Medical science is discovering a connection between your state of mind and body. Our brain produces different chemicals which helps our body to stay healthy, to heal or not to heal. Several chemicals produced in the brain are:

• Endorphins, which our body uses as a natural pain medicine,

• Gamma globulin helps our immune system, and

• Interferon’s which help our bodies fight cancer, viruses and infections. Our brain has the ability to combine these chemicals and other substances into medicine that we need to fight whatever the body needs.

The brain produces these chemicals and substances according to your thoughts, the way you feel and how you expect your body to heal from a disease or symptom. Your brain will not produce the proper amount of chemicals and substances for proper healing if you have a negative attitude about your health. If you are positive about your health, your brain will produce a sufficient amount to allow it to heal.

Chemical imbalance can occur if your mind and body has been under a lot of stress for a long period of time, which can lead to depression. Depression is when the mind and body aren't functioning together to keep you healthy. There are several ways of helping your body and mind to reconnect and help heal it self.

- Change your attitude to positive. Good or bad, everything changes and you have the power within your thoughts to change to a more positive view of your situation.

- Meditation calms the mind and allows the body to become relaxed. By clearing the mind and relaxing the body, you sleep better at night. If you get the proper amount of sleep, it allows the body to rejuvenate itself.

- Daily exercise is so important for keeping the body in good physical shape to allow for healing.

- Yoga is being used for elderly patients who have had hip surgery to regain muscle strength while boosting their confidence in helping themselves to heal by showing faster improvement.

- Deep breathing exercise slows the heart rate, allows sufficient oxygen to the brain and major organs. Deep breathing calms the body and allows the brain to produce the amount of chemicals needed for good health.

- Massage therapy is wonderful for relaxing the body muscles and easing muscle tension which causes our minds to become stressed from pain in our "over used muscles".

- Aromatherapy is excellent in calming not only the mind but also the body. Fragrances can relax, stimulate, and cause feelings of happiness, joy, security, and power to achieve. The use of aromatherapy in a warm bath not only relaxes and induces better sleep but can also relieve muscle soreness and pain.

- Eating a balanced diet is important to maintain good health. Food provides the body with the vitamins, minerals, and energy needed to fight infection, disease and helps the brain to produce the chemicals and substances that are needed to keep you healthy.

When you have more stress than you are able to cope with on your own seek medical advice from your physician. Your physician may refer you to a psychologist for counseling. A counselor can help you retrain your thoughts to help the chemical imbalance return to normal.