In between my morning and afternoon training sessions at BE I go home walk the dogs, eat lunch, and relax for an hour or so. During that time I may surf the internet or watch something on Netflix. Recently I've been intrigued with TED Talks. A Psychologist Kelly McGonigal gave a great talk on stress.

Now a days everyone knows stress is bad. Mental stress leads to all types of mental and physical ailments. Stress throughout our physical body leads to the most used word by medical professionals in the last year ... INFLAMMATION. Inflammation seems to be the cover all term used when nobody knows what the heck is wrong with you.

I remember when I was younger my dad always said a little stress is a good thing. Exercise is a stress and that is "good". Learning is a mental stress and that is "good". So I guess stress in the right amounts is the key... right?

McGonigal's talk cited studies that marked stress as being good for health if it's perceived as being good. In studies cited those who believed stress as being good actually had great or better health markers when under stress compared to those who viewed stress as bad. It shows the true power of your mind and thoughts. [1]

With my clients I always reference the placebo affect. Regardless what caused the affect there was an affect. Sugar pills have been used in studies for years to show the placebo affect. Every so many years you see professional athletes where some type of band that they swear it gives the better athletic ability. Or the arthritis bracelets. These things show no scientific evidence that they work, but they do! Why? Because your mind/thoughts allow it to "work".

Lets take this concept one step further. If you can program your body to handle stressful situations positively, then why can't you program your body to use other negative habits positively. I've heard this concept from many holistic health practitioners. They program their food. Before eating it they tell it what it's going to do.

"Make me skinny!"

"Satiate me!" (probably nobody uses the term "satiate" when talking to themselves haha)

A Japanese doctor, Dr. Masaru Emoto performed a cool study done on programming water. When he wrote the terms like "Love" or "Gratitude" on a water bottle the water crystal formation was beautiful and stunning. Misshaped and ugly crystals were formed when words like "hate" were used. Check out his book The Hidden Messages in Water.

Bottom line, change your thoughts and be positive about everything.

- Mark Radio

Mark Radio is the General Manager of Body Elite. He graduated from Bloomsburg University in 2008 with a bachelors degree in Exercise Science. He is a certified nutritional counselor through AFPA. Mark enjoys working with all types of clients from any skill level. Mark tailors programs to your skill level and goals, putting an emphasis on strength training, high intensity cardio, and eating “real” food to get BE clients to where they want to be.

1. "Stress as a Positive: Recent Research That Suggests It Has Benefits." TED Blog Stress as a Positive Recent Research That Suggests It Hasbenefits Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2014.

Stress! You Decide If It's Healthy or Not