Food, Music and Other Sources for Healthy Living

Submitted by Stella Morgan on December 10, 2009

Food for relaxation has nothing to do with comfort eating, which can only make you add on extra calories. And, being overweight is anything but a relaxing thought! How relaxed your mind is also depends on the food you eat. If we eat the wrong kinds of foods like processed, junk, oily, refined, or fattening, it increases the acidity in our body. This acidity has to be neutralized, and the body instinctively usurps all the minerals in the body to deal with the acidity.

And, a lack of minerals translates into chemical imbalances that lead to stress and depression. So, if you eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables that are a rich source of alkaline, it balances the acidity. If your food includes enough of Omega 3 and other good fat, your mind will work better and these can even relax the mind and reverse depression.

Know what the sources of these good fats are? Well, they can be found in avocados, flaxseeds and flaxseeds oil, extra virgin olive oil, canola oil, nuts and seeds like almonds and peanut, and green leafy vegetables. And you must not underestimate the power of proteins.

If you start your day with proteins, your mind will be fresh all day and it will also keep you relaxed. Protein contains amino acids and tyrosine, which are important for our mental health including keeping our mind relaxed. Amino acid like phenylaline sends neurotransmitters to our brain, which assist in elevating the mood and relaxing mind.

The effect that a good massage has on our body, music has on our mind. Massage can relax us physically and draw all the tension from the muscles out, and music can relax us mentally and draw all the stress and tension out. That’s because it calms the nerves of the brain and releases endorphins, the chemicals in brain that are responsible for inducing euphoria and alleviating pain. Little wonder then, all the sessions of meditation and yoga and relaxing spas always have soothing music playing in the background.

Whether stress, anxiety, nervousness or depression, it can all be forgotten if one listens to music. This is because music also reduces the levels of adrenaline, which are essentially stress hormones other than calming down the limbic system in the brain, a structure that regulates emotions. This is the reason why music therapy has been chosen as a non-drug way of dealing with stress, anxiety, and fear and as an up-lifter of spirit.