Body Talk: Think Yourself Healthy

I have a headache

GRANNY was right. The old saying that "if you don’t think about it, it won’t hurt" is true, say scientists at Oxford University. They found that if you touch something hot while listening to music or watching a video, your brain receives fewer pain signals.

Distract yourself from the pain: This works for all types of pain, not just headaches. So instead of reaching for a painkiller next time you feel period pains or a migraine coming on, distract yourself with your favourite CD or DVD.

I want to give up smoking

RESEARCH at Duke University in America found that smokers who took deep breaths had fewer cravings. "Some of the actions associated with smoking can trigger activity in the same areas of the brain as nicotine," says author Dr Joseph McClernon. "Inhaling deeply may do this – probably because it increases oxygen to the brain which has a relaxing effect."

Use the power of your mind to quit: Do the "McClernon breath" whenever a craving strikes. Breathe in for five seconds, hold for two, then breath out for five. Repeat for five breaths. For added results, breathe through a straw, which helps mimic the smoking action.

My gums bleed when I brush

SPENDING 15-20 minutes a day relaxing cuts the risk of gum problems by almost half. "People under stress had 43 per cent more incidence of gum disease than calmer people," says Dr Anwar Merchant of Harvard School of Dental Medicine. "It might sound odd, but when you’re stressed, levels of the hormone insulin increase in the body and trigger inflammation in the gums that leads to the condition."

Think your way to healthier gums: Spend five minutes, four times a day, chilling with a cup of green tea. There’s an added bonus to relaxing like this as the ingredients in green tea help to fight plaque.

I want to get better quicker

WHEN researchers at King’s College Hospital, London, conducted a study on two groups of people with minor wounds, the ones who spent 20 minutes a day writing about their feelings healed faster. It has also been found to reduce arthritis symptoms, increase immunity in HIV patients and lead to fewer days off work. Psychologist Dr James Pennebaker, author of Writing To Heal, says: "When you put an emotional upheaval into words, the brain has a better chance of organising it and giving it meaning. When this happens, you no longer need to think about the event, which leads to less stress and better body functions."

Boost healing time with your mind: Write it down, says Dr Pennebaker: "Put on paper everything you’re worrying about – you might feel sad afterwards but it will go away."

I’ve got backache

HYPNOTHERAPIST Richard Moat (www. moativationalmedicine. com) treats back pain with a mental makeover. Richard says: "Some chronic pain conditions could be linked to unexpressed negative emotions that weigh down our body, triggering pain. Let them go, and you release the pain as well."

Allow your brain to let go of the pain: "The emotional problem will have occurred 6 to 18 months before the back problem started," says Richard. "Now you need to release those feelings. Sometimes just facing up to the problem will enable you to release it. For example, imagine a conversation in which you express your feelings to the person you have a problem with. This lets things out without creating more conflict."

I can’t get pregnant

IN trials by Harvard psychologist Alice Domar, women who’d had trouble conceiving were twice as likely to become pregnant if they used mind-body techniques that reduce stress and tackle negative thinking than women who didn’t. Psychologists like Robert Holden from the Happiness Project cite the theory that the mind gives you what you want in life. In other words, if you constantly tell your body you’re going to conceive, you will.

Think yourself fertile: Try "thought restructuring" – every time a negative thought (like "I’m never going to have a baby") pops into your head, replace that with "I’m not pregnant yet but that doesn’t mean I won’t have a baby." The more you talk your brain into thinking something’s possible, the more chance you have of achieving it.

I want to get fitter

WHEN volunteers at the Cleveland Clinic in America spent 15 minutes a day visualising moving their little finger, the muscles within the digit grew by 35 per cent over 12 weeks. Nick Redshaw, president of the Association of Professional Sports and Exercise Psychologists, says: "This is because your brain assumes you’re actually making the movement and so sends out the extra blood and adrenaline to where it’s needed, as if you really were exercising."

Think your way to better muscles "When you lift weights focus on imagining blood rushing to that muscle. If you’re running, pretend you’re going over the finishing line of a race. The workout will seem easier and you’ll get more from it," says Nick.