Mind-FULL Versus Mindful

Have you ever felt so overwhelmed by your own thoughts? Worried all the time about things that aren’t under your control? Unable to enjoy the moment, because although you’re physically present…mentally you’re not?

Do you tend to get so focused on a goal that you want to achieve that you lose touch with what you are doing right now to get there? Do you rush through activities without being really attentive, to the point that you never quite reach your goal? Do you feel like you’re living life on auto-pilot – just existing and reacting to your surroundings? Like you’re not really living life…

Well, that was how I felt for such a long time. But last year was the worst – I felt I was drowning in a sea of disarray. Suffocating. I realized that I was so unhappy with myself and practically everything around me. I had been struggling with juggling my work, studies, family and social life – trying to create a balance. But failing miserably at this act. I had been suffering from severe anxiety. Fortunately, a dear friend and brilliant psychologist introduced the concept of ‘mindfulness’ to me. She guided me to great resources to look into it. Keep in mind, I am in no way an expert in this field – in fact I’m still just exploring it. With that said, in the past couple of months, I’ve tried to incorporate mindfulness practice into my daily life and I’ve noticed tremendous improvement in my overall mental health and happiness.

I actually heard about mindfulness a while back before I started to formally explore it. However, I hadn’t taken it too seriously because I had viewed it as this hippie “peace & love” trend sweeping the world like a popular viral meme on the internet. So, being the very “scientific” or “evidence-based” kind of person I am, I ignored it. (Pretty ignorant of me, I know.) But it still kept popping up everywhere. When I finally started reading about it and studying the field, I was fascinated by the amount of scientific backing it already had. It truly gave me a different perspective on mental health and life in general.

In this modern day world of ever advancing science and technology, it’s easy to get caught up in the bombardment of stresses from every aspect of our busy lives. We end up neglecting our own mental health and wellbeing. Significant stress and poor coping mechanisms can lead to many issues like anxiety, depression, and even physical ailments like pain disorders.

What is mindfulness?

Jon Kabat-Zinn, one of the pioneers in modern practice, describes ‘mindfulness” as the non-judgemental awareness, a direct knowing of what’s going on inside and outside ourselves, moment by moment.

In contrast to my primary notions, mindfulness is not just some new hippie trend – it actually dates back to ancient times. Formal mindfulness practices include meditation, yoga, and Tai Chi. At first, mindfulness can seem like a vague concept. But practicing mindfulness is basically the act of concentrating on your breathing, being aware of your breath and what’s going on around you in the present moment. The more you do it, the more the simplicity of it becomes evident and its benefits immeasurable. It lightens the mind and the spirit. Practicing mindfulness, creating a mental environment that is pleasant and peaceful, is conducive to clarity of thought. One of the most instant mood changers and calming exercises is simply to take a deep breath. It’s free, its instantly available and gets oxygen to your brain.

It's known that physical training makes our body stronger, fitter and more flexible. Neuroscience research has shown that mindfulness training promotes the inherent capacities of the mind to be present, step out of automatic pilot and create a space so we can be clearer, calmer, more focused, more creative, even more compassionate. By practicing awareness each day and exercising that muscle of attention, it can gradually become part of a new way of life.

Mindfulness and all its benefits will not become apparent until you’ve really engaged with it. And like everything, it gets better with practice. Even the first time you do the simple breathing technique, the result is immediate. It will empower and encourage you to take another step and then another, until you are being mindful in other activities.

Personally, I feel like my spark has returned. I’ve found new enjoyment in simple activities again. I feel more relaxed yet mentally more alert and enthusiastic. My relationships and communications with people have changed. Mindfulness has improved and brightened my whole life and outlook.

Mindfulness helps you:

·      See with greater clarity how to approach your moment-by-moment experience skillfully

·      Take more pleasure in the good things that often go unnoticed or unappreciated

·      Deal more effectively with the difficulties you encounter, both real and imagined.

·      Become aware of the workings of your mind

·      Get in touch with a different way of knowing yourself and the world

·      Notice small beauties and pleasures in the world around you, instead of living in your head

·      Be kind to yourself instead of wishing things were different all the time, or driving yourself to meet impossible goals

·      Accept yourself as you are, rather than judging yourself all the time

·      Avoid negative and harmful emotions

·      Cultivate happiness

When you are mindful, you become a relaxed witness to your inner life, and you are freed from being constantly affected by all your judgements about the world and everything that taking place within it. You consciously observe your thoughts and feelings, rather than allowing yourself to swim around in them. The moment you become aware and conscious in this way, you are living in the moment, and not on autopilot. At first this feels like you are creating a sense of space within yourself. With time and practice it opens up a whole new dimension of freedom, relaxation and stillness. Mindfulness has truly been life changing for me. I believe it would be incredibly selfish of me to not share this with you. I highly encourage you to (always) be curious and look into it further for yourself.

“Human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives.” 
-William James

It's “Complicated"

Since I’ve spent the last few years focused on clinical research in diabetes, I thought it would be fitting to start my blog off with that topic. Diabetes mellitus (commonly referred simply as diabetes) has become an epidemic afflicting many people all over the globe. According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF 2017) “Approximately 425 million adults have diabetes; by 2045 this will rise to 629 million.” As a matter of fact, I’m pretty sure you know someone or somebody who knows someone with diabetes.

In the human body, there are many hormones and physiological reactions that help balance blood glucose (sugar) levels within a normal range. One of the main hormones responsible for regulating blood glucose levels is insulin. Insulin is produced by the pancreas and released into the blood stream to help the sugar molecules enter the cells and be used for energy. Diabetes is a lifelong disease in which blood sugar levels are raised basically because of a defect in this regulation process.

There are many types of diabetes mellitus. The three main ones are type 1, type 2, and gestational (during pregnancy) diabetes. Type 1 is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s own immune cells fight and destroy the pancreatic cells responsible for the production of insulin. Therefore, the damaged cells of the pancreas do not produce insulin and blood sugar levels are elevated. In type 2, the pancreas does produce insulin – but not enough, and the body resists the effects of insulin (known as insulin resistance).

Some signs and symptoms of diabetes are: 

·      Increased thirst

·      Frequent urination

·      Extreme hunger

·      Unexplained weight loss

·      Fatigue

·      Blurred vision

·      Slow-healing sores

·      Frequent infections (such as gums/skin & vaginal infections)

However, did you know that the most common symptom is no symptom at all?! Yes, in fact the majority of people are “accidentally” diagnosed at a routine checkup at the doctor’s office or while being investigated for concerns unrelated to diabetes.

As diabetes does not have a cure and is lifelong, treatment is aimed at maintaining normal levels of blood sugar. Since people with type 1 diabetes do NOT produce insulin, it needs to be replaced exogenously (ie. from outside the body) through insulin injections. In type 2, if diagnosed early, it may be managed through simply healthy eating and regular exercise. However, if the condition worsens (and in most cases even at the time of diagnosis), diabetes medications and/or insulin injections are necessary to control the blood sugar levels.

Why is it so important for people with diabetes to control their blood sugar levels you ask? Because of the COMPLICATIONS. Abnormally high levels of sugar in the blood over a long period of time have extremely damaging effects to practically every organ in the body. In fact, every individual with diabetes is at risk of going blind. People with diabetes are 2-3 times more likely to have cardiovascular disease (heart attacks, strokes, etc…). End-stage kidney disease, in which dialysis or a kidney transplant is needed to survive, is up to 10 times more prevalent in people with diabetes. In addition, persistently high blood sugar causes damage to nerves in the body.  This nerve damage can be significant enough that minor injuries (eg. on the foot) can go unnoticed and lead to ulcerations, infections and even amputations! It’s estimated that every 30 seconds someone loses a lower limb or part of a lower limb due to diabetes. This is serious stuff. If you know someone with uncontrolled diabetes who is taking it lightly, urge them to start taking it seriously immediately. The damage to the various organs over time will reduce their quality of life tremendously and can even lead to premature death.

Complications of Diabetes

Recommendations for people with diabetes:

·      Take the diabetes medication as prescribed by your physician. Compliance is vital to having your blood sugar levels under control and preventing complications.

·      Attend regular checkups with your physician (ideally 2-4 times a year).

·      Get your eyes checked by an ophthalmologist once every year.

·      Do not smoke.

·      Control your blood pressure and cholesterol.

·      Be up to date on your vaccines (like the flu (yearly), pneumonia, & hepatitis B)

·      Educate yourself about your condition. Talk to your doctor about any concerns. 

At the end of the day, your doctor can advise and guide you, but ultimately it all comes down to YOU. You only have one body for a lifetime, so take care of it. Take control of your health by eating healthy, exercising regularly, monitoring your blood sugar, and taking your medications correctly and consistently. :)