…in our brain. A key component of mental health. It is the ability to bounce back, to adapt to adversity, and particularly to recover from trauma (physical or psychic). More resilience means staying healthy in the face of tragedy and stress. Less resilience means becoming overwhelmed, getting stuck, breaking down, and getting sick.

Both genes and environment play a part in the outcome: the genetically determined sensitivity to stress, influenced by the number and intensity of unfavourable events that are encountered growing up. The quality of early parenting is key in the developing resilience. Limbic circuits are programmed in childhood, as are the links between the brain, endocrine system, and immune system. But not to forget: the early parenting environment can strongly influence the gene expression that leads to greater resilience once (even an adopted and genetically independent) child is an adult.

So nurture can triumph over nature, and a mother’s (and dad’s) love conquers all.

But: the effects of a long-ago stress get handed down to subsequent generations.

And one more „but“: If you grin, you’ll bear it more quickly. Positive emotions during the stress exposure contribute to a faster recovery. So? We smile all together 🙂

Combat inflammation and boost the feel-good neurotransmitters in your brain! One way to do it: eating healthy. Food and Love become intimately associated in nearly all of us. The main rule is: energy in, energy out. You eat good, you’ll feel good.

Eat like you like yourself.

ciao ciao!