more like the success you dream about.

To your health! Mind and body health!

http://video.aol.com/aolvideo/aol-television/jason-segel-on-late-show-062311-tv-replay/1018485517001

Our ego does such a great job of illusion, of hiding our true self, we usually can’t tell what we are really doing, even if it is killing us or hurting others. When I meet clients that want to lose weight, the first thing I have them do is take a photo of themselves with as little on as possible and hang it up. This updates the mind to reality. Reality is something the ego doesn’t have a clue about.

Another great tool to help people is to video tape someone with say, anger problems, and show it to them later. Don’t say a word! Make sure you don’t shame them in any way. Just shoot the video with your phone or little camera. Wait a few days, until they are in a good mood, and leave it with them so they can decide on their own. People don’t know when their ego hijacks them. When they see how they have been consumed, that can often wake up in an instant. Ancient people thought we were being taken over by a demon. Well, that demon is just the ego, your false friend that talks in your head all day.

Jason’s assistant may have saved his life! According to the Surgeon General, half of all disease is caused by obesity and is preventable! She took pictures of the truth and helped Jason see it. Take some pictures of yourself and really look for the truth. It will only make your ego upset, but who cares about the ego anyway?

Unfortunately, most Westerners are bred from birth with the belief that they must keep moving at a rapid pace or die. This is a bit too close to the behavior of animals when they are being hunted, which creates a perpetual state of stress. Stress is the leading cause of aging and illness.

The moral of the story? Meditation is one of the simplest and most ancient ways to break the animal fear and heal the mind and body. In this 5-minute video, Blackburn’s research on how meditation can decrease aging and increase life are examined.

Start out simple. Drop perfection. Just make 5 minutes right now to STOP, close your eyes, just pay attention to how your breath FEELS coming in and out. Your mind will wander, the voice will try to distract you. Just return gentle to your breath. It’s just practice of focus on what is, not following random thoughts. That’s it! You’re meditating. Try this for just 7 days when you start your day and watch how life begins to support you.

I’ve been supplementing my diet with Astragalus now for 6 years and didn’t realize how powerful this herb is it until I saw Dr. Andrew Weil talking about his family taking Astragalus to beat flu season, rather than shots with side effects.

Many highly respected institutions have proven that Astragalus is effective. One example is University of Maryland with an article here: http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/astragalus-000223.htm

No side effects. Proven to strengthen immune system as well as protect the body against physical, mental, and emotional stress. Why doesn’t every doctor recommend it to their patients as a daily prevention routine? Because it is illegal in most states for a doctor to prescribe nutrition because they never studied nutrition in school. They aren’t licensed!

Do your own research. Learn about food and nutrients this wonderful earth has provided for our success.

To your freedom and success…

This brought back such found memories of Jack. When I was a little boy in the 60s, I used to watch Jack every day. Now I get where my love for a healthy mind and body probably came from.

The main point, eat natural food, exercise daily, be happy. Don’t be one of those grumpy Americans.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEboAJf9UVc