For years we have heard the saying, “You are what you eat” and apparently that saying holds more truth than was previously recognized.
Here are some stats on anxiety and depression in this country currently:
- 1 in 10 Americans are on antidepressants.
- Over 40 million people have anxiety.
- Over 20 million more have depression.
These numbers are overwhelming, but there is hope!
What if instead of being given a pill to treat these issues, your doctor adjusted your diet.
Might sound crazy to some, but according the Dr. Mark Hyman that is exactly what needs to happen. Dr. Hyman released a docuseries entitled the Broken Brain and in it he shares tons of research on the importance of a balanced gut in order to achieve a healthy mind.
In the series he is explores all types of mental issues such as ADD, ADHD, Alzheimer’s, Dementia, Chronic Stress, Depression, Anxiety, Traumatic Brain Injury and many more. The exciting thing about the series is that it is providing proof that not only can we prevent some of these mental illnesses, but we can also reverse the effects through diet, exercise, meditation and more.
Having a background in mental health I am particularly excited about these discoveries. There are far too many people in this country suffering with mental illnesses and often they feel ashamed, embarrassed or hopeless to get the help they need. This needs to change.
I will focus my next series of blogs on brain health and will continue to share some of the insights and information that I am learning from the series.
Just a word on why this is important to the business world. An article in Forbes from 2012 shared the following statistics:
- The World Health Organization estimates that stress costs American businesses $300 billion dollars a year.
- Businesses must consider the costs of skyrocketing insurance rates and health care costs.
- Stress was the most common cause of long-term sickness absence for both manual and non-manual employees in CIPD's 2011 Absence Management Survey (a global HR development organization.)
We all can become more conscious of ways we can keep our minds healthy. There is hope! Learn, become empowered and know you can change your life!
Dedicated to raising your consciousness!
