Many health conscious folks are fully aware of how important sunlight is for happiness, disease prevention, and overall wellness. The significance of just being out in nature is lost on some people though. Despite this lack of recognition, there is plenty of research showing that spending time in nature can decrease feelings of depression and aggression, and increase self-esteem, generosity ability to focus, and overall health. Of course, spending time outside is also an excellent opportunity to unplug and have fun!
Mental health is a big part of overall wellness. So much so, that the World Health Organization includes mental health in its overall definition of health. It makes sense: think of a time in your life when you were most energetic and vibrant. It is very likely that this period was a time of great mental health. This can be seen on a day to day level as well. When my mental health is high, I am much more productive, energetic, and social. Most healthy diets or eating philosophies don't demand you to follow their eating plan to the letter. In fact, many of them allow for some "cheating." Mark Sisson encourages his readers to follow an 80/20 principle where it is only necessary to follow the Primal Blueprint 80 percent of the time, and eating unhealthy food is permissible twenty percent of the time. Tim Ferriss encourages a "Binge Eating Day" once a week where it is not only okay but encouraged to eat all of the unhealthy food you can fit into your mouth. I think these are fine ideas, but in order for them to be successful they have to be practiced in a certain way.
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