"You come to love not by finding the perfect person, but by seeing an imperfect person perfectly." -- Sam Keen

 

As each issue of Natural Awakenings goes into layout, I do a quick review of the feature articles, making sure that all have information of potential value to the reader and are in sync with the “story” that our unique publication has to tell. As I did my review this month, a sentence stood out that made a profound impression on me: “Every molecule in the brain begins as food.”

This is a quote from Dr. Drew Ramsey, author of The Happiness Diet and assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. While his words, and those of other researchers, are used to illustrate the effect of diet on depression (“Happy Meals: Eating Healthy Foods Fights off Depression,” on page 28), think of all the ways our brain affects our lives.  Not just mental health in the clinical sense, but mood, clarity of thought, optimism, curiosity, alertness, and memory to name just a few.

We also discuss the significant effect food has on the brain in “Ease ADHD Naturally” on page 26. Deficiencies of Omega-3s, magnesium, and B vitamins, and ingestion of gluten and processed foods are now considered to be factors in attention-deficit and hyperactive behavior.

I remember being in my twenties, commuting to Manhattan, and feeling tired, out-of-sorts, and performing less than stellar work in my job. I blamed my situation on the job and commute - not thinking that the glazed donut my still skinny body ate every morning had anything to do with my outlook.

But since changing my diet (by virtually eliminating sugar and grains) I’ve noticed that not just my weight and general health has improved, but my mood, concentration, ability to deal with stress, and more. Because diet, health, mood and brain function are so connected, I would even claim that diet has affected my creativity, productivity and relationships.  

So, on to relationships. Just as “the holidays” may stir up family and financial issues, Valentine’s Day can raise questions and insecurities about romance and relationships. Are you head over heels in love, wondering if your relationship will last, or do you find yourself painfully (or blissfully) single this year?  Regardless of your current situation, we all yearn to love and be loved. “Happily Coupled - Creating Loving Relationships that Thrive” (page 18), delves into five couples’ partnerships to see what makes them work.

I hope learn as much as I did from these articles and the others in this issue –

With love, Ana