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Chinese Mind-Body Training Reduces Stress

Researchers have unravelled how an emerging mind-body technique, adapted from traditional Chinese medicine and practised by thousands in  China, cuts down stress levels in just five days.
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The integrative body-mind training (IBMT) is now being taught to undergraduates involved in research on the method at the University of Oregon (UO).

In October 2007, researchers led by visiting UO professor Yi-Yuan Tang and UO psychologist Michael Posner documented that doing IBMT prior to a mental math test led to low levels of the stress hormone cortisol among Chinese students.

The experimental group also showed lower levels of anxiety, depression, anger and fatigue than students in a relaxation control group.

“The previous paper indicated that IBMT subjects showed a reduced response to stress.” Tang said. “Why did it work so fast?”

The new findings point to how IBMT alters blood flow and electrical activity in the brain, breathing quality and even skin conductance, allowing for “a state of ah, much like in the morning opening your eyes, looking outside the grass and sunshine, you feel relaxed, calm and refresh without any stress, this is the meditation state,” he said.

Data were drawn from several technologies in two experiments involving 86 undergraduate students at Dalian University of Technology, where Tang is a professor, said an UO release.

The data were analysed and prepared for publication at the UO with help from Posner and psychology professor Mary K. Rothbart, who are not co-authors of the paper.

The study was published online in the Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences.
You may click to see:->

Mind/Body Medicine for the 21st Century.

History of Meditation as a Clinical Intervention

Do Mind/Body Techniques Work?

Healing through Bodymind technique

Sources: The Times Of India

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Ailmemts & Remedies

Thyroid Disorders

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The thyroid is a small endocrine gland inside the neck, located in front of the breathing airway (trachea) and below the Adam’s apple. It produces two thyroid hormones, tri-iodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4), which circulate in the bloodstream to all tissues of the body.

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Thyroid hormones act to control metabolism (the body’s ability to break down food and store it as energy, and the ability to break down food into waste products with a release of energy in the process).

How well the thyroid works is controlled by another gland called the pituitary. The pituitary gland is located at the base of the brain and produces thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). TSH circulates via the bloodstream to the thyroid gland where it activates the thyroid to produce more thyroid hormones.

Thyroid hormones influence virtually every other organ system in the body. They tell the organs how fast or slow the should work, and tell the body systems when to use energy (e.g., consume oxygen and produce heat).

Endocrinologists (physicians and scientists who study and care for patients with endocrine gland and hormone problems) have defined and studied several major disorders of the thyroid gland.


Hyperthyroidism(symptoms & treatments):
An overactive thyroid gland
Too much thyroid hormone speeds up the body’s metabolism. Women get this condition more often than men, and it occurs in about 1% of women. One of the most frequent forms of hyperthyroidism is known as Graves’ disease (named after Dr. Robert Graves). This condition can run in families although the exact nature of the genetic abnormality is unknown.

Because the thyroid is producing too much hormone with this condition, the body develops an increased metabolic state, with the functions of many body systems speeding up and producing too much body heat.

Hypothyroidism(symptoms & treatments): An underactive thyroid gland.

Several causes for this condition exist, most of which affect the thyroid gland directly, impairing its ability to make enough hormone. More rarely, there are conditions in the brain (for example, pituitary tumors) that cause the pituitary gland to fail to produce thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and stimulate the thyroid enough to make hormone.

Whether the problem is with the thyroid gland or the pituitary gland, the result is that the thyroid is not producing enough hormone, and most major body functions, both physical and mental processes, slow down. The body consumes less oxygen and produces less body heat.

Thyroid Nodules(symptoms & treatments): A condition that begins as a small localized swelling or lump in the thyroid gland.
Thyroid nodules may be single or multiple. They represent enlargement of a collection of thyroid cells caused by thyroid cell growth or because of a local fluid collection (“cyst”) in the thyroid gland. Thyroid nodules are quite common. Significant sized nodules, which are greater than a half inch across, occurs in about 5% of people. Almost half of the population will have tiny nodules but many are not aware of them until they become large.

Although most of these nodules are benign, they need medical attention because:

They may be cancer growths
They may produce too much thyroid hormone (hyperthyroidism)
They may become too large and press on your trachea (airway tube) or swallowing tube (esophagus)

Other thyroid problems include thyroiditis (inflammation of the thyroid gland), a goiter (enlargement of the thyroid gland, which can be visible); and thyroid cancer.

Lifestyle and Prevention :

Patient who have been treated for a thyroid conditions should understand:

  • When to take their thyroid hormone medication
  • Signs or symptoms of too much or not enough thyroid hormone
  • When to go to their doctor for blood tests to check thyroid hormone levels, or to check for nodules
  • That other drugs (and even other medical conditions) you are taking could affect your health or interact with your thyroid medication. Ask your doctor about possible interactions, side effects, or warning signs.

In general, there are things you can do to protect your health. Eating a balanced diet, getting enough sleep, exercising several times a week, and getting fresh air and relaxation are all activities that will help you feel your best. Healthy living is an important part of recovery from a thyroid condition. These suggestions may also help to prevent future problems.

Click &   Read    :   Take care of your thyroid

Click for useful links

Natural Thyroid Remedies – Herbal Alternative Thyroid Treatment

Symptoms and treatment of Thyroid disease Ayurveda and Yoga

Natural Thyroid Support

Thyroid and coconut diet

Alternative Therapies for Thyroid Disease

Homeopathic Thyroid Treatment & Medication

Disclaimer: This information is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advise or help. It is always best to consult with a Physician about serious health concerns. This information is in no way intended to diagnose or prescribe remedies.

Resources:

http://www.hormone.org/public/thyroid/overview.cfm

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