Comprehensive lifestyle changes, including more fruit and vegetables as well as meditation and Yoga, were shown to reverse signs of ageing at the cellular level for the first time according to a study published recently. Hence the fountain of youth may simply be a healthy diet and reduced stress after all, not a magic pill or expensive cosmetics.
Adopting a diet rich in unprocessed foods combined with moderate exercise and stress management over five years increased the length of telomeres, the ends of chromosomes linked to ageing, according to a study of 35 men published in the Lancet medical journal.
The study included 35 men with low-risk prostate cancer enrolled between 2003 and 2007. Ten men adopted the lifestyle changes, while 25 underwent active surveillance as a control group.
The diet encouraged in the lifestyle change group was largely a whole foods, plant-based regimen of fruit, vegetables, whole grains and legumes, with few refined carbohydrates, Ornish said. It wasn’t strictly vegetarian or vegan.
In addition to changes in diet, the program included 30 minutes of walking six days a week; 60 minutes of daily stress management, mostly in the form of yoga and meditation; and a 60-minute support group session once a week.
Ten of the men adopted a ‘‘lifestyle change intervention’’ programme, while the other 25 made no lifestyle changes.
The intervention consisted of four parts. A diet adopted by the men was largely made up of unrefined and unprocessed foods. They were asked to do moderate exercise, such as 30-minute walks six times a week, managed stress through a number of techniques and attended a social support group.
The scientists, from the University of California in the United States, examined changes in the men’s telomeres, which are structures that sit at the ends of chromosomes.
Telomeres stop DNA within chromosomes from being damaged, but as people grow older they become shorter and cells start to age and die more rapidly.
Previous studies have linked the shortening of telomeres to a decrease in life expectancy and a greater risk of age-related diseases such as heart disease, vascular dementia, obesity, stroke, diabetes and various cancers.
The new research found that in the group which adopted the lifestyle changes, telomeres lengthened by an average of 10 per cent over five years.
The more positive the changes that the men made, the greater the increase in their telomeres’ lengths. Telomeres shortened in length by an average of three per cent among those who made no changes.
It is known that a healthy diet and lots of exercise can result in several medical benefits, but the findings published in The Lancet Oncology journal are the first evidence of such an effect on telomeres.
In the meanwhile another study points out that the ancient Indian philosophical concepts and techniques like Yoga help in a big way in fighting the stress and stress related diseases.
Yoga is not a therapy in the accepted sense of the term. Yoga as a process of education of the total personality helps in steadying the mind. Since an unsteady mind is the source of disease, the practice of Yoga helps the management of certain diseases. Yoga emphasises on overall change in the personality structure and value systems and not on changes in the peripheries. Because most of the time, the origin of stress is not at the physical level but more from the wrong attitude towards life, values, beliefs, opinions and faulty way of coping with life situations.
The Yogis of ancient India were aware many centuries ago that human mind should have a clear vision and discrimination to face life. Only such a mind can maintain positivity and balance in any situation. Such a mind is able to cope up with any stressful situation and work at a high level of creativity. Modern medicine has also accepted the fact that diseases are not always result of physical factors such as germs or bacteria. It has been observed that the mind, because of personal likes and dislikes, becomes imbalanced.
As a result one loses clarity of life situations and often take wrong decisions. The frustration due to this creates tension and worries affecting day today activities. This can lead one to unhealthy habits, and waste vital energies of the body. When we are weak due to dissipation of energy, we fall prey to environmental factors. The unbalanced state of mind is the cause that leads to physical symptoms called "psychosomatic". It is now being claimed that 80 per cent of the diseases are caused due to such psychosomatic factors.
Yogis thousands of years ago gave importance to psychic factors and need for total personality change In order to bring about gradual but certain improvements in physical and mental health.
According to Vedas, the four motivations of a human being are Dharma: Duty to self and family, Artha: wealth, Kama: pleasure and Moksha: liberation or Self-realisation. Most of us function with the motivation of Artha i.e. doing things for rewards for our own effort i.e. money, position, power etc. These motivations are closely linked with our ego.
We work with the strong notions that we are the doers and everything revolves around us. Hence we are looking for results. Since the motivation is closely linked with ego, there are strong biological urges, feelings and emotions involved. Each motivation has value judgement, attitude, behaviour and effects on body. Motivation like 'Kama' and 'Artha' lead to strong emotions, nervous agitation and tension. It may result in nervousness, anxiety, stomach upset, headache, constipation, etc, when person experiences these stressful states for a short period of time.
When these conditions occur continuously and remain for longer periods, it may lead to ulcers, nervous debility, high BP, heart attack, asthma, arthritis, diabetes etc. When the motivation is that of Dharma, these emotional states are minimal and in the case of motivation of 'Moksha' these states are non-existent. The modern physician is also increasingly becoming aware of the fact that a person should be treated as a whole considering his mental, emotional and other psychological problems and not just the physical aspect alone. Thus the concept of psychosomatic medicine which focuses on the dynamic interaction between mental states and physical symptoms has gained popularity much more than at any other time. With the recent interest in psychosomatic medicine, the relevance of Yoga as a therapy has gained momentum. But approaching Yoga just for the cure of a disease is wrong since it limits the greatness of this vast subject.
The superior state of awareness a Yoga practitioner enjoys, provides him a larger view of life. He looks at the passing events in life not with tension but as a witness, not caught up in stress and strain. The modern stress management techniques in comparison with the larger perspective offered by Yoga work on a piecemeal view of the life. The relaxation techniques or recreation and attitude training that are provided in the stress management courses are only at a very peripheral level.
Coping with stress is essentially a mental process. The most important aspect is developing a higher philosophical framework. Once a person develops a higher level of consciousness, he can deal with life situations with a balanced mind. Change in diet or recreation won't help one overcome stress, unless one undergoes a total change in value systems. Unless and until one develops the right attitude one cannot hope to cope up with stress.
Modern therapies take assistance of external agencies like chemicals or mechanical devices such as biofeedback etc. or behavioural procedures not involving deeper layers of consciousness. The patient is not educated about his own coping mechanism and is made to depend on external agencies.
While modern medicine aims at immediate relief, Yoga aims at the removal of basic cause. Ancient Yogis who had a deeper insight into the working of the psyche recognised that an unsteady or disintegrated personality is the source of disease as a result of which one develops a weakness of bio-energy system and thereby affecting the nervous system. It may also cause incapacity in the absorption of nutrition or elimination of waste or maintenance and repair of tissue or growth. Yogic education helps an individual in integrating the personality and steadying of the mind. Further it helps in establishing healthy routines, right habits and a change in values, priorities, motivations and attitudes. Basically it is an educational process affecting the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of one's personality.
On the physical level the Asanas affect the nervous system and also improve digestive system. Yoga hygiene removes the toxic substances in the body. Simple Asanas are followed with proper respiratory coordination. Breathing techniques help in bio-energy control and establish emotional control.
They are accompanied with sanitary hygienic process, which removes impurities and toxins from the body. Simple breathing techniques help in controlling bioenergy and emotions. A Yoga practitioner is suggested to choose Sattvik food, completely vegetarian because it is non-stimulating, and remains the most ideal diet for those who are engaged in higher mental activity, and leading a sedentary life.
Rather than fixing a standard diet with a specific number of calories, in yogic system, the diet is adjusted according to the activity level, season and needs of the body.
Food, which is helpful to maintain cool and quieter temperament and in moderate quantity is recommended. Pure, light, nutritious food, which is wholesome, easily digestible, and also pleasant to taste, is recommended.
On the psychic side a Yoga practitioner develops a wider outlook to life, slowly giving up his selfishness and developing a belief in a higher reality. It results in a total change in motivation, values and attitudes.
The restraints offered by Yogic education help in developing stress-free individuals who can interact well at the family, organisational and social levels. Positive observances help develop positive attitudes which can control mental stress or erase the effect of stress if nipped in bud. For living a tension-free life, one needs an emotional awareness, unlearning of negative emotions, and building up positive emotions and states of mind. Yoga provides the foundation through its concepts of universal ethics - Yama and Niyama. By cultivating non-violence in speech, thought, and actions one gains freedom from mental disturbance which provides a peaceful state of mind.
When one practices Satya or truthfulness one will be straightforward in his dealings and as a result, complications in work ad life are minimised. Development of the attitude of non-stealing reflects in work Situations. When one develops such a state of mind, one will not claim credit for things to which one has not contributed. One will avoid stealing of ideas, accomplishments, and contributions of others. This helps in maintaining mental peace and steadiness.
Practice of Yogic philosophy removes negative afflictions and gives a clear goal of creative altruism, which totally transforms day-to-day personal and organisational life an individual. It is found that psycho physiological process of yoga helps to overcome the effect of stress due to a particular mental state, and correct the damage to immunological system by self-cure.
Yoga practices develop peace within, and avoid critical analysis and constant judgement of others and situations. It also helps in avoiding provoking situations. This avoids tension and hassles in daily life. Once an individual learns to let go of his negative complexes, instead of finding fault with others, he is able to create an atmosphere of trust and friendship thus improving his social interaction.
He is able to understand others more and readily shares happiness and difficulties with others. Thus the increase in awareness helps in re-establishing the rhythm of life.
In Yogic treatment of psychosomatic disorders, the emphasis is on steadying and integrating the personality. This is possible only for those who want to help themselves by developing one's own will power. The total process is thorough change routines, habit patterns, values and motivations. An important aspect of Yoga education is in self-development and self-growth through constant interaction with the teacher as well as reading spiritual literature. Thus by gradually reorganising many aspects of our daily life, our attitude as well as goals in life change.
Yogic thinking is that weakness of bio-energy system and psyche may reduce the capacity for assimilation of nutrition, elimination of waste, maintenance and repair or growth of tissues.
Yoga education helps one in achieving the necessary balance in approach to life, and achieves a gradual integration of personality and steadying of the mind. It helps in the establishment of healthy routines, right habits, change in priorities, change in value and motivations, and change in attitudes to life situations. Basically it is an education process affecting physical, mental, moral, emotional and spiritual aspects of an individual's personality.
However, the transformation that is possible should not be used for temporary benefits just to get relief from a particular disease. Natural healing power within an individual is the one, which corrects the causative factors. Yoga tries to re-establish the inner balance by various means, working from a gross body to the stablest levels.
Self change through the practice of Yoga is a continuous education for transcending play of opposites in the mind, for stress is, in the ultimate analysis, nothing but the experience of an almost constantly fluctuating range of mental states caused by dualities - pleasure and pain, success and failure, recognition and disdain, reward and penalty.
The Yoga system of stress management thus tackles an individual at different levels, which reduces the intensity of stress at physical, mental and emotional levels. It takes into consideration all aspects of the personality from the physical to the spiritual. It can bring about dynamic changes on an individual, an organisation and the society as a whole.