The Scientific Guide to Health and Happiness

Description

There is one thing that every person wants and it’s something we spend our entire lives searching for: happiness. Throughout human history, there have been as many ideas about happiness as the humans who seek it. We ask ourselves questions such as:

• Can money buy happiness?
• Will finding love bring happiness?
• Will the perfect job result in happiness?

The one common thread that runs through the ideas and theories we concoct to answer these questions is the fact that very few of them are based on science. But what scientists are now learning is that happiness is intertwined with your health. As Mahatma Gandhi stated, "It is health that is real wealth."

Enter Dr. Robin Miller, an internist and integrative medicine specialist, a published author, and a popular TV and radio host. In the 24 information-packed lessons of The Scientific Guide to Health and Happiness, Dr. Miller reveals the essential secrets to a healthy mind and body.

These insights are backed by the latest research and scientific studies about health and happiness and cases from Dr. Miller's practice over the decades. Armed with this information, you will be equipped with the keys to happiness and well-being.

Happiness and Health Defined

We all know what happiness feels like, but we can't always put those feelings into words. At the most basic level, happiness is a general state of well-being and satisfaction. On a physical level, there is a more immediate aspect to feeling happy. When you experience joyful feelings, your nervous system is triggered to react by releasing powerful neurochemicals that have the power to regulate your mood at any given moment.

Dr. Miller begins our exploration by looking at the different levels of happiness, both long-term satisfaction of life versus immediate chemical sensations. Next, she dives into explaining health by looking at three definitions that the medical community uses to describe it:

• The absence of disease;
• A state that allows a person to cope with the daily demands of life; and
• A state of balance between an individual and their social and physical environment.

In the process of understanding how health serves as a foundation for happiness, we discover that health and happiness have an interdependent relationship—one cannot exist without the other.

All of this also translates to longevity. It's not merely about living longer, but also living well as you age, which is another pursuit of humans relating to happiness that has translated to multibillion-dollar industries.

Your Body and Your Mind

In the first section, Dr. Miller looks at three of the body's major systems—your brain, heart, and gut (and the microbiome living in it).

• The Brain: Everything you consciously experience is a result of your brain's complex communication system. Learn about neurotransmitters and how they work with your brain to process information and generate emotions.
• The Heart: Happier people have less heart disease. Explore this correlation and find newer ways to measure and take care of your heart health, such as HRV (heart rate variability) and TMAO (Trimethylamine N-oxide).
• The Gut: Also thought of as your second brain, your gut contains your enteric nervous system. Recent scientific research has proven that there are direct connections between the health of your gut and your overall well-being. Discover how your mental health directly affects your gut health and vice versa.
• The Microbiome: As part of your gut, the trillions of bacteria we call the microbiome can communicate with your brain in ways we're only now beginning to understand. Find out how changing your gut bacteria can alter your weight, brain chemistry, and even personality.

Along with the physical parameters of health, you will also consider mental health. When you think of mental health, you may typically think of diseases like depression. However, other aspects like neurodegeneration, weight and body image, chronic pain management, and spirituality can also play a big role in your mood and how you manage your emotions and thought. These aspects, in turn, can affect your physical well-being.

Are You Really What You Eat?

The next section of this course covers what you put in your body. Because this is an area that you can directly influence, it is a significant part of building your health and happiness.

You've often heard the saying, "You are what you eat." Find out if this is true as you walk through the basics of choosing and sticking to a diet plan. You will learn ways to change your habits easily, and most important, understand why it is crucial to do so. You will also discover the truth about supplements and "fun foods" that can fit into any healthy diet, such as chocolate and wine.

Your Lifestyle

Your daily life habits significantly influence your health and happiness. Here are some of the main lifestyle choices Dr. Miller discusses:

• Sleep: We spend a third of our lives sleeping, and our body restores and repairs itself during this time, so Dr. Miller introduces us to healthier sleep habits.
• Sex: Sexually active people are not only happier, but they live longer. Dr. Miller discusses a healthy sex life and common dysfunctions that can impair it, and how to improve and overcome these conditions.
• Community: Loneliness and social isolation are such a risk for your mortality that it has been estimated to be the equivalent of smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Learn ways to overcome this and build a community around you.
• Music, Dance, and Meditation: These external activities have a powerful effect on your internal and mental health. Exploring them on any level will offer you protection from the effects of aging, stress, and loneliness.
• Technology for Health: Utilize cutting-edge technology to provide scientifically based insight and measurements to monitor your health. Discover the apps, fitness monitors, and genetic testing that are now widely available to all, at affordable prices.

Your Roadmap to Your Best Self

Finding and maintaining your state of health and happiness is a part of the human experience. Yet, there are so many aspects to it that it can feel overwhelming to know which one to focus on first.

The Scientific Guide to Health and Happiness is your perfect roadmap to achieving your best self. Dr. Miller not only boils each concept down to its nitty gritty using scientific examples and guidelines, but she also shows how everything is related to each other.

These lessons will provide you with the information you need to take charge of your health. As you will find, with each small step you take, you create a domino effect that positively affects other aspects of your life and well-being. Before you know it, your efforts to improve your health, diet, and lifestyle will come together to create a symphony of great health and happiness.

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