Written By Eric Nelson.
There is certainly no shortage of health advice these days, much of it contradictory. Today we are told that aspirin, coffee and nuts are good for us. Next week? Maybe not so much. There is little doubt, however, and plenty of evidence to suggest, that a diet that includes the following mental nutrients will always produce a healthier and happier mind and body.
Compassion
Ask Dr. James Doty, a world-class neurosurgeon and director of Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education, what the secret is to better health and he’ll tell you it’s compassion. “While survival of the fittest may lead to short-term gain,” he wrote in a column last year, “research clearly shows it is survival of the kindest that leads to the long-term survival of a species.”
Not only is compassion a predictor of longer life and faster recovery from disease, it also provides a greater sense of happiness, purpose and meaning — and that’s just for the one who is being compassionate. There is also ample evidence to indicate that patients who feel genuinely cared for by their doctor respond more positively, suggesting that a supportive mental environment leads to healing.
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