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Mind-Body Health



             Thoughts and feelings via the mind influence the body through two mechanisms: the nervous system and the circulatory system. These systems provide a pathway for communication between the mind and the rest of the body. The brain reaches through the nervous system, allowing it to send nerve impulses into all of the body's tissues altering their behaviour. The brain can thus affect the behaviour of the immune system, spleen, and lymph nodes. It can influence the behaviour of the heart with its nerves penetrating the heart tissue, affecting things such as heart rate and blood pressure. It can also affect the glands of the endocrine system, bones, muscles, and other internal organs. .
             The hypothalamus is a distinct nerve centre wired directly to the body by a double network of nerves. It issues instructions to the endocrine system and the pituitary gland to synthesize hormones controlling many vital life functions. The hypothalamus is also a key player in the brain's limbic system, which is often regarded as the seat of emotion' and is involved in memory and sensory information. The amygdale, part of the limbic system, sets a person's emotional temperature, especially for fear, anger, and anxiety based on signals from the cortex, which draws on memories, learned behaviours, and conscious thoughts. Thus the limbic centre connects the two realms, the mind and the physical body or brain, making them indistinguishable from one another. .
             In the last thirty years, scientists have begun to explore more into these connections between the mind and the body. Mood, attitude, and belief can affect virtually every chronic illness: fear and a sense of helplessness can have a determinable effect on health; whereas courage, good humor, and a sense of control can all be beneficial. Optimistic people are less likely to become ill, and when they do become ill, tend to live longer and suffer less. Studies by two sociologists Ellen Idler and Stanislav Kasl (2000), among others, indicate that the opinion of one's health status may be the best predictor of well-being and future health.


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