Just What The Doctor Ordered
Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel
One of the best ways to feel good and improve your health is
simple and doesn't cost anything. Just go outside!
In The Nature Fix, a new book
by Florence Williams, she says that one of the most important things we
can do for ourselves is to enjoy the outdoors.
To give ourselves a dose of Nature.
Or, as some people are calling it these days, "Vitamin N."
Philosophers and poets Henry David
Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Walt Whitman all wrote about the therapeutic
powers of nature. And, so did environmentalist John Muir, whose celebration of
America's wilderness helped gain support for the creation of the National Park
Service.
Following in these illustrious
footsteps, journalist Williams, a contributing editor to Outside
magazine, set off to study how nature affects man's well-being – a journey that
took her to islands in Finland, forests in Korea, and eucalyptus groves in
California.
Based on her experiences and
research, Williams found that the restorative powers of nature can reduce
people's feelings of anger and depression and help generate positive emotions. With
the growth of cities and people spending more time indoors, she notes that there's
an “epidemic dislocation from the outdoors” that's causing anxiety and stress.
The cure, says Williams, is just
steps away: “The more nature, the better you feel. Walk into a forest and
within five minutes your body and brain start to change. Your heart rate slows,
your facial muscles start to relax. The smell of pine trees boosts your immune
system.
When you hear birdsong your brain
puts out more alpha waves, making you feel more calm and alert."
SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and
Patti Kishel learned that just getting outside for a few minutes a day can make
a difference in well-being. Sitting outside, going for a walk, taking a bicycle
ride or catching a wave.
So, what are you
waiting for?
It's time to take
a walk on the wild side.
Please post your comment below.
Comments will appear the next day.
Sunny Magdaug and
Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to this copyrighted material.
Publications wishing to reprint it may contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com
Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites
as long as credit is given.
