The Power of Thoughts

By Regan Golob

I believe that there are three main factors that affect health. I call them the three “T’s.” They are trauma, toxicity and thoughts (beliefs). In this issue we will discuss the effect of thoughts on health.

My first premise is that without our conscious effort, our body knows exactly how to maintain health. It has an innate intelligence that can create a baby from a single cell, mend a broken bone and keep innumerable biological processes going all the time. To do this, our bodies do need appropriate nourishment; and as we are beginning to learn, that does not come from food alone. Babies who are given an adequate diet, but who are not touched and held, can suffer what is called “failure to thrive” and die.

How, then, do our thoughts play a role in our health? Because our thoughts can nourish or harm us. What we think or believe can actually affect the biochemical makeup of our bodies and affect our immune systems. Negative thoughts and fears can change a healthy alkaline blood system into an acid one. Negative thoughts stem from our beliefs about ourselves.

Underneath these thoughts lie fears, repressed feelings, and issues we haven’t dealt with. These take a constant toll on our health. The roots of our fears and beliefs about ourselves are buried in our subconscious minds. They were responses we made, as children, to situations we did not understand. At the time, these responses helped us survive. If we did not have the help or skill to deal with those issues, they became lodged in our subconscious. Our self-talk (the things we say to ourselves) can be a clue to surfacing hidden beliefs about ourselves.

Becoming aware of self-talk, or negative effects of our behavior, is the first step to changing our beliefs about ourselves. Many of us have internalized the voice of a critical parent, and we use it to judge ourselves. We may also suffer so much from fear that we are afraid to risk the very things that might free us from our fear. Many people work in jobs they hate or live with unsuitable partners because they are afraid to leave — because change, too, is scary.

We are luckier than many of our parents because support for risking, dealing with our fears and changing is much more available than in their day; and there is more focus in our society today on the importance of growth and positive change.

Awareness is our first step on the path of change. Forgiveness is the next. By forgiveness, I mean, letting go. What we are learning about forgiveness is that when we hold on to a wrong we are tied to it. To be released, we must forgive our self (let go) for any harm we may have caused our self; forgive all others for any harm they may have caused us; and allow others to forgive us for any harm we may have caused them.

Learning to change unhelpful patterns is tough work. It is important to seek the support of friends, family, a therapist or other community resources. Most of all, we need to be gentle with ourselves and know we’re doing our best.

An alkaline diet consisting of 75% fruits and vegetables helps maintain positive thought processes.

People who are acid and who eat a lot of meat are usually more angry and aggressive.

Lots of bread and sugars can contribute to candidiasis, which is characterized by depression and lethargy.

Taking chelated minerals found in good quality nutritional products can insure that our bodies and brains are functioning at their full electromagnetic potential. When we are healthy, we can choose our responses and our perspectives in any situation. There are no victims, only volunteers!

“Thoughts are things, use them wisely.”